My little Ferdinand

I absolutely adore this picture.  If I had the ability to, I'd paint a mural of it in my daughter's room right above her books. Until I can mooch off the talent of someone else, a framed picture will have to do.  

You see, this picture is more than just an illustration from the classic children's book The Story of Ferdinand.  This picture is the very epitome of my child's personality.   

Let's take a look at the accompanying text:

"All the other little bulls he lived with would run and jump and butt their heads together, but not Ferdinand.  He liked to sit just quietly and smell the flowers."

Nora was born in a huge baby boom on our team with about three other toddlers and then more infants to come.  Yet now at almost 17 months, she has watched every single one of them get up and take their first steps leaving her behind. All the other little toddlers she plays with like to run and zoom and waddle their way around, but not Nora.  She like to sit just quietly and pat her baby doll and read her books.   

"Sometimes his mother, who was a cow, would worry about him.  She was afraid he would be lonesome all by himself.  'Why don't you run and play with other little bulls and skip and butt your head?' she would say.  But Ferdinand would shake his head. 'I like it better here where I can sit quietly and smell the flowers.'"

I will be completely honest when I say that after her first birthday, it was difficult to not be consumed with thoughts about her walking progress.  It's not that I was afraid she would never learn how to eventually walk, but was eager for her to run around and play like her other little friends.  Both Dave and I would say "Stand up, Nora.  You can do it!  You're a big girl!  Let's see you walk!"  But no matter how encouraging and enthusiastic our words, she would shake her head and crawl back to her books.  I think the most difficult parts were when she would take strides and actually walk by herself.  Five, then 10, then 18 steps!  The next day and following weeks she would want nothing to do with it.   We were so confused at how she wouldn't want to continue with the freedom to get around and explore! If she could speak full sentences, I'm sure she would also say "I like it better here where I can sit quietly and read my books."

"His mother saw that he was not lonesome, and because she was an understanding mother, even though she was a cow, she let him just sit there and be happy."

I long to be this mother.  If I was really an understanding mother, I would see that she is not developmentally struggling, she will walk when she's ready, and I have nothing to be concerned about.  It's one thing to say "Oh I know, she will walk when she's ready" and it's another to actually believe that in your heart and just let them sit there and be happy.

Here's to a sigh of relief to letting our kids just BE.  Even if that means they are completely opposite and wreaking havoc on your house at this very minute.  In that case, just let them run around crazy and be happy.