the benefits of a little sister

E is just starting to realize the awesome benefits of having a younger sister. Especially a younger sister that idolizes you and does what you say.

First of all, E gets A to dump toys. We have a couple of toys that are "dumpable" -- a bin of play food and kitchenware, a wooden train set, a bunch of instruments, and a bag of the big-ass legos for toddlers. All of these items are (relatively) organized in bins and bags and put away on the shelves in our family room. The rule is that the girls can only play with one of them at a time. So, if the legos are out, the food stays put.

Well, E has been circumventing this rule by letting A do the dirty work. A had just dumped the food bin out -- forks, plates, and faux treats were scattered all over the floor. As I watched with my own eyes, E picked up the bag of legos, unzipped the bag and handed it to A, who proceeded to dump the contents on top of the food

."E...you know the rules. Only one at a time," I scolded.
"It wasn't me, mama" E said as she looked at me with those big, beautiful eyes. "I didn't dump the blocks. A did."

E has also been using A in the capacity of a personal assistant. This morning as she was getting dressed, I asked her to pick out her shoes

."I'd like to wear my pink sparkly shoes," she said.
"Uh...well, can you go get them?" I asked her.
"A will bring them to me," she replied. "A! BRING ME MY SHOES."

This ended up being marginally successful, as A brought over E's pink dress up shoes.

"No, A," she replied walking over to her closet. "These shoes."

But did she pick them up? Nooooo. She turned around, walked back to the bed and waited for A to bring them to her...which A happily did. And as I walked out the room, I heard E say, "Okay, A, help me pick up my toys."

Gotta love little slaves sisters!