They're destructive.
They love, for some reason, to take things apart.
I can't tell you how many toys my son would take apart and painstakingly try to put back together - sometimes he was successful -sometimes he wasn't - and he would look at me with those big blue eyes and sorrowfully say " sorry Mom - I thought I could make it better "
Sometimes I'd go a little crazy - toys were sooooo expensive - sometimes I'd scream at him ( is it ok to admit that? I'm afraid I did too much screaming as a young frantic mom ) - sometimes I'd laugh - sometimes I'd threaten to never buy him another toy as long as he lived - but always - and I mean always - I was amazed at what he could do at such a young age. That his tiny hands could intricately take apart something and put it back together fascinated me
Brain surgeon I figured - those hands are a brain surgeon's hands!!!
When he got his first Lego collection - the first of hundreds I'm sure - he built the most elaborate buildings you could imagine - with detailing that would blow everyone away who would see them.
Architect I figured - that type of skill will build skyscrapers some day!!!
As he approached his teenage years - he would come up with the most elaborate stories to keep from getting punished - E.L.A.B.O.R.A.T.E.
Lawyer I figured - no one could get someone ( himself ) out of trouble like this kid could..............
Instead my little destructive boy came to me at just about the time when we should have been contemplating colleges and said
" Mom - I'd really love to be a mechanic "
" Oh Gordie - you'll never make much of a living doing that "
" But it's really what I want to do Mom - I mean really really what I want to do "
My brain surgeon - who built skyscrapers in his spare time - and defended the poor - working as a mechanic???
But somehow he took his lawyer skills and talked me into sending him to one of the best Auto Mechanic Schools in Montreal....................
AND - MY BOY IS HAPPY.
Truly happy with what he does - and of course that makes Mama very happy at the end of the day.
Especially when he hasn't lost his love of destruction -
Meet the team who took care of the kitchen - and turned it from this - down to it's bare studs in roughly 5 hours..........................
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While they were working - they laughed and joked and seemed to be having a blast - and for a moment I closed my eyes and went back in time - to that little boy with the big blue eyes looking up at me with a smile on his face and saying " look Mom - look what I did !!! "
And then I opened them and screamed at them to " please be careful " - because some things never change after all.
Mom says - OMG boys - you're incredible - really really incredible
Gordie says - don't listen guys - that usually means she wants more
Mom says - Gordie - that's not true !!!
Gordie says - Mom - you sooooo know it is
Mom says - Hurry up with this - you need to sand the upstairs floors :)
They also turned this floor
into this floor
enabling me to have this floor
Which was one horrid job let me tell you
Keep on destroying boys - love you all the more for it :)
Oh and by the way - I need you to destroy - smash apart - gut completely - this
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Get your tools ready...............................
Because this needs to be installed
and though I'm very grateful for the light you installed
There's a slew of others waiting :)
Love,
Mom
XOX
Oh Suzan, how this made me laugh but resonate's with my heart. My Coley (Cole) to everyone else is still taking everything apart.(he'll be 16 in March) I'm still hoping for the architect !!! He did take the imitative and put a nice new toilet seat on without me asking.House flipper ? Still everytime I find a controller or hand held game in piece's under his bed IN piece's, it was made cheap.Ya,,his big brown eye's could melt butter and my heart. Architect , I 'm sticking with it. ( let's hope he doe's !!!)
ReplyDeleteI have a daughter that is pretty destructive...should I be worried!?! I think it is in the blood, I always loved taking things apart & putting them back as they were (or weren't). I am loving what you are doing. And, love seeing your boys helping you out. Happy New Year!!
ReplyDeletewhat would we do without our boys!
ReplyDeleteI remember a time when my nephews were about 10 and we were remodeling my moms house. It had 3 rooms of horrid wallpaper, the good stuff that stuck really well:( and they had the time of their life being destructive and tearing that stuff down. LOL
ReplyDeleteSuzan,
ReplyDeleteI think it is so great that your son and son in law can help you get your new home to a great place. The memories you guys are making all together!!!! Just Awsome! It will make your new home even more special to know the boys helped bring it to the diamond out of the rough. Happy New Year!
Kris
The most important thing point is that we love what we have to do to earn money. My son was teaching in the School of Education at UCLA which made his momma proud, but he was laid off and chose to return to school for a degree in physics. He said although he knew he was good at teaching, he didn't want to do it for the rest of his life.
ReplyDeleteLike your son, my son loved to build with Legos. Now your son is using those hands happily and productively and when he is finished with all his physics courses, Josh will also be using his hands happily and productively to earn a living.
I wouldn't mind if my son used his hands to help me with some of my big house projects.
Your house is looking like your home now.
