What Is It With Boys Anyways?

                      William, Zeke and Antonio in 2007

I know there is a huge difference between raising girls and boys.  I had always had boys and nephews for many years.  I played with them, tickled them and let them tackle me.  Played, you know?  Then came along girls.  The first time they were old enough to pick on a bit,“play with” a bit.  Tickle them.  They could not take it.  They would end up crying.  I learned to be r-e-a-l-l-y careful and gentle when “ruff housing’ with girls.  They were different.  Very different.

After having a few boys and then some girls added to our lives,  I also noticed that boys loved their moms.  I mean they liked playing with dad but the tenderness of a boy to his mom is something I cherish and truly enjoy in our relationships.  My 26 year old always is so tender with me and hugs me several times while here visiting.  He always asks how I am doing and then says “No mom, how are you really doing? What’s going on?” 

                              Stephen 2007

Antonio asks for hugs all the time and is always tuned in if I don’t feel well and I will hear him praying for me, till I look like I am feeling better. 

                           Antonio and William 2008
William has always hugged me 20 plus times in a day.  Seriously.  Some of it is sensory input as he squeezes the heck out of me but he is tender and loving.  He will go out of his way to do heavy type work before I can get to it, so I don’t do it.  He doesn't want me to over exert myself.

                            Antonio and William 2011

        A gingerbread house Zeke and William made together.

Zeke, has had trouble showing and receiving love since getting Autism but he has always been cuddly with me, even when not making eye contact for two years.  He always hugs everyone in his life from the side with one arm.  I call it, half a hug.  With me it is two arms and hard, often for a long time.  I called him my cuddle bunny when he was very small.  Boys….have a special place for their mom. 

      Zeke downed in a marshmellow war with the marshmellow gun he made.

              William and Zeke made it to the top of a climbing wall.

Girls….oh my, what a different creature.  I run a pretty tight ship here.  Really I do.  I have expectations and rules and they are to be followed and everyone do their part in our family.  From the time the girls were very young…they could be just going thru a normal day, speaking in their normal voice….you know…acting all normal.  Then their dad walks in from a long, hard, day of work and they greet him and melt into weak, needy little creatures, whining every word.    They cling to him.  Vie for his attention.  They are all over him all evening and you know what?..  He falls for it!  He eats it up.  He carried them around way past they age they needed it.  Barely disciplines them.   He is chivalrous with them as they have grown into young ladies. 

Little girls love, love, love their daddies and daddies love their daughters right back.  I love my daughters too, dearly.   I love buying them clothing and doing their hair, showing them how to cook and clean.  Just like I love showing my boys how to do things.  But I have a lot more work to do in shaping the girls into Godly women, as they are so opinionated they try to run my home!  And there can only be one alpha gal here, you know?

But lately, what is it with boys anyways!!!!….. when they hit their pre-adolescent age and on……I can be in the kitchen, watching them all eating peacefully.  No sooner do I walk out of the room and I think I hear a herd of elephants running through the kitchen.  I walk back in and the boys freeze…..one is in a head lock and the other has his brother’s flesh playfully in his teeth!  They calmly get up, take my speech about behavior in the house and looking all pitiful, go back to eating. 

I can be watching them in the boys room at night.  All fresh and clean in their pjs for the night.  They are getting Antonio to bed.  I say good night and no sooner walk out of the room, and again…..  The walls are shaking and sounds pounding on  the floor.  I walk back in and they are pushing hard as they can against each other.  Arms locked straight hands, on each others shoulders.  Teeth grinding, feet sliding, them pushing and shoving.  They again freeze when they see me.  There whole bodies relax.  They give each other a huge hard punch to each others shoulder and walk away.  I don’t get it.  What? Why? Cut it out guys!  Your gonna break something or get hurt!

Stephen and William went thru this till Stephen moved out on his own and oh the peace and quiet in our home, when he moved.  As soon at Zeke turned 11…..here we go again.  It very rarely ends in tears.  Usually, if one of them gets a bit hurt, they start laughing and stop.  Since I have not seemed to be able to put an end to these, several times a day, wrestling matches, I keep telling them if they are going to do that please go outside.  But It seems to slip their minds or happens so spur of the moment that they never do.  And for some reason it doesn’t seem to bother Tim at all?  Guys.

Anyways….I guess Boys will be boys and girls, girls…..And I hope I don’t have to put up with this till William moves out on his own!

May the Lord God in heaven pour out his joy unspeakable and full of glory upon you today.

susan

2 Timothy 3:16-17  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:   That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.