Thanks for the Wisdom Dad

When my parents were here this weekend my Dad and I had a few minutes alone on Friday night while Scott and Grandma were putting boys to bed.  He shared some wisdom with me, that has really helped me relax a little.

Let me back up a minute, when they arrived Thursday night it was a typical night.  AS the boys walked through the kitchen, Tommy jumped to see if he could slap the overhang as he walked into the foyer.  While we were talking with my Dad he was throwing a ball up in the air and catching it.  Then Drew came in and layed on the floor with one of Max's balls and started tossing it.  Not that long after Jack was juggling the little balls Max plays with.  I think I mentioned not throwing, tossing or juggling balls 8 times in about 20 minutes.  Then Friday one was complaining about dress socks for the program, one had a milk mustache they were asked to wash off their face, TWICE.  During pot roast dinner, the food was all up for competition.  One asked is the other was going to eat the lefse on his plate and if he wasn't, he was taking it off his plate and eating it himself, which he did. The other "forgot" it was good manners to ask if anyone else would like the last piece of pot roast before he inhaled it, the food was GONE in an instant.  A typical night.  Shower time is always a race, who can go first, who can get done fastest and back down stairs....EVERYTHING is a competition in this house of BOYS.

So....my Dad said to me, with tears in his eyes.  How our house takes him back to being young.  He was the youngest of 4 boys.  He said he remembers his Mom saying the same things I had said over and over when he was young.  "Quit hitting the walls, quit bouncing and throwing balls", the food competition at dinner, the races...the whole thing.  He said our house is JUST like his was when he was young.  He said it made him laugh to himself.  I asked when it would get easier, less competitive or calmer,...he smiled in his calm smile he has and said "honey, it won't, this is how a house of 4 boys is"...he then went on and on raving about our boys, their kind hearts, sweet spirits, goodness, how very proud HE is of them.  All the things a Mom wants to hear but doesn't always SEE in the midst of the chaos of raising them.

I have thought about this a lot this week...it has allowed me to let go of some of my high expectations.  Knowing that this is normal, that our boys...are not out of the ordinary.  it's normal for them to compete, to fight, to argue, to constantly want to throw a ball ;)...but that in the end their kind hearts are shining through.

Thanks Dad, it's just what I needed.

I love you