Older siblings beware!

I love my nieces and nephews. They are so much fun. A few weeks ago, My sister-in-law, and I planned a trip to the zoo with her two boys. "Grandma" came along for the fun. The boys are three year old and 10 months old. And as most older siblings go, (J) can be quite the bully to his younger brother (C). Saturday morning we were getting the boys dressed, and big brother stepped on the little guy's fingers. (J) got a firm lecture and told how he needed to be nicer to his brother. As I was comforting (C), I couldn't help wondering how tough the little guy was going to get if he didn't learn to walk soon. At least then he might have a better chance of defending himself.

On the way to and from the zoo, I rode in the back with the two boys. On the way (C) fell asleep and I got to run interference with (J), who thought it would be funny to wake (C) up by poking or grabbing the little guy's pacifier. What a toad! Anyway, the zoo was wonderful and we were all very tired, especially the adults and we all hoped both boys would fall asleep, but again only one of them did. This time it was (J) and I got to keep the little guy occupied cause he isn't too fond of his car seat. And it was only coincidence that the little guy kept throwing his bottle on his brother's side of the car. Well, in the split-second my attention got distracted elsewhere, sleeping brother's head felled forward and out went (C)'s hand and grabbed a fist full of hair. Hehehehe, Yes, little guy got a lecture about not pulling his brother's hair but I'm afraid I was chuckling to much to make it sound firm. And it didn't help me stop chuckling with (C) growling at me because I wouldn't let him grab his brother's hair again. I guess the little guy isn't as defenseless I thought.

Now, that's not the end of my story... the next day, I was at a family get-together and had my niece (S) on my lap. It was (S)'s 7th birthday and we were sitting reading a book with a few of the other kids standing around me. (S) got a little bored and started pretending to fall off my lap and then I would catch her. Well, the last time, I let her slowly fall to the ground. Both of us were laughing, when I felt her younger sister (A) tugging at my sleeve. I turned to see what she wanted and she said, "Thank you, Now I get to sit on your lap." Hehehehe oh, boy, (A) isn't yet 4 and she's thanking me for pushing her sister onto the floor. Well just so she didn't think I purposely pushed her sister off, I made room for both of them.

So older sibling beware, just because you were born first, doesn't mean, the younger set won't find some way to challenge the age old response "Because I'm older, that's why."