Raising up Boys

((NoTe:  I'm aware that Dobson or some other chrischun yahoo wrote a book with that title.  I've never read it.  I don't like Dobson.  This isn't about Dobson's book.  It's about my boys.  /endnote.))

I have four children, and three of them (count them, THREE) are boys.  I don't know why Yahweh chose to bless me with boys, but I have noticed that there's a certain kind of woman that tends to be blessed with boys, and I should have seen it coming.  ((Hindsight is always 20/20.))   Just like there's a certain kind of woman that tends to be blessed with a handicapped child (no-nonsense, blunt chicks), and a certain kind of woman that and blessed with twins (brainless wonders, mostly), the women who have mostly boys or all boys tend to be a certain kind of woman.  ((I'm not going into that just now.))  Boys aren't just snakes, snails, and puppy dogs tails.  And boys will be boys isn't accurate, either.  It's... wild.  You have no idea, unless you have boys.

Things get broke.  Just... for no reason, with no rhyme, and nobody knows who did it.  They are fascinated with tools... implements of destruction, rather.  You don't fix things with tools, you see where you can stick them, what you can pry apart with them, how much noise they can make, and just what you can smash with them.  Isaac got hold of a pair of scissors.  My robe no longer has a usable tie, and the Johnny Jump-up is in the trash with sliced up straps.  These are classic boy antics.

For some reason (I have no idea why... haha), people don't like boy children.  I've written about this before - my MiL hasn't seen my kids more than twice in the past year and a half, because she plays with Lydia and neglects my boys.  She buys for Lydia and gives the boys crap.  She took Lydia for a day out together, and was 'sick' when (after I haggled her for three months) she agreed to take Isaac for a day... and we drove by and saw her out gardening, instead.  ((End of relationship with MiL.))  I haven't seen my dad in almost two years, because he would take Lydia out and shit on my boys.  He bought Lydia over a hundred dollars in stuff, and showed up with nothing for Isaac - "Sorry, buddy, I'll remember next time."  ((End of relationship with Father.))   Brian's sister spends every Easter and Thanksgiving kissing Lydia's butt and doesn't waste words on my boys... called Lydia on her birthday but didn't bother to call on the boys'.  ((End of relationship with Brian's sister.))   I do. not. play favorites, and WILL not allow it to take place with my kids, either.

Well, Aunt Jill (my sister) plays favorites.  I noticed it last camping trip... she makes Lydia her 'little friend', and spares little more than passing glances at the boys.  She favors the girl.  Of course, she has three girls and no boys, so she has no clue, but that's beside the point.  Boys are people, too.  Pixxes me right off.  And I thought maybe I was just reading into things (mama-bear-itis), but two nights ago Brian said, "Did you notice your sister doesn't really care for our boys?"  Wow, apparently it's NOT just me.  Grrrreat.  That's just peachy.  Yet ANOTHER person that had better straighten up and fly right, or they're outta here.  ((shakes head))

It's not as easy to spend time with little boys.  There aren't as many toys out there for them.  They aren't as clean, as neat, as predictable as little girls.  They aren't as soft and gentle as little girls.  They've got this need to bash, to fight, to throw, to kick.  And I know there are girls who are like that, but not quite like boys.  Boys have more strength behind it from the get-go, and a WHOLE 'nother way of looking at things.  On the other hand, Isaac likes a good tea party as much as Lydia does.  He enjoys going for ice cream as much as his sister.  He bikes, fishes, runs, swims, and makes sand castles, too.  He needs hugs and lovin'... maybe even MORE than Lydia, it seems.  Anyhow, it's not THAT different.  Really.

I don't know what happens with people, but I've noticed that most boys aren't raised the right way.  I see too many boys that either go full-sissy or full-asshole, and there's GOT to be a middle ground.  Boys in training to be gentlemen, champions, heroes, strong and true.  That's my goal for my boys.  There are too many egotistical, selfish, short-sighted, jerk-off men out there, we need more valiant men.  Chivalrous, mighty men.  Men with hearts that don't bluster over emotion or feeling.  Renaissance men.  I know I need to learn more about this, but for now, that's my goal.  To raise mighty men.  And one helluva mighty woman, if I have my way.

