Making Friends

"A sympathetic friend can be quite as dear as a brother. " -Homer 

Maeve has found herself a friend; his name is Kai.  I can tell they are friends chiefly by two things: Maeve talks about him even when he's not around, and she shares cookies with him.  In the world of a one and a half year old, that's a solid friendship.

Kai is the son of a good college friend of mine and his wife, and they recently moved back to our area after a few years in the Sunshine State.  He is four months younger than Maeve, which it turns out is a great age difference.  They play together so well, and somehow Maeve has not figured out that she has six inches and ten pounds on Kai, so she never pushes him around.

Maeve has requested Kai when I ask her what animals should be in Old Macdonald.  This is an honor Kai shares with Momma, The Count, Elmo, and Muno from Yo Gabba Gabba. Yeah, he's that important.  (He goes Kai Kai here and a Kai Kai there, since Kai doesn't really have a signature word just yet.)

Yesterday was a landmark moment in their friendship, because Maeve handed Kai a cookie, and did not immediately demand it back, or start crying when he ate it, which tells me she fully intended him to have it.  They both tend to "share" by stealing one anothers' toys and then not complaining, but I think the cookie share is a step up. 

I couldn't be happier that Maeve has a playmate and friend, and since she and Kai are both sibling-free, they both can use the social interaction.  And it's been fun to reconnect with my own friend, Kai's dad, and enjoy getting to know his super cool wife.  A friend moving closer is always great, but bonding over parenting our first kids is the best.

Buds