Real Brothers

We've reached the love/hate phase in full force. Though it feels like a lot more fighting than love at this point. I suppose with three years of togetherness, that's inevitable. They can barely stand to be around each other much of the time but don't somehow understand they can remove themselves from the situation even when we tell them.

Ethan is at least more verbally expressive than Isaac, who goes from zero to full tantrum in no time. Dozens of times every day he will come whining, "Isaac hit me", when in reality most of the time, Isaac merely had the gall to talk in his general direction or use a bossy tone of voice. He's often screaming "No talk, Isaac!" Isaac, for his part, remains probably intentionally oblivious until Ethan gets physical. What I find the funniest though is when Ethan just gets his lower-lip-Leal pout going, crosses his arms and says "I not happy". He is always most likely to let me know when he is happy, or sad or mad.

Soooo, we are trying to figure out how to encourage the love without trying to force it. Still, some of the time they are best friends too. I love to hear their conversations. Usually they are pretty simple, like "Try this one, Ethan?" "No, try this one." "Um, okay." And even occasionally when I tell the one who's screaching because his brother didn't share when he asked nicely that he will just have to wait until he's ready to share - occasionally he will actually wait and the other will decide to share, giving me hope that they will learn to work some things out themselves!