Life and Sisters

The ONLY funny thing about Sophia scolding Jolie is that she sounds just like me. Tonight I heard her go in her room after she’d brushed her teeth. She was ready to get into bed. Jolie, on the other hand, was having a rough time and standing, crying in her crib. “Jolie,” says Sophia, in her most serious, Mommy-tone that she can muster, “Lie down and go to sleep!”

I heard Sophia in the living room a couple of days ago playing with her dollies and saying the word “serious” every so often. When I got a chance I asked her what “serious” meant. She told me, “It’s when you’re really, really mad.” I felt like Art Linkletter. Except, I was interviewing my own child who was telling me how it is when I’m serious.

Jolie’s one now. And although I try and try to do everything for Jolie that I did for Sophia, I forgot to write a blog post on her birthday. It’s as simple as that. I don’t know what else to say, except that it’s impossible to make things totally fair, and I’ll just have to live with whatever claims of injustice are thrown in my face 20 years from now. The fact, though, is that I can’t blame my lack of time on Sophia. Jolie’s the reason she didn’t get a birthday blog! Her signature pose is one where she’s sitting on the floor with her arms straight up in the air toward me. Well, usually… Tonight was a little different.

Jolie had a hard day today. And it started with a fall off of our way-too-high king sized bed with a hard landing on the floor beside it. Needless to say, she was a little off today. And she kind of showed a mean streak, too. She yelled at both me and Sophia countless times today (not her happy yell, either, but her frown/yell that I’ve only come to know today), and she even pushed Sophia away when Sophia was trying to get a little closer to me during story time. It was as if the fall awakened her to a different side of her personality or something.

She sat in her high chair tonight and didn’t want to eat. Sophia tried to encourage her with a, “It’s yummy, Jolie!” but only received a mean yell back. “Don’t yell at your sister,” I said, with my own frown, finally done with her meanness toward Sophia. Her bottom lip popped out and began to quiver. She was trying so hard not to cry. Sophia, broken hearted for her little sis, said, “Oh, it’s okay Jolie. I’ll come give you a hug.” And as she stepped down from the table, Jolie stretched out those little arms, like she’s done countless times before, but this time in the direction of her sister.

I’m glad they’ll have each other for all the times that life isn’t fair.

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