Once teeth are brushed, the backpack is packed, and shoes are put on, we transition to Isabelle’s play room to wait for the bus. Some mornings it’s just Isabelle with one parent. Other mornings, Ari joins in the fun. (That is, he wakes up earlier than necessary!)
This morning, Ari woke up after Isabelle finished her breakfast. My husband left early for work, which meant I had to get him dressed and hustle downstairs so I could look out the window for the bus.
Some mornings, Isabelle is not thrilled to have Ari in her playroom since he likes to touch her stuff. This morning, Isabelle didn’t seem to mind him touching everything (INCLUDING an impressive structure she built with MagnaTiles) he could get his tiny, two-year-old hands on. Her patience translated to her craft table, which is usually a flash point. I was relieved she was being so patient since my caffeination level hadn’t reached it’s optimal level once the two of them were in her play room.
Isabelle set Ari up with a crayons and paper, but Ari had other ideas. He wanted colored pencils. She gave him — one at a time — a pencil to draw with. Do you think he drew on the paper she provided to him? Of course not, he drew on several pieces of paper. But Isabelle redirected him gently, encouraging him to draw on one piece of paper at a time.
Within ten minutes, the bus arrived and Isabelle was off to school. I forgot about her level of patience for Ari when our evening felt as though it was going off the rails. However, as I looked back on my camera roll at the end of the day, I found a sweet photo of them I snapped this morning and it brought a smile to my face.
Raising Literate Humans 
I love this moment of sibling love, and how you have remembered it despite the demands of the morning and your lack of coffee. Big sister has earned extra hugs for her patience!
Yes, she sure did!
Your post reminds me to savor the previous moments when my older daughter looks out for my younger. Sometimes it takes reflecting back on our day to recognize the significance of those moments. Thank you for sharing! – Krista
Snap a photo so you can go back and write about them later. It helps when you can’t drop everything to write.
What a slow sweet slice that captures the ever evolving relationship of a sister and her brother! Every line was about Isabelle and Ari except this” I was relieved she was being so patient since my caffeination level hadn’t reached it’s optimal level once the two of them were in her play room.” – which made me laugh! Thanks for sharing!
Oh, I’m unpleasant prior to coffee. It’s something we should never run out of!
I sometimes forget what a long day a little person has. Isabelle and Ari are lucky to have a mom who writes and reflects, because writing and reflecting become habits of mind. Even when you’re not physically writing, you’re mentally composing in a way that helps you see the world from a different perspective. How wonderful to see the beauty of the day amd not lose it to a single moment of frustration. It’s a powerful reminder to me!
I love the idea of mentally composing writing. It’s what we do as writers, isn’t it?
A heartwarming snapshot in words as well as in photography. How peaceful the playroom must have been that morning; how fortunate that you took the photo as a reminder of the sweet moment. I appreciate how it took you right back to living the scene and how you savored it again. It reiterates to me the value of mindfulness as a writer, capturing an idea or image when they appear, as they are often so fleeting; they alight for a bit and fly quickly away in the constant shuffle of our days. I am glad these moments weren’t lost!
I try to snap photos when I don’t have the time to write. It’s my only way to hold onto the moment so that I can recreate it later on.
The days are just packed, aren’t they? By evening, we have forgotten the morning. Thank goodness for the moments of reflection; thank goodness for your impulse to take that photo. Thank goodness that growing up and family are about all the moments, not just a few, and that you have captured this one.
Some of it we want to forget, don’t we? It’s remember to remember the good moments.
Sounds like a sweet morning! How fun to read about this nice moment of siblings together.
So sweet. I’m glad you captured that moment in time.
It is so fantastic how you continue to capture so many sweet moments between those two! I am sure that writing about it makes you more keen to notice things like your daughter’s patience with her little brother.
If I don’t write it down, I forget all too easily. I hope they like all of these stories when they get older (rather than feeling mortified by them).
The title and the picture alone would have been a great “silent slice”, but the back story makes it all the more sweet! Thank you for sharing this moment with us! 🙂
Sure thing!
I am reminded of my grandchildren, our grandson is almost six and granddaughter one and half. Sometimes he too does not like her touching his things. For her , her brother is a hero, but she scolds him, in her language 😊
We allowed Isabelle to put a child “lock” on her room so Ari can’t get in to touch her stuff. It is an amazing thing that helps keep the peace since she would never touch his things.