I wonder where she got that?

"My she's independent," a friend at church commented after seeing Zoey leave the classroom several body lengths ahead of me. With an eyebrow raised and a sarcastic tone she quipped, looking directly at me, "Wonder where she got that?"

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree is certainly true in some cases. While no child is exactly like her parents, Zoey does exhibit a strong will--dare I say stubbornness?--that may have come from me. I keep telling myself that if I can channel the energy and determination in a positive direction, she may just turn out to have answers to the world's problems. Even if she doesn't win the Nobel Peace Prize, having her use her independence to somehow benefit both herself and others would be nice.

If she is as much like me as she sometime seems, Zoey will have a few, mostly self-imposed, challenges to overcome. Take the Tupperware Shape-O toy as an example. (We start young learning life lessons at the Redford House.)
Zoey loves this toy that Grandma R bought her for Christmas. It has been so fun to see her learn how to use it. If I hold the right hole in front of her, she can now put the pieces in. She does an adorable excited dance when she gets the shapes in. However, there are times when she has it at the wrong angle and the yellow shape doesn't match with the hole. Try as she might, she can't complete her task. When this happens, she quickly gets frustrated and a disgruntled noise accompanies her throwing the shape.

I first thought this little scene was humorous, but realized that I have a tendency to throw a little tantrum when I can't accomplish a goal as I had planned, especially if I try to force it. So, hoping that she learns a little patience with herself, I calmly hand her the shape and say, "try again." At 33, coping with unmet expectations of my own performance is lesson I am still trying to internalize, even as I teach my daughter to overcome the same challenge.