My Two Favorites

To say that my kids love each other would be an understatement. 

Gracie chases Henry into the pool until she is nothing but a tilted head and two little nostrils poking above the water.  When I grab her and tell her I wish she was more afraid, she simply says, "Blah, blah, wah, wah, HENWY!" 

This afternoon, during a playdate with Henry's girlfriend, A, Gracie was none too thrilled A was sharing the teeter totter with Henry.  Gracie shoved her chubby body between them, wrapping her arms around her big brother while the two four year olds giggled at how cute she was.  

If Henry makes a silly face, Grace is soon to follow.  Most car rides always end with me seeing two children in my rear view mirror with their thumbs in their ears, tongues stuck out, and heads bobbing to and fro. 

Henry enters Grace's room each morning joyful to see her, exclaiming, "Good morning, sweetness!" or princess or beautiful or lovely or precious or angel.  When Grace wakes up first, she toddles into his room, arms waving above her head, shouting "BUDDA!  BUDDA!  Wuv budda!  Wuv budda!"  (And while her chubbiness may lead you to believe that she is proclaiming her love for butter, I assure you, it is only her love for Henry that is this steadfast.)

When watching a show, each child has their own little chair.  But inevitably, they end up sharing the same one, cuddled up in each other's arms under a Thomas blanket.  That is, until Grace gets handsy and restless and starts climbing over Henry.  Then Henry quietly moves to the empty chair.  At which point Grace follows him and the game begins again. 

Grace can be a little pigheaded and doesn't share so well, but NEVER has Henry raised his voice or his hands to her.  He will kindly ask her if he can have a turn with Percy and she will pound Henry on the head with the train, screaming "No! No! No!"  To which he will calmly respond, "Gracie, no hitting and you need to take turns." 

Of course, then he comes to me and lets the whining rip, but with Grace he has endless patience. 

They also like to wrestle.  Gracie will tackle Henry and then they just roll around on the floor giggling, kissing, and hugging one another.  Henry will exclaim, "Gracie is on me!  I love it!"  It is only concerning when they do this out in public.  We were once at our local mall's indoor play place and someone commented on how "That little white boy in the blue shirt was playing a little rough with that baby.  Do you know who his mother is?"  To which I snarked, "One, that baby is the one who tackled him and two, his mother is her mother.  Who is also me and I say it's fine. "