The World's Best Big Sister

There are some moments where a parent's feathers puff up. Amiya has provided several lately.

• Today at Gymboree. Amiya wanted to use a piece of equipment that was tucked away and she knows that she can only use what is out unless she asks the teacher. So, she very politely went up to the teachers and said, "Excuse me Miss Carole. May I use the blue [whatever] from the corner?" Completely unrehearsed, completely unprompted. Miss Carole said that she thinks Amiya has some of the nicest manners of any child she has ever seen.


• Kev in the kitchen. Amiya is generally in a state of hyper-alert big sisterness whenever she and Kev are awake and the energy that is Kev is uncontained. She closes doors, lets us know when something is out that shouldn't be, etc. Lately she has taken to patrolling the kitchen and making sure that when he climbs a chair, she is there to hug him down.


• At the airport on our way to Rochester. We were all bored - the plane was late in getting off the ground, but Amiya behaved admirably. She amused herself, she amused Kev, she even managed to crack a small smile on the face of the guy who's camera was swiped exiting security.


• At lunch today. Kev was taking an early nap, so Amiya and I had a girls only lunch. It's rainy in Tampa lately, so we had a rainy day lunch - toast with jam and hot cocoa. "Mommy, it's nice to have a girls lunch. Don't I have a lovely life?"

All of these little things, and so many, many more almost make up for the tantrum-induced cherry and macaroni & cheese-laced vomit fest we had Tuesday evening.