Some Things Are Just Instinctive

Tom recently signed up for a mentor program, and is now a mentor for a teenage boy in military school. Yesterday, the kid's family held a surprise birthday party for him which we were invited to attend. There were several other children there, four of whom were boys ranging in age from about 4-8. Tristan was not shy at all about joining in the roughhousing and playing, and had a great time.

Enough background, now on to the point of this story.

While lunch was being prepared, all five little boys were shooed outside to play in the yard. I like to make sure I know what Tristan's up to, even when he's probably perfectly fine, so I kept checking out the window periodically. About the third or fourth time I looked, all the boys were clustered in a circle around something, and one of them was poking it with a stick. My first thought? Greeeeaaaat, they've found a dead bird or something. My second thought? I really hope they don't pick it up...I should send Tom out there to see what they're up to. I would have gone myself but I had my hands full with Naiyah. Of course, when I asked Tom to go check, he tells me, "Oh, they're fine. It's probably nothing, and whatever it is they aren't going to touch it anyways". Umm, hello Tom, have you SEEN how little boys are? Of COURSE they're going to touch it, that's the next step in the whole investigation process!! Luckily one of the other moms shared the same concern I did and went out there to see what was going on. It turned out that it was nothing worse than a worm, but much better safe than sorry I think. I am POSITIVE that the grosser it would have been, the faster they would have had their hands on it.

Some things really are just instinctive. Boys. Of all ages. *Sigh*