My Life As A Boy
by Jenners • 01/22/2010 • BB/The Little One, Confessions • 31 Comments
When my brother Mike visited in November, we were talking about how my mom is sending his girls all my old dolls1 and I’m getting all his old Legos for my son. We were joking that it was like we were having a second childhood—except this time we were growing up as the opposite sex.
So, since my brother can now name all the Disney Dancing Princesses (and I have no clue who they might be) and has probably seen more episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place than I’ll ever watch, I thought I’d share things I’ve been doing and learning since I’ve been growing up (again) as a boy.
- I know the difference between Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars. The Hot Wheels are more fantasy cars while the Matchbox cars are more realistic cars you see on the road. In my previous “girl” life, I thought they were the same but made by different manufacturers.
- I’ve seen every episode of the Star Wars saga. (There are six in case you didn’t know.) I can toss around names and terms like General Grievous, midichlorians and Gungans and know what I’m talking about. I know I would rather live on Naboo than Mustafar, and that the bad guys usually have red light sabers.
- I spent my morning fighting with light sabers. (For the record, I was saddled with the “crappy” light saber that Santa brought and was defeated by the cooler, longer light-up light saber that we found on our recent vacation.)
Jedi JennersHere I am with my new peeps—Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker
- I think it is possible to never have enough Legos. (Although that opinion changes whenever I have to clean them off the floor to vacuum in my alternate identity as “Mommy.”) Seriously, no matter what I am building, I feel like I am always short on the type of brick or color that I need.
- I play games on the PS3. (Although I’ve been told by both my husband and my son that I “suck.”) When I recently played a match in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 against Mr. Jenners, I was killed 29 times in 10 minutes. Approximately 90% of the time, my guy was looking up in the sky and turning around wildly. I’m actually considering practicing secretly on my own and then casually challenging Mr. Jenners to a match. It would be considered a victory for me if I even killed him one time. And I can’t even tell you how much I love playing the Lego games. It annoys me to no end that my Little One thinks they are for him and he is “in charge” of what level is played and how we spend our studs.
- I know the names of at least 10 monster trucks. Wanna test me? Here are names of 10 Monster Jam monster trucks right off the top of my head: Grave Digger, Wild Hare, El Toro Loco, Blue Thunder, Backdraft, Bounty Hunter, Maximum Destruction, Taz, Monster Mutt, Prowler. I could even pick these guys out of a line-up with their names removed.
- I routinely shoot a gun using my fingers. (Well, it is more of a blaster than a gun.) Although I’ve talked to the Little One about how guns are dangerous and violence is bad, what is a
girlboy to do when being pursued by a dangerous bounty hunter like Jango Fett in the backyard? (By the way, Jango is Boba Fett’s father and provided the original DNA for all the clones in the Clone Wars.)
- I think farts are funny (as well as whoopie cushions and Flarp). You should have heard the one I did a few weeks ago. It was very long, high-pitched, and changed its tone at least 3 times. The Little One and I were laughing until we cried. We still say “Remember that fart I did that was so long and squeaky?” Good times, good times.
1 Although many of my dolls are probably unappealing to them as I played with dolls in a unique way. Stay tuned for a post I’m working on for next week in which I share my unique doll playing style. I’m sure you’ll want to print it out for all the little girls in your life.
But surely you learned some of this by having a brother? I was an only child, so very clueless when I gave birth to three sons, lol.
While we don't have the shoot-em-up games and a bazillion legos lying around, we are getting overrun with dinosaurs and Bakugan. You'd think a little boy lived here instead of a little girl.
You definitely are allowed secret practice times to improve your skills on the games. That's what I do, too, so I don't suck (as much) when it's time to play 'for real'.
having some of each gender in my house allows for more diverse play. For example, Barbie is known to carry her own lightsaber in our house and I've been told that Jedi's make for great daddy's when a game of house is in order.
We too have more legos than one can imagine and currently my oldest daughter is building the empire state building.
I know nothing of which you speak. Except for the fart thing. Girls think farts are funny, too. Little girls, big girls…
Wow, It's obiviously been forever since I've visited your place. I love your new layout. I looks like your real house.
You are such a cool mom for a boy. My 3 year old loves Star Wars and I'm not such a big fan. I do get to be Princess Leia while he is a Jedi, or Luke…not Anikin. But I do get a "Light Saver" even though I am the Princess and a girl.
Little boys are so much fun.
Wow… I feel incredibly enlightened now because I didn't know 99% of this stuff! Thank you, Jenners!
But I loooooove Legos. I never had any as a kid, and I swear I eye them every time I walk by a toy aisle to this day, haha.
The Jedi Jenners photo… truly inspired. And I suck at video games, too. Keep practicing. Even after your kill numbers are up, I'd feign being inept. Wouldn't it be great to blow Mr. Jenners away at least 15 times when he least suspected?
