The Difference Between Ellie and Lotta

[caption id="attachment_4026" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Ellie nonchallantly standing."][/caption]

Lotta started taking some steps over the last couple of weeks.  Here is the difference between Ellie and Lotta.  The day Ellie took her first steps, Betsy C was over visiting with us.  Ellie was busy occupying herself.  I imagine I was super excited to have another adult to converse with and was probably talking super fast.  Suddenly, Betsy C. said, "I think Ellie (Betsi at the time) just started walking."  We jumped up excited to see Ellie taking her first steps.  It was as if Ellie wanted to figure it out on her own before sharing her accomplishment with us.

Fast forward to Lotta.  Lotta will raise herself up from sitting position.  My response, is to start clapping and saying "Good job!!"  Now, when she does this little trick, she makes sure that everyone in her vicinity notices and responds in the

[caption id="attachment_4007" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Lotta on the beach standing (your cue to clap and exclaim excitedly)."][/caption]

appropriate way (clapping and cheering).  She requires the same response for her steps.  How much more opposite can you get from Ellie hiding herself away to practice on her own?

Last week, Ben once again inquired if perhaps we could just call Lotta "Ellie".  I explained that Lotta is NOT Ellie and so that would be confusing to call her her sister's name.  Furthermore, I explained that I do not want Lotta to

be Ellie, I want Lotta to be Lotta.  And, conversely, I do not want Ben to be Ellie, I want Ben to be Ben.  No one else can be Ellie except for Ellie.  When I said that I did not want Ben to be Ellie, he looked at me as if I finally got it.  At times, it feels as if I need a decoder to figure out what is really being said to me.  Boy does it feel awesome when I get it.

[caption id="attachment_4008" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Ben swims with Lotta and his Dad."][/caption]

We went to Door County last weekend and Ben for the first time started swimming.  He was so utterly proud of himself.  He would dive under the water, then swim right up to me, his big eyes wide open.  He looked so innocent and I could feel his longing for ME to acknowledge HIM.  For hours, I sat watching him swim while he would shout, "Hey, Mom, watch this!!"  No decoder needed for that one.