Raising 2 Kids, 1 Homeschooler & a Baby Blog (#2)

Aloha,
Welcome to #2 in my ongoing series: “Raising 2 Kids, 1 Homeschooler & a Baby Blog.”

(This post could also be: “Revenge of me Ma.” I’m the eldest of two boys who made their mum’s life miserable… sorry, Ma, but it’s not MY fault, it’s my brother, Carl, I swear he did it :)

Anyway, it was only after my eldest son, four-year-old Tobey, flew downhill on his tricycle, heading straight for a tree that I realized this home-rearing thing I’ve been doing ain’t about teaching and nurturing – it’s about survival.

My impromptu “field-trip” started calmly enough (don’t they always.) We are blessed to live on a Navy base housing community here in Honolulu, and close to us is a small playground/ basketball court. With my wife, Gen, still at work, it seemed like a fun idea to like, hang out with my boys, like. Oh yeah, I’m hip, like.

(I'm about as hip as a hip-replacement candidate.)

Heading to the basketball court, I noticed a big drop off at one end. That seemed weird, but what do I know? I’ve no clue on how to throw hoops. (Sure, I’m from Ireland, but surely it’s not that hard… it’s not, and stop calling me surely…. Ah, smile if you have fond memories of “Airplane.”)

Source: @Photobucket by tysonapo

I took a few different sized balls and grabbed Tobey’s trike just to be on the safe side … (If I can’t hoop with my boy, I can teach him how to ride.)

I knew Corey (nineteen months) would be happy (and safe) on the baby slides, so after the hoops experiment failed with a bounce here, and a dunk nowhere, I watched proudly as my son looked at his trike, and then at me.

Sweet! A great papa/son bonding moment in the making.

Source: @Photobucket by LivyR

Keeping an eye on Corey, (who doesn’t actually slide down the slides, but loves running from slide entrance to slide entrance… screeching “PAPA!”) I enjoyed helping Tobey master the handlebars and the pedals of his red trike.

A few minutes later, my chest puffed out as I watched both my two sons playing and enjoying themselves at either end of what was, hmm, well, now a rather large playground….  I shuffled my feet a little here and a little there...

OK... I got it; I can watch both boys and be prepared to JUMP! and save whomever needs saving.

Hah! I can homeschool.

Check “field trip” off today’s list. Who’s your Dadd-?

WOhaa…, hey Corey… whoa, dude… no, Corey, hang on, buddy, you can’t slide down the fast slide sideways … wait!!

Run, Mark… Run…..

After the little man was straightened out, I looked for Tobey, who with his back to me was (professionally, I must say) riding his trike toward the far goal, er, I mean hoop.

OK, no worries…

Memories of six minutes ago… I was wondering what was weird about that end of the court…

The Drop

Ohh… shoot. (see, I got the lingo down, like.)

“Tobey, stop.”

“TObeey... stop! Bud…”

…and finally…

“TOBEY!!! STOP!!!” (Sigh.)

As his head disappeared down the hill, I swear I heard a “wheeeee,” but I was so scared when I heard the trike hit the tree full on. All I know is that Tobey skimmed the trunk before he was thrown off to the right side.

When I say he skimmed the trunk, I'm not joking. Through the grace of God, the bike literally hit the tree, but the trajectory of the trike meant that Tobey flew toward the right hand side of the trunk. He suffered only a carpet burn-type of cut to his left forehead (while I... the on-scene caregiver... have had at least six months of life deducted for bad parenting skills.)

Gotta say though, both my boys are troopers… several minutes later as I lay on the grass with Corey pinching me, Tobey sat next to his palpitating papa and lit me up with one of his wicked smiles before telling me he wanted to go ride “the hill” again.

“Can I do it again, papa? And this time I’ll miss the tree with all of me…"

Good grief, Charlie Brown...

The point of the post (or the “POP moment” – as no one likes a smart “the”) is that homeschooling ain’t easy, y’all... but surely it is fun and interesting to say the least!!

Oh, and PS… our third son will be born in January. Will you pray for me? J