sibling sweetness

Today was a bad day for The Boy. I'm not sure exactly what the problem was, but the whole day just went awry from the very start. Perhaps he really did wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

The Boy woke us this morning with his cries from downstairs. Daddy went to check on him (thank goodness it was Daddy's turn to wake up with the kids today). It turns out The Boy had bumped his head on the corner of the kitchen island. He is exactly the right height now, he will need to be more careful.

When I woke and joined the family, I put in a load of laundry, as I do each morning. I was able to convince The Boy that his green babies needed washing. The Boy has two "babies", his term for his security blankies, one green and one blue. I am very careful that only one baby is in the wash at a time. So, the green babies go into the wash, and we all head off to Costco. I should have known it would not go well when I couldn't find the blue babies to come with us. Daddy tells me it will be OK. He often leaves the house with The Boy and no babies, he tells me I'm more neurotic about the babies than The Boy is. Well, maybe that's true, so off we go.

Have you been to Costco ever? They have these cool carts that have space for two kids in the front part (you know, where kids normally sit in a shopping cart). So, The Babe and The Boy each get a spot. The Boy insists that I push the cart. He practically kicked his daddy out of there, shouting "No!!! Mommy push!". OK, that's not really a big deal, I'll push. About half way through the store, The Boy insists he wants to get out of the cart, so I stand him on the floor. Instant meltdown of gargantuan proportions. Now he won't get in the cart, he won't walk next to the cart, he's just standing there screaming. So, I left him there with his Daddy while The Babe and I got a boat load of Tide for only $10. Gotta love Costco. Come back, still screaming.

I actually had to take The Boy out of the store and sit with him in the car while Daddy and The Babe finished shopping. The Boy screamed the entire 15 minutes we were in the car. I felt bad for him, really I did, but he can't just throw a tantrum like that and get his way. We sat in the car, with him strapped in the seat, crying because he was "stuck". All this, and no babies. The poor kid is half crying about being stuck and half crying for his babies. *sigh*

We get home. I put the laundry into the dryer, so now green babies are half way done to being "nice clean" as The Boy says. I ask Daddy to find the blue babies to help calm The Boy down. Blue babies are found, and Daddy tosses them through the kitchen to the family room where The Boy is eagerly waiting, and the blue babies land right in a nice puddle of cat vomit. Lovely. So, now I have to put blue babies in the wash, and the green babies are still not done, and all The Boy wants in the whole world are his babies. Poor thing. Rough day, eh?

This is where it gets sweet, though, I bet you thought I'd never get there. I bet you forgot the title of this post already... The Babe is trying her best to make The Boy happy. She picks out his favorite movie "Look!" she says, "Let's watch Buzz!" She goes upstairs all on her own and comes back with the blue doggie that The Boy sleeps with each night. He's a little happier. She leaves him be, and goes to play in the living room. About 20 minutes later, she comes in with the Weeble Tree House that she has been playing with. The Boy perks up. "Toy, Mommy? Go play with toy?", and I told him that when The Babe was finished with her turn, he could have a turn. The Babe pipes up:

The Babe: But I already played with it in the other room.
Me: So, is it OK if he plays with it?
The Babe: I brought it for him.

Oh, she's so thoughtful. Now, The Boy gets down from the sofa, gives The Babe a hug, and plays with the tree house.

A few tantrums and rough spots later, it's bedtime. The Boy has a serious meltdown and is warned several times that if he doesn't calm down, we will have to put him to bed with no stories. This is a very serious punishment that has actually never been given out before. But, The Boy holds his ground, so we are forced to put him to bed with no stories. He screams and cries in his room the whole time Daddy and I are trying to act normal while we read stories to The Babe. Once I have The Babe tucked in, I go into The Boy's room to give him his hugs and sing his bedtime song, as usual. He's crying quietly now, and his tear stained face looks so sad. He looks right at me and says "See Dizzy, Mommy. See Dizzy." 'Dizzy' is what The Boy calls his sister. He wouldn't go to bed until I took him to The Babe's room so he could give her a kiss goodnight, like he does every night.

The Babe and The Boy obviously love each other very much, and I would take a hundred melt downs in exchange for just a few sweet moments like the ones I was priveledged to see today.

Now, let's just hope he wakes up on the right side of the bed tomorrow.