Niamh And Jaya

How adorable are these self portraits! Jaya's and Niamh's drawings are in the middle. Ironically, they are right next to each other.

Niamh is hooked on her friend, Jaya. The moment we step on to the John Stanford campus, she sets out to find Jaya. When she exits her class room in the afternoon, she is right next to Jaya. We walk out of the building with Jaya and her family, and as soon as they are out of sight, Niamh asks "When can Jaya come over again?" I LOVE that Niamh has found such a good friend.

Jaya's mom and I have both noticed that our normally sluggish girls are boiling over with energy when they are together. I am seriously afraid that Niamh is going to twist her ankle falling down some stairs or running down a hill with Jaya. Niamh typically avoids exertion and her frail little bones and joints just aren't used to this.

So, tonight, I asked her why she is so different when J is around. Her answer melts my heart.

"Ok, Mama, you want to know why I am so energetic? I'll tell you. I don't need to keep it a secret. When I am happy, I am energetic. And when I have a friend, I am happy. So, when Jaya and I are together, I have a lot of energy because she makes me so happy. Do you understand me?"

She has obviously mastered the understanding of cause and effect. Isn't that the sweetest thing you can say about your friend?

It does make me curious about her feelings toward her family. When she's with us, she is totally void of energy. We can't be that bad, can we?