I am a boy mom.

I am a girl mom.

I am a football mom, a soccer mom, a basketball mom, a golf mom, but all the time I feel like a grocery shopping mom.

Since our first three children are boys, men, boys, young men,  I still view myself as a boy mom, and since all I knew as a child was three older brothers, it was meant to be. Those surprise blessings of girls at the end were  like special frosting on top of an already yummy cake.

As a mom, when you begin your family with so much testosterone in one household, you quickly realize it’s more than just learning to cover their privates when you change their diaper –  it’s the unusual noises they make, the imagination that occurs with just one stick, and the high, high places they can climb before they can even walk. That’s just where it starts.

As mine approach manhood, these three teens are truly giving me a run for my money, but I have come to terms with a few things – regardless of how much I nurture them, mentor them, instill in them virtuous character qualities, boys will still be boys.

So I bought this welcome mat for them, which marks my most favorite Christmas purchase. It graces the entrance of their room, which the three of them share. It helps remind me, that there is one place in this house, where I need to just let them be free to embrace that nonsensical behavior that marks them as all boy/men/boy. (They are in that crazy in-between place).

Now when I say “Go to your room,” it’s not a punishment like when they were young. In fact, their room is a bit too much of a man cave, they love it up there. Our oldest calls it his place of solace, which cracks me up because if you could see it, it’s anything but peaceful. (Unless, Hazmat disaster areas bring a restful feel.)

Trust me, their testosterone spills outside their bedroom as well, but if you have boys, especially younger ones, learn now to embrace the differences. A friend of mine, who only has girls, viewed some crazy behavior of younger boys around her. She looked at me, looked at them, and then questioned, “Is that normal? Is that really how they are.” I chuckled.

I no longer fret about broken items.  I no longer get upset about replacing hurricane lamps in the same spot that they always bump when they wrestle. I refuse to “boy proof” our home, and in this instance, since my husband was the instigator, I just accept it, and celebrate my second hand home decor.

I no longer attempt to keep all bad smells out of the house (or children would never come in). Now, I just buy great smelling products to help disguise it.

I no longer try to figure out how they can eat so much at meals, at snack time, at game time, ALL the time, but instead, just get smarter with my shopping regime (and hide things I really don’t want eaten immediately).

You know, the mystery behind why guys do what they do during “guy time” may never be fully understood. They are just wired differently from us, but one thing I do know is that when they are hungry, life is good when they are fed well.

The message of “Men: Easier Fed than Understood” is one theme that resonates in this home. Understanding the guys in our life may be hard, but feeding them doesn’t have to be. Ball Park is dedicated to making food that is juicy, handheld and easy to make for any guy time occasion. Our fridge always has some kind of “dog” tucked away for the many late nights they want to grab something quick.

So for you Boy moms – what’s the thing that has surprised you the most about raising boys?