Lovely Boys

I figured I'd write something that happened today that epitomizes the daily silly things that boys do.

These things are rather random and unconnected, but I'll tell you anyway. :0) I am generally random and unconnected on a regular basis....so I am unbothered by this. :0)

Nathan now has two tadpoles in his room, swimming in a tank.
He found them while at Jacob's soccer game, while he was wandering though the fields and decided a look into a nearby large puddle of water. He collected them in an empty water bottle--(what else?)--and brought them home, even though I told him they would most probably die. I said they NEEDED their "home". That their natural habitat would be best for them. Then Nathan said he would be soooo sad if he couldn't have tadpoles as pets. He wanted to watch them grow! Guilt reared its ugly head... who was I to tell a young boy to squelch this natural curiousity of watching the amazing growth cycle of frogs in action?? Isn't this what boys did?? Wasn't this science? And, I reasoned with myself, they could maybe swim around in our pond out in the backyard, and make other froggy friends as they grew. AND- I didn't have to look at them if I didn't want to, because OF COURSE they would live outside. Well....we brought them home, and I looked on the internet to find out what these little guys needed to live. Apparently, tadpoles are rather fragile. They need tadpole food....all I needed to do was wash lettuce, and lay each leaf flat on a tray, and freeze it, and then chop it up into little tadpole portions....and not feed them too much, but also not give them too little! What?! I definitely had better uses of my time. Also- they need clean water. They wouldn't survive too long if swimming in their own filth. (Who cleans out puddles and ponds, I'd like to know??)
Nathan was not satisfied with dumping them in our pond. He couldn't see them grow, he said, because our pond is too murky, and gross. I then lectured him again about how we shouldn't have brought them home, how I didn't want tadpoles at our house in the first place, etc. etc. We settled on a big bucket of water, that contained their yucky water they came in, along with some regular water from the hose. ( I read later that tap water could kill them.....BTW.) The bucket sat on our deck for a week and a half. Nathan forgot about them after about a day.....and I decided they MUST have died after about three to four days without food and because we doused them with tap water.....according to the internet research I did.) Well--no such luck. Nathan came running into the house today with a huge grin on his face. His friend Brent had a tadpole "tank"....he could transfer his tadpoles into the tank, and he could watch them better. Brent had this empty tank, because his tadpoles died. (hmmmmm.....)
I said gently to Nathan that his tadpoles most likely died too....(they couldn't still be alive, could they??) Nathan went out to the deck with Brent, concerned but not completely worried. I waited for him to re-enter the house with a frown. NOPE. The darn things were still alive and swimming! Oh brother...
so the two boys transferred the squiggly things into the the tank, fed them some "tadpole food" that Brent also brought, and they now sit INSIDE my house, like pets! UGH. Just what I wanted. Nathan, of course, is overjoyed.

Now to my next shorter story.
Jacob. Oh, Jacob. He is a boy of many characters and sounds, and he likes to sing. Alot. Mostly he sings songs he is listening to on his IPod, or on the computer, or radio, etc. This morning, though....I heard him singing an old "army" diddy. You know the one-- "I don't know, but I've been told....." (I think that is an army thing, anyway). It is one of those songs that one person sings and then everyone (a troop?) echos. Anyway-Jake is singing this one to himself while wandering around the house. Singing for himself, to himself. I don't think he thought anyone was listening. I could hear him though. :0) So, he starts singing...."I don't know, but I've been told......(then he pauses, and slowly sings the next part)....Nathan smells like poop...(lovely, huh?).....(pause)......that's old! (Then I heard him chuckle to himself. Like he was proud of his songwriting abilities.) I know I should have been yelling at him for his disgusting and not very nice lyrics. But, I laughed to myself, too. It was more because I realized that Jake just amused himself....and was laughing at himself. And that he didn't think anyone even heard him. I always think the times when kids think they are alone and by themselves, and then do something odd or weird.... and react (or don't react) are just funny to observe. This time, even though he was a being a typical boy saying "poop" and insulting his brother at the same time, I still found myself giggling. Because I could. He didn't see me. And Nate didn't hear it, so no feelings were hurt. And Jake had a moment when he entertained himself, and was able to just enjoy his own company. Whatever. Okay.....so maybe it wasn't as funny as I thought. :0)

No boy stories about Ben today. Except maybe that he came in the door today after sleeping at a friend's house and announced. "Wow- I smell bad." Then he drank a pop. Then he crushed the can. Then he said, "Wow. I smell bad." Again. Then, thankfully, he took a shower. :0)