Fishing for a change

It was time for a change. 

I was realizing that (almost) everything that is going wrong in our house is my fault.

I was not being the mom I should be; too busy, too tired, too much schoolwork, too much housework, too much too much.

I never wanted to be this kind of mom.   The kind who always put things off because I had too much to do.

It hit me one day; Riley is almost 10.  He will soon reach those teenage years and I will never again gain his adolescent years back.  Reagan is almost 7; he too is growing up fast.  My boys are turning into men right before my eyes.

My boys are on the verge of becoming a young man and is at the stage where only guy stuff is cool.

Their mom on the other hand is a girlie girl.

I don’t like dirty, slimy, sweaty, gross things.

So fishing?  Fishing is not my thing.

But fishing it was.

We went to Target earlier in the week (as a reward for tons of chores done with a smile on their face and a song in their hearts :o) and got each child a fishing pole. 

*Rhianna’s is Barbie pink* 

Why didn’t I get one for myself?  My plans are to set them up for success and then sit back with a good book once they get the hang of it.

Riley and I took the poles over to our good buddy Thom to help us string them (is that what it’s called?) and get us set up.  Those two sat in the garage for a time and discussed man stuff. 

I went inside.

That night we loaded our poles in the car and were off.

We arrived at Hubbard Valley Park around 5:30; just as the sun was considering setting and the air was a bit cooler.

We made it about 2 feet and Rhianna's line was messed up.

Thankfully Riley, the expert, was willing to work on a Barbie fishing pole.

As we walked through the woods to the lake, it struck me. 

What if there are other people here? 

Like, real fishermen?

Who will laugh at me attempting to do this fishing thing?

I figured I would just give a free comedy show to whoever was there.

As we rounded the corner, there were two men standing there.

I inwardly groaned. 

An audience.

As we approached and acted like we were seasoned fishermen, the men asked if we needed any worms; the fish weren’t biting and they were leaving.

I hadn’t brought any live bait.

Why not?

Because live bait catches fish.

And I didn’t want any live fish.

A fish that I would have to remove from the hook.

I sighed in relief on two accounts.

1.      They were leaving

2.      The fish weren’t biting

Outwardly I smiled for two accounts

1.      They were so generous

2.      My kids would actually get to use real worms

We gladly accepted the bait and got down to business.

Riley pulls out his new pocket knife from the aforementioned friend Thom and proceeds to cut the worm in three pieces.

*Gag*

They each stick their worm on their hook. 

 

Riley taught the two littles how to cast (I guess he had been on a fishing trip before and someone taught him).  It was so good for him to be the one we depended on.  It is his nature to want to know what he is doing, to help out, and to be the leader.  Tonight was just what he needed, and tonight he was just what we needed.

Rhianna's first successful cast without Riley having to do it for her.  The look on her face was priceless!!!

 The kids fished a bit and at one point, while I was sitting on a nearby bench, I realized this is the first time I have seen all three kids get along and be calm in the longest time.  If fishing is stress-relieving to them; then fishing we will come.

 A lot.

Reagan had the first catch of the night...seaweed

After an hour or so of catching seaweed (is it still called seaweed if it’s from a pond or is it something else??)  an older gentleman came with his gear..

He chatted with the children for a bit and gave them some tips.  At one point it was just Rhianna standing next to him and I heard her say softly “Do you have a daughter?”  He smiled down at her and quietly said “yes”.

He caught a fish and decided to keep it.  He showed the children how he hooks it to a chain and keeps it ‘tied like a dog’ in the pond.

He soon caught another one (I’m so glad it was him catching them and not us) and it was too small.  He put it on the ground for the kids to catch and throw in.  Rhianna had the honors.  I was so amazed at her willingness to touch a fish.  (I have got some serious work to do here…)

 

Soon after we decided to leave.  We had fished for 2 hours and dusk was coming.  We were hungry, thirsty, and tired.  And maybe a bit smelly too.  I had an assignment to work on and wanted to get on it.

What I realized I learned as I pulled out to head home is that I need to step out of my box more often.  I need to start figuring a way to teach my boys to be men.  Even if that means doing something I am not good at, something I know nothing about or even something I like. 

Even if it means someday getting a fish off a hook.