Sept 9 2006

Kira is incredibly bossy. She just cannot rest while there is control to be had.

What prompted this comment was that Mark was sitting on the couch drinking a Fruit2O. I know, I know, he was just INVITING it. I mean, that's agitating behaviour, isn't it. :P

Now, I want the kids to drink plenty of water. They *do* drink plenty of water. Most of this is regular, plain ol' water. But sometimes you need a treat. (or *I* do) So I started getting Fruit2O, and using that as an incentive to drink regular water. Because the kids would drink an entire case in one day if I let them, I have restricted their Fruit2O consumption to one a day. (as much regular water as they want, though) (I know, this is more than a little controlling on my part as well. But I'm the mom, and I pay the bills.)

So anyway, the kids were out playing this morning, and came inside and each grabbed a Fruit2O. Mark proceeded to drink his.

At which point Kira begins to screech at him. "MARK! YOU'RE DRINKING YOUR WHOLE WATER!!! YOU ONLY GET ONE!!! DON'T DRINK IT ALL!!!!" in an extremely bossy manner.

Now, what I don't understand is why she CARES when he drinks his. It in no way affects her.

But kids are like this, I have discovered. Kira, being 6, and Mark, at 11, have different bedtimes. This drives Kira insane. She can't stand the idea that Mark is up while she has to go to bed. If I ask her to make her bed, she *immediately* needs to know why Mark doesn't have to make *his* bed. "WHAT ABOUT MARK?" is a cry I hear constantly.

She bosses him while waiting for the bus (see picture from 1st day of school). She bosses him while they're cleaning up their toys. She even bosses him when they're at church going from the Children's Sermon to Children's Church upstairs. "WALK, Mark!" she'll tell him (loudly), if he's going faster down the aisle than she deems necessary.

She is constantly telling him what to do, how to do it, what to STOP doing. Bug, bug, BUG. Mark is amazingly tolerant of it (meaning he doesn't pound her into the ground), although he does frequently annoy her on purpose (which, again, is a kid thing. I think it's in the Kid Commandments: THOU SHALT ANNOY THY SIBLING WHENEVER POSSIBLE. This is now inspiring an idea for another blog. hmmmm).

Anyway. Whenever both kids are together, there is little peace. Kira is constantly haranguing him, about everything she possibly can. And he's bickering back. And I find myself almost chanting "Don't worry about your brother/sister. Worry about you." and "Leave your brother/sister alone."

So now my bossy little babe is sitting on the floor behind me coloring butterflies that I cut out for her (she was impressed, particularly when I cut bodies out and they had antennae). Mark has fled to his room. And I sit here blogging, having completely forgotten what I was originally going to say. Huh.

Off to do *something* with my hair before I have to take Mark to his soccer game.