Sisterly Sacrifice

Sophie reading to Isaac in the Pepto Palace (2008).

When Sophie was born, we brought her home to a yellow nursery (formerly a beige office -- the office moved into the newly finished third bedroom). A year-and-a-half later, Ian moved in with her, taking over the crib while she got a toddler bed of bright colors and handprints that she and daddy painted together.

When Isaac came along, he took up residence in the yellow nursery and Sophie and Ian both moved into the third bedroom (the office moved downstairs to our newly finished basement). Sophie claimed the top bunk, Ian the bottom and my mom bought them darling quilts, both with gingham print borders, so that they "matched" while being distinctly "boy" and "girl".

When we came home from China, we decided to mix things up by moving Isaac into the bunkbed with Ian and giving Sophie her own room. She was back in the yellow nursery, but, we let her pick any color of paint she wanted. She chose pink - a very pink pink - a pepto pink. And, as the months went on, her Pepto Palace grew into a lovely lovely haven.

She got a brass bed with a canopy at the head, and a white dresser with gold trim. My parents found the most perfect little bedside desk, complete with fancy drawers and cabinets and a mirror when you open the top. We also acquired a pink upholstered antique chair. She found all of my old jewelry boxes and claimed them as her own. We secured flower shaped hooks on the wall for her to hang up her jackets. She put up pictures and decorations and made the place her own (as my sentimental Sophie tends to do with all places she inhabits).

A few months ago, it became apparent that the only way to make room for a new baby in our home would be to move Sophie downstairs (again, the office gets the boot -- it now shares a space with the playroom) and turn her room back into a nursery (lucky we had a girl in light of all that pink). My mind flashed back to a conversation we had had a few months prior to the big moving decision.

"Mommy, tonight I made a wish."
"What did you wish for?"
"I can't tell you, or it won't come true But, I'll tell you a wish I made that already came true."
"What was your wish that came true?"
"I wished I would have a beautiful bedroom when we came home from China."

That room! The Pepto Palace. It meant so much to her. But, in the end, my sweet Sophie moved downstairs to make way for her sister without complaint. We transferred her furniture, all but the canopy and the pink chair that would not fit. The walls are Boston Brick instead of pink. My mom bought a bulletin board and cute shelves and hooks to doll up the new space.

Just like the time I realized that we wouldn't be able to put our beloved hamster "Joey" in a Pringles can and take him on the airplane home from China (my kids played with that guy for at least four hours every day), I cried more than she did. Because, I knew that deep down inside, she was making such a big sacrifice.

I guess no sacrifice is too great for the blessing of a sister. I'm so in love with the way Sophie will sit and hold Katie for an hour and sing her into a calm state when she fusses. It is the absolute best to see her be a great nurturer. Even if it means I will never see her reading books under her makeshift fairy blanket "tent" at bedtime. Even if it is the end of the Pepto Palace era. I think all in our family agree, Katie Jane is worth it.