I don't know why it takes me by surprise, but I really do find it very interesting to see how each child develops differently from each other even when placed in the same situations and environment. Violet has amazing handwriting, though she has started to get a bit lazy on it since it isn't a challenge. She has even memorized how to write her name, though sometimes the letters are mixed up or sometimes she inserts her own gibberish of lines and squiggles. She has held writing/drawing utensils correctly since the first day she picked one up. She is very interactive with her environment, and such a happy girl. Most of the time she is content as long as she is near me. However, she is three years old and still can not seem to get the numbers in the right order (even just doing 1-3), and she does not know her alphabet. I have started trying to spend more time teaching her, though it is much different than it was with Ethan. Ethan picks everything up the first time you tell him. At this age Ethan would walk around Grandpa Anderson's yard counting flowers. Lately he has started getting into board games, and will play Risk, Monopoly, Ticket to Ride, and other games with Ryan and I, or by himself. Sometimes he plays correctly by himself, other times he makes up his own game. He also excelled at math and reading in school, getting a High to High/Average in both categories. At the same time, though, he still can not hold a pencil, fork, etc. correctly and I have to constantly remind him not to eat with his hands, and his writing is horrible, and he still struggles tying his shoes. And, at Violets age he definitely did not come close to writing his name. He didn't even like drawing or writing at all unless there was a purpose (still the same today). It reinforces in my mind the truth that it doesn't matter what each kid excels at in comparison to other kids, because each kid has their own skills and talents, and as parents and teachers I think we need to recognize and celebrate that more often than we do.