Snips, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

My boys are very "boy-ish" boys. They like cars and trucks, they like machines that smash things and dump things. They ride bikes around in a circle on our patio pretending it's a race track. My boys get their shovels out and push up their sleeves and dig through flower pots for worms and slugs. Pirates are exciting; any superhero, especially one who wears a cape, is beyond cool; Star Wars competes with no other... all these things that make a boy a "boy" totally define my children.

However, every now and then I'll be caught totally off guard by my children doing something sweet and tender, revealing a more gentle undercarriage to their rough exteriors. For example, my two year old, Ben, has a naked baby doll and has named it "Keira" after his beautiful baby cousin. And just the other day as I was walking down the hallway I saw him sort of "sneak" out of his room. He caught me watching him and put his finger to his lips and "shushed" me. Then he pointed his chubby finger into his room. Curious, I tiptoed over and stuck my head around the doorway. He had layed his baby doll in his bed and covered it with his treasured blanket. He then whispered to me "baby naptime" and slowly, softly, closed his door. He tiptoed down the hallway and went off to play. It was such a gracious, beautiful gesture of love toward that little plastic doll and it shocked me so hard it almost brought tears to my eyes.

Then today my oldest son, Jake, after he played for an hour in the backyard and was dripping with sweat and testosterone from his "Speed Racer Derby" extravaganza, he asked to watch a movie. I opened the cabinet and began reading off titles: "Cars, Madagascar, Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek 3, Mickey Mouse, Finding Nemo, Snow White..." He stopped me there, exclaiming, "Snow White! Snow White! That's the best movie! It's so good Mom!" Thinking he was finished but before I could open my mouth to reply he continued, "It's almost as good as Cinderella, huh Mom!"

These are the moments that stop me in my tracks, pull a smile from my lips, and make me chuckle softly to myself. Then one boy will "pass gas" or something else utterly grotesque, which will make the other one laugh hysterically and imitate said motion, and the fuzzy moment disappears... for now.