It's about time!

With regard to a level playing field, it has been a long year when it comes to Grace and Lily... Since the day Lily came home from the hospital Grace has loved her sister and Lily still thinks that Grace hung the moon - But Grace has not ever been aware of her size or strength compared to Lily. In her excitement Grace often crushes, smothers, bowls over and in general and most often unintentionally - abuses her sister. Lily is not a big girl she is below average in size, but next to Grace who is well below average in size Lily seems a giant! -- A touchy subject with me - My baby is not "huge"! – But I digress. Even being a larger baby than Grace, Lily has still been a baby and a smaller, weaker child until very recently. Brian and I along with some of our closest friends laugh frequently about that day, off in the future, when Lily realizes that she is bigger and stronger than Grace or even just realizes that she is as strong and knocks Grace out! I will fully admit that while I do not condone violence I have been giddy waiting for the day when Lily finally lays her sister out! All the while hoping that that the tide would turn and we would see a whole new Grace.

At Lily’s 12 month doctor appointment we found out that Lu is about 2 inches shorter than her sister and only 3 and a half pounds lighter. Four pounds is nothing... It is practically the same size! So I knew it would not be long before Lily got to fighting back and Grace would never know what hit her. I waited thrilled about the day when I would not longer have to say or hear “Grace get off your sister!” I cannot say enough how I am really getting tired of that phrase.

I am at the stove cooking breakfast for the girls the other morning and I hear Lily hit the glass portion of the entertainment center. Now, I know it was Lily for two reasons. One – She thinks that she has to stand there leaning on the table to watch television. Two – because I immediately hear her cry out. Before I even look up I yell “Grace! What did you do?” Oops… I then look up and as Grace is saying “Nothing! Lily fell!” I see Grace sitting across the room in Bruce’s lap. So for once it wasn’t Grace. No one pushed Lily or shoved her out of the way or bowled her over as they ran by to do/get something. Lily simply slipped. But the poor thing cut below her eye on the edge of the table and now has an egg on her forehead and a shiner worthy of ‘Brunhilda the Roller Derby Queen’. As I am icing Lily’s face I am realizing, this is what life will be like for years to come. Even if Grace and Lily aren’t injuring each other, they are my and Brian’s kids and they will be hurting themselves just as much. Either sports injuries or bike accidents, I’ll just have to try to steer them clear of chicken wire fence poles… Sigh…. I have to laugh and make a mental note to stock up the first aid kit.

The very next morning I am cooking breakfast again and my back is to the living room and Grace starts crying “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Owwwww! Mommy!” I turn around to see Grace face down on the floor and Lily on top of her – Two fists full of Grace’s hair, pulling her head back and laughing. It-was-awesome! Yay Lily! She is finally big enough to start defending herself from Grace! It was as exciting as I thought it would be. I know that someone out there reading this is thinking this is sick, or awful or inappropriate, so don’t get me wrong - Fighting is not allowed in my house. Hitting is a punishable offense and I have zero tolerance for hitting. But Lily and Grace both needed to know that Lily is capable of defending herself so that Grace will think twice about bullying her.

Oh happy day!