Oh, Ellie.
None of our children surprise us like Ellie does. Sam can be so similar to Catie, and like I said, Catie taught us what to expect of our kids.
Ellie changes our expectations every single time.
We expect them to hate new experiences, Ellie talks for days about starting ballet camp. And then actually runs in to the classroom on the first day. We expect our kids to easily pacifiable, but hell hath no fury like Ellie when she doesn’t get her way. We expect our kids to take themselves way too seriously, to get their feelings hurt way too easily (I wonder where they get that from?), Ellie has been known to sing “Jesus Loves Me”at the top of her lungs–even when everyone else in the family is irritable. We expect our kids to pull out every stored art supply–and then leave them on the floor until Mommy makes them put them back days later. Ellie will clap her hands and say, “Let’s put away ALL these things!” We expect our kids to be indecisive, Ellie knows exactly what she wants from her clothes to her food with such certainty that I rarely don’t let her have it. I’m just too amazed. The rest of us can ponder a choice for days. Ellie just knows. We expect our kids to be quick with hugs, if Ellie doesn’t chose to sit on your lap, just give up. There’s no changing her mind.
Because of all these characteristics, Ellie has become the baby of the family. When Catie and Sam are acting just like each other (and that’s a lot like M. and me), Ellie is the tiebreaker, the peacemaker, the one whose attention they fight over.
This week she’ll be replaced as the baby of the family. Who knows? Maybe this little boy will be like Sam and Catie and Ellie will retain her right as the fun-loving one, the peacemaker. The youngest child.
Whatever happens, I know that we’ll have so much fun watching Ellie grow up.
As she amazes us every day.
