I'm on my sister-in-law's $#!% list. Let me give you some background before telling you why. For the past year, she and my brother have been in the process of adopting two little boys. These boys are two of the coolest kids around. This weekend they were in Phoenix visiting my parents and I drove up for a long weekend to see them. As any responsible parents do (or should do), they have been teaching the boys appropriate behavior. My short day and a half with them may have set them back a few months.
It all started with me looking for a cool gift. After all, I had to give them something cool to buy their love. Don't all healthy relationships work that way? Besides, they recently celebrated their birthdays and I missed them. Yeah, that's my excuse. So I went to the tourist market to find something cheap. I have expressed to my wife on numerous occasions how amazed I am that they all can sell the same stuff and somehow eek out a living. I didn't know what I was looking for, but knew it would jump out at me when I saw it. After 20 minutes nothing stuck out as THE present. Then I saw them. Every mischievous boy's dream come true. Cheap, Hecho En Mexico sling shots! Oh, yeah! I'd arm my newhews with BB gun precursers. All little boys need a sling shot in their back pocket. How else will they defend their forts and club houses?
My brother and sister-in-law both had that "oh-no-you-didn't" look on their faces. It was priceless! The boys didn't quite know what they were at first, but they figured it out in a hurry. Mom took no time in laying down the law. No shooting at houses, people, cars or animals. Geez mom. Take all the fun out of it, why don't you. What's left to shoot? My brother said he's getting my kids stuff that requires batteries.
The fun didn't end with the sling shots. Monday we went swimming in the pool. I had also gotten the kids a big, inflatable turtle, which we just had to christen. The water temperature was 60 degrees. Pretty chilly, so mostly we sat in the hot tub. Luckily the turtle is big enough to hold two squirmy boys without getting them too wet. On one momentous occasion, the older boy was sitting on the turtle alone while my sister-in-law held it near the side of the pool. Uncle Sel told the younger boy to push his mom into the pool. We all got a kick out of watching this 3 year old try to shove his fully clothed mom into the deep end. Even with him putting his weight into it, he was just too small to be effective. Then he caught her off guard. She jumped head first onto the turtle and he toppled in after her. We fished them all out of the pool and then laughed until we cried.
When I said my goodbyes Monday evening, my sister-in-law punched me instead of giving me a hug. I guess I desesrved it.
Did I learn my lesson? Yes.
Am I likely to do it again? Absolutely!