A Tale of Two Hats

The lovely Liz of a belle, a bean, and a chicago dog recently posted about her daughters and their friendly sibling competition.  When I read the post, I thought, "hmmm, that doesn't really happen in our house."

I think I jinxed myself, because suddenly, Abbey and Dylan are the cutest little poster children for sibling rivalry. 

Too young to compete over grades or athletic prowess, their rivalry focuses on the "I Want THAT!" game.

The rules of the game are simple.

The first player chooses something to play with.  The aforementioned something can be a toy, a kitchen utensil, or a fuzzy cheerio found under the couch.

The second player sees the item in question and absolutely, positively can't live without it.

Sometimes there is an immediate confrontation and tug of war.  Other times, the game is more covert, with the second player waiting until the first loosens their grip on the object or sets it down for even an instant, at which point, said object is fair game.

Before playing outside one afternoon, Abbey expressed her deep desire for Dylan's new hat.  Listeing intently, she seemed to understand when I explained that Dylan needed the hat to protect his little head from the sun.  Little did I know she was plotting a bait and switch right under my nose.

The rivalry has begun.

"look, I brought out this hat instead!"

all part of her plot to secure his hat

I call this move "the distraction" - note the cute smile and shiny shoes 

the coveted hat 

the coveted hat 1.1 second later

he does not appreciate the need for sun protection 

and she swoops in for the grab, her winter hat left in the dust