38) Bickering: My Mother Was So Right

The Bee and Bean have always gotten along for the most part, in the way that sisters do. This time last year though they were still both in the parallel play age, they played near each other, they interacted but didn't really play together. This winter, they have really started to play together. The both have a part in creating, interacting, playing, inventing and doing. Watching them get along and play together is so nice. It is neat to see them listen to each other and even miss the other when they are apart. But like all things in life, this lovely sisterly comraderie has flip side, bickering. So much time together, sharing toys, space and attention leads to lots and lots of bickering. When I was a kid my mom would often see my sister and I playing around and she would tell us to stop. Our answer always was "we are just playing" to which my mom always answered "you are just playing now but in a few mintutes someone will be crying!" It used to drive me crazy when she said this. It always made me feel like she was just trying to ruin our fun, because as every child knows that is really what parents do. But now, now I get it. Not only do I get it but I say it, all the time. I see them playing something and my mom instinct kicks in and I can just tell it is going to end badly. Every time I say it the Bee looks at me and says just what I used to say and just like my mom I am almost always right. Within a few moments of the statement leaving my mouth someone is crying with some kind of injury or hurt feelings. It is a funny thing to be on the parent side of this scenario when I so clearly remember what it was like to be on the kids side. It doesn't always feel great to be the fun ruiner but I do take a little pleasure in the fact that some day they will be the parents who ruin all the fun and I will be the grandparent who just gets to sits back and smiles.