A Big Brother's Love Language

My Ephram, he loves my Macie.
Of this I am sure.
He takes his role as a big brother very seriously.
And has perfected it as well as he has the little brother detail he serves with Charlie.

Here are some of the ways Ephram tells Macie he loves her.

He carries her.
Even if Mommy says it's not a good idea.
(And she might love it.)
And he asks for help when he can't quite lift her over the rail to the crib.
(Or even up to the bottom rail.)

He feeds her.
Everywhere, all day long.

He teaches her.
Lots of things.
Including the important stuff.
Like how to share.
And how to use Mommy's iPhone.

And, maybe the most important of all, he wrestles her.
He hugs her.
He tickles her.
He calls her to play.
He laughs with her.

Did I mention that he gives her a hug and a kiss and a pat on the head every night as she settles down to sleep?
That his eyes light up as he comes bolting out of his preschool class and, after he's given me the fiercest of all leg hugs, he reaches up to where she sits on my hips and I bend down a bit and he gives her the most perfect and gentle kiss on the arm, hugs her leg and says, "Miss me, May May?"

She does.  She misses Ephram when he's gone.  But she trusts that he'll be back and she knows that he loves her.  Just as she loves him.

Friends in the Family

So far, we're pretty lucky.
Our kids are all good friends.
Best friends, really.
I love to watch them together.
Here are a few pictures from May.

Macie and Ephram finishing up Episode VI of Star Wars, for the first time ever, on Star Wars Day.

(And enjoying some milk together.)

Charlie and Ephram love to snuggle.

Sometimes snuggling turns into wrestling.

But not on this day.

Macie was having the hardest time figuring out how to make Dino go.

So her big brother Ephram hopped on behind her and took her on a ride around the house.

He also patiently taught her how to make it move on her own.

Charlie was my cooking helper this day.

He was trying to figure out half of 32 so that he would know when we needed to turn the chicken over.

Little brother was fascinated as Charlie made two equal sets of tick marks, counting his way to 32.

Macie always wants what Ephram has at meals.

He often shares with her.

But this was the first time he used his fork to do it!

So Silly

Living with two toddlers means that we have a ton of silly going on in our house.

What's more silly then crawling into the entertainment center for a nap?
(Yet craning your head around so that you can catch a glimpse of the TV?)

(Or popping down to help your little sister read a book?)

(Or scooting back when said sister needs a place to rest a book?)

Eventually, he hopped out and got his sister a whole stack.

Sometimes Daddy jumps in on the silliness, too.

And sometimes there's just silly for the sake of silly.
Like pretending to be a dog rolling around on his back.

I am so grateful for the relationship my silly toddlers are building.
They play together.
They comfort each other.
And they help each other.

They love being together more than anything else.

The Visitor

Macie's sleeping patterns are a dream.
Sure - she's not that easy to put down.
But once she goes to sleep,
She is usually out until the morning.
I often wake up to giggles,
And babbling,
And the crinkling noises of a mattress that is hosting a playing baby.

And for a couple of weeks,
On a few select mornings,
Squealing laughter.
Which would curiously be followed by "tickle, tickle, tickle" in another voice.

Macie had a visitor.

He would wake up,
And nothing makes me happier than knowing that
The first thing Ephram thought of upon waking was
His baby sister and
Making her happy.

One morning I caught him.
I heard a little murmured babbling from his room.
Then he tried to sneak down the hall,
Almost reaching her room,
And then he ran back really fast.
Slowing when he reached his doorway,
He hushed himself,
Picked up his step stool carefully,
And tip toed with it,
(While it frequently knocked against the wall,)
Through her door.
It was quiet for
Maybe 15 seconds.
Then I heard the best little chuckle,
And they started to talk.
A best friend, brother and sister, I'm going to love you forever kind of talk.

I was so happy,
So touched,
I just couldn't interrupt it.
(Okay, I cried a little too.)
And then, as quiet as I could,
It was my turn to sneak.
Down the stairs to the kitchen,
Where my camera sat on a counter,
Back upstairs,
And right outside her door.

He was entertaining her with a couple of toys on the crib rail,
And it was clear that he'd passed her quite a few toys too.

And then, I was caught.

So I couldn't help but take a few pictures of my princess,
So happy with her morning visitor.

I am so grateful for their relationship.
I hope that they are always close.

Macie Rides

And, to follow the last post...
A nice little happy post.

One morning in March, we put Macie up on Ephram's dino because she was begging us too.
We weren't sure how well she would be able to sit on it.
She sat perfectly!
And all of us were completely surprised when she started to move.

This started the phase of Ephram trying to coax his baby sister to ride with him.
They love each other so!

Proof

They love each other,
And what's more important than that?

Their First Game

Rolling laughter.
That's what I heard as I was picking up the toys in the piano room.
The belly laugh of my Remy, that I know so well,
Joined with the tinkling giggle of my baby girl.

Again and again,
The laughter kept going.

I quietly crept through the kitchen and found them in the family room
Playing a game.

He would stand up,
Tall as he could,
Right in front of her.
(Practically on top of her.)

She'd let out the first laugh.

Then she'd reach out with both hands,
And touch them to his legs.

Then his laugh came in,
As he tumbled backwards to the floor,
My how strong the touch of a baby.
My how cute that he is already exaggerating to get her to laugh.

And my, oh my, how endearing these two are to me.