May 16, 2007

What's the difference?

First, the Cerebral Venus Online Book Club has a June selection! We will be discussing Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi on June 18th. Again, this is open to anyone and everyone – you do not need to be a regular reader. I like to repeat that because I would be horrified if someone was out Googling around on a Sunday afternoon and surfed by here, but thought it was only a select group that could participate.

Second, this whole teething thing is BLOWING MY MIND. Yesterday, I saw TWO bottom molars coming in. Poor kid - no wonder his sleep is all out of whack. Um, all the Wise Baby Tomes don’t warn you that molars are fucking HUGE. So, apparently what I thought was a top molar a few weeks back was actually one teensy part of the whole damned thing. Sheesh. Anyway, I am relieved this is happening now as opposed to, oh say, 8 weeks from now. Ahem.

Third, I’ve had a lot of thoughts running through my coconut lately. None of which are probably very interesting but I may decide to unleash a few of them this week just to set ‘em free in my vain attempt to convince the world I'm not just another yokel from Kansas (although, between you and me, I AM just another yokel from Kansas.) Anyway, this one that has been rambling around for awhile.......

I am so incredibly excited to have a girl. In fact, I was shocked at how relieved I was when we found out that NewKid would be an "Anjali" instead of a "Shalin". Because..... Well...... Um......

A girl is different than a boy.

There. I said it. Oh, don’t me wrong – when I found I was pregnant with Arun, I was all set to totally bend the gender thing. MY boy would not be a meathead playing in the dirt with trucks and cars, no sirree. He would play with cars AND dolls AND books AND animals. Then, I proceeded to have a boy who has been fascinated with All Things Wheeled since his gem-stoned eyeballs aligned correctly in their sockets. Oh sure, Arun loves his dolls and will hug, kiss them and carry them around. For all of 2.2 minutes before they are quickly discarded in lieu of something else – a book, his animals or his one true love, Wheels. Of course, Arun loves knitting. Needles make a great pair of drumsticks. And yeah, Arun loves hairbrushes. Better to chase the kitties with. And it's true that Arun likes nail polish. A teeny, tiny already loaded paintbrush? He's all over THAT.

You’d think I would have learned all my lessons about gender bending with Arun. Ah, but you would be WRONG because I'll get it Right this time with NewKid. I’m all set to deny my little princess her rightful tiara. I won’t be drowning her in PeptoDismal Pink. She’ll like Barbie AND dinosaurs, dammit. She'll read Nancy Drew AND the Hardy Boys. She’ll learn knitting, but will do funky things like skull n’ crossbones intarsia. She'll learn canasta, but I'll also teach her craps and how to be heartless at both. She won’t be dainty, she’ll be a ball breaker. I’ve got it All. Planned. Out.

Until I see her sweet little face and hairy little noggin that’s in desperate need of a pink bowed barrette, that is. Damned kids.

6 comments:

Moderndayhermit said...

hahahaha, I love this post. It is a swift reminder of something I need to write...

I had a sneaking suspicion that Alex was a boy as soon as I found out I was pregnant but I have to tell you, I was really hoping for a girl. Why? Because I had NO CLUE what to do with a boy.

Now I'm afraid to have a girl, lol. [no, not pregnant] A never ending cycle, I tell you. But, I do dream a bit of having a girl. I'd love to have two boys but a girl would be great too, and for many of the reasons you list although I already love the little non-hooker, girly-clothes and even come in pink!

I bet she'll have perfect hair for a variety of hair-bows! I am so excited for you!

Bethany said...

It is possible to have a nice combo of both. Sometimes I wonder how I got such a girly girl! The Barbies, the hair, the Princesses, etc.

But then Ebaby will tackle her boy cousin in the back yard while playing soccer (she confuses soccer and football because my brother in law is Italian and of course soccer is football to him)and I know all is right in our world.

Anonymous said...

My Dad is convinced that the sonogram is wrong and that I am having a boy and as much as I would love for him to be right as I am deathly afraid of the drama that having 3 girls would bring, I don't know if I would know what to do with a boy and it makes me a little nervous...

Mamma Sarah said...

You post made my gut hurt from laughing so much.

Christy said...

Good luck on that gender bending thing. Sounds tough.

Anonymous said...

Dude, you know how much I hate gender roles, and the little angel would be wearing her Cinderella glass slippers to school if I let her. She does have a lot of dinosaurs, though, and I think it's easier to push a girl toward "boy" stuff than vice versa in this culture.