Raising boys, what a "Trip". My husband and I have two boys and a daughter. We have a blended family, one of the boys is my son and the other boy and girl are his two children from his first marriage. They are our children as we have been married 35 years. These children grew up as brothers and sister and are just that to this day as men and a woman. They were five and six when we married and now are men of 40 and 41, so many years have passed.
I remember one time when the boys were young and I was cleaning out their toy box. I was doing as I had always done, picking toys out to get rid of and keeping others that were favorites of both boys. I took a few toys out of the top box and something jumped at me. It was a "frog". My five year old step-son laughed so hard at me as I jumped and ran out the front door. He stood in their bedroom and just roared. I wasn't mad at him but I sure was scared of that darn frog. He being only five had to take that frog out of the toy box and take it outside before I would go back into their bedroom. Now that he is a man he still laughs about the trick he played on me. Then there were the spit balls on the wall of their room, that no one spit there.....of course. I had to go searching for the proof. There it was under the pillows of their bunk beds. Again, They got the giggles, they were having so much fun, but at the time, I did not think it was so funny. Looking back I can see how funny it was to the boys and I love to think of how they giggled together. Those two boys are so close to this day and I know it was all the fun they had together as little boys that kept them close.
Boys do not confide in us like the girls do. I knew never to pry or to ask too many questions as they were growing up, if I did I got no answers at all. As I got older myself I could understand that more. When they were ready to talk they did talk to me, many , many times, we sat up in the evenings and talked about everything. They were growing up and breaking away from me to grow into the men they are today. Both are very close to me and always will be. I was "Blessed" to have two good boys who grew into two very good men. I depend on them now, but not too much. They have their lives to lead now and I do not have to worry about "frogs" or "spit balls", but I have my memories.
Our daughter on the other hand would tell all. I never had to ask anything of her, she always would tell me everything. Even when her brothers did things they should not be doing. I had a helper. The boys went hunting with their dad and learned to work on cars. She and I would work together in the kitchen, something the boys did not enjoy at all. They just wanted the food but no part of preparing it. They wanted to hunt like dad and bring it home for me to prepare. I can not say I enjoyed it, but I did it for them.
Now, their dad is not able to go hunting, golfing or work on cars. This year my step-son told me "it just isn't the same without dad out there in the woods with me". He said "my heart isn't in it this year". He had gone hunting by himself for the first time in all these years, because his dad has had strokes and is not able to do it now. This is the time in their life when they are looking back and realizing just how important growing up in a loving family really is. They both appreciate that fact now. It was a wonderful experience for me raising our boys. I do realize we were fortunate, because not all turn out so good. We were truly "Blessed" and I was double blessed with my own son and with my step-son. I love them both dearly.