Healing Laughter

I know I know.... I wanted a girl.. Just one! I wanted a pretty little tough mama who would wrap Daddy around her finger. But I have to say...boys are pretty funny! Like how they had a conversation with dad ... more like a debate... on what to call the "family jewels". I was reading in my room ...(aka escaping the testosterone) and I hear words being offered up like "stones!", no, no, no, "toolbag", no, "strawberries", nah, "balls", no, mom doesn't like that one (I was unaware that I was so sensitive), "nuts", no everyone uses that one and mom again (huh? again, I was unaware).... the debate was extensive. The final result was.....(insert drum roll here).... LEMONS! So now on a daily basis I hear "Mom, Zoltan kicked me in the lemons!" "Hey Zander, you almost elbowed me in the lemons!" or best yet...the 5 year old coming down the stairs holding his aforementioned fruit, walking like an old man and saying to me in a very dramatic, strangled voice, "Mom, we were wrestling and my lemons got hurt!" I said you can always use a boo-boo buddy on them if it will make them feel better. Next thing I know he whirls around and yells upstairs "Hey mom said I can use a boo-boo buddy on them!" He then runs to the kitchen. Next thing I know there is an elephant stampede down the stairs (aka boys racing each other down our stairs) and they all have injured lemons and want to try the boo-boo buddy. For the non-parent friends who read this, a boo-boo buddy is a kiddy ice pack usually encased in some fabric to make it not so cold. Ours is used almost every day! It's a teddy bear head with some freezable stuff inside and is kept in the door of our freezer within kid reach. My aunt Deen gave it to me the first time I was pregnant and it has been so helpful!!! So I peek my head around the corner and I see all of the boys first try the bbb over the shorts. Then they all have a discussion as to whether it is meant to be used WITHOUT the shorts. So they call to me (thinking I am in the other room giving them privacy and not being so incredibly nosy) and say" should we keep our shorts on?" I proceeded to run back to the living room with my hand over my mouth to keep the hysterical giggles from being heard and I reply "it's up to you! The cold is supposed to make owies feel better so if you can't feel the cold on where you hurt, then it won't help you". I gave it about 20 seconds before tip-toeing back to my corner to peek around and I swear it was hysterical! I wish I took a picture! All 3 boys with their shorts around their ankles saying to each other "you try it first, no you try it, you were the one who went to mom so you go first!" So the oldest finally says "ok, I'll try it. He puts the bbb up against the "injured fruit" for about 5 seconds and then says "it just feels cold!" A couple more seconds..."Too cold!" Immediately his brothers yank their pants up unwilling to follow his brave example. They put the bbb back and as they are walking out of the kitchen I am back at my place in the living room. They walk upstairs and are having a conversation about how to warm up Zoltan's chilly lemons. I start to hear words like "blanket", and "exercise" and I wonder if I should go upstairs to eavesdrop on that potentially funny conversation. So while I don't have a beautiful little girl to dress in purple and teach how to sew and how to fight, I'll just have to be satisfied with our puppy who has daddy wrapped around her paw and lets me put purple collars with rhinestones (ahem...bling) on her.