"But That's Not Fair!"

Tonight my girls had planned to spend the night at their favorite cousins house. But, then Erica got sick and stayed home from school today. So, she can't go spend the night. So, the age old dilemma runs through my mind. . . do I keep them both home, or let her sister go without her? It's a sticky situation when your dealing with twins. Their whole life is shared with each other.

And I remember the first year I separated them in school, I warned them that being in separate classes & having separate friends now meant that their sister would probably be invited someplace without them, as well as the other way around. And even though you know it's coming, and prepare them ahead of time, when it happens, your still bound to hear the dreaded "But, that's not fair!" "Why does she get to go & I don't?"

So, I had a plan. And of course like we knew it was bound to, it happened. Lexi was invited to a friends Birthday party from school and Erica wasn't since she wasn't in that class. So, to prevent the tears, and one twin sitting home alone knowing her sister is at a party having a good time, we had planned for Daddy to take Erica out to see a movie while I took Lexi to the party. It worked out great! Everyone was happy. Then the very next week, Erica happened to be invited to a Birthday party with out Lexi, so I took Lexi to see the same movie Erica had seen the week before. (I love it when a plan comes together!)

But, now that the girls are older, they do more things without the other one, and it's fine. But, I still feel bad when one is sick and doesn't get to do something special, like tonight. But as we were talking about it, we realized another time when they were going to spend the night with Rachel, (their cousin) Lexi was sick and Erica got to go by herself. So, I guess it all works itself out, fair or not!

Lexi, Erica & Rachel a few years ago, ages 5 & 7
(Rachel's now 13, and the girls are 11!)