Like two peas in a pod...

Before my kids went Grandma and Papa's house, my mom asked if sometime she could have Sammy and Caleb by themselves. You know, to spend more quality time with each of them.

I told her that was a BAD idea!

And she learned very quickly why that would be a bad idea.


She and my dad had done the entire nightly routine perfectly and gotten both of them to bed by 8:30. (You go grandparents!) Then they began to go through the mail and pay some bills. Around 10:30, they heard Caleb crying through the monitor. Mom couldn't remember if she was supposed to let him cry for a bit or go to him right away (and in her defense, I don't think I specifically told her). So she let him cry for about 5 minutes, but by this time, he had worked himself up into quite a tizzy.


Once she entered his room, she realized he has a soiled diaper. (YES, he hadn't had a soiled diaper that late at night for months and months, but he did at Grandma's house...poor Grandma.) Anyway, she got him all cleaned up, but he just wouldn't calm down. He kept crying and crying and crying. She took him back upstairs and tried rocking and reading to him...nothing helped. (And she wasn't about to call me at 11:00 p.m. her FIRST night alone with them and let me hear him crying...good call, Mom.)

Until...


Sammy poked her head out from her room. (Can you blame her? Who could sleep through Caleb's constant screaming.) Once Caleb saw her, he IMMEDIATELY stopped crying and said, "Dee,dee" (translation, "sister"). Mom then waved her over, and my little 3 1/2 year old walked right up to her brother, started patting his head and said, "It's okay Caleb. Mommy and daddy are just going to be gone for just a few days. They're coming back. We're going to have lots of fun with Grandma and Papa. It's okay Caleb, it's okay."

My mom had to hold back tears.


And, in that moment, she realized that my not quite 21 months apart children needed to be together. They were best buddies. Sammy led, and Caleb followed. They didn't do well without the other.

She then sent Sammy back to bed, read one more story to a now very calm little boy, and asked him if it was time to go "night, night." He took his nuk out of him mouth and said, "yesh."

And that was that. For the next 11 nights, not one peep from him.


Upon telling me this story--well after he was calmed down and asleep in bed--my mom said, "I will NEVER ask you to have them come and visit separately ever again!"

She's a quick learner!