Two Years, Two Boys, Too Awesome

Two years ago, we came down to Emerald Isle with BigBrother in tow. Technically, LittleBrother was also in tow, safely hidden away in my womb. BigBrother enjoyed the water that year, threw fits when we left the beach and suckered his grandparents into buying him far too much ice cream.

This year, LittleBrother is the same age that BigBrother was two years ago. Minus a week. But they couldn’t be more different. LittleBrother is a bit more tentative with the water, though he is braver at three days in than he was on our first day. He’s not scared exactly. In fact, I think he’s just confused since he’s able to lay on his belly in the water at the beach and doing so here is not particularly possible for a twenty-one month old little dude. He doesn’t throw a fit when we leave the beach for lunch and supper. BigBrother still does. And while he can’t have ice cream, he does still manage to sucker his grandparents into digging holes, carrying him everywhere and generally falling over themselves with oohs and aahs.

(2007 BigBrother, 2009 LittleBrother. Same ages.)

Part of me thinks, “They look nothing alike.” And then I look closely. You can tell that they’re brothers.

Two years ago, however, BigBrother didn’t have anyone to giggle with over waves tickling his feet. BigBrother had to go to sleep alone in his room. BigBrother was the only kid. And this year, he’s not. They run into the surf, laugh, and run back out. They convince Papau to dig and dig and dig and dig a hole for them to sit in and push all of the sand back down into after all of that hard work. They chase Yia Yia. They eat their lunches together. They giggle themselves to sleep at night. They’re two brothers, at the beach, having a good time.

And I’m a Mommy of two brothers at the beach… trying to memorize every single moment.