When we found out at the ultra-sound that The Boy was going to be The Boy and not The Sister, The Girl, then two, freaked out. Back in the day, The Girl was the Queen of all Tantrums. She could throw a fit like nobody's business. It is quite a hilarious memory.
Me, lying on the table with my big baby belly covered in that jelly, The Dad, sitting with The Girl on his lap, the tech announcing The Boy's gender, and The Girl screaming in anger, "But I wanted a sister! I don't want a brother!"
Yelling at the tech, "Change it to a GIRL!!!"
That poor tech, believing she had broken this little girl's heart. The Dad and I, much used to these outbursts laughing until tears came.
Finally, The Dad calmed her enough and we headed out to the car, The Girl still moaning and muttering angrily about boys.
I had a lightbulb moment and reminded her she'd never have to share her Polly Pockets now.
She decided a brother would be just fine.
Little did she know, she'd not only be sharing her Polly's in a few years, she'd be happily spending hours forcing him to play, "like a girl".
Those early years were not easy on The Girl. The Boy was a hair puller and a biter. He took most of his frustrations out on her.
She and I had numerous talks about what a bothersome pill he was.
Finally, one day, sitting in the hallway in front of her bedroom door, we had a break through. I explained to her that she was the one who taught him how to treat her. She was the one that could "fix" her brother. It would take patience and time, but she could do it.
Of course, the sibling battles haven't disappeared, but I can tell you that The Kids fight less than most siblings I know of. They have a connection that is solid.
They respect each other and admire each other.
The relationship they have extends itself to their cousins and all who is family. They just assume, this is the way it should be. And really? It is. They still manage to argue, but they work it out. They want to be close, so they make it so.
They annoy each other. They purposefully push buttons, especially The Little Brother amongst us.
They defend each other against all comers. If you piss off one, you've pissed off the other. And I feel sorry for you. I've been on that side of them. It's not pretty when they gang up.
They are more than siblings. They are friends.
It would be quite easy for The Girl, at 13, to blow her 10 year old brother off. Sometimes, she does. Mostly, she invites him in. Even, making sure her friends know. They are a package deal.
On this hike, I was encouraging The Boy to do "boy" things. Run in the creek, climb trees, pick up stuff, and explore.
The Girl kept a close eye on him the entire time, not fully trusting us grown ups to keep him safe.
As he crossed a particularly hazardous downed tree, she was berating me.
"I can't believe you're letting him climb that one Mother!"
She only calls me Mother when she disapproves of me.
The Dad and I are ever so glad to know that he has one more watchful eye on him as he negotiates his way through those thorny limbs of life.
For the record, I was never more than that far away from him. The other side was a fairly steep drop off, but the tree was covered with a ton of growth he would have had to fallen through to get there.
Recent Comments