The Maxwell House

I read this article from a mom of 8 boys today and enjoyed her words of wisdom. With our fourth son due in 6 short weeks, I have happily avoided many of the hurtful comments that other moms of single genders have endured. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I tend to be a bit of a homebody (less time to interact with strangers), and the people I do see tend to generally be kind and thoughtful. The interesting difference between myself and the author of the above article (other than the fact that she’s expecting her eighth boy) is that I DON’T WANT a girl. When I’m asked “Will you try for a girl?” or “Were you hoping for a girl?” I usually respond that my husband would like a daughter, which is true. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-girls or anything, I just don’t feel like there’s something missing by not experiencing the difference of parenting a female. Since even before we had children, I’ve wanted boys. I’d happily welcome the experience of parenting a daughter, and I’d like for that desire of my husband’s to be fulfilled, but I am honestly perfectly content without the experience. Perhaps this oddity is due to my former “girls-are-scary-combatants-who-need-to-be-contended-with-as-we-trample-each-other-while-clawing-at-our-goals” mentality of high school. Perhaps not 🙂 

Overheard this morning was the following conversation between the 5 year old and the 3 year old:

J5: <takes pretend money from J3> “Now I’m rich and you’re poor!”

J3: <takes pretend money from J5> “No, I’m rich and you’re poor!”

J5: <takes pretend money from J3> “Now I’m rich and you’re poor!”

J3: <holds hand out for money, which is not given>

J5: <tired of his periodic stints as a poor man> “No, I’ll stay rich. You can be poor.”

We briefly studied King L0uis the blah blah (14th?) and the French Revolution this week, touching on the terms rich vs. poor. This elementary view of economics is cute when played out on the living room floor, but when grown ups hold onto the same view (rich vs poor OR sharing equally being the only options) we end up with some serious problems. I remember studying this topic in college; is rich vs. poor the only option? Or, is there a better system that enables all people to live well without the Robin Hood-esque system of socialism? History has shown us that there is, indeed, a better way. The only problem is that we’re about to make a quick exit 😉