Is it love?

Is it love that makes me want to pull my hair out in chunks? Because if you asked me, I would tell you I love my kids. Yet, they are the reason I want to pull my hair out by the roots. Is that what love is? I thought it was all mushiness and kisses on the nose and looking forward to seeing them everyday. Recently, I've wanted to run screaming from my house -- every bleeping day, as opposed to just some of the time.

They have officially entered into the "fighting all of the time" stage. It starts when they wake up and ends when they go to bed. They fight about everything ALL.THE.TIME. If one has it, the other wants it. They fight about who flushes the toilet. Who sits in which chair. If one is sitting in my lap, the other tries to wrestle the first one off. Nevermind that Mommy would actually prefer to have her lap to herself.

Shouldn't I have a few more years grace period on this kind of thing?

It wouldn't be so bad if I could just tune them out, but they are LOUD. My son has this WHINE. It's enough to make your blood curdle. My daughter has this horrible high-pitched SCREAM she lets out when she doesn't get her way. I'm glad we live far from the street, otherwise, I'd have police busting down the door to find the ax murderer on a regular basis. It would turn out that my son wouldn't give my daughter the orange crayon.

It's mostly my daughter, I know. She's two and a half. If you've experienced a two and a half year-old, you need no further explanation. If you've never experienced one, you'll have your turn. MWAHAHAHAHA. AHAHAHAHAHA. We went through a similar period just over two years ago when my son was that age. He was just a different personality (not so loud) and my daughter was an infant. She couldn't fight back as well.

I remember leaving the room for a few minutes. My then 3-month-old was sitting in her carseat (her own little recliner) happily kicking and babbling away. Her two-and-a-half-year-old brother was in the room, but I don't think he was paying any attention to her at the time. I came back in the room to see a small pile of toys with little wiggly feet where my baby used to be. Nicky had taken his chance and began piling toys on top of her. Luckily, they were all soft toys, and I wasn't out of the room for long. Laney was happy. She didn't know any better. She probably thought, "So this is how big kids play." Now, if he so much touches a toy that she doesn't want him to, it becomes an all-out wrestling match.

A friend of mine told me that growing up he and his sister used to fight all of the time. I think as they got older, hockey sticks were involved. Oh, no! Neither of my children will be playing hockey or golf or any sport with equipment that can be used as a weapon, if they can't learn to get along!

My kids in happier times. There was no fighting then. See how the youngest one's mouth is muffled?

Look, Ma! No hats!

Taken today. So that's what my kids' hair looks like. . .

Studiously ignore the snow in the background, otherwise you'll get depressed for me. Instead, focus on the beauties in front, and you'll be happy for me.

Just a little bit friends

This morning.

Nicky (to Laney): We're best friends.
Laney: Yeah.
Nicky, correcting himself: Just a little bit best friends.
Laney: Yeah.

I guess one can't really be real best friends with their sister, but I hope they'll be a "little bit" best friends. Forever.

It's a sibling thing

Laney kept herself and Nicky up past their bedtime Friday night. They share a room, and sometimes she goes into his bed when she should be in her own. They chat and laugh and have a good time, then she goes back to hers and they go to sleep. Sometimes, she just chatters away from her own bed. I don't mind for the most part, although I want her to stay in her own bed.

I think it's important that they have time to develop their own special friendship. This nighttime conversation is a part of their routine and growing relationship. Nicky, being a very agreeable type, rarely complains even when he is tired. I know that there are times when he would have fallen asleep much earlier had it not been for Laney's chatter. Sometimes, it works the other way, too, but not very often.

Saturday morning, she woke up earlier than Nicky did and must have been waiting for him. She came in and hung out with us. The second she heard him stir, she ran in their room to see and ran back out shouting, "Nicky's awake!! Yippee! Yippee! Nicky's awake! Yay!" She ran around the house like that for a few minutes. She just couldn't contain her excitement. I think the last minute or so she was just playing for the attention she was getting, but there is no doubt that her big brother waking up was the highlight of her day. It was so very sweet to see.

Nicky is equally devoted to his sister, but his is a quiet devotion. The other day, he sat quietly at the table and carefully drew a little princess for Laney. He was insistent that I cut it out and give it to her, so she could play with it. It was very important to him as he had made the princess especially for her. "Det er så fin (It's so pretty)," she said sincerely when I gave it to her. Meanwhile, Nicky beamed with pride. The first princess got a little blue mark on her, and Laney got upset and cried because it was "ruined." Nicky quickly drew her another one. That's the thing about Nicky. He doesn't shout and yell Yippee when she comes into the room. His gestures are subtle and done with little fanfare, but I know he rushed that second princess to make her feel better. He put his very kind heart into those little princesses.

I wish I could take these moments and bottle them up for later. I would keep them like treasured photos. Well, not my real treasured photos which are shoved in boxes until I can actually get them in albums or put on display. I mean the treasured photos of my fantasy life, which are beautifully framed and hanging on my wall.

These days of our lives are just flying by too quickly.