Saturday, December 14, 2013

Sidekicks

Excuse me while I brush the dust off of this blog. 

There - that's better.

Lately, I've been experiencing one of the most powerful phenomenons of my life: sisterhood.  I don't have a sister, so I never really knew what it was like to have another girl your age-ish in the house, experiencing life alongside you.  I had my theories - none of which even come close to what I see between my two girls.

No one can make Lainey light up as much as Annessa.  Lanes can just hear her voice and her arms start waving, her smile gets bigger and she scans the room, looking for her sister.

And, likewise, no one can make Annessa light up quite like Elaina.

They play. Annessa, literally dragging Elaina around the house and putting her in a pretend tiger cage, a bus (overturned stool), or pretending she is the babysitter and Elaina is the kid (that one is my personal favorite).

They read.  Annessa sitting on a chair, holding the book like her teacher and storytelling; Lainey, captivated.

They laugh.  Oh boy do they get each other laughing - in the car, in the tub, at the dinner table…..

All the while Rich and I look on and watch this magical bond being built right before our eyes.

(Now, this isn't to say there are no side effects to having a sister - one major side effect being she rifles through stuff you don't want her touching.  And, as they grow, I'm sure there will be lots of door slamming and huffy moments.  But this post is about the beauty of sisterhood, so we will leave the subtle realities for another day.)   

One of the best parts of this relationship is seeing a whole new side to Annessa.  She has taken on the role of a sister with flying colors - she is Lainey's playmate, protector, and friend.  No longer is she moving through life on her own, now she has a sister.  A sidekick.

As a mom, nothing makes me more happy than seeing my girls become each other's sidekicks.