Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Alas, it is not all rainbows and unicorns...

You know we like to keep it real over here at the Woodshed.  I posted some cutesie pictures today of Simon, 7th year.  He is a doozie, always making us laugh and shake our heads.  We celebrated him tonight and this morning and last night and we will again this week-end.  However, the celebration couldn't hide the scringy parts of the night...when boys were ugly to each other and the mom and dad asked over and over and over and over again for the ugly to stop.  Somewhere in the middle of the ugly, the dad threw his shoe towards the boys (who throws a shoe, Mr. Wood??).  One boy spilled his milk everywhere.  The new scooter that the littlest boy got for his birthday was hard to put together.

And then, when Grammie left, I shared with the boys that I feel embarrassed when Grammie sees them act so ugly.  I became vulnerable and showed my insides...the parts of me that want to know I'm cutting it as a Mama.  Mr. Wood asked them if they feel proud when I see them play ball or sing or do a good job at something.  They said yes, of course.  Then, he asked if they realize that THEY are my job...my ballgame...my symphony...that THEY are my life's work, and I want to know that I'm doing a good job.

Their eyes welled up with tears.  They got it.  The light bulbs turned on.  I feel like they know their Mama a little more after tonight, that somewhere in the midst of the ugly, we turned a corner, and we understand each other better than we did before today.  If that's the case, I'll take the ugly, as it steers us towards the people and the family God had in mind when he made us.

No, sir, it is not all rainbows and unicorns over here, but every once in awhile, this house of boys manages to fart out a rainbow at the end of a long day, and that's what it felt like tonight, just before bedtime.