Hilarious! I never realized it but I've also got an alternate life as a boy … except my son has only seen the first classic three Star Wars sagas. I do have a girl who has NO dolls at all! Shock horror! She does love LEGO, drawing and Harry Potter though.
Farts will be forever funny!
And my sons think so too!! Scary thing is…it's the Hubs that doesn't find them as hilarious as we do!
Honestly, Jenners, how is it possible that I could love you more now than ever? If you really were a boy, I'd marry you. lol
I totally identify, having raised 2 boys & no girls! My sis got to teach her girls all the silly songs we sang in our childhood, girly ones that you played "Patt-cake" games to?
But I know the Starwars & Star Trek people & events, so there!
ROFL! I love that photo.
Boys and girls really are so different. My guess is that I will never know the ins and outs like you do having a boy
I can't wait to read about your own doll playing style.
I had no clue there was a difference between those
cars!
yes, it's official… you are a boy.
hey, i have an idea. i will give you my son's online PS3 screen name and we can battle EACH OTHER! i suck, too, but my oldest is ranked like 45,000 in the world and is SO proud (sad, i know).
and no, you can not have too many legos. or matchbox cars.
I bow to your boy-knowledge prowess! I am seriously impressed! I didn't know almost all of these! Some day…
I hear ya. I think that there should be a better way to organize LEGOS. I always have to search for years to get THE piece that I need.
Why don't you come to my house and play with my kids. You sound much more fun than I am!
Obi-Jenners – I love it! We cannot get enough Star Wars or Legos around here. How goes the savings project for the Ewok legos?
We live the same life! I am also an expert on everything you said (except Star Wars because apparently my boys are afraid of Darth Vader and refuse to watch the movies).
Wanna hang out???
what fun to see life through the eyes of a boy! although my oldest daughter was much the same as a boy–she never cared for girlie stuff.
um… I don't even know how to respond… lol
I wish you could be my neighbor, we have so much in common!
I am a Star Wars expert now, too. And Legos. I do leave the PS up to the husband, I'm more of a Super NES girl, myself.
Do you guys have the Star Wars Lego Visual Dictionary? Kyle got one from Santa (ordered it from Scholastic books). It is AWESOME. It has EVERY SW Lego set EVER made in it with descriptions and stuff.
This post is awesome! Sadly I didn't even realize the difference between Hot Wheels and Matchbox.. I think I just buy them without noticing, just look at the price is all.
But maybe since I have a son and daughter it balanced out.
While both genders have their positives, you have to admit that there is something a bit more appealing about monster trucks and legos than dancing princesses and iCarly…..perhaps I will hope for a boy when I have a kid.
I remember being General Grievous for my boys when we played our own Star Wars saga outside. They would never let me be Padme. Legos are the best. I think I'll be finding Lego pieces in my house forever. With my daughter, I have to play all the girly games. Sometimes, she and I will be having a tea party, and I'll excuse myself for a quick minute so I can run to my son's room and have a matchbox car race. I'm all over the place with "gender games" in my house.
Oh Jenners! I am never short on smiles when I visit here!
Having both a boy and a girl I can relate (although we did more Rescue Heroes than Monster Trucks and I do watch more Wizards of Waverly Place and iCarly than I care to admit). I would be especially interested in how you would spend your "studs" vs what the Little One would do. What exactly are "studs" in this context anyway? I imagine those little Lego people with rippled abs drawn on in black lines and flexing pecs!
Enjoy the day!
Erin
I had to take my son to see the Grave Digger. He got the dudes autograph and everything then a week later I found the signed flag in the mud…
By having two girls, then seventeen years later, having a boy, I feel like I could give a dissertation on the favorite toys of girls and boys over the past 30 years.
I could even devote a section to the teen heartthrobs of the late 80s/early 90s.
So far, this extensive knowledge has helped me only when doing crossword puzzles or answering trivia questions.
I've continued my quest for knowledge with the grandkids – I got actual embraces from all the Playhouse Disney characters (or at least their costumed representatives) on a trip to Disney World.
I look forward to learning even more about how this new generation has fun!
See, I should know all these things but I don't I am too much of a girly girly. But I think that maybe I need to take lessons.
And the doll post sounds SO interesting.
Oh so much to comment on! First, there is no shame in secret practice sessions. I did that for Rock Band after my brother won. Actually I went out and bought the console with my Christmas money so I could practice at home. Now I'm better than him.
I LOVE the name El Toro Loco! If I were a wrestler/UFC fighter that would SO be my name. I just like it because you can't help but say it with a fun accent.
You hit the mark with the Lego thing. Man, I was always missing half the roof to my house/tower.
Ah to have a brother young enough to play with again. Well…he still thinks it's HILarious when he farts. Any living thing in his path does not.
Thank you for reaffirming I am so glad I never had a boy! :–)