BabyBrotherEggsAndLessons

At two, he was a beautiful, tan, baby Pillsbury doughboy. When he smiled, it might remind you of the way a gooey white marshmallow splits open in the microwave, silently allowing steam out. Except little brother's soft, smooth, brown little face was popping open to let out a silent, happy laugh. Dad didn't want anyone to cut his hair, so our baby-Sampson's golden brown mane ringletted at the nape of his neck. Baby clothes are cheap, and baby brother was pimpin' a tiny OP polo, Osh-Kosh pants, and itsy bitsy Converses.

By Easter, four-year-old big sister, a miniature hippy-chic, was over the initial baby jealousy. Thin, white, platinum blonde girl understood one thing: baby was cute, but she was cute and knew how to talk grown-ups into anything she wanted.

About the house, egg-searching, Daddy with a bulky video camera, Mommy helping little Lelo hobble to the egg that he'd spotted across the room. Big sister points to each egg, trying to help baby brother out. But after three rooms, Lelo: 15 plastic neon eggs, Kimmy: 3.

Now the race is on. Only two rooms left, but not enough eggs! Lelo gets help from Mommy reaching the eggs hidden up high (not fair!), and suddenly second-place seizes Kimmy, rendering her useless at finding even hardly-hidden eggs. There is only one thing to do!

"Leland! Leland!" she squeaks, pointing ferociously in an empty corner. "Leland, there are lots of eggs over here!" Little Lelo totters over, Daddy following with video camera on little man, Mommy peering into the dark corner. And Kimmy pops her little fingers quickly in and out of brother's unattended basket, 3-7-10! eggs now rest happily in her basket. She goes skips into the living room now, plops on the couch, and starts to break the eggs open to find out what hides inside.

No one knows! Mommy and Daddy help baby brother open his eggs and look at the miniature candies, wrapped in foil and plastic. Kimmy counts hers: 20 tiny pieces of candy - but Leland has more.

"Leland! Leland!" Baby reflexes slowly turn his enormous cocoa eyes up in awe from the treasury of sugar up to big sister. "Leland, can I have some of your candy?" Leland nods, he knows this game! It's called sharing, he thinks. If Kimmy gets something of Lelo's, Lelo gets something of Kimmy's! He picks up a handful of chocolate and gummies and puts them in big sister's hands.

"But Lelo, I'm not going to give you any of my candy, okay?" Kimmy asks sweetly. Lelo nods. It doesn't make sense, he doesn't understand; but he trusts big sister. Maybe for the last time. She goes back to her pile of candy, but she never comes back to offer her side of the bargain. Lelo cocks his head sideways and waits patiently...patient...impatiently...ANGRILY! He starts to fret and cry.

"What? What happened?" Mommy asks as she walks in from the kitchen. Daddy turns from the parade on television. "I'm not sure. Kimmy, what happened?"

Kimmy shrugs, but it doesn't matter. Daddy's memory quickly filters in what was happening in the periphery. To Mommy, he says, "Kimmy asked Leland for candy, but she said she wasn't going to give him any. I don't think he understood that."

"Kimmy!" Mommy scolds, "Give him some of your candy!"

"No!"

"No, wait," Daddy says, "This is a good lesson for Lelo." He bends down sniffling baby boy, and explains, "Kimmy said she wasn't going to give you anything, didn't she?" Baby boy pauses, squints, and nods. "Well then you knew... so it's fair. Next time you need to make sure she gives you some if you want to trade." But it's fruitless, Lelo starts crying again. Mommy starts to fuss over him, frustrated with Daddy's logic.

Kimmy is content. She won. More candy. But little brother is crying now! She didn't really want that. She bites the inside of her lip. She thinks and sighs. Slowly, she picks up a small handful of her candy-treasure and tosses into Lelo's pile.

"There, see!" Daddy exclaims, smiling at Kimmy. "See, they both learned from that illustration!" He turns back to the TV and turns it up. Mommy sets Lelo down again says, "That was the right thing to do, Kimberly." She sighs, defeated, and goes back to the kitchen. Kimmy smiles, pleased with herself.

Besides, no one knows she had already stolen eggs from him in the first place.