Confidence

It's interesting to have two very different children. Gabriella exudes confidence from every part of her. That girl sees nothing she can't conquer. She sees no limits in her physical or social capabilities. She doesn't understand the fact that she's still just a little person. Ever since she was a teeny tiny baby she has wanted to be big. This week she's climbed into the dishwasher, tried to climb the bookshelves, tried to climb over the security gate, learned to flush the toilet, eaten toilet paper out of the toilet, and gone down slides all by herself. Whew, it makes me tired just thinking of the energy this little one has.

On the other hand there's Kate. She's cautious. She has a hard time trying new things, or believing in her capability to do things. I can't count the amount of times I've tried to talk her into doing things she's not sure she can do only to have her make up her mind that she can't and won't do it. Matt and I decided to get a swing set for her birthday. It's nothing fancy just some swings and a slide. At first she wouldn't even go down the slide without holding my hand. She preferred to sit in the baby swing for Gabriella than the big swing for her. But gradually over this past week she's grown more and more confident in her physical capabilities. Today she was going down the slide head first on her stomach. It's been amazing for me to watch how that confidence radiates to every other aspect of her life. I love seeing her believe in herself and her capacity to do things she's unsure of. Who knew all it would take was a swing set!