Growing up, my brother and I didn’t have the best of relationships. He was the typical pesky little brother and I was a total bitch. The moments when we actually got along were incredibly few and far between. Most times, they involved me bossing him around and him relishing the attention that I was briefly giving him. I recall dressing him up in my clothes and parading him along the main street we lived on, complete with jelly bracelets and lipstick. He didn’t even flinch. (And, no, he is neither gay nor a cross dresser. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
There was a brief period where we played teacher and student. We ripped apart every Highlights and National Geographic we owned and glued them on the walls of the basement, transforming it into a classroom. We knew what we were doing was wrong, but it was fun. And we were in it together. We figured we’d deal with the consequences later, and it was totally worth it. To our surprise, there were no consequences. Our parents were so thrilled to have us playing together, that I think we could have done just about anything.
Unlike my brother and I, Lily and Ben play happily together for hours. They play zoo and safari and post office. They tell each other stories and have dance parties. Last night, they were quieter than usual. After about an hour, they came down, giddy with excitement. We’ve been having so much fun, Lily squealed. Come see what we did!
And there it was. All of their artwork lining the stairs. Tape, broken off craft pieces and remnants of chalk littered the floor. It’s a classroom, Ben chimed in. Isn’t it so cool?
And it was.
I’m fully expecting the cross dressing to start shortly. And there won’t be anything wrong with it.
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We are going to have to get Lukas an older sister.
.-= Seattledad´s last blog ..Full Stream Ahead =-.
I used to think mine would NEVER play together. Man, they couldn’t be in the same room without some kinda riot breaking out. Now they play well, for the most part, and I love to see them with their inside jokes. :-)
My brother and I never got along unless we were ganging up together. You just never know what you’re gonna get do you?
.-= When did I become my Mom´s last blog ..Monday’s Muse – Love Actually is All Around =-.
Oh my gosh, CUTE! So cute. It is a wonderful sound when children are playing nicely isn’t it?
I never got along with my brother………he was always teasing me, but I had a pretty good relationship with my brother. My kids play really well together, thank goodness. It always makes my heart happy when I see them play for stretches without an fighting. :) Loved this post!
.-= angie´s last blog ..Flipping for FLIP =-.
I meant sister. Had a good relationship with my sister. :)
.-= angie´s last blog ..Flipping for FLIP =-.
That is so cool! I have 4 younger brothers, and we had good and bad moments, obviously. I liked when they’d help me put on “plays” in the basement for our parents.
.-= Kathleen´s last blog ..Let the Wild Rumpus Start! =-.
That is so great! I remember playing with my brother and if he ever got in trouble I would stay at home and play with him but when I got in trouble….nope, he was GONE!
Now I can’t wait for my boys to be able to play together!
.-= Erin´s last blog ..Mommy Guilt…or? =-.
My brother was my hero when I was little and it broke my heart when he out grew me and started being mean to me. We want so bad for our children to like each other but sometimes they don’t and there is nothing you can do about.
.-= passions and soapboxes´s last blog ..Holy Cow! She’s A Cow!…. =-.
That is *so* cool. It’s good to hear there’s a time where they play together, because at 4 and 20 months it’s lots of headbutting and hair pulling. With my brother and I being 4 years apart I remember bossing him around and dressing him up most of all, then there were the broken chairs and broken arms, but I shudder to think my kids will ever get to that point.
.-= Lori Z.´s last blog ..Halloween Crafts Day 5: Spooks =-.
My sister and I fought. Violently and often. Things were broken. Windows, doors, walls. Clothing ripped and shoes destroyed. We. Were. Awful. But I love her with all my heart. And maybe we wouldn’t be as close as we are now without that shared experience.
.-= Cara´s last blog ..Party Hardy Said The Lady =-.
I consider often stopping at the one daughter I have, because I fear for the sibling rivalry that my younger sister and I shared. But then I think about how lonely and boring it may be otherwise… it has my babyfactory at a standstill while hubby and I figure it out. (Not that we want one so soon after the first one anyways.) Haha.