I'm just... thinking out loud about this today.  Watching my little hoodlums running around getting 'butt' on everything while they potty train, playing Navy SEAL with the Little people (helocopter, plane, pirate dinghy, and Noah's ark).  Pulling the wires out of my mesh fold-up bags.  Yanking the spanish moss out of my artificial tree baskets.  I'm just... thinking about raising boys.  And how many of you have (and are) raising boys.  And how I'm going to have to do some more looking into this boy thing...

The Throes of a very Bad Thing

Have you noticed I've been posting between 10 and 11pm instead of between 10 and 11am lately?  I have.  I put the kids down, groan, flop somewhere (comfort not necessary), remember that I haven't posted, groan, haul myself up from wherever it was I flopped, and trudge to the computer to stick something on my site before midnight.  As if my site will turn into a pumpkin if I don't.  Orange is SO not my color.  But motivation is SO not my thing.

Brian called at noon.  I think I yawned six times in the reciever.  He told me to go make a pot of coffee - to drink straight caffiene.  I just didn't have the motivation for that... sorry.  I'm breeding banana flies.  Fruit flies.  Whatever.  Hrmph.  This could be the throes of a very bad thing.   I almost opted for schooling from a prone position on the sofa.  ((Almost.))  I did go out and weed the strawberry bed, and 7/8ths of the square foot beds.  I stopped when I got the heebie-jeebies... and when I got bit four times in the ass by various sundry skeeters.  ((Bastards.))  Anyhow, I was plumb out of 'go' by then.  Hey, it was something, gimme a break.  Means this day wasn't a total wash.

I think it's this period.  ((TMI, guys, but I couldn't give a rip... it's that motivation thing.  I have none towards propriety, either.))  I think this period has drained every ounce of blood out of me.  I've been a freakin' gushing geyser.  There's nothing left to pump to the extremities to get me going.  I'm just... wiped.  Makes a body almost wish for menopause.  ((Almost.))  I just hope it's all over by Sunday, because we're going camping with my family, and I couldn't give a rip who I offend at this point, either, and that could be the start of another very BAD thing.  How long does it take for the human body to replenish it's platelet supply, anyhow?  Red blood cells?  Hemoglobs?  That shtuff?  Just wondering... because I may need a caffiene IV just to make it thru the week...

I didn't blog today, either.

And y'know, I wish I could say that it was writer's block,
but I'm writing LIKE CR.AZ.Y on e-mail
and (mostly!) on Word...
even though I really have no drive to do that either. 
Which is weird,
because I don't write without drive under normal circumstances,
and this ain't normal. 
So... I guess whatever. 
Fact is, I have no gumption to do nuthin'. 
Or anything. 
To avoid a double negative. 
I think summer has me wiggy or something. 
And I really want to write a bunch of blogs
and pre-date them for the next vacation,
and... yeah, right, like THAT's gonna happen. 
I'm not even interested in scrapbooking,
and I have over 115 pages to label, decorate, and gussy up. 
No.
Interest. 
Nada. 
Library books sitting next to the sofa? 
Hrm.  Nope.  
Bananas so ripe they could dance off the counter to the Chicita Lady song? 
Well, bread sounds good, but who's gonna make it? 
And that Diva Cup? 
Ha! 
Screw that, I'd rather not, thankyouverymuch. 
I'm not even in the mood to sleep lately,
and usually it takes NO time for me to be out. 
Weirdness. 
So... yeah. 
Someday my muse will come...
and I'll blog profound thought things from my brain,
but for now...

