This morning Jaia and I got up early and prepared to go to a daytime Valentine’s Party with a bunch of her friends, old and soon-to-be. She chose her ‘heart dress’ – perfect for the occasion – and off we went.
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After crafting for the first half hour and showing off her skills at writing her name on her own, the other kids began to arrive. Choosing to practice her big sister skills, Jaia avoided the basement where the kids her age were running wild, and opted to hang out with the babies and entertain them while their moms chatted nearby.
I encouraged her a few times to play with the bigger kids, but she didn’t seem to want to leave the little ones at all. And she was loving it. Getting them to smile was reward enough for her.
As we were walking to the car after the party, Jaia tugged on my hand and stopped me to say “I’m sorry, Mama, but I just didn’t feel like playing today”. One the one hand I felt terrible that she thought she was letting me down by not playing with the big kids, and on the other I was amazed by how mature she can be sometimes. Some days I don’t want to play, either.
Jaia really is going to be a super big sister. I can already feel my heart melting as I watch her with the babies she’s spent time with lately. She’s so sweet and sensitive and gentle with all of them. Frank the Baby is lucky to have her.
