Friday, June 12, 2009

pranks and how to spin them

Not long ago I picked up kindergartener Lola to take her to ballet. A propos of not much, she remarked in the car that she hated her older sister. I said, "You don't always hate her. Sometimes you love her."

Lola thought about it. "I love her when we're playing games, but I hate her when she is bossing me around or playing pranks on me."

I had never heard of any Iris-on-Lola pranks. "She plays pranks on you?"

"Once she told me Bob Marley [our faithless ex-cat who moved in with a neighbor] was in the hall, so I ran down to see him, and she dropped a parachute on my head," Lola said wearily.

Later I picked up Iris uber Alles, while Lola was at school. I repeated to her what Lola had said, and nine year-old Iris interrupted self-righteously, "I don't play pranks on her." I continued with the story. Iris said quickly but yet judiciously, "That may have happened, but it was for entertainment purposes only."

3 comments:

Leslie said...

Being a big sister myself, I must admit that Iris has a point.

Jen in OR said...

My soon-to-be-9 year old daughter will brag to this day about the time she (then 4) tricked her brother (then 3) into sticking his tiny face within inches of her bum so she could toot on it.

They were sitting side by side on the couch when she leaned over and told him there was an itchy spot on her butt and did he see a bug? He said no. She said "Look closer, I think there's a bug!" so he did, and she tooted ON PURPOSE in his face. Did I mention she was FOUR?

Yeah. Her excuse? If he was dumb enough to fall for it, why not?!

the Drunken Housewife said...

Jen, my cousin Jenny bragged about doing that exact same thing to her little sister, my cousin Judy. As a little sister myself, I have sympathy for the little sisters of the world (but still remain one of Iris's top fans).