Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Who Invented Boys?

I know it is a common topic of conversation among young mothers of toddlers: which are more difficult to raise? boys or girls? I would say the typical consensus I get is that boys are more difficult. The saying "boys will be boys" is not lost on, well, boys obviously. Did you ever wonder why there isn't an equivalent saying, "girls will be girls"?

Vincent has proven to be no exception to the question - 'now why on earth would you do that?' or 'where do you get an idea like that.' (To be fair, Hadley, my first, has always been a very well-mannered and easy child so I am not comparing the two, just noting that their behavior seems to be gender-specific.)

Some examples to illustrate to my point.

I've only ever had to call poison control (more than once) for him.

He used to eat dirt, leaves, sand - whatever.

He stuffs toys that don't belong in other toys, rendering them useless.

He's locked himself in the bathroom (I'm starting to think he just likes drama.)

At Disneyland yesterday, A. Molly caught him eating cupcake crumbs off the ground after I found him putting bark down a hole in the cement - where do they find these things?

And the scariest one today is when my neighbor rang my doorbell, her heart racing, to tell me my son was hanging out of the upstairs window b/c the screen was torn. What?!?! It is a small dormer window with a very very very steep roof, not to mention drop! She'd seen him from across the street and was scared to death - I am grateful for people like this, even if it was a little embarrassing.

P.S. I'm not even going to mention the brother of mine who ate a bottle of little capsules used to make my dad's toy steam locomotive smoke. I can still picture him showing me and wondering if steam was going to start coming out of his ears.

P.S.S. Or the drowned mice.

P.S.S.S. Or the chemical mixture that disintegrated a glass jar. 

P.S.S.S.S. Is it my husband that asked his brother to shoot him in the back with a paintball gun? Seriously boys, what is up with you?

7 comments:

Melissa F said...

I just said a little prayer that all my future children will be boys.

Jenny said...

I'm so with you! Even though Emma is actually my more active & crazy one, Jacob does things that are just so boyish that she never did - ie - taking a plastic bat and smashing a plastic truck to dust with it, poison control - 3 times for Jacob, wet cotton balls stuck to the ceiling in the bathroom! Boys!

Caldwell said...

Oh, scary! Glad he's alright. But the rest of it is hilarious! Can't wait to see what the little ones will be like!

Amy said...

I know what you mean. I feel terrified pretty much whenever Benjamin is awake. When he's sleeping I feel better. Michael's older now & has learned some good lessons. But he does eat whatever, whenever, without even knowing what it is.

Allison said...

You just made me laugh really hard.

And made me ever so grateful that I have, and will only ever, have 3 girls.

Lisa said...

Everyone I know says boys are harder to parent early on but girls are harder later....have fun during the teen years, Raena!!!!!!!! :)

Laura Wynn said...

ahahah, I was there when Chris was shot with the paintball gun! so great.