Stunt-girl Cait and barely-eating Ellie

I wouldn't expect someone just one try riding her rocking horse standing up. But that's what Caitlin our little stunt girl does. She's all over the place and I can't turn my back without fearing that she will fall and bump her head again. She is a lot more into climbing and exploring her physical environment than Ellie ever was at that age. Bouncing on and of the sofa. Climbing on and off Ellie's tricycle (she is more interested in the tricycle than Ellie is). That the two sisters are turning out quite different is quite fascinating, since KM and I have had the same parenting style for both. Its probably a combination of birth order and nature but Caitlin is just so easy going and is always laughing with that gleeful glint in her eye.and people-oriented while Ellie just wants the attention for herself and can't stand sharing it. Caitlin eats almost anything and Ellie hardly eats anything- she just has so little interest in food.

Today I managed to feed Ellie the most she's eaten in a week in record time. She's addicted to milk (I know that fills her up) and short of having her go cold-turkey, we've tried everything to get nutrition past her lips. I always get so stressed about her having bird-sized meals and mealtimes are always a battle. What worked today was turning the whole feeding thing into a game. At teatime, I pretended that I was at the Botanic Gardens feeding two little fish (Caitlin and Ellie) in the carpet pond by popping bread into their mouths, deliberately using Caitlin as a catalyst for the feeding exercise. She got the small pieces and Ellie the big ones. By the end of the game Ellie had finished almost a whole piece of bread. Then at dinner time we had a eating match. I laid her pasta bolognaise in an ice cube tray with tiny treats at intervals so she had to finish the food in 3 compartments or so before arriving at a treat (bits of gummies and seaweed). She finished her meal in 15 minutes. The things parents do to get their child to eat.