The Dynamic Duo

Yesterday was one of those days. Blah.

I woke up to more snow. (Though small blessings in that it wasn’t as much as Kacey’s amount.) My youngest daughter is sick… again. She’s never been prone to sickness but yet this winter she has been ill more times than I have fingers. Bad winter it is.

And the “Dynamic Duo” was over at 10am asking to play with my oldest daughter.

The “Dynamic Duo” is the nickname my husband and I had privately given to 2 sisters who are my oldest daughter’s age. They live 5 houses from us and earned the nickname from us for their “dynamic” ability to get into mischief alot.

When we first moved into this house 2 years ago, we met the “Dynamic Duo”. They seemed relatively mild girls until we got to know them a bit better. That first summer was difficult. Mikayla desperately wanted to play with them since they were her age. But every time she did, we’d deal with attitude problems, breaking of curfew, and other such nonsense. We required Mikayla to be home more often than not. This in turn led the “Dynamic Duo” to be around our home as well.

That first summer we dealt with alot of disrespect and downright meanness from them. My husband had to tell them many times that while in our home, they “will show respect for my wife.” (One of the things I love about my honey is his firmnes that everyone should show me respect!)  As we got to know them a bit, we learned a few things about them.

They rarely eat dinner with their parents. Their dad never plays ball or anything else with them outside during the warm months. They own a TV and computer in every bedroom of the house, and when we ask “what are your parents doing”, we’d often hear that they are on the computer playing games and watching TV. The girls found it amazing that we don’t have cable TV.

Parental involvement seems minimum. They caused $200 damage on our carpets. I confronted the mom about this and she just shrugged it off. They get grounded ALOT. But yet when asked they say their parents never discuss why they are grounded. They just are.

My husband will play four square with the kids, and they clamor to join in. We play darts or ping pong, and they are always begging to play that, too. They ask to eat dinner at our house at least 4 times a week. I don’t think it is my cooking they are anxious for… maybe it is that we always eat dinner as a family at the table? And we talk.

They rarely want to go home. Often, we have to literally kick them out of the house. It’s sad, really. The oldest girl is almost 13. And during the summer when my husband is outside grilling, she will sit there alone with him and just talk. About everything and nothing. It makes me wonder if she ever has someone to talk to in her own home?

But listen we do. And ask questions like how was your day in school. Or talk to them about how special God made them. We firmly tell them to give even the littlest human (like Rachel and baby Joshua) respect because every human no matter how old or young deserves respect. And we show them respect. Because they, too, deserve it.

We have seen subtle changes in them since that first summer. Now 2 years later, they are a bit more respectful. They listen to us better. They are still a handful, and they cause me to slightly groan inside when they are at the door begging for Mikayla to play. Especially on days like today. When I barely have any energy for my own kids.

But I don’t have the heart to turn them away. Not today.