Sibling differences

I was always knew my sister and I were very different.  But I never really understood how different.

We are biological siblings.  We were adopted into the same family.  We are both single.  And we are both mothers to 1 daughter.  And that is just about where things ends.

I have never kept things.  She is a pack rat.  I am introvert.  She is an extrovert.  I am a democrat.  She is a republican.  She goes to church weekly.  I don't ever go to church. 

But nothing shows our differences more than our parenting.  And I wondering how that happens?

My daughter is almost 7 years old and adopted.
Her daughter is 4.5 years old and her biological child.

Her daughter is happy -- I mean truly happy.  Giggles all the time.
My daughter -- well, if you have been reading this blog you know there are some issues we are working on.

Her daughter wants to learn -- is genuinely curious about everything.
My daughter, hates school and likes to play "dumb" a lot.

My daughter is one of the pickiest eaters I know.
Her daughter eats everything.  I mean, I have yet to find a food she does not like. 

It may sound like I wish I had her daughter.  I love my niece (K) but I would never trade my daughter for hers.

As much as Ladybug doesn't listen to me and it drives me insane -- K not only doesn't listen to her mom, she then laughs about it.  And my sister allows it.  After 3 days I was completely sick of hearing my sister say, "Stop it, K. No, stop it, K.  Seriously, stop it K."

She is completely incapable of sitting still.  Which can occasionally be a problem.  Like at a movie.  She bounced.  She jumped.  She kicked the chair in front of her.  She walked up an down the aisle.  She dumped candy on the people in front of us.  She talked.  I can't imagine Ladybug acting like that.  And if she did I would haul her out of the theater.  My sister promised her more candy if she sat still.  So she sat still -- for about 10 seconds.

Ladybug is independent.  K is incapable.  I know they are 2.5 years apart but ...  K is incapable of doing things that Ladybug did without question at her age.  K got wet playing outside and I asked her to change her pants.  So She laid down on the floor and stuck her feet up in the air.  Huh?  I asked what she was doing.  She said I told her to change her pants.  So I told her to take her pants off.  She didn't know how.  After I helped her with this I asked her to put her shoes on.  She didn't know how.  I had to give her a step by step lesson on how to put a sneaker on her foot.  Just getting her foot in the shoe.  As I watched later that day, I realized that my sister does all those types of things for her.  She does not undress or dress herself.  At all.

My sister was on the computer, I was cleaning up after dinner, and the girls were suppose to be watching TV in the living room.  K deciding to go digging for gold...in her nose.  Not too surprising, this cause a nose bleed.  Which K found to be amusing.  And ran around the house.  With my sister yelling from her computer for her to sit and deal with the bleeding nose.  And I tried not to interfere.  She is not my daughter.  My sister has the right to raise her child as she sees fit without my interference.

However, I do wish that either K or my sister would have told me that she was bleeding all over my cream colored carpet in the townhouse that I rent.  That would have been really nice.

Mean Mama