The day has come...

The day has come when Annabella doesn't want to play with Malachi....every second I mean.  When (heaven forbid) she wants to have a little alone time.  She and her brothers are the bestest of friends but I'd say she has been a pretty good trooper about sharing her room with them and having Ezekiel destroy every attempt at a tea party with her and her dolls.  

Well Malachi apparently had no idea this day was coming.  He thought they would be attached at the hip forever.  He couldn't even imagine that there would come a day that she would have her OWN little girl friends that wouldn't include him.

It's actually kinda funny.  Everyone always talks about their kids having jealousy of the other siblings and for the most part my kids NEVER had any of that!   They all never really knew life without each other and could never imagine life without the others.  Which is why when I saw jealousy's ugly head rising up in Malachi I was a bit taken back.  But it wasn't cause I was giving Annabella all this attention...oh no.  It was because all of a sudden Annabella had a friend over and she didn't want to play with him.  I'm gonna be honest...jealousy I don't even think is the right word here...it's more like devastated.

Yes I know that seems a bit drastic to say.  But it was like he was seriously mourning the loss of his best friend.  He was sad.  He was angry.  He was mean.  He was hurt.  It was actually quite sad and as his mom I was trying my very hardest to not minimize his feelings but to explain what was going on.

But then something happened.... it was like something finally clicked.  He thought "wait a second.....maybe if I don't whine and scream and throw myself down they might actually want to play with me." And then...just like that...I heard Ezekiel destroying something the girls were playing with and the girls screamed and Malachi runs in and says, "Don't worry I can help you!!" and proceeds to pick up all the things that Ezekiel messed up and helps them put everything back together. After he was done helping, Annabella exclaimed, "Thank you Malachi!!!!!  You are brilliant!" haha  It was like I was watching my little boy grow up right in front of my eyes!  It was like he finally got it...even if just for today. And from then on the girls actually wanted to include him!

Now I'm not saying there are not gonna be days when one of them is going to feel left out, but my prayer has been from before they were born that they would have SUCH an agape love for one other and such a bond of friendship.  And I really feel like the Lord is answering that prayer!!!

Here are a couple pictures of Annabella, Malachi, and their friend Leah playing in the rain together !  I thought after their sweet restoration of friendship, letting them play in the rain was the least I could do!  :)

Malachi and Annabella running through the rainstorm.

Sweet little Leah was a little too leary of going in the rain.... haha

I didn't get a picture but she finally decided to go play with them and so the 3 of them chased each other through the rain drops.

For some reason this picture just makes me laugh...  :)

I think the moral of this story is...we gotta find Malachi some more boy friends! haha  :)