The Red Sister

I didn’t quite realize it at first but lately I have been doing a bit of a personnel inventory of the members who populate The Manor. It could be that after a summer of close dwelling I need to take stock and prepare for the winter, or perhaps I am just trying to understand them all and what the hell we are all doing here. Whatever the case, lately I have been thinking quite a bit about Cassidy. She has a variety of names: Miss Thang, Cassula, Smackidy, Cassadia, Briar Rose, Babe and The Red Sister. In her case a rose is a rose is a rose. She is bigger than life and a handful beyond my daily grasp.
Cass has been raising hell since she was in utero and forced me into a state of bed rest for over three months while she kicked and partied her way until two days past her due date. She still loves making trouble and has a nose for drama that leaves us living in a daily TV novella, except we speak mostly English on our show and we don’t wear low cut gowns to the breakfast table. But despite the fact that she kicks my ass on an almost daily basis, I love her with a fierceness that sometimes leaves me breathless. She might be a handful but she is my handful and she fills me with awe.
Today Cass got her heart broken in the way the middle school girls often do. Her best friend, a sweet little blonde Cindy-Lou-Who of a girl pledged her BFF statues to another girl. This other girl is often a snively whiny thing with a pinchy face. This girl cries at virtually everything, a drama queen in her own right but a drama queen with no style. I am not a fan of this other girl. Her dad is a pain in the ass on the soccer field side lines, often yelling at Cass and trying to get his own daughter more action, and the mother routinely bashes on my kids about their odd manners. So it is none too surprising that I feel no deep love for the bratty daughter. Now it is one thing if the girl wants to be a brat in a universe parallel to the one Cassidy inhabits, but if she is going to be poaching on Cass’ best friend and breaking her heart, I might have a thing or two to say about it. No, I am not going to march into school, push her over and make her tremble. But I am not above arranging a few extra play dates between Cass and her BFF. It might be manipulative of me but a mom’s gotta do what she’s gotta do. Needless to say Cass and her BFF are attending a rodeo on Sunday complete with a b-b-q. Cass might be a bit of a monster but she is my monster and that is that.

Cass at sunset just after her bath. She is still a bit tender from her day but not beyond striking a pose. She is a true professional.