May the best toddler Win

I think I may be going crazy. Who's idea was it to have my kids 18 months apart? Oh right, it was a surprise! My children have been competeing today since they first climed into my bed and looked at each other this morning. If I hear "mami, she hit me!" or experience one of amy's blood curtling screams one more time this morning I might just scream myself!

I've read the parenting books and I Know WHY they are clashing lately, I just don't know how to SOLVE it. Or should I solve it? Do i just step back and allow them battle it out and may the best toddler win? I have no experiense in this department, I have only one sister and she is 7 years younger then me. We never really competed over anything.

They are good kids and I have seen many times how much they adore each other. I've gotten the friendly advice and read the books (but seriously, how helpful are these books?). I know that AMy is trying to exert her independance and fight for attention because she is the younger sibling of a boy who loves to be the center of everything. I know that Nicolas is reaching a stage in his development where he wants some freedom and time alone with out his little sister hanging on him, especially since she looks up to him and wants to do EVERYTHING that he does.

I am sure that this is the same scene that happens in everyone home in every generation across the globe. I am sure that as soon as I figure out this stage in their development we will have moved on to something new.

(after all of my complaining here you know what they are doing now? Nicolas has turned on a movie -such a smart kid- and they are laying on the couch together getting along just fine) So it seems that they both came out of the morning alive and still loving each other.