Monday, February 23, 2009

Oh, to be 5 again!


Spent the weekend with our daughter's family. Tiffiney turned five. But she's going on 15! She told her mother she was fifteen. Her mom said, "No, you're five." Tiffiney, "I'm fifteen because I know everything." Her mom, "If you know everything what is 2 + 2?" Tiffiney "I know, but I'm not going to tell you so you can learn." Yep, we spent the weekend with a smartypants drama queen! LOL Tiffiney had a fun birthday party and so did her younger sister, who of course joined in all the fun.

But watching the two sisters I couldn't help but do a character study. I didn't have a sister growing up to be compared to, but I had two brothers who were complete opposites in every way. One big and stocky, gruff, almost a recluse and the other smaller, slim, artsy, outgoing. But when you look at there respective children they look alike and act quite a bit alike. Then there were my three. The two girls are similar in height and hair color, but that's it. One is willowy, one is curvaceous. One has a calm, nurturing disposition the other's temper flares at quick notice and can make cutting remarks. The son, again doesn't look like his sisters and nothing short of bomb exploding on his truck would rile him.

I know you're wondering where this is going. It helps me to re-evaluate sisters I have in my WIP. I was making them completely different and wondered how people would feel, but upon re-evaluating my family and what I know about siblings. I think it will be make sense to the readers as well.

Do you have alike siblings or different ones? What do you think makes them different? More genes from one side of a family than another?

2 comments:

Lauri said...

Oh, Tiffiney sounds wonderful! The perfect five year old!

It always amazes me how different siblings are. Our three boys are as different as night and day. But what has been even more surprising are the women they married. Our 'shy' 'quiet' oldest son married a wonderful, out going and refreshing woman, who we adore, even all the more for breaking him out of his shell. And our second one, who always thought he was 'too cool' for just about everything married a girl who settled him down, NOW. We love her to pieces too. The third one isn't married, but his latest girlfriend makes him tow the line, which he's always stepped over just to get a reaction from others. We think the world of her too.

That's what I like about writing,creating that opposite, who is truly the perfect mate.

Helen Hardt said...

My sister and I are as different as night and day, literally -- she's blonde and I'm brunette! But we're different in almost every other way as well. She's kind of a prude. Me? Well, you've read my writing, LOL.

My two sons are also completely different. My older is an outgoing, flamboyant personality whose love is music and the arts. My younger is more reserved, and is a gifted athlete. It's wonderful to watch them both grow into their talents.