Family dynamics

Took the kids out to lunch yesterday for the last day of school. We ordered 3 appetizers, and 6 meals, 2 root bear floats, a bunch of sodas, and had very little leftovers. $90 later, I am staring at the empty plates and trying to figure out how our neighboring table managed to purchase a $10 pizza for the whole table of 8 people and a few sodas. Oh, I see, there is not one BOY at their entire table. I have one girl and 4 boys, and someday I will have 4 teenage boys, and we will have to take out another mortgage on our home in order to feed them. Also, I have found, that boys are destroyers. They make messes and break things just for the sake of watching it all happen. Daily, charlie has been breaking through the child locks and dumping the flour and sugar all over the floor. Scotty and Jack used to clear bookshelves just to see the books fall. Jack (9) still hits things with sticks and bats just to hear the sound it makes, and to "see what happens." Ben (4) writes all over stuff. Elaina (6) does none of this stuff. This is not to say she isn't messy. She is, but it is more with a purpose. Her room becomes a disaster because tries on all of her clothes. The toy room will be a mess because she was feeding and changing and tending to all of the "animals at my vet clinic." Also, Elaina is less confrontational. The boys will be going at it fighting or whatever and she is standing back watching. A brother who was not even originally involved in the fight will jump in just because he is compelled to, but not Elaina. She stands back, watches, maybe tells me about it. I used to think I needed the same family dynamic in my household now that I grew up with. I grew up with a bunch of sisters. My brothers also had each other. I worried that Elaina wouldn't "have what I had." Well, that's right, she won't. But she may have some new things of her own. Hopefully she will have a really neat friendship with her mother. She often calls me her sister. She will have 4 brothers to look after her and look out for her and protect her. I bet that she develops some really close friendships with girls in her life. She may grow up very tough, and tolerant and nurturing. And I hope some day she marries someone as caring as her brothers are, someone as protective as her brothers are, someone as fun as her brothers are, and someone who eats the way her brothers do, because she actually LOVES food too! also I don't want to forget: -Tonight when we arrived to pick up the kids from our short weekend away we were greeted with hugs and kisses from every kid, even the older boys. Each of them was a little huggier tonight and cuddlier. I'm glad to know they like us : ) -Elaina started squealing with excitement as Grandma was opening her birthday gift tonight. I love how excited she gets about stuff like that. She makes me laugh. -Charlie was all over helping grandma blow out her candles on her ice cream cake. Too cute. Tomorrow he gets to blow out his own!