This has been a great week, We have all really enjoyed each other and we had a great fourth of July. Right now-I am feeling so grateful for boys in my life!!
On Thursday, Gibb and I went to this really cool place in Avondale called the Chamblin Bookmine. I can’t believe we used to live up there and never went before, but it is the largest and voted best (independent) bookstore in Jax. We take our old books in, and they buy them from us and give us a credit. Then you go shop. The aisles are endless.
He wanted a book on drawing how-to’s, so we had about 10 shelves to choose from on that one topic. But while you are there, you will find books on soo many other topics of interest. We got this great book that even smelled manly, called “The Dangerous Book for Boys“. All at a much cheaper than retail price. It included how to make a go-kart, timing and tripwires, spy codes and ciphering, US history, piracy, soccer rules, paper airplanes, seven poems every boy should know, ten commandments, and other topics.
I think one of his favorite things about that store is that the aisles are really quiet and he would make disgusting noises beside me, then step to the next aisle, so someone would come by to see who made that noise and all they see is me!! We would recount this story to his brother and they would laugh for 10 minutes straight without stopping to breathe. Boy humor.
It’s ok. I read in “Bringing Up Boys” (J Dobson), that around 11, the boys tend to pull away from mom and actually sometimes do things to repel her. We cannot take it personally because they are supposed to be relating more to Dad now, and finding their place as a man. It also said he would begin to be more aggressive in antagonizing his sibling, Bear-6, and he does. We never allowed sibling rivalry when they were young, esp with Joshua and his special needs, but now they have evolved into a wrestling ball. It reminds me of the Tasmanian Devil when he is in his spin and rolling over everything, destroying as he goes. That is my boys now.
Just the sheer, brutal agressiveness of their presence can sometimes be unnerving to those like myself that like to have some order in the chaos. But it is those same qualities that define and contrast who I am as a woman. They are so set apart from all that makes me female that I feel more feminine and more appreciative of the uniqueness that God has given to me and all women.
We have a new family activity that we love on friday nights. We get in our PJs and watch the Tivo weekly recordings of “Man vs Wild” on Discovery. It is really great if you have not caught it yet. Bear Grylls, an englishman and former military guy, gets dropped in remote regions and shows you how to survive if you had to. He only has the clothes on his back, his knife, a canteen, -oh and a camera crew! Somehow, they are there to film his every move, and when he is shimmying down 100 ft of cliff on tree roots, they are right there beside him shimmying, or rappeling? too. He has inspired Gibb to eats ants now, which he loves to do for shock and protein. Bear eats grubs and teaches you all about plants and how to eat a snake. Last night we saw an episode where he had to drink – well, I’ll let you watch the Outback episode.
My boys love that show, and it celebrates the courage and bravery and risk and masuline attributes that make them who they are. I even see my husband get that “proud that I am a man” look as he is watching Bear fight the rapids. He is a cool guy.
Tomorrow I may be craving a nice, civilized luncheon and chat with a girlfriend, but today I am grateful for my life “on the edge” with my boys. And I am learning to appreciate them just as they are. Now I must go fix some grub.
Tags: boys, chamblin bookmine, man vs wild
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I can relate to your entry due to raising two boys also. When my youngest started approaching the age where he sought Dad out more than me, I did not enjoy it. We were so close and it seemed as if he were drifting away.
Today he is older and still close to me in ways. He is a very private person so does not share as much as he used to. But I am his mother so I will just have joy in that!
Carole