Biggest, Brightest, Best

When I was a kid, given a choice of anything, I always went for the biggest, the most colorful, or one that would inevitably go first.  Being one of five (sometimes eight, if you include cousins that were always around) kids in a house, I knew that if I don't take what I can get, someone else will and I'd end up regretting my choice. Since I was the oldest, I usually got first choice or at least muscled my way into first choice.  Still, I never let an opportunity pass me by when it came to the best toy, coloring book, or seat in the car.

Lilli is in no rush to go for the coolest animal in the bucket, the best snack in the pantry, or the biggest slice of cake.  She knows it will be there next time, if she chooses to explore the tiny goose today.  Tomorrow she can check out the giant horse. The perks of being an only (and very spoiled) child are very interesting to me. A point of view I'd never get from my own perspective as first born of many.

Most of the time, when Lilli gets a reward for potty successes, she picks an animal toy that she'd been interested in that week.  Last week, she picked two ducks and a chicken over any other (in my opinion) much cooler and bigger cow, tiger, or gorilla.  She chooses the less than fabulous toys in the lot, but she is always just as thrilled.  Just as I started to think how different we were, while washing her hands after another #2 success, she declares she wants the biggest, coolest, and most appealing toy animal in the two buckets she has to choose from. I have to admit, I'm sort of jealous of her freedom.  She doesn't need to worry someone else will get to the best choice first. Though, at the end of the day, I'm more than happy to give her the peace of mind of less competition.