Best Buds

Luke and Patrick do most things together for practical reasons. Sometimes I wonder if they want the other one around. They bicker and fight over toys like all siblings. Do they realize they're twins? Do they or will they have the typical twin bond? I'm not always sure. What we have seen is a realization that they belong together and that they care for each other in some very sweet ways.
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The boys usually go to nap together and wake each other up at the same time, although we've long suspected that Patrick needs more sleep than Luke. When we noticed Luke was keeping Patrick away one day, I stuck Patrick in my bed. A few minutes later, Luke was screaming and crying. "I need Patrick," he said in a sad little voice.
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At mealtimes, one or the other is helping me set the table and get ready. They always mention how Patrick needs his milk cup or Luke wants the Mickey Mouse spoon. When the vitamin bottle comes out, one will always pick out their brothers' favorite color to take to them if they're not right there.
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Going to the Y the other day, Patrick was being a little difficult to deal with. "Cooperative little boys get to play games with mommy at the Y," I said. By the time we got to the Y, Patrick was still not being a cooperative little boy, so Luke and I left him in kidcare to go play basketball and goof off in the gym together. Luke's excitement about having mom all to himself waned pretty quickly. "I want Patrick to play." He seemed bored without his best buddy.
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Also at the Y, I watch the boys when I come pick them up from kidcare before they know I'm there. Most of the time, they are playing together. If not, when one sees me first, he doesn't run to me. Instead, he runs to his twin to make sure he knows the exciting news.
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Patrick and Luke shown here enjoying our visitor "Sundae," the neighbor's guinea pig. Sundae stayed with us while they showed their house. With our pig-sitting, the house sold in eight days.

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I've heard many different theories and practices of twin rearing. They go from making "twin-ness" the main identifier of their children all the way to over emphasizing their individuality and never even calling them "twins." I will never have a license plate or bumper sticker announcing my parenthood of twins, but I will dress them kind of alike until they ask me not to. There's a balance there somewhere. I hope they are delighted to have each other and realize someday that God has given them a special gift to have an identical twin.