Today Mommy got the chance to catch up with an old friend who's just returned to the states from a year-long stay in Denmark (her blog is here, though it's in transition since it was mostly about the journey abroad - James' birth story is a must-read!). This morning she brought her two little boys over to spend some time with my three, which of course means we were really outnumbered!
Connor did better than I expected, even if it was only at first. He willingly shared his toys with John and helped him get toys that were out of his reach. He shared a little of his late breakfast (pancakes and dry cereal), though one bit of sharing was an attempt to take the bite that had already gone into his mouth out and then pass it over to John. Rebekah and I put a stop to that, with a little laugh for good measure. You know, one of those "kids are way too literal" kind of moments. When Mommy asked him to share, Connor thought for a second and took the bite from his own mouth. That's his version of sharing. Of course, later on, John seemed to be having a bit too much fun and Connor had to be the mean, older brother type for a while. He kept stealing the Lightning McQueen truck John was riding, even though he already had the other one! And just out of spite, he would put it up on the pool table out of John's reach. Clearly he's still a work in progress when it comes to sharing and playing nicely with other little kids.
Xander was a little fascinated by our visitors, at times coming over to hug or kiss baby James. He would even play alongside John a little bit (like when they were all riding trucks or Big Wheels). He also wanted a few extra hugs and kisses from Mommy, who seemed to be holding baby James a bit too much for his satisfaction. All in all, he did well. He acknowledged that they were there, played near them at times, and was generally well-behaved.
Sawyer, on the other hand, barely acknowledged their existence. He cried each time I tried to carry him nearer to where everyone was playing in the floor. He spent most of the morning hiding out in the dining room, playing with the blinds. He did manage to line up his Little People once, and even watched calmly as John borrowed a few after he was done (this used to result in a small meltdown, so I was mildly impressed). He too, on occasion, required extra hugs from Mommy when baby James was too close for comfort. I even got a kiss, which is to say he walked up and stuck his mouth right on top of mine (waiting for me to give him a kiss). But hey, I'll take what I can get! He did pretty well for his first encounter, and we'll hope he gets more comfortable next time around.
I was so impressed with John, who was extremely polite and even helped put away toys before it was time to go (my children have no idea what he was doing, since they think Mommy and Daddy are there to clean up after them). He seemed to have a good time, as most children do, playing with all the toys that were new to him. And baby James was equally good - just sitting in the floor and playing (okay, slobbering on) some of the little guys toys. He was all smiles, and at that age, there's not much more you can ask for. And, of course, you have to envy their beautiful blue eyes and blonde curls! Mom has done a wonderful job with her little guys.
And it was so nice to visit with an old friend who happens to have small children too! It's nice to catch up on where people are in their lives, albeit around reminding your children to "Share!" and to "Be nice!" about every five seconds! Socialization, even in small doses, is a good thing for all of us. We'll try to work it in a little more often, for everyone's sake!
