SIBLING RIVALRY (or tattling to Santa)

Dear Jolly old Saint Nicholas,

Hello Jolly old Saint Nicholas. This is me, Rocky!
I may of done some naughty things, but Becca did the mother load of bad, mean, naughty things!

That was the first paragraph to a letter I found tucked away in the file cabinet. I had the Oompas write letters to Santa every year while they were in elementary school. This one was written in 2003 when Rocky had just turned 9. That was also the year that sibling rivalry finally reared its ugly head. It's funny how the boys never really went through it. When one was in trouble, they were all in trouble. There was no animosity between them. One would come up with a bad idea, the other two would agree it was a bad idea, and they would all do it!

The girls, on the other hand, would be the first to rat each other out. And this picture from that summer... see how sweet they look riding around together in the go-cart? Becca has that towel on her lap because her baby sister made a point of running over every single ant hill in the area, flinging hundreds of ants into the passenger seat... and anyone unfortunate enough to be sitting there at the time. Yeah, sugar and spice and every thing nice... that's what little girls are made of!

Sibling rivalry is still alive and well in The House of Oompa, but I've noticed a subtle yet obvious change. The girls still nit pick and nag. But they are fiercely protective about each other, especially when the heart is involved.

"Mommy, tell Becca to stop making death threats to my friends."

"She's only doing it because she loves you..." I explain. (oddly enough it's true)

"Mom, will you please tell Rocky to keep her nose out of my life!"

"She's your sister, it's her job." I explain, silently applauding her baby sister for once again running interference on misguided friendship.

My boys were and still are very close friends with each other. The girls, well, they don't realize it, nor will they admit to it, but they are just as loyal to each other. It's just not cool yet... That won't come until they're much older.

I don't think my sisters started liking me until they got married and moved away. Hmmm, with Becca being 17 and Rocky just having turned 14 it appears that there are still a few good fighting years ahead of us. Oh joy!