A Puppy Dog Tale

I was organizing some bills on the dining table yesterday when he started circling me as he often does. Then without warning, he jumped on me, with his nose just an inch away from mine. I tried to ignore him but he doesn't give up that easily, so he licked my arm and stuck out his tongue panting just as any dog would do. Except that, we have no dog. This is my son who thinks he's a dog. He is adorable when he's in this mood. I must admit, I find it quite entertaining.

A year ago, I wouldn't have been amused. I would probably have dug up one of my child psychology books to look up "Crisis in Toddlerhood: Why Your Son Thinks He's a Dog". These days though, I feel a bit more relaxed having a boy around the house. I remind myself how God created boys to be different from girls and so I try hard to understand those differences and respect them. It is a bit difficult for someone who never had a brother, and didn't really get to play with boys growing up.

Having a son now, I am learning so much daily. He needs so much space to expend his boundless energy. He loves things that move, particularly those with wheels. He likes to go up, go down, and go round and round. The dizzier he gets, the better. He likes to take things apart so he can try to fix them, or not. He likes books that have short, crisp lines and real pictures, ideally with flaps that close and open to hold his attention. And when he's hungry, he wants his food NOW, not later, not even in a minute!

And yet. And yet, he likes to hold and cuddle, snuggle and hug. He is gentle when he needs to be. He smiles and greets everyone he meets, it's disarming. And he can make you laugh without meaning to be funny. Our home is much brighter, and livelier, because we have a son. Our daughter is happier because she has a brother.

And so as I looked at this little boy pretending to be a dog, I thought about that old nursery rhyme. Sure, girls are made of sugar and spice. But no, this boy is not made of snips and snails. Certainly not of puppy dog tails! But smiles and cheer, and everything dear, that's what my little boy is made of. Woof!