Little Copycat

Ask Arizona

- Lissa Rovetch

Dear Annoyed,

I understand exactly what you mean. Around the time my little sister, Indi, turned six, she started copying my every move!

“What are you guys doing?” she asked my friend Mareya and me one Saturday morning.

“We’re making bracelets,” Mareya said, pointing to a photo in the craft pages of her magazine.

Indi plopped down next to us at the table. “May I make one too?”

“Um . . .” I paused.

“Sure!” Mareya said.

Indi squeezed in so close to me that I could hardly see what I was doing.

“Can you give me a little more room?” I asked. “You’re blocking me from the beads.”

“I’m just trying to see what you’re doing,” she answered.

“Well, you don’t need to see exactly what I’m doing,” I told her. “You can make your own design.”

“I am!” she said. Except she was using the same colors of beads and string and everything that I was using.

“Hey, ’Zona, I brought my guitar,” said Mareya after we’d finished the bracelets. “Want to get your maracas and we can make up songs for our band?”

“Excellent idea!” I said.

“Let’s go to the backyard where we can have some privacy.”

When Indi didn’t say anything, I thought she must have gotten the clue. But 10 minutes later, guess who showed up.

“Sorry it took me so long, but I couldn’t find my tambourine,” said Indi. “It was in the basket that Charlie was sleeping in. Isn’t that so funny?”

“Maybe your kitty secretly wishes he could play the tambourine.” Mareya laughed. Indi giggled. “Maybe we should invite Charlie to be in our band!”

Indi seemed to copy my every move!