I love our Tiny. Everybody knows that. But let me brag about her for a bit.
She’s an amazing kid. She’s freaking brilliant (yes I’m biased but I’m really not exaggerating) and mature beyond age 3. Her therapist is continually amazed at her acuity and ability to identify what she’s feeling (“I have 14 year olds who can’t do that!”). She is a peacekeeper at daycare and will break up fights between kids over a toy by bringing another similar toy to them.
She’s such a sensitive little human. On a recent walk in the woods, she worried that a tree missing a spot of bark needed a bandaid, and gently talked to a tree with a broken branch telling it it would be okay.
She’s also tough as nails and thinks she’s invincible and therefore she kind of is. She has a form of dwarfism (hence being literally tiny) and knees that don’t work quite right but is absolutely undeterred. She likes the big kid playgrounds – the scarier the slide the better! She climbs things like a little squirrel. A ladder with rungs that come to her waist? No problem! Enormously steep stairs? Doesn’t hesitate. She’s got exactly the right chemistry to adapt and thrive in life as a Little Person.
Given all that, I should have known Tiny would be good with a baby. And lordie, she’s fantastic. She’s sensitive (“Mommy! Baby’s crying! She needs help!”) and sweet and tender. Calls her “My baby.” Strokes her hair when she’s upset, hugs and kisses her, shares toys, and talks nonstop about her baby.
Tiny has needed a few extra snuggles herself. She asked to “help put baby to bed” (she did, too – helped with diaper and bottle and even stroked her head while I rocked baby) then asked for me to “Rock me to sleep too Mommy,” which of course I did. I’m trying hard to be sure to dole out kisses and hugs equally to both kids. And I am of course exclaiming constantly about how amazing and wonderful Tiny is being as a big sister.
But honestly? I’m floored. How can any kid be so GENEROUS with her parents? Have we had a few moments of jealousy? Sure. A couple. Did they resolve quickly? Yep. And Tiny went right back to loving on “her baby.”
Kiddo’s comment about a new baby? “She’d better not be in MY old room!” 😂 Oh, Kiddo. True to form. I have expected that exact comment from her. She’ll be ok with a baby because a baby doesn’t challenge her authority as Top Kid in the House. She’ll be a little jealous but has experienced enough other babies coming into our home to know she’s not being replaced, and Kiddo will surreptitiously play with the baby when no one’s looking.
It’s 5:30 am. Baby woke me up at 4:45 wanting a bottle and I couldn’t go back to sleep so I got up and made coffee and wrote because I can’t contain my awe at remarkable Tiny’s kindness, gentleness, sweetness, and helpfulness. People tell us how good we are to do foster care and take care of other people’s kids, but really WE are the lucky ones. What a joy, what a gift to be able to know and love on sweet Tiny.
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