spelling and napkins and love

i know i've mentioned this before, but i still am amazed at how, well, nice my children are to each other.  they have their low points, don't get me wrong -- but a good 95% of the time they really do like each other.  (and sorry for the italics; i'm just trying to emphasize what a surprise this still is to me.)

i guess my pessimistic self keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop; i've convinced myself that this stage of sibling bliss can be temporary at best.  but when i flip through our old blog books, i realize i've been thinking these thoughts for years -- and yet, nothing has changed.  the other shoe hasn't dropped; no trouble has emerged.  they've just always been friends.

this afternoon as we were driving to an impromptu cookout, susanna announced, "guess what, everybody?  i know how to spell 'stop' and 'go'!  wanna hear?" and without waiting for an answer, she continued, "S-T-O-P and G-O," obviously quite proud of her new accomplishment.

i braced for liam's reaction.  i've been around enough kindergartners recently to know that once you hit elementary school, you are a Big Shot Who Knows Everything and All Younger Children Are So Babyish.  i sort of expected a haughty sigh accompanied by a "that's sooo easy, susanna.  everyone knows that."

but why do i expect that, when i've witnessed the compassion that emanates from my elder child?  why don't i give our son more credit?  for instead of disdain, this was his response: "wow, susanna!  you are so smart.  i can't believe you know how to spell those words!"  i glanced in the rearview mirror at her, and was struck by the image i saw.  she was beaming, basking in the glow of praise that only an older sibling could give.  kids learn at an early age that their parents will always think they're amazing.  but to hear it from her big brother?  susanna's face made it clear: nothing could mean more.

this experience reminded me of something that had happened just a few days ago.  right before liam skipped out to our neighbor's car to ride to school one morning, he brought me a napkin.  "i made this for susanna last night," he told me.  "make sure you put it in her snack bag!"  (note: this is the only time in the hundreds -- literally -- of sports drawings liam has made where he has ever been on the losing side.  no higher compliment could be paid.)

my initial intent for this post was to capture these sweet moments, so that when they're teenagers and fighting like cats and dogs, i can look back at this tangible evidence that they once did actually get along.  but upon reflection, i've decided that i have to train myself to stop thinking this way.  as they've grown, i've watched their relationship also grow, and i know it will keep on growing and changing and reforming itself.  but i really am starting to believe that they might will actually be friends a decade from now. 

and maybe our future blog books will be filled with similar stories.  ones that i write not to prove to ourselves that they once got along, but ones that i write to remind ourselves of how much they've loved and enjoyed each other, constantly, from the very beginning.