Lately I have been thinking about the differences in BigZabba and LittleZabba.

From a very early ago BigZabba had a hunger for learning.  By the time she was 2 1/2 she could say and recongnize the ABC’s, by the time she was 3 she could write all the letters and even a few words.  At 3 1/2 she knew the sounds that the letters made and was beginning to sound out words, and shortly before turning 4 she could read.  LittleZabba is now 3 years old.  She can say the ABC’s, and can only recongnize a handful of letters.  She would much rather play than learn letters.

BigZabba, bless her sweet little heart, is (said with all the love in my heart) a drama queen.  If she gets even the smallest scratch the whining and complaining starts to flow.  Her little world can come crashing down if she cannot wear he outfit of choice.  She can be reduced to a puddle if looked at the wrong way.  She has quite a sensitive spirit.  On the other end of the spectrum LittleZabba, for the most part, lets stuff roll off her back with very little fuss.  She doesn’t mind scratches or bruises, she is almost proud of them.  She rarely complains when she is sick, she just deals with it.  This could be because she was sick so much as a baby that she just learned to live with it.  A great example of this is when LZ recently had the stomach flu.  LZ actually got sick in the middle of the night and she took care of everything herself…she didn’t cry or call for me to come help.  BZ would have been in hysterics.

Following rules is something that BigZabba loves to do.  She tries very hard to obey and when she disobeys, she is genuinely heartbroken.  LittleZabba obeys when she remembers.  Don’t get me wrong, she is a great kid, but she has a hard time remembering the daily things.  She really doesn’t seem to mind consequences.  For example, she has a hard time remembering that she needs to stay in bed in the morning.  This is a battle we have been fighting for several months now.  Each time she gets up, she gets something taken away (a favorite toy, tv for the day, and if it is really bad her blanket).  BZ would have been devastated at a toy being taken away and she would never get out of bed again.  LZ, she is upset for a minute or so, then she moves on.  “Oh well, I will try harder next time,” she says.  And then the next day, she does it again.

It will be interesting to see how the girls grow and change as they get older.  Will BZ continue to be the rule follower?  Will LZ continue to push the limits and “forget” the rules?  Will BZ be full of drama and LZ relaxed?  Only time will tell.