“What in the world are those boys doing?’ I asked Jeff as we drove down the street.
“What boys?” Jeff asked.
“Those boys, there in that yard with sticks, hitting that tree. What are they doing?” I asked again.
“Oh they are just hitting a tree with sticks,” Jeff said. “You have never seen boys hit a tree before?”
“No,” I said with an eye roll. “Why in the world would they be hitting a tree?”
“Well, because they can,” Jeff said.
After I gave him yet another eye roll, he went onto explain that he remembered hitting trees with sticks. It was just something that little boys did. According to him, it is fun to whack trees with sticks.
There are many things that I wanted to call the activity of hitting trees with sticks and fun was not one of them.
This conversation took place between Jeff and I before we had any children and there was just something about the imagine of those two boys standing in their front yard whacking a tree that was just so odd.
To me this seemed like a stupid thing to do. Why in the world would these boys think this was fun? It seemed dumb and even dangerous. What in the world was the point?
The whole situation just confused me. I just didn’t get it but soon this imagine left my head until I stepped out on the porch one afternoon and saw this.
Yup, that’s right there are my boys out in our front yard, whacking a tree with a stick and a sword.
Later that night, I told Jeff what the boys had been up to and reminded him of our conversation. And he seemed to beam with pride as he said, “See, I told you its fun. And its just something that boys like to do.”
I shook my head and realized that I am never going to understand boys.
Never.
Related posts:
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
Little boys sure do provide their mothers with funny stories to share. They can make a “weapon” out of a stick, a wrapping paper tube, jump on bubble wrap to make it sound like bullets. And if they aren’t tearing something up or hunting up some sort of adventure, then they must be asleep.
[Reply]
Me neither! They are strange creatures:-)
[Reply]
Well, at least they weren’t whacking each other. Yet.
[Reply]
Jen Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Well, actually a few moments after a took that picture Hayden thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if he hit Jake.
Hayden had Jake hold out his arm and Hayden took the sword and whacked it.
Yeah, it was not good. I thought at first he broke Jake’s arm.
He didn’t just gave him a huge welt.
Boys.
[Reply]
I have always wondered why boys do that. I don’t get it either! At least they are having fun and are being active and doing something.
[Reply]
amen to that sissta….boys come up with some crazy things!! cute story.
[Reply]
ya, i don’t get it either. and the title of your post had me thinking mob activity, so i think your boys just whacking trees is rather preferable.
[Reply]
My so does that, too. I will never understand boys.
[Reply]
I’ll never understand either. But if it makes you feel any better, my son enjoys whacking trees with sticks, plastic baseball bats, swords, and light sabers. LOL
[Reply]
(nodding head) Boys are weird.
[Reply]
Okay, I admit, after reading the title of this post, I was somewhat surprised by the tree angle.
So, apparently I have the mind of a little boy. Though I haven’t found it amusing to hit trees, it may just be a matter of time.
[Reply]
Jen Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Ok so now, I am thinking that I may need to change the title.
[Reply]
hmmm…I don’t get that either. Glad you told me so when it happens here I won’t find it odd.
[Reply]
I don’t get it either. I have observed this on several occasions in my neighborhood, and I still don’t see how it would be fun. Doesn’t it hurt?
[Reply]
Jen Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Well, so far the trees have not said anything but it does hurt when you hit your sibling or a sibling hits you.
[Reply]
Well, I’m glad Jeff explained it because my boys do it too. In fact, they’ll whack anything with a stick, including each other’s faces. I never understood it until now. Kinda like why does a dog lick himself…because he can.
[Reply]
Boys really are weird. Once, my neighbor called to report that our son was outside hitting one of our trees. I couldn’t think of anything to say on the telephone, was I supposed to run outside to protect the tree?
[Reply]
I think it’s great! I once heard a presenter telling a story about working in a school in the “bad part of town.” He was like, “That’s where I want to be! The bad part of town. It’s much more exciting than the rich part. You drive through a rich neighborhood and you don’t see anyone and no kids are playing. You drive through a fun part of town, and the kids are all outside using the F word and hitting trees with sticks!” I’ve always thought that was funny. And, I see it all the time – in not just “bad parts” – boys outside hitting trees with sticks. I don’t know about the F word…
http://www.pampersandpinot.com
[Reply]
Whack a mole. Whack a tree. Whack a………..
Well, we all know where it is ultimately heading. LOL I’m doomed with three as well.
Just yesterday the boys were jumping on the trampline in the pouring rain and I heard shrieks of pain. Thought they had bee hit by lightening since I was, in essence, letting them stand on a ring of lightening rods. But, really one twin had chunked a large stick at the other’s back leaving quite the gash!
Ohhhhhhhhhhh, brother! Boys.
[Reply]
Just another reason to be glad to have girls
[Reply]
Boys are weird. Thank God you have at least one girl, right? That’s what I tell myself.
[Reply]
I could say something crass right now but I’ll just keep it to myself and simply say, “boys will be boys!” ;-P
[Reply]
My boys stand at the bus stop in the morning and whack the tree, mostly the leaves though, with sticks. They seem to enjoy themselves so I just let it go. It’s all matter of picking your battles. Unfortunately in this case, the trees lose.
[Reply]
What would you think of me if I tell you I remember doing this?
[Reply]
My husband was next to me when I read this. I asked him if he ever hit trees witha stick. He said yes- and that he saw a kid get a concussion from it (the “kid” in question was 15, and got hit with flying shrapnel from the big fat stick the other kid broke on the tree).
I laughed. Because really, I would never have thought to do that.
[Reply]
I haven’t seen my son doing this, but I remember very well when my little brother and his friends did it. I also remember one stick coming back off the tree and smacking my brother in the head!
[Reply]
One more reason I’m happy to have a girl. We may do some weird shot, but at least I understand it.
[Reply]
Wow. It is only a matter of time before this exact scene plays out in my yard. And I will not understand it.
[Reply]
Well, of course they were whacking the tree with sticks.
They’re boys.
(That’s my excuse for EVERYTHING)
[Reply]