An on going family discussion...

Yesterday we drove 3 hours to Johnny's soccer game.

Even when soccer is going well it's hard to be a college freshman boy.

A college freshman girl on the other hand is a great place to be BUT for boys it is challenging especially after a banner high school senior year.

We weren't planning on going BUT he asked us to go- and supporting our kids is at the top of our list!

The drive was amazing! Through rolling hills and beautiful farmland in southern MN into northern Iowa!

We saw lovely farms and farmland stretching for miles upon miles! And many horse drawn carriages riding along the side of the road. Their is an Amish community that lives in southern MN. I so admire their way of life.

The children are really into "Little House on the Prairie" right now so it made it even more of a learning experience.

The towns were immaculate- Chatfield, Preston, Harmony.

ALL the lawns were mowed and everything was so clean and orderly.

I did not get any pictures BUT it was definitely a picture worthy drive!

We pulled into the game just as it started.

And then we saw "THEM"...

(insert lovely music and children skipping, in slow motion toward "THEM")

NOTHING RATES AS HIGH AS THEY DO...

I am refering to 2 adorable frolicking PUPPIES...

10 week old vizsla puppies...

Hubby and I walked up to the fence and began watching the game that was already in progress.

A few minutes later I turned to do a head count 

and 

then I saw it...

Anna (home 5 yrs) holding the nice mans hands and jumping up and down.

Sarah (home almost 4 yrs) successfully coercing the nice man into allowing her to feed, train and walk the new puppies.

Abby (home 9 months) attempting to play ball with the nice man

and

Sam (home 18 months) punching Emma to show his manliness... you got it... in front of the nice man.

Once Sam saw me, he made an immediate but insincere apology to Emma.

My heart sank...

so easily they strayed, 

so quickly they forgot the boundaries.

The puppies I could understand BUT the nice man? Come on guys...

Okay...the nice man was very young like their older brothers and at that moment a lot more fun than we were...
But still...
come on guys!

It is so different with older adopted children. Maybe I'm wrong but I just couldn't see our birth children holding hands with a stranger.   

 No matter how nice he was....
And, how much fun he was...
And...
YES,
 I know we could have gone out there and played but we drove 3 hours for JOhnny's game and honestly we wanted to watch it. 
Yes, 
the children had been cooped up in the car (watching a movie) for 3 hours
 and
 frolicking with a puppy is about the best thing you can do after a long car ride...
 but,
 it still surprised me.
 How quickly they forgot 

"the boundaries"... 

I didn't have the energy to explain the the nice man about boundaries with adopted children.

One by one I just called them over - OF COURSE, Sam was first!

Soon we had all eight standing next to us... longingly looking at the puppies.

Yes,
 I did pet them (and yes, I do want one) and we all interacted but I'm trying to keep this as brief as possible so I will spare you some of the details.

At half time we went back to the car and reviewed appropriate behavior with strangers... no matter how nice they may be! 

My guess is, this will be an on going discussion...