Being the Big Sister

Sure, maybe I'm a bit used to it....but a 15 year old brother and a 4 year old brother really have very little in common. First off, and most importantly, I no longer have siblings capable pinning me to the ground against my will at any given moment. :-) The last five weeks with Selina (11), Christian (10), Jonathon (7), and Samuel (4) have called for a bit of adapting, but overall, have been wonderful and I've come to love those four so much.

                                                        

My first morning in Germany, I'll never forget. 9:00 a.m. and the pounding on my door begins. Trying to ignore it at first, I roll over in bed....but little kids don't easily give up--they just get louder. All I had to say was one word. That's all they needed, all they were waiting for.

"Ja", I called out from under the covers and seconds later two squealing bodies jumped onto the bed and begun the task of finding me under the covers....a task I was purposefully making a bit difficult. :-) Once I was found, the squeals erupted into laughter and a battle of tickling began. This is only one of many stories to give you an idea of my new daily life that I love so much.

Since that first morning I've read books to Samuel--with pronunciation help from Christian. I've played games, engaged in tickle wars, listened to stories, and come to love these four little kids faster than I had anticipated. 

For me, the highlight though, is how much I'm learning from them. It makes me smile every time Samuel corrects my German and I think it makes him feel pretty proud. As I expected, I've developed a whole new level of patience that comes in handy quite often amidst the hustle and bustle of a family of seven. I now have a greater appreciation for the peace found late in the evening once all the children are tucked in but have also come to love the warm "big family feel" that surrounds the home during noise and chaos of a normal day.

I remember so vividly the reactions I got from many of you when I said I had four siblings and I laugh as I think back on the "reassuring comments" I got once I informed you that I had three brothers under the age of 10. Well, perhaps I was a bit nervous coming into this family as the big sister, and maybe I didn't know exactly what I was getting myself into....but now, I wouldn't trade this big family for the world. I'm the big sister, always will be, and I love it because I love them.