The Angel and the Devil

My girls change personalities weekly. One week, Faith will be the aggressive biter while Grace is the unwitting recipient of her sister's personality quirks.

Seven, ten...maybe 14 days later, though, they will switch personalities and Faith will be the withering rose while Grace creates a reign of terror over her identical twin.

This week, Grace is the antagonist while Faith is the protagonist. Actually, now that I think about it, it's been this way for a few weeks.

A few minutes ago, Grace hit Faith a couple of times and then threw a toy at her. It was an immediate time out for Gracie, so had to sit on the bottom step of the stairs for two minutes.

These girls know what time out is and Grace was none-too-happy to be alienated from her mommy and sister. She cried and wailed, but knew better than to get up. She just sat there, looking very pathetic.

Well Faith, being this week's sweet twin, saw that Gracie was very unhappy and decided to make it "all better." She picked up Grace's paci and blanket (we call them "minkies") and took them over to her sister. Knowing, though, that Grace's foul mood could rear its ugly head in the form of a slap, Faith gingerly set the pacifier and blanket down on the step about six inches from Grace. Then she backed away carefully, keeping both eyes on the tiny tyrant. She's no dummy.

After time out was over, Grace and I had a hug and a little bit of snuggle time, to assure her that mommy still loves her very much. During this time, Faith found her cup of orange juice. Most incredibly, though, after she found her own, she went on a search for Gracie's, just trying to make sure that her sister knew she was loved and cared for by many.

I have to admit, it made my heart melt. They do love each other, despite the fighting.

On a different note...

Yesterday afternoon, as I was on the phone with my good friend, Sheena, I had my back turned toward the kitchen. I should know by now to never turn my back on the twins, but I guess I just wasn't thinking.

As I turned around, though, I saw what I had been missing. Both girls had managed to climb up on the kitchen table and help themselves to the apples in the bowl that sat upon the dining apparatus.

Every apple in the bowl had a bite out of it.

The whole scene reminded me of the time Devin did a similar thing.

Anyway, despite plucking the girls off the table as quickly as I could, the damage was done. It is now their favorite past time to get up on the table and make a mockery of me. We've done time outs and even light spankings to let them know that this is not acceptable. So far, nothing's worked. They're still climbing on the table, laughing in my face as I try to keep from smiling. Despite the obvious defiance and testing-of-limits, they look simply adorable, perched up there like that.

I don't really know how to stop this latest phenomenon. I tried pulling the chairs away from the table, but our entire downstairs is either tile or hardwood, so wherever the chairs go, they just scoot them over to the table and start climbing.

This is my reality.