Even though you're full of badness, I still love you...

Don't be fooled by their cuteness!

Over the last few years our family slogan has become, “Even though you’re full of badness, I still love you!”

It actually started with our dogs as they are always getting into trouble…climbing onto the dinning room table searching for food and jumping up on the couch for attention. I can’t remember the exact day or what our dog Hunter was up to but B looked at me and said, “Mom, even though he’s full of badness we still love him!” It was just the funniest thing hearing those words come out of B. To him it didn’t matter what Hunter was doing or how bad it was, he loved him anyway. When I look back now it doesn’t surprise me that a then 3 year old knew exactly what it meant to love unconditionally.

Now this slogan gets applied across the board…to Justin when he forgets to take out the garbage, to B when you can’t see one inch of carpet on his playroom floor and to L when he thinks no one is looking and gets himself into trouble. In a house full of males…two little boys, one grown man and two dogs…this slogan now sums up what my life is like being the only female in the family.

For those of you who are raising boys, you know exactly what I mean. It is something built into their DNA and there is no changing them, “Snakes & snails & puppy dog tails, that’s what little boys are made of.” Here are just some examples of when I have looked at my boys (big and small) and have said, “Even though you’re full of badness, I still love you!”

When I catch the dogs drinking out of the toilet…because remembering to close the toilet cover is too much in addition to remembering to lower the seat.

When I am informed of a new hole in the wall…which always come with a very detailed explanation of how “cool” the incident was that caused it.

When I walk into the bathroom to find toilet paper stuck to the walls, toothpaste all over the mirror and a full bottle of bubble bath emptied into the tub…because all little boys know the ultimate environment for science experiments is the bathroom.

When even after dividing up all the chores I still end up doing them all…there always seems to be some sort of secret agent ninja matter requiring immediate attention.

When L deliberately takes all the footwear out of the front closet (after I just put them all away)…of course with every pair he throws he looks over his shoulder making sure no one is watching.

When I get up at 3:00 am to find B down stairs playing Wii...“But Mom…Mario and I couldn’t sleep!”

Really, what else can I say besides..."Even though you're full of badness, I still love you!"

When I grow up I want to be...

FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

We received an email with the following…

B’s teacher’s name.
B’s classroom number.
B’s bus stop and bus number.

Off we went shopping and purchased the following…
Back to school clothes.
Backpack and umbrella.
Indoor shoes…to which you might remember B stated, “Mom, with these new Skechers the ladies at school are going to love me!”



We were officially ready for B’s first day of Kindergarten, I had everything under control! But wait, what did I forget…the tissues.

 So the actual first day of school was easy, no tears there. My hubby and I got to bring B into the school, meet his teacher and visit his classroom. Then B gave us each a hug and kiss and we were on your way. We went for a short walk around the block and then picked B up just a short 45 minutes later. I thought, “That was easy, B is so outgoing and independent that I knew this wouldn’t be an issue…he loved it and I loved it too!”

But wait…bring on the second day of school and B’s first official ride on the bus! I knew this was coming, as two full time working parents it was always planned that B would ride the bus to school. What I wasn’t prepared for was the exact correlation between B stepping onto the bus and then my sudden need to stop everything in its tracks and hold that little boy in my arms so tightly as to prevent him from ever growing up.

 As I stood there on the sidewalk (ensuring to capture every moment on film) my eyes began to burn and then the tears began to fall. How is it possible for my little boy to be big enough to be going to school? And yes for those of you who may be wondering…once B was safely on the bus I quickly hopped in my vehicle and drove to school so I could be there to ensure he got off the bus safely and made it into the school.

There is no looking back now…B has entered the world of school! So here are my dreams for you B as you start what will be the journey of a lifetime…I hope everyday of school brings you new adventures, friends and knowledge. Listen to your teacher and be respectful of your classmates. Always eat the healthy snack Mommy packed for you; please don’t trade it for something more delicious.

But most importantly, remember to always have fun…it is the best way to learn. Oh’ and make sure you ask your teacher what books you should read and what homework would be best to fulfill your career goals…in B’s words, “When I grow up I want to be an explosives expert like my Grandpa, but that will just be my cover job…because I am really going to be a secret agent ninja!”