Brothers

It's interesting to watch my children interact with each other. I swear, I could sit and watch them for hours and marvel over how their personalities are emerging.

Except for when Liam is pinning Nicky down and that god-awful screech starts. When that happens I do not marvel. I get pissy.

When Nicky was born, Liam was over the moon excited to have a brother. It was awesome for the first few months when Liam could love on him and Nicky didn't really have much choice in the matter. Babies, after all, are pretty helpless.

After a while Liam figured out that it's also fun to bug brothers. So that started. And so it went like this: Liam would bug Nicky. Five minutes later Liam would want to cuddle him. Nicky, remembering the torture that went on just prior, would protest. Loudly.

As it stands right now, they bug each other, and yell at each other, and every six months you'll find them cuddled up and watching a t.v. show.

Liam tried the same games with Josh but he quickly figured out that the torture doesn't bother Josh as much as it did Nicky. As a result, things are much more friendly between those two. That's NOT to say he doesn't pick on Josh too, it's just that he doesn't get the same reaction so he doesn't do it as often.

And how are things between the two youngest, you might ask?

Nicky would throw Josh under the bus in a New York minute. It's actually the cutest thing to watch, but it's also totally selective. Typical scenario:

They're both in bed and we hear somebody running around the room, turning on lights, pulling out dresser drawers and emptying them, turning up the radio volume. In goes Daddy to give 'em shit and Josh has a huge smile on his face and is nodding his head as Jeff scolds him.

Here's Nicky. "I'm being a good boy daddy. I didn't get out of my bed. Josh is being a bad boy daddy, give him trouble. He needs a spank".

Repeat as necessary for any number of situations. It happens 15 times a day. And I'm pretty sure Josh is not the only one doing naughty things. He just doesn't talk as well as Nicky does yet.

Like I said, it's very interesting to watch their personalities in regards to each other develop. Liam's the bully, Nicky's the brown-noser, and Josh is the scapegoat.

Hm, maybe next time I should write a post highlighting their more endearing qualities? They do have them, I swear.