Gender Specificity and the Wonders of Brotherhood

In the first 14+ years of the Susanka Horde’s adventurous existence, we have had little-to-no use for feminine pronouns. That’s not a misogynistic tendency (I hope); it’s just a practical fact. My wife is “Mama” to the boys and “Sarah” to me. Never “She.”

Likewise, the various other feminine influences in/on the boys’ lives have nearly always been discussed with specificity. The boys speak of one another in pronoun form all the time, but I assume that’s because opportunities abound. Women-folk are rare enough occurrences to get proper names, not pronouns.

Of course, all that has changed with the arrival of Phoebe Lenor. Because opportunity, right? Or at least I would have expected it all the change. But it hasn’t. At least not as far as Cormac (Son #6) is concerned.

Since the earliest days of Phoebe’s calming influence on the Horde, Cormac has strenuously resisted the notion that she’s a girl. “Phoebe’s not a girl!” he insists. “Phoebe’s a BABY!” Hard to argue with that, really. So we’ve just been letting it slide. Plenty of time to get things straightened out later, right?

Yesterday, though, Sarah put Phoebe in one of the (many) pink dresses we’ve received since her arrival. (Pro Tip: If you want a lot of pink things — especially blankets — have nothing but sons for ages. Then, have a daughter. Then, stand back and watch the pink come rolling in.)

Cormac was tearing around the living room — as is his wont — but when he saw Phoebe thus be-dressed, he stopped cold. Stunned.

“Mama! Him IS a girl!!!”

So maybe we’ll work on case a bit, as well. Right after we get the pronouns sorted out.

Attribution(s): Mine, all mine.