According to science, three-year-old boys and girls have the same skeleton. According to Hergenrader Family Genes, if you cut Ellie’s hair, you’d have another Sam. With of course, one obvious difference.
According to reality, the boy and girl differences in these two shine brightest in three areas: dressing, swimming, and bicycle riding. I’ve well-documented the dressing. I could–and have–gone on and on about the prodigy that Ellie is in putting together outfits. It’s an undervalued skill, really. If she was a pre-school virtuoso, she’d be on Oprah. But the ability to pull together color-coordinated outfits and hair styles, with only the hand-me-downs in her closet? No one appreciates talent like that.
And for all of Ellie’s fashion passion, Sam is oblivious to clothing choices. Which is also nice. And so speedy in the morning when Ellie is wrestling with what matches yellow flannel (the answer? gold sparkles. g-e-n-i-u-s).
I’ve also documented Sam’s daredevil swimming style. For every backward summersault he attempts, Ellie clings onto the side a little tighter. At least we’ll have another pair of eyes for Nate this summer, if he, indeed, turns out to catapult himself into the pool like his brother does.
Sam and Ellie got new bikes this week. Actually, Sam got a new one, and Ellie got Catie’s old one. Part of being the second girl–all the nail polish you can imagine, but also an old bike. Sam his (literally!) riding circles around Ellie. She is too busy a) readjusting her baby doll in its basket b) fixing her gold sparkly-yellow flannel outfit or c) trying to figure out how to ride the darn thing.
Oh well. Everyone’s gotta be good at something.
And have I mentioned Ellie’s fashion sense?
