Lord help the sister...

We were about halfway through breakfast this morning when I glanced over at my eldest daughter, who had clearly dressed for school with special care. Christmas has come and gone, and she has been looking especially swish of late, courtesy of my extremely generous mother, who loves nothing better than to dress her granddaughters up to the nines at every opportunity.

Something else caught my eye, though-- something glittery. I noticed that she was wearing a fine gold chain around her neck, that was strung with tiny seed pearls.

Mother: (admiringly) Hey, looking GOOD today! VERY nice. You are certainly turning into quite the Young Lady these days... Where did that pretty little necklace come from?

Child Number One: (fluttering her long eyelashes and looking very pleased with herself) Thanks. Grandma and I bought the clothes, and then Auntie gave me the jewellery... I thought it would all go well together.

Child Number Two: (gleefully, unable to resist) Yeah. It goes ESPECIALLY well with that big ZIT on your FOREHEAD.

To her great credit, Child Number One did not attempt to flatten her younger sister with one punch... Instead, she sighed heavily, and with a shake of her head, returned her attention to the peanut-butter-toast on the plate in front of her.

Mother: (softly, to her long-suffering eldest daughter) Don't worry... Once upon a time, I had a little sister just like that...

... And she grew up to be a pretty terrific Auntie, who just happens to give great necklaces.