I think he's vying for the title of "most stereotypical boy." I NEED to find that old copy of Free To Be You and Me and girl him up a bit.

Raphael, he's a tough little man. He crashes his bike and leaps up to do it all over again. Today he was playing baseball (OF COURSE) at the park with his dad and a passel o' kids, and he took a ball to the upper lip. That left him with the most stunning blood blister inside his lip, which he loves to pull back and show me so I can lean against the wall and frantically wish away the tingly-weak feeling in my knees. Splinters in his hands? He'll gnaw them out with his own germy teeth, left to his own devices. He is rough and tough and not a little bit gross.

So why is it, exactly, that drying him off after a bath with a fluffy, clean towel and applying lotion is an exquisitely painful experience, earning me the title of MEAN MOM?

Comments

[Mrs. Schmitty]

He's 110% boy and he's got no time for that girly-girl stuff that's why!

[Groovecatmom]

No wonder he and Buddy Boy get along so well. I told W. if he didn't start actually using SOAP when he showered, he'd have to go back to taking a bath and I'd wash him myself. I have the only boy whose feet still stink immediately after taking a shower (hence the soap comment).

[Laura]

Perhaps you do need to play "William Wants a Doll" on a loop for awhile. I actually just ordered that CD and Really Rosie from Amazon because my daughter came home from school and asked me if I'd heard of a song called "Chicken Soup with Rice." Why yes, sweetie- yes I have!