Maude: Last Saturday Lizzi and I were able to spend the day together. It is very nice that she lives an hour from my in-laws so when I am in Washington visiting them I get to see her too! We had a nice time just letting our four little guys play together while we talked. Her boys are so sweet! Her oldest (2 /2 years old) was so hug-able and loved cuddling with me and he and Maeva would just walk up to each other and hug - SOO CUTE! And her little guy was darling with the sweetest smile around and such round little cheeks. I love my nephews.
We talked about everything - catching up, comparing mothering notes, and current events. She and I are the most politically/socially minded girls in the family (we've one brother who is extremely interested too!) so it is always fun to share our opinions about the problems (and our solutions!) to issues facing our country or world today.
One tidbit that she shared that I found particularly interesting/horrifying was about a little 2 year old girl in China (about my daughters age...) that was run over by two vans and 18 people passed by without helping her until finally a little old lady tried to pull her off the road! Can you imagine that?!! It is the Good Samaritan acted out in real life. I've always had trouble imagining how anyone could walk past someone hurt on the side of the road but it really can happen. How important for us to stop to help people and not to be so inwardly focused on ourselves.
Lizzi: It was such a treat to have Maude and her two beautiful babies visit me last weekend! We only got to spend about 7 or 8 hours together, but it was really special. I couldn't believe how much my nephew and niece had grown, and enjoyed watching them play. Since I have two boys myself, if was especially fun to observe my niece because she is so feminine! She kept putting on my slippers, talking on the toy phone, and wearing shoes. She is very motherly, so she tried to put my older son's cup into his mouth several times (and he's 8 months older than her!), and would decide what was too big for my baby to do. So very sweet! My older son would go back and forth between his cousins (he's right between them in age), and loved all the play time he got with them.
We talked about trying to meet up again: Maude's mother-in-law graciously invited us into her home for an early Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, as I blogged about here, we came down with ear infections and strep throat, so we weren't able to go.
Thankfully, Maude and I used the time that we had very efficiently! Even amidst the distractions and interruptions of children, we spent the entire visit talking. And talking. And talking. It was so nice! And while I'd often dissect and worry about my comments to others, I knew what I said to my sister would be safe and understood. She didn't even mind my rabbit trails!
It was interesting to be reminded of how different our conversations are now that we are mothers. Not only the topics that interest us, but also by the chaos in which we converse. We had to interrupt ourselves, and each other, with urgent calls to children, question answering, and discipline. We talked while we played with the kids, fed the kids, changed the kids (and some potty time, too!). I am thankful that while it was just a glimmer, I was able to experience life as mothers with my big sister.
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