Life with boys is never dull. Yesterday, out of the blue, my youngest son told me I'm like a Twinkie because I'm soft and sweet:). His teenage brother, on the other hand, is like a Warhead (a type of candy) - sour and explosive. And his dad, he said, was like a burger...big and beefy. I was glad to be a Twinkie! What does that have to do with anything? Nothing. But it made me laugh. And sometimes I forget to laugh. I think that's why God gave me boys.Sometimes I wish for a quiet, clean house with no popcorn under the sofa, no apple cider stains on the floor, no overflowing laundry room, no dents in the walls. I dream of coming into a still-clean house the day after and having it smell like something other than a locker room!
Some days I write two lines and am interrupted for the gazillionth time and I feel more like a warhead than a Twinkie. But then my son's sweet face pops up over my computer screen with some silly question or idea and I'm reminded that I'm a mom first and a writer second. Other days the house is quiet and I get so much done I am tired of words and ready to go do something uninspiring like wash dishes:) And I'm glad for any interruption at all.
I wonder if God gets tired of our inattention, messes, warhead behaviors, and all the rest? I've always grappled with the fact that He has feelings and is emotional. It seems so very human somehow. But I can't grasp infinite love and grace either.
So...are you a warhead or a Twinkie or a burger? Paul wants to know:)
From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16
Laura, I hope that you have the shelf life of a Twinkie. That would have you looking great the rest of your life. :)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there's something between Twinkie and Warhead. Maybe I could be lemon maringue pie. Sweet and tart and a little crusty to hold it all together.
Your post today has made me laugh. I am one of the "twinkies". I am certainly soft and love to eat sweets (thus, being soft). It seems that my children have inherited my sweet tooth. I keep telling myself that dessert is a gift from God, so who am I to pass it up? :-) LOL
ReplyDeleteHappy December!
Ha ha ha! Your son may have a bit of a writer in him. What an imagination. I guess I'm a "Nerd." I think the brand name says it all! This was a great post, by-the-way. No doubt it made God smile!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping not a Warhead. Those things are wicked. But I can understand a brother describing another brother that way. Keep having fun with your boys. They grow up fast. And soon they'll be off trying out their wings that your love has made strong.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, I think I'll be an apple - crisp and tart and good for you. You know keeping the doctor away and all.
Loved this post, Laura! My messy house is a source of constant worry for me, but I try to remember it's because we live a very full and happy life (and messy) life! One day things will be clean and serene, but that will mean my little boy is all grown up so I don't want to wish the time away.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely a Twinkie and my husband is a Burger. When I relate Peter to a candy I think of Sour Skittles, not because he's sour but because he tricked me into eating one and my jaw almost locked up, which he thought was hilarious! It's a fun candy and he's fun.
oh my... ha ha ha!
ReplyDeleteBoys can be so surprising at times!
Yep, I think a twinkie sounds much nicer than a warhead.
Life is never dull with kids around!!
At least he said Dad is a burger and not a ding dong.
Laura before you can turn around the time will be gone and your boys will all be married and out of the house, that is when you can keep everything clean until they bring over all the grandkids, LOL
ReplyDeleteBut it sure get lonesome as when they are grown and out on their own they don't have a lot of time to visit Mom and Dad.
Enjoy them while they are young as I know you are doing,
May God bless
mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net
Tell Paul I'm a Twinkie, though I think I'm more like a Hostess Cupcake, chocolate frosting coated.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to remember family comes first, even when your boys are 21 & 22 like mine. The interuptions never stop. But it is a blessing!
Ann, I like your apple crisp though you seem sweet as a Twinkie to me:) I'm sure you know all about Warheads with all those grandkids. Just when I get my house clean all those grands will come! And I'll have to build another room. Sound familiar? But I know you enjoy every minute.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great Skittles memory, Mary. I laughed out loud at your jaw locking up:) Boys are so good at keeping us moms humble. About the time I get my house nice and clean the grandkids will come! You're right about not wishing the time away. It will bee all too fleeting like Ann said.
