Not so sensitive

Madeleine is not a sensitive child. For those of you who might read my blog but who don't know my family, you may not know that I have a sister, Sarah, who is 10 years younger than me. Sarah was my first real introduction to kids--there was enough difference between the two of us for me to remember her as a baby. Therefore, I am always comparing Madeleine to Sarah. And Madeleine is NOTHING like Sarah.

Sarah was/is very sensitive to others. Not Madeleine. I used to be able to make Sarah cry just by pretending to cry. If I pretend to cry, Madeleine just laughs. I have even tried really hard to make it seem real but Madeleine won't be fooled by my crocodile tears (I'm a pretty sick mom trying to make my baby cry, but that is a whole other post).

I try to persuade Madeleine not to do things by telling her that it will "make Mommy very sad." If she really wants to do something, I might as well just pull out the box of Kleenex because she doesn't care how sad I might get. In fact, one time she went ahead and did whatever it was I didn't want her to do, and then came over and patted me on the back and asked, "Are you sad now Mommy?" At least she isn't insensitive.

Most of all, Madeleine is Madeleine. Trying to compare her to anyone else is a mute point. She is strong willed and defiant, sweet and cooperative, loud and ornery, loving and kind, and she thinks that she is indestructible. She is definitely one of a kind.