Girls Will Be Girls

One of the things I love best about having a girl and boys is watching the gender differences emerge. Very early on both Sam and Jake were interested in cars, action figures, trains - Sam's first word was car. But I didn't think much of it until I realized that at a very early age Abby was drawn to dolls, pretty dresses and tea parties. While the boys will throw on a mismatch of shirts, shorts and sneakers (with or without underwear or socks), Abby can be quite selective and opinionated about her dresses. And, like the stereotypical little girl, she is beginning to emulate me. She tries on my shoes, tries to fix her hair and ... tries to apply makeup.

Tonight while I was fixing dinner Abby was playing in her room. Quietly. Always a cause for concern. When I rounded the corner to check on her she was sitting on the floor rummaging through my purse, her face smeared with foundation and lipstick. (Again, my boys would never go near a purse. Don't even ask them to hold yours.)

"You like makeup?" I asked her.

"I like makeup."

"Why?"

"Because. I like your face."

So I cleaned her up and helped her put on some lip gloss and roller-ball perfume. That seemed to quell her curiosity. And as I was helping her off the bathroom footstool, she said, "Mama, look! Your hair. It has white in it."

I wonder why.