how we love our kids

A while back, when Tallulah was a newborn, my sister-in-law said something I didn't quite get.  She said that God makes our kids different so we will love them, because if they were the same, we would love them less.  Or something to that effect.  I didn't understand because the baby was an uninteresting blob, and I didn't see how it was possible to love or want anything different than Annabelle.

Enter Tallulah.  She won't ever make a grand entrance, because that is not her style, but she will smile and win you over in a thousand little ways.

Case in point, the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special.  There is a scene in the show where Snoopy is battling a lawn chair.  When Annabelle first saw it, she was screaming with hysterical laughter.  She laughed so hard, it made us laugh and get out the video camera, which is something we never, ever do.  Now, 3 years later is is Lulu's turn to see it for the first time.  It was sort of old hat to Annabelle and she was just chuckling at it, but Tallulah was very concerned.  She had a little frown on her face and looked to her sister for reassurance.  I could tell she didn't like that the chair was getting the best of Snoopy, but if Annabelle was laughing, it must be ok, but still.....

Fast forward to the Texans spanking from the Patriots.  After the second touchdown, I stopped watching, but not because the Texans didn't show up--I stopped watching because the game was upsetting Tallulah.  She wasn't yelling "ker-plonk" every time there was a tackle like another little two year old girl I used to know did.  She said,  "No!  No!  Football hurt.  Football hurt me." and pointed to her body and then the tv.  I asked her if she wanted to go to bed.  "Hmm-hmmm" was her response and she pointed toward the stairs.  I obliged and held her in my arms for a few minutes while her peaceful little soul fell asleep.

But in case you think she is Mother Theresa, think again.  She walked up to Annabelle this afternoon and pulled out a handful of her hair for no reason.  And then did it two more times and laughed. Not quite as hysterically as Annabelle did when she first saw snoopy and the lawn chair, because that is not her style, but with an equal amount of merriment.