As an only child, I am baffled by the whole sibling rivalry thing. My girls really do seem to love and hate each other in equal measure. Often, it’s Caroline bemoaning my love of Katherine as if I only have enough for one child. Lately, though, Katherine has really been feeling the pain of sharing our attention. This week, she wandered around the house calling herself, “The last and the least.”

One of Katherine’s greatest complaints regarding her birth order is the disparity in the number of trips the girls have taken to the American Girl store. She can recite an exact description of the times Caroline has been without her. Never mind that trips were taken before Katherine was old enough to even know American Girls existed or that some trips were taken to Caroline’s friends birthday parties. She doesn’t care. She only knows the score.

Over the weekend, Caroline attended a day long birthday party so I decided that desperate measures were needed to restore the balance in our house.

I took Katherine to the American Girl store all by herself. I was reminded yet again how important it is to give the girls their own time to enjoy the things that are special to them. Katherine adores the city as much as Caroline hates it. I truly believe Katherine loved the time we were stuck in traffic as much as she loved the time we were in the store. She looked from side to side as if at a tennis match. Admiring the wares the vendors sold from their sidewalk carts. Laughing at the Sesame Street characters walking the streets. Ticking off the Broadway shows she wants to see.

And while the craziness of the store always gives me a headache and the city leaves me feeling a little anxious, watching the smile on Katherine’s face made it, as cliche as it is, worth it.

The smile and the book corner of the store, of course…