Best Buddies

I am sitting here trying to figure out when it happened?? When did Philip and Daniel become such great friends??

I remember when Daniel was born. I was thrilled to have a second boy...a younger brother to almost 21 month old Philip. I hoped that they would grow to be as good of friends as my younger sister and I are.

About this time last year, I thought that they would simply never get along. It seemed that they were fighting daily. Daniel hit Philip when he got frustrated. The hitting phase turned into a biting stage. His teachers said hitting and biting were not a problem at school. Part of me was happy that it was contained to home...the other part sad that they simply couldn't get along. Of course, there were times that they played well together...

Sometime in November/December, I found that we were having a week of cooperation and friendship between them followed by a week of complete inability to get along. It was frustrating because during a rough patch, I knew how great things could be if they played together nicely. However, I knew that the rough patch would pass. With patience, we got through it.

It seems now that they simply are best buddies. In the past two months, we haven't had weeks of arguing. Don't get me wrong, it isn't always pure bliss, but for the most part, they truly enjoy each other's company. I guess Daniel has reached the age where he and Philip can do much of the same things. They can communicate well with each other. I think Daniel has lost the frustration of not being able to keep up with Philip.

Yesterday, I got them new coloring books at Target. For hours, they sat in Philip's bed coloring away. At dinner, I asked them both their favorite part of the day. Daniel said, "coloring" and Philip said, "being with Daniel." What more could a Mom want??

I love to see the protective nature in both of them. The other day on the Chick-Fil-A playground, a little boy grabbed Philip's neck and pushed him out of the way. Philip was crying. I calmed him down and decided it was time to go. At this point, the boy was sitting at his table with his mother. Daniel walked up to the boy, put Sheep BaBa (his new friend) in front of him and said quite loudly, "BAAA!!!!" That was it...a simple don't mess with my brother!!

Then Sunday, Chris and I were cooking in the kitchen with William. We heard Daniel screaming...waited a minute to see if they worked it out...and then went to investigate. Daniel was on the porch crying extremely hard. Philip had run upstairs to his room and was hiding behind the chair...thus proving himself guilty of something. The interesting thing...neither Daniel nor Philip would tell us what happened. Daniel had some bruising on the side of his head. Clearly, Philip hurt him in some way, but he would not tell.

I hope they stay this way forever. My friend, Caroline's, late mother-in-law once told me that she prayed that her son would have one close friend in school to help get him through those difficult years. I have adopted that prayer for each of my boys ever since she told me about it. In addition to that friend, I hope that the boys' friendship will be one that they can forever rely on. Oh, how blessed I am...