My Girls DO Love One Another

I have known for a long time that these two girls love each other.  And from time to time they show me.  Today was one of those days.....

Nora, having dinner with her favorite person:  Big
(On Anna's 19th birthday)

This morning I was TIRED and I did NOT want to get out of bed.  

Not when my husband kissed me goodbye.  

Not when I heard Nora padding down the stairs in her stocking feet.  

Not even when Jack started whining, because he needed to go outside.  Just ONCE I wish that dog could simply follow David downstairs in the morning.  Afterall, he's already up!  And he'd be happy to let him out.  To play with him.  To pet him.  To love him, before he has to leave for the day.  But no!  Today, like always, Jack waited for me.    

Not even when I rolled over and came face to face with Big.  Anna, my fully grown, soon to be headed back to college, nineteen year old, was sound asleep RIGHT NEXT TO ME.  She'd had a bad dream during the night, and like her sister had done the night before, she crawled into bed next to me.   How could I leave?  How often do you get the chance to snuggle with your grown up girl?  So I lingered.  Just a few more minutes.  

But then, she, too, got up.  Ugh!  I rolled back over, cracked open one eye,  (I didn't have the energy to fully open both of them yet) and shouted,  "It's 6:49 a.m.!  Why is everyone up already!  Mom's tired!"  Or, at least, I tried to shout.  My cries came out much more muted and garbled than I'd hoped for.  And I'm sure neither Jack, who is deaf anyway, nor the girls, who were already downstairs at this point, even heard my complaints.  

So I laid there, listening.  I heard the back door open when Jack, happily, went outside.  I heard it close again, after he, even happier, came running back in,  expecting a treat from the pantry.  I heard the sound of dog food hitting his empty food bowl.  I heard cupboard doors open and bowls clang onto the counter.  I heard the rattle of spoons as the silverware drawer slid open and shut.  Life was carrying on.  

Reluctantly, I threw back the covers, wrapped myself in my robe, firmly grabbed hold of the handrail, (I was still functioning with only one eye) and ambled down the stairs.  When my eyes focused, I found the girls in the TV room with Jack, on the floor, at their feet.  Anna was checking in with her world via her phone, and Nora was knitting.  

What was going on? This was NOT our normal morning routine!  Normally, Anna wouldn't even be out of bed at this hour!  And, while Nora would be out of bed AND fully dressed, she'd still be sitting in her bedroom reading.  Unless she was really hungry.  In that case, she would carry her book and her pink blankie downstairs, to her stool under the kitchen island, and read quietly, while she patiently waited for her breakfast.  

Just how long had I stayed upstairs?  I never fall back to sleep once I've woken up, regardless of how tired I am.  (It's a curse.)  But, apparently, I slept this day away.   So I looked to the kitchen for signs, clues that would prove to me my name was not Rip Van Winkle.  And there, on the counter,  they were:  an empty box of Life Cereal, and a dirty bowl and spoon which had yet to make it into the dishwasher.  Okay, my world was still right.

"You guys already ate?" I asked.  

"Ya, Anna fed me.  And I fed Jack," said Nora, without even looking up from her work.  

"Well, what else do you want,"  I asked Nora, while opening the refrigerator door, expecting to pull out more breakfast items.  Certainly one bowl of cereal wouldn't be enough.  Not when yesterday's breakfast consisted of two waffles, two bowls of cereal, and two glasses of juice!  But I didn't hear her reply; because staring back at me, from the second shelf, all dressed in its new black lunch bag, was Nora's lunch!  

"Did you make your own lunch?"  

"No, Anna made it for me."  

My head was spinning.

  

Nora fed Jack. 
Anna fed Nora. 
AND Anna made Nora's lunch.  

Said lunch was comprised of one sandwich, one baggie of goldfish crackers, one box of orange juice, one chocolate pudding and one Hershey Bar.  (Anna's all about nutrition) Attached to said Hershey Bar, was a sticky note that read, "a sweet treat to get you through the day."  Or something to that effect.  I didn't see it all.  When I realized I was reading something private and, obviously, not meant for my eyes, I closed up the bag.  

Instead, I asked Nora if she wanted to swap out the o.j. box for an apple juice.  When she said, "No.  That's okay,"  I knew.  She loves her sister.  A Lot!  So much that she'll even drink orange juice if that's what Anna gives her.  And Nora HATES orange juice.  

But Nora loves Anna.
And it appears Anna loves Nora.  

Big snuggling with Little earlier this summer

And it appears my morning jobs were done.  All before I'd even had a cup of coffee!

So what did I do?

What I do best:  I went to Starbucks and got treats!  Because I love both of them!

xoxo--
S