Too Jealous

Yesterday, I took all three girls out to do a little Christmas shopping after Lucia had finished her daily allotment of school work.  The timing worked out perfectly: Lucia had just finished when Alexa awoke from her morning nap, so we packed a lunch for baby and headed out.  Our mission was to find something the girls could give to Papa for Christmas, and then I had told them they could each find something for each other in the range of about $5. 
Our first mission was quickly accomplished, so we then went to a store that might have something the girls would be interested in.  Alexa was very patient while Lucia and Rhea took their sweet time exploring all the toys.  They got all excited and kept showing me their discoveries.  It was a major challenge, though, to keep them focused not on themSELVES, but on sister.  Lucia kept showing me things, saying, "I wish Rhea would pick THIS for me!"  And Rhea kept telling me, "Mama, I want to bring this home."  After repeatedly reminding them of their budget ($5 doesn't buy much anymore these days :-( ), and trying to get them to focus not on themselves, Lucia finally found something that was age appropriate for Rhea and that she would very much enjoy.  It was a reuseable sticker pad (something like this http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12704274).  Lucia kept looking at it and thinking about it, and then told me: "No, Mama, if she gets this for Christmas, I would just be too jealous.  It has SO MANY stickers!"  I tried to explain to her that since it had so many stickers, Rhea might be willing to share some of them with her.  After contemplating it a little more, she asked: "Couldn't we find one with FEWER stickers?  This just has too many, and it would make me too jealous."  So... she decided she wasn't going to get this for Rhea. 
(Very interesting concept... I'm still thinking about this.) 

After I helped Rhea pick something for Lucia (and, no, I didn't just get the sticker pad ;-) ), I hid both items in the cart so that the girls couldn't see them, and we proceeded to check out. Rhea REALLY struggled with not being able to tell Lucia what she picked out for her.  She kept telling me, "Mama, I'll tell her JUST ONCE!"  I kept insisting that, no, she couldn't tell her even once because then the surprise would be ruined. "But I WANT TO tell Lucia!!!!"  I was finally able to somehow sufficiently distract her, and after paying, we all went out for a treat lunch at Taco Bell.  Alexa did a good job eating the baby jar I had packed for her, and the girls had tacos.  It was a little "busy" with three little ones, as you may be able to imagine (potty breaks, gesturing with a taco in hand, resulting in half the filling flying out in several directions, etc.), but we all had a good time.  And, as a special treat for me, a lady stopped by our table on her way out and remarked how well behaved the girls were and how impressed she was with how they had been doing the whole time she was watching.  She asked: "Do you stay at home with them?  I think you do, because it really makes a difference."  That was such an encouragement for me to hear, and a good reminder for me to encourage other moms as I see the opportunity.  The girls WERE doing well yesterday, and I told them that.  And on our way out of the restaurant, I told them I had learned something that day:  That we could go out again sometime for lunch, because they had listened well and used good store and restaurant manners, and that Mama had fun with all three of them.  What a great day!  And on the way home, Rhea said, "Mama, that was a great meal at Taco Bell.  Thanks for taking us there!"  How much sweeter does life get?! :-)