I Am A Member of An Elite Club

I am in a club that only so many mothers can join. In fact, I didn't really have a say whether I wanted to join the club, but I am in the club and am learning all sorts of new things. The club I am talking about is the three sons club, more specifically, the three sons in a row club.

We all know that there is a difference between boys and girls. I have heard that girls are easier when they are young and harder when they are older. I also heard that the opposite is true with boys...they are harder when they are young and easier when they are older. But there is something to be said about having three boys in a row. It is quite overwhelming.

My house in known for its chaos. There are always kids over here. It is not uncommon to see a rope or a chain contraption hanging from something in the yard. Even more common is seeing three boys running around the neighborhood in bare feet no matter the weather. The yard is full of freshly dug holes, clothes and play weapons of all kinds. It is a boy wonderland.

When we found out we were having another boy when I was pregnant with Zander, the first thing John Robbins (An old neighbor) said was, "Get them into wrestling." He kept saying that to me every chance he could get. One day I finally I asked him why he kept saying that. He explained that coming from a family with three boys in a row, he knew first hand the chaos that ensues. He described full out fist fights and a poor mother trying the best she could to control the boys. He told me that my boys are going to fight. I might as well teach them how to do it right.

I did not see his wisdom until tonight when we went to a "Little Vikings" wrestling practice. The gym was full of boys from 3 years old to probably 14 years old. I could just feel the testosterone in the air. There is a whole boy culture I am just learning about. Boys need to use their muscles. They need to explore their power. They love the feeling of pinning someone. It is all just so foreign to me.

Zander needed a drink and so we wandered out into the hall in pursuit of a water fountain. Around the corner from the fountain I heard girls giggling. What I found was a group of girls all holding hands standing on a stage waiting for the cue to jump off in time for a picture. It was such a dramatic change from the testosterone filled gym of pain. I pictured myself with three boy teenagers. It scared me.