Personality. Everyone has one, for better or worse, and Mimi is no exception. Of course, being under two years old, Mimi's personality is not yet fully developed. Each day a little bit more of who she'll be shines through. It's an amazing process and we're not quite sure how she'll end up: shy or out-going, sweet or scrappy, serious or giggly. One trait, however, is not in question. The girl is, and will always be, fiercely independent.
This "my way" approach is beginning to make some of the simple things in life - such as getting dressed - rather difficult. I have nothing against Mimi having preferences for what she wants to wear that day, but I do take exception to her changing her mind every 47 seconds. Given that it takes me at least this long to get a onesie on her, our "clothing on!" morning routine seems to take forever. Sometimes it's a good half hour after the new diaper goes on until she finally settles on the pair of pants to team with it.
Here's a case in point. Several mornings ago, Mimi decided that she'd face the cold in my BMW knit cap.
Unfortunately, it didn't quite fit. This infuriated Mimi, who immediately decided that the cap must be punished. She began flinging the innocent cap across the room, only to pick it up again immediately so that she could shake the living daylights out of it. Eventually, believing the cap had finally learned its lesson, she tried it on again. Of course, it still didn't fit. This meant war. Mimi sprinted to the kitchen where she retrieved a small plastic bag. She placed the hat into the bag and then began slamming it against the kitchen cupboards. 7 minutes later, the hat assuredly in a daze, Mimi seemed satisfied. The next day, still disdaining the obstinate BMW cap, she decided she'd wear a onesie on her head. Personally, I think the BMW cap fit better, but Mimi seemed pleased.
Shoes have been another item of contention. In Japan we bought her a pair of pink galoshes speckled with strawberries. They were, unfortunately, several sizes too large, which meant they were constantly falling off and causing Mimi to trip. This didn't phase my little girl, though. Given a choice between the perfect fitting yellow galoshes (the ones she'd actually chosen at the store), her adorable ruby patent leather shoes, and the strawberry "accidents waiting to happen," Mimi would chose the dangerous, easily lose-able pair every time. To get around this I've taken to hiding all pairs of shoes I don't want Mimi to wear. When she comes downstairs to put her shoes on, she'll only find one or two pairs waiting for her. This was working quite well until...
Mimi decided that she wanted to wear my shoes. I'm still not sure how to get around this one.
Food has been another item of developing preferences and, of course, contention. The other night, though it was just Mimi and me, I made a special dinner of pan-fried tilapia with butter-miso pasta. Naturally, Mimi just wanted to eat her applesauce. Lunch the next day was the exact opposite, with Mimi refusing the applesauce in favor of day-old pasta. It's hard to figure out your child's favorites when even she doesn't know what they are.
Thankfully, Mimi has yet to show a preference for Japanese or American food. She loves them both. I think the picture below sums up the situation quite well. In one hand is a sausage roll. In the other, a salmon rice ball.
I wonder where Mimi's preferences and personality will take her when she grows up. I hope she uses that independent spirit of hers to explore both her cultures and both her countries. I also hope Mimi someday realizes that putting a hat in a bag and beating the crap out of it simply because it doesn't fit is, while funny for Papa, a bit counterproductive.
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