The Tale of Two Sistas

My girls. My offspring. My little mirror-images of myself. They love me, they hate me...and Lord help me, they aren't even teenagers yet!

Everyone is supposed to have a sister to be there through thick and thin, bound by blood, if only to conspire against their mothers from the moment they can talk to each other, right? I have one. Can't imagine growing up without her. Can't imagine now not having her live 3 miles away and intermixing our families on a regular basis. My poor brother never had a close sibling to commiserate with or lean on because my sister and I were less than 2 years apart, shared a room, and did pretty much everything together. We were bookends, a matched set, wore similar clothes, hairstyles, had matching dolls (mine was a white baby doll and hers was a black baby doll~~ sure, why not??). We played with the same friends, attended the same schools, and even dated the same guys (at different times- she'd love 'em and leave 'em and I'd come around a few years later and date 'em!). My mom threw her hands up at the two of us, let us pretty much run our own lives, only occasionally putting her foot down on our curfews, or how much we were able to spend on clothes (Mom was a sale-watcher, the bane of our fashion existence), or offering opinions on boys we brought home (don't think Mom ever liked a-one).

Sis was(is) younger so she was constantly up my ass, hanging around my friends, my boyfriends, needing something, whining about something, instigating something. I fully admit there were hellacious times of knock-down, drag-out, chase around the house and into the street fights. Ok, I'll be totally honest-- I knocked her down, dragged her around, and chased her around the house and into the street. I guess I was the aggressor to her instigator. We fed off each other...at time I'm sure it was a nasty sight. Now that I think about it, it explains a lot of my mother's current behaviors. My dad walked around quietly, head down, trying to stay out of it. He still does that, come to think of it.


Now, back to the two blessed mini-me's.... Karma is biting me in the oops-I-made-my-mother-a-nutso ass. Now I'm the lunatic Mom who is always a step or two behind them. Case in point, just this morning:

We get up for school/work, and as usual Lil Lady took her sweet time getting out of bed- It's after 7:00 (we leave the house at 7:30am).

Lil Lady: Mom, I just remembered I have to work the school store at 7:20.

Me: Uh, it's 7:14 now. (whining starts) Dress fast and grab an apple on the way out! Chillgirl, let's go!

Chillgirl gets her stuff and makes her way to the car, then stops.

Chillgirl: Wait I need something! (runs back in)

Lil Lady flips out: Oh My God! Leave her!

Chillgirl walks back out, in no special hurry, to us waiting in the car, to her sister who is panicking.

Me: What were you getting??

Chillgirl: A dollar, to buy 5 pencils.

This child KNOWS she doesn't need 5 pencils. She knows we are in a hurry. She suddenly didn't know how to tie her shoes this morning either. Her sister is having a conniption and she's strolling along like its a Sunday morning walk in the park. Master Instigator. I see right through that innocent act. She's a plotter, that one. The youngest ones always are. (Sis, you know exactly what that means) Build 'em up with idolization and praise, and tear 'em down with Jedi mind-tricks. Chillgirl should consider a career in the CIA. Or a spot on the next season of Survivor. Lil Lady may need therapy, but she's not without fault here. I can come up with many stories where the drama's on the other foot between these two. The know each others' buttons. And mine. I'm screwed.

Ah, the life of single mom. I am the constant referee of interactions such as these. Its two against one, and sometimes I just put in my iPod headphones, turn on my music and walk around the house oblivious to the turmoil and strife brewing around me. I get through it the best I can, and love them the most I can, and teach them when I can. Thank God we are Catholics, so guilt works really well. "Jesus would NOT like what you just did!" is commonly exclaimed around our home.

If I'm lucky, they'll grow up and stay close, and be there for each other always. I'm lucky that way, so I wish that for them. They will have different personalities and lead different lives, but they have the common ground called Family, so they are bound by that, and will thrive because of it.