astrological blah blah blah

The other day I was sitting with Marta and Anna. Anna kept trying to pinch Marta's cheeks with her little, chubby hands. "Why is she pinching me?" Marta asked. "Because she's a little Cancer the Crab," I said. "What does that mean?" she asked.

Yeah, what the hell does that mean? How was I supposed to explain to my daughter, who probably has no conception of months or years, what astrology was, or how every little bundle of joy came equipped with a Zodiac sign that predetermined how they'd behave in the office or what kind of lover they'd be.

So I just shut my mouth. Astrology seems like BS, but sometimes it helps why people behave certain ways. I mean, Bill Clinton is Leo the lion and Hillary is the stinging Scorpion. When they stand next to each other on a stage, all eyes are on him. And, wouldn't you know, Obama is a Leo too. I once read a description of Pisces that reminded me of my friend Pat, also a Pisces, right down to the Pisces being a disgruntled, troublemaking employee (Pat in a nutshell).

Marta (December 30) is a Capricorn. Supposedly this makes her ambitious and self-reliant. Anna (July 20), though, is a Cancer. Supposedly she is sensitive, homey, and clingy.

I did notice the other day that Anna does not act like Marta. Marta is very pushy and demanding. She's basically always been that way. She wants to see things and go places. Anna, on the other hand, seems more sensitive to her environment. She is more quiet when I take her for walks than Marta was. Marta would reach out to get people's attention. Anna just looks like she's happy to be along for the ride.

Is this because of astrology? Definitely not. But when I asked Epp what she thought, she said that it's because Anna is a little Cancer. And Epp should know. She and Anna have the same birthday.