I'm Surrounded!

Yesterday evening and today we are holding our annual boys night. Each summer I schedule a boys party for my sons. They each get to choose one friend to come and spend the time with them. So at this moment, I have 6 boys in my basement. Star Wars is being featured on the TV and someone is playing a computer game that is accompanied with some happy arcade music. The noise is... well I am sure you can imagine! Then you throw in Lauren who is just happy to have company and it hits a crescendo!

Having a house full of boys got me to thinking about boys in general and the crazy things they do. They are full of adventure, energy and life. My boys love to wrestle and get a good gotcha last game going on with their dad. Our house can get pretty chaotic at times. I find it best to get to a safe spot when these games start up. Unfortunately, someone always tends to get hurt, but that doesn't stop them from going at it again. They absolutely enjoy the time spent with their dad in an active non-stop game

The other day they all decided, Joel included, that it would be great fun to set up a plywood ramp off some of the big rocks that line our drive. Joel fired up the mini-bike that was given to us. Truthfully, it is a piece of junk, but Joel tinkered with it till he got it running. He cut out an OSB board seat for it and called it beautiful! Anyway, the boys hopped on their bikes, Joel got on this tiny motorized bike and away they went. Taking turns racing across the driveway and flying off the end of the ramp. Lauren and I sat down on the front steps a safe distance away and I prayed that no one would get injured. The next 15 minutes were filled with laughter and daredevil jumps. Then, Joel parked the mini-bike and started up the 3 wheeler. My head was swimming with the horrible outcomes he might face if he took that over the ramp. But, I just sat there shaking my head because, boys will be boys. He raced toward the ramp, launched and almost flipped the thing over on top of himself. He came down laughing and I turned a slight blue from the breath I was holding. I'm sure I will go gray before my time.

Having boys is a major learning experience for me. I grew up with 3 sisters and a brother, but my brother has never been rambunctious and loud. Maybe it was because he was surrounded by sisters! I have had to learn to let my sons be boys. What I mean by that is, I could so easily throw my arms around them and hold them back from doing what boys do best: having crazy adventures that sometimes end in minor bodily harm. But, I want my boys to be what God designed them to be. To do that I have to let go of some of my tendency to over protect. One of the best books I have read on this subject is "Bringing Up Boys" by Dr. Dobson. I was already heading down the correct path with my boys, but this book just affirmed that I was going the right way.

Everyday is a different adventure with my boys but I wouldn't want it any other way. Because my boys are wonderful, beautiful, silly, active little beings and I am truly blessed to have three of them!