It all comes full circle ~ you were the best Mama & your children are helping you now! I'd say you were a great mom!!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Those little boys grow up into big boys who still love to tinker. Weed whacker stopped working one summer; Mr. Don said "oh, let me see that." I said "I'm just going to throw it away and get a new one. It's 10 years old!" Mr. Don says "maybe I can fix it." He takes it apart. "Yep," he says "all it needs is a new plastic spool thingy" (thingy being the scientific term for the specific part he was pointing at). I said "okay. You know where the hardware store is." Actually, he didn't. He got lost, somehow, although he had been to the hardware store before, less than 2 miles, not even a stretch of the legs, walk from my place. As I was about to set out on the streets of the subdivision in an anxious search for him (neither of us carried nor used cell phones), he wandered back in the front door. "I missed the turn," he says. "I ended up on 68th and Howard" (making his trip about 2x as long, LOL!) "How could you not turn left at the first light on Coldspring Road like I told you?" He had no answer for that, of course. He decided he wanted to grill out instead. He tossed his package from the hardware store at me. "Here. It's the plastic cord stuff." Okay, I was game. While he was putzing around trying to get a fire going in the Weber grill, I pulled out the weed whacker and examined the bottom of it. I unpackaged the new spool of plastic cord stuff and tried to click it into place. Wasn't going in. Hmmm.... I tried and tried. Even got a hammer and was about to pound the hell of the thing when Mr. Don stopped me and said "time to eat." After supper, he tried himself. When he finally picked up the hammer and was about to pound the crap out of the thing I said "time for bed." That was the last time he ever looked at the plastic spool thingy. When he went back home to Montreal I breathed a sigh of relief and threw the weed whacker away, and ordered a new one online. Mine was a Black and Decker yellow and black one, not very expensive. The new one looked so much like the old one, except for the grunge on the old one, it was hard to tell them apart. When Mr. Don visited the next summer and he was "helping" me with the yard work, he was amazed that I'd been able to get the plastic spool thingy installed after all. I didn't tell him otherwise. True story!
ReplyDeleteall I have is a boy cat and wow, he shares the same traits!! Wow, that kitchen is really awful... lol!! Can't wait to see your magic!
ReplyDeletexox
I have two sons and a daughter, all in their 20's and not one of them has any interest whatsoever in renovating, making things out of wood, painting, etc. etc. How nice to have your son and his friends help out.
ReplyDeleteThat kitchen was so perfectly vintage! Boys have no appreciation for vintage! Send them my way when they are done: I'd like my bedroom floor sanded!
ReplyDeleteOMG, the previous owners loved pattern and lines/stripes, didn't they?! I think I would have an immediate migraine just walking into that bathroom. Can't wait to see the after of it and the kitchen. You know I'm stealing, oops, borrowing ideas for our little cape that we move into in 8 weeks. Making sure we don't loose the crowbar and hammers in the big move east. Hang in there, kitten! Patty/BC. p.s. Sweet wonderful young men!
ReplyDeleteHow lucky you are that have such great and handy boys to help you with the house. I can`t wait to see how the kitchen turned out.
ReplyDeleteHugs from here
My mom tells the story of my brother getting a new red wagon and taking it apart! So I know exactly what you mean about boys. My late husband was never good at putting things back in order, but he could fix most anything!♥♫
ReplyDeleteYep, as a young boy you just described mine! Nothing like that inquisitive nature.
ReplyDeleteThey're doing a fantastic job for you!!!
xo
Pat
Yep! Sounds spot on!
ReplyDeleteThings are looking good...love you have your boys doing demo and stuff for you. Again, I'm catching up on your posts and may I say the stairway looks a-m-a-z-i-n-g!? Huge, huge improvement. Keep the updates coming!
Cecilia
I am so happy you have such a great crew to get the destruction and reconstruction done so you can make it so beautiful so quickly! You guys are amazing and i'm loving following along!
ReplyDeleteYour son obviously knew what he wanted to do with his life at an early age. It is wonderful that he had the forethought to recognize his talents and dreams. He may be happy, but he obviously is not the only one!
ReplyDeleteha ha ha very creative honey do list luff it
ReplyDeleteOh very nice makes me happy knowing my boys "creativity" will pay off down the track :)
ReplyDeleteHi Suzan!!!!
ReplyDeleteI live with 2 sons and a husband. Me, the only girl!!!!!!
My husband takes apart and I'm the one putting together again!!! Several times I've come upon the Mr., upset that he can't get to the area where he has to fix the car. In I dive(I have smaller hands than he does LOL), and was able to get to the area and fix it. My response to this is, 'No. I'm just a woman.'
I find women think more of how A fits into B to = C, where, men think A=C. They want to get the job over with quickly without thinking of how. I've fixed things since I was a little girl with fixing my mom's clock radio to helping dad fix the car. I love it!!!!
It's funny living with three males and try to express how a woman sees things about issues. To me it's so comical!!!
It's so great to see how your family is helping out with the demolishing part!!! That's what boys are made for!!! LOL
Hope you're keeping warm and that you have a great week!!!
Pam
xox
*sigh* If only my sons were that helpful! If your boys ever feel like having a holiday in New Zealand send them to my place - I have a nice wee spare bedroom and a couple of wooden floors to keep them busy! Thank you for the inspirational and delightfully funny blogs :)
ReplyDeleteUm...can I borrow your boy and his crew??!!!
ReplyDeleteAwww. I'd rather have a kid with a trade than a brain surgeon any day. Odds of needing your head worked on are slim. Odds of having car problems, guaranteed.
ReplyDeleteThat kitchen is tragic and I can't wait to see what you do Suzan. I am sure it will be perfect. Is that wall paper on that bathroom cabinet??? If it is what the heck were these people thinking, apparently not very much or well, LOL!!! Get those boys on that asap.
ReplyDeleteCynthia
Yup, I've got one and can totally relate! We all have visions, I guess, as to what our kids are going to be, where they'll go to school (mine was going to Harvard, LOL, now I hope just gets in SOMEWHERE!). Those 3 boys are awesome for what they've done for you!
ReplyDelete