Whose Child is This??

I find my daughter Abby to be a fascinating and peculiar creature. This child is completely different from me when I was nine years old, and actually doesn't resemble the present me much either. Yes, we look a bit a like, and we're both helpless control freaks, but that's pretty much where the similarities end.

Our differences run the gamut:

Abby pitching for her softball team

• Abby is an athlete. And a pretty damn good one at that. She may not be the most physically gifted player on a team, but she might be the smartest. Gymnastics, soccer, softball, anything she tries she excels in. I, on the other hand, took remedial gym class in elementary school to work on my hand-eye coordination. Playing sports was the furthest thing from my mind.
• Abby is excellent in math. She's got this ridiculously quick and strategic mind that sees patterns and sequences and formulas and all that good stuff that makes you stand out in that subject. She was the only girl from her school to go to the "24" championships for her grade. I, on the other hand, needed tutoring in geometry and never went past Algebra 2. My math S.A.T. scores were mediocre at best. I still hate math.
• Abby is artistic. Let's just say, I'm not, in the least. Abby likes to ask me to draw stuff just so she can feel superior.
• Abby is in awe of cheerleaders and the Phillies ball girls. Let's keep it simple and say that I am not and never have been in awe of cheerleaders or ball girls.On the plus side, I should note that Abby has never cared for Disney princesses. She's a realist, after all.
• Abby cares how she looks. It's possible that this is a carry-over effect from thinking cheerleaders are super cool. Abby refuses to wear anything that she didn't pick out herself. She insists on growing her hair long. She's hip and trendy. I, on the other hand, have a picture of myself at her age with short brown hair and buck teeth, wearing a purple dress with red pants underneath, holding my dad's shotgun at the trap shooting range. This is an image best left to the imagination and thus there is no photo evidence in this post.
• Abby has an interest in all things domestic. This just strikes me as antiquated and odd and out of sync with her strengths. She actually enjoys cleaning, loves cooking, and thinks sewing is fun. Today, she and a friend sewed outfits for her American Girl dolls and then put on a fashion show. I, on the other hand, cannot sew a button, dislike cooking, and would prefer not to clean though I find I'm forced to do it on practically a daily basis because of the &^!%$!# dog.
• Abby is sassy and confident. She tends to take the lead in her friendships (a nice way of saying she can be a bit bossy for my taste), takes no crap from her brother, and is confident in everything she does, whether she's competing in a math tournament, acting in the church musical, or pitching in a softball game. As a kid I was neither sassy nor confident. I used self-deprecating humor to get me through the day, and my little sister ran the show at home, frequently resulting in me running to my mom for safety. Thankfully, I'm finding sass and confidence coming with age.

I imagine that someday, probably sooner than later, a number of Abby's presently pleasing qualities will become a source of contention for us. I foresee a teenage battle of the wills on a variety of fronts, from fashion and friends to sass and smarts. At that time, when I start bitching to you all about this unruly daughter of mine, you're going to need to direct me to this post so I can remember how, at one time, I thought my daughter was something pretty amazing and special.