Sympathy Cries

What a little boy we have. He has recently started something that we call his "sympathy cries." Last week Rebekah had to receive a spanking, and since we were in a hotel room, he was there to see (and hear) it all happen. As soon as she started wailing, he too began to wail! He matched her cry for cry. It was hilarious! Even as I was sitting on the bed holding Rebekah, both Nathan and I were trying in vain to conceal our laughter at Daniel's sympathy cries. I had to explain to Rebekah afterward that I hadn't been laughing at her, but at Daniel who was copying her cries even though he hadn't gotten a spanking!

Tonight we were at my sister's house helping to celebrate my niece Kylie's 3rd birthday. At one point she and Daniel were standing side by side playing with Kylie's kitchen set. Kylie somehow fell and began to cry. Daniel, too, began to cry...not just an "I'm not happy with life" cry, but either an "I'm in major pain" cry or an "I've had my feelings terribly hurt" cry.

My sweet, sympathetic little boy. =) It is actually very sweet in its own way, but it also makes me chuckle every time I think about it. When it actually occurs, I am hard-pressed not to roar with laughter, because I personally think it is hilarious. But in those situations he really seems to need comforting, as much as if he had been the one hurt in the first place. Wow. For all his stubbornness and his fierce temper, he certainly seems to have a sensitive side to him. Lord willing, that will be a good thing. =)