Shout Out to My Mom Squad/ Dealing With My Adrenaline Junkies

Hola, Wild Boy friends and family, and welcome back to la Casa. It's a holiday weekend here, and I don't need to tell you how exciting that is for everyone. But even more importantly, it was a slumber party weekend for the boys - they were BOTH gone for a night! There was an entire afternoon and night here where nobody screamed, nobody bled, nobody choked, and nothing broke.

It was magical.

Let me tell you how much I appreciate my mom squad on days like that. See, parents align by level of uptightness in my experience. Every now and then while out chaperoning a field trip or sitting through a birthday party you'll overhear someone with the exact same response you would issue and you immediately make friends. Now, the seriously uptight parents band together when they realize they all have to check food labels for gluten and sugar, and to confirm all plastic ware their children are using is BPA free, and should we really be using plastics anyhow... They put their kids in private tennis lessons, and their play dates starting at age four are centered around SAT prep.

The moderate parents tell their kids no junk food, fruit only, and maybe a cupcake on holidays. They allow only rated G cartoons but in less than 30 minute increments, and only if it's considered educational. Their kids are the ones with the helmets, knee and elbow pads when riding on a tricycle. They may do team sports, provided the emphasis is on inclusion and sportsmanship, and only if there is zero risk of concussion.

And then there's my mom squad - the mother's of wild children. Adrenaline junkies through and through. As soon as I hear a mom say something like "walk it off" or "you know where the band aids are" I know we can hang. We carry our medical cards in the front of our wallets, our kids have constant scrapes and bruises, and we are ALWAYS running around outside after them while they chase the next great adventure.

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that the Wild Boys are adrenaline hounds. But in reality, it was genetically predetermined - two parents in law enforcement (which is a total adrenaline field) were not going to created the children that sit quietly and weave baskets for fun. It was evident with both of them from a really, really young age - it took some extreme parenting skills to keep them entertained.

 

And as they aged it didn't get any better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Along with this, it should come as no surprise to anyone that we have had our fair share of injuries. On our last trip to the ER the receptionist looked at me and asked "Gavin or Gabe?" when we walked in. I want to attribute that to small town living, but I know it's because my kids have been there enough to pick favorite staff members which is alarming. We've done broken bones, we've done sprains and strains, we've done cuts and contusions, we've done poison oak ALL over the damn place, and we've done concussions. BUT the medical staff loves the boys, their pediatrician included, and not just because we are financing their kids through college. They like seeing kids that are active, and I've added all of them as honorary members of my mom squad as a result.

 

My mom squad is composed of awesome moms (and a few dads) who are amazingly chill with my kids, and let them play without calling me in terror when something goes the tiniest bit wrong. These parents let my kids climb, swim, ride scooters in the rain, play in the mud, and basically turn their houses into a loose adaptation of Lord of the Flies every time they visit. They send my kids home filthy, well fed and exhausted, and send me pictures of them totally out of control and enjoying every minute of kid life. This being said, you can imagine why we all have to chaperone field trips - we're the mom's with the basic medical training and hidden tranquilizer darts necessary to keep our kids in line on outings. Just kidding (but only a little).

 

This weekend the boys went out with one of my mom squad members to celebrate the birthdays of some of our very favorite twins. When I asked what the plans were the mom told me indoor skydiving, sign the waiver. LIKE I COULD SAY NO TO THAT AWESOMENESS!!!

 

Is this helping the adrenaline addiction? Probably not. But are my kids going to have a wicked cool story for show and tell that DOESN'T involve us getting confronted by rangers for feeding wildlife? Yes. Yes they are. (Don't judge me, people).

Until next time, happy wildings from la Casa!