Christian and I always wanted to have the kids close in age. We figured it would allow them to have more in common and more friends together but we also knew it would get us through the baby stage and into fun toddler and kid stage quicker (aka less gear and more independence = happier parents) Well, it means that for us anyway.

So now that Emily is 2 1/2 and Seth is almost 5, the transformation from co-existing siblings to best buddies has already happened. However, I didn't expect the "partners in crime" stage to happen this quick...I expected that around the teen years. But apparently they are interchangeable depending on the day.

Seth and Emmy used to take baths together because it was easier for mommy to do it all at once. As they have gotten bigger and taken up more space in the bath and came up with new ways to splash the whole bathroom (more on that later), I have started bathing them separately. This is where "partners in crime" came into play. I would let them take a bath in mommy's "big" bathtub. As they would play, I would clean and organize my bathroom (yes, this is a daily activity given the amount of clothes Christian and I heap into piles). So this is what I would hear as I was organizing "Go Emmy! Emmy! Emmy! Emmy!" [giant splash sound] [giggling] then "Go Seth! Yea Seth!" [small splash sound] [more giggles] I peak around the counter and catch Emmy kneeling on the side of the jacuzzi tub where it is slope and sliding down the edge as though it is a water slide. I immediately raise my voice to show my dissatisfaction and Seth says "It's OK, mommy. I catch her!" Yes, as though that makes it all better. So that was the beginning of "partners in crime" and the end of bathing together.

Here is one of Christian's stories from his normal weekday time with the kids while I am at work. He is cleaning up and getting lunch ready and realizes they are awfully quiet when they are usually playing up a storm in their playroom. He walks in to find them huddled around a Cheerios box in the corner sharing Cheerios. Somehow, they had snuck it from the pantry and stowed it in the corner and were politely sharing to hide from daddy. ha ha! Lord knows, that we were pleased it was Cheerios and not cookies (we keep those up high in the closet). So really it was Cheerios or Mahatma rice they can snag for themselves. Clearly, they chose appropriately. But when asked who took the cereal, both replied that the other took it. CLASSIC!

But all in all, Christian and I couldn't be happier to have two littles ones that adore each other and love each other and apparently plot with each other. Here are few snapshots from my phone that I have taken at random times because they were hanging out so well together.