Frogs And Snails And Puppy Dog Tails...
My son knows every car make and model. We regularly stop in parking lots for
him to admire unusual, tricked-out, shiny, as well as mundane, wait for it… hubcaps.
He loves steering wheels too.
Did I mention trucks yet?
Forgetaboutit!
We discuss traffic in the car, or he’ll use one of his gazillion or so steering wheels (made from paper plates) to pretend-drive in his booster seat. We even keep spare ‘steering wheels’ in the car- to offer to friends that are riding with us… well, why not?
The other day we went to Toys R Us for some birthday presents and I told him he could pick out a Hot Wheels or Matchbox car. I don’t see any difference, but he sure does.
So there I was, watching my son as he studied the various little cars- to pick out ‘just the right one’. As he spouted out the advantages and disadvantages of all the small, 99-Cent, car models, a little girl, about the same age caught my eye. She was on the other side of the big main aisle, doing the same thing- only she was looking at dolls…
How does this happen?
When exactly does this happen?
The little girl was intent on the Disney Princesses, Barbie, I’m not quite sure…
I know nothing about these things, anymore. I know I am a girl, but my world is all blue and green now, accompanied by gear shifts. I don’t own anything pink anymore. And I’m cool with that.
But back to my question: when did this happen? I don’t remember…
When did my son change from a baby, to a ‘guy’?
… A sweet guy, but nonetheless, a guy.
It boggles my mind how many little parts of the baby/toddler years have become a haze to me- Thank God I wrote some things down and took a lot of pictures!
I’m a girlie-girl, and he’s been around me more than anyone else in the world: for his whole life…
So is it nature? It sure seems like it.
Is it nurture? I never taught him anything about cars, he taught me.
And yet, I think back: I’ve always comforted him, but I would find myself saying, ‘you’re okay’, when he fell down, and calling him ‘my little man’…
And then there’s the famous study that shows that newborn babies were snuggled and hugged more if they were wrapped in pink blankets, rather than blue blankets… That’s nurturing boys and girls differently, if I’ve ever heard it.
I guess the debate will continue…
And for now, I’ll just remind him to be kind, and share,
and that taking turns is very important- that’s taking up most of my time right now anyway.
When Nicole isn’t conversing about bumpers and windshield wipers, she’s over at BananaBlueberry, where she likes to concentrate on the ‘good stuff’.
