Fresh Air and Oxygen Masks
By Maureen Connolly

Barbies, tutus, and just about pink anything, are hard to come by in my house. What's never in short supply: Miniature Legos, Star Wars Light Sabers, and scary looking play figures with half-missing faces and super powers. Thanks to my three young boys, any one of these items can guaranteed to be found lurking beneath couch cushions, tossed carelessly on the kitchen table, or hiding underneath beds. These boy toys serve as constant reminders of the ever-rising levels of testosterone that surround me. In a word, I’m estrogen-challenged in my household.

Don’t get me wrong, I love every inch of my sweet little boys. And I love being a boy-mom. Aside from the occasional pang I feel each spring when I catch a glimpse of the new line of pretty pink summer girl dresses at Gap Kids, it’s rare that I ever think about what it would be like to be raising a girl.

But mothering three boys, means that I must make a conscious effort to recharge my female batteries. An invitation to a good jewelry party or wine with some mommy friends, and I’m there in a flash. It’s the talk about fabulous but affordable body moisturizers and underwear that sucks in your mommy gut, that allows me to get my girly-girl fix. (I know, not exactly sexy stuff, but you mommies out there get where I’m coming from.) And while these days the girl-talk sessions are less frequent than I might like, that’s just kinda how it goes when you’re in the throes of raising young kids. But as many of my mom friends often like to remind each other: You need to put YOUR oxygen mask on first. They’re so right. A little fresh air goes a long way toward keeping your sense of self intact. So I'll take the deep breaths where, when, and however I can get them.