Copy cat

My children are little over 4 years apart but they seem so much alike. Now I don’t mean Little Brother acts how Big Brother did when he was a baby. No I mean they play the same and act the same, they even sort of eat the same. Not everything but I am noticing little things and once in awhile big things.

Little Brother grows frustrated fast that he cannot keep up with Big Brother when it comes to running around the house or jumping on the bed. Big Brother helps him as much as he can. Like building a ramp out of blankets so Little Brother can get on the bed to play too. Another thing I have to keep an eye on is that Big Brother wants Little Brother to eat and like the same food as him and really tries to share everything. We already had the talk about candy and how he has to ask me first. Of course sharing includes gum right out of his mouth. It was so close but I caught him in the rearview mirror! Little Brother has been climbing up the couches and over shoes for months now. He has picked up enough speed that Big Brother no longer does a lap back around the house waiting for him to catch up. However, when Big Brother needs to go to the bathroom or wants some alone time he has to really sprint or when he closes that door he’ll be hitting Little Brother with it. Monkey see, monkey do or in this case monkey run littler monkey follow.

About the food topic, one example would be how Big Brother loves chicken and shared that with Little Brother. If he could eat that for dinner everyday he would. When Little Brother first started to eat solids he didn’t like the texture or the taste of it. He’d spit it out. That all ended one snowy day during dinner when Big brother noticed I didn’t cut up any chicken for his brother and immediately took some off his own plate and said, “Here baby, chicken is my favorite. You can share with me!” The second the food was within reach, Little Brother shoved it in his mouth and has been happily eating it ever since. When Big Brother is done eating he puts his plate in the sink or if I’m lucky throws his paper plate in the garbage. As soon as Little Brother witnesses that he’ll toss his bowl, cup, or food off the side of his highchair as if to copy. If Little Brother sees Big Brother using a fork he must have one in his little hand trying to feed himself like that. If Big Brother is drinking juice from a cup then Little Brother wants to use a cup just like him.

Big Brother gets an hour of TV time after school. This gives him that cut off time and gives me just enough time to cook supper before his time is up. Surprisingly Little Brother will sit right next to Big Brother and become as much a TV head as him. The reason that is so surprising is that Little Brother would never watch TV. Never showed an interest and I tried every kid show. For a good 11 months my shower schedule was under the mercy of Little Brother’s naptime. When he is sick I must hold him while he sleeps or he will stay awake longer and become over tired. One day I had to have my mom come over after work so I could take a shower without the baby screaming because when that bus brings Big Brother home, the time alone in the bathroom clock is up. It is so cute to watch the boys shoulder to shoulder watching their favorite show. How could they both like the same one? Oh yeah that’s right, Little Brother copies his Big Brother.

During playtime the boys play really well together. Sure Big Brother wants his time sometimes but mostly they are together. If Big Brother is playing cars they seem to negotiate who drives what cars. Big brother must copy his mommy because I hear him give in to Little Brother. It’s sweet to hear him explaining why the cars drive on that side of the road. The other precious sound is two “Vrooms” in different little boy voices. Little Brother mimics how Big Brother plays. My heart melted one day while Big Brother was at school. I watched Little Brother go into his Big Brother’s bedroom and yell for a minute. He was looking for his brother and waiting for him to answer. Then I could hear Little Brother, “Vroom! Vroooom, Vroom!” I walked into the bedroom to see Little Brother playing cars by himself. Big Brother had taught him to play alone. I couldn’t believe it. Those wooden building sets, train tracks, or car mat with cars will be carefully set up by Big Brother and then quickly destroyed by ‘Godzilla’ they both yell, “YAY!” and they laugh together and do it all over again. An hour could go by before they move on. Last week the two of them emptied every can and box out of my cupboards to play in there. All they did was giggle and yell. I just let them, four years ago Big Brother was the only boy in that cupboard and now he was showing this new kid the ropes.

The funniest thing I noticed was the payback Big Brother received this week. Big Brother goes through this copy your every word moods. I’ll say, “Hey put you jacket on we’re leaving.” Big brother will say, “Put your jacket on we’re leaving!” in a mocking voice. I play along and say things like “I have stinky feet” or “I’m going to bed at seven!” If I mention anything about bed the mocking stops. One night at bedtime I was asking Big Brother to get his jammies on and get to bed. He yelled at me. Before I could scold him, Little Brother yelled this ear splitting shriek that left us both laughing. Big Brother then said, “See you made him mad making me go to bed.” Little Brother followed with, “Sheeee! Waaahhh blah wahhhh!” Big Brother turned around and told him, “Don’t copy me!” I told Big brother, “He said Shhh, blah blah you wahh wahh” Big brother then wanted to argue about it as if we can magically decipher Little Brother’s baby babbling. Little Brother then shrieked again letting us know we better go to bed. As I lay in bed settling them both to sleep I watched Big Brother pass out first. Little Brother sat up looked over at his brother and then turned stomach down and fell asleep seconds later. Ohh what a copycat.