Sets.

"Sooooo...." people sometimes start, when asking about my girls, "Were you divorced and remarried in between 2 and 3?" Now, in peoples defense, they usually only ask this after they know me well enough to ask this.

And the reason they ask this is actually quite acceptable. The reason for this sort of confusion is that there are 6 years between 2 and 3. Six entire years, almost to the month. Okay, 5 years and 11 months for you mathmeticians out there. And a six year break for a Mormon girl like me is, well, very unusual.

And the answer is that there is no answer.

No reason. No problems. No infertility.

That's just how I decided to do it.

So I basically have 2 sets of girls. My big girls, fast forward six years, and my little girls. And for the record, no I wasn't divorced and remarried in between. They all have the same father, we were married for many years, and then we got divorced after all four girls were here.

I was then divorced for six years. (Six is looking like a pattern here. I'll have to think about that.)

And now I am married to THE HUSBAND. The husband is hot. More on that another day.

So, in reality, even though 3 is technically, well, third. She is in every essence the BIG sister. And I mean that with all of my heart. She doesn't take on a middle kid's role at all.

She is a mentor and a caretaker all the way.
This day, it is 3 making mac and cheese. Not just for herself, but for BOTH of the little sisters in this family, while they both lounge. 4 is making huts and reading a book to her duck, and 2 is in her bed fast asleep. 2 is used to being the little sister of the first set.
And she plays the role very well.
Why is it that the youngest child just never even thinks to take care of herself? Is this universal? Being an oldest child myself, I have to admit this drives me batty. But here she is, making forts and reading to her duck while her big sister makes her mac and cheese.
I hope Sweetheart the Duck appreciated that story.

And I hope 1 and 3 know what awesome big sisters they are.