Sisterly Love?

Boy oh boy was I not prepared for how girl plus girl equals bicker, bicker, bicker, fight, fight, fight.  These two love each other.  I know they do.  Deep down.  In fact, I often see evidence of this mutual affection at least a couple of times per day.  But in between these pleasantries, there is a lot of arguing.  And what they argue about would be comical if it wasn't so annoying.  For example:

Natalie was playing with her Snow White doll.

She rested it on the arm of the chair for a minute.

Audrey snatched it.

Natalie screamed as if Audrey had burned her

with a hot fireplace poker.

Natalie then began to cry.

A lot.

"Audrey took Snow White, Mommy! Get her back!"

...cry, cry, cry.

Audrey had no intention of giving Snow White back.

Not when she was getting a reaction like that out of Natalie.

When asked nicely to return the doll to her sister

she, without hesitation, said, "No."

I finally intervened on Natalie's behalf

and retrieved Snow White from Audrey.

This made Audrey furious.

She began to scream and cry as if she, too, was being burned 

with a hot fireplace poker.

Natalie played with Snow White for a few more minutes

and then moved on to other things.

I saw Audrey playing with Snow White a few minutes later.

I hesitantly brought this to Natalie's attention.

"Um, Natalie, I see Audrey playing with Snow White."

"That's okay," she replied calmly. "She can play with her now."

Are. You. Kidding. Me????

I have intervened far less since this transpired.

 Unrelated to the Snow White episode, Audrey refused to smile for the camera.

 Natalie is much more cooperative...when it comes to the camera.

In other news, the fort has expanded.  There is now a neighboring vacation home fort under the olive tree that resembles a bug tent.  I personally think Audrey got too comfortable in the original fort so Natalie felt the need to establish an alternate location for the occasional escape.