Boys vs. Girls

As my beautiful babies grow- the long debated "gender difference" becomes increasingly apparent to me. I like to think I was raised in a very open-minded, liberal household.  Although I am from a family of 3 girls- we were not encouraged to follow (and at times even, steered away from) "traditional female roles".  I am the first one to go on an anti-Disney-Princess rant.  I do not wear bows or puff sleeves as a fashion rule of of thumb- and I believe strongly that little boys should have dolls, and wear pink.

I have to say I didn't really notice that much of  a difference until Moses was a year or so.
At this point the differences are becoming increasingly more apparent.  From a purely psychological standpoint- I must say I really enjoy the observation. Just watching them interact with each other as they grow. It's fascinating. 

Here are a couple recent examples of the gender difference through my eyes....

This little boy loves sticks-the bigger the better.  I'm not quite sure if it's the fact that he sees Beau chewing on them- so he gets them out of our unsightly "stick pile" behind the garage- and gives them to Beau... and I'm sure some would frown upon my hands off parenting approach- letting him play with potentially dangerous wooden weapons that he could poke himself with, trip over, or hit Zella in the face with.

Instead of taking them away....I snap pictures!

 I look at it is exploration and something to occupy him while we are in the yard, as most of the time he is booking-it down the driveway;)

His other favorite thing- the car.  How stereotypical is that???? But seriously- he' s totally obsessed- he would explore the car for the afternoon if I had the patience to sit inside it with him.  He roams from button to button trying to figure out how everything works- a possible engineer in the making? 

Now for my sweet Zella-

Here are her babies that she has put to bed on the ottoman in the living room- from top to bottom: Pinkie Bear, Bear Bear, Baby Bear, Stripes, and last but not least Care Bear a.k.a Brave Heart Lion.

Note the meticulous way in which she lays each blankie (cloth baby wipes), on top of their little bodies.  Note the couch pillows lined up under their little heads.  She will do this for a good hour or so- very carefully.


Don't get me wrong- Zella is a climber, she plays with sticks, likes to wrestle, enjoys getting dirty, and is into bugs- and Moses has his own "babies" that he loves to snuggle, enjoys it when I apply lipgloss to his lips as he watches me do my makeup, and likes to wear headbands and fairy wings- but the way that they approach their play, and engage in independent play is very different.  Maybe it would still be very different if they were the same gender?  But now that I am guiding this little girl and boy through the world- it is becoming more apparent to me the differences that exist in their environment- and it is a blessing to be the one that gets to see it.

A sneak peek!

In previous posts I've mentioned the ambitious mural undertaking in the front entryway of our home.  I've been working on this painting for about 5 months or so, though not continuously by any means.  I do a little bit at a time when I get a free second.  I have to admit- I kind of enjoy the long process- it makes me sad to think about completion (although that's a long way away).  This is the last mural I have planned for my own home- but maybe by the time it's finally done I'll have some commissioned murals to move onto;)

Here is a little peak at the part that I am working on right now.  I am painting a bunch of Allium-inspired flowers in the foreground of the picture.  Below I document the process I go through to complete each element of the mural- here's a quick glimpse as to why it takes so much time to complete it!

Below are a couple reference/inspiration shots from my friendly neighbor Kara's beautiful gardens.  (check out her fabulous Etsy shop- she's got a lot of great stuff on it!)

Picture #1- the beginning, a 2 layer coat of white, the base stem for each of the flowers (there are about 50 or so total- half of which will have blooms)

Picture #2- the bloom done in a layer of white

Picture #3- Gold added as a highlight to the flower- gives it a little more depth I think- I contemplated leaving it alone at this stage- then decided to add 1 more touch of color

Picture #4- The black ties it into the rest of the mural and makes it look a little more complete.

I promise I will do a full entry on the finished product when the day comes...I am on the home stretch....I think.