little girls

Satsuki and Mei from My Neighbor Totoro. They look so innocent, so cute. Sometimes our daughters remind me of Satsuki and Mei. Other times they don't.

For starters, they are covered in band-aids. Anna's face is usually covered in dirt by the end of the day, and both girls have their share of runny noses. Marta's smile is peculiar -- her second big front tooth has come out, and she lisps a bit when she talks. To top it off, they both recently drew on their toenails with marker. It's a chipped blue.

That's how they look, but how do they act? They fight, mostly over things. Barbie is the bane of my existence. Anything related to this brand -- a doll, a DVD, a magazine - can start a huge civil disturbance. One wants what the other has, and they are never satisfied with some consolation Barbie product. Once, while Anna was being extremely fussy about a particular Barbie dress, Daddy Cool lost his cool.

"FUCK BARBIE!" I yelled, and then immediately apologized. It was no use. Anna let out the loudest scream ever. I have never heard such a shriek. It was as if a volcano had erupted, spewing forth bad vibes.

The girls are both very passionate, but can be difficult in different ways. Marta is an excellent whiner though most of the time I don't believe her. Anna channels her aggression by throwing things, usually at people. Marta hits Anna when she doesn't want to share. Anna tortures Marta by turning out the lights while Marta -- paranoid from a few too many scary movies -- is in the tub. I caught Anna dancing giddily outside the bathroom while Marta was crying in the dark. She was very amused.

But they also can be good. Marta likes to draw quietly at her desk. Anna likes to play with her toy horses. She brings the horses everywhere. Little girls seemed so mysterious when I was a boy in school. Now I am living the mystery.