The kids are back at gymnastics and they are both LOVING it. Unlike our past experience – where Max cried almost the entire time – he is now engaged and giggling. And like everything else my kids do, their differences become very pronounced during these lessons.

Lucy
She is in a class for pre-schoolers with about 5 other little girls and 1 boy. She rarely smiles. She listens intensely and with purpose. She follows every instruction given to her down to the last period. She ALWAYS follows the single-file line and ALWAYS waits her turn. Today after class I had this conversation with her coach:

Coach: Lucy is doing very well and I think she’ll be ready to move up into the next class in about 4 more weeks.
Me: Great, she seems to really enjoy herself
Coach: She is a VERY good listener which makes it so much easier
Me: (whispering so I don’t embarrass Lucy) she is quite the rule follower
Coach: YES, I noticed that.

Yes, that is my daughter, the rule-follower.

Max
He loves gymnastics and approaches every activity with gusto. He throws himself onto the trampoline. He follows instructions only after being asked at least 6 times. He rarely notices that we have a coach. The coach says “straddle position” and Max does pike. Coach says “tuck position” and Max does straddle. His favorite part of the entire lesson is at the end when all the kids get to “race” which just means they get to run from one end of the gym to the other and then turn around and do it again. I sit at one end of the gym and the coach sits at the other. Max runs as fast as he can and then flings his arms around my neck and collapses into a hug – having NEVER slowed down. Most of the time he knocks me over. Within five minutes of even being at the gym his hair is wet with sweat and he’s rolling on the floor out of joy. To say Max is enthusiastic would be an understatment.

Now, if I could somehow get them to rub off on each other everything would be just fine.