Persistence

I posted a week or so ago about Elijah's vigilance and how it greatly pains my posterior but when it really matters turns out to be a blessing. Today I learned something else about him. He got the Lego Mobile Command Center for Christmas from us (I can't bear to give Santa credit--isn't that awful? I tell them the little stuff is from Santa!). It's a big, complicated Lego project, something like 1440 pieces. It's my idea of a nightmare, really. He opened it Christmas morning at Grandma and Papa Giller's house and was not allowed to take the pieces out until he got home yesterday afternoon. He set right to it and refused to stop until Brian made him go to bed. Food was delivered to him at his work table. This morning when I got up he was back at it, had been since he woke up. He worked diligently and was near completion but was very tired and making mistakes that would cause problems (collapses and pieces falling off) that would frustrate him and make him cry. That happens with his sister all the time ("I can't find the HAIRBRUUUUSHSSSSSHHHH!!!") and I refuse to help her until she sits down and calms herself. Then she usually can problem solve successfully on her own. Well, this guy was having none of it. He REFUSED to stop until he was done. Finally, after several hours of this, I offered him 5 dollars to stop. He accepted...because he can buy more Legos with 5 dollars.

My God. I almost said I've created a monster, but I didn't. He was born that way. He is very, very, single minded; very diligent; very persistent. I can't help but think it will serve him well some day!

A cute story about him and his diligence. In Wisconsin he and I and Zac were upstairs. The staircase makes us nervous--the railings are spaced widely and Zac could very easily fit through the slats and fall a long ways down to the concrete floor. There is nothing stopping him from falling down the stairs, either. He is pretty good about not going there, so it's usually not a concern. On this evening, he was nosing over in that area and I heard Elijah say "Zac, I'm just not comfortable with you being over there. Come over here by me."

Zac did, too!

Of course, Lij is not a saint. The drawback to Zac listening to Lijah meant that Zac went over to Lij and got into his stuff, so Lij got irritated and then it was my turn to use that line "Come over here by me."

They are all otherwise having a great time getting familiar with their Christmas treats. They spent the day at Lynn's house for the Schurman Christmas today. I had to work. Dang! I stopped by briefly on my way and there was no food ready yet so I had to fill my handy-dandy tupperware bowl that I just happened to have in my hand with hor doevres and cookies. Better than nothin', ya know?