I warned her.

She may be the older sister. And she may stand above her younger brother (although not for much longer), but I told her the day would come.

The day he would tease back. 

A trip to the library last week included Zane checking out a book entitled, “How to Drive Your Sister Crazy.” I thought it was innocent enough. Zane can only read bits and pieces on his own, and since we hadn't gotten around to reading it together in its entity, I never dreamt he would actually learn and replicate any of the content just from glancing though the pages.

Darn those illustrators. 

How dumb am I? 

It was the scream of “MOM-AH!!!!!”(more dramatically than usual) that actually had me running up the stairs to check on Harper. 

I found her glaring up at the ceiling in her bedroom. Hands on her hips. Scowl on her face. She was pissed.

I tried really hard not to laugh at what I saw.

I didn't succeed. 

“It isn't FUNNY-AH!” she bellowed at me. 

“Well, it is. A little. Don't you think?” 

“NOOOO! ZANE-AH!” 

Enter - the perp.

“How did you even manage to do that?” I asked my smirking son.

“The book. The book showed me. So I climbed her loft to reach and spin the fan.” 

Over our heads, on each of the six blades of the ceiling fan, lay a number of Harper's stuffed animals. And while normally this wouldn't bring out the banchee-behavior she was emitting right now - in her defense, there was one teeny-tiny problem.

Snowman was included among the plush victims.

Nobody. Touches. Snowman.

Unless he needs to be washed.

Ok, there was another problem. Zane admitted to being in Harper's room without her permission. This is new territory for us. Where they used to go in and out of each other's rooms without thought, Harper has definitely entered a "privacy" stage when it comes to her little brother. And while she does permit him to hang in her room, and they actually play together quite well, the new rule is that he must knock before barging in.

He's not getting this concept.

The correct clearances were not obtained to gain entrance.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit my disappointment that Zane failed to come up with this prank on his own, but rather stole the idea from a book. I mean, come on man, how about a little originality! What a hack.

Ok, back to being the parent.

"Zane, you are not to enter Harper's room without permission OR touch her special things. I can only assume you would be just as upset if Harper took Lion, right?"

He agreed. He got my point. For he is quite protective of Lion.

(A snowman named Snowman and a lion name Lion. Boy, my kids really have a knack for naming, don't they? It's a wonder our dog isn't named Dog.)

I'm afraid this is only the beginning. Zane has learned how to push her buttons. And while I think, hope, there will be a mutual respect with regards to Snowman and Lion from here on out, I need to get set for more Brady-like antics between brother and sister. Remember the old itching powder in the sleeping bags episode?

Perhaps I need to actually read the book mentioned above and be ready for the next sneaky strike at the hands of Zane-boy.

Clever. Well-played, son. (Shhh, don't tell your sister I said that!)

---

Joline Pinto Atkins is a former actress who now uses the web as her world-wide stage and can also be founding writing at The Cuppa Jo, and Fit With Jo. Joline is wife to one (phew - that's good to know) and mother of two amazing children, aged 10 and 6, who are both named after authors. Addicted to fitness, she sweats out any daily angst by running (not with sharp objects) and P90X'ing, and longs for good books, vats of coffee, and an endless supply of buffalo wings - which she will not share with you. So, please, do not ask.