The girls were moaning because their friends had gone to their grandparents’ house. I explained that they had gone to do yard work and other helpful things. “When I’m an old woman, won’t you come to my house and do my yard work?” I asked. “Won’t you drag your children and make them help?”
Katie said she would, but she said she would live next door to help all the time. I suggested that perhaps her husband would not be interested in living next door to his mother-in-law.
“Then I won’t have a husband,” she declared.
“You’d best not have any children either,” I reminded her.
So she thought perhaps all would be well if her husband’s parents lived on the other side.
“That would be a cozy neighborhood,” I said. “Can I pick your husband based on who I’d like as a neighbor? How about the M** boys?”
“Oh,” she practically gushed, “Thomas and Anthony are nice boys! They would make good husbands. They won’t beat us.”
Such high standards. I shall remind her in 20 years when her husband is working 2 jobs so she can stay home with their growing family, and she complains that he never buys her flowers or writes romantic poetry, that all she cared about when she was 9 was that he wouldn’t beat her.
“We don’t get to pick our husbands,” said Jenny.
“Yes, we do!” insisted Katie.
“No,” Jenny said firmly, “They have to propose.”
True, that it is something you have to work around. And Thomas and Anthony’s mother has declared her boys all future priests (although her daughters are available for marriage, a point which I have mentioned is grossly unfair to those of us with girls). Perhaps though, if I assemble a suitable dowry, they can be persuaded…
Reit This Way 
Little girls have crushes on my Jonny and I think it's absolutely adorable. 😉
So do you think Mrs. M would be willing to have a couple more boys so some of her boys can marry your girls and the OTHER boys could be priests? 😉
Mrs. M has FIVE boys…I really think she could share one or two.
I don't know, as much as I love you and would be very happy to live close by, if the boys all become priests then EVERYONE can benefit. 😉 But I hear the VWs have lots of boys… (And your girls haven't seen Anthony since he's started the hormonal preteen phase. He may not survive to choose a vocation.)
Yes, we need good priests, and we would all benefit from that…but if ALL the good Catholic boys become good Catholic priests, then there would be nobody left to be a good Catholic husband and father…and then we wouldn't need as many priests, because there would be no Catholic families.
Billy has entered the hormonal preteen phase as well. If it's any consolation, things seem to be more even by 13. I never thought I would survive Fritz being 11…I'm confident Billy will turn all my hair gray. Or rather, I'll be bald from pulling it out.
…one of my girls is insisting she wants to be a nun. Her parents aren't sure how long that will hold up, but I'm glad I have at least two more girls who might allow me to attend a wedding…so there are options if all the boys were to become priest. My boy however, I just don't see him as marriage material, I'd be thrilled to the gills if he could be a priest. Perhaps a monk…oh well.
We have a daughter who has ALWAYS wanted to be a nun…since she was 2! (She's nearly 13 now and still feels strongly about it.) As for the boys, Jonny is keeping the priesthood open as an option, but he might be a mechanic, too. Tommy, though, is the most pious toddler I have ever seen. We're watching him with more than the usual curiosity. 🙂
If ALL the good Catholic boys become priests, that would leave all the good Catholic girls to inspire the non-Catholic boys to become good Catholic husbands…it worked for me. 🙂 But if all the good Catholic girls become nuns (totally for that in my family), hmmm…..
I'll admit I'm more worried about girls going through the pre-teen phase. But thank God the boys will be moving out of it as the girl moves in. That one is already making my hair grey.
Very cute!
Michelle,
Will might be available as he has found that candle smoke makes him a little woozy. (his slow collapse during the Litany of the Saints is the highlight of our parish dedication DVD)
I can't think of better in-laws for my son!
I keep thinking my kids are going to go off to college and meet someone special…and when I find out the name, it will be somebody whose mother I know through blogging. Of course, I think we should all conspire to encourage our children to go to the same colleges. Even if the boys go to the same schools, we can have them spend a holiday or two at their buddies' homes, getting to know the sisters.
FIVE boys? Honestly, she doesn't need THAT many priests. 😉 I have already decided that my oldest is going to be the first American Pope and two of my daughters will obviously be nuns, but the other ones are still up for grabs! Of course, I'll have to beat the boys away from my seven year old, who says she will not get married because having babies hurts, so she plans to be a farmer instead. I tried to tell her that waking at the crack of dawn to feed animals and milk cows is harder work than mothering, but she's seen how stressed I am at the end of the day and she called my bluff.
🙂