Sharing is Caring

Sharing is caring! That's our motto around here, or at least the one I'm trying to enforce.

Over the weekend my youngest daughter Charlotte and I celebrated our birthdays. I now have a two year old, a three year old, and I'm just old. Actually, I take it back, I'm 37 going on 21. During my big mom's night out I got carded while ordering a glass (or two, okay maybe three) of wine. Im not typically a big drinker, but after the temper tantrums in Target last week I did indeed take advantage of my much needed night out. I wonder if bartender girl would have felt the same way about my age three days prior, before I got all of my white hairs colored? Anyway, I just had to throw in that slight ego booster, I'll get back to the point . . . 

Though I love the fact that I share my birthday with Charlotte, I always thought that eventually there may be some jealousy issues with my older daughter Lanie. Understandably, there were. Nothing too major, and I'm sure there may be more down the road. Luckily, this year Lanie was easily persuaded in a different direction when I reminded her that her birthday is in June . . . even though she insisted it was in November. I said that she could eat my share of cake at this party since I don't really like cake, and then she could have more cake on her birthday party day. She asked if she could have my share of cake in June as well, and I agreed.

That morning Lanie was pretty excited to take a special trip out with my husband to pick up some ice cream. She also came home with a giant balloon bouquet that she nicely handed over to Charlotte and I while yelling "Surprise! Happy Birthday!" It was very sweet, and I was very impressed that she didn't hold onto those balloons for dear life with her Kung Fu grip and insist that they were hers. Balloons are kind of a big deal around here, so we are clearly making progress!

As you know, along with any kids birthday party comes toys, a whole lot of toys. Some of our newest additions include a princess castle, a drawing board, legos, a toy phone, a school bus, a kid's tablet, puzzles, lots of books, stuffed animals, some Peppa pig figurines, a doctor kit, fridge magnets, a handcrafted stool, and lots of clothes (which they don't fight over now, but I know that someday they will.) All the toys we have here, old and new, are age appropriate for both girls, which in return causes a lot of arguments. In the past, we've never really had any problems deciphering what belongs to who, because they share and often times fight over them all. With the ages they are now, the whole sharing verses what's mine is mine concept has become a little more of a challenge. Not only for them, but for me as well. It's not in my nature to try to explain to a two year old that she can't play with the 150 piece Duplo Lego set that was actually given to her sister as a gift a year ago and vice versa.

When it came time for Charlotte to open her gifts, one of the first things in Lanie's sight was the Peppa Pig figurines. If you've read my past blogs, you may remember that my oldest daughter is slightly obsessed with Peppa pig. Her eyes lit up as she dove for the pigs that Charlotte had barely opened, and she quickly claimed them as her own. What potentially could have turned into an old school Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan wrestling scene, surprisingly ended up just fine. Those pigs kept Lanie busy the entire time, allowing Charlotte the opportunity to open up more of *her* birthday gifts without the help of a potentially unwanted sidekick. Thankfully, no foam fingers were needed by me to direct my kids back to their respectable corners, and Charlotte really didn't seem to mind sharing them.

The following day was ideal. They were both very occupied with all the new choices to play with, and it left little time for them to argue over all the usual old stuff. I'm banking on a weeks worth of thrills 'til the excitement fades and things get old again. In the meantime, I've made note to both girls about how well Charlotte is doing with sharing all of the new toys, and how they have both been playing so nicely together. Lanie agreed, and also stated that she was very happy that Charlotte gave her a Peppa Pig for her birthday. I reminded Lanie that her birthday is seven months away and to remember this when Charlotte wants to play with her presents. So far, so good . . . Hopefully this sharing kick lasts for a while! (Who am I kidding? I've got two little people that are 16 months apart. They can be a tad bit stubborn and very strong willed at times. I'm not holding my breath, but I'm certainly enjoying it while it lasts!)

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