The Calm before the Storm

This well known expression is the perfect description for my kids. Bilaal has always been a little gentleman. Yaasier refers to him as our 'heart' because he is so caring and considerate of how others feel. He relishes in the approval of others, but also has a yearning to do whats 'right'. Bilaal is also very pedantic and needs everything to have order and structure. From very young he used to play with his cars by placing them in neat, tight rows, calling them traffic jams. His pretend play would always involve good and bad charracters with some element of law making. He responded almost too well to routine in that if you introduce something a certain way more than once, do not dare try to do it any other way again. Everybody must sit in exactly the same place, when you greet him at bedtime you must say the same thing in the same order or he can't go to sleep! He has outgrown some of his little OCD type reactions but he still craves and thrives by the predictable, ordered way of life.

Then... Sumayah came along... And turned Bilaals world upside down. She is definately like the storm that comes suddenly after the calm. It never ceases to amaze me how 2 people from the same parents can be so completely opposite in character. Yaasier calls her our 'spirit' because she is so spirited yet so loving. Sumayah just does things with confidence and carefree enthusiasm. There is no such thing as 'can't' with Sumayah. I know all children go through the terrible twos and they don't listen etc, but Sumayah is just so completely stubborn and independent-minded that she seems to take the naughitness to a whole new level. Structure and order are certainly not her thing! When she plays with cars or blocks its all about creating chaos, often ending in her enthusiastically smashing her creations or throwing everything with vigor... And not out of naughtiness, but genuine enjoyment. She is the child that writes on the walls and floors with black koki, or empties a tub of aqueous cream on her body in the middle of the night. She is that little girl on the playground who makes the little boys cry. Our neighbour whose son is the same age says that she noticed he has become alot more assertive in playgroup since playing with Sumayah so she loves that Sumayah is 'manning' him up. Yet in the same vain she is very loving and sincere. She shows so much affection to everyone and always wants to 'help'. Sometimes her 'helping' doesn't go down too well because she is so rough but she really means well and I am sure as she grows up this will be one of her most beautiful traits.

So we have heart and spirit... I have to wonder what number 3 is going to be like. The time is drawing near now and I am getting excited to meet the little guy who will be joining our  family.