As Annie has grown, she has taken an interest in older kids. The older kids Annie spends the most time with are my nephews, who are six and four. They are sweet with her, but they are boys into bugs and dirt and themselves. They love each other, but they lose interest in each other quickly.
Yesterday Annie spent time with my friend Tara’s five-year-old daughter, Reilly. Annie has been around Reilly plenty of times, but yesterday something clicked with her. She followed Reilly around like a puppy. If Reilly jumped, Annie jumped. If Reilly laid on the floor and waved her arms around? There was Annie next to her, awkwardly flapping her limbs. Annie imitated EVERYTHING Reilly did, and the cutest thing was that Reilly had no idea. Reilly is Annie’s new hero.
We ate dinner at Reilly’s house. Annie is currently going through a phase where she will dedicate about 90 seconds to eating. She just wants to get back to whatever game/dance/song she was enjoying before her father and I forced her to eat. I didn’t expect Annie to sit down at ALL. I forgot that she’d be trying to impress Reilly.
She sat at the table, on a bench next to Reilly. Every time Reilly took a bite, so did Annie.
Annie sat there with Reilly for five minutes before she got bored. That’s pretty good for my nineteen-month-old. I half-jokingly asked if Reilly could come over during all meals. I wonder if Reilly could show Annie how fun it is to pick up toys?
Maura says:
It’s so sweet when kids find everyday heroes.
Jenn says:
It’s so nice having grown up with Tara, you now have daughters who are close enough in age to play and get along so well with each other. Isn’t it cool to watch the girls and think when you guys were that age, you were playing together too? I love my friends children’s…it’s kinda like their mine too and my 3 kids are their’s as well.
One day Annie and Reilly will probably be saying this same thing!! How cool would that be?!?!?!?!
Alison says:
Reilly could help Annie with potty learning.. Ooooh. The possibilities are endless!
Alida says:
When I was being potty-trained, my parents got some hand-me-down training pants from my babysitter, and they were precious objects–I just would NOT mess in Shannon’s panties. That did the trick for me, especially since I was a very strong-willed child who thought that taking the time out of my day to actually go to the bathroom and sit around was a waste of time.
heather says:
My daughters used to follow around my friend’s oldest like this… it was cute.
What was REALLY awesome though, was earlier this summer at a family birthday when it was my Miss H’s turn to be to awesome older kid. At 9 she had my finace’s two young cousins following H around like she was a rock star. It was pretty cool to see.
Shan says:
My daughter has an older cousin she idolized…it worked to my advantage for many things! Unfortunately they had a few more years difference than Reilly and Miss Annie. It’s always great to have a positive role model for little girls to look up to these days though!
Kristin says:
How cute! Annie looks like such a big girl sitting there.
Lisa says:
Aww, that’s so sweet. It is so cute when the little kids want to be just like the big kids and will imitate everything they do. Especially, when the big kids don’t mind having a little one following them around
Carla says:
Hire Reilly for sippy cup lessons!!!!