Buddies.

They used to be best buddies. In the days before Colin started smashing Lego houses and toppling block towers and ripping the most beloved story books, they were mad about each other. They used to be stuck on each other like glue. They used to laugh and smile together a lot. Colin still adores his big brother, in fact. He adores his big brother too much.

But Oliver needs space from Colin now. I understand it. It's reasonable. I need space from Colin, too. Colin demands and delays and interrupts and destroys so much of what Oliver is working towards. It is hard to love Colin sometimes. He's a baby who has to know everything and do everything and get into everything and he's not old enough to understand that his rambunctiousness pushes his idol away. So, Oliver gets angry. I understand that.  I know how hard it is because I spend my days chasing Colin away from electrical outlets and admonishing him for pulling my hair and for trying to eat dirt and for playing in the dog bowl and and and.

There are so many times when Oliver has had enough and he shouts, "I DON'T LIKE YOU, COLIN! YOU MAKE ME SO MAD!"

But then I catch moments like this, when they're both absorbed by the view from our new hotel room:

These are moments where they are both enjoying the same thing at the same time in each other's company. When they smile at each other and share a simple common happiness.

 These are the rare times when Oliver's kindness towards his brother peeks through his aloof facade and he bends down to say, "Can you see okay, Colin? Let me help you. That's called the ocean."

 

For just a split second, I can see that they'll go back to being friends again, and that these last couple of months will be water under the bridge.

I can't wait to see them in action together. It'll make our adventure even better.