Show me the love!

For many months now I have been secretly fearful that my twins, fraternal boys, 20 months old, lack the twin bond. Other than first thing in the morning, when they wake and immediately seek each other out to say hello, they have seemed pretty disinterested in one another. I have observed and know many sets of young twins who share an incredible bond: in a crowded room, they only have eyes for each other; at preschool, they speak a common language; in music class, they look out for each other, making sure their twin has a stick for his drum and someone to hold hands with while singing. It's the type of stuff most people envision when they hear they are going to have twins, I know I did.

So imagine my dismay as I've watched my guys behave somewhat ambivalently toward each other for as long as they have been aware of each other. Actually, there has never been too much fighting, more of an "I could take him or leave him" attitude. They show great interest in their parents as well as their older brothers, but as far as each other, not so much. While this has been a relatively small concern on my list of parenting worries, I have felt envious of other moms whose twins seem to adore each other. And I've wondered when -- and how -- my guys would get clued in to the fact that they have such a wonderful gift in each other.

I'm happy to say, my wondering is over. Yesterday, I caught them "bumping rocks" (knocking their fists together, like a modern high-five). They just learned how to do this, and they have been very demanding of me and my husband, asking us to bump their fists over and over throughout the day. But yesterday, they started bumping each other and simply cracking up with glee. I saw them from afar and it made my heart melt. Today, I gave them their first post-haircut lollipops. They were not entirely sure what to do with the pops, so they put them in their mouths sideways, like tango dancers do with roses. They were hysterical, each thinking the other was the funniest guy he'd ever seen.

I feel relieved. We're moving in the right direction here! I hope they retain that sense of wonder in each other as life becomes more complicated and they need each other for more than a few laughs.