Don't get me wrong...both of my girls are strong-willed young ladies. I like to describe them as...feisty. However, I have found baby boys to be a whole new arena. While both genders are fascinated by and unnervingly adept at mastering many forms of technology...I have found that there are a few differences in how each gender applies these skills. Irelynn could change and play CD's at a young age. She was a button pusher...examining the device with scrutiny and remembering how to not only change the source and input, but also how to play, stop, and skip tracks. The boys, while intrigued by the fact that their actions have an equal and opposite reaction...are much more interested in finding out just how much force the objects can withstand. For example: can the Wii remotes, after successfully interrupting the current Star Wars game between the older children, then still work properly after being slammed into the end table, dragged across the floor, and licked? And how does the surround system really work? Realizing that the buttons not only control the power, but the volume as well, was not good enough. They have successfully managed to tear the face plate off of the box and examine the wires inside. The blu-ray player has not only been opened, closed, and stopped mid-movie, but it has been shoved off of the entertainment center (after removing the DVD and licking it.) And the boys work together as a team. Just as you scoop up the one as he opens the DVD player, he smiles at his brother, who then proceeds to remove the DVD and run across the living room, waving it triumphantly in the air.
The differences do not lie only with electronic exploration. I have learned that food is much more than a simple source of fuel. It is an art medium. Now, I remember messes with Irelynn. I believe I have pictures of her cute chubby face covered in spaghetti sauce. What I do not remember, however, is food being used as a weapon, a game, or a form of expression. Never before have I had to clean the floor, the highchair, or the child nearly as much as I do everyday with the boys. Connor is just plain messy. I swear the child has a hole in his mouth. Owen...Owen is an artist. And I think he may have anger issues. He has thrown food at his brother. And the floor. I have also given up on putting food in a bowl or on a plate, as he thinks it is hilarious to wear it on his head.
I also do not remember my heart stopping quite so much with Irelynn. Although she liked to explore her surroundings, it did not involve climbing shelves, balancing between coffee tables and reclining chairs, riding the cats or surfing on Fisher Price xylophones. Having two boys makes this all that more nerve-wracking, as you try to decide who to save first: the boy trying to climb onto the dining room table, or the one riding the snarling cat as he smacks it over the head with the xylophone stick.
While I can honestly attest to the fact that boys are much more difficult as toddlers, I must say that by the time they reach the preteen years, the tables turn. The boys suddenly become the easier ones as hormones kick in and mood swings come out in full force. I'm not sure which is more difficult, honestly...the toddler boy...or the teenage girl. I guess I'll go with the toddler boy, being as I have double the trouble. But...I do think that I will be thankful in about ten more years that I did not have twin girls.
Currently, though...I'm thinking about investing in alot of bubble wrap. Or maybe just a couple of very large dog crates. If I get one big enough...perhaps I can use it on the teenage girl occasionally...
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