On Love, Marriage, Honeymoons and Boyfriends

Twice a week, Yikealo has an online group session with his virtual academy teacher and a few other students. They study math or language arts concepts for about 45 minutes, and using the online whiteboard and the microphone gives them a taste of what it’s like to be in an actual classroom. A couple of the little girls in the class are usually drawing hearts in garish shades of pink or purple on their whiteboard sections, and Y is convinced it is because they are in love with him. Never mind that all we know about any of these kiddos is their first name. In addition, he has developed quite a “crush” on a little girl named Zoe, because he thinks she “has a nice voice.” Whenever it is her turn to talk, he giggles and simpers and makes the most ridiculous faces. At the end of a session, Y's teacher gives microphone access to all of the kids in the group so that they can say goodbye to each other. One particular day, Y shouted into the mic, "Bye! Zoe, I hope you marry me!" Ugh...who would have thought I'd be dealing with this when my son was only six? Heaven help us!

Yesterday, we had an online class again, and upon hearing Zoe speaking, Y started his typical swooning. Later in the day he presented this picture to me and told me it was him and Zoe getting married.

Yikealo, making a smoochy face, is running up the steps of a horse-drawn carriage to go away with his new bride. To the left, the coachman is "wapping" the horse, which is rearing and neighing loudly. To the right, David is waving goodbye, while I am praying (or so he informed me.) When I asked where Sintay was in this picture, Y responded, "Oh, Sintay is off getting married somewhere else....probably in China." Great.

He DID tell me at bedtime last night, "Mom, I really wish you could be Zoe and I could be Dad. Then I could be married to you, but you could be Zoe too." Hmmm....how's that for some seriously convoluted thinking? Maybe I just need to practice speaking in a Minnie Mouse type voice, since that is what attracts him to Zoe in the first place!

On Sunday morning during church, Y spent his time drawing all kinds of random pictures, which he then handed out to a bevy of teenage girls afterward. He is SUCH a flirt! This does not bode well for us when he gets to be a teenager himself, I'm afraid.

When we told Yikealo that we were going to a hotel as a family over our anniversary, he was overjoyed that we were all “going on our honeymoon!” He then proceeded to ask, “Mom, tomorrow on our honeymoon, would you like it if Dad and us boys all went off to do boy stuff while you just had some quiet time by yourself?” David smirked at me and said that it sounded like the exact opposite of a honeymoon to him.

Which brings me to David's take on me and my boys. I read on a blog awhile back that having little boys is rather like having "little boyfriends." There is something breath-taking in their all-out, no-holds-barred, physical affection. Both of our boys love snuggles with Mommy, which is kind of awesome for me most of the time. David has started laughingly referring to himself and the 2 boys my "3 boyfriends." David also writes me a letter each year on Valentine's Day, and this year, it was a persuasive argument about why I should consider him the best of my "3 boyfriends." It included such statements as:

• I have never misspelled “bake” for half an hour
• I have all my teeth
• I only yell during hours where you are supposed to be awake
• When I pray for 20 minutes I use words with more than one syllable
• While I do rack up the most expenses, I also contribute the most income
• You named your other boyfriends after me
• I’ve not embarrassed you in public this week
• I change my underwear regularly... without being asked
• I am not nearly so jealous when you’re hugging one of your other boyfriends
• I am the only one without peanut butter constantly smeared on my lips when you kiss us
• I am one of only two without peanut butter constantly smeared in my hair
• I am 50% less likely to leave my shoes lying about the house
• “Be quiet” actually means something to me
• I have an inside voice

I did think he included some excellent points! :-)