SiblingConspiracy

I lovelovelove how totgirl dumps out all her most cherished worldly possessions right in front of Zachy and expects him to have self control. And, I lovelovelove that no matter how engaged Zachy is in something else, he will immediately drop everything and anything he is doing to interfere with whatever it is she is doing.

Totgirl and Zachy might only be three and one, but they bicker constantly. Their bickering happens in part because they are both impulsive beings (age appropriately so) and in part because they both, I am convinced, intentionally try to annoy one another. They bicker about toys, about space, and about having my attention. I neverever would have imagined that a one and three year could argue so much. Really, I find myself looking at them with my jaw on the floor, utterly astounded. I spend most of my time trying to engage one in an activity to keep them from the other only to have the other decide they want to do, make that MUST DO, what the one is doing. Wipes.Me.Out! I am convinced that packnplays were invented because of siblings. I have not yet resorted to confinement, but it IS tempting!

And the screaming; Even Mr. not-talking-yet Zachy manages to get his 'message' across with a screaming ramble of sorts. And totgirl, we KNOW she can keep up with the best of 'em when it comes to screaming and yelling. As far as she is concerned, persistence pays. And, persistent she IS. We have started to implement 'calm down' time with her. This happens when she is screaming and screaming and (usually) demanding and demanding...instead of sending her to a 'naughty corner,' we now ask that she goes in the other room and have some 'calm down' time. Seems to be working so far, well as much anything...meaning, it has it's effective moments. Zachy is still a little young for this, and actually, he has not hit the spiraling out of control screaming and demanding phase. Not yet, anyways...but there's always hope he'll reach this 'milestone' sooner than later...

Occasionally, they do have moments where they 'play' together in harmony or side by side without causing one another mayhem. Almost always they have these moments after Dad gets home from work. I kid you not. All day long they can be screaming, in one another's space, climbing over and practically assaulting me as they compete for my attention. Then Dad gets home and they suddenly develop the ability to play quietly, side by side, each engaged with their own toys...or, even better...they actually share! At these times, I am convinced they are aligned in some sort of covert siblingconspiracy to make MiaMomma, TheirMomma, look i.n.s.a.n.e.!