Do you feel a draft?

It started out pretty typical - Morgan takes one of Brooke's precious stuffed friends............

Then..........

THE RACE is on..........

and the pants are falling off......

Without any assistance from Brooke, Morgan's pants were mid-calf as she was in hot-pursuit throughout the house. But, that didn't slow her down much. It made me wonder if she had taken fashion notes from some of the 8th grade boys she had seen recently at my school. Still, the speed at which she ran from Brooke was amazing considering her wardrobe malfunction. It didn't seem to phase her one bit. While watching this I could see a fight brewing, and I was faced with a dilemma - Do I try to intervene and prevent an almost certain sisterly battle? OR... grab the camera. I guess it is obvious which option I chose.

Make Believe

If a child is to keep alive her inborn sense of wonder,

she needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it,

rediscovering with her the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. Rachel Carson


Each night when I tuck my girls in, we go through the same routine. Mostly it consists of prayers, hugs, stories, kisses, more hugs, and some time to just listen to them. I ask them questions about their day and usually get a very mixed up story about the fun they had at daycare.
Morgan recently graduated to her big-girl bed, and along with the pride she beems with when she says, "MY big-girl bed!" came a whole new set of routines that she must follow to assert her new found independence. She must walk up the stairs BY HERSELF. She must get on the potty BY HERSELF. She must wipe BY HERSELF. She must get up into her bed (which is equal to her height) BY HERSELF. She must walk to the top of her bed and flop down on her pillow (missing by just inches the headboard) BY HERSELF! And just when I think my little baby is pulling away too quickly, she begs me to lie with her and sing her "You are my Sunshine." Then there are a million hugs and kisses before I can escape the lair of Miss Independence. In her mind she must make believe that she is truly ready to "grow up!" She must convince herself that she is ready. But, then reality sinks in, and she realizes that the world is much bigger than she and it all seems less scary if mom is next to you singing a lullaby.
By this time Brooke is anxiously awaiting my arrival in her room. I have difficulty finding her amongst her "friends." She calls the stuffed animals friends and to her they are much more than toys. Many of her stuffed pals even have names. There is Sara, the rainbow beanie baby bear that she insists is a weiner dog. There is Vivianne, her newest bunny that must be changed into her Hello Kitty PJ's each night. There is Todd, a random brown bear. Chewy - the crazy-looking alpaca-fur bear that Aunt Lynn gave her from Peru. And most importantly Puppy, the puppy that travels everywhare with her. Some of her friends haven't been named, but they keep her company just the same. I love the fact that she finds comfort in these make-believe creatures.

I hold tight to the moments of wonder they get from their make-believe world. I appreciate being swept away in it with them.

Too soon perhaps, Brooke may find her bed a bit too full of "toys" instead of "friends." And Morgan may find herself happy to finally be "left alone!"