Who Knew You Could Tell So Much From Cookies?

Mike picked up the girls early from preschool yesterday. We were back and forth as to whether Katie should go at all due to her injuries but the girls begged to go so we compromised and let them go for everything except the outdoor playtime. Katie has had several head bonks with classmates during outside time so we wanted to try and avoid another blow to her noggin for a few more days until the current blow can heal. When the girls got home they each had a ziploc bag with two snickerdoodles inside each bag. Apparently, Mike arrived before snack time so their teachers allowed them to take their snack home. I was both delighted and surprised when they proceeded to partake of the snickerdoodle treats like this.

Instead of each claiming a bag and eating the cookies inside, they opened the first bag together. They took out a cookie and broke it in half and each ate their half of cookie. Then they took out the second cookie, broke it in half and shared it. Then they opened the second bag of cookies, took out a cookie and broke it in half. Jessica took that half to Mike to give to him to eat and Katie brought me her half because they said they wanted to share. Then, they divided the last cookie and shared it.

I found it interesting that this method of dividing their treats was so automatic. It wasn't discussed, there was no bickering about who got the bigger half, there was really no discussion about the whole process at all. We didn't suggest this to them, they just automatically did it.

When Katie went to the ER on Monday, they gave her a sucker. She would not lick it even though I unwrapped it and gave it to her. She held it and asked the doctor if he had an extra sucker for her sissy who was at home. He said "sure" and presented her with the second sucker. She asked my Mom to hold it and save it for Jessica. Then she gave her still dry sucker back to my Mom and asked her to wrap it up back in the wrapper so she could eat her sucker when Jessica was eating hers. She would not accept stickers from the doctor without getting a second set of stickers for her sister.

Jessica's favorite thing in the world is preschool. She won't even think of going if Katie can't go. When we got home from the ER, it's the only time that Jessica opened the front door and came out of the house without permission because Katie was back and she wanted to make sure she was okay. Our babysitter said Jessica would not leave the front window area the whole time Katie was gone and kept asking if she thought Katie would be okay.

I know this is not normal sibling behavior. But I was an only child. I wished my whole life for a brother or sister. When I told people that they would always say "oh, if you had one you guys would fight", and they'd list all the reasons it was great to be an only child. But I can remember for as early as I can think of that I would say to myself that if I had a brother or sister I would never fight with them and we would be best friends. I feel like God heard my heart and knew I really and truly ached for that sibling bond. And I feel like He answered my prayers and gave me so much more than I could have ever had in my own sibling. I feel like my girls have that sort of bond that I always wished for. And I feel so incredibly grateful. All of that hurt inside from infertility and feeling alone has been totally washed away and replaced with the joy I feel in being Katie and Jessica's Mom. It's honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me.