Different stokes for different folks

No, I did not spell that title wrong, I really mean stokes. As in, what stokes your fire? We had a very good example of that today at our house.

I was awakened at 6:45 this morning, as both of the big boys burst into my bedroom and shoved bumper stickers in my face. They were so excited, as their Seminary teacher brought them ‘last day of Seminary’ gifts in the form of “Ted Nugent for President” bumper stickers. Personally signed, no less, with their names, from Mr. Nugent himself. She runs in to him from time to time, as he comes to our area to hunt.

What is so funny about the story is that Tuxedo Boy would LOVE LOVE LOVE to spend time with him to talk politics. Ted is a frequent guest on Glenn Beck…a name spoken with some reverence in our house, and Tux’s favorite commentator. Ted’s new book is “Ted, white, and blue”, with essays about his views and thoughts. What a great conversation they could have, as Tux is the foremost conservative of his set. He is vaguely aware that Ted is a rocker by trade.

Musician, on the other hand, could care less if Ted favored gun control. He is completely and utterly in awe of the MUSIC, of course, and that Ted is a guitar player.

I find it so amusing that they both treasure these gifts, but for completely different reasons. It really speaks to the vast differences between the two boys, even though they have the same parentage, same genetic pool, and have been raised side by side in the same household. The old ‘nature vs nurture’ issue is a fascinating one when talking about them!

To show you how different my three boys are, let me tell you about a common scenario. When Tuxedo Boy was a toddler, he would ask for juice. I would tell him that on the next commercial, or when the show we were watching was over, I would get it for him. He would sit patiently and wait until the appointed time…then he expected you to hop to and get the juice.

Musician had his own style. He would ask for juice, and I would give him the same answer as above. He would then proceed to ask again…and again….and again…until I finally lost my patience.

Along comes the Baby, who is somewhat spoiled and definitely determined. In the same scenario, does he wait patiently like Tuxedo Boy, or keep pestering like Musician? No. He hears the answer that he can have juice when the show is over, so he says, “Then turn it off!” If only life could be so simple.

So today, I am celebrating the differences! Even though I had hoped for a matched set to make my job as a mother much easier, it is definitely more interesting this way!