Coffee cat

The other day I listened in as Mark tried to lower Julia's boiling point a few degrees after fending off yet another attack from her devoted little sis. Who can blame Julia for getting upset when her puzzle/book/project/etc. (fill in the blank with any toy we possess) is constantly being assulted by curious Mimi hands? Then again, who can blame Mimi for being fascinated by the amazing things her big sis can do and wanting to explore that world? At our house, the sun Mimi's earth revolves around is Julia. When Julia creates one of her famous glitter-glue masterpieces, there is Mimi wanting to add her own touches. If Julia decides to build a castle out of blocks for her plastic Archie Mcphee kingdom of frogs, there is Mimi trying to knock it down. We sympathize with Julia but secretly cherish the fact that Mimi loves being with her big sis so. Julia's reaction is not always warm and fuzzy--sometimes she tolerates Mimi's antics, sometimes she breaks into tears of frustration and sometimes she uses guerilla tactics. Mark and I find ourselves on stand-by much of the time. We try to give them some space to work out their "differences:)" and are at the ready with praise for all positive interactions, gentle words to soothe emotionally distraught parties, and hugs and kisses to comfort the wounded. Having said all that...the conversation Mark was having with Julia fell into the middle category. He was attempting to cajole Julia into seeing some humor in the fact that Mimi had "stolen" Julia's beloved orange clogs and was hobbling around the house in them, 5 sizes too big and all. He said, "Mimi loves you so much she wants to be just like you so sometimes she is a little copy cat." Julia burst out laughing. "COFFEE CAT! Mimi doesn't drink COFFEE!!"

The other day the girls and I went to the zoo. Love that place! They can wander around checking out their favorite animals while I follow with the empty stroller, enjoying a nice walk and my girls' happy noises. So there they were, exploring pathways, giggling at the snorting hippos, and running around on open grassy spaces. And though she is only 20 months old, I never have to worry about Mimi wandering off. If I ever wonder where she is I just look a few feet behind Julia.