An old friend and a new friend

One of the nicest things about being here in the Dallas area so far is seeing my best friend from high school and college frequently. Sheila is only 20 minutes away, and we’re both trying to get through the day with a 2 year old, so we’ve seen a lot of each other this week. Her daughter (exactly 1 month older) and Jack have played together really well, considering they both firmly subscribe to the Toddler Rules of Ownership:
1. If I like it, it’s mine.
2. If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it’s mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.
5. If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it’s mine.
8. If I think it’s mine, it’s mine.
9. If it’s yours and I steal it, it’s mine.

It’s really interesting to see the difference in Jack playing with a girl vs. with a boy. When Jack’s friend Micah would come over to play, before we moved, he had a decidedly male, competitive, sort of territorial response. They had a great time together, but there were constant battles, most of which seemed to be Jack’s issues with another boy being on his “home turf”. With Abby he’s entirely different. He shares much better and just responds to her differently. Maybe it partly has to do with spending so much time with Emily… who knows. Anyway, he’s enjoying having a new friend.

Here’s a picture of them in the sandbox, just before they mutually decided that it would be a great idea to move all the sand over to the little picnic table.