Answering life's difficult questions

Camp 2015 is in the books. Everyone survived. It was touch-and-go with Eric there for a while...watching after 800 stinky boys during a heat wave while sleep deprived is no small feat, and it's always a big relief for our family when it is all over.

Back at the ranch, we had things a big better. Late nights at VBS have translated into fun, and some lazy mornings in the bed. Jackson continues to surprise, sleeping all night in the bed. This morning, he walked into our room at 7:30 with Elmo and a big smile on his face (his brother had been up over a hour, of course, but at least was content to cuddle in the bed).

The waterslide at VBS:

We've done a lot of pool swimming and I'm enjoying being able to sit at the side of the pool and watch the boys.  Brady has become quite the fish, and also, he could make friends with the wall.  This is the first summer in four years that I haven't had an infant or 1-year-old to deal with at the pool, and it's actually quite relaxing (of course, we have to go through the ritual of actually getting to the pool).  It hasn't all been sunshine and roses, and there have been a few points in the last few weeks where my patience has run thin. Usually, it is due to mental exhaustion and usually, it hits a peak with Brady and his curious brain that NEVER STOPS. He wakes up and the first question out of his mouth is, "What are we doing today?" You tell him the first thing on the agenda (God help you if you don't have one) and his next question is, "Then what?" Live into the moment: I found myself trying to explain this concept to Brady this week. Aren't four-year-olds supposed to be experts at this?

I never want to be the mom that tells her kids to stop asking questions, because how else are they supposed to figure out the world, but sometimes the persistent questions combined with lack of quick answers really hurts my brain. Last night, Brady asked "Why do we need to keep the doors shut in the car?"  He was coming off a totally different subject matter and I was just ready for silence. I racked my brain to come up with an adequate answer that would erase the need for follow-up questions. Then I had a eureka moment, That answer doesn't exist! So I said, "Because those are the rules."  Predictably, "Why are those the rules?" was the response that followed. "To keep people safe," inspired another follow-up question, and I had to show self-restraint to not say something like, "The doors stay shut so curious boys don't fall out and get flattened like roadkill in the middle of the road."

But I'm sure that would have just led to questions about seatbelts.

We are off to the beach for a week with Eric's family...which really means a week where other people can take their turn answering questions.  Phew.