Best Friends

Yesterday Amanda slept in until almost 9 a.m. It was heaven. I got a few things done. Nobody screamed at me and wanted me to pick them up and got mad because I couldn't understand what their grunting meant. I loved it. Sarah did not.

Sarah was up around 7 a.m. She stayed in bed until I was up and then she moped around the house with nothing to do. She kept saying, "I don't have anybody to play with." I asked her why not and she said that Andy wasn't very fun, which is he isn't when it comes to her, and Amanda was sleeping.

It is very rare that Sarah is awake and Amanda is not. Amanda is usually the first one up in the morning, besides Andy but he doesn't count because he just doesn't need sleep. Amanda is always there when Sarah is ready to play. This time she wasn't. Even when we have quiet time in the afternoon so Amanda can take a nap Sarah usually chooses to take a nap herself. Part of it is because she's tired from trying to keep up with robo-Andy and part of it must be because she is bored when Amanda is sleeping.

When I was pregnant with Amanda we did not find out whether the baby was a boy or girl. I love the surprise of that and would do it that way again and again. Everyone in the family wanted a boy for different reasons, but I really wanted a girl. I wanted a sister for Sarah. I thought that would be something she would really like and really needed and I was right. They love each other to pieces and they are best friends.

The other day Amanda gave Sarah a hug and I asked her if she loved Sarah. She immediately said yes. Then I asked her if she loved me. She didn't really respond. I honestly believe she loves Sarah more than anybody else in the family. Yes, there are times when Sarah isn't nice or is a little too bossy or when Amanda prefers Mommy or Daddy, but in general they could play all day together. A fantastic match.

Up until now, Amanda hasn't really had any activities or anything that is different from the older kids and she's always around. Sarah knows that whenever she needs someone to play with Amanda will be there. Yesterday morning that wasn't the case, and she didn't like it. But I did. It allowed me to see that it isn't just Amanda that needs Sarah, but Sarah needs Amanda too.

I hope it stays this way forever, and I hope that years from now they are still the best of friends. No parent could ask for more than to have their kids love their siblings so much that they choose to be friends on top of everything else.