I had one middle-sized boy with all the attendant appetites, messes, noise, wild behavior, etc. And then I got another one. Now wouldn’t you think that since the number of boys doubled, the consequent messes, noise, etc, would merely double also?
No. Something freaky happens when you double the boys—the noise, trouble, and messes increase exponentially.
This is not a good year for apples. I went out to my 5-tree orchard the other day and inventoried and figured I’d be lucky to get a bucket or two of apples. "I’ll have to baby these things along to get any applesauce," I thought.
The next day I was hoeing in the garden and found a nice-sized apple. Hmmm. There are no apple trees close to the garden. I began asking questions.
Oh, um, well, Ben and Steven finished weeding the hedge that morning so they picked dozens of my precious apples off the trees and used them for batting practice.
We will draw the curtain of charity over the scene that followed except to say that I was about to turn them both over my knee and warm their bottoms but thought I would first call Paul for sympathy and moral support.
Mistake. He started laughing. I wanted to turn him over my knee and well, never mind. He can understand the boys so well, he said, because when he was a kid he used to spend hours hitting a rock with a broomstick. (Irrelevant, said the prosecution. Overruled, said the judge.)
Paul didn’t think I should spank them but they should each dig for an extra half hour out by the carport where we’re going to put gravel in.
And, I humphed, if I have to buy apples to make applesauce, guess who’s going to pay for them.
The next day I told the boys that if they do anything so foolish again I will spank first and THEN call their dad.
Quote of the Day:
"I don’t see any reason to make my bed cuz me and Steven are the only ones that’ll see it and it’ll just get all messed up again in thirteen hours."
--Ben
Dorcas,Here I was hoping that my 3 and 4 year old little boys will outgrow their ornery stage in at least 1 year. But now I see that it could last a whole lot longer.*sigh* LOL!!
ReplyDeleteI love the quote of the day!!
I'd have to say too that I'm with Ben on that one!
ReplyDeleteI remember once we had to cut the tops off of the onions we had put in the attic to dry. We decided that it made a lot more fun, if not sense, to chuck them out the window rather than put them in a bucket. After a bit that proved rather boring as well so we contrived to rig a ramp at the bottom so that by throwing the onions down as hard as we could and hitting the board, they woudl go sailing out into the yard.
ReplyDeleteAbout that time Mom came around the corner and pulled a "Dorcas."
Funny thing tho, those onions lasted longer in the root celler than the "boringly harvested" ones did.
My only problem was that my father was not home, the paddle was. Onions made me cry ofr more reasons than one that day!
Ben has got a point. My 20 year old sister would concur with him on his bed making philosophy.:)
ReplyDelete--Delia
I'm with Ben.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about all the canning and freezing we used to do, this a.m. I envy you, with those apples.
Hey! So if we see Paul limp up to the pulpit some Sunday, we know he was laughing at the wrong thing!!
ReplyDeleteI agree about the apples being scarce this year. Last year I was givng apples away by the boxes! This year I'm hoarding everyone. I caught Peter today climbing the tree to pick them.His friend waited at the bottom to take the ones he picked. My reaction was the same as yours. I was not happy!
ReplyDeleteSo Ben, what percentage of a day's time does it take to make your bed? Looking at it that way, surely it's not too much for a mother to ask!?! : ) Especially if you perfect the art by increasing your speed - while maintaining a high quality job, of course!
ReplyDeleteBen, I love boys your age. In fact, junior high is my favorite. You are still young enough to be outright honest, yet old enough to portray a man's viewpoiint.
ReplyDeleteNow 13 hours is a VERY long time for something to stay in order. Ask any mom. The real issue is not who might see it, (you could get some unexpected company) but rather one of discipline. We are to do ALL things decently and in order I Cor. 14:40. I would ask my grandchildren, "Would you or would you not cheerfully make your bed if Jesus were standing right here?"
Besides, it's an encouragement to any mom to walk past a room and see the bed made. Ask yours. AND that's one way to edify her daily without costing a penny.
Now go climb a tree and have fun!
Hey hey now....let's lighten up on Ben with the bedmaking thing here. I happen to agree with him - thing is, I'm 34 years old. Those things don't always improve with age or maturity, Dorcas...sorry!! ;-)
ReplyDeleteIs nice to have found your site. Was also nice to see Matt a couple weeks ago at my cousin Jewel's wedding in Goshen. His height has certainly taken off... and he has completed his transformation to "human" (remember that innocent comment of mine just soon after he was born??) LOL
Anyone feel free to blog my site - I just started one and am enjoying connecting to the community.
Thanks to all for your insightful and amusing contributions. Ben said he'd reply one of these days to those of you who wrote to him.
ReplyDeleteEd, welcome! Ok, folks, here's the whole story--Paul was a teacher at Stirland Lake High School in Ontario; Matt was about a year and a half old and (in my opinion) a precocious child, brimming with personality; Ed was one of 5 seniors that we took to the IBLP seminar in Minneapolis. So we're sitting at a fast-food place and they're all playing with Matt, and Ed makes this profound observation, "You know, Matthew is finally taking on some human characteristics."
I have given him a hard time about this ever since.
And yes, Ed, Matt's growth took off when he was about 14 and I'm not sure it's stopped yet.
Amen Ben!
ReplyDeleteOh dear. My boys did something similar, only they used mulberries!!!! The mess was undescribable.
ReplyDelete