Even the food that two children from the same parents will eat is completely opposite - like most everything about them: so completely different than the other. One likes reading and writing, the other building and constructing. One is fairly passive and docile, the other needs to always be in the middle of the action. One of my favorite things to watch though is how they address each other's differences and try to make sense of it.
But, back to food - yesterday, while eating at Moonlight (an Owensboro claim to fame, but oh, so expensive - we won't do that again for a while!) Jackson wanted some cottage cheese - a food Brock wouldn't have touched with a 10-foot pole because of the temperature and consistencey. He brought it back and Brock asked where Jackson had gotten those tiny marshmellows. I was tempted to let him steal a spoonful just to watch his reaction, but I think he really would have thrown up.
Some people say that you should force your children to try everything on the table or that they should have to finish their food. Really? I believe they have to right to say "I don't like cottage cheese." Heaven knows I don't like it, either. Or to say, "I'm finished but I'd still like ice cream" (to a certain degree, I know). Aren't there days we all want a cookie instead of our helping of veggies? I think these differences and these choices and these liberties are just part of the fun of living. They're healthy - they make good decisions (cottage cheese or marshmellows) so while they do I'll keep letting them make their own way with little nudges of guidance from me. This is the only way I can think of so far to not have them rebel horribly when they're older.
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