It Really Happened

The girls were playing in their room (this sentence could lead us in sooo many different directions, however...). I hear a soft thump, a muffled snivel, a muffled thud then the culmination of cries while both hollering, MOM!

I waited, seeing if my presence was really necessary. L, all the same, felt obliged to insist on my company.

I never know who's telling the right story. E insists she's not at fault; L doesn't understand how to not-lie (as evidenced by myself witnessing a hit then she'll turn right around and tell me she didn't do it). So, this particular time, L is holding her arm, saying E hit her; E insists she fell of the chair (which could have been true; she likes to stand on it). I wasn't mad, but I sat down on the floor with them and put L in my lap and rocked her, because she was crying.

As I'm trying to talk with them about what to do next, laughing at the chaos that is their bedroom, E looked at me and said, "You love her more than me."

Seriously?

She was tears-in-her-eyes, completely serious.

It's easy to snuggle with little ones; you can pick them up and hold them. Bigger ones are difficult to physically maneuver (ie: toss in the air, fling over your shoulder, hang upside down, carry in your arms). I can see where she might get that. When I sat down, L was closer and smaller, so I grabbed her. Sometimes you just can't win.

But I learned a lesson (actually, I've been thinking about it but that day it was just thrown in my face with a brick) They are old enough that I need to start spending one-on-one time with each of them, especially since I'm gone so much during the week and weekends are crammed with "family time" (and that is a very loose translation, since I am sometimes called back into work).

Wow. Time for some Big Girl Bonding Time.