It Must Be A Boy Thing

I have always said that Wilson is all boy. He does things I observed boys doing when I was growing up but, being a girl, and then having my own daughter, I just always thought boys were weird. Now that Wils isn't a little boy anymore, he is doing even more weird boy stuff. But this one baffles me the most.

He has a competitive gene from which I suffer a deficiency, Eliza totally lacks, and Zane, being of a certain age, has lost if he ever did have. Wilson likes to win games, win races, be the first to put his pajamas on, get the most slug-bugs and get the highest test scores in his class. (Yes, in kindergarten).

For the past couple of weeks, while the weather has been bitterly cold, I have had to nag him every day to wear his nice down coat to school. He tries to slip out the door in a light-weight fleece coat or even a sweatshirt-type jacket. I catch him, make him return to the coat closet and change. He is strangely adament about this coat thing, and gets really upset when he ends up being forced to wear his big puffy (warm) coat. Then I figured it all out.

During my most recent day volunteering in his class I noticed that he kept his coat on during class. When I passed by his table I asked him why and he said he was cold. I knew he was lying because I'm his mother, but also because this kid has never been cold in his entire life. Then, when it was time for them to go to recess they lined up and I have never seen my boy move so fast---to be in the front of the line. Then it hit me--he keeps his coat on so he doesn't have to waste time going to the coat hook wall and can therefore be FIRST IN LINE. Now I realize that he wants the lighter-weight coats so he doesn't absolutely cook during class. His logic must be that being cold outside is an acceptable investment on the return of the prestige of being the first in line.

What an awesome, weird boy I have.