Daredevils

One thing about having more than one child, is that it gives you a perspective on how truly different kids can be. When you just have one, its really really hard sometimes to truely understand that all kids do not act and respond to things the way that yours does. At least I had trouble with that at times! Even though intellectually (and experientially as a teacher!) I knew it was true.

Take my girls. Emma (the oldest) has always been super cautious. She was a mama’s girl for a loooong time, hesitant about strangers and new situations. Very slow to warm up. A very picky (cautious) eater. And physically, always always careful, nervous, and slow to take on a challenge. A lot of times, this worked great for me, especially her being a fairly careful toddler when I had two newborns to lug around as well. Thank goodness!

Elsie and Delia, not so much! They are so different than Emma (though similar to each other), especially with regards to the physical stuff. Even though they took longer to actually crawl and walk than Emma did, from the start they have been climbers, leapers, adventurers, and daredevils — both of them! Delia perhaps a bit moreso (hence the two chipped teeth on one occasion, and fat lip and stiches on another…) but really both of them are pretty equal with this. Last spring, a few months before they turned one (and many before they started walking!), Delia –and later Elsie– started walking up our little slide. I can’t believe that video is only from a year ago! Since then they’ve mastered all sorts of way bigger slides, and are now working on climbing much larger things, ladders, hanging on bars, swinging, dangling and jumping…

The thing is, even though they are very physical and adventurous, I don’t worry (too much) about them falling or getting hurt, at least in places and with equipment they know well (like our backyard). I feel like they’ve figured out what gravity does, and are careful enough to not do something stupid. Perhaps naive of me, but its worth it to me to give them space and not follow them around. So lately, we’ve been letting all three girls out to play in the backyard by themselves. Revolutionary!

A few days ago they were out there in a brief sunny moment, in between all the rain we’ve been having. When I first looked out they were playing around on the swings (pushing each other sometimes, oh so cute!). In a few minutes I looked out again and saw BOTH Elsie and Delia almost to the top of the high climbing wall, one right behind the other. The one that Emma only mastered in the last few months! By the time I was out there they were both up, so here’s a few shots of Elsie trying it again by herself…