Sisters

There is a lot of sistering going on around here. Sometimes it is gentle and loving, but it seems like there is often a little bit of “I’m going to kill you in a very affectionate way so that mom doesn’t yell at me.” I haven’t figured out what to do about that.
I am constantly ‘reminding’ her not to blow in the babies face (to startle her), not to smush up her cheeks, not to touch the baby, however ‘gently’, with her foot, not to pick the baby up by her head, not to pick the baby up at all, not to jump over the baby!… Luckily I have two very sturdy girls.

I try to let Rebecca play with Penelope in any reasonable and safe way that she wants, so that she feels some sisterly ownership – like pulling her around in that cardboard sled (carefully!) And I’m trying to spend enough time doing things with Rebecca, but Penelope is almost always there, and when Jesse is home it is useless to have him take care of Penelope so that I can spend time with Rebecca, because when Jesse is home Rebecca would rather play with him. Because he’s better at playing dolls than I am. He is, really. I get too easily distracted by setting things up for the dolls, or trying to convince Rebecca to make something for the dolls, while daddy leaves the props alone and just sits there and ‘talks’ them and flies them around, and tells stories, which of course is the important and hard part. I got sidetracked, didn’t I?