There is a lot of hype about gender these days.  Boys, girls, men, women, other, used to be, identify with both, whatever.  I am a girl.  Or, at nearly 35 years old I guess I should call myself a woman.  But that just sounds funny to me.  I identify with ‘girl’.  So there!  Ha!  I am a girl, nearly 35 years old, married to a man, 56 years old.  We have 2 children here with us, a boy who will be 18 this December and a girl, recently turned 9.

I present to you ‘The Placemat Problem.’

Bottom left, my placemat.  Top left, small girl child’s placemat.

Top right, almost 18 year old boy placemat.  Bottom right, man’s placemat.

I admit, there are a couple of spots on the small girl’s placemat.  However, she is 9 years old.  Smallest person in the house.

Closer look at the Girl side…..

VS the Boy’s side…..
It should be noted we have eaten the same number of meals here as a family over the course of a week.

Not only does the male side leave stains but also dried bits of food which must either be gently brushed into a dustpan or folded up into the mat and carried outside and shaken out just in order to wash the darn things.  Serioulsy, it’s not cool.  We were having company over, which led to my observation here today.

Thank God I have more than one set of placemats.

I am a bit worried about their lifespan, how many food bits and stains and date’s with industrial strength Spray ‘n Wash can one placemat stand?  I am not sure…….

I just know this.  Boys and girls are different.  And I for one, am glad.

They may be hard on placemats, but they are easy on the eyes.

And my particular man brings me coffee every morning, plus re-fills, in my favorite cup.  And he puts gas in my car (sometimes).  And he mows the lawn and feeds the livestock and watches The Great British Baking Show with me.  And he loves cats.

I can buy new placemats…….

I reckon I’ll keep him.

p.s.  If anyone would like to contest my opinion that boys and girls are different…..please don’t bother.  I sleep with a man, live with a man and worked with men for over half my life.  Maybe they are something else in your neck of the woods, but around here….well.  They get your placemats dirty!

Love you, Peeps!