Lead/Follow

Of all the crappy things that can happen to a 2.5-year-old, landing baby twin sisters would have to be up there. OK, there's illness and poverty and neglect, that would be worse. But from a toddler's point of view, to go from being the centre of the universe to having not one but two interlopers, that must be pretty rotten. Three years ago, this kid was number one, everything and all. And as much as her mother tried to ensure the two tiny additions would not impact her world too much, they did - a great deal. They were noisy and smelly and fussy, they took up lots of space, and they absorbed all the time that used to be hers.

They also hogged the limelight. People arrived at the house, looking over her shoulder to see the pair. Strangers gazed past her into the pram to gawk. We were stopped often and asked questions, always about the twins, rarely about her. But she didn't get cross and she didn't complain. She forced herself into view to tell people about the babies, her babies. She loved them and she was proud.

Nearly three years on, that not so tiny pair still get in the way, they're still very noisy and often quite smelly, and they've learnt to take her toys, tear the pages of her books, pull her hair and be a general nuisance. But still she loves them. Still she talks about them to strangers.

She was sad to know that she wouldn't be at preschool when her sisters start there next month. She wanted to be able to show them the ropes. As she heads out the door this week to start her first day of school, it'll be the first of many huge life steps she'll take, leading the way, and always glancing back over her shoulder to make sure they are following.

We snuck up to Sydney for a couple of days last week, my Lola and I. She called it our 'love weekend'. I walked the city behind her, letting her dictate where, what and when. I'm so grateful for those couple of days, just the two of us.