I've been thinking about the differences in boys brains and girls brains since I've never had personal experience with girls until we got granddaughters. Then a grandson was born and it's obvious his interests are different than the girls. So, I've compiled a list of things my own sons have done in their youth.
Do you think they are all true or are some made up by me?
1. Pulled boat behind a pickup with brothers riding along in the snow.
2. Launched water balloons over the state highway.
3. Rebuilt differential on vehicle.
4. Rebuilt transmission on a classic truck.
5. As toddlers, totally removed all branches from neighbor's 3 evergreen trees.
6. Siphon fish tank water by use of garden hose extending through bedroom window to outside and back in to the bathtub.
7. Crawled in grass in camouflage behinds neighbor's houses, and acroos the road behind some more neighbor's houses and said, "Do you know you can see everything through their windows at night?"
8. Whacked golf balls over the barn
9. As 2 y.o. collected Mason jar full of bumble bees
10. Drove mother's car downtown near fairgrounds, beneficially blowing the carbon out so it drove better, and got a speeding ticket, and said, "I wouldn't dirve downtown for a while...in that car."
11. Lifted the sliding glass door off it's tracks to get in a locked house after curfew.
12. Climbed a 180 foot tall cross-country high voltage power line tower and took a selfie. Only telling girlfriend, "just in case."
13. As elementary aged boys, built a bridge across a 10 foot pond and made an island in the middle.
14. Floated a couch down the river at university.
15. About drowned when ice gave way on reservoir on a jet ski and said, "If I could just keep my grip on the jet ski, I knew I could make it."
16. Two toddler brothers chased blue ball onto state highway, traffic stopped, and semi stopped and the driver was walking around to rescue the boys. One boy said, "I looked both ways first."
17. Discarded a combine's tire into a ditch, but got surprised by it's continuing to roll, and keeping up along side of the truck.
18. Brought home a Ford Escort that had thrown a rod and was smoking. Borrowed grandpa's backhoe, dug a hole, and buried said Escort in barn yard, "I had to do it while you were on vacation."
19. 5 y.o. rode a mini bike into a tree "Daddy, did you save me?"
20. Hid from cop by entering the property at the corner and driving behind the barn.
21. Fell asleep at the wheel on a mountain in Kentucky and a passing tow truck peeled metal off side of his truck.
22. Fell asleep at the wheel and rear-ended the couple ahead of him, compassionately they said, "We're just so glad he wasn't hurt."
23. Built a play fort out of plywood complete with a drawbridge.
24. Drove dirt bike off the sharp edge of grandpa's hill.
25. Poured 5 gallons of gasoline on bonfire, and because there was a 20 foot long furrow around it, it puddled there and around his feet. Once lit, he was consumed by smoke and fire and amazed a friend, "I couldn't believe he came walking out of the smoke like that!" Suffered nothing except singed hairs.
26. Carpeted the yard with bottle rockets sticks while we were away for the 4th of July. We learned 5 years later that cops were called.
27. Several of them, and neighbor friends, got together and slingshot rocks over the highway and one passer-by stopped in to notify parents.
28. 3 of 20 year olds confessed at Thanksgiving dinner that they got airborne jumping over railroad tracks.
29. One ramped mini bike and got a shock when brother coming up from behind him ramped his dirt bike at the same time.
30. Laid mom's van on its side during ice storm.
31. Laid Durango on its side at "high water" sign.
32. Dragged a highway sign then dragged same highway sign with friends riding on it.
33. Wrote in wet paint on Blazer "No Fat Chicks Truck Will Squat" and sadly it's still there, though faintly.
34. Parents never knew until sons were in their 30's that a couple of them had a booze party.
35. Can efficiently and safely run a bulldozer, backhoe, and a skid steer.
36. Can efficiently and safely run a front loader, pulverizer, and dirt machine.
37. Walked rafters in barn, so did their cousin, and all carved their names "We were here."
38. Cut down a 25 foot tall evergreen tree to top it for a Christmas tree.
39. Shot own hand. Bullet went through house wall, too.
40. Passed his best friend on the right, cop saw, gave ticket.
41. With female cousin rode go-cart into a young evergreen tree and flattened it. It grew crooked.
42. With many friends, dug 7 foot hole in front yard, and in some shifts at night by spotlight. When it got so deep that the sides needed shored, DH said, "No more, boys."
43. While welding, melded ring to ring finger. Scarred for life.
44. Run his thumb through a band saw. "Emergency!"
45. Brought home sign of rules for swimming in lake, and was told, "Take it back!"
46. Brought home stop sign, and was told, "Take it back!"
47. Pelted stop sign at the nearby intersection with fast food drink cups and after he was told to clean it up, asked, "How'd you know it was me?"
48. Had a 3 person Cub Cadet race with friends -- one had electrical meltdown, one laid it on its side, one caught fire and needed valve stems replaced.
49. Was drag racing D150 and Dodge Dakota when Cadillac pulled up to join. The Caddy lost.
50. Rode his bicycle off the bed of a truck, and ended up flat on his back, "It didn't work like in the cartoons."
51. Shot his hand with a "It's not loaded" bb gun. BBs still there. Hand can stick to magnets.
As I was talking to the boys about these, they got stiff and still. I think they were wondering if I knew EVERYTHING. And besides that, they had twinkles in their eyes. Boys are dare devils, they enjoy the thrill, and they are lucky to be alive.
They've kept guardian angels very busy. VERY BUSY.
They've kept mom close to God! I think he wanted them to live, wink.
