My sweet little men who converse over cups of tea proved to be all boy this week as we got away for a three-day fishing trip up in the Pecos. Number 1 caught his first fish, and got to carry his dad's big knife
. Number 2 learned to shoot a bow and a BB gun, but equally enjoyed making bannock bread on the campfire. Number 3 made cross-contamination an active verb: touch dead fish, eat blackberry, touch road-kill snake, eat lunch, play with salmon eggs, eat trail mix, repeat. And Number 4 wanted to be down in the dirt, sticks, and bugs so bad he couldn't see straight. Baba came alive walking his boys down the same riverbanks he fished as a child. There were many proud daddy-son moments throughout as he gave instruction about out-smarting trout, making fire, and the many nuances of being a man. Mama went along so that her boys would have someone to protect. Oh, and, there was an opportunity for some Chinese vocabulary lessons at the end of a little hike. The vocabulary was still all boy.
