an old song

Every day in my house is a new verse to an old song that people have been singing aloud since the mid 1940's, and one that mother's have been able to imagine since Abel and Cain created sibling rivalry.  The song, a peppy duet that is performed as a trio in my house, is "Anything You Can Do I can Do Better".

And no, it's not the oldest and middle child who are doing this, it's B fighting her way violently into the conversation or activity between the oldest screaming, "me do it!".  She then jumps into the game, whatever it is, and of course, disrupts everything.  G, being a boy, is happy to take her exuberance and use it to his advantage, making the game just one more level up.  C is just aware enough of the advantage to "playing with her sister for the sake of Mommy's sanity" that she'll play girly things with her, even in the midst of the chaos.

In many ways this type of sibling rivalry is not all bad.  For example, it is very motivating for B when she's attempting to learn a new task, like potty training or eating with a utensil.  At the same time, it's great for G because he gets the opportunity to learn from his older sibling and step into a leadership role as he's teaching his younger sister.  C has the advantage of always assuming the role as the example, and the disadvantage of always hearing me say, "C, set a good example for your sister/brother".

Todays game was get in the sun beam that bathes our Family-room with light and Dance with Your Own Shadow.  C was tapping to some imagined song, and G was behind her, their little, and not so little, shadow feet were actually executing perfect shuffle steps and flaps when B joined them- by running though the game and tagging G with both hands on his belly.  That's when the game became, Touch Dance with Your Shadow.  And then, because he's a boy, it became Tackle Dance with Your Shadow which meant that the shadow was actually a mangled pile of limbs, tangled and wriggling, before finally becoming so rough that the ref (me) had to step in and remind everyone that "This is NOT an indoor game".

Aw- Man.  I'm so boring.  I never thought I'd be a boring mom.  That's probably a song for another day.