Young mother rapidly learning what little boys are made of
When I learned my daughter Charlotte recently found a toad lounging happily in a cereal bowl stacked among the dirty dishes in her kitchen sink, I couldn’t have been more proud. Yes, there’s a little more to this story.
It’s certainly not unusual for any mother of two young boys to make startling discoveries now and again. Boys will be boys, and as a person who has partnered in raising both male and female children, I can affirm — and I am positive my wife will agree — boys are just a bit more out of control. (Not to disparage any young ladies who have endeavored to give their parents fits, I’m just saying … )
Furthermore, having been one myself, I can attest to the fact boys don’t purposefully do things to drive their parents berserk; they just do what comes naturally. The lunacy is innate, and the more quickly parents grow to accept this truth, the happier the entire family stands to be. Charlotte and Andrew are getting there rather quickly. With James now 4 years old and Max clocking in at 2, life is rapidly becoming a daily dose of crazy.
The toad that wound up in the sink actually made his first appearance the previous day in much more typical habitat as James found the little low-hopper as it snapped up ants on the landscaping rocks beside the house. (Here’s the part where Grandpa’s pride comes in.)
Having noted at a very young age James’ unusually keen interest in all things creepy and crawly, I’d done my best to place such creatures before the boy at every opportunity. In this case he’d found the toad on his own, put it in his pocket and carried it through all sorts of amphibious maneuvers for the balance of the day.
James is currently of the age where the whole adult notion of bedtime has suddenly come to be viewed as arbitrary, unnecessary and draconian. As such the boy will do almost anything he can to avoid it. As bedtime was called that evening, James was told to set the toad free outside. “So he can go find his family,” Charlotte said.
The lad disappeared for a moment and returned without the toad. Mother was satisfied, and bedtime took an unusually pleasant turn as James went down without a fight. He did, however, plant a tiny seed of suspicion.
“Mom,” he said, “I’m not so sure that little toad is going to find his family tonight.”
“What do you mean, James?” Charlotte said. “You turned him loose, right?”
“Well, yeah, but I’m just not sure he’s going to find his way home.”
“Don’t worry, buddy,” Charlotte replied. “Toads are pretty smart, and they get around really well. I’m sure he’s headed home right now.”
The toad was headed home, indeed, just as soon as he made his way out of a small bowl of stones on the kitchen counter! Then drawn by the humid allure of dishes soaking in the sink, he’d made his way to the watering hole during the overnight — his journey documented in its entirety by the security camera in the kitchen.
While a boy’s orneriness may be instinctive, telling the “whole” truth is obviously a skill that requires a bit of work. Still, I couldn’t be more proud.
Kristin and John Lorson would love to hear from you. Write Drawing Laughter, P.O. Box 170, Fredericksburg, OH 44627, or email John at jlorson@alonovus.com.