Your move

Little Mother was missing from the castle for 3 weeks. The house was quieter without her bee-bopping around. Elaborate sets of dolls, tea parties, and dress ups did not pop out all over the house for me to clean up. Sunshine was lonely during the day with just me for company. In short, we really missed Little Mother. Toward the end of her visit, I longed for her so much, I hurt in my stomach.

But, there is always a benefit to shaking things up and moving the players. When entertaining, I love to mix different people in different ways. I see a new side of Chris when he leaps around like a silly frog fishing, or find that Michelle has deep thoughts when paired with a more serious crowd.

In my extended family, I love to break up the mix and be with people individually, or in small groups. We interact differently and build relationships better than in the crowd.
Ladybug and Sunshine have never had the opportunity to spend so much time together because Little Mother is always mothering. Ladybug jumped on the chance. She doctored every wound, taught new skills, and held Sunshine for every cry. The two prepared shows for me, had slumber parties, and even did their work together. Their relationship blossomed.
Sometimes, if you rearrange the pieces, another player can make a winning move.