Boys | the pixel boutique | blog, web & print design

I had a huge reality check yesterday. Nothing horrible or life threatening happened…just a simple cross country meet.

I don’t know if it was because this was the first meet of my now high school freshman and the fact that he is that, just hit me anew.

Or maybe it was because I’ve been mostly cooped up at home in the past eight weeks and my recovery has been a little slower than I’d like it to be.

I don’t know, but whatever it was from, I was hit with two huge emotions watching that tall, lean boy run his heart out in the 100+ degree heat, making me wish I hadn’t left my sunglasses in the car.

{Warning…a bit of transparency lies ahead…if you’re here for a premade theme or tutorial, just look away…}

One…

My time with these boys is so very limited. It is speeding by faster than I realize the majority of the time. These years of homework, cross country meets, family dinners, my influence…they are fleeting.

And two…fear.

Fear that I haven’t done enough…taught them enough…prepared them enough…been enough. Will they be ready to face this big bad world on their own some day? When I’m not there to protect them and guide them and remind them? Will they know without a shadow of a doubt that, next to their father, I love them more than any other human beings on this planet? The reality of my humanness glares me in the face at times.

I forget to sign permission slips and agendas.

I yell sometimes.

I don’t always make a vegetable with dinner. And…I don’t buy organic.

I haven’t exposed my kids to enough culture.

I get lectured at the dentist because they don’t floss enough.

They don’t always get As and Bs. And Cs.

The list could probably go on for a few posts.

But I have to know that somehow this frail offering I give is taken and transformed and renewed every day into something worthy and good…no matter how imperfect.

every “Thank you, mamma”…

every “I want to help!” in the kitchen…

every “I love you”…

every smile and laugh and giggle…

every snicker and roll of the eyes at my bad jokes and even worse dancing…

every kiss good night that is never, ever missed…

makes me think its all going to be ok.

UPDATE: The winner of this giveaway is #112…Huguette English. Congratulations!

Boys.

Are they all like mine?

Mine think anything related to the “bathroom” is humorous.

Mine have no problem with having sticky faces and dirty fingernails.

Mine always have something interesting to find in their pockets. Rocks. Nails. Gum wrappers.

I’m not a real girlie girl, but I’ll never get over the differences between boys and girls. (And I will NEVER be convinced its due to modeled behavior. No way, no how.)

My boys are at the age that the dirtier, faster, higher, sillier, more dangerous, the better. Gone are the days of cute little baby jean overalls and over-sized Legos. No, no. We’re on to bigger and better things. Quads, pellet guns, friends, sports, video games…

Speaking of video games, I was asked by Performance Designed Products to review their newest Wii game, Squeeballs Party. The game was just released in October and is available for the Wii, DS and iPhone. The Wii game retails for $19.99

Now I am no gamer. In fact, Wii Sports and a little Rock Band are as far as this mom has gotten. So I thought it best to gauge my review on my boys’ reaction to the game.

The game got a lot of ‘ewwwwww…cool…’s and giggles and out-loud laughs. I think that was a good sign.

From my perspective, the game is appopraitely marketed to kids 10 and up, with a warning of “cartoon violence”. If you or your child find yourselves becoming easily attached to cute, inanimate objects, this may not be the game for you. For instance, in the cooking game, the poor little suckers are sliced, diced and chopped up into a tasty stew (not in a bloody, gory kind of way…but still. Ew!)

This game is for pure fun and silliness. And my boys enjoyed every slimy, silly, goofy moment.

WIN IT! Know a boy like mine who would like to find Squeeballs Party under the tree this year? Enter for a chance to win your own copy of the game for Wii! Just leave a comment here and get extra entries by tweeting about this giveaway up to once a day. Entries must be made before Dec. 14 at 11:59 p.m. MST.