Sunday, January 2, 2011

Low Tech, Big Brave Fun

Our boys have big dreams, dreams of being the hero, of beating the bad guys and even slaying dragons if need be. At our house, training for their daring feats is not done in front of a video game or computer screen, it is done in our yard.

In the past month, Big Buckaroo and the boys have built a potato gun (note: do not use raw eggs just "to see if it works"), a mangler (which is what Hiccup used in How to Train Your Dragon to catch dragons), and now, for their Christmas present.......


Is it wiring for a super dooper computer system? Um, no, not our Wild at Heart guys.

A zip line! Yes ma'am, no need to go on a zipline through a jungle or rain forest once on a vacation when you can go out in the yard everyday. The recipe for fun around here is pretty simple: Add to any activity an element of danger, stir in a little exploration and speed, add a dash of destruction, and you've got yourself a winner.

Yes, that is our 5-year-old who climbed right up and jumped on. Yes, my heart is in my throat every time he does this.

But, I know his dad is standing under him and His Father will guide and protect him while preparing him for the battles that lie ahead. Moms of boys, learn to step back and let their dad's guide them into warrior's. It is in a mother's nature to coddle them and that will only hinder their journey. I read this recently and would like to share.

"It is my belief that our culture has hijacked many of the components of biblical manhood. They have blurred the lines of what defines a man, leaving our boys and men confused and suffering from an identity crisis of sorts. Many men have abandoned their roles as providers, protectors, and spiritual and gender roles have been redefined. The fallout is great, and today we are experiencing a shortage of real men. If our sons are to be real men, we must first help them cultivate the warrior spirit within. We must prepare them for the battlefields of life and groom them to be warriors, not wimps." - Vicki Courtney

Have a blessed New Year,
The Park Wife

6 comments:

Osage Bluff Quilter said...

I wanna be a little one at your house! You guys havea the best toys!
Happy New Year
Patti

Cary Ann said...

I have two boys who would love that! i couldn't agree more with Vicki Courtney! Let BOYS be BOYS!!

SweetMissMagnolia said...

how awesome--love it! how adventurous and gosh any little boy would love it!

Martha said...

My daughters would have loved this. We had zip lines in a park where we lived when they were little and we all went on them.

Val said...

Guess it's been busy at the Park Wife House - No updates for a while! :-)

Fawn said...

I'm a little afraid to show this to Craig, but I'm going to anyway. There have been many mentions of zip line installation at our house!