Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails...

It's been a testosterony week.  My father-in-law is here acting as the world's greatest handyman - the labor is free and he throws in child care and children's carpentry lessons, too.  He let David and Jacob use his staplegun, drill and nailgun.  I don't know if life will be the same for them.

They made Celtic battle axes.  David drew war paint on everyone and spiked their hair with gel (which still hasn't quite washed out).

They made a train using their riding toys, bungee cords and rope. 

Here are some games they've invented and played a lot this week:

1.  Pancake - Someone is the pancake.  Just as the other two begin to eat him, the pancake runs away screaming.  The other two catch him, tickle him and bring him back.

2.  Run tag - It's a spin off of hide and seek.  The seeker carries a ball.  The hiders run out of their spots screaming about 10 seconds into the game, and the seeker tries to hit them with the ball.

3.  Bollyball football - Here are the rules as stated by Jacob:

• You throw the ball to nobody.
• If you catch it, you lose 5 points.
• If you miss it you get a point.
• If you're older than 5, you have to go easy on the little guys.

From my observations of bollyball football, I've gathered that you should also scream a lot, and if you're three, you get to throw in a little baseball action with your battle axe.   

The lonely dragon...

The Lonely Dragon

Theresa Heine

A dragon is sad

Because everyone thinks

A dragon is fierce and brave,

And roars out flames,

And eats everybody,

Whoever comes near his cave.

But a dragon likes people,

A dragon needs friends,

A dragon is lonely and sad,

If anyone knows 

Of a friend for a dragon,

A dragon would be very glad.

This poem makes me think of one of my boys.  He's a rough and tumble guy.  He needs a bow and arrow and a slingshot, but you just can't do that in the burbs.  He's also more sensitive than he seems.  A few months ago he got in a lot of trouble for hurting one of his brothers.  At the time he gave no outward sign of emotion or contrition.  His apparent lack of remorse really concerned me.  Had I been in his position, I would have worked HARD to restore myself to everyone's good graces.  A few months later, the subject of "worst day ever" came up.  He unequivocally stated that this day he had hurt his brother was his worst ever.  I had no idea it had even gotten to him.

After I read the poem to David and Jacob...

Jacob:   If I saw that dragon I would DEFINITELY go help him and be his friend.

David:  (Wearing cowboy hat, ninja mask, pipe gun and Batman suit - see picture above)  If I was a real guy with all this stuff, I would be on the dragon's team.  And then if he tricked me and breathed fire on me, I would shoot him.

That is so representative of their personalities.  One greets the world as if it is full of people who love him and can't wait to be friends.  The other would love to be friends, but he's going to pack heat just in case.

Baffling...

 Jacob and my niece, Maggie, both 5 years old, had their faces painted at day camp.  That evening I scrubbed Jacob's face to get everything off.  After bath time, my sister-in-law, Amy, and I sat on the couch with the kids.  I noticed that Maggie's face was clean, too.

Me:  I had a hard time getting all that paint off Jacob's face.  Did you really have to scrub Maggie?
Amy:  Oh, Maggie did you wash your face paint off?
Maggie:  When I got out of the shower, it was still on my face, so I got some more soap and washed it off.
Me:  (Pause.  Quizzical look.)  This is a phenomenon I have never experienced.

My boys' philosophy is that if it doesn't come off when the water sprays you, it was meant to stay.