One of a Kind

Having girl children is much different than having boy children. As Girly and I were cuddling the other day I realized yet another way that this has proven to be true.
When we cuddle, Girly does things like stroke my face and pat me. She squeezes me tight when hugging and always gives as many kisses as she gets. She is giving with her affection and I always feel loved and cared for when we snuggle.
My boys love to cuddle too. But it is different. They are far less nurturing, far more demanding. Their cuddles take. They want me to tickle their backs and scratch their itches. They want me to hug and kiss them, but often there is little reciprocation. When I am tired and drained at the end of the day, sometimes the boys pleas for affection kindle a teensy bit of exasperation and a feeling of being put upon.
Don't get me wrong. I love to cuddle my boys, it is my favourite way to spend my time. They are loving and affectionate kids and I love them to pieces. But my girl has a bit of mother in her I think. Her loving gives as much as it takes, if not far more. The boys seem to be needier in a way, it takes more of me to satisfy their need for affection. I am happy to meet that need in all of them. What more could a mother want than to be needed, adored and loved and have a passel of kids to slather with her mother love?

Speaking of my Girly, she must need a girlfriend to play with. Every day, at least once, she brings me some dolls or something to play with her. To play in a 'girly' way, away from the boys. She leads our little games; we make up stories, or dress and groom our babies, have tea parties and chat. I get to be her girl playmate. It is totally fun, but I feel sad that she is a bit left out in our house.
All the boys do boy stuff together, and though they often include her, they are not interested in playing her way. Even Monkey, who is usually her playmate, balks at the dolls and barbies now. He wants to be big and 'cool' like the big brothers.
Girly is also very social and asks daily to go and play with girlfriends she has. Ones we only see at most once a month and often less. I need to make an effort to get her together with other girls far more often. At three, her femininity and her personality in general are very well developed and I need to be aware of her needs and try to help fill them too. It is all to easy for her to get lost in the shuffle of this big, testosterone filled family.

I hope as you read this that I am labouring for my new baby boy. Keep an eye on my twitters on the side bar, I will try to post updates from my phone.