Sophia comes to play!

Sophia is a sweetheart. I have known her since she was 18 months old and now she is 5, in Kindergarten, and has a 2 year old little brother! I was her first babysitter and she'll always be very special to me. I love Sophia for many reasons, but one of my favorite things about her is the way she plays. Any toy she has, she explores to the fullest, and really, genuinely appreciates it. It's not hard to shop for her because almost anything I loved as a child Sophia does too. Watching her play takes me back to when I was a kid, and all those positive memories--the ones filled with the wonder I experienced when I played- just lost in my imagination.

here are the girls together. They've been playing together for years. They play most nicely together now. They struggled to get a long for bit when they were younger and Hailey was a little put off that Sophia didn't have any hard edges, like most of the friends Hailey gravitated toward back then, but now they are so sweet together. I didn't hear a single problem arise between them for 2 1/2 hours!

They came to me after a while and asked me if I would come and be their nurse, gesturing toward their bellies, sticking them out as far as they could (they were both expecting! Sophia was carrying quadruplet girls, and Hailey one child, she didn't know the sex yet--who's idea was this!?!). When I showed up in the room they handed me the fisher price Dr. bag. Ava had one stethoscope and worked on Sophia and I made my way over to Hailey. It took a big effort on my part to play along without laughing. This was too funny!

After Sophia left Hailey carried her baby around like it was real. She asked me the sweetest questions in such a concerned way, like "Cassie, what do I do with my baby?" I taught her how to swaddle the baby and keep it warm. "should I put it in a cradle, Cassie?" I told her it's best if she could hold you baby as much as possible. "what do babies eat, Cassie?" I told her about the choice between nursing and formula. When I called her over for dinner she said, "what should I do with the baby while I eat?" I told her to put the baby in his (it was a boy!) moses basket and set him at her feet while she ate. Then I used that as an opportunity to tell her how important it is for her to eat if she is a new mom and nursing. She ate a good dinner. Too full for dessert! (That's unlike her.)
It gives me hope for Hailey when I see her play with Sophia and use her imagination so fully. We've spent many of Ava's naps talking about friendships. Hailey's been in some tough ones already. I've shared with her some of the harder friendships I experienced as a kid and how I managed them and how I wish I would have done in differently. I try to teach her that it's ok to not be friends with someone who is "bossy", or controlling and mean. I think she's taking some of it in and beginning to believe it.A quick little snap of Ava watching the girls play. For me this picture captures that classic "looking up to" older siblings. watching, learning. The girls were wonderful with Ava. She played in the room with them, doing her own thing, almost the whole afternoon. They never complained about her being in there. Most big sister's wouldn't have it! Ava's a lucky little sister.