It's A Love/Hate Thing

As most of you who have more than one child can attest, the relationship between them can be pretty dicey. One minute, they're each other's best friends in the entire world -- bound to each other by this secret code that no one can possibly break. The next minute, they're ready to get in the ring and fight to the death over something as small as a toy that they both want, and neither is ready to relinquish.

Such is the case with my two daughters. Most of the time, they play very nicely together. In fact, right now, I can hear them in R's room, which is at the top of the second floor landing. They're playing their own, make-believe version of "Rock Band", and both making up this sing-songy little ditty as they go along. Priceless.

Yesterday, however, was a different story. Oh, they were fine together for quite awhile, but S. tends to believe that R. is her soulmate, and can sometimes be a bit too suffocating for a prepubescent girl, who occasionally wants to be left alone to embark on a particular activity. I was sitting here, burning a copy of the new High School Musical movie soundtrack for R. (who was thrilled beyond belief that I'd actually figured out how to do that, because, as you know, she's secretly hoping to be Mrs. Zac Efron someday). Miss R. was sitting directly behind me at the dining room table, working on one of those supermarket coloring contest pages, in the hopes that she'll once again win in her age category and get some sort of prize (she actually WON something last year, and is hoping for a reprieve).

Miss S. saw the paper, and the bucket of crayons, and probably thought she'd died and gone to Heaven. In her quieter moments, she'll sit placidly behind me on the floor and color to her heart's content. But... to actually be able to share in one of her most beloved activities with her big sister??? Well, it must have been almost too much for her little beating heart to handle!

Miss R., however, would have none of it. S. wanted all of the particular colors that R. wished to use, as well, and every time S. would even brush her tiny fingers over R's artwork, all Hell would break loose.

I had to scold them several times, because quite frankly, they were starting to get on my last nerve. That is, until R. decided that she'd just about had enough of her then pesky little sister, poking around with all of her favorite crayons, and threatening to potentially ruin her in-the-works masterpiece.

From behind me, I heard R. begin to proclaim, "Give me that crayon! I need that color to finish this part! Will you just go away and leave me alone, please?"

And then finally, the one sentence that made me break, "Will you stop touching things, Miss Touchy-Touch!!"

Maybe it was my ever-present sleep deprivation. Maybe it was the fact that the cold medicine I'd taken earlier had just fully kicked in, making my head all loopy and disoriented, and taking me out of my typical MAMA role. Maybe it was just 'cause we all needed to lighten up a bit.

Whatever the situation, I found that one sentence ridiculously, insanely funny, and began cracking up laughing. The girls had no idea what I found to be such a hoot, but, as we all know, laughter is contagious. So, they just laughed along. 'Cause that's what little kids do.

They decided to put the coloring away, and go play warriors. My tomboy, and Miss Touchy-Touch.