a portrait of an artist as a young man

stream of consciousness. it is the one thing i remember most about the writing of james joyce. sometimes i feel like that is where i live. all the time. saying what pops into my mind{before i forget or before i get interrupted}. living without rhyme or reason{or coherence}. this past weekend the two older boys along with their father took to the woods to explore a different kind of stream of consciousness. the continuance of what it means to be an honorable man.

this intentional older boy retreat was to continue a dialogue we have been having for a long while now. 

once upon a time two very little boys were wrestling in the bathtub. their father told them to take care of their bodies because there were certain sensitive parts they would really need someday. when asked why, the Mister began a talk about the male sexual reproductive body parts. the talk is ongoing{as is the wrestling}. and while he can't recommend the cd curriculum he used, the Mister felt like the weekend was pretty spot on for what they all needed-including a contest of who could last the longest in the icy water. want to take a guess who won?

fall is in full bloom here in the mid-atlantic. changing leaves, shorter days, icy waters. the dying of some things. the changing of others. the welcome of a change of pace. the farewell to long light streaked afternoons that once stretched on til bedtime. and this change in season marks a change in my boys. they are no longer boys. they are future men. 

i recently heard someone refer to god as a gentleman, "he does not force himself upon us". that was probably the most endearing description i have ever heard of god. and in pursuit of raising gentlemen, i can only hope these fellows will seek the likeness of the ultimate gentleman as they grow in stature. 

while the big boys were off traipsing in the woods, the littles and i took in a fun afternoon at the big wooden slide. imagine a bowling alley turned on an incline with a few moguls for good measure. serious fun.

p.s. i asked the Mister if we should throw out those terribly cheesy christian sex CDs. he thoughtfully replied, "i kind of think we need to make the younger boys listen to them-just to be fair." 

xo,

gf