The trouble being 2nd in line

Your parents frame everything within your elder sibling's experiences. This weekend was a case in point.

Seb was developing a cold on Friday night. Saturday, his nose had started to stream. He announced he had a pain in the gut. 30 mins later, it was a pain in the chest. It stopped him from eating and he cuddled on my lap. Not at all him. We checked his lung capacity and while it was in the "ok" range, it wasn't great. Somewhat perturbed but not alarmed, we gave him his asthma inhalers (first time in months - winter months too!). Didn't seem to help his lung capacity but it did help his spirits and he proceeded to finish his lunch and headed off to a birthday party (where his dad lingered just in case).

Coming back to the 2nd child syndrome. Sunday dawns and Sophie is fine. We are heading skiing. After breakfast, Sophie announces that she is a bit tired. 30 minutes later she announces her throat hurts. She sneezes a couple of times. I deduce that she might have the cold too. We are still heading skiing though. 5 minutes later, she announces her tummy feels funny. I ask if she wants a drink of water. She looks glum but accepts. She heads to my room to cuddle up in bed. At the doorway she turns, panic in her eyes, hand to her mouth and promptly vomits all over the corridor - three times. Guess she didn't have Seb's cold after all.

At least, we weren't in the car on the way to the trails!

(She was as right as rain afterwards, even though she and I stayed home just in case.)