The Adventures of Ben and Jack, Chapter One

These two boys (Ben being my son and his friend Jack) are always a trip to be around. Due to today's conversations with them and watching them play, I decided I simply must start writing about them. No doubt I'll want to repeat these scenarios to Ben one day and knowing full-well I have the memory of a fruit-fly, I'll forget.

So, bear with me...

Act 1 , Scene 1 - Gym Office (where I sub in PE)

enter the dynamic duo

J: Hey Mrs. Phillips! Check this out...(in his best, 4th grade boy British accent, mind you) 'Pip pip diddly doo, may I flush the toilet for you?'

B: How did you do that? How do you do that accent so well? Do you still have your tonsils?

J: Yep. Of course, everyone has different voices.

Me: Huh? You guys are so strange. Especially on Friday afternoons.

Scene 2 - Leaving the school

both boys notice there are pieces of paper taped everywhere about the 100th day of school and each piece of paper has a student's name on it saying they walked 100 steps.

J: Puhleez...so what if you walked 100 steps. I've walked at least a million today. Try walking in my shoes!

B: You're telling me, bruthah. Geeeez.

Me: Again...you guys are strange.


Act 2, Scene 1 - On the way home in the car

somehow the subject of boyfriends and girlfriends come up and they declare that a particular boy and girl in 4th grade are 'meant to be'.
Me: What do you mean 'Meant to be'.

J: You know. They are just meant to be.

B: Yeah mom. Meant to be together. They just are.

Me: They're in 4th grade. How could they already be 'meant to be'. Why do you say that? Are they especially nice to each other or something?

J: No! You know what you have to do.

Me: No. What?

J: You know. You act rude to them in public if you really like them so you aren't embarrassed. That way they know you like them.

B: That's right.

Me: What?!

J: Oh yeah. That's what you do.

B: You know, mom. Young love.

Me: Young love, huh? Well I'm sure glad you guys know all about this stuff.

B: Oh yeah. We're smart.

J: But you know what I *really* want to do when I grow up? I want to buy a bunch of legos and build them so that I can stand on them!

B: Dude! That would be so cool!

Me: Yeah. You guys aren't to the point of me being too worried about you being too interested in girls yet.

Scene 2 - At the house playing

They are taking turns hiding Nerf guns in the backyard, While one is hiding the gun, the other is *supposed* to be upstairs so they can't see where it's being hidden. BOTH of them act like they are going up the stairs, banging their feet as if walking up, come down and watch through the blinds where it's being hidden, race back to the stairs and bang their feet as if coming down. BOTH are telling me not to tell the other one. BOTH never get what they are each doing to each other. BOTH laugh hysterically when they continue to find the guns, as if they are just *that* smart.


Proud moment indeed. But honestly, I totally love both of them and they are the poster children for friends not having to be in the same class (never have been), or go to the same church (they don't) or even play on the same teams (used to, but don't right now) in order to maintain a friendship. They are friends because they crack each other up and have each other's back. Not because they are assigned to be in a certain class, group or team together.

They are in 4th grade, have been friends for years and they totally get the meaning of true friendship. D and I both have friends we've know since elementary school and we both consider them a blessing. I'm thinking Ben and Jack's adventures will continue on throughout their lives. At least I hope they do. TRUE friends are hard to find.

Looking forward to their next adventure. I'll make sure and document it here...