You Were Mom's Favorite

All siblings have some degree of rivalry between them.  The day that second child is brought home from the hospital, is the day the games begin.  The first child vies for their parents attention every time a diaper needs to be changed or a bottle given.  It's the natural pecking order.  Another kid has invaded their territory and now they are not the only adored one. The world has stopped orbiting just around them, and now they are expected to love and share with this ... parent stealer?  How dare they! 

Having two girls, two years and three months apart was asking for trouble. In my fantasy world, my two princesses would spend their days having tea parties and playing dress up so they could tell each other how beautiful they were.  Then the two sisters would happily skip off to bed, holding hands, telling us how much they loved each other. All I can say is, I must have had a high fever and was delirious when I was conjuring up such a scene because that is dreaming the impossible dream. 

The fact they were both girls and so close in age, set the competition bar high.  There were times I felt like I was raising twins because every time one of the girls was allowed to do or receive something, I had to plan on doing it times two. Over the years I have made a conscious effort to not show partiality between Amber and Kayla. I have made sure there were equal gifts under the Christmas tree, ... each one knew their birthday was a celebration just for them ... and short of getting out the ruler, made sure one child did not have a bigger amount of dessert than the other.  Although I tried, and parents around the world have given it a valiant effort, the sibling battle cry still rings out ... "You were always Mom's favorite."

I don't think there has ever been a child that did not think at one time or another, that every kid in the family was Mom's favorite, except for themselves.  This would especially come up at discipline time.  Whoever was being punished at the time was sure to let me know that the other sibling would have gotten away with murder, and why is it they are always the one punished. That child was being picked on just because we liked the other sister the best. It always made me laugh to hear both girls says exactly the same thing about the other one. If they both say the other sibling is the favorite, does one cancel out the other?  That thought was so deep, I think I injured myself.

The truth be known, I do have a favorite child.  Amber is my favorite, and at the same time Kayla is my favorite for totally different reasons.  It is similar to saying my favorite cake is red velvet, and my favorite pie is coconut.  They are each desserts, but totally different so they can both be my favorite. I love them both, but for different reasons.

Amber was my first born and the one that made us a family.  She came into this world with a strong will and personality to boot.  Amber has always had a mind of her own and is a natural born leader.  I didn't have to worry about her being a follower at school, because no one could make Amber do anything she didn't want to do.  Lord, knows I tried.  Even though it was tough going head to head with a two year old, I would not have her any other way as an adult. 

Other people may worry about what other people think, but not Amber.  She is so comfortable with herself, she doesn't feel the need to conform to the ways of the world.  I think the reason she is so forgetful of small details, is Amber knows in the grand scheme of life, it doesn't really matter if the dirty socks make it into the clothes hamper or not ... it's all trivial.

Amber is smart, quick witted and downright hilarious.  Her sense of humor can't be beat and keeps me in stitches when she's on a comedic roll.  When Amber is happy, she has a smile that makes her whole face light up and that happiness can brighten any room.

My first born has a generous spirit and sometimes gives to a fault.  Amber is the one who will give her last dollar away if she thought someone needed help.  She is fiercely loyal and very protective over the people she cares about.  Amber is confident and not afraid to speak her own mind.  She is her own person, and after twenty-six years I've finally learned that lesson, even if it was the hard way.  

I'm very proud of Amber ... she's my favorite.

Kayla was my second born daughter and completed our family.  Since she was my last baby, she will always be my baby girl.  Kayla's personality started out being very shy and afraid of everyone but her Daddy and I.  It was a rough couple of years because she would not let anyone other than us even look at her, much less touch or babysit her.  When Kayla's personality switched on at about eighteen months old, she lit up like a light bulb. It did not take her long to learn how to work a crowd. She naturally figured out how to charm everyone with those long eyelashes and cute grin, and nothing was ever the same again. 

It is hard to believe this grown woman is the same little girl that would cry and bury her face when someone new would say hello.  Kayla is outgoing, friendly and makes a great first impression.  When Kayla walks into a room, people notice . She carries herself with confidence and can convince anyone else of her abilities too. Kayla is not only a good listener, she is also a great conversationalist. She has a great sense of humor and is so much fun to be around. 

Kayla is caring and thoughtful, but don't be fooled, she can hold her own ground. She is like a smoldering fire, and you don't want to be around if sparks start to fly. She is strong and can do anything she puts her mind to. 

Financially, Kayla is like Fort Knox.  She would rather save than spend, but when she does shop, she searches for the thrill of the deal.  Kayla has a good business sense and we will probably have to one day go to "The Bank of Kayla" for a loan... (I'm hoping to get the family interest rate!) 

I'm very proud of Kayla ... she's my favorite.

Amber and Kayla were my favorite then, and they are my favorite now.  My babies (sorry, you will always be my babies) are the apple of my eye and the beat of my heart. 

You were always Mom's favorite!