Playmate for life

That’s one of people’s favorite things to say about twins, isn’t it?  “Oh, they’ll have a friend for life!  They’ll always have someone to play with!”  Yeah… I guess.  Mostly it’s been screaming over stolen toys and the beginning of hitting and biting, recently.  Not a fun development, and while certainly interactive, not exactly what I’d call “playing together.”

I think that is all starting to change.  They’ve been sometimes laughing at each other for a while now, which is always fun.  But the last few days, it seems like they’re actually playing together.  For one, they seem to have learned there’s fun to be had in “chasing” one another.  They’ll race around, pushing their Ikea stools, shrieking and giggling.  And while I might have once thought it was less playing together and more “oh, that looks like fun, I’ll do it too” parallel play, now I notice them looking over their shoulder for the other kid.

Last night, while I was putting together dinner, I heard the hysterical giggles and went to investigate.  They actually seemed to be playing tug with a blanket, and not just trying to take it away from the other child!  Of course, it did end up with blanket-stealing, a minor fall, and some bedtime tears.  But there they were, playing the beginnings of a game.

And this morning, more shrieking and giggling.  When I looked up, it appeared to be little more than chasing each other between the front hallway and the dining room.  Back and forth, pause and wait for the other one to come after you, and skitter away again.  Apparently, hysterical.  I didn’t manage to get a shot that quite captured the action, and my video camera is still having a disagreement with my computer, but still.  Trust me, it was cute.  (And yes, I had them dressed kind of matchy this morning.  Just cause sometimes that’s what you do.)