My Work Here is Done

Today while retrieving one of his bouncy balls from under the kitchen table, Moses looked wistfully at the sewing machine and said "Mom, I wish I was a lady." Of course, he quickly changed his tack once I explained that you don't have to be a lady to use a sewing machine, just an adult. (After a bit of negotiation on his end, I admitted that one might be able to use the sewing machine upon reaching "older boy" status.)

My husband got a mildly panicked look on his face when I relayed this story to him - until I explained that the only reason Moses is interested in the sewing machine is that it contains a motor and is propelled by something closely resembling a gas pedal. And while the whole situation made me wonder about the gender stereotypes my son is being exposed to and reminded me of the countless videos I watched in psychology class about people giving their little boys dolls to play with and pink sweat suits to wear, it ultimately made me realize that I don't really care.

Moses has been exposed to both ends of the spectrum. He has 5 uncles and no aunts - in fact, he has started to refer to my brother's fiance as "Uncle Cindy" and looks at me as if I'm nuts when I tell him she is going to be his "ant." A typical evening for him involves helping daddy load the tractor onto the trailer, feeding the neighbor's goats, riding the zip line, and wrestling Daddy. However, during the day he is involved in the finer pursuits, often helping me bake cookies, pretending to knit, and handling the un-pinning of any sewing project I happen to be working on. He has been known to utter a heart-felt "Oh - that's so cute!" in the middle of the fabric store, as well as telling me that "I'm going to gun that rabbit that ate your flowers." It's a really great combination, and I am happy to be the feminine side of the mix, raising two boys to both appreciate and take an interest in "non-boy" activities. ... Even if they do use the knitting needles as swords. :)