Born to be Quirky

I was doing my weekly struggle of attaching the table back onto the high chair at church. Attaching it gently did not work, so I thought slamming the table against the chair would help.* Someone laughed and said "I now know where Ollie gets his temper tantrums from.

Nature vs Nurture has always been very interesting to me. If you don't know, I am adopted.** I've always wondered who to blame my personality on.***

In the past, I placed a heavy emphasis on nurture because that's all I knew. Also a child's environment determines how they are going to thrive. For example, if their basic, physiological needs aren't met, they aren't able to develop in other areas. 

 This may seem like common sense, but I went to school for four years to learn this. Also, to teach students to read good and other stuff.

Obviously, Ollie is his own person and is absolutely unique and just great, but there are some quirks he has received from either me or Aaron that has to be genetic.

For example:

I like to sleep with the blanket over my head. Aaron will tell you it covers me completely, but I have an opening for my nose and mouth. It keeps the noise and light out. Ollie sleeps with the whole blanket over his head, and doesn't bother covering his body.

Aaron was always hyperfocused as a child. I don't think he ever got bored. Ever. One time, Ollie found a pile of rocks and was pointing out every rock and declaring it to be a rock.

I loved to explore recklessly: climb, jump, balance. I was also clumsy, so this was a terrible combination. Ollie explores, but he also thinks it through.

It's fun to watch other parents freak out with his climbing abilities.

Aaron would whisper what he would say before he said it.*** Ollie has a tendancy to perfect things at home before he will present it to the public. I kept having to tell people he could walk months before he walked at church.

It's so fun to watch Ollie grow and learn. Of course his own, unique quirks shine through. He prefers to sleep on the ground by the door. He hates taking his diaper off outside of getting changed. He will not let anyone play the piano or guitar. He loves sorting things. Sour things don't bother him. His favorite toy right now is Legos. Favorite song: Old Macdonald. Favorite shows: Boz and Daniel Tiger. We both have to point out when there is a horse or dog, but I'm pretty sure that stems from nurturing.

*Ollie was not in the chair.
**Everyone knows this about me. It's the one interesting thing about me.
***I blame watching too much I Love Lucy.
****As far as I know, he outgrew this.