Sisters

Over the past 17 months, we've really enjoyed watching Hannah and Calah's sisterly relationship develop. On the positive side, Hannah is a great big sister...she's the first one to comfort Calah if she's crying or hurt and the first one to help her go down stairs or get her shoes on (of course, this is tricky because Hannah just learned to put her own shoes on). Calah loves to watch Hannah and tries to do EVERYTHING she does. Yesterday, I caught her climbing up on a chair to reach something on the counter. She will also sit on the floor with a pile of books and "read" them outloud in baby language. It's so funny to watch and as soon as I catch her on video I will post it. Calah is so much more physical than Hannah was at her age because she has a little example to follow all the time.

On the negative side, they drive me crazy with their incessant fighting! They are constantly fighting over every toy, book, and toilet paper roll. It doesn't matter what it is, if one of them has it, the other one wants it. As easy-going as Calah is, she is STUBBORN as my days are long. :) She will just scream as loud as she can if Hannah tries to take something and if she wants something she will just keep saying it over and over and over and over. Like today, we were on a walk and about 4 blocks from home. She decided at that very moment that she would like some milk...and proceeded to tell me about it all the way home. Milk. Milk. Milk. MILK!. Milk. Milk. Milk. Milk. Milk...MILK!...milk...milk....milk...MILK! Kind of annoying!

Calah is also very sneaky...and just like my younger sister, knows how to antagonize Hannah when no one is looking so that when Hannah reacts, she is the one who gets in trouble. She'll just sneak up behind Hannah and whack her on top of the head with a toy or pull her hair. When I see her and tell her "NO", she will smile, give Hannah a kiss, and then slap her again. Most of the time, Hannah is an angel and does not retaliate. But I think sometimes she reaches her limit...and of course, she ends up getting in trouble. It's hard to be the oldest!!!

Anyway, I try to tell them to be kind to each other because one day they will be best friends. There is no one who understands you like your sister and no one who can make you laugh as hard either. (Especially in boot camp when they make inappropriate jokes about unique exercise positions).