The Frack Cave

So if our favorite Super Hero has his own cave as he called it, why am I so surprised my own child would make one of his own? It's really primal, isn't it? And it's roots can be traced back to the evolutionary cavemen.

But the story behind this story really begins last year when my basement flooded. Disaster is an understatement and we had to start from scratch. Months in the process, drying out the basement, preventing mold, cleaning out of destroyed items and starting fresh. New paint, new carpet, TV's and furniture all arriving around the same time of our wedding. Let's just say that towards the end of last year, the evolving renovation of our basement fell down a few notches on the priority list.

Then in November, the key element arrived. The new sofa. Sectional sofa, to be exact and it was beautiful and the pieces slowly began to fall into place. The basement slowly became the best and newest place in the house. Christmas came and Frack got a sweet, brandy new XBox Kinnect, and installed it downstairs in his newly minted man town. Occasionally the family would go down there to watch football together or a movie, but Frack usually stayed on after the games and movies by himself.

My Guy's fabulous antique Coke machine, fully operable and once oddly out of place in the old basement, had now found a permanent home, and almost took center stage. I watched as Frack loaded and maintained the antique beauty with the love and the care that My Guy had taught him and I agreed to buy him the glass coke bottles for his "baby" when needed. If Frack had a friend sleep over, 9 out of 10 times they were ensconced in The Frack Cave, with the pullout bed, plenty of pillows and the XBox remote. Life is good if you're Frack.

But lately I've noticed that Frack has been spending most of his free time down there. After school and almost every evening. Now, being the "mother hoverer" that I am, I was slightly concerned that something was amiss with my boy. But on inspection, I was delighted that it was quite the opposite. Frack has turned his cave into a homework, relaxing, Frack spectacular, complete with computer and a quiet place to complete his required work. And here's the kicker, he's neat and tidy in his cave, even when his "boys" come over. Frack is displaying the beginnings of a "work hard, play hard" ethic and I can't help but wonder if his happiness with his newly acquired surroundings have something to do with it.

As he slowly changes from boy to man, I realize that he's going to need his own space away from his hovering mother and his annoying sister, and it seems to me he has marked his territory. I get it, and I'm thrilled he's happy. All I would require is an occasional invite into my Boy Wonder's world down below to make sure all is as should be.

The simple rally cry, "to the Frack Cave" should suffice.