Very Little Bitties

• I'm not having good luck with the Diva Cup.  ((Don't ask.))
• Today was headache from hell day.
• My sons wish to die young.
• Garfette, you should be on my list.  I'll make sure tomorrow.
• Macewan, I'll add you in the morning, too.
• Got a free mattress for the bathroom/bedroom in the camper.
• Got fish.
• Are NOT going to see WALL-e.  (See bitty #3)
• Had to re-do a whole vacation reservation today.
• Am VERY sick of Disney Jams 9.
• T-Squad sucks.
• People need to learn to drive.
• We rented The Pacifier.  It's Disney AND has Navy SEALS on it.
• I can't find The Five Love Languages anywhere IRL.
• Signed up for CPR/First Aid for August.
• I am NOT working at the next CERT volunteer thing.
• Blowing gum bubbles is HARD work.
• I used mouth muscles today that were long dormant.
• Did I mention headache...?   Going for aspirin...

Little Bitties

• Last night I posted something called "Shit in the Cake".  If you missed it, I'm sorry.  If you didn't and wonder where it went, I had to make it protected, because the comments got too personal, and I have a new(er) policy of not sharing personal stuff with heaven-only-knows-who.  My apologies on that.
• I have a rabbit with an owwie nose.  I don't know what happened to her... it's Essie (Esther), the gray one.  Her nose looks just awful, though - like it got ripped open.  Brian seems to think she got attacked by a skeeter and rubbed her nose against the cage until it was raw and bleeding, but I don't know about that.  Got some iodine and Bag Balm to put on it to clean it and protect the wound, but if anyone knows what might make a bunny's nose scab and look wicked-bad, please let me know.  It's not the other four, just Essie.  So I don't think it's a virus or ringworm or something like that...
• WE SOLD THE OTHER TRAILER!!!  No crap, one day on Craigslist, and we had THREE bites, and one of them bought it.  We got the same price for it that we paid last year, so I'm happy.  And today I'm going to get some bedsheets for the bunks (also off Craigslist).  Oh, and BTW, the sunflower motif is growing on me... no pun intended.  It might stay, after all.  ((shrugs!))
• Aaron crapped his diaper in the car yesterday, dug inside it, got two fistsful of... um, poopy, and my other kids screamed and watched in horror as he began to eat it.  It was... probably THE most vile thing I've had to see and clean up in a LONG time.  OhMiGosh, I wanted to hurl sooooo badly.  This conversation must stop, I have got the heeby-jeebies just recalling the ordeal...
• Brian and I are sort of doing better.  ((We had a week, over on the protected side of things.))  I tried to explain about spheres and red, and red confused the heck out of him.  But I think he's got it now.  Conceptually, anyhow.  He hasn't put anything into action for more than 30 seconds at a time, but beggars can't be choosers, and I was bottom of the barrel.
• Wall-E is at the $2 theatre.  We'd like to take the kids.  It should be better this time (I spent Speed Racer in the hall with a fussy baby), because he's sitting up and playing, now.  We can sit in the far aisle and it'll be okay.  I'm kinda looking forward to it a little.
• I've come up with a town day overhaul plan that shouldn't cause TOO much trouble.  ((The goal is to make a change and NOT trigger world war eighteen.))  When camp season is over, we will still have every other Friday as town day.  But one will be at mom's with my sister and the screaming banshee trio, and the other will be at MY house, with Grams spending time with JUST my kids.  ((No sister and howling harpies involved.))  I'm hoping that will still give my mom her requisite visits and yet allow my kids to have grams without sharing EVERY time, and cut down on the exposure to the hell that is now my sister.
• I'm dyeing my hair tonight.  I'm going a shade lighter.  I'm also overhauling my eye makeup and going 'smokier' (or Gothier, or more dramatic, your choice).  The weight-watching needs to be watched closer, too... and I've GOT to start running again, if it would ever stop raining...
• The fish tank is FINALLY cleaned, the rock and plants boiled to kill any still-existant disease, the filters all changed, the rocks replaced, and the whole thing put back together.  It's run all night, and today we get fish!!  NO MORE ALIEN FISH will EVER again come into my tank.  Ever.  That is all.
• There is another snake living in my flowerbed.  I have not (because of this) weeded the flowerbed.  I'm not going to weed the flower bed until it's dead.  The Queen Anne's Lace is quite large and lovely in there...
• Today we're working in the basement (until we have to go get fish and sheets and hit Menards later).  So I've got to go get my work jeans on and get crackin'.  Have a great day!!