a good moment

What with the pox 'n all, the girls and I spent rather a lot of time house-bound last week. These two sisters, who for the most part are starting to play beautifully together, got a little frayed around the edges and eventually snapped like the string of a cheap bead necklace. Oh, and that also happened.

Tears, beads everywhere, accusatory finger-pointing, despair and then - what do you know - busyness for the next hour or so.

First the beads needed to be collected, counted, colour-categorised, and then re-strung. All favourite activities.

Little beads proved a bit tricky for little fingers, so I dug out the shape-sorting bucket and a shoe-lace.

Happiness.

But we weren't done categorising (these are girls after my own heart). Quick colour and shape reference cards were made and they were off.

A squabble which turned into an hour's diversion of fun, learning and sisterly cooperation. A bad moment which needed just the gentlest input from me to change course.

We all learnt something that afternoon.