Laughs

Max has always been one to be easily frightened. So, quite often, when Ellie gets too excited in a near proximity of his face, he lets out a very sad puppy dog whimper which turns into a very sad cry. I realize we need to find a way to get over this, becuase Ellie is surely not the loudest thing in the world.

Max also loves, absolutely loves, to laugh at and with his sister. This started about 2 months ago. If Ellie is just the right distance from him - about 2 feet - and starts laughing (even a fake laugh) he starts laughing too. They take turns laughing until they are both really really laughing hard at each other. Then, Max has the hiccups. It's a cycle I've come to know well.

Tonight at dinner, Max had finished his food and was sitting their trying to wait and knaw on his high chair (another little strange dog like habit my son possesses.) Anyway, I did something to make him laugh, I'm not sure exactly what started it all. Then Ellie laughed. Then I laughed at the cycle. Then Max laughed again. Then Ellie laughed. It was a game!

I started making different faces and noises to try to intensify the laughing and check his reaction. He mostly stayed on the laughing side, with a few borderline whimpers that we were able to turn to laughs as he realized they may be different, but were still friendly and funny. Ellie was getting into it as well. We must have gone on like this for nearly 5 minutes. By the end, I was truly laughing hard at the easily amused children and the amount of fun that was created just by trying to make each other laugh becuase the other person was also laughing. We even had David almost laughing ... and definitely smiling.

It all sounds simple, but these are the moments that make my long work days melt away, and the reason I love my children so much! Thanks Max and Ellie!