Bathtime with Boys

Bathtime with kids in general can be challenging. Bathtime with the Tan boys can be like preparing for war, literally. I'm a big believer in tossing them in the shower and hosing them down all at once. It's not pretty, but it's quick and it gets the job done. Every now and then however the boys pull out the "big guns" as they take part in what is referred to in our house as "pee pee wars".

I personally find this activity gross and the first time I witnessed it I thought I was going to blow a gasket until my husband explained that they were just being boys. Having no brothers or any point of reference at all for this act, I chose to walk away and let my husband "referee".

The battle doesn't last long - physically it's not possible. And how they manage to always "be armed" is beyond me. If you haven't figured out how this battle works by now, then let me spell it out for you.....the boys hold on to their "goods" as they like to call them, while aiming them at one another as they pee on each other. The only rule is that they can't aim above the hip and they can't battle if a little brother is sitting on the floor of the shower. I suppose that I should be happy that they came up with those 2 rules, but somehow it's little comfort. From what I've gathered, the winner is the soldier who can battle the longest.

Hunter was recently initiated into the pee pee wars and he was thrilled that his brothers thought enough of him to allow him to join. I simply rolled my eyes and walked away as I heard Myles explaining how to hold your gun.

My reaction to this little activity was tame compared to my mother, who was completely horrified. Of course, my father laughed and preceded to tell me a story from his youth that involved his brother and cousins peeing on an electric fence. I actually felt much better after hearing that tale, thanking God that we live at the beach and far far away from any electric fences. I've just taken this as a sign that the boys come by this behavior honestly.