Parenting 102:The Difference Amongst my Monkeys

I have been observing my kids a lot lately. Just watching how they interact with each other, how they work independently, how they get on my nerves differently, ya know all that good stuff. Just kind of sitting back really noticing them. Other than the obvious difference in their sex and age, I wonder how else they are different. Or how much they are alike? How much they are like me or their fathers.
My baby girl..my Candace..Warrior Princess Ahdia (Swahili- gift from God)...The FBI-SWAT-Ninja-Spy...this chick right here is something else. I see so much of me in her. BUT here's the issue, the NOW me is what I see in her. The outspoken me is raining or reigning down HARD on this chick. And I do remind her that though she has a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, her belts will never out do my leather belt...WORD! She is creative, like me. People say she is my mini-me and I can agree 50%. I don't think she looks like me but she is me!
My baby boy, my terrorist, my Prince Charming Jasir (Muslim- Courageous)...Baby Py..Tinka-Doo..SCOOP! Now this one right here...lawd have mercy the Creator has to be laughing at me because he is the one! He is busy and most would say many pre-toddlers are, but this lil dude moves like someone is paying him to do what he does. And whatever this "job" is he has with whomever, he does it well. He tests the barriers with both mom and dad and he plays us against each other, already. Once again, he doesn't look like me AT ALL. He is all daddy. But I do believe he is stubborn just like his mommy! Hush…we have our reasons.
I think about my daughter at his age and I see many differences.
Here’s the run down:
Ahdia- July 15, 2001 Sunday 6:36pm 6lbs 12oz 19in Due date July 8th 
Jasir- May 5, 2010 Wednesday 11:14pm 7lbs 5.4oz 19.75in Due date May 7th

She sat up at 3.5months
He sat up at 5 months

She started walking at 10.5 months
He started walking at 8months

Both are very verbal
He would rather actually try to say the words where as she would just talk and if you understood her fine if not you better figure it out. This is funny because He will actually say words but if he feels as though he is having a hard time, he won’t say it at all.
She was (still is) a picky eater
He eats anything...no really he will try it once no matter how it looks. The girl won't eat food if she doesn't like how it looks...color...etc.

I guess I could actually go on and on about my Monkeys. I can say the biggest difference is, with Ahdia I was a single parent and with Jasir I am a co-parent. And that is a major difference. Once a single parent, always a single parent. You find yourself still in those habits. What I do know is I don't love one more than the other. I love them equally. I read a status one day on Facebook about how do you divide your love….time..etc when you have more than one child. Many people don't think they can love more than one child. They think you have to have a favorite. I don't have a favorite I love them both. They both are different and i love their personality. Both kids came to me at a different time in my life. I recently said in a blog that though I love my kids equally they mean different things to me. They taught me different things in parenting. Ahdia taught me hope while Jasir taught me patience.

Now that we are "grown" and are parents, can you say you have sat in the student chair while your kids were the ones teaching you? I know I can and frankly there is nothing wrong with it. Even teachers need a re-fresher course and that's alright with this student of life.

Love & Light,
Poe