Breaking Me In

I really love being a Mom of all boys. Sure they can be quite energetic and at times too curious for their own good, but nothing can add excitement to a perhaps otherwise dull life than a pack of little boys. After all, I had two brothers that I was responsible for growing up (we were latchkey kids in the summers and after school). If there is anything that my brothers taught me, it is that there is nothing more dangerous than one bored boy. Well, except maybe more than one bored boy together. And so, Cay Gibson's post today reminded me of a story that brought this lesson home to me. A story of boys and FIRE! (And no, Cay's incident is not like my mine except for the fire part. It just reminded me.)

I was 14, my brothers 12 and 9. It was August and the youth group at church was going on a canoe trip for 9th-12th graders that I desperately wanted to attend. I was looking forward to it all summer. As the week approached, my parents realized that my Dad would be at a conference in San Francisco that same week, which meant he couldn't come home from the office at lunch and at 5pm to check on my brothers. And with my Mom working a hospital job, she couldn't come home at all during her 12 hour shifts. Which meant, I had to be there to watch my brothers.

I was devastated, as only a hormonal teenage girl could be. I pleaded with my parents, arguing that my brothers would be fine, after all, I was 11 when I started watching them by myself all day - Bryan was 12! I was angry, how could I be such a slave to them, good for nothing but to watch my brothers while they worked (see, told you I was hormonal!). I cried and cried, and thought how unfair I was to be saddled with such a burden, when none of my friends had to be stuck watching siblings all summer.

The very first day my Dad was gone, my tantrum had turned to sulking. Could my brothers cook and make a mess in the kitchen? "Sure, what did I care - that would serve my Mom right for putting me through this!", I thought. I pretty much sat in my room or my parents room and sulked for the better part of that day. I was determined that I would not allow anything to cheer me up.

You know, that is always when things have a way of happening!

I still remember clearly - it was 5pm and Mom was due home at 7pm. I was sitting in my parents room, sulking (of course) and I had no idea what my brothers were up to. What did I care! Then Philip, my 9 year old brother comes screaming into the bedroom "My leg's on fire!". I look up to see bluish flames leaping from his shin. I took him to the master bath and ran cool water over his leg, at which he says "Oh, and the other toilet is on fire."

I walk in, expecting to see a flame about the size of a dollar bill, only to find the entire toilet engulfed in flames! My other brother was in shock, ghastly white, and stuck up against the wall. Panic momentarily set in, and I began to blow (the one funny part) and then I recollected my senses and slapped the sopping wet bath towels which were lying on the floor onto the toilet. The flames died down, and I went to check on Philip.

His leg was blistering, so I called my Mom at work and explained the situation to her. She immediately headed for home to take Philip to the emergency room. I, in the meanwhile, checked on Bryan. He was still petrified, up against the wall. The poor guy was rattled for the remainder of the day.

As I lay in my room that night, I started to sob again, but not because of my missed field trip. In fact, that whole thing seemed rather silly to me now. After all, I realized what with Bryan going into shock, that the day would have turned out much differently had I not been there. The house could have burned down, and who knows what would have happened to my brothers. Suddenly a time spent with friends was no where near as important as my family, who needed me. I grew up a lot that day. And I never, ever, again complained about having to take care of my brothers!

Now today, I have four more little boys to care for. I never question whether what I do is important. And most of all, I know to watch out for those curious, wonderful boys. Because even when they are old enough to know better, they seem to have a knack for finding trouble. God just made them that way, and for a reason! It is that same sense of adventure that allowed men to discover new worlds, and invent new ideas that we Moms benefit greatly from today!

Bless em, those boys! God knew what he was doing. And we Moms have our role too, to keep careful watch of these guys, all day long. That's important as well!