Attached at the hip and teaming up against Mommy.

It is every mother's dream to have children grow up without sibling rivalry, instead loving and sharing with each other.  Pete and Chester, of course, have days where they beat on each other.  This morning, I had to send Chester to time out for clocking Pete in the head with a hockey stick.  But for the most part, my little guys love each other and are becoming totally inseparable. 

Weeks ago, as Chester started learning two-word phrases, he started with "Pete, wait!"  Every Tuesday and Thursday, the drop off at pre-school is agonizing, dragging Chester back out to our car while Pete hangs up his coat and heads into the music room. 

You may think it's just one-way, that Chester idolizes Pete and Pete could care less, but that's just not true.  When I take Pete out for his special date to Dunkin Donuts or the grocery store, he asks "Where's Chester?"  and "Can Chester come too?"

It used to be a problem putting them to bed together because they would get out of bed and play together.  Or if Pete could be convinced to stay in bed, I would find Chester in Pete's bed, jumping on his head while Pete tried desperately to pretend he's asleep.  So we've been putting them to bed separately for about the last year, waiting for Chester to fall asleep before adding Pete to the room.  Last week, we bought them a big boy bedroom set complete with bunk beds and suddenly, they want to go to bed together.  Chester won't go to sleep without Pete in the top bunk.  Chester climbs out of his bottom bunk and comes out to find Pete, over and over until I finally send Pete to bed too.  In the morning, if Chester gets up and comes to our room, we hear "Mommy, where's Chester" once Pete wakes up and misses his brother. 

But tonight takes the cake.  I put Chester to bed, and let him keep his sippy of water.  Pete headed to bed too, and started whining that he was thirsty.  Though I don't allow Pete to have extra water at bedtime (this kid is a peeing machine all night, and often wets through his pull-up, soaking the bed) I relented because Chester got out of bed to get up and offer Pete his "bup".

It warms my heart to see them run and play together, totally worth the struggles and hassles of two boys 21 months apart.  I love to see them giggle and "getcha getcha" but I can't help feeling like they're starting to team up against me, and with the addition of a third soon, I know I'm in big trouble.