Provocation/Retaliation

We have entered a new era in sibling relationships. It is the provocation followed by retaliation era...and of course, the retaliator always gets busted. A few acts that have occured over the past few days:

Provocation: Little sister pedalling her trike like a bat out of hell on the narrow sidewalk around the court passes the big sister who is carefully riding her bike on the same side walk. This near miss almost knocks the big sister into the bushes, but she recovers beautifully due to her sensible speed and good sense of balance. However, big sister is livid that little sister passed her.

Retaliation: A few hundred yards later, big sister "bumps" (think NASCAR) little sister off the curb and little sister falls off the curb into the street skinning her knee. Of course this could have been dangerous if we lived on a busy street and not a quiet court, so big sister gets busted.
Provocation: While at Target, big sister carefully selects a birthday card for her friend. She narrows her choices to 2 cards and after much painstaking consideration she picks the card with 4 fairies, leaving the princess card behind. Little sister immediately selects the princess card just to annoy her big sister. And it works.

Retailiation: For the rest of our shopping trip, I watch the big sister stare at the princess card and I can see her wheels are turning. Finally she strikes. As little sister leans to get a drink from the drinking fountain, big sister sticks her finger in the spout, drenching little sister. Then, just to rub salt in the wound, big sister says to little sister: "I don't want a little sister anymore. I want a brother." Well, 'them are fighting words' and a soaking wet little sister takes a swing at big sister and must be physically restrained. Big sister gets busted again. Little sister demands to ride home naked. I convinced her to keep the panties on.

Provocation: Little sister and big sister are playing together on a couch and doing gymnastic tumbles off the couch. Big sister gets stuck in a position only a person without cartilege in her back can assume (think extreme backbend) and calls for help. Little sister, the closest help, walks up, grabs her foot, flips it over her sisters head and the big sister easily flips out of the position she is in. Of course, this ticks off the big sister who was really just looking to show off for Mom and Dad...and somehow I suspect little sister knew that...but she isn't hurt, just mad. I warn little sister not to do these things, and she answers, a very placating: "Ok."

Retaliation: When little sister gets herself into a similar position, big sister also grabs her foot and dumps her sister on her head. Little sister isn't so quick on the back flip. Of course big sister had just heard me warn little sister about such behavior and of course, big sister gets busted again.

As a former big sister, I feel for La Nina and yet I remember getting busted myself for similar acts of sibling disregard.