This afternoon I took the girls to Greek Souvlaki and The Museum of Natural Curiosity while Abe and Suzanne had lunch. My mom was so nice and stayed home so Ammon could nap.
While we were at the museum, the girls climbed the rainforest rope maze. It is a dense, enormous maze that I did not feel physically capable of climbing. I sat and looked up to see Lydia charging ahead on the rope bridges while Mary tentatively followed. Gradually Mary got farther and farther behind, and she appeared to only want to cross the bridges when there were no other kids around to rock the bridges. The museum was mobbed with kids on winter break, so she had to wait a loooooooong time for that to happen.
After she finally crossed the bridges and entered the maze, I waited expectantly for the girls to find their way out. After about ten minutes, Lydia came out and quietly sat on my lap in the midst of the chaotic mob around us. After ten more minutes, I asked Lydia to go back into the maze and find Mary. I could just picture Mary sobbing in a corner somewhere not knowing how to get out.
Sure enough, Lydia found Mary sitting dazed and curled up by one of the inner bridges. Lydia held her hand and led her patiently back out of the maze. I thought it was a miracle that Lydia found Mary so quickly in that enormous, confusing maze, and I was so grateful for that display of sisterly kindness.
Later, after Abe arrived, Lydia held Mary’s hand and kept close to Mary as they demonstrated to us how they did the maze. Mary was much bolder with Lydia near her; she didn’t appear the slightest bit fazed by the rope bridges that had scared her earlier.
I really enjoyed my lunch with the girls. I love Greek Souvlaki, and the girls were so well behaved and sweet. Well, Mary started barking like a puppy at the end, but we hustled out of there before her behavior could spiral downward from there…
