Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Day 27: Stinky Shoes To The Rescue!

My sons are fascinated with knives. One of their best friends got a pocketknife (purposely dulled, by the way) for Christmas, and ever since then, Chris and I haven't heard the end of it. Much ado about knives, and when they're going to get one, and why can't they have one, yadda yadda yadda.

So tonight, Caleb says to us in the car, "[Friend] said he's going to make me a knife with his knife."

To which, both Chris and I answered, " Uhhhh, no he's not!"

Caleb: "Just out of a popsicle stick. Just pretend."

Us: "Uhhhh, the answer is still, NO."

Boys in unison: "Why? It's not gonna be reeeeeeal."

Which lead both of us "parental/unfair/meanie" type people to go into a long dissertation on the problems of "fake" (yet, still so wonderfully SHARP) knives, and how they could still get hurt (seeing how they get hurt plenty without the aid of fake knives), and how they're just plain not allowed to own such a dasterdly piece of equipment until they're at least 42.

But me, knowing the importance of these boyish type things, and the goodness of pretend play, felt the need to smooth over the hurt feelings and very-hard-to-suppress bad attitudes my boys were on the verge of displaying. So I told them that they should use something else instead of a real knife. Something to ACT as a knife......pretending and all.

Noah: "Like what? What could we use for a knife that would be fun?"

Me: ((Thinking hard)) "Uhhhhh, you......could........use a............................shoe!"

Chris pretty much lost it.

***

Unfortunately, the little guys just wouldn't drop the issue, and Chris had to lay down the law on them. Caleb got annoyed, but Noah started tearing up. I hate seeing him cry.

So I got out my funny voice.....

And little did they know......

I had SHOES in my purse!

Asher had taken off his very stinky shoes after church, and I collected them before we left. Doing my best Zorro imitation, I proceeded to take out my "knives" and show those boys a thing or two about having some fun!

We had a royal swashbuckling good time out there on the front lawn. Unfortunately, my sons were pitifully unarmed, and I won the match by a long shot.

And my boys learned that shoes make pretty good swords.

And stinky ones are double-edged!

5 comments:

BASF said...

Our kids are blessed that they still have much opportunity to use their imaginations.

So many let the TV (or movies, or some other external stimuli) be theirs.

They can't think up anything to entertain themselves.

AlabamaBrands said...

I'm hearing the same thing over here... "So and So has a knife, when can I get one?"
"Ummmm.... NEVER" :)

meany parents get to keep their furnature, clothing, body parts and other things intact

J. No said...

Aww c'mon. I had me a 12 gauge when I started kindergarten, them boys oughrta be able to handle a knife.




Kidding, of course.

Awesome Mom said...

You are such a mean mom for not letting him have his own knife. lol

Karen said...

Way to go you! Thats being imaginative, Caleb got a Pirate sword for his 5th Birthday and that thing was a toy but man was it sharp. I just pictured him falling on it and us taking a trip to the ER! So I trashed the thing, so now when he plays pirates with the neighbors they use these cushioned racket things! Better than a sharp object anyday because in the end BOYS will be BOYS and they always find the worst things to play with!!!!