I suppose I’ll start by saying that I never truly imagined my third child would be a boy. I had two girls and I knew girls, and honestly that was my comfort zone. So the hubby and I both equally assumed we’d have a household of little women, and that was great.
But, man, oh, man, am I beyond grateful God had other plans.
That said...I’ve always loathed the pre-existing stereotypes of raising boys versus girls, because to be honest, I haven’t experienced a great deal of difference.
And I’ve equally loathed people everywhere who conspiratorially told me to just wait until I had a boy. You’ll see, they said. And inwardly, I would get so agitated. Because on principle, I just can’t stand the idea of loving children differently.
They are different, but I love them just the same.
And I ADORE my boy, not because he’s male, but because he’s himself, and I cannot imagine life without him.
(But yeah, sure, it’s fun to see how the male/female dynamic can sometimes play out within a household—especially influenced by siblings of another gender—and our blend is just perfection, and I love it so much.)
So that soap box complete, I’ll dive in with some of the more typically “male” things about him that I adore.
1. LEGOs. And more LEGOs.
They’re everywhere in our house, all the time, and he’ll gladly take every one I’m willing to buy him. AND, I love that his joy of LEGOs has led to his sissies enjoying them, as well.
2. The LEGO Nail.
As a result of said love of LEGOs, and LEGOs everywhere, all the time, Little Man has a serious affliction we call LEGO Nail. Basically, the thumbnail on one hand is always broken or snagged from his work to pull apart blocks, ha. It’s a serious affliction that sometimes requires bandaids, and proves just how devoted he is to his creations. ;)
3. Coloring Master
He is truly a coloring wizard. So, dang PRECISE with his coloring book work. And he’ll gladly spend hours at it—in addition to freehand work—which comes in so handy when I have to divert my attention to the girlies’ virtual school work.
Unfortunately, he still grips his pen in an incorrect fashion when coloring, even though we’ve corrected it for his writing. But it’s hard to fault the dude for it when his masterpieces are perfection. :)
4. Mr. Smartypants
Straight up, he’s pretty smart. I hate to brag, but it’s just a fact that he’s doing such a great job with all the independent work we assemble at home—and the work he piggybacks off Chicklet. And it’s a joy for him to learn, which is wonderful.
5. Writing Practice With Flair
We practice writing words many days a week, but for months now, I’ve made them fun words. Usually names of superheroes or video game characters. And I adore that he always wants to whisper to me the words he wants to write, so he can keep them a surprise for his sides.
6. A Louder Decibel
I don’t know if it’s just a Little Man thing, or the result of being a third child who’s trying to chime in, but his general speaking voice is the loudest of the household, ha.
7. His Gestures Are All Mama
Again, it’s perhaps a bi-product of being the youngest and getting more one-on-one time (well, in a non-pandemic world) with me before elementary school kicks in, but his facial expressions and hand gestures mimic mine so often.
He does this very specific head tilt, and a left-hand-on-hip pose that is all me. And it’s hard to keep a straight face when he does it.
8. Mama’s Boy
Speaking of me...he loves me. Pure and simple. All my babies do, thank heavens! And all of them LOVE Daddy, as well. But Little Man doesn’t worry so much about hurting feelings by requesting me at bedtime, has
9. Sunny D
He’s the one of the three that loves Sunny D (hehe, that rhymes).
10. And Capri Sun
Yup, he loves the juice, too.
11. Chick-Fil-A Biscuits
He’s a lover of Chick-Fil-A breakfast, and isn’t above angling for it when a craving calls. He’ll butter me up just to get me to take him.
12. Dress-Up Champ
Perhaps due to the influence of his costume-loving siblings, he’s always game for some costume play. And I adore that the tries to create his own costumes out of his regular clothes (like wearing red and blue for Mario), and the result is always priceless.
13. “Just Order It”
Being a child of the Amazon age, and an indulged (ahem, spoiled), kiddo to boot: he uses the phrase, “just order it online, Mama” a little too freely, ha.
14. The Concentration Tongue
Gahhhh. I love this one and sort of hope it never changes, though it probably should at some point so nobody gives him a hard time: he still sticks his tongue out so much when he’s really concentrating on writing or coloring. And I lurv it SO MUCH.
15. Gaming Lover
He loves, loves, LOVES his video gaming with sissies and Daddy, and gets truly despondent when there isn’t time in the evening for it.
16. Puzzle Lover
He will still do puzzles anytime, anywhere, especially if I’m game to complete them with him.
17. Scooter Over Bike
He still prefers his scooter over his bike these days, and that’s a direct result of the bad tumble he took back in the late Spring (ironically, also on the scooter, but it made him wary of all wheels).
18. Chicks Dig Scars
And on that note...he still sports a scar on his chin from that tumble (that we treat with some scar cream).
19. Dance Lover
The rhythm is strong in that one. He’s game for some crazy dancing, anytime. (Emphasis on the crazy).
20. Still Superhero Strong
It almost goes without saying, but he still adores all things superhero.
21. Smiley & Giggly
The joy and giggles are STRONG in this one. He is expressive and joyful, and so quick to jump on a giggle-first, silly-to-the-max bandwagon with his sissies. And the enthusiasm is contagious. :)
22. Big (BIG) Boy Bed
I haven’t had the chance to post, yet, but Little Man has been upgraded to an even bigger bed than his twin. And we’ve recently put a desk in his room, as well, so he can have a space to work, just like the girlies.
Sometimes it’s insane to think that when we moved here 18 months ago, my boy was in a crib, still in diapers, and slept with a pacifier. I mean, it’s just CRAZY to think how much he’s grown in that specific window of time. I can no more think of my giant boy in diapers than anything!
23. Tall As A Giraffe
And on that note...the final thing for tonight (though, as with all my babies, I could go on and on and on), my boy is TALL. At his pediatrician well-visit a couple months ago, he was tracking above the 90th percentile, and was as tall as a six-year-old before he’d officially turned five.
So...in summary, I’m case you can’t tell from my posts: I’m SO grateful for my beautiful mix of three babies who are all so beautifully unique and special, but also, very much related in their beautiful minds and hearts and souls.
And I’m insanely grateful for this special, cocooned time with them, amidst all this pandemic uncertainty. The world can get so busy, but I’ve had the gift of so much concentrated time to just BE with them. And it’s never something I’ll take for granted.
I can’t wait for the beautiful idiosyncrasies that appear in the next six months or so of our lives.
And for the joy and crazy that will come along with it.
:)
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