Time is flying by. I see it in my eleven-year-old’s face and
voice. His pants are short again. He asks me to measure him. We find that he is
now two inches taller since his birthday! That was only eight months ago. My
nine-year-old’s desire to dress-up grows less and less with each passing day. I
found a cardboard, sheriff badge I quickly made when he and my husband were
playing dress-up years ago. I unexpectedly felt a lump in my throat when I saw
it; they are growing up.
This past year has been a whirl. When I look at pictures of my sons holding
their tiny, new sister I can’t believe how much they have grown and matured;
all three of them.
They have been such a
great help in so many ways. Although they are growing up, they have a
tenderness for their sister. They adore her and are so good with her.
They sing
to her, read to her, dance with her and make her laugh like no one else. She searches their usual nooks to find them
in the mornings. When she wakes up from a nap they gently pick her up and hold
her.
She walks around putting toys to her ear and talks to her oldest brother on
the “phone.”
Now, at thirteen months, when they get their coats on to go ride
their bikes, she insists on getting her coat on so she can be with them
outside.
She watches them swing and
chase each other out the sliding glass door.
When they see her adoring smile and
small frame pressed up against the window they can’t resist running over and
giving her a kiss and talking to her!
She watches them, studies them and is now
beginning to copy their laugh, expressions and movements. She calls for them
from the other room and her gaze quickly jumps from my eyes to where she thinks
she hears them.
This bonding is so beautiful to watch.
She loves them so!
