Grandparents, this is coming soon to a fridge near you!
Photo Booth Fun:
Wanting to send the grandparents a recent photo of the girls, but was looking for a slightly more unique format, I decided on an imitation 'photo booth' session. Entryway in morning light + tension rod with old white sheet draped over it + (free) Picasa editing = photo booth fun!
I printed out the finished collage at 8x10 size, and used my exacto knife to trim the excess white background off, leaving the photo strip at 3x10--a jumbo picture strip. What a cute idea, and it most certainly wasn't mine originally. At least, I don't think so? Maybe I'm a genius and I just don't know it! We'll be doing this again (and again and again).
Bob Marley:
Considering how much time they spend together, how much the home environment/toys/bedroom set-up requires sharing of them, the girls overall get along and behave pretty darn well. We really are (mostly) very pleased with how much they love each other, and live well alongside one another. I cannot tell you how many times they've closed their bedroom door and we've stood outside listening to the giggles, whispers and imaginative play.
But it also feels like the girls are exercising their natural abilities toward sibling rivalry a great deal more lately. We try to let them solve their own problems. Cheerleader rather than coach, if you will. Our goal is to remind them to use their words, manners, share, etc., and make sure it doesn't intensify to throwing toys. But I've been slipping into micro-managing mode more often, much to everyone's dismay.
Neither one is more guilty than the other. Big Sister may, at times, be controlling and bossy, but Little Sister is quick to overreact and get emotional, i.e., scream, whine, cry and be all-around unreasonable. They are 4 and 6, after all. The arguments will escalate to the point where rather than trying to communicate through their dispute, they will see who can shriek the loudest. Shriek, sulk, repeat.
So we were bumping a little One Love the other morning to help restore a fun, peaceful vibe to the house. It didn't quite work as planned. I ended up closing the door on their screaming match. But I did realize a little something... something I have always known, attempted to practice, but needed a fresh reminder of...
Siblings will fight. Always. They will never outgrow it. Or, at least, not anytime soon. Our job is to teach them calm, deliberate skills of assertiveness, and continue to praise them excessively when they do use their words and manners to work through a dispute. And when that doesn't work, just close the door! Because sometimes, they just won't want to solve their problems. At which point, it will do no good to get involved because then we become equally frustrated, and God forbid, attempt to referee by duplicating their voice volume. And for crying in the night, they are 4 and 6! And I should be thankful their proclivity is to shrieking and throwing toys at the floor, rather than at each other!
So Bob helped me return (again) to a level of zen and humor that was necessary. We'll keep working on the girls. Or just close the door.
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