Puzzled

Connor has found puzzles. We bought a 25 piece Mickey Mouse puzzle at the dollar store before we left for Disneyland. Thought it might keep the kids busy in the hotel room for a few minutes. Luckily we forgot about it because I see now that it would have caused a nuclear meltdown for everyone involved.

Puzzles are Maddy's thing. She has been whipping 25 piece puzzles together since she was 2. She was impressive with them, really. Connor has different interests. He has never shown any interest in any of the things Maddy liked to do as a toddler, puzzles included.

However, Larry got out the new Mickey puzzle for him yesterday morning and the two of them sat down and put it together. Connor was frustrated with it. Doing typical boyish things like forcing pieces together and then throwing them across the room. But he was also determined to get it. Him and Larry did the puzzle together several times, then him and I did it once. Then we were both tired of it and Connor worked for the rest of the day on it by himself. Seriously, he probably spent a good 5 hours working on this puzzle.

He did finally get it though! He isn't one to give up. He KNOWS he has the ability and he just can't let it go until he figures it out. He is obsessive about it. We went out while he was working on it and the second we walked back in the house he yelled "My Puzzle!" and went running over to the table. That determination pays off most of the time. But I can see that if Maddy had been around she would have wanted to do it for him... you know, to "help"... and Connor would have flipped out.