This post was originally published on February 10, 2006.
What is it with little boys and rocks? I mean, they’re just rocks. Lumps of hardened earth. Dirty, drab little hard things that can be weaponized at any moment (ah, I may have just answered my own question…). As the mother of three boys, I find rocks everywhere. Just today, here are the places I found rocks in my house, and I promise I didn’t set any of these up…
In the floor of the minivan:
In the decorative chest on my coffee table:
In this Wal Mart sack hanging by the back door (and that’s all it contains–rocks):
In my four-year-old son’s coat pocket:
On a shelf in my seven-year-old son’s room:
And in my jewelry box. Okay, actually this is an acorn, but it’s still a hard, earthen object, and I didn’t put it there:
But you know what? These rocks all over my house mean those rowdy, noisy, rock-bearing boys can’t be far behind. I’ll take that any day.
Rocks In My Dryer 
How CUTE!
Antique Daddy is nearly 50 and he can’t resist picking up a pretty rock and putting it in his pocket either! Actually me too.
ROFL! This post cracked me UP! I have a neat pile of rocks in our formal living room, as we speak. It’s a guy-thing.
LOL! My boys have rocks stashed everywhere, too!
My girls were just as into rocks as my boy. In fact, coming back from the mountains the other day 2 of 3 of mine were carting rocks back home and they are 14 and 11. 🙂
All those rocks in your little one’s pocket–was he listing to starboard? Maybe you should get them some books or DVDs on geology and let them try to identify some of those rocks. Or maybe you could find some information on fossils?
What a great post! And true. We have little stones and sticks scattered thru out the house on any day during the summers. I like Legos, but I love it when my kids play with the toys God gave them.
And like you said, it means the kids aren’t too far behind, and yeah, I’ll take that any time too.
When my daughter was 3 years old, she gave her Daddy a tiny acorn she found as a gift. He wrote in letters hardly decipherable because they are so small “From Molly August 1996”
That acorn stays.
If it makes you feel better, my daughter collects rocks. We also used to have a jar of molted cicada “skins” as I call them. And her little friend collects sticks. At one point we were in a Dum Dum wrapper collection mode. ;>)
Awww, how cute! And funny! I especially love that they brought a pretty acorn (not rock) for your jewelry box. How darling!!!
Oh wow, I can so relate to this with two boys, 5 and 3 years old. I’ve started keeping a decorative jar full of all these rocks they find just because they are so attached to them. And the larger rocks, I set at the front door at the foot of my ferns to welcome people.
Oddly enough, my husband brings home rocks for me too. We live in NC, and he recently ventured to the Pacific Ocean on a mountain climbing trip. . . he brought me a rock as a souvenir from the Pacific.
Well, it’s not just boys! My 9 year old daughter has a room full of ’em! In every little container, she has rocks. And, I have also found them in her coat pockets, along with crushed up leaves? Hmmm…I don’t understand this rock phenominon (sp?). Maybe it’s not the kids, maybe it’s the rocks! Maybe the rocks are tired of being trampled on, and so they make their way into our houses and pose as pretty decor?
LOL! I was just thinking about how NUTS it drives me finding rocks all over the house that my boys have brought in. Now my oldest son has fallen in love with a rock he calls his “pet”. He has a special towel beside his pillow and goes through this special ritual of tucking his rock in to sleep.
Shannon,
I love Works for me Wednesday, but I just dont’ know much that works for me (that everyone else doesn’t know)…so I started a list for things that don’t work for me…as an homage to your awesome list.
http://roamingsoutherner.blogspot.com
LOL that looks like my house, with 3 boys, I have bugs and snails in here too!
Too, too funny. I can only imagine how chatoic your house is in the summer? Only because it was my house about, oh, 26 years ago… 🙂 the whole bit…three boys and a girl, etc…
thank you so much for your little note asking how i was doing!!!!!!!!!!!
love ya!
rachel
My first two sons didn’t seem to have this predeliction, but my four-year-old certainly does. He has not met a rock, twig, or stick he doesn’t like.
Just before I read this, I removed a rock from my washer! I prefer the rocks to their latest acquisition, though. They went to a ranch with friends and brought home…(sit down, now)…a cow skeleton.
You read it right.
Anyway, what I noticed most about your photos was how clean your home and car are and how neatly the rocks are arranged. Not bad!
My boys LOVE their rocks!! But, here, there aren’t really any pretty ones, just the dusty ugly ordinary ones. Ah well, the fascination continues!!
Blessings!
My son started picking up rocks just about as soon as he could walk. I love little boys curiosity with nature, so fun…as long as it doesn’t break your dryer! I love your writings here!
My 12 year old boy and 13 year old girl still collect “special rocks” on every trip. As well, the hubby and I have special larger rocks that we have hauled around for 17 years. So, something must be up!
I needed a good giggle, thanks for connecting! I’m a mom of 3 boys, there are ROCKS everywhere. Including rattling around in my head! I was in need of a giggle, you were there to provide it! Thanks! You’re being spotlighted in the CWO Team blog today!
http://www.christianwomenonline.net/blog.html
your little rock collectors are frustrated geologists
I’ve thought of your blog a bunch over the past two weeks… b/c rocks DID end up in my dryer. It’s not just little boys. My 2 year old daughter is obsessed. Every night I have to pull piles of rocks out of her pockets. In fact, rocks have become my bargaining chip… hold my hand to cross the street and I’ll let you have a rock when we get there. Granted, it takes her 3 full minutes to pick out the “right” rock.
I’m a geologist and have rocks stashed everywhere in our house. Maybe you have little geologists in the making … ???