more sisterly love
It’s gratifying to watch the relationship between my girls continue to deepen.
They don’t always get along. Now that Jujubee is older, they can get into some pretty royal fights. They can be quite unkind to the other. They can be selfish, inconsiderate, and just plain rude. I get plenty of practice playing referee.
But…
When they get along, it’s such a neat thing to see. They can play well, playing off of each other’s ideas, and they are willing to help the other out. It’s so nice to see.
Sometimes, they have a little TOO much fun together. This past Saturday, I was busy working in the kitchen, making my post-Thanksgiving turkey soup, when I realized I hadn’t heard from the girls for a LONG time, over an hour. I went in search of them, and found them putting “makeup” on their faces with red and purple pens. Lyd explained that they were going to do a play, and they needed makeup. “It’s Egyptian makeup,” Lyd explained. They had drawn lines around their eyes, under their eyes, over their eyebrows, on their cheeks, by their mouths – all over their faces! So, I put the kabosh on that and insisted that they clean everything off. I only wish I would have thought to get a picture of them first!
Lyd’s a better reader now, so sometimes she will decide to read Jujubee stories. Both girls seem to like that. I’m good at adding lots of expression and emotion into stories that I read aloud, and Lyd often emulates that when she reads to her sister. It’s pretty neat to see.
As far as their personalities go, they’re not the same by any stretch of the imagination. Lyd is very much her father’s daughter, and Jujubee is very much a mini-me. But for the most part, their differences in personality seem to work well in their relationship. Lyd is hesitant to try new things, while Jujubee has no lack of self-confidence. However, by virtue of being the younger sibling, Jujubee simply doesn’t know as much as her big sister does. Therefore, it’s a boost for Lyd to get to be the leader to her younger sister, and it’s good for Jujubee to have to hold back a bit. Their personalities temper each other, and they are so good for each other. When I watch them interact, it reminds me once again that God really does send just the right baby at just the right time.
The girls really do adore each other. They love sharing a bedroom, and neither one likes to sleep alone in a room. They each have a twin bed to sleep in, but about once a week, I let them sleep together in the guest room on the double bed. They always enjoy that – sometimes too much! But I don’t mind hearing them giggle and whisper a bit; I know it’s just another expression of their love for each other. After they’re finally asleep, I enjoy checking in on them and seeing them entwined together in some fashion as they sleep.
I’m so thankful that my girls have each other. Their relationship as best friends continues to strengthen as time goes by.
