A Tale of 2 WAHMs

©Lisa Barker

If something is broken around here I know that one of the boys did it.
  I don’t even have to ask.  The girls would never do such a thing.
  If they break something, they tell me.  If the boys break something I
discover it piece by piece.

They also build things.  Boys are like carpenter ants.  They feed on
protein and sugar and then destroy things in the house in order to build
nests that are otherwise known as forts.

Another thing boys do is give parents heart attacks.  Last week my
four-year old son ran away.  But this time it was different.  He meant to
run away. 

 In the past if the door was left open, he’d run out and
down the street willy-nilly like a dog on the loose.  You know the kind.
  You spoil the mutts, give them treats and then the door opens and they
run off like they don’t know you from the dog catcher.  Some dogs
just trot around the yard and then go right back into the house.  Others
run for it and up until last week so did my son.

This time, though, it was deliberate; he had a plan.  And two
hair-graying hours later, after a big ta-doo that involved police and concerned
neighbors searching, he was finally home and we were finally
de-stressed enough to talk about it.

“Why did you run away?”

“Because I don’t want to live here anymore.”

“Why?  Why don’t you want to live here anymore?”

“Because it’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

And then we slowly came to understand that this poor little kiddo was
dealing with his older sister’s illness in the best way he knew how.
  He saw an older sister lose the ability to walk, run and play, to eat
and drink and he was scared to death it would happen to him…unless he
ran away.

You bet we loved and hugged him up.  Thankful that this latest escapade
only aged us twenty years and we still had our youngest boy, we
spoiled him with treats and attention.  The whole family did. 

And we thought all was well until the next morning when he said to his
father:  “Dad, I’m done with my life.”

“What?”  Immediately my husband conjured a bazillion reasons for
this statement.  He wondered if there more trouble on this little one’s
mind.

“I’m all done with my life.  I don’t want any more.”  And he
showed my husband his empty cereal bowl.  He didn’t want any more Life
cereal.

See?  I told you boys give parents heart attacks.

I had to call my sister, mother of two delightful daughters and one boy
nicknamed “Wheels”.   I knew she’d understand.

. . . . . . . . . . .
Jelly Momâ„¢ is written by Lisa Barker, mother of five and author of
“Just Because Your Kids Drive You Insane… Doesn’t Mean You Are A Bad
Parent!” and is syndicated through Parent To Parentâ„¢. To publish Jelly
Momâ„¢, buy the book or leave comments, please visit
http://www.jellymom.com. Sign up for the complimentary Jelly Momâ„¢
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