Coordinated

Tater and Spork are learning to tag team.  While I'm changing Spork's diaper, Tater is pulling Boogie Wipes out of the package and wiping her (not runny) nose on each wipe.  While I'm wiping Tater's face after lunch, Spork is pouring his milk cup onto his plate.  When I take them both the the library, Tater is de-shelving books while Spork is hollering loudly and gesturing wildly that he wants to use the computer station.  Anytime my hands are full with one, the other takes advantage to make mischievous messes.  It's much easier to throw my hands up and laugh than it is to constantly follow the devious duo with a bucket of cleaning supplies, so until the Cat in the Hat shows up with his miraculous house-picker-upper and lends me his crates for my Thing 1 and Thing 2, I'm going to make peace with the messes.

Photo credit: Diane Kolacz

When Spork cries (as he is wont to do), Tater soulfully states, "Beavs sad," then suggests what might cheer him up.  "Binky?  Snack?  Banky?"  We think Spork has nightmares; he will sometimes cry out in the night but not fully wake, even if he has everything he needs.  During one of these spells, I heard him cry out and then heard Tater over her monitor, "Beavs sad."  It was so sweet, though it certainly would have felt sweeter if it hadn't been 3am.

On his part, Spork will spontaneously shout, "Where mah sis-say?! Mah sis-say!" anytime Tater is out of view.  He often finds her Hippo or her stray left shoe lying about the house and retrieves it for her whether she wants it or not, whining and twisting the found item to and fro, his arm outstretched in a gesture of generosity, his face screwed up in confusion when she refuses his generosity with a flippant, "No!"  Eventually, he will wing the damn thing at her in frustration, as if to shout, "Can't you see I'm helping?!"

I have no doubts that they'll continue to scrap and tussle with each other for many years to come but that they will always, always have each others backs.