Gender Balanced

Once again I am ever the negligent blogger, thinking about possible blog posts at random times of the day but never bringing them to life. Perhaps because my computer is on the fritz, or maybe because of the chaotic day to day of the working mom. Whatever, it's just not happening.

Sofie started dance class this week at a studio in Greenfield. This has to be the single most adorable thing in the entire world, right up there with kittens in a basket. So. Freaking. Cute. They had tap class and ballet/acrobatics time, and she loved every minute of it. While some of the new girls clung to their mothers' legs and refused to set foot on the dance floor, Sofie marched out with a confident smile in her new dance tights and shiny black tap shoes. She shuffled and hopped to the best of her three year old ability and when it was over she pirouetted all the way home, overtly proud of her new skills.

Mothering a girl is so unbelievably different from my boy-child experience. While Nathan drained every ounce of energy I had at this age as he sprinted through life at full speed, Sofie takes her time and adds a pirouette. Nathan was fast and furious, charging headlong into which ever rough and tumble activity (even if it was supposed to be a quiet story hour, which we tried to avoid at all costs). Sofie makes me slow down and spend time just snuggling up, content to be home with me all day.

I wouldn't trade either of these children for the world, and I appreciate their uniqueness tremendously. I have learned the art of toddler defense with Nathan, standing guard like a soccer goalie to keep him from being hit by a car or whacking another kid with a bat. I have also learned how to parent a very independent child, he marches into almost anything without fear, and he's game to try new adventures, much like me. We are partners in adventure, both of us loving to experience life to the fullest. We are reading Harry Potter now, almost done with the third book. Neither of us ever wants to put it down, we can't get enough quiet moments to devour our book together.

Sofie gives me my daily dose of sweetness. I can relate to her in ways that I have never related to anyone, except maybe my own mother. I understand how her heart and mind work and I love every minute of watching her childhood unfold, it's like reliving my own. I never thought it could be so different to raise two children, but the difference is extraordinary, and the challenge keeps me balanced. When I slow down to pay attention I am aware that I am blessed.