{field of dreams...gone bad}

9:57 am last Tuesday

Jake: Mom, can we build the Field of Dreams in the backyard now?

Me: Well, only if you come up with a more original name.

Jake: What do you mean? That is an original name!!

Me (to myself): Of course it is, why would an 11 yr. old have any idea that there was a movie by that name....oh about 19 years ago!! Geez, did I really see that in a movie theater? Am I really that old? When did this happen?

Jake: Mom, are you OK?

Me: Of course I'm OK, why wouldn't I be?

Jake: I dunno, you looked weird. (Don't you love the bluntness?)

Me: Thanks Jake.

Cue phone ringing.

George: Hi honey, I forgot to tell you I told the boys they could build a baseball field in the back. Just tell them to be careful with the tractor.

Me: (Still hung up on the Field of Dreams/age/old thing). George, did you tell the kids about the Field of Dreams movie?

George: Why?

Me (to myself): Why can't he ever just answer the question!

Me to him: Just wondering.

George: Of course I did! I always wanted a Field of Dreams in the backyard.

Me (much happier now): Okeedokee! I'll keep an eye on the tractor excursion.

So off we all went: Jake, Jason (Jake's friend who has deemed himself son #3) and Gavin to get the tractor. Me to get dressed.

"But boys, PLEASE BE CAREFUL. Gavin, you're the oldest so you are the driver." Still not sure about the safety of it all, I ran upstairs to throw on some outside clothes. As I finished, I heard the tractor going and took this picture from my balcony.

Looks fairly harmless, doesn't it? Well, let me tell you something right now, I think some boys are devoid of a certain common sense gene. Why you may ask? Well, literally seconds after this picture was snapped, the tractor stopped. I assumed they had reached their destination. Still not trusting that they could complete their field without my knowledgeable input, I made the trek out to the back of the 5 acres. What did I see when I got there? The boys standing around trying to figure out how to get the tractor "unstuck". Yes, the common sense boys had driven it right into a muddy puddle. I stood there for a minute and started to chat with my IVs (Internal Voices).

IV #1: Well, you should yell. Seriously, what were they thinking?

IV#2: Well, you should yell. Seriously, what were they thinking?

IV#3: Well, you should yell. Seriously, what were they thinking?

IV#4: You have your camera, take some pictures then help them get unstuck and make it a "moment".

So for the next hour, we all worked together to get it unstuck! This was about 50 minutes into the process. We really were getting ready to give up!

Then out of nowhere, it worked and we were "unstuck". I had them pose for their victory picture. "Moment" captured, no harm done except to our clothes and shoes.

Here's what they tried to drive it through.