Big Sisters

Matt would appreciate this entry.

I have maybe seen an example of how he remembers his childhood...

Emily and Collin were racing a couple of days ago. Collin started to pull ahead so Emily lightly hip checked him. Unfortuneately not too unsual since Emily has decided she must win at everything. (Don't know where that is coming from... Really!) Usual Collin will stumble and get back up. This time he fell hard, and started to scream. I came running into my parents tv room to find Collin laying on his back, blood on his forehead and a goose egg rapidly growing. From the straight line of broken skin my guesses are that he fell into the edge of the door, edge of the wall, or the one piece of unfinished moulding on the floor. My mom grabbed Collin and some ice and immediately started putting in on his head with a wet cloth over the freezie. I ran to get some tylenol for the headache I knew would be on its way. The blood stopped quickly but the goose egg kept growing until it was over an inch. I felt sick to my tummy. Collin kept screaming because he did not want the ice on his head or the tylenol. Emily was quite sad and I brought her in once Collin stopped screaming. She kept saying she was sorry. By the next morning and even today he has a scab and a little bruise. (Side note: We didn't end up going to the hospital due to the three visits I had taken to the emergency with Emily over goose eggs. I always ended up being sent home before seeing a doctor and told to watch for signs of a concussion. So we watched for the signs and saved ourselves a two hour wait in the emergency room.) My dad and Matt gave Collin a blessing as well.

If I had been hoping that this was just a random act than my hopes were blown the next day BEFORE LUNCH. I walk in to see both of my kids looking behind the couch for all the toys that Stephen has put back there. They are both leaning too far for my liking. As I start to tell them to sit back down I watch as Emily looks over at Collin and lifts his foot an inch higher with her foot. And over he went. Luckily lots of the toys were stuffed animals and no more damage was done to the still existing head wound! Yeah she didn't even ask to come out of time out after that. She sat quietly in her chair and waited for me.

As I have talked with a few other people there seems to be a pattern I am finding. All of the people have one or more older siblings (boy and girl). They all have memories of the older siblings doing something to them. I am hoping it is a stage. The part I don't get is that none of the acts have been done maliciously. She thinks she is being in funny and is sad when Collin starts to cry.

(And don't get me started about the trampoline. Needless to say they do not jump on it together anymore.)

I hope I survive my children's childhood. Matt - I am truly sorry for my behaviour growing up. I believe you now.