Inseparable

My hands-down favorite part of parenting has been watching how much fun our kids have together. They are only fifteen months apart, and that gap seems smaller and smaller the older they get. 

Yesterday Gray was tackling Rain, and I reminded him, "Be careful!" He replied, "It's okay, Mommy, she has a ton of giggles in her mouth." I have been trying really hard to teach him to listen to what she is "telling" him during their roughhousing and apparently the lesson is starting to sink in. :-)

Here are some things they've been up to lately (the greater the "mischief factor" the greater the giggling!):

 Digging around for a snack

 Pushing a "ferry boat"

 Wearing coordinating Mickey/Minnie pjs. (Cue major sadness when they're in the wash!)

 Pulling their pull toys from Auntie Kayla

 Going on wild fire truck rides

 Making major messes

 Pulling Sister to the park (all his idea!)

 Motoring around the backyard

 Lounging around reading Berenstain Bear books 

(the current fave!)

 Zooming around the house at breakneck speeds 

(Notice how there's usually a vehicle involved with these two?)

 Celebrating balmy temps with a backyard picnic

Helping Mommy with laundry

Sharing an umbrella

Gray and Rain definitely have their share of squabbles, but for the most part they operate as a unit. I know they will eventually go through stages of greater conflict, so I am enjoying the current harmony while it lasts!

I would love to hear your thoughts on sibling relationships. Are you close to your brothers and sisters? Do you wish you felt closer? What did your parents do that helped or hindered your sibling relationships? What are you doing differently with your own kids?

I've heard amazing things about the book Siblings Without Rivalry by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish (the same authors who wrote How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk), but I have yet to read it. Anyone a fan? 

Off to see what the latest giggle and crash is all about!