The Little Miss

I was driving in the car with Petunia the other day.  Out of the clear blue sky, she told me, "I wish I had a magic lamp like Aladdin."  Curious, I asked what she would wish for.  Without hesitation, she answered that she would wish not to be the little one in the family anymore.  Whatever I thought she was going to say, that wasn't it!

Having been the older of two myself, I was never in her shoes, but I can easily imagine why she'd be frustrated.  Thing Two is only one year ahead of her in school, but he's two full years older and big for his age.  Thing One is four years older and also big for his age.  Petunia is no peewee herself, and she is tough as nails, but next to them she has virtually zero chance in any physical competition or game...she weighs quite literally half of what Thing One weighs.  Every time the three of them get into anything rough, I warn her that the little one always gets hurt!  And then she does...clearly there is no learning curve here.

And it's not even pure size that's the issue.  They also get to do things before she does by virtue of their greater age, because they hit the cutoffs first: go to Take Your Child To Work Day, make their sacraments at church (this year Thing Two will make his First Communion, leaving her the only one in the family who still has to cross her arms in line), play travel sports.  At least she's the only girl, which differentiates her...if she had been a third boy there would be hell to pay right about now.

The interesting twist is that she is the most responsible and 'together' of the three at this stage of the game.  I joke that if I were ever to leave the three of them home alone, I would put her in charge!  I just wish she wasn't in such a hurry to grow up, since she has her whole life to be big and so little time to be little.