This is Sophie at her best. A big, joyful grin. Because she’s such a happy kid. Most of the time anyway. But because she’s been spending so much time with her sister over the last few weeks, she’s also started to take on some of Chloe’s less charming traits. Like getting angry when she feels we’re not taking her seriously. Or getting all serious and stern when she thinks we’re misbehaving.

And Sophie has learned to give as good as she gets. She’s always been fairly talented when it comes to bugging her older sister. But she’s become a master over the last few months. She mimics Chloe, much to Chloe’s consternation. She baits Chloe will all manner of words and actions (like sticking out her tongue). And Chloe makes all of this really easy for Sophie, because Chloe is incapable of ignoring her little sister’s antics. Try as she may, and she doesn’t try hard enough, she allows Sophie to get under her skin for the most inconsequential of acts.

Am I being a horrible mommy for sheepishly admitting that I find all of that pretty funny? Truth is, when I was a kid, my brother James was like Sophie. He was my arch-nemesis. He knew what buttons to push with me, and I’ve always said that Chloe is her mother’s daughter. I love him dearly now, but I wanted nothing to do with him until I left for college. The good thing is that Sophie and Chloe generally get along much better than I got along with my brother when we were kids. At least for now.