He ain't cute, no more
Dear friends with sons under 4 years old,
You might sit around thinking to yourself, "I'll never think this sweet, darling boy is anything but cute and wonderful." And that's true, until they're 6. When boys are 6, they start the slow, agonizing change towards become a male. As it turns out, even though they're our sons and we love them sooooo much, they're still male, and therefore they can still be infuriating.
For my house, 7 has been the year when I look at Andrew and I am completely mystified by him. Where did my sweet, beautiful boy go? There are glimpses of him. It was a friends birthday the other day, and Andrew told me he gave his friend 8 birthday hugs. I thought how sweet and cute that was. Then I thought, next year those hugs will be arm punches.
Yesterday it became painfully clear to me- Andrew is a male, no longer a sweet, boy. I don't get hugs nearly as much as I get bottom smacks, arm wacks, and instead of giving me kisses on my face, I get zerberts. He'll come at me as though he's going to be sweet, and then at the last minute testosterone kicks in- and a sweet hug becomes a contest to see how hard he can squeeze me. I'm not complaining- he's male, that's what they do. This is all observational.
But, back to yesterday. Andrew had played basketball yesterday morning (and I'd like to brag, that while he's one of the smallest on the court, he's one of the most aggressive little defensive players- perhaps his calling is hockey because he was body checking kids that were head and shoulders taller than him), as soon as the game was over, he went to a roller skating birthday party. When he walked in the house, he went back outside to play. I called him inside at one point, to sniff him because we were going to a friend's house and I didn't want Andrew to be the stinky friend. Sure enough, he needed a shower ASAP! There was quite a bit of stomping and carrying on because he doesn't care if he's the stinky friend. So he goes to take the shower, he comes out and I turn around to give him a cookie to thank him for taking a shower and then I see what he's wearing. What?! He's got on a pair of shorts and a mesh, sleeveless basketball jersey- with no shirt on underneath it. Then there's more stomping and carrying on because while it was warm here- it wasn't 80 degrees! Plus- those were the same clothes he wore yesterday (except with a shirt on under the basketball jersey). He comes back, wearing a different sleevless shirt- but with the same shorts on!!!! So I send him back in his room and on the third try he comes out wearing a moderately decent t-shirt, still with shorts, but whatever. One of Andrew's arguments for why he shouldn't take a shower, is that he was just going to go back outside and get stinky again. A very valid point- but at least he wouldn't be so stinky. Doug comes through and I tell him, "I got Andrew to take a shower, and 3 tries later those are the clothes he's wearing." Doug says, "Did he change his underwear?" I am speechless because it never once occurred to me he wouldn't have, I mean . . . why else would I have made him take a shower?! But then . . . how many tries did it take until he got the right clothes on??? So Doug calls Andrew back in the house, asks him if he changed his underwear and Andrew is incredulous. WHAT?!!! WHY DO I NEED TO?!!!!
I completely lost it. I was laughing so hard I was crying and then I was sort of crying for real because this one little silly episode made me realize, Andrew's not a little boy anymore. I'll never get him back either. From this point on . . . he's a male.
You might sit around thinking to yourself, "I'll never think this sweet, darling boy is anything but cute and wonderful." And that's true, until they're 6. When boys are 6, they start the slow, agonizing change towards become a male. As it turns out, even though they're our sons and we love them sooooo much, they're still male, and therefore they can still be infuriating.
For my house, 7 has been the year when I look at Andrew and I am completely mystified by him. Where did my sweet, beautiful boy go? There are glimpses of him. It was a friends birthday the other day, and Andrew told me he gave his friend 8 birthday hugs. I thought how sweet and cute that was. Then I thought, next year those hugs will be arm punches.
Yesterday it became painfully clear to me- Andrew is a male, no longer a sweet, boy. I don't get hugs nearly as much as I get bottom smacks, arm wacks, and instead of giving me kisses on my face, I get zerberts. He'll come at me as though he's going to be sweet, and then at the last minute testosterone kicks in- and a sweet hug becomes a contest to see how hard he can squeeze me. I'm not complaining- he's male, that's what they do. This is all observational.
But, back to yesterday. Andrew had played basketball yesterday morning (and I'd like to brag, that while he's one of the smallest on the court, he's one of the most aggressive little defensive players- perhaps his calling is hockey because he was body checking kids that were head and shoulders taller than him), as soon as the game was over, he went to a roller skating birthday party. When he walked in the house, he went back outside to play. I called him inside at one point, to sniff him because we were going to a friend's house and I didn't want Andrew to be the stinky friend. Sure enough, he needed a shower ASAP! There was quite a bit of stomping and carrying on because he doesn't care if he's the stinky friend. So he goes to take the shower, he comes out and I turn around to give him a cookie to thank him for taking a shower and then I see what he's wearing. What?! He's got on a pair of shorts and a mesh, sleeveless basketball jersey- with no shirt on underneath it. Then there's more stomping and carrying on because while it was warm here- it wasn't 80 degrees! Plus- those were the same clothes he wore yesterday (except with a shirt on under the basketball jersey). He comes back, wearing a different sleevless shirt- but with the same shorts on!!!! So I send him back in his room and on the third try he comes out wearing a moderately decent t-shirt, still with shorts, but whatever. One of Andrew's arguments for why he shouldn't take a shower, is that he was just going to go back outside and get stinky again. A very valid point- but at least he wouldn't be so stinky. Doug comes through and I tell him, "I got Andrew to take a shower, and 3 tries later those are the clothes he's wearing." Doug says, "Did he change his underwear?" I am speechless because it never once occurred to me he wouldn't have, I mean . . . why else would I have made him take a shower?! But then . . . how many tries did it take until he got the right clothes on??? So Doug calls Andrew back in the house, asks him if he changed his underwear and Andrew is incredulous. WHAT?!!! WHY DO I NEED TO?!!!!
I completely lost it. I was laughing so hard I was crying and then I was sort of crying for real because this one little silly episode made me realize, Andrew's not a little boy anymore. I'll never get him back either. From this point on . . . he's a male.
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