For the first installment of the M.O.B. Society, I couldn’t think of anyone better to share than my in-real-life friend Leanne. Keep reading and you’ll see why…
As a young girl, I played with dolls.
I loved my dolls and everyone was cared for and loved. I painstakingly chose the most beautiful names any 5 year old could think of. Carefully tucked into their cribs every night were Tammy, Chrissy, Amanda, T.J., and Sarah. With each new doll, my grandma made clothes for them.
All too soon, the dolls were forever tucked away. As I moved away from home, I thought to myself, “When I have my own girl, she will play with my dolls.”
Fast forward many years, and I’m now a mom to FIVE glorious, highly energetic boys!
Yes, that’s right: BOYS!
NEVER in my playtime did I have a boy doll. All of my dolls were girls! In fact, I didn’t even have a Ken doll. Isn’t the “perfect” family 1 boy and 1 girl?
Surely, God made a mistake here! Me with 5 boys? I’m a girly girl; no doubt about it.
But God teaches us many things, if only we look and listen. With the birth of each boy, I learned more and more about caring for boys, trying to understand their ways, and yes, what His plan was for me as a boy mom.
The past 15 years – that’s how long I’ve been a mom – I’ve discovered many insightful things. Some are obvious, others are trial and error. Let me share a few:
- Boys love noise, and I do mean LOVE NOISE! I never once taught them how to sound like a truck, but yet they do it, perfectly.
- Boys love to shock, especially their mom. Soon after my husband constructed our dirt bike track (yes, you read correctly – my husband is a whole other chapter.) Prince H the First, said “Mom, watch me,” took his dirt bike and “flew” over the jump with a yahoo! After a natural gasp, I calmly said, “That was great, Alex. But just a word of advice, when Grandma comes, don’t say, ‘Hey Grandma, watch me jump.’”
- No mountain is high enough for boys. Silly me to think that purchasing the safety netting around the trampoline would keep the children safe. As I watched out the window, they were using it as a sideways trampoline, propelling themselves from side to side. It didn’t take long for this to rip. The frame is still around the trampoline, but it no longer holds a net, but rather the boys now climb on it and swing onto the trampoline.
- Towels and napkins are useless items. Save your money, boys use their sleeves. After seeing one of the boys using his sleeve, I sprang into “Good Mom Manners” and told them this is inappropriate. To which they responded, “That’s what Uncle Jerry does.”
- Grass stains are badges of honor. Recently I was talking with Colton our baby (6 years old) about grass stains on jeans. With the warming weather, Colton is wearing shorts. I pointed out to him that he now has stains on his knees. To which he responded, “Isn’t that cool?”
I could continue, but I’ll save the rest of my insight for another time. I have learned (and am still learning) how to be a mom to these five boys and the top three things I have learned are…
- Patience. Boys think and do completely different than me.
- Communicate in ways other than speaking. It is a known fact that boys do not talk as much as girls. So when the boys want to talk, I must stop what I’m doing, look in their eyes, nod in understanding, even when I don’t. I write them notes on their beds, on cookies, on mirrors. I watch them shoot 500 basketballs and we talk. I know how to ask a question. “How was your day?” gets the same response, “Fine.”
- Love them. My heart and my plan was for at least one girl. But I only saw through my little window. God however, sees the whole horizon. My vision is for successful students, athletes, well liked boys. But those are second, my first vision needs to be that they will grow to love God. (And then their mom.)
Leanne is a fabulous and fun mom to five boys, a former teacher and a farmer’s wife. She is active in church and school activities and actually keeps up with her scrapbooks! What a woman!!!
I'm Erin, a wife, boy mom x 3, writer, and runner in Nebraska! I'm excited to share all my favorites relating to faith, family, fashion, and fitness in this space! Enjoy! 
yeah! Great post — couldn’t agree more!!
So true (and I just have one little toddler boy)! I cracked up at the fact that napkins and towels are “useless items”!! =) Hilarious!!
Just think of the 5 women you are going to blessing in the future…your future daughter-in-laws! I am sure they will love to look at all your dolls!
Great post, Leanne!!
That was so fun to read Leanne!
Erin, you just made me want 10 more boys! I grew up with 3 brothers and now we have Ridley. My mom always told me that I was going to have 7 boys because I needed patience. 🙂
Your husband comment cracked me up because sometimes I tease my DH that I have 2 boys already…I think guys/men never truly grow up. I think that’s why we love them so much!
Loved it. God is wise!
Great post Leanne! Thanks so much for including me in the first M.O.B. get together last year. We need to to do it again!
Thanks Erin for creating this venue for us MOBsters to get our “girlie” dose and share in our creative, funny, and frustrating moments. I’m looking forward to more!!
We have three of each. I can tell you, for a fact, that boys are much EASIER than girls! They are the WYSWYG kids for sure. Our boys are 18, 9 & 7 and my theory on raising them is this: Keep them fed, safe and alive long enough for them to move out. =) Girls… well they are a whole different ball game! I love my girls, but the boys are so much more FUN!
I so enjoyed this! Boys are awesome…I’m just having to learn what having a boy is.
Fabulous! I have 2 boys (well 3 if you count my husband) and I just loved your post. I grew up with all girls so this boy stuff was all new to me. Thank you for sharing!
This post rocks! As the mother of two young teen boys, I plan to come back for more.
I’m glad I skipped the trampoline so far. Now not sure if the pool was the better choice…ha!
(Now following you on Twitter, you can find me via@heresmycuplord. Hope you’ll request follow.)
Ginger
You know, as the mother of two girls and no sons (though I wanted at least one boy) I think God gave you (a girly girl) five sons how to value and treat a woman as she deserves when they one day take a wife. Just think, some day, you’ll be blessed with five daughters as well 🙂
God bless you Erin.
As an extremely girly girl, yet mom to three little boys, I love this post! I have learned so much as their mom.
There must be a reason that every person I know with the name Erin has nothing but Boys as children!
Great post!
I’m an Erin who only has 2 girls, but I have another friend named Erin who has 5 boys! It’s truly a different world! 🙂
Loved your post..I’m the Mom of 2 girls and 1 boy.
With boys you can save on water only if it’s in the house, outside water is a different story… I mean showering….. my son was fast when you could get him in there…the funny thing was the back of his hair would be dry. He wasn’t very happy when he had to take 2 showers in one night.
As I was reading the list of things you have learned about boys, I just said “Yep”, “Yep”, Yep”. Very true. All things only a mom of a boy could understand!
I just found your blog, and what an awsome post!! I am the mom of 3 boys( ages 13, 10, and 3), we are expecting baby boy 4 in June. I have also found everything you said to be very true. Sometimes I wonder why I even put napkins on the table.