Boys vs. Girls

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice, that's what little girls are made of. Toads and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what little boys are made of.

I think that is how the poem goes, or at least that is how I remember it. It is too true! Today, as we cleaned the house top to bottom, I observed my children and the way their gender effects their character. We began our mission at 8:45am. The BOYS liked the idea of 15 minutes on one job and then move on to the next. Team work was best for them. The GIRLS lingered over the details. All the DVD's had to be put back just right. All the windows had to be cleaned, the pillows on the couch just right, the blankets folded and put away in an organized fashion. The BOYS used one Clorox wipe for the counters, sinks, faucets and toilet. ( I made them go over it with a few more) GRACE'S desk has to have everything on it just so. She has little things everywhere, but knows where it all is. She likes to have a space for everything. The BOYS desk has a few lamps and a puzzle half put together on it. GRACE's bed has sheets, blankets and comforter. I am lucky if the BOYS actually have a fitted sheet on their bed each night. All they use to cover up is a fleece tied blanket, no cover sheet, no other blanket or comforter. It took GRACE about 30 minutes to have her room ready to be vacuumed. It took the BOYS about 90. They had less to clean up too, by the way!!

Once the inside was done about lunch time, we moved outside. While the bottom two slept, I cleaned the kitchen and the others helped Dad outside. The BOYS were pooper scoopers, GRACE organized the order it was picked up!!! Sarah and Daniel soon joined them. Daniel is all boy and runs, jumps and skips everywhere. Sarah found a doll and played with her. She is so sweet. It amazes me how little girls are hard wired to mother. Even at nearly 3 she is very motherly toward her dolls and other stuffed friends. She has never really observed me with a baby or any woman with a baby for that matter and yet she seems to know just what to do. It is amazing.

Our company came about 4:30 ish. We hosted a BBQ (sorry Grill -Out) for the youth. Kudos to the Rushing Family!!! I am so glad they came over. We have over two dozen jr and sr youth families and they were the only family to come, even after spending the day sanding and staining their hard wood floors!!! Along with them, several of our College youth came to eat. Jon, Isaac, Zander, and Nick threw a football around with the BOYS and Renee and Courtney played with Sarah while Alana (Zanders sister who is in Grace's class at school) and Grace found secluded places to whisper their deepest secrets. Once the Rushings arrived, Grace headed strait for the baby, Sarah and Ashley played and the boys continued to toss the football along with the Rushing boys, Alex and Andrew. Anna, the only jr youth, helped with the little ones and chatted some with the big girls. Again that boy vs girl thing was very evident.

I was bummed that only one youth showed up. i guess they just don't know yet how much fun it is at Pastors house. The college kids are our core group. They were part of Doug's first confirmation class here and they have had many picnics and events at our house. They know how much fun it can be. I hope that we can develop the same relationship with this new batch of kids, but it just seems harder to make that connection with them than it did with the first ones. It is cyclical. That core group didn't really develop until they could drive on their own or get rides from older friends. We have very few drives right now. There is a bubble of no kids in the upper high school grades. We have one senior, one junior and few sophomores and mostly freshmen. Then there are the 6-8th graders. Who knows? We will keep trying though, we will keep having these kinds of events and hopefully word will spread and eventually we will have a great crowd of kids at our house like before. Then, it will be our kids and their friends!!! Heaven help me!!!

Have a great Memorial Weekend!! Remember in you prayers the families of those who have lost a loved one in the military. Remember too those serving currently, especially those is hostile countries. We love you George!!!!