Really? Girls already?

In kindergarten a little boy named Patrick kissed me on the cheek. I was totally grossed out. I remember him chasing me on the playground, and I was in flight, working to get away from the "boy cooties."

What is it about boys and girls that make us so repelled and attracted to each other at the same time?

Having three boys, I knew the day would come where the conversation of gender would come into play. I just didn't know it would be so soon.

Brendan has been hinting that some girls at school have told him they had a crush on him. We asked what he thought that meant, and he said that the girls want to be his girl friend. Woah! Girlfriend? Not in second grade. . .

Then, yesterday he came home and told me I couldn't answer the doorbell if someone rang it. Puzzled, I inquired, "Why?" He said that one of his friends dared this little girl down the road to ring the doorbell and give him a hug. He was totally freaked out. He kept looking out the window to make sure she wasn't coming. (Of course, this was one of the little girls that said she had a crush on him.) How long until his friends are daring them to do worse things? YIKES!

Furthermore, at the same dinner Andrew told us he had a terrible day at school. Almost afraid of the answer, I asked, "Why?" He was reticent at first, but then confessed that he had to dance with a girl during music. We tried to make light of it by explaining that learning to dance with a girl is a nice thing. He wasn't buying it. Luckily, I think girls still gross him out. We still have a little while longer.

I am sure that if I read this same message in 5-6 years, I would laugh at the simplicity of our current girl problems. But for now, I am still reeling. Girls?? Already??