a brother, a sister.

There can be no companion better than a brother, and no friend better than a sister.

Once in a while I wonder if these two will make it to their teens without killing each other.  But most days?  I wonder what one would do without the other.

They do everything together.  If Addie's playing with dolls?  They both play with dolls.  If Garrett's playing with dinosaurs?  Addie's playing with dinosaurs.  They drive cars together.  They 'cook' together.  They color together.  They dance together...

If you throw one in a pile of pillows, they want the other one in there with them.

Addie doesn't like getting her picture taken...unless Garrett's getting his taken.  Then she tries to sneak in.

They read together...

They try new things and imagine together... They get into trouble together...

They both love to be outside... picking fruit, kicking a ball back and forth, playing in the dirt, throwing rocks.

They're finally learning how to take turns.

They both get excited when they hear dad coming up the stairs after work...

They're both curious and excitable...

Addie does a fine job at keeping up with Garrett and fighting back... They chase each other, they laugh together, they tickle each other, they see who can scream the loudest, they race.

They snuggle...

They push the limit together, taking turns being the first one to dare doing something they know they shouldn't, and the other one always follows.  Think- climbing on the table, inching away from the shopping cart, sneaking marshmallows before dinner, throwing balls in the living room, pounding on tables at restaurants...  It's almost like they already communicate through looks, like a, "Follow my lead on this one, I'll take one for the team." expression.

They amaze me everyday.  They make me laugh.  They surprise me.  They entertain me. They teach me to be patient.  They teach me how to love better.  It's nearly a nightly occurrence that Paul and I look at each other as we're all hanging out and playing, like we're both thinking, how did we get this lucky?

I'm so happy they're mine.

And I'm so happy they have each other.