The Funny Thing About Boys

Not having grown up with a brother, I wasn't sure what to expect while raising a son. My summation: every day is an adventure.

* One of the neat parts about our home is that there is a small closet underneath the stairs. Right away I knew it would make a perfect hideaway for the kids. I stashed a few blankets, a bean bag, books and blocks in there. It's a favorite haven for William, especially while playing my Kindle.



"Go away, Mama!" (Notice "his" baby lying next to him.)



* William is quite the little gentleman. He holds the door open for me and Abby all the time. He will extend his hand for a handshake, and he's quick to say "Nice to meet you." The other day I asked him where he learned to be a gentleman. "Daddy," he said with a smile.

* We went to a pool party two weeks ago at another surgeon's home. At one point William got out of the pool, picked up a flower that had fallen on the ground, and took it to a woman sitting nearby. Quite the charmer already. Uh oh.

* William is very, very funny. And I think he knows it. I've said it before, but if we start laughing at him, especially if he's making a funny face, he won't smile and laugh with us - he tries even harder to keep doing the thing that makes us laugh.

 

 

* Abby discovered something last week. "William's underwear has three leg holes in it! Why, Mama?" Uh, no comment.

 

* I guess William's at the age where saying "poo poo" or "poopy" or any other variant is the "cool" thing to do. The other day at the park, he called his little girl friend, "Poopy." Then he said, "Nah, you're not poopy. You're my best friend."

 

* Despite being a hard-headed kamikaze, William is quite skittish about flies (even gnats, which he calls 'bees'), ants (he calls all crawling things 'spiders'), animals in general (cows, ducks, etc.), and his own hair. A few weeks ago William fell down AGAIN and slashed his scalp. I'd seen Chip use dermabond enough to feel confident enough to glue the gash shut. I asked Chip to remove the remnants of the adhesive last night, which, unfortunately, meant cutting out a chunk of William's hair. After cutting his hair, Chip said, "Look, William, a William spider!" And with that, Chip tickled William's face. The poor boy shrieked louder than I've ever heard and nearly fell down trying to get out of the bathroom. Bless his heart.

 

* "William, you know why I love you?" I asked. He shook his head. "Because you're smart, you're handsome, and you're such a gentleman." He leaned over and gave me the biggest kiss on my cheek. Totally melted my heart.