I love you, Mom.

I grew up in a large family---there were 8 of us kids... I'm the oldest---and there are 6 girls and 2 boys. I've probably mentioned this before. I get how girls think-- what they need, what they mean when they don't actually say it, how they express themselves. My brothers, on the other hand, totally confused me. While we were growing up-- they whined a lot and cried at everything. I couldn't stand it. I don't get the whole tease-y thing. I don't get why boys have to take everything apart to see how it works--although that doesn't bother me as much as the whole "I'm going to irritate everyone in my vicinity, as much as I can...until my mother wants to skin me." I don't even mind the rollin' in the dirt thing as much as that. My brothers and I, incidently, get along fine now. I think this is why God gave me mostly daughters. I have 4 daughters, and only 1 son. But that 1 son is PLENTY for me, Thank you very much. I have learned a lot about how BOYS ARE BOYS --no matter how hard you try, they choose boy things.... guns out of legos... battles with popsicle sticks and toilet rolls for swords.... blowing up their sister's barbie dream house... or something equally important to the sister. My dad had 2 brothers.....and one of my favorite stories about them growing up was about a BBGun. They'd found one somewhere and decided to see how it would feel to shoot their tennis-shoed foot. So, my dad shot his foot first and it didn't hurt at all...so the other brother shot his foot...and he cried out, hopping around on one foot because it hurt so bad. My dad had his turn again--and still no pain. My Uncle tries again, thinking that he could be as tough as his big brother--only to feel the sting of the BB as it hit his foot. A short time later, they realized that the gun was misfiring every other shot. What amazed me was the one uncle did it more than once after it hurting so badly. Total Guy. Girls like to boss the boys around. It is just in them. Girls are girls... and ever will be.They want boys to behave. They want them to stop turning everything into the latest "StarWars" episode. I bossed my brothers. My daughters boss their brother. I'm grateful for both experiences in genders, since it has taught me to appreciate the other....

And to thank my Mom, once again, for not smothering us in our sleep