Our five adopted boys are growing up in the country. We have several decent creeks and a lot of trees on the property. We have to carefully word everything that we tell them that they can do. Recently, they had permission to go down by the creek which they interpreted as, “Even though it is a cold day, get wet up to your shoulders and be sure to get a lot of mud on your clothes and shoes.” It was not the first time that we have had to completely undress them in the garage and carry them to the shower.
Today, their fascination with water was carried a step further. We have had various collections of animals, but right now, we have a “working” cat, a dog, and a duck. The dog and duck share a fenced area that has a big bucket which serves them as drinking water and a place for the duck to act like a duck.
I was working in the front yard when Tommy came running up and said that Isaiah (two years old) was playing in the duck bucket. I thought that he was throwing rocks in it again, so I delayed checking on him. When I did go back there, he was sitting in it bath style and was pretty yucky. You guessed it; we took off his clothes at the back door and carried him to the shower.
There is one frustration that I probably share with other dads. I am proud that they want to be like me and do all of the things that I do. But, they take my yard tools, wheel barrow, anything in the garage that I need, and all of my hats, glasses, and keys. No one ever remembers where they left these things. Today, I asked Nancy if it would be all right to keep my shovel and other lawn tools in my office. She thought that I was kidding.
Jacob is fascinated with the way things feel. When my 84 year old mother visited for the first time, he liked to sit next to her and examine her body. He would pull on her wrinkled skin. She now has one of those things on her throat that looks like what a rooster has. He was delighted with inspecting and jiggling it. She was a very good sport about it. Maybe he will be a doctor.
Last summer, Nancy took the boys to a good friend’s neighborhood pool. There was a very haughty man sitting there, acting like all seven of them did not exist. Nancy and her friend were visiting and didn’t see Jacob sneak over by the man. His hairy body was just too much for Jacob to ignore. When they looked, Jacob was sitting by the man in the baby pool, rubbing the hair on his belly. The man was still acting as if Jacob didn’t exist. No one had a camera.
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