Visiting with Nee-Nee

We just spent a few days with my mom, my sister and her daughter Lydia. Henry lovingly refers to Lydia as Nee-Nee which, phonetically, makes perfect sense.

Since they left on Saturday, he has been walking around looking for her and telling stories at various spots in the house about Nee-Nee. When we pass by the couch, he pats the cushions and says "Nee-Nee" and then points to the floor and says "fall downTTTTT" to make sure I remember about Lydia falling off the couch. He loves the letter "T" I guess and finds that a good place for it is at the end of any word that ends in "n." Hence, "fall downTTTTT."

They really played together and shared for the first time: goldfish crackers, Wallace & Gromit, various ngongaas (balls), books, puzzles, sippy cups, the green slinky, the whole shabang. Nee-Nee and Henry have very different temperaments at this point in their lives. Nee-Nee, for example, will sit on the floor and unpack a toy box for up to 30 MINUTES. Henry will play with a toy for, say, 30 MILLISECONDS before throwing it or eating it. Nee-Nee will open a book and turn the pages - EVERY page. Henry will use the book to step on to reach something, or maybe as a flat ngongaa. So to watch them actually interact was not only a joy, but a victory I think.

Lydia loved Svea this trip and wanted to bring her toys and pat her and read her stories. It's the beginning of a long friendship we hope. I can't imagine - nor can I bear - the idea of my life without a sister, but at this point, I'm thinking that Svea and Henry best love each other good because that's all the sibling I can provide. Who knows what the future holds, but if I have any say then THIS IS IT. So anyway, I hope Lydia and Svea began their "sisterhood" this past weekend.

It's been about 24 hours now since they've been gone, so I guess we'll keep walking around the house re-living moments, missing our Nee-Nee.