Being a Donkey

Being a donkey as in being stubborn--not the other word associated with donkeys!!!!

This last Saturday (Jan. 24), I went to get Lilli out of her bed. I told her I would not get her out of bed until she told me her name. We have had a heck of a time getting her to tells us her name. When we asked, she usually responded with Baby or Angie. (As a sidebar to the story, Angie says Lilli's full name is Lilli And Jade!) So, that morning I told her I would get her out of her bed when she told me her name. She tried Baby and Angie and I said no. She just sat there. (As another sidebar to the story, Lilli tried to climb out of her bed once before and fell hard. Yesterday was the first time since then that she tried to climb out of her bed. She succeeded. I expect her to climb out more often now.) I told her I was going to fix breakfast and leave her in bed. She started to cry and I asked her what her name was. She said nothing so I went to the kitchen and started breakfast. A few minutes later, I asked her what her name was and again she said nothing. I did this several times, but she would not answer me.

Each morning, we prepare a milk shake for the kids with nutrients to help in their growth and immunity. Both girls love it and ask for it every morning. We make it with the blender. When I turned the blender on, Lilli knew what was going on and wanted out of her bed. I told her she had to tell me her name. Nothing. I finished her milk shake and told her as soon as she told me her name, she could have her milk shake. I thought for sure that would get her out of her bed. But she refused. Finally, after about three attempts with her milk shake in my hand, she said a hardly audible Lilli. I cheered and praised her for doing it. Yet, she seemed to be defeated. Over the last few days, though, she has been more willing to say her name.

Comparing kids one to another can be very dangerous (and usually stupid), but since Angie and Lilli are complete opposites, it is easy to see the differences. Angie was quick to speak and very willing to repeat what we asked her to repeat. Lilli is the complete opposite. If we ask her to repeat something, she will not do it. She is very strong-willed and stubborn. Raising Lilli will be (and is) very different from raising Angie.

Lastly, even though raising a strong-willed child like Lilli may be more challenging than raising a compliant child like Angie, I would never want it any other way. I love both girls so much, and I love the learning moments we share together. Being a father is much more difficult than I expected, but at the same time it is much more rewarding.

Who Would Believe Ants Could Do This?

I really enjoy Kim Komando's Video of the Day. On today's video (Jan. 21, 2009), she has a video showing what ants can do. Scientists found an abandoned ant hill and poured tons of cement down it. What they uncovered is amazing!



By the way, I still plan to get some pictures from Christmas posted.