"One of these kids is not like the others..."

Sesame Street used to have a little song and game that I think everyone will remember if you ever frequented the show as a kid. They would put up four pictures of children or toys or food or something, and they would sing "One of these kids (or things) is not like the others, one of these kids is not the same, one of these kids is doing their own thing, blah blah blah somethin' somethin' somethin'". Anyway, when I  look at the pictures of my four kids going up the stairwell wall, I can hear this song playing in my head.  Allow me to introduce you to my ordinary children doing ordinary things. . . typical even...but you will find, as I have, that one of these kids is not like the others! :)

The oldest:  Dallen.
Dallen is easy. He is a boy, he likes baseball. He likes football, and he has some natural athletic talent. It is a blast to watch him play because it really allows him to shine.  His self confidence grows and he is successful. His otherwise timid self gets to come out and show the world what he can do. We LOVE it that he likes sports because we are sports fans. What fun.  He has enrolled in baseball for the spring, and it is great.

The youngest: Lily.
Lily is your typical 3 year old. You've read about her before and know that she is mischievious, funny, and cute. Again, typical for a girl her age, and not yet old enough to put her into any sort of activity, although I have a sneaking suspicion she will tend toward the 'performing arts' side. Likely singing, as she loves to have a microphone in her hand and sing for the masses...I'll let you know how that develops.

The second child: Jada

Jada. Jada is not so easy. She likes a lot of different things but is not just 'gaga' over any one thing. But she does tend to love dance. She is quite flexible, long and skinny, and loves to try to do acrobatic balances. She would make an excellent ballerina simply by her shape and movements. So, ballet class, here we come. She has signed up for spring ballet and I am certain she will love it.

The third child: Anna
Anna. Anna, Anna, Anna.  Anna is not tall and slender, she tends toward the short, squat, and uncoordinated side like her mother...I'm thinking its genetic. Ballet appeals to Anna because she has a girly side, and wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up. Actually, she wants to own a shop with her sister where Jada does hair, and then when they have their hair done, they can go to the attached shop and pick a custom made dress designed by Miss Anna herself, and they can be in the business of making women pretty together.  I realize this sounds pretty typical for a little girl that is 6 years old,  but Anna has another side to her.

Last summer she attended a martial arts class taught by her Aunt Kelly, and she LOVED it. She learned how to throw someone on the ground, and has enjoyed demonstrating that technique on various and sundry boys and girls as they come to visit ever since.  The other day she surprised Ian with a quick take-down he wasn't expecting and she beamed like a lighthouse at her accomplishment. The poor boy could do nothing but laugh it off and pretend like it was fun to be thrown to the ground by a girl.  Anna and her devilish alter ego enjoyed it perhaps a bit too much, but I think we may have found the 'niche' for this kid that we never really expected. 

So my quiet little blonde beauty wants to be a martial arts expert...its always the quiet ones ya gotta watch out for right?  Unexpected, yes. Unprecidented, no.  I am beginning to think this kid was really from my sister's stock and not mine, except I did give birth to this child, so perhaps it is a recessive gene.  Either way its quite amusing.  This little girl has much more to her than meets the eye.

It should be fun to see what happens when someone tries to rob her little dress shop when she's older... SURPRISE! You just got your explitive kicked by a GIRL! 

So, I have four very different children, and consequently this spring, I've got one in Baseball, one in Ballet, and one in Tae Kwon Do...I'm in for a very entertaining spring.