How In The World Did Josh & I Get A Kid Like This?

Elizabeth is so very sweet and thoughtful and LOVES rules. You give this kid a rule and man oh man does she try to keep it!!

She got a fish a while ago and after her first 5 fishes died she went to the pet store and they told her to get a beta fish. When she bought it they told her it was very important not to over feed the fish (because I'm sure MOST kids do this very thing, they didn't know who they were talking to). She was only to give it 4-6 foods twice a day! Well this kid counts out that amount of food almost everyday....yes she forgets to feed the poor thing and even though she misses a meal or two or three... and we tell her maybe give the fish a little more today because you forgot to feed it, she will not budge on the amount!!! She says, "No the person at Petco said 4-6 ONLY"!!! She was told a rule and will not budge so to keep the fish alive between the times she does remember to feed it I have come accustom to feeding the fish when she is not around and can not see! Because if she does she gets mad!

Yesterday I had to take Elizabeth out of school for an orthodontist appointment. When I first got her out she was rather upset because she was going to miss the ending to a book that the teacher was reading to the class. I said I was sorry but we had to do this. (I usually don't schedule appointments during school but this was a rescheduled appointment and we couldn't get one after school for like a month!) The appoinment only lasted an hour but by the time we were done and would have gotten back to school there was only 45 mins. of school left. I asked Elizabeth if she wanted me to take her back to school of if she wanted to run to a few stores with me that I needed to go to and we were already in the area that they were in. I asked her thinking what kid is going to say no....Well my kid, Elizabeth didn't even have to think about it she stated, "Mom I have to go back to school I haven't had my spelling test yet and I need to get that done!" I just looked at her
for a moment and thought "who are you"...but she was insistent and so yes I took her back to school for the last 45 mins. and just waited there since I pick them up!!!

I truly do love that this kid has this natural desire to follow rules and to be a "good girl" (her words)! I would however like her to learn that if you don't feed the fish you have to adjust the rules just a bit so that the fish doesn't die!!!