.-= Gigi´s last blog ..4 Months =-.
PS—> Snagged your button ;)
.-= Gigi´s last blog ..4 Months =-.
That IS cool. I love when my kids enjoy each other’s company…oh wait a sec… that hasn’t happened yet.
.-= cristin´s last blog ..RTT: In Which The Children Behave Horribly and The Meeces are Smashed To Pieces =-.
Oh the joys of kids getting along together. I find that mine come in waves – for awhile they are friends then a couple of months later they hate each other. I don’t understand it but I treasure it when they are in the “best friends” stage. When they are not – I open up a bottle of wine.
.-= JenniferG´s last blog ..A Little Tuesday Inspiration =-.
awww. They look like they have so much fun together. My boys play like that too. They love to cook for us and play dress up, and at times my son will put on dresses and dance around too!
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..What is that smell and where is it coming from? =-.
What a cute memory for them. I remember making so many things with my sister when we were younger.
Oh, and we all must see the cross dressing pictures.!
.-= Malia´s last blog ..I’m Late… =-.
It was nice to read this and it brought back many memories. My Brother (and my sister for that matter) and I played hard growing up. We fought hard too. I’m talking plates being broken on backs, fat lips, b.b. guns. HARDCORE. I only wanted one baby because i didn’t think I could handle the fighting. HOWEVER, wanting another BABY was more alluring and now there are two boys, two years apart. Life has a funny way of paying you back…mine is coming ;)
.-= Jen´s last blog ..A Racoon and a Fat Lip =-.
I just love how they “knew” what you did when you were a kid with your brother — and then did the very same thing. Aren’t kids amazing?
.-= Jane´s last blog ..Don’t Let Your Mother Hear You Playing This! =-.
I read this on my phone tonight and I thought it was SO sweet I almost came downstairs to leave a comment! : ) And now I am downstairs since I can not sleep so here is my comment!
Your children are delightful!
.-= Life with Kaishon´s last blog ..Jessi gets ogled! =-.
My brother was 13 years older than me and we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together growing up–since he was getting married and having his own kids when I was still in elementary school. He died of cancer three years ago, and every day I miss the brother-sister relationship we were finally starting to kindle as adults. The sibling bond is more special than any other, and I won’t be one bit angry if my son and daughter one day turn our whole house into a school. Glad to hear your kids get along so well!
.-= Deb´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: Love at first stare down =-.
When we were little, I used to play with my brother (2 years my junior), but only if he would be “Martha.” Martha and I shopped, made dinner, took care of our kids… I think it was a couple of years before Matt realized that Martha was a girl’s name. I even found an old drawing from nursery school. It was a rather androgenous little person with “Matew” written at the top and “Marta” written at the bottom. So I have documentation of my cruelty.
.-= Kate Coveny Hood´s last blog ..Why I Hate Halloween* =-.
Seven years apart, my brother and I didn’t get along at all. I, too, dressed him in girl’s clothing. I wonder how many Gen X guys named Matt were tortured in this manner? Sounds like almost all of them. haha
Unlike you, I am really close to my siblings. Being the youngest in the family, I was trained to be bossed around (that’s when I was little). As I grow up, I have learned also to resist it. There would be some arguments but my parents would always come in between us. They always managed to iron things out. Maybe sometimes parents do have to make us, as siblings, realize that if there are people we should love and respect – that’s our family.
.-= Oral Irrigators´s last blog ..Are Broken Teeth a Natural Part of Aging? =-.
I am (not so) secretly relieved to read that I wasn’t the only bitchy sister in the world to force-cross dress a younger brother. With what I put my brother through, it is amazing that he didn’t turn out to be Lady Gaga!
We’re close now but he is determined never to have kids of his own. Did I do that to him I wonder?? ;-)
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