Being mother of two boys and sister to three, I have always been surrounded by all things male. For me as a young girl, boy stuff trumped most girl things easily. I would much rather have been a Cub Scout than a Brownie; the Cubs did much cooler things, even considering the cookies. This attitude was grown from my exposure to the male world: going to Boy Scout Camp basically from birth, hanging around Little League fields for hours on end and the like. (All of these were done under my parents supervision, of course.) I was welcomed at all these male activities but true participation was not ladylike. I did grow out of some of the anti-girl posture but I have never been the girlie-girl.
Now as a mom to these two boys, I am reliving a bit of my childhood over again: being on the fringe of the male world but not quite in the club. I am welcomed at Cub Scout meetings and baseball season is just around the corner for us. All of this I do enjoy. But the deja vu can be surprising.
I stumbled upon the boys recently in a truly male moment, overhearing this from the next room. After their baths, my youngest was trying unsuccessfully to master what his brother and all the Scott and Daley men had mastered before him: the armpit fart. He was giving it a tremendous effort but failing. Big brother, in extreme seriousness, coached little brother, "You must cup your hand, like this." "Make an air pocket between your cupped hand and armpit." "That's it. Keep trying." And then the truly compassionate, "Don't worry. It takes practice. You'll get it." It was a pure moment of male bonding. These instances when the boys are working together on a common goal are infrequent at their tender ages. Beautiful to my mothering ears, despite the subject matter at hand.
But I wanted to rush in and help with the coaching. You may not know this, but I can armpit fart. I was entrenched in this type of behavior as a child. I know this stuff! But to step into that male moment was taboo. Again always on the fringe of the male world. But that is fine. My boys need those moments and I stand pleased as my eldest passes on the Lore to the next.
How cute....the memories we will treasure forever may not be the sappy I love you moments, rather the arm pit farting tutorial!
ReplyDeleteIt's a mysterious world, for sure. I wonder how they look at the world of girls?
ReplyDeleteTim wants to tell them once they've mastered the arm fart it's time to move on to the knee fart. Ahh, good times, good times.
ReplyDeleteOh Courtney, thanks for the great memories. As an only child you can imagine how I felt as the Mother of 3 typical boys--and I was a girlie girl--ballet,piano,frilly dresses and all.It was an eye opening expierence into the male world and also fun to relive my childhood from a whole new perspective--worms, snake,anything squishy and yes armpit farts among other things like who could burp the longest,loudest etc. Thanks for the memories and also thanks for being my little girl even if you hated the frilly stuff.
ReplyDeleteMom
O.K. As the mother of two girls I can happily say that my odds of "arm farting lessons" are minimal, despite the fact that I consider my two to be only 75% girly girl...you are so wise to pay attention to these moments and they are so lucky to have you, the "not girly girl mom!"
ReplyDeleteI happen to know this family and know for a fact that arm farts are just the beginning of their bodily art functions. I have heard on several occasions walking farts as well and do not think they are arm nor knee related.
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