The Boyz

I will, from time to time, post about these Minn Boyz that I was lucky enough to have been gifted.  Even in their "being snotty to mom because she doesn't know anything" times, I full well understand that they are a gift.  Or that a higher being realized I couldn't deal with trouble like me when I was their ages... 

Today, Blue Eyes overslept.  It happens usually once a summer (this time twice) but he got up and went to work.  Wack had left without him, at 4:50 A.M. thinking that he was late and Ry must have already left... not noticing the red Jeep out front.  I get that, we've all done that in our lives.  So as The Dad and I were heading out for our morning workout, Z called to see if Ry was on his way - their boss was wondering what was what.  (Fortunately we know the boss and he expects this from time to time with his college age seasonal workers in the summer.)  We expected that Ryan would work it out with the boss  and I yelled down the stairs "If you're going, don't speed.  Better late than never."  (Right mom?)

We got home and he was gone... and now golfing in some tournament after work.

Wack, on the other hand, sent me a text a bit ago to let me know that he was headed out to Cheney after work to help #7 move out of his apartment.  My first reaction was to be good and annoyed at #7's teammates for not helping him.  They have borrowed his truck to move, they've borrowed "him" to help them move - and not only this year, but past years.  So where are "the guys" when it's his turn?  <furrowed brow>  I let that bother me (and assume he asked and they just couldn't help... "Never assume anything." Right mom?) for a moment and then smiled at the thought that Z was willing and able to go help his big brother out on a hot summer afternoon, right after work, when he's been up and mowing fairways, weeding, doing hard work for 8 hours already!  What a good little (big!) brother!

I feel like, in my time as a youth, sibling, that there was so much more "family" time growing up.  But that with my kids - with all of the games, practices, events, homework being what it is now, something every single night of the week - that our "family" times were relegated to Thanksgiving, cutting down the Christmas tree(s), Easter, Hoopfest and vacations.  Not the every other day of the year - Leave It To Beaver life.  No bi-weekly summer games of Kick-the-Can, or Capture-the-Flag, no swinging on a tree swingy, flippy, swing thingy at the park across the street, or sledding for hours on end.  That through those times, all of those times this is where the "I'll help my brother/sister/uncle/grandma" move - on a dime, comes from.   Zach has been going to his big brothers games for 16 - almost 17 YEARS.  He's 18.  And when he isn't/wasn't going to his games, he was going to his other brothers, or playing in his own.  His big brother left the house over 4 years ago and due to his football, is rarely home because of what it requires of his time.  But on a dime, with what I feel are far fewer "Cleaver" times under his belt, he went.

So my heart is happy and lite on a day when they can help each other and talk about shit they don't want their parents to know or what's just going on.  Period.  Thursday afternoon through Sunday give me that opportunity as well as the younger two boys pack up their dads car and head to Watershed at the Gorge.  Tents, sleeping bags, coolers, fraternity boys meeting up with them, a girlfriend, her friend or sister, music, crazies, camping... fun.  My two Fiji's head out for an excursion.  So.  Awesome.

And then Monday happens.  And these Minn boys will begin to disperse from my every day life until Thanksgiving.  First goes Ryan, on Tuesday, back to WSU.  Being the "guy" he is at his fraternity, he is due back sooner than others.  Stuff to do.  He soon, will start his 3rd year, 3 out of 4 semesters already on the Presidents'/Deans' list (the good one), with an adorable girl by  his side, a new student in the Edward R Murrow School of Communications, working in a fantastic new pressbox, writing more content for Cougar sports... and living his dream.  Later that same week, #7 starts practices for his final season of college football - his last year or perhaps semester at EWU where he too, has made the Dean's list all but one quarter.  Where he works on two majors and is competitive at everything.  Just a few weeks after #7's first game...  Beano, Wack, Zach Attack, String Bean... the baby... heads to Seattle.  <heavy sigh>

So Monday  night - I get one of those cherished family times.  Dinner with the boyz.  I'm happy and sad at the thought.  But my boys will all be here, at the same time, with not a soul needing to hop up early, clear their plate and say "Thanks.  See ya mom."   Back home.