Paradigm Shift
Don’t know why it took me so long for this fact to hit me, but today I realized that I was now outnumbered in my own home.
It went from a fairly balanced male/female ratio to one that is clearly stacked against me. (I say ‘fairly’ because while there were technically two women in the household, only one could truly be called a ‘full-time’ resident – what with one being a high school senior and a mostly nocturnal creature.)
There has been a paradigm shift and I am now the lone female in a male dominated household.
As I wandered through the rooms and down the hall I had an epiphany – this means the universe as I know it has changed. I have to be the one to adjust the toilet seat. I have to put it up instead of worrying about whether it was left down.
Instead of chick flicks on Sunday afternoon television, it’s Speed Channel and ESPN. It’s Monday night football and not Project Runway, it’s Dirty Jobs instead of Grey’s Anatomy. Grey’s Anatomy!
Bottled water is no longer filling up my refrigerator, Gatorade is. I also don’t run out of milk every two days… boys apparently are lactose intolerant. It’s not yogurt in the dairy tray of the frig, but queso, not rice cakes, but corn chips.
My front foyer is no longer clogged with high heel shoes, but I constantly trip over Vans and skateboards line the walls.
The jokes around the house are a little more bawdy and often involve the phrase ‘Your mama’s…’ – fill in the appropriate punch line. While I find ‘mama jokes’ hilarious, my daughter is unamused and refuses to indulge when she’s home for a visit. My favorite come back to my son’s jabs is ‘that would be REALLY funny if I was your step-mom.’ (Since I have a step-mom, I can say things like that and not feel bad – love you C!)
On the up side, my laundry load has lightened. A 14-year-old boy doesn’t change his clothes nearly as often as an 18-year-old girl does, and I don’t have to go hunting for my favorite sweater or wonder where my curling iron is hiding.
he he tara,
i sometimes like to tell my teen girls “your mama … ” and they will say, but wait mom, that means you. and i will giggle and say i know he he and continue the jesting.
you sound totally NORMAL, he he
come see me doll,
beany
Oh, I wish my boys didn’t create so much darn laundry! Hopefully when they’re a little older they’ll ease up a bit!
And at least you have more than one pair of guy hands to help you out if you need it!
I longed for that type of household. For me to be the only girl…
Alas! It’s J that’s the lone member of his gender, accompanied only by our Boxer boys.
I’m sure he’ll be flipping out later when we’re all on our periods at the same time and using up all the hot water in the house before he gets to shower and shave for work.
My poor hubby is the one out numbered in my house. Between me, the two girls, and even the cat, he is the lone male of the bunch….but the toilet seat is still always up…::sigh::
Having 3 sons and only 1 daughter, I know what you mean!
Happy Saturday! Blog Hoppin’!
“Margarita Mom”
Sending stillettos your way…we have plenty here with three daughters. However, they’re only dress-up shoes left over from my glory days. I hate ‘em now, though the girls look so cute wobbling around in them.
I never considered leaving the toilet seat “up.” Ha!
too funny….”I await the day someone makes the obligatory “your mama wears combat boots” to my MJ so she can answer, “yes she does!”
the toilet seat thing would really get to me. I don’t think of it as ratio dependent since I made CableDad put the seat down even when it’s just the two of us.
The scales are balanced again in my house. And with the balance, I gained my own bathroom too – TESTOSTERONE FREE!
Senora Patron drinkin’ and bloggin’ on a Saturday night =D
I’d be glad to send over some of my laundry your way
Just in case you were missing it.
The toilet thing would drive me nuts….We have a daughter….but it seems as if the man of the house is the one who creates the most dirty clothes *sigh*
Blog hoppin’!
~ Killer Tofu
Sending stilettos you way. See me waving them your way??? See it?
You must be feeling a little how my Baby Daddy feels. He’s outnumbered – 3 to 1- and that won’t be changing anytime soon
Heaven forbid we did have another one and it turned out to be a girl 
Vans? Check. Queso and chips? Check. Speed Channel (Monster Jam, baby!) Check. Add a 12 pack of Newcastle, and that’s my beautiful home.
i have 3 boys and 3 girls…still at home…for a long time yet!! but, the boys are outnumbered because, i made up for the lack of girls by only having female pets…3 girl cats and a girl dog!!
the thought of having my laundry loads lessened…that sounds blissful!!
here’s a thought…i’ll come move in with you…that should even out the numbers a bit!!
packing my bags,
melissa
xoxo
Less laundry?! Sigh…sounds like a dream to me.
One great thing about being married to a microbiologist is that the toilet seat has NEVER been up. Of course, the downside about being married to a microbiologist is hearing how E. coli particles are aerosolised and blasted into the air and cover your walls, counters and anything else in the way.
Less laundry? I’m still getting through mine, I’ve done 13 loads so far since yesterday.
You should come visit me! It’s an all-girls household…even the cat.
God bless it. We have a daughter and three female pets. Estrogen paradise over here!!!
Our house is completely even, two girls, two boys. However, no one is really that girly. This momma is a badass and I hope to pass that on to my daughter, although a little pink never hurt anyone, right?
I realized just the other day that all of my years being the only girl created boys who do not know what to do with a toilet seat. I always just left it up…there are three of them and only one of me. But NOW, now there is a toddler girl,, just potty trained, and the seat has to stay down. And my boys, never having learned to put the seat up (thanks overaccomodating mom) now don’t have the foggy clue about doing so. And they peed all over it. All day. Every day.
Grrrr.
Oh yeah, my poor husband, the four daughters, the dog and the hamster… There are a lot of females running around here. And while my laundry isn’t lightening up by any means, it’s getting a bit easier. The oldest seems to enjoy doing it, and I’m all for promoting your children’s interests.
Oh how I’d love less laundry..but I know it’ll only get worse as princess gets older.. on the upside, my son will be leaving home in another 6 1/2 years (God willing!).
I am over run completely in my house. Donnie changes his clothes at least twice a day depending on the Super Hero he wants to be.. and my hubby.. don’t even get me started.. he is worse than a women.. LOL
Ugh… And what’s up with that smell? I’m sadly outnumbered myself, and this post, no doubt, is simply a glimpse into my future…
Sadly, I will not see this shift. I am always going to be an island in my house. Its ok though, I am always going to have ESPN on, and Greys Anatomy? What is that anyway?