New Boys and New Rules

Fishing poles shouldn’t be allowed in the living room.  I admit it.  There are places for such things, but there are also times when a living room transforms into a staging area. And that’s what ours was last night.  The first camping/fishing expedition with the Stevens’ boys is about to be under way, and we were in the living room … umm … we were in the staging area watching Transformers and gearing up for the next few days with our sons.

Yep.  We’re adopting finally.  After 12 years of marriage, Ellen and I have found our sons, or they have found us.  Elijah and Enoch (10 and 9) have been with us 2 weeks, and after 6 months of doing the foster thing, we can adopt them.  So this summer is all about relationship building.  

What’s better than camping?  To endure rainy, cold, bear-crawly woods together is our method, and building relationship is our goal.  And last night we used the living room to gear up for fishing.  The boys were bouncing off the walls.  Grandpa Yadon was giving knife sharpening lessons.  I was putting new line on old reels.  And in the midst of it all I had to make some impromptu rules.  Here are a few:

Rule #1: No sharpening pocket knives while wearing fishing waders.  We’d hate to dull the knife while cutting strips out of our new waders … or legs.  

This is what I fear would happen during our "pretending to stab the bad person who really deserved it" fiasco.

Rule #2:  Fishing poles are to be pointed downward when inside.  How often does someone have to make a rule like this?  It seems that our ceiling fan creates a magnetic draw to fishing poles, and the boys couldn’t stop it because “it just happened.”

Rule #3:  Knives are tools, not toys.  They are are sharp and not to be thrown at someone, to someone, or pretending to stab someone … even if the pretend person really deserved it.

Rule #4:  What’s mine is yours … technically.  These lures here are yours to “oversee”, while I “oversee” these over here.  This pole is the one I use, and these flimsy ones are the ones you use.

Rule #5:  Hooks are tools, not toys.  They are sharp and not to be thrown at someone, to someone, or pretending to stab someone … even if the pretend person really deserved it.

Rule #6:  ”Because I say so” is a valid reason for obedience.  I knew this one was coming, and I sounded just like my mom when it so easily rolled off my tongue for the first time.  I now understand.