Boys vs Girls

Who knew? Boys are different from girls! Spending time with my sister Mary and my nieces (Charlotte 6 & Jessica 4) makes me realize I am a Boys Mom. When Chase was a toddler, I used to say a short prayer of thanks every time we went into a public bathroom for not having to do this with a girl. Don’t get me wrong. I love my nieces. However, having been a boy mommy for the past 10 years, watching my sister feels especially exhausting. Granted: She is a full-time working single mother of 2 toddler girls, BUT, then there’s all the “girl maintenance”! There is so much hair brushing, outfit selecting, and talking about feelings. I barely have time to brush the mats out of my dog Maggie’s hair let alone 2 little girls. I always liked letting Chase run around with bed head. Of course, this drives Cliff insane and he insists on hair inspection every morning. Me? I figure one day he’ll meet some girl he wants to impress, and that will provide the motivation he needs to brush his hair and change his underwear on a daily basis.

Making sun catchers

The other day, my sister arranged a playdate for her daughters. When Mary (aka SuperMom) organizes playdates, it’s like event planning. It always involves carefully planned snacks and crafts. At some point, the girls will also end up digging through the princess box and parading around the house in their fancy outfits. On this particular day, they were making sun catchers and beaded jewelry. Mary was at work and her au pair was executing the program du jour, but it was still a glimpse into the world of having daughters. The last playdate I had for Chase in Atlanta involved a trampoline, Nerf guns, and Wii remotes. I also served wine to my girlfriends who happened to “stop by” and told the boys not to bother us unless someone was bleeding or on fire.