My wheels have been turning as I sit here in a state of utter boredom, with a touch of ‘something’ making me feel kinda yucky. Those turning wheels have taken me back to a past winter during a time of apathy and boredom in my 3 boys. I could not get them up and moving for outdoor activity no matter how much I complained, threatened, or reverse ‘psychologied’ (I make up words all the time, lol) them. Yes….the ‘age of technology’ was ever present and was quickly turning into a force to be reckoned with!
It wasn’t even too awfully long before this that they were tree climbing, rowdy boys who NEVER stayed clean! All I had to do was say, “Who’s up for some ball?” That was either playing with the hoops (basketball) or throwing and kicking the football. (My brothers taught me some pointers that served me well with my sons….bless you, Chris and Don!). Or I would say, “Let’s visit Black!”, who was a huge black snake who had climbed our favorite climbing tree and now hung out there most of the time.
Black was a ‘lesson’ all to himself, as I home-schooled my youngest and I found myself explaining why it was good to have a black snake on your property. (Uh….this conclusion sprang from loving nature, overcoming my own fear, and RESEARCH!) Living in the country in the hills of TN, you learn quickly that if you don’t want copperhead meandering through your yard, you covet the presence of a black snake, who EAT copperhead as well as mice and rats. So the worth of a big black snake with a good amount of girth, was priceless! We befriended Black by leaving little morsels in the crook of a lower branch. (Mice we caught in a mouse trap were his favorite….bigger bugs or a collection of smaller ones, sometimes fruit…although he could be picky) He gladly accepted our offerings and so tolerated us with great interest in what had now become HIS tree. Ahhhh…..but we sweet talked (and fed) our way into his heart and we became friends. (SERIOUSLY! My youngest and I even climbed within a foot of Black and just sat there talking with him for about 20 minutes before climbing higher.)
But I digress….some of the other ways to get them out doors and breathing the fresh air were: a long hike in the woods, counting how many tadpoles were in the creek behind our property, a walk to the corner store (a mile away) to get a candy bar of their choice, catching bugs (some cute and some creepy – again over coming my own fear for the sake of the ‘lesson’ – or the pure wonder of how cool God’s plan and balance in nature was), catching lightening bugs at night, throwing frisbee, splashing around like rock stars in a summer rain, building two forts (needed lots of snow) and then having a wicked snowball fight, or building a snow FAMILY and then dressing them appropriately.
One day, while trying to stir them all out of a lazy video game ‘mode’….I became a little perturbed and frustrated. Mind you these boys had ‘skills’ and would mop the floor with any who dared to challenge those skills. When they talked me into playing once or twice I soon realized that their motive was that they needed a good laugh. OUCH!
You have to understand that it is a SIN to waste a really good snow, to someone born in ‘Snow Country’. You know…..the kind of snow you have to call off work for…..and you know you are not going anywhere for days……so you might as well just settle into it and get cozy and start lining up some fun stuff to do. Anyone from PA knows this! And if you’ve ever lived in MI, WA, MO, or IN…..you have lived and thrived in some serious snow country!
After pleading and patiently waiting til they got to the next level (and them seeing as how I wasn’t there to ‘catch’ it, and would never know WHICH level(s) they were on), I finally got fed up and decided to do something about this waste of a good snow! I went outside with my biggest (it was huge) Tupperware Bowl, filled it full of well packed snowballs, came back inside (quite unnoticed with the intensity of the game), and proceeded to throw snowballs at all 3 of them!!!
There were protests to be sure! “HEY….you won’t let US throw snowballs in the house! NOT FAIR!” To which I calmly replied, “Well I’M the MOM….and I can do whatever is needed, to bring a much needed REALITY CHECK here! You either suit up and join me in a snowball fight AND building a snow family (fully clothed!) or you have to sit there (since I’m the MOM) and let me throw more snowballs at you until I get this out of my system!!!”
Well…..let me say…..it worked! No one was expecting me to break my own rules….nor were they expecting me to ‘trump’ them with the MOM card…not to mention throwing an adult temper-tantrum! We had a wonderful snowball fight after that! And the best looking snow FAMILY in town! I also have to say that they whipped me good….I was wet to my undies…..but it was SO WORTH IT!!!! 🙂
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Come, walk with me a while..... 