The Real Way Boys Play

When I was pregnant, I was afraid I would have a hard time with boy things. The rows of trucks and cars and superheroes in Target overwhelmed me. I had a hard time transforming even the smallest level one Transformer. My tugboat noise sounded like a Mac Truck drowning, and I kept slipping up and calling light sabers "light savers".

A year into parenting a critter who is 110% boy, I am starting to see that my fears were slightly misguided. Sure, I'm still working on my vehicle noises and converting robots into miniature Camaros, but these are things I SHOULD have been thinking about:

--My skills as a catcher. Not because my kid is a baseball prodigy, but because he likes to fling everything with a surprisingly accurate overhand swing. Pillows, remotes, shoes...
--Working on my car braking noise, not just the zooming noise. For awhile, I would make all the vehicles I was pushing around the floor with my boy go "zooooooooooooooooom crash!" and run into something. Then he started to mimic me. I am a little afraid about when he starts driving for real.
--My reaction time. The reflexes of a Mama have to be like lightning. Sweep that ball up before he trips on it. Block the bathroom cabinet with a knee while brushing your teeth and drying your hair. Stand up and get the toliet lid down before the baby can throw something in there. Quick like a fox, quick like a fox.
--Distractionary tactics to avert a meltdown when hiding the cellphone/blackberry/iPod.
--The ability to spot something attractive to a small boy and remove it from view before he notices it. Think long sticks, computer mice, cords, anything pointy, anything pointy, anything pointy.

And while I'm sure there will be a day when Little Man will sit and actively play with the toys he's amassed over his short life, right now he's too busy discovering the nooks and crannies of his world to be distracted by things like puzzles and blocks. After all, rocks can be thrown just as well as a ball, tupperware is very satisfying to knock down, and emptying and filling a box full of magnets and Nana's office supplies helps with fine motor skills.