Lil' Sluggers

Okay, so how do you manage to raise two boys, and keep them from a) drowning each other in the bath tub or pool b) beating each other in the face with toys, light sabers, and yes, even forks (at the table) or c) accidently shutting fingers in doors, or pushing each other down the stairs. WHOOOPS! Seriously, I'm about to have a stroke. Sometimes they're just playing, but sometimes they're all out fighting. What do I do about this? Let them slug it out? Martin's response, when getting the whine, "Daddddddeeeee, he hit me!" is, "Hit 'im back!" Okay, but I'm the mom, and that just doesn't sit with me.

I'm at a loss. Any thoughts? Put them in a room and let them slug it out, while hoping one of them doesn't lose an eye, or break a bone? Or yell at them every time?.... Input is welcome.

Best Day of His Life

We weren't sure how his 6th birthday would be.... I had planned to contact two of his new friends from school, but was shot down upon discovering from Mason's teacher that Texas, or at least the Frisco school district, has a privacy policy that prevents the disclosure of students' addresses or phone numbers. And since I had met parents of classmates a total of maybe twice, I simply didn't even know how to get ahold of his little friends. Sometimes it really stinks to have a summer birthday.

Anyway, Mason had been asking for a "Bowling" birthday, so we decided instead, it would be a family bowling night out. We splurged on a $20 Indiana Jones cake, out of guilt, and Mason loved it because, even though he hasn't seen the movies (and won't for quite a while), the idea of the miniature Indiana Jones running from a boulder on his birthday cake obviously screams that he is a true future adventurer.

It's been a tight two months for us... Mother's Day, followed by my birthday, followed by Coen/Martin's birthday, followed by Father's Day, and finally Mason's birthday. Poor Mason, by the time his birthday rolls around every year, we are feeling the stretch. :) And this year, we were feeling a little extra guilty since he is in between schools, and seems to have a shortage of friends at the moment. Anyway, short explanation long.... we got a few extra presents- you know, buy the happiness (wink, wink), and loaded everyone up to go bowling. Thank Goodness, Martin is resourceful, and thanks to BestBuy reward points, he'd earned enough to get the Indiana Jones Lego game FOR FREE! (We've also earned free hotel rooms, tickets to the water park, and more- you really have to watch for the freebies- but that's another blog) Anyway, this was the gift of choice this year, for Mason, along with the IJ Temple Escape Lego, which he's been saving his money for. So, between opening his game, and realizing that a gift card and a gift from Grampy put him over to buy the Lego, his face was PRICELESS. And he said, "THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!"

Oh, the simplicity. And Martin and I just smiled at each other across the table, and said, "That was worth it!" And, later, we wondered together how many times, our parents sacrificed, and pushed to make our day the "Best Day of Our Lives", and we didn't even realize it.