ReplyDelete"Nerd" does say it all, Britt:) My boys love those! I think a writing nerd is the best kind. Paul is my creative child though he is musical and fiddles which I definitely can't do! Got to keep those southern mountain traditions alive! I know you'll agree. Thanks so much for chiming in as that makes it much more fun:)
ReplyDeleteStacey,
ReplyDeleteI had to chuckle at your comment because I use the same line of thought - God made desserts so he must love them - to explain away my perennial sweet tooth! But I wish I wasn't so fluffy/soft! Just sweet:)
Oh my, Lorna, you make me laugh:) I just might have the shelf life of a Twinkie as my granny lived to be about 100! My teenager recently showed me in some record book that there is a Twinkie actually alive since 1970 or so with no decompostion whatsoever! But bless me, I still love 'em.
ReplyDeleteLemon meringue pie is one of my very favorites. If you were one you'd be on the sweet and not too sour side. A nice mix. All this food talk is making me hungry...
A ding dong indeed, Lisa! What's funny is that my Randy is far from beefy at 170 lbs and 5 ft 10 inches. But guess to a little kid dads are bigger than life. I, on the other hand, won't tell my height or weight. And will just keep consuming Twinkies:)
ReplyDeleteCarla,
ReplyDeleteHostess cupcakes and I go back a long way:) Last spring I actually found a fudge-dipped Twinkie down in Oregon at a chocolate shoppe. Needless to say I want to go back! BTW, Twinkies make a great strawberry trifle when the berries are in season.
I can't imagine having boys as old as yours as you are as young as me! But you're right. The interruptions never stop, empty nest or no.
Edna, You said something so important - that once the kids are gone and busy with their own lives they don't often return. That's why we need to treasure the time now as one day we won't have regrets. I hear being a grandparent is great as you get to snuggle those sweet kids and still keep a clean house most of the time:) I bet you are a wonderful grandma.
ReplyDeleteLaura, between this post and Lori's it has me remembering something from my childhood. The folks who bought my grandfather's pig farm after his death (which was right behind the house where I grew up in MA) used to get outdated food to feed the pigs. Their kids were my age and it was a great excitement in the neighborhood when they invited us over to take our fill of expired Hostess and Drakes goodies from their truck. I don't think my mom ever had to buy goodies. My favorites were and still are Devil Dogs!
ReplyDeleteI loved Twinkies as a child, but I've converted to Little Debbies now. They taste fresher. Boston Cream Rolls baby! Yeah.
ReplyDeleteWHERE in Oregon did you find a fudge dipped twinkie? Sounds like a Portland thing.
Carla, Love the childhood memory:) I am chuckling though as I don't think those HoHo's and such ever really expire! I have never in my life heard of Devil Dogs!! Is that an east coast thing? Kind of like Southerners' moon pies? Or snowballs? Ever heard of those? I think we share a love of chocolate:) Those lucky piggies!
ReplyDeleteLori,
ReplyDeleteLadybug Chocolates in Cannon Beach, Oregon:) Is Cannon with one "n" or two? Very memorable Twinkie experience!
I've never ever had a Little Debbie either but will put on my list! And those Boston Cream Rolls sound pretty good, too...
No fair, I had to google twinkies and Little Debbies to figure out what you were talking about! And I'm not even touching warheads! Obviously I need to do research. Perhaps I can travel from state to state sampling the goodies they don't sell up here in Canada! LOL.
ReplyDeleteKav,
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was, "OH NO, no Twinkies over the border?!" But then I remembered all your Scottish shortbread! In Victoria, BC, anyway, it's just the best thing ever! I chuckled at your googling them. Maybe I'll send you a couple of packages:)
Oh, and if you ever do get down my way, our door is open wide to you! And I promise not to serve any Warheads:)
ReplyDeleteI never had any of my 8 boys tell me I was like a Twinkie but I do have some very sweet things they made or bought for me and I know they worked hard for someone to buy me the cute little gifts.
ReplyDeleteMy Oldest son wrote a poem about me when he was about 13 and I still have it in a frame on my wall (I have one wall with things they have made..pictures they drew and photos they took.
Enjoy your boys AND THE MESS Laura..they are gone into someone elses arms before you know it.
My Mother always said "A son is a son till he gets a wife....A Daughter is a Daughter all her life" and it is very true
Nancy, That's so sweet. The poem by your son when he was 13 sounds like such a treasure! I love things like that. And you are so right with that quote! I've heard that once a son leaves home it's really goodbye but daughters tend to keep in contact. A good reminder to me to love them before they leave:) Bless you!
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