Tears, socks & mud

As I was thinking of a title for my post I realized Mud is a subject for so many of my blogs.  Maybe one day when the boys are grown I'll look out to the muddy trails after a hard rain and miss the buzzing of Jay's four wheeler & Nick's muddy face but until then I'm sick of all the mud.  What does tears, sock and mud have to do with anything?  This blog relates more to Jay than anyone and it all centers around tears, socks and mud.  Tears first.  When school starts it's a hard transition for Jay.  He isn't a worry wart but I can tell he was and is worried about 5th grade.  There are always some tears over homework.  They don't last long but today was the first day - which is usually the case.  We see the tears about the second week of school.  He has one heck of a spelling list and vocabulary list this week.  Mike gave it to Jay straight.  He told him point blank he didn't have to do his homework but he'd be repeating 5th grade - is that what he wants?  Jay didn't even have to think about it.  He knows he has to work hard.  He just needs to get that positive attitude and we know it's there.  We see it every school year.  He just goes through a time of transition where he doubts himself and gives up too easily.  Now onto the socks.  Jay leaves his socks everywhere.  I have noticed over the last 3 weeks his socks have literally disappeared.  The mystery is starting to get solved.  I've found his socks all over our property.  He gets his feet muddy (and I mean muddy) and he literally takes his socks off and leaves them.  It's so annoying.  Today he had 1 sock left (that was clean) with no mate.  I told him this morning I bet I found the mate in the yard somewhere and sure enough, it was on the front stoop and I discovered it when I watered my flowers today.  His socks usually take on their own life form.  I'm surprised some of them just don't get up and walk away - they are so crusty and gross.  As for the mud, it's the same story, different blog.  I'm sick of it!  Whoa is me.