Have you ever heard the expression “That is the way it is and you’ll like it”. I had to use that expression with my four favorite little boys once in a while.

For instance, when they had to be dragged in from playing outside to dress up for an occasion. They hated dressing up (at least until later when they met girls). To them, it was a fate worse than death. They would argue and carry on until I said, “That is the way it is and you’ll like it” or another matter of fact expression of the same nature.

Once the conversation had gone that far, they knew they had to give up the fight and do what I told them to do.

My son #3 wore sweat pants until he was in the seventh grade. I don’t know if he just liked the idea of lounging around all the time, but I do know he definitely did not like to wear jeans.

When son #1 was a candidate for Spring Fling King (It has a nice ring to it doesn’t it.) he decided while the other boys wore shirts and ties, he would wear a dark green sport coat and pants with a short-sleeved black pullover shirt. He looked fine, but I would have preferred if he had worn the shirt and tie. He wasn’t chosen as king, which serves him right for not dressing properly. (Ha!) But, by that time in his life, I picked my battles more carefully. He was clean. He was dressed up, just not to my liking.

Son #4 was the apple of my eye. He is the baby (age 27). No, I don’t really have a favorite but he was and is so easy going.

Son #2 was very particular about the fabrics he wanted to wear (nothing scratchy), and the tags all had to be cut out of the shirts before he wanted to wear them. He usually wore cotton t-shirts. He is the son who when school clothes shopping, picked out a pair of jeans, tried them on, and came out of the dressing room saying, “I like these, buy four more and let’s go home.”

I got my first speeding ticket on my way home from school clothes shopping with all four boys at one time. Never did it again.

I turned off of the interstate and never slowed down. I couldn’t wait to get those pent up bulls out of the car. The officer stopped me and told me I was going ten miles over the speed limit. I said, “Yes, I was.” I didn’t bother explaining that the four boys had stepped on my last nerve and I wanted to get home. I figured he had already heard every tale of woe from other speeders.

Being pulled over by a real policeman was big excitement for the boys. They could hardly wait to tell their dad when they got home. I should have bribed them with candy before that. Hindsight is 20-20, you know. I told their dad that I was providing a role model for the boys so that if they ever got pulled over for speeding, they’ll own up to it (wink).