My Sister Is Pretty Cool but Don’t Tell Anyone

I am an only child and before my kids I had no insight whatsoever into sibling rivalry. After being subjected to Drew and Sari’s nonstop bickering I foolishly decided that brothers and sisters at that age just don’t like each other. I reminded them that family is to be treasured and that they need to look out for one another. I resigned to waiting it out until they figured it out. Until I found the note.

One day after the kids went to school I was cleaning Drew’s bedroom and I found some dollars on the floor. When I picked up his clear acrylic bank I saw a torn piece of notebook paper folded neatly and stuffed down the slot. Like any good Mother I popped out the rubber stopper and retrieved the paper. It said, “Don’t tell anybody but I really do love my sister. She is pretty cool.”

My heart was warmed! Drew had always blamed Sari for their situation because it was after her birth that they were removed from their biological home when he was 5 and put into the foster care system. I worried that his aggression toward her went beyond sibling rivalry and into someplace deep and sad. It may have in the beginning and may resurface in the future, but here was hope that he really did cherish her.

Not sure what the proper thing to do was, I shared with Drew that I read his note. I feel it is my job to snoop and be aware of everything in my kid’s lives, I don’t feel bad about that, but I thought I should let him know. I asked him if it was true that he was developing a soft spot for her. Unsure of what to expect, I was surprised and a little tickled when he said, “Yeah, it’s true Ma. You know, she’s just a little kid still. She doesn’t know how dumb she is.”

That was just about the sweetest thing I had ever heard. Do you remember how old you were before you stopped detesting your sibling?

Before I ever got pregnant I started thinking about what kind of mom I wanted to be. I knew one thing for sure, I did not want to breastfeed! All of the reasons not to danced through my head. It would hurt, I’d never get any sleep, and I’d never be able to leave the […]

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Somebody help me! My daughter is growing up too fast!

My daughter will kill me for this post when she reads it but I am just so astonished over here that I have to share with my fellow Moms. I think my 8 year old Sari is already approaching puberty.

It all began around Christmas […]

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I joke a lot about how wild my kids are and how my Hubby is a ManChild. (A nickname lovingly bestowed upon him by my Dad who TRULY couldn’t love him more if he was his own son.) And although it is true that marriage and parenthood brought out a crankiness in me that I […]

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Somewhere in our fantasy parent training manual of how to do and say all the right things to ensure the maximum confidence, esteem, and outlook on life potential, there would be a whole chapter on thinking on your feet. You only get one chance to answer a thoughtful question plaguing your child’s mind at that […]

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So I was at the video store engaged in a conversation with the clerk about the advantages of joining their club. He shared some funny stories about his kids and joked about how many popcorn buckets I was buying. All in all a lovely conversation except for the awareness of something noisy and aggravating behind […]

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It is difficult to be happy when everything is out of order. The house is a mess, life is hectic and days are flying by. We try to GET ORGANIZED and SET PRIORITIES but we don’t know where to start. So I ask you this. What is your main objective? I am sure your answer […]

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Here comes another large family! This time, it’s the Gosselin’s in Pennsylvania!

The Gosselin Family, I can identify with a bit more than the Duggars that I talked about a few weeks ago. This family had an oops with fertility drugs, and had eight children in two pregnancies. Talk about a shocker! […]

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Although my kids would have you believe that I need a minute or two on the naughty step that is not the kind of time out I have in mind. We are talking “time out from the situation” for just a short time.
Read this part in a breezy fashion: (Out loud or in your […]

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Boy, do my kids hate to do chores. So do I. But that explanation does not inspire them. You know what does? Information and a little excitement go a long way toward changing family attitudes and willingness to help.
As parents, we see the big picture. Build a career, do a good job, make money, […]

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