Thursday, March 25, 2010

Men are from Mars

And sometimes so are their children.

Last week daughter2 phoned home. She likes to begin most of her phone
conversations in a way that makes my heart beat fast.
Last week she called and said,

'Guess what I just did?'

I know you're thinking that sounds pretty innocuous but you are not the one who has been to the Emergency Room no less than five times with this child.
And each visit followed an incident that could later set up a conversation beginning with the expression, "Guess what I just did?'
Anyway, she tells me she has just been to the firing range with some friends.


Now I know some of you out there live in the country and on ranches and your kids hunt and fire guns from the time they are tiny but that has not been our experience. Plus, have I mentioned that stuff just 'happens' to this child? I really can't explain it but I think it has a little something to do with her enthusiasm for oh, pretty much everything.



And as the words were leaving my mouth I thought, here comes Killjoy.
Sometimes that's me.

'What? Why would you do that? Isn't firing a gun dangerous?'

Oh brother.
Did I actually say that?
Yes. Yes I did.
And don't you just love college girls? Look closely.


Anyway, of course she replied back with,

"Well I wasn't shooting at anybody mom."

Ya know, I knew that.
Even as the words left my mouth I knew that.
But still.
This is my child who managed to break her collarbone in a football game
in which she was not even a participant.

Yeah.

While standing on the sidelines.

This is my child who stepped into a supermarket at age three, caught her foot in a piece of wet cardboard, and managed to trip and crack her head open on the only metal object within fifteen feet of where we were standing.
Like I said, stuff happens with this one.
And I try hard not to let my first thought always run to the
worryworry place...the scaredy-cat place...

I'm not always successful.

Which is why I'm glad to have the hubs in my life.
Sometimes we call hubs the mountain goat.


He likes to get out on the edge of stuff.
And guess who is not far behind?


Guess who reminds them to be careful?

Hubs has a wonderful sense of adventure.
He wants to experience all that life has to offer.
Not that I don't but I like to establish all the parameters
in a situation before I leap.

Which means sometimes I don't leap.

Hubs came home from work and I started to tell him about Daughter2's day and what do you suppose he said?

'Oh wow, I bet that was fun! I'd love to do that! Maybe she and I can go to the firing range. Oh, I used to love to go shooting. Is there a place to do that around here'....etc. etc. etc.

And in this sense he is my opposite.
The Mars to my Venus if you will.
He always leaps first to the place of fun.
And I love that about him.

Well, most of the time.

He pulls me into the place of fun.
So do the daughters.
They take my hand and they say, Come on! We'll do it together.
Because in the world of genetics they got the spirit of adventure gene from dad.

Thank goodness.


We have a little family trip to the mountains coming up soon.
There may be horse back riding.
There for sure will be hiking.
High places.
Rocky ledges.
I can't wait.

I think.

17 comments:

  1. Joyce! We are two peas in a pod, you and I! I am exactly like you, and I am always worried about safety, and my husband is completely the opposite. I can tell my daugther2 is following in his footsteps!

    He so stresses me out.

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  2. I have to admit, I'm very much like them. Well, of course I am. I ride a motorcycle. I shoot too. ahahaha. Thanks for sharing. Blessings, SusanD

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  3. Ha ha, I'd be just like you, I AM just like you, I don't know how many times a day 'be careful' comes out of my mouth when I'm talking to my daughter! My hubby keeps wanting me to go to the gun range with him but I just don't have an interest in it!
    Great post :)

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  4. Be careful and have an awesome time.

    BTW: I know what you mean about being the killjoy. That is my job in our family. Mom's just know....we have lived through too many ER visits, etc.

    Hugs, andrea

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  5. You have your place with these adventurous ones...who else would be taking these pictures if you were just like them?

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  6. My daughter Nr. 2 and yours sound very similar.
    And they really like to keep life interesting!
    I love that you always have the most fitting pictures to what you are writing (i.e. mountain goat...) haha

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  7. I totally understand! I'm always the one saying, "I can't believe you did that" while Indiana Jones is saying, "Cool. Let me try."

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  8. Her firing range instructor is a cutie. That's why she was there :)

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  9. Be happy don't worry, I made it a point for my kids to be able to shoot Even Rachel. When we are up in Bristol for christmas eve. The men take the kids out to shoot evey year. Rachel is just like your girls. She wants to go skydiving, rock climbing, She missed the skydiving this past fall. I was thinking of going down to chatt on a saturday and take her to skydive (tandum jumps). I think I will jump to.

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  10. I'm an official member of the killjoy club so welcome!

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  11. Oh my gosh! I am totally the same way and take the exact position you do in the grand family scheme. Somebody has to!

    That being said... She was dressed so cute for her shooting range experience. Haha

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  12. I think they get their sense of adventure from your hubby. I'm like you I feel cause I'm the Mom someone has to be the voice of reason.

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  13. It could be worse...she could've gone shooting out in the woods somewhere! At least she was in a confined place with someone certified to do what he was doing!

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  14. I totally KNOW what you are saying. 3 of my 4 kids are adults now and it still makes me CRAZY when they do something "out there". Sometimes I like the thought of "don't ask, don't tell"!

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  15. I have to say I'm more like your hubby and daughters, trying to drag my husband out to do more, only thing is, he usually says no!

    Have a great family trip! I can't wait to read all about your new adventures!

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  16. I can so totally relate Joyce. I can understand your concern. I know you are so excited about your trip with the family over Easter. What fun you are going to have with all the family. After having been away from your girls since Christmas, you will be so thrilled to see them! Have a great weekend. Love & blessings from NC!

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  17. I tend to be in the group that your husband and daughter are a part of, Joyce! :-) Always kind of pushing the boundaries. Of course, I have slowed down quite a bit as the years have passed. :-) Not quite as adventurous as I used to be. I'm still not too fond of guns but I don't have a problem with Daniel and Ed hunting or going to the shooting range.
    Thankfully, Ed and Daniel both took a gun safety course early on when Daniel was younger.

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