Little Boys

They say that little boys are made of "snakes, snails, and puppy dogs tails". While I'm not sure that I totally agree with the sentiment, I do have to say that there are things I thought I knew about little boys before I became a mother of two that were totally incorrect. Many things I never even suspected.

Little boys can play with Nerf guns for hours, days on end. They can turn anything into a "hunting event". It may be their Legos, other action figures, and it may be things in the backyard only they can see. However, they can put their whole imaginations and all their energy into this for hours.

Little boys can destroy the following things in less than five minutes: a box of candy, a pantry full of snacks, a clean living room/kitchen/playroom/bedroom, a clean face, new shoes, clean clothing, and a freshly baked cake meant to take to a Sunday School party. This list is by no means comprehensive.

Little boys really don't mind when their hair looks crazy, being in pajamas in public, if their clothes don't match, if they have ice cream spread from chin to eyebrow, if the piece of candy in the candy box is from Christmas and it is July, if they use their shirt like a napkin and walk around looking dirty, if their feet stink to high Heaven....

Little boys love with big hearts and tender thoughts. They say things like "I love you, Mommy", "You are my best friend", "I think you are beautiful", "No, you don't look fat", and "Mommy is the queen!" (This last one usually under the duress of tickle torture.)

Little boys bring you flowers. They pick them from the yard, they make them at school, they draw them, they create them out of toilet paper rolls and egg cartons. The flowers come in many colors, shapes, and forms but they come.

Little boys don't really want you to play "action figures" with them. You will probably just do it wrong. What they want is for you to hold the guy, slam it into the other guy, and make sound effects. That is all. No suggestions about "being friends" or "saving the day together" are necessary or desired.

We find out this weekend if our baby is a boy or a girl. There are a lot of emotions surrounding this. One part of me would love a daughter and all that entails. But there is another part of me, a very spoiled part of me, that loves my boys so very much that I can't help but want another boy.

I am so glad it isn't up to me.