Thursday, August 29, 2013

Gang of Two




"Wait for me, Batman," my Poppet calls to my Sprocket as they run up a hill. He answers in kind. We go for a walk and the kids transform from princesses to dragons and back again within a blink of the eye. "You be the dragon and I'm the princess."
"Ka-phoom! I repel you with my magic-fairy-dust-canon-ball! Now I'm the princess and daddy's a princess and mummy's a monster!"
They refer casually to each others' imaginary friends. "Remember, Mary punched you last night," my Sprocket reminds Poppet as they loll together in the bath.
"Yes, but then she said sorry and we hugged each other, because we love each other."
On the phone even I find it hard to tell them apart, and, while they squabble and tease, they also defend each other, watch out for each other, cover for each other and worry for each other. 
They are a little gang of two, sharing a world more completely with each other than with anyone else. Seeing the world more similarly to each other than to any one else, as they share the same relationships to cousins, grandparents, parents. Their days follow the same routines, and they revel in the same places, marked with the same place-markers. 
I look back over our photos and there are photo after photo of the two of them running, Poppet generally one foot behind, playing, hugging, tussling.
And it enchants me.
Watching them play, watching them sharing and building worlds, building stories and memories together, brings unalloyed happiness.
These are the days I don't want to forget.

7 comments:

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  2. (Sorry should have checked what autocorrect had fond with my last comment before posting!)
    Isn't this time in childhood just magic to watch!
    My son had a friend like this, and the two spent days creating imaginary worlds and speaking dialogues and whole dramas on behalf of soft toys, playmobile figures or whatever came to hand. Maybe it is not surprising that one went on to study philosophy and the other sculpture. Jean

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    1. I think it makes a lot of sense that imagination in childhood leads to imagination in adulthood! Everywhere I read that unstructured imaginary play is the most important! It's such a privilege to watch it.

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  3. How lovely, the photo does say such alot, and your words add to the image really well. Magical days indeed... I write this having broken up a fight between my twins on the trampoline sadly!

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    1. I've also broken up a few fights on the trampoline today! Seeing as Poppet's half Sprocket's size, you wouldn't think she'd be so good at tackling, but the arms go round the neck and then the weight drops... very effective!

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  4. This photograph says so much and makes me feel so much. What a heartwarming relationship, it must be amazing to witness that relationship develop each day xoxox

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