“And now,” cried Max, “let the wild rumpus start,” Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are

I often feel like this is the cry from my two wild things when we hit the back door each evening upon arriving home from work and school.

Yes, it can be wild. After all, there are Legos to build, a world that can only be saved by the heroics of superheroes, and stuffed animals who need to be cared for in the imaginary pouch of a kangaroo (otherwise known as a pillowcase).

There is always a wild rumpus at our house and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
They are as tender as they are wild. I love to hear them say, “I love you Mommy!” and see them running to me with open arms for every scrape and booboo.

Oh, how my heart melts every time my youngest brings me “flowers” from the yard for my “wedding.”

Seriously, is there anything cuter than a little guy in his Cub Scout or soccer uniform?
I just might be “that Mom” who cheers the loudest while watching my son’s Pinewood Derby car cross the finish line.

Saturday morning soccer games and hot summer days spent at the baseball field all come with the territory with boys.

I am constantly amazed at their curiosity and passion. We have the best time exploring wherever their latest curiosity and passion take us. Be it superheroes, trains, race cars or loud music, it all brings fun.

No buddy like a brother

Don’t even get me started on the joy of brothers. Seeing them cuddled on the couch taking in their favorite cartoon or hearing them giggle in sheer delight at the latest adventure they are exploring makes me so happy that they have each other to share life with. Really, there is no buddy like a brother.

I love being a boy mom!

Every boy deserves to have a family who will nurture his “wild side.”

An extraordinary privilege

However, many boys who find themselves orphaned spend lots of time on a waiting child list in an orphanage or foster care just because of the simple fact that they are a boy.

Around the world, being orphaned and being born a boy is one of the most difficult hurdles to cross when it comes to a child finding a forever family.

On a list of waiting children, often times the girls are chosen first while the boys continue to wait.

Theories abound as to why this is true. Maybe girls are perceived as sweeter-natured than boys, making them somehow easier to raise.

Or maybe mothers have dreams of frills and princesses.

Whatever the case may be, as a general rule, girls are preferred.

Although the thought sometimes overwhelms me, I consider raising the next generation of husbands, fathers and leaders to be an extraordinary privilege.

Right now, there are boys who wait and pray for a family to call their own. Would you open your heart and consider if you are the answer to their prayer?