Mirror, Mirror...

I realize that everyone believes their baby to be the most beautiful. But really, can you argue with me? Go on, try. I dare you.

I read this post and could completely see myself in a few years. To borrow Chris's term, let's talk about an aspect of "boyness". (And yes, I too, believe it is a word; Wikipedia, take note.) It's something I struggle with more and more lately: knowing how rough is too rough, what is the dividing line between boys roughhousing and beating each other up?

In my family it was just me and my brother, and he wasn't the physical type, so I have zero frame of reference. Daddy McAustin has 2 brothers, but they were 4 & 6 years older, and weren't really contemporaries. I don't want my boys to grow up with memories of me as that woman who was always screeching "Stop that!" and "That's too rough!". I do however, want them to make it into adulthood without permanent emotional or physical scars wrought by their supposed loved one. Don't get me wrong, they aren't really violent with one another, and it's never done in a spirit of meanness, but they do play rough together.

Our rule currently is that if someone says "stop", "no", or is obviously NOT having fun anymore, then the play is over. (You know, when they make that wailing sound, and tears are streaming down their face? That usually means the situation has lost its joy for them, and they would like you to quit doing whatever it is you're doing that's making them feel that way.)

I am noticing, however, that as they get older, it is usually me who gets uncomfortable with the situation and make them stop. And them? They are still having a ball and would happily continue without my intervention....until the laughter turns to tears, which it inevitably does.

And so, to go with the theme I've got going here, I present you with the boys' latest version of the little game we here at Casa McAustin like to refer to as "E.R.: The Dress Rehearsal":

...and again here...

The object of the game (apparently) is to see just how fast you can roll/spin/turn/stop abruptly before the hitchhiker flies off, sailing across the deck to land with a sickening thump in a teary heap. Bonus points for blood.

So my question is this: what's your 'line' for rough play?

(How's the font looking on your screen? Too small? Did you know that if you Hit CTRL + mouse wheel it changes the font size on most any web page? Coooool!)

(DOH! Except of course, on MINE!)