Conversation overheard at my house today...

Flower: Want to know something interesting about when Jesus lived here?
Bear: When Jesus lived here? at this house?
Flower: No...when he lived on earth a looooong time ago.
Bear: Okay.
Flower: When Jesus lived here boys wore dresses.
Bear: (shocked and surprised) WHEN JESUS LIVED HERE BOYS WORE DRESSES?
Flower: Yes, long flowy dresses, with just a belt, let me show you.
Bear: Yup. Boys wore dresses.

Learning the Man Jobs

Bear got his first lesson in lawn mowing - because he is a boy. Grandpa helped him learn the ropes. Lawn mowing is definitely manly - and definitely a man's job - right? Then I thought of the 2 summers that I mowed my lawn - before I found that I could pay the neighbor kid next to nothing to do it for me. I wondered if lawn mowing really was one of the "man jobs". One year ago - the man jobs in my world just didn't get done - it was too much of a pain to have to find someone to take the time or to trouble themselves with my list of "fix its" - so if I couldn't figure it out - it just didn't happen. Several years removed from the days of a large group of single guy friends I could call on for "man job" duties - and having no "dating pool" of men that I could flirt with or kiss to get my "fix its" taken care of...I resented the fact that there are man jobs and woman jobs. But, there are. There just are. And the lists are different for every couple - for every person really. A woman in my ward fights her husband for mowing priviledges. One of my closest friends is the techno person in her marriage - her husband can't work the DVD remote. Let alone hook up the player. She's the one with the tool box. But, she is a really bad cook - and he does all the cooking and cleaning. My friend Kendi (and if I knew how to post a link and make it show up - I would link to her blog right now - but, I'm a little stunted in my blog knowledge - help me please!) just posted a blog about finding a 4 foot gopher snake in her yard - and needing to find the closest male at home in the neighborhood...I would definitely agree that snakes would be a man job on my list. Regardless, the man job list and the woman job list are constantly changing and being defined on an individual basis. Its been so nice to have my Dad around to assign these tasks to. When he leaves, I'll go back to my world of "unfinished fix its" - because for me there are just some man jobs - I can't manage. What are the man jobs that you can't manage?

Bear thought he was so tough and strong to be able to pull and push the mower. Grandpa was very encouraging.

He showed him ALL the ropes. How to do it ALL the way.

They even bagged the clippings! Good job Bear!!

Once there was a snowman...

Do you know this song?

Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman.
Once there was a snowman tall, tall, tall.
In the sun he melted, melted, melted.
In the sun he melted small, small, small.

Bear learned it in kindergarten...or primary...I'm not sure. Whomever taught it to him - is NOT my friend. He sings it NON-STOP. This little ditty is constantly swirling in my head and all the aliens end up singing it. I'm beginning to dream about a snowman melting "small, small, small..." There are moments when I think this song is worse than "Its a Small World" --which sometimes I sing in my head to get rid of the snowman song. Please, please help me.