There are two men living in our Lesbian household. Before you get nervous (or oddly curious) you need to know that the oldest is 11 and the youngest is 8. Our two sons.
What baffles me lately about these two – and I believe that they are equally yoked in this behavior – is the injuries that come at bedtime. It’s a rare night that we can get from supper to “time for bed” without one or both of them having some major life-damaging injury. (If this sounds a bit “over the top,” it’s just now occurring to me that this flair for the drama just might be a family trait) 
Last night it was basketball. The boys and I were out on the driveway playing a “quick game to 15” (like that can happen) and the older one “accidently” rammed the younger one’s head into the garage. YIKES! But I’ve got to tell you, I saw the whole thing. It was an accident. It certainly did shorten the game of 2 on 1, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. My memory was that the score was 8-6 when …after this incident & its Time Out…the younger one went into the house to put a bag of spinach on his head (we’ve learned over the years to have a great variety of frozen vegetables in the freezer – peas, corn, spinach are the favorites). Applied to the head, it served as a great first aid action.
So…is this “Boys will be boys?” or “Too much of a good thing & having rowdy fun?” or “Rough and ready practice for World-Wide Wrestling?” Not sure what predictor is in store for these two gentle-men. All I know is that we’ve learned to not so much watch the clock, as to listen out for which one is crying out—that way, we’ll know when it’s bedtime here at the old homestead. It’s just that the timing is odd to me—like one or both of them is resisting going to bed and that these physical tussles spring up as Delay Mechanisms.
Personally, I love going to bed. What grown-up doesn’t? I’m curious about the resistance. I’m vested in helping them not kill each other. And if you ever want to talk about “risk,” try hanging out with our boys between supper and bedtime. Gotta tell you, though – when push comes to shove, it’s “every girl for herself.” :-)
Lesley Brogan is tethered to her village. The middle daughter of a middle daughter, she and her partner co-parent two boys (11 and 8) with their two dads. Life rarely seems easy, but in it, there is energy and wisdom -- and, it seems -- just enough humor to get the village through their days.
Email this author | All posts by Lesley Brogan
You know, “they ” say that these days will be just a memory all too soon. It’s hard to imagine that they won’t always be 8 and 11. Good for you for naming the risk that is bedtime. My guess is that by the time you figure it out, they will be out long past bedtime and you will long for the days of 2 on 1 in the driveway!
Keep sharing the stories.
oh ho, amen sister. you speak the truth! ((take…TONIGHT.. for instance…again! all the way down to the specific vegetable used as an ice pack)) It’s A Mystery, indeed, why these things are the way they are. But there’s likely more mysteries comin’–different ones no doubt.And I say: good for you for enjoying the ride (day by day) and keeping air in the basketball. that’s the spirit~!
Oh, Lesley – I always enjoy your posts. Thank you for the way you tell the stories of daily life and make such delicious meaning out of them. Martha and I re-read this one last night and laughed right out loud!