Hard to say hello-goodbye

I woke up today to Lana sneaking in to our bedroom...per the usual.  She's always first to get up.  She stands quietly by my bed until I'm awake and I pull back the mosquito net to let her climb over me to lay down between Daddy and I.  Even so that she's in the bed she scoots herself up against my back so that I'm perched at the edge of the bed. We finally get comfortable and I hear Theo chatting to himself. Because it is the first day the twins are here and because they got in at 1am I get up so that kid2 (theo) doesn't wake up kid3 (Zeke) and kid4 (Amani). 

So kid1 (Lana) and kid2 and I go upstairs.

Later, I hear stirring downstairs and figure it is time to check on kid3 and kid4.  Lana has been so excited to meet her brothers in person that she barrels down the stairs like an elephant. She didn't want to go to sleep last night so that she could welcome them home but sleep won out.  Now she's determined to get a good look at these guys. 

So she walks into the room and stares at them.  They stare back with a very clear -- where am I and who are you?  look on their face.

And then kid3 starts to cry.

Soon kid4 joins in.

And kid1, well kid1 lets out this wounded moan-cry-scream that I never have heard before and never want to hear again.

Oh dear.  Luckily Neil walks in just as the noise is crescendoing.  Aw and did I mention kid2 (Theo) is just observing all this with a concerned furrow on his brow #oh-dear-something-seems-to-be-very-wrong-with-these-three-but-I-feel-fine.  Typical mini-Neil that Theo is.  Can't be bothered to be too sad even when he IS sad.

Neil picks up kid4 and I pick up kid3.  They stop.  Poor Lana is destitute. This was not what she had in mind. I take a few deep breaths so I don't cry in sympathy with her. 

She just wanted to see them.  She's been carrying around pictures of them and she even slept with their pictures for a while.  And last night she was quizzing Theo on who was who. 

No THAT one is AMAANNNIIII. THIS is ZEEEEKKKE. (exasperated)

Well, today is a day with three little sniffling kids, high emotion and sensitivity.  I can understand why the little guys are sad and I can understand why Lana is sad too.

She already loves them so much she can't let them cry alone is all. 

And that's not such an awful thing.