Oh Those Boys!

Tonight, Lyndee and I were talking on the phone and we started remembering some of the crazy days back when they were kids!  Plus, for this particular story, Don and I had just talked about it because he is in the States, and just happened to run into one of the participants!

Don's baby bro and family were also missionaries over here for awhile.  They had 3 boys, 2 of which fitted into the stairstep ages of our older 3.  So, at this particular time, Lyndee was about 10 1/2 and the boys were around 9,8,7,and 6, with Marcus being about 2.

We had a group of people over from one of our churches in the States and it was their last evening.  We were also keeping our 3 nephews for a couple of days because their folks had gone off.  Five little boys can come up with all sorts of mischief!  I should say 4, because Marc was to young then to be in on most of what happened!

Anyway, evening was coming on and the older 3 boys were out in the yard.  We had tilled up our vegetable garden, but hadn't gotten to the breaking up of the dirt clumps.  I was busy trying to help the visiting ladies pack the tons of French crystal they had bought, and had put the 2 younger boys in the tub to get cleaned up.  It was very hot, and the bathroom window was open.  Because we lived in the Paris area, some of the windows were barred on the ground floor.  The bathroom window was one of them. 

Now, one of the men who was visiting was rather a pompous fellow.  Single dad...with a perfect son, according to him!  Anyway, he came storming into the room we were packing in, and huffs, "You will NEVER believe what those boys just did!"  In my mind I was thinking, "Wanna bet?" 
Now, the preacher's wife, who is such a fun person, looked up and, with a glint in her eye, replied, "No, but I bet your going to tell us!"  I nearly choked, trying not to hoot with laughter!
"WELL!" he continued, unperturbed, "I was coming by the bathroom and just as I passed the door, a large dirt ball came flying through the window, hit the wall behind the tub and fell in!"

I didn't get in a dither, because boys are boys...they will do stuff even though they know they will get in trouble!  It is the challenge of boyhood.  And really, it was quite a feat for little guys like that to have actually succeeded such an accurate throw!  I fully intended to deal with them, but Mr. Pompous took things into his own hands.

Sudden shrieks from the bathroom sent me running.  Young Marcus had always had fear of water on his head, and his folks had finally gotten him to be calm during the hairwashing process.  But I recognized those shrieks!  Mr. Pompous had gone in there and taken it on himself to wash the boys off himself and had washed Marc's head and just dumped the water on it!  I wanted to whack him a good one!  Now, it would be to do all over again getting Marc to let us wash his hair without screaming!

We ladies were NOT happy about it, but it was too late.  Cris, Shan and Nate, were skulking in the yard, because Mr. Pompous had implied to them that they were on the verge of, at least, the death penalty.  Bless their little boy hearts!  Neither Don, nor I, had the heart to lay into them because of that ridiculous man's interference, but we did have to deal with it.  They got scolded very sternly, told never to do that again, and the next day, when the visitors were gone they had to help in the garden to break up the dirt clumps.  Deep down, we still had to laugh at the idea of them actually throwing one through those bars, and hard enough for it to cross the bathroom and hit the wall!
I tell them I am white headed because of all the things they put us through!  But, I wouldn't have missed out on any of it, because they were great kids usually, and so much fun!
One of these days, I will tell you the rhubarb story!  Until then, have a great day, and God bless!