Anything You Can Do...

The mild temperatures from Christmas have given way to a cold, wet January, but there have been a few days pleasant enough to take the girls out for a spin on their new bikes. It took Violet a few tries to feel comfortable on her big girl bike (she still doesn't fully trust that the training wheels will keep her from tipping sideways) but the more she rides, the better she does. Not to be outdone, Annie insists on hopping on her tricycle, even though she prefers to peddle the Flintstone way of feet to the ground rather than on the peddles. Baby steps.

Trying out the new bike!

Not to be outdone, Annie insists on riding her bike.

Annie has decided she has an opinion and that her opinion matters. Here's a sample conversation:

Me: Annie, lay down next to Violet. (The girls share Violet's room now.)
Annie: I sleep in my bed!
Me: Okay (carrying her into her room).
Annie: (shrieking) No I sleep in Violet's bed!
Me: Then get in Violet's bed!
Annie: I sleep in MY bed!

Oy! The things she's cried over. The purple lid (it was the wrong color). Not being allowed to pull dirty knives out of the dishwasher (how dare I). All the clothing choices I make for her in the morning. The number of ponytails (too many? not enough?) I'm not sure how much of these opinions to attribute to her 2-year-old-ness, and how much to blame on the example her highly-dramatic older sister is having on her.

Although, for all the bad habits Violet is passing down, she sure is a good big sister. She hasn't complained about suddenly having to share her bed with Annie, and she is generally quite generous and sweet with her. I hope they always love each other this much.