The Magic of Siblings

Having Nick only 21 months after Lainey has presented it's challenges over the past year, but I'm starting to see the pay off for having kids so close in age. Now that Nick is fully mobile and can communicate at least through points and grunts, Lainey and he are engaging in playtime together...entertaining themselves...without me. It's amazing! Last night, they happily traded cars back and forth, pushing them down the ramp of the toy garage while I leisurely put away coats, unpacked the days bags, and made dinner. I even unloaded the dishwasher! No screaming, no one pulling at my leg...just me, my thoughts, and my chores with one alert ear for any mayhem, which never happened.

Now granted, such magic only happens when Lainey is in the sharing mood (after dinner, she had a full meltdown because Nick dared to stand next to her at her kitchen).  But, these moments are becoming more and more frequent. And even when they don't want to play together, as long as Nick can stay out of Lainey's way and interested in his own activity, I still get the same benefits. Last week, I sat and read for almost 20 minutes while they played. If Nick needed something, Lainey got it for him. It. was. awesome!!!

Aside from the benefits to my personal space and sanity, I am loving watching them become friends. Nick lights up the moment he sees Lainey in the morning, and he usually goes to her before coming to me at daycare pick-up. I often see them huddled together with Lainey "reading" to him or whispering secrets (I have no idea what she may be filling his head with, bu it's sweet to watch). And while Lainey does bully him, she also is intensely protective and tries to make him happy when he's sad. He was really wailing in the car the other night and she stretched her head out as far as she could so he could see her and said "It's okay Nick. I'm right here. Can you see me?" And he stopped crying. Talk about making my heart melt. Sure, she often tries to mask a choke hold as a hug and would sooner swipe his legs from under him than let him touch her paper dolls, but she definitely loves her little brother.

I don't expect a lifetime of bliss between them, and I definitely foresee some intense wrestling matches on the horizon, but I do hope they grow up friends and I look forward to watching their relationship grow.

Sharing a night cap...let's keep it to milk until you're 21, okay?