My Girl's Careers

The quality-time ratio goes down after the first child, or two, and I've forgotten to do some of the parental things with Hope that I did with Nathan and Amelia. A minute ago she was painting with one of those cheap watercolor palettes, with the little divots of color compound; just add water. I suddenly thought to ask her what she wanted to be when she grows up. I looked forward to the answer, as it is a little ongoing experiment I have with my girls to try to solve the perennial mystery of gender. Do girls gravitate towards girl stuff because of family or societal pressure, or some unknown natural inclination? This theory is predicated on believing that they do act more feminine. I have never pushed Hope to be girlie. Sarah is a tomboy, her biggest thrill this week was changing the flat on my Miata by herself. My girls are equals in our recreation. They camp, ride the mules, play with their outdoor toys with similar enthusiasms as Nathan. They are inquisitive about the advanced topics we discuss at the dinner table. So when I asked for her vocational desires I expected to hear anything from fighter pilot to engineer. Holding her fingers up, she ticked off the first and second choices, a gymnastics instructor or a ballerina. Never been to either event.