Brotherly Love

I've had a few reminders this week of just how much Lincoln and Daniel love each other. Which is nice to think about, especially when I'm trying to break up a fight...

Daniel doesn't hide the fact that he worships his big brother. He wants to wear Lincoln's clothes, sit in Lincoln's carseat, eat Lincoln's food and do what Lincoln does. When we go out together, he always insists on holding "Inkie's" hand, not mine. Yesterday, Lincoln wanted me to teach him how to tie his shoes. We practiced together a few times, but then Lincoln decided he wasn't really ready to tie his own shoes and asked me to do it. When it was time to put on Daniel's shoes, he was adamant that "Inkie" tie the laces. It didn't matter that Lincoln explained he didn't know how to do it-- Daniel wouldn't accept no for an answer. So, in the end, I ended up "helping" Lincoln to tie Daniel's shoes. And we were all happy. Me because we could finally get out the door, Lincoln because he felt needed and adored, and Daniel because his big brother helped him out.

Lincoln inherited the ultra-concerned, careful Hadfield tendencies. He always gets upset if Daniel wanders too far from us (more than 2 feet) in public, makes sure that Daniel is buckled up and safe in the car, and generally just sounds the warning if he thinks his little brother is doing something too dangerous. The boys' checkup with our doctor today reminded me of another time that Lincoln took being his brother's keeper very seriously. This summer, Daniel had his 18 month check-up and I brought Lincoln along too. Lincoln knew that no matter how nice the nurse seemed, she was still going to stick some needles in his brother. He was inconsolable through the entire visit. He just clung to my neck and kept repeating, "I don't want Daniel to get shot!". The funny thing is, Daniel didn't cry at all when he got his shots, in fact he barely even flinched-- maybe he was too busy being confused by his brother's behavior.

At our visit today, Lincoln had a much calmer, though no less concerned, approach. He told Daniel that shots keep us from getting really sick, and then bravely kept his hand on Daniel's shoulder while they stuck the needles in his legs. Daniel, meanwhile, was so busy working on a cherry Tootsie Pop, that he barely even noticed.