I am the oldest of five children.  I have three younger brothers and my sister is the youngest.  All through my growing up years, my mother would continually have to talk to me about not reacting to my brothers when they would tease me.  She’d tell me that they only kept going because they liked to see my reactions.  She’d tell me that if I would only just stay calm, they’d stop because it wouldn’t be fun anymore.  For shorthand, she’d say,

Don’t let them see where your goat is tied, Laura!

Well, guess what I’m already having to talk to Ellie about, every day?  You got it – everything I just typed.  Mark has figured out that if he opens and closes his hands while grunting and walking towards Ellie, she flips out, screams, and runs away.  He thinks it’s hilarious, keeps doing it, she keeps reacting, and away we go.  Yesterday, Nik put her up on the dresser to get her away from him because she was over-reacting so badly.  And then, she didn’t want to get down!  He’s only 16 months old!  She’s way bigger than him!  How is this possible that this is happening already? How is it possible that I sound like my mother, all the time?

Of course, other times, they’re super cute and best friends, like on Friday morning, when they were holding hands and showing off their matching new summer shoes.