Maria's attitude face (scary, heh?!)

We asked Maria to clean her room this morning.  You would have thought we told her to clean the entire house and more with the reaction that we got from her.  She produced intermittent whines and screams of “I don’t want to clean my room!” Then she went into a huge tirade about not wanting to have a room – she just wishes that we would let her live outside.  We are such horrible parents for providing her shelter.  Next she pulled out the “too tired” card but within three minutes of using that one she begged to go to the zoo and walk around the animals.  Hmmmm.  Finally, she got her dad to help her out and after ten minutes complained that she needed to lay down due to the intense work.  

Ready for a game

Maria Grace.  Meanwhile, her crazy brother was in his room shoving clothes in his drawers, pushing games in his dresser, putting animals back in the bins.  He jumped into our bedroom and pronounced “Mom and Dad, my room is clean!”  he pulled us in and rejoiced “Look at my floor – all clean!”  Anything he can do to look better than his sis, he will do.  It drives him in a worrisome fashion.  He is so competitive.   This is the kid that tells me I cannot root for him when we are playing basketball because we are on separate teams. 

Maria, on the other hand, does not have such a strong competitive side to her.  She is more inclined to want to play a game where everyone is on the same team.  However, what she lacks in competitiveness, she gains in bossiness.  She wants to be the boss in all that she does – be it with friends, Mario, or her cousin.  She wants to give the directions and lead the activity and if anyone gets in her way, she makes it clear that she is not happy with them. 

I remember going to Cincinnati for my grandmother’s surprise party and my dad taking Maria to another room to play with her while I got my grandma’s party together.  He came back cracking up.  He told me about his time with Maria, which was hysterical.  I can’t remember all of the funny things she did, but the one that sticks out still is that when my dad asked her why he could not do something she responded quickly and firmly with “Because I am the boss.”  God help the corporate world in 20 years – she will have some intern coming over to clean her New York apartment because she is the boss.