13 Months, 25 days, 2 Hours, and 13 Minutes.

That's how long it took Big Brother Breckin to teach Baby Girl Ella how to say No No and take her toy back from the clutches of evil.  I mean, her brother.  He's done it since the day after she was born.  He let her have one day in the hospital to learn to breathe real air but I'm pretty sure- although most of the first few days are a blur- that he reclaimed at least one thing from her bassinet that he deemed as his.  Oh yes, the pink pony given to her by some Emerald Downs coworkers became his as soon as he saw that she had two pink ponies and she surely didn't need both.  It was a smooth "Thank you Ella.  I'll have that since you don't even know how to play with toys yet."  Which transitioned to "Thank you, Ella.  I'll take that since you're a baby and can't have little toys yet."  And, finally to "No No, Ella.  That's mine and you can't play with it." 

Did we sit idly by and let him assert his dominance?  Heck no.  We've been calmly walking him through sharing with his sister or if he really feels the need to take something from her, he needs to already have an age appropriate toy in hand to exchange with her.  It's hard to differentiate the difference, however, that we encourage him to take away some small legos or the dog toys but it's okay for her to play with stuffed animals.  Even if those stuffed animals are found in his room.  Are they going to hurt her or could she choke?  No?  Then it's ok for her to play with.  Even if they aren't technically hers.  It's an ongoing and tough lesson to learn.  He does the best he can.

Well, today turnabout was fair play.  Both kids were playing well in the living room.  She had only smacked him in the head with a weeble once and he only snatched a geo train away without a ready trade once.  They were laughing about something and she had already recovered from the hiccups after the hilarity that is Breckin shaking his head super fast.  He was lounging on the dump island (the coffee table sized ottoman that got it's name from when Breckin was 2 and would get dumped like a sack of potatoes from his Daddy's shoulder) and happened to be on top of Ella's pillow pet.  She caught site of it, waltzed over to him, reached her hand out sideways and said "No No." 

I said "Buddy, I think Ella would like to have her pillow pet back.  I don't think she wants you to lay on it."

Finally, Ella spoke his language cause he got up, handed it to her, said "Oh, I'm sorry Ella.  I know that's a special toy to you."

She grabbed it like a woman in Kleinfeld's and motored across the living room where she put it on the floor and rolled around on top of it lovingly.  She loves her pillow pet, sure, but I think she is asserting her right to her toys just as she's been taught by her smarty pants big brother.  Thanks, Breck.  Good first lesson.