1m2aSandbox

Over the weekend I got out a big trunk of stored toys: things the girls didn’t need on a daily basis any more, but still wanted to hold on to. Maddie had asked for a glimpse of some old stuffed animals, and I thought it would be fun for the girls to see some of their old favorites.

Within minutes of my dragging the trunk into the living room, we’d had a stuffed-animal explosion.

For the rest of the weekend, the girls had an elaborate game going on consisting of several shops/stores in a small town “somewhere”. Cora opened up a toy store, while Maddie opened up a doctor’s office and a pet shelter. Cora set up a cash register, arranged her stuffed animals attractively, and hung “open” and “closed” signs, while Maddie filled out adoption certificates for the shelter stuffed animals and hung out a “the doctor is in” sign when she was home.

In short, they had a great time.

I’ve recently launched a small business selling products I make myself, and it’s come out of something I’ve been doing for a while for my family and friends. The girls have gotten used to seeing me set myself up to make something, and think it’s pretty cool that enough people like it that someone will PAY for one of Mom’s creations.

Cora’s always been interested in helping out; she loves creating things and getting in there with her hands. And yesterday Maddie came up with a way to help out, too:

Maddie’s making a commercial.

Last night for our house was Superbowl Night – or, as my kids see, it, the One Night A Year They Get To Watch Commercials.

Some of them.

Yes, we still record the game and watch it live so we can pause and skip commercials. Do I think they’ve never heard of bad guys and fires and serial killers?

I hope not. But even if they have, I’m not going to sear more images in their brains. I already get enough late-night nightmare-induced visits to my room as it is.

Cora’s been down about her best friend being out of town for two whole weeks, and if there’s one thing that’s been just as consistent as Cora’s moping, it’s her sister’s kindness.

All week Maddie’s been solicitous towards Cora, putting up with Cora’s crabby moods and showering her little sister with attention. A couple days ago Maddie made a fake restaurant in the living room and “served” Cora her afternoon snack off a tablecloth, providing a menu from which to choose and everything. Maddie’s been patient in the morning when Cora’s surly and snapping as she contemplates another day without the bff, and truly I’m seeing Maddie rise to the occasion and live out the role of Big Sister like I’ve never seen before.

Cora’s best friend has taken a leave from school for a two-week vacation, and Cora is, in a word, bereft.

She left school on Friday, climbed into my arms, and burst into tears, having just said goodbye to her friend. Cora was able to put it out of her mind for the weekend, but when Monday morning came a thundercloud followed Cora around all morning. She stalked darkly into school, and if I’d thought a day at school would help I was wrong. When she came out she was barely talking.

Our family first went to see FROZEN over Thanksgiving break, and we’ve been huge fans ever since. Such big fans, in fact, that for the first time EVER we paid to see a movie a second time IN A FIRST-RUN THEATRE, over Christmas break. The girls have matching FROZEN shirts that say “Sisters Forever”; we’ve bought (and memorized) the soundtrack; and we’ve downloaded all the karaoke tracks so the girls can do their own performances.

We’re FROZEN fans.

So when the girls got gift cards to Target for Christmas, I wasn’t surprised that Cora wanted to spend hers on the FROZEN dolls. As we walked through the store a couple days before New Year’s eve, Cora was tense with anticipation to hunt down and find the sisters.