I am fortunate to have very well mannered sons. I have three and the diverse and unique personalities that go along not to mention that I am also now shorter than them. We live in the Borealis forest a few miles east where the Canadian prairies begin and we get the full four seasons. They have been here all their lives.

I was raised in the suburban sprawl of southern Ontario near Toronto so am genuinely a transplanted urbanite.

Fall, my sons and I walk our dogs and talk about life, love, relationships, their uncles, father, grandparents, aunts and us. Questions across the life span that they know they are going to face and want to be prepared for, we talk. There are Pow Wows to attend and they chase girls. Date girls. Hang around with girls. Get together with their friends and scare girls but quick to apologise if one is crying. Oh, and they ask me for money to treat their girls to this, that and the other thing and yes, maybe even invest in condoms. Movies, hiking, picnics, game rentals, meteor showers, stargazing and forest gatherings (very mysterious event as I'm not invited), camping, tracking, bear alerts, sling shooting, cards, board games, archery, BB contests, paintball contests, night tag. I broke my foot twice too many times so they are careful where I can go as far as they are concerned.

Summers, swimming, star gazing, gardening, flower watering, canoeing, biking, hiking, archery, street hockey, volleyball, picnics, hummingbird feeding, hummingbird watching, waterskiing, bear alerts, BB shooting contests, sling shooting contests, water gun fights, dog bathing,boating, fishing, diving off cliffs are part of the summer routine. I don't jump off cliffs, I get dragged in with my sons. I am not a good fisherwoman either as they spend most of the time untangling my lines from the bushes and shrubs behind us and we talk. As I said, I really am not a good fisherwoman and they don't like berry picking with me. Younger days, they brought home frogs, snakes, crayfish and loved bringing me white quartz rocks, our "diamond" rocks. I still have this collection.

Winters, movies, snowmen, snow forts, bird feeding, bird watching, snowshoeing, icefishing, hockey, skating, hot chocolate, Pow Wows, volley ball, tea, skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, card games, board games and we talk. They don't like me out in the cold too much and they learned to worry and fuss about each other. Improper winter wear is a big no-no between us. Nobody wants to see me get a cold or have somebody bring a cold into the house. Oh, and yes, we talk.

Spring, watch me plant flowers, flower watching, archery, slush stomps and dunks, card games, board games, volley ball, movies, game rentals, bear alerts, summer planning, bird watching, temperature gauging, weather channel watching, argue about shoes vs boots. Shed winter wear and shopping for new clothes.

In between activities there is down time. All three of my sons are wonderful artists and two of them are guitar players. I can find them playing guitar on the internet webcam for some chickee-poo some nights. Other nights they and their friends are on the roof chattering and jamming or they just sit outside or in their rooms playing quietly.

I have also been fortunate to further encourage their independence with trips away from home. They have been out with their father on business trips and gone south (alone) to visit my family. They know that they have family scattered across Canada and the US with education of all levels.

I know my sons party but they keep that scene away from me since they call that their *Underground* world. Not sure what to make of that but they always come home safe and sound and no police officer at my door. Yet. They also get jobs over the summer and attempt to pay their own way and even send me off to Bingo to dabbercise now and again.

The boys know they have been my world. They are well loved, spoiled and adored in their family, irregardless of their parents divorce. They are quite confident with themselves and know they are too *hot* to stick around much longer. They will have places to go, people to see, hearts to break. They have shoes to fill and most of all, share and live the excitement of life and all there is out there in their world. Read related --> here and there.

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