What are Little Boys Made of?

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails
That’s what little boys are made of !”
What are little girls made of?
“Sugar and spice and all things nice
That’s what little girls are made of!”

 After having two wonderful little boys, I became pregnant with my third child. Everywhere I went people would ask me, “Are you hoping for a girl?” My response, “Nope! Not really!” I like my boys! I’m a good mom for boys. I wasn’t so sure how I’d be with a little girl and I definitely didn’t want to find out. In fact, I once had one mom tell me that she would rather have 10 boys than 1 girl! Really!? Really? Are girls that different?

Well, after my third baby ended up being a girl, I immediately fell in love with her, and I was beyond thrilled that my fourth child was also a little girl.  And yes, obviously little boys and little girls are very different. And, this week I was reminded of just how different.

My girls have friends over and they play school or have tea parties. They sit and color quietly at the table and know how to have polite conversations.  They play dress up and do each other’s hair. They put on dances, shows, and elegant balls. It’s so fun to watch them spin and twirl as they smile with their laughing eyes.

My favorite thing about my  little girls are the masterpieces of art that I find all over the house. Usually among these miniature Picasso drawings or sculptures there can be found an inscription that says something like, “For Mom, Love Rachael. You’re the bestest Mom in the whole world. I love you so much.”

In fact, just a couple days ago the doorbell rang and when I went to answer there wasn’t anyone there.

However, on the doorstep there lay a mystery note that looked like this…

I love my little girls creativity, sensitivity and their overwhelming love for me!

My boys, on the other hand, have friends over and become the next Thomas Edison, trying to invent the best way to parachute from the upstairs balcony to the ground floor. They decide a ride down the laundry chute would be better (and cheaper) than any amusement park ride. When they jump on the trampoline their goal is to knock the other one down or off.  The word shower is not in their vocabulary. Their hair is usually messy and their fingernails dirty and they really don’t care if they’ve worn the same shirt for 4 days in a row.

My favorite thing about little boys is their thrill for adventure. They seek it, they find it, they overcome it. They are living life alive and they want more of it. They are on a quest to rescue the princess and triumph as the victor. Adventure after adventure and they can’t get enough. I love how they can include me on these spectacular journeys. I’ve found frogs hopping in the living room, a turtle with a cracked shell, saved from a car accident in the recycling bin. I’ve been called into their bedroom and asked in a very serious voice, “Mom, can I climb out the window onto the roof and jump onto the trampoline?”

And lastly, this week they decided it would be a great idea to rearrange the house, starting with the bathroom towel rack…

Yep! That’s a jockstrap in place of the towel! I love how my boys like to take me by surprise! I realize as a mother of boys my main job is keeping them alive so they can make it to manhood.