Sunday 25 January 2009

Friends play together and help each other

This afternoon, after she woke from her nap, Abigail asked Joshua to help her play with her fischerTip kit, since he has made everything from his kit. He had been making treasure - rings, bangles, a broach - with his left-overs to supplement the pirate-themed articles he had already made according to the kit's instructions. But he was happy to pack his kit away and sit down with Abi to help her make a mirror from her princess-themed kit.I was very impressed with the helpful dialogue which I overheard between the two as I sat and enjoyed the afternoon peace which descends when the majority of our family gives into their need for an afternoon nap.I am so grateful that, by the grace of God, my children are friends.

3 comments:

Mrs. Edwards said...

One more week of summer break (is that how you refer to it?), right?

It is helpful to get my foursome broken into pairs sometimes. Pairs of brothers and sisters sometimes most of the time, but pairs of brother/sister sometimes. It cuts down on lot of the intensity and gives way to quieter play! We all get a bit of a break when Toby has his rest time, though!

Deborah said...

It is lovely to see siblings being friends - my 13 and 11 year olds are very close.

I am hoping the girls will be close as they grow too.

Sharon said...

Amy,
"Christmas Holidays" are nearly over, yes. We have one more week plus one and a half extra days (due to private schooling cf public). Our calendar is absolutely packed full for this week and next with fireworks (today is Australia Day) and several play dates and a zoo trip and a picnic with homeschoolers from all over Perth and housewarming and the list goes on. Not to mention Jeff's commendation service on the 8th!

Normally it is Joshua and Anna who pair up, because they get quiet play time together every afternoon after academics are done and before the two younger ones wake up. That is one reason I was so pleased that Abigail was able to play with Joshua yesterday afternoon. I am hoping that Anna and Abigail will be able to deepen their friendship next year as Abigail begins to drop her afternoon nap once she turns 4 and Joshua is not available as a playmate in the early afternoon. Joshua dotes on Sam, but Sam isn't able to join in much with particularly boyish games yet. I do hope they will grow to be friends, rather than Joshua seeing Sam as his pesky younger brother. Perhaps having played so much with Anna and Abigail he will be more tolerant of Samuel's being younger. I hope so.

Mrs Adept,
This certainly is one of the best blessings of having children so close together. I was talking to a mother from church last night and she said her younger daughter has never really got to know her older daughter in this intimate friendship because the gap in their ages meant the older one was off at school before the younger one could crawl. I felt really sad. I need to pray that Joshua will still have interest and energy to play with his siblings when he gets home from school in the afternoons!

~ Sharon