Dream: This tiny toddler always likes to be one step ahead. After lunching with the E*TRADE baby–the talking baby featured in the company’s TV ads–I realize it’s never too early to start thinking about what you want to be when you grow up. While a lot of my friends want to be Wall Street titans, rock stars, ballerinas and firemen, based on my current interests and skill set, I am going to be a bestselling author.
Reality: After seeing the E*TRADE baby on TV and observing how boring finance jobs are–what kid wants to sit behind a desk?–I am considering an occupation as either an LPGA golfer, race car driver, mountain climber, or zoo keeper. As for being a bestselling author, I realized I already am one thanks to this blog!
My name, Elle, is already in LPGA (the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association). Coincidence? I think not. When I arrived at the golf course for the first time, I noticed immediately that everyone needed my help. On the putting green, I would take the balls the golfers were putting and put them in the hole. This little lady got the concept right away! Then, Daddy took me for a ride in the golf cart. It had me at go. Daddy even let me try steering the wheel and pushing the pedals. We rode along up and down the hills feeling the breeze in our hair. And we only stopped nine times for Daddy to swing the club and for me to drop the ball in the hole. Daddy said I am a natural! Shortly after, Grandpa went to the Masters and got me a fab purple Masters onesie. It gave me total street cred on my next golf outing, where my grandma taught me to putt and swing. With her help I was soon doing it all by myself. A few people did start running away from where I was practicing, but they must have been overwhelmed by my athleticism. I should definitely be a lady golfer!
Then again, thinking of how I only want to go, go, go when I am on the golf cart, maybe I should be a race car driver instead? I love steering the pretend car wheels at the playground and I have a fantastic toy steering wheel that I drive at home. In music class, I am a pro at honking the horn to the lyrics “the horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep.” I also make a great vroom sound when I play with my toy cars. And when I drove a ride-on Thomas for the first time, my instincts took over and I cruised along beautifully at 1 mph. Watch out, here I come! Not to mention, to date, my driving record is impeccable. All of this, coupled with watching the Indy 500, has gotten me all riled up: race car driving may be the perfect profession for me!
But I also love another adventurous activity: climbing. I excel in gym class–walking up inclined mats, venturing up slides, and tearing up the rock climbing wall. I hang tough with the big boys. At the playground, I scale the equipment with minimal help from Mommy. I climb other things too. Puppy taught me to climb across the furniture in our apartment. And I have climbed out of my high chair and stood up on the tray. I also climb in and out of my stroller–most recently at Grandma’s house. And I climb on top of the bunny house at Art Farm in The City. The list goes on! As you can imagine, I am quite agile, so perhaps mountain climbing is my true calling?
Still, I think my most favorite activity is playing with my puppy. As soon as I hear my doggie’s leash come out of the front closet, I run for my shoes to help walk him. I love my doggie with all my heart. I also get super excited when I meet other doggies. I stop to give them kisses, hugs, and Cheerios. All the dogs in my building woof at me and I woof right back, bouncing around when I bark just like they do. My love of animals goes beyond dogs though. I’ve met pigs and cows and horses and more animal friends at a barn in the country and had the best time mimicking all their animal sounds. When Mommy took notice of my loving ways with animals (and the way they calmed me), she started taking me to the Central Park Zoo. We spend time there feeding and talking to the animals. It makes me so happy that I clap my hands and stomp my feet, and say hoo, baa, moo! And at home, I make sure to nurture all my stuffed animals by feeding, bathing, and caring for them. Teddy says I give the best hugs and kisses. Recognizing my passion for animals has helped me come to a decision: I will be a veterinarian. Dr. Elle Belle it is!
There are so many career possibilities for this growing girl to pursue. On second thought, I probably shouldn’t pigeonhole myself given all my natural born talents. So I will simply do it all and be a true renaissance baby. And this baby will make whatever work she chooses fun so we won’t have to call it work anymore!
