teach a man to fish.

While I have joined the "uncool" club in my son's eyes this past weekend, I am so pleased and proud to see that Ben and Rob have done a lot of bonding more recently. Everything from riding on the lawn mower (tractor) to working with tools (putting his new big boy bed together), and now to FISHING!

Biding his time, until he can do the "real thing" with Dad. Here he is fixing his bubble lawnmower.

In his new big boy bed (we're still waiting for his headboard to come in).

This weekend (holiday 4 day weekends are great!), we spent a lot of family time together. While the family time was great, Rob also gave me a lot of time on my own in the house, while he and Ben were off doing guy things. See, sometimes we, moms feel like the only way to get away is to get away and leave the house. But what is sometimes needed so much more is that time in the house where you can just have quiet time. Obviously that doesn't happen as much when there are kid(s) around. When I mentioned joining the "uncool" club, I was referencing the fact that Ben had so much fun with his Dad, that any time I tried to do the motherly necessary things (ie. eating, napping, potty time), I got this look that seemed to say, "aww, Mom".

While Monday was the day to practice casting his fishing pole in the backyard, this evening was devoted to taking his newly learned skills to the small little pond across the road from us at our neighbor's house. Mr. Lemmerman (also Ben's preschool teacher's father-in-law) regularly feeds the many fish out there. Sometimes Ben and I bring a slice or two of bread out there.

All day today, I was mostly a drag to my Ben, because I wasn't Dad and Dad was at work. I even invited his friends, Trey and Meghan over to play while Wendy went for groceries. We did many things today that included: friends, his water rocket, coloring, reading and playing with cars. While all of this kept us busy, Ben kept asking when Dad was coming home. And at about 3 o'clock this afternoon he asked me if he can call Dad at work and see when he's coming home. He also had an idea to go up to the squadron to see if he was coming home.

So, alas, Dad comes home! (I'm thinking, "Oh praise God, will someone please take this boy fishing?!").

Here are the fruits of their labor...I think it can hardly be called labor though, considering it was all fun! He caught 3 fish in a half hour's time - all by himself. He had such a look of pride on his face.

Fish #1

Fish #2

Fish #3

And here is my attempt to become part of the "cool" club again. This is my first fish ever caught with my son's $9.96 Lightning McQueen fishing pole. (I honestly think that the fish was probably eyeballing my flabby pregnant arm and not the bread on the hook.)