Bum Nuts and Nutty Bums

Gosh, there's a title you just don't see every day, right?

So, the "bum nut" part of the title is referring to my youngest son, who, Sunday afternoon reported quietly to me that not everything "down there" felt right. It was sore, swollen and heavy feeling. I am sure I am not the only mother in the world whose first thought when children mention pain is to think dire thoughts. I asked a few questions and then asked Joseph to . . . . well . . . . check it out. He did and said yes, there was something odd there. (I almost said "amiss" but that just seemed like too cheap a pun). We asked our son to keep us up to date on what happened . . . hurt more or less? swelling change? urine changes? etc. In the meantime, I made an appointment at the doctor for him. Oh yeah. And we started calling him "Bum Nut".

Every chance we got.

And we got LOTS of chances, believe me.

Now, our son is almost 15 and the only one to have touched those balls of his are himself, me years ago when diapers were still being changed, a male doctor when our son was going in for hernia surgery almost eight years ago and of course, now his father. (Child Services paying attention here?!) I wasn't sure how he would handle a female doctor checking him out . . . .but you know, he was mature and calm and great about it. He didn't even blush and conducted himself like the young adult we all know and love. The doctor reported that the mass she felt was not in the testicle itself, which was good news. She ordered an ultrasound to be on the safe side but isn't too concerned. Affording an ultrasound will take a while for us, but we will keep it in mind as we also keep close tabs on how that Bum Nut is doing. The swelling is much less than it was and all pain is gone.

As for Nutty Bums . . . .I'd like to call them something else but was trying to be (1) clever and (2) politically correct. The people I am referring to were a family in Subway that just made me so sad. A mom. Three littles ones, about 12, 9 and 6. Everyone just being so MEAN to each other. Yelling, sniping, teasing, insulting, punishing. It made me feel sick. As I was waiting to be picked up and watching this family in horror, I was texting with one child who was on a bus to meet friends and chatting with another who just experimented with running at the track. The third one, you remember him--Bum Nut--was at home. :) And all I could think was that there was more anger and bitterness and tragedy in that family in ten minutes than our family has ever experienced.

Yes, even with the Bum Nut.

I felt grateful and blessed and took a moment to call the kids and tell them how much they were loved. They immediately asked, OK, what mother is being mean to her kids in front of you? How well they know me. I explained and they all commiserated with my sadness.

Even the kid with the Bum Nut.