If I had to pick one thing about my new life in Jackson that’s been the biggest adjustment, it would be living life in a house with three—count them—little boys.

As a life-long youngest child & not one to have ever been voted world’s best babysitter, kids have always been sort of unexplored territory to me. (And yes, I’ll admit, a little bit terrifying.) So when I packed my bags for a summer spent in a houseful of boys, I knew I was signing up for something 100% new.

And pretty much immediately, I was proven right. The sound of electric trains and scent of faux diesel smoke are my constant companions, along with early morning knocks on the door and a few other, knockless, scares. The scampering of their still so small feet going up & down the stairs, bouncing off the bed & skipping through the hall rings like a metronome for the day.  There are all kinds of creatures & crafts being brought in & out of the doors every day, growing in test tubes & tanks & scattered throughout the house. Yes, this is quite different from the tutus & tea sets that defined my childhood days.

After my first week or two, Sam, the 6-year-old, came up to me wearing a tee printed “Boys will be boys.” I read it out loud and he asked what it meant. Well, for him and anybody else out there who may not have already known it, boys are banging, running, jumping, yelling, screaming, singing, stinking, giggling, spinning, tossing, snacking things.  I know that now. And man, do they know how to have fun. Boys are nothing if not balls of energy. More energy than you’d think could fit in such bitty bodies.  I’m kind of hoping it rubs off on me.

But I’ve also learned a thing or two more, at least when it comes to my new friends Zach & Sam. Boys can also be bashful, gracious, gardening, creative, kind, caring, sweet, snuggly things. Even at 8 years old.

So, here are a few of my favorite images of life with the little ones thus far. It’s been an adventure, for sure. Here’s to the next who-knows-how-many months & how much excitement we have ahead of ourselves. Let the adventure continue.