Family Dynamics

As an only child, I was always fascinated by the dynamic that existed in the households of siblings. I had friends and cousins with brothers and sisters that I watched with curiosity, but I knew that what I saw was not the half of it. I knew there must be things that I wasn't seeing. The quiet, private moments and thoughts that occurred when the fights over the last slice of pizza were over. I am now getting that glimpse that I always wanted.

My girls are sisters. They always will be. No matter what, all three of them will be able to say they are a part of a family with more than one kid. They fight. They make up. They worry about each other and protect each other. They drive each other completely crazy. They love each other like crazy.

It is neat to see the roles that everyone plays in the family develop. Natalie is the quintessential big sister. She is bossy, a know-it-all, and an attention hog. She likes for things to go her way, and just can't accept it when they don't. To be honest, she and I have quite a bit in common. This is probably why we butt heads so often. Vanessa is my little snuggle bug. She is pure sweetness (most of the time). She loves to help and often I find her picking up WITHOUT BEING ASKED!! She follows her big sisters lead until she has had enough. Then she quietly lets everyone around know that she is done. It is not unheard of to see her ball up her little fists and punch Natalie without a sound. She isn't talking a lot yet, but she understands everything and can communicate in her own way. Allison is still a bit of a mystery since she is so young. What I'm getting from her so far is that she is not going to be a timid flower. She is loud and demanding, which I guess she kind of has to be to compete with the two older ones.

The biggest difference that I have seen between growing up an only child and having sisters is the level of competition. Who can get the pink bowl first, who has the biggest piece of cake, who gets the coveted "good chair". At this point I hear it mostly from Natalie, but Vanessa is quickly getting in on the action. She is developing a sneaky side that will serve her well as she grows up with her pushy big sister. Everyone has to have the survival skills most suited for their lives!

The one thing that captured my curiosity the most growing up was if parents had favorites. I was always pretty certain of my status as favorite kid growing up. I always wondered if other moms and dads had a particular child that they favored above the others. The answer I have found is that yes, parents do have favorites. BUT it changes, sometimes many times within one day. Sometimes Natalie is my favorite because of her spirit and her spunk. Sometimes it is Vanessa because of her sweetness and willingness to help. Sometimes it is Allison because I could just eat her chubby little cheeks up. Sometimes my "favorite" ends up being a combination of all three girls and the way they meld together to make up our family.

I'm sorry if this post seems a little disjointed. Since I started typing I have fed three kids, changed two diapers, scolded two little girls for breaking a mini blind, comforted one kid after they either fell or was pushed, had to pry a bottle of sunscreen out of one little hand, and half of this was typed with one hand while holding a baby. Hopefully there was at least one sentence that made any sense. If not, I apologize. That is life around here lately!