My "tough tot"

That's hilarious. I can't get my guys to try anything at all. If they don't like the looks of it, they say it's too "spicy".

[mommax3]

My guys use that "spicy" line, too! But the older two have grown out of it, for the most part.

Sally

My oldest didn't do that with spicy food. Excepting that, your story would be a good description of her at that age. She was intense. Friends with kids would say: wow.....she's intense. Good news is that she has mellowed with age. Or I have gotten used to it.

Be sure to put that in her baby book!

[Sheherezade]

My son (9) does the spicy thing now as some kind of manhood test. It is so funny to watch. He bought a red chile pepper for himself at the grocery store. At home, I turned around and found him eating it out of the bag, raw! Afterword, he kept saying it wasn't that hot. He drank about 3 L of water before I gave him a glass of milk. I think I'm going to get some wasabi nuts......

I like intense. I'm sure she'll never be bored in life!

[mommax3]

Yeah, those combinations can be scary! I am pretty outgoing, very verbal, and fairly strong-willed, and my husband is more reserved, cannot stand to sit still, and has a quiet tenacity/strong will that I am only beginning to identify (because he is so quiet about it).

So.....we have three boys. Our oldest has always been off-the-charts active, as well as "intense" (nice way of describing it!) and very outgoing and verbal. His toddler days were payback for all of the times I criticized other mothers in my head when their kids didn't behave appropriately. My second son is extremely easy-going, a little shy, and not as active as his brother, although he is still above average there, and he is scared of NOTHING! My youngest is suspicious about EVERYthing, also intense and highly verbal, and is very, very strong-willed, but not quite as active as the other two.

DH and I used to joke about the ugliness that could result if our worst physical qualities were combined in our children, but for some reason, we never worried about personality traits.....WE SHOULD HAVE!!!!

Sally

Our oldest has always been off-the-charts active, as well as "intense" (nice way of describing it!) and very outgoing and verbal. His toddler days were payback for all of the times I criticized other mothers in my head when their kids didn't behave appropriately.

This is the kind of intense I am talking about. I have definitely had my share of payback. I can really appreciate her characteristics now, and generally enjoy them. But from 8 or 9 months until 2 1/2, I was at my limit and seriously wondering if I could have another child. Of course, I was assuming (incorrectly) that the second would be like the first.....

She will grow into her personality -- and if she is like both you and your DH, you have lots of insight to help her out!

[Meenah]

Yep, Carroline was intense, or should I say INTENSE. She never grew out of it. She is now in college in Colorado so that she can snowboard. One week before she went back to school she came home and proudly announced to me that she "JUMPED OUT OF AN AIRPLANE". Yes, she did go skydiving, she has been telling me for two years she wanted to and she finally did it. She didn't tell me until after, because she "didn't want me to worry". I kid you not that girl hs spunk, always did and always will. I on the opther hand still have some chest pain!!!!! Why in the worl would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane?
Luanne