Boys.

Yep, we have boys. Matteo is officially in Cub Scouts and, as you can imagine, loves it. It's a cool thing, from what I can tell. Helps build a bond with kids and their parents with projects, service programs, all good stuff. So far, Matteo is currently working with this cubs scout chart that helps him track his healthy eating, sleeping and drinking habits. It's cute.

Dominick - he's a boy - all boy. He loves sports, can't wait to play anything with a ball. And tonight, as we played football out front and got muddy, he contemplated crying when he fell down and his all time favorite purple sweatpants got mud on them. I told him it was no big deal, as he's a boy, he's supposed to get muddy. I am not sure he really believed me, as he still looked like he was going to cry.

I then told him he could wipe his muddy hands on my sweatshirt, because it didn't matter. It was just dirty clothes, they can get cleaned in the laundry. This little suggestion CRACKED him up! He ran towards and happily smeared mud on my sweatshirt and got right back to the game.

Twenty minutes later, it was time to go in for dinner. I realized they would need to remove all their clothes in the laundry room and shower before dinner, as they were covered in mud. Off they went to start showering. I went out front with three pairs of kid, mud-crusted shoes and the boys pants. I walked over to the hose and proceeded to hose them off in the driveway.

There was something about hosing mud off of little boy jeans tonight that just made me smile. Made me laugh to think of all that it implies - fun, freedom to be a mess, football, living in the Pacific Northwest with rain this time of year, and boys. Boys. My boys.

I love them, they make me laugh, they can frustrate me, and yet I still love them. They still want me to hold their hands. They blow kisses to me out of nowhere and will always plop down on the couch or floor to read a book, any book with them. They want to tell me their exciting adventures, they want me to play catch of any kind, they just want me to be in on whatever it is they are doing. Football in the front yard, you bet I'm in. Legos, coloring, drawing, crafts, a puppet show - absolutely.

It's short lived, I know. And for tonight, as I listen to newly washed tennis shoes tumble in the dryer as a result of the mud fun, it makes me smile. Warms my heart that we have boys.

Love them.