Wednesday, February 25, 2009

On Mothering Boys

Seriously, sometimes I marvel that I am the mom of three boys. I wasn't really a tom-boy - I played with baby dolls, pretended all the time, and mothered my younger siblings. So, this boy thing is a new experience.

I'm shocked that even at 6 months, Titus would much rather play with his brothers' cars than the cute, bright colored baby toys. And I'm a little tired of having to remind my big boys about what we say and don't in regards to bathrooming and the like...you get the idea. Their idea of fun is wrestling and making loud noises. They note every car, truck, train, or plane of interest on the road (or in the sky) and pour over the newspaper and magazines to let us know what cars they like. And they love to dress in suit coats like Daddy and strut their stuff.

Perhaps what has amazed me the absolute most is their protectiveness. At 3 1/2, my boys want to take care of me. If Calvin sees a car coming, he will put his arm in front of me and tell me to wait. If they see me in pain, I'm showered with kisses and offered band-aids. They assure me that they will stay with me forever - especially Patrick. And they eagerly help with things around the house (unless that happens to be cleaning up their toys :)).

I am so blessed by their eagerness and their unconditional love and I know that some day they will make most excellent boyfriends and husbands - you know, not that I'm biased or anything. Until then, I'm going to hang on to the hope that they really will stay with me forever because I like it that way. And I'm really not ready for them to grow up - good thing they're only 3. :)



By the way...can anyone explain why my oldest son put on 5 pairs of underwear this morning? I think he wanted to make me laugh...he succeeded. :)

8 comments:

B.D.Riehl said...

Oh I love it! Growing up, I always wanted a brood of boys. I wasn't a tom boy, either, I just always wanted to be a mom to a pack of men:) Raegan surprised me and I wouldn't have it any other way. YOur pot made me hope a little more for a boy this time around:) Isn't it fun what God surprises us with?

Heather L. said...

Your boys are so precious! I love that picture of you all. I tried that underpant trick once to try to pad a spanking, but it didn't really work.

Smith Family Blog said...

This post made me think of another blogger you might be interested in: http://heresthediehl.wordpress.com/

It's all about raising 3 boys, and how that is different from having any girls. :)

Andrew said...

Seriously, you need to check out http://heresthediehl.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/is-this-normal/#comments. I didn't comment, but would have left an affirmative reply - with an "e.g., see my wife's post..."

Kjersten, Steve, Aitugan & Nurai said...

What a WONDERFUL post! Brings a smile to my face and a really warm cozy feeling to my heart. This is a fabulous photo of a beautiful mom and her boys. : )

Anonymous said...

The other day I watched my boys carrying around their favorite stuffed pets (Mark's Doggy and Adam's Puppy) wrapped in blankets and thought, What great Daddies you'll make! They were being so sweet and gentle with their "babies."
Of course then they go and do something boyish... Aren't they a riot?
I love being the mom of boys! No hair to curl! No tights to try to pull on! Who knew?!?!

Kim said...

How adorable! I love the picture. Boys are the best! I can't get over the differences either but it is so fun to watch them learn and develop. The bathroom talk kills me! I can't believe Josh is already laughing at "noises!" Eeeew!

I posted my award! :)

Jean Marie Bibby said...

I loved this post!
Thanks for taking the time to share!