Maybe They're Twins After All

    Riley had her first ever slumber party last night.  I can't believe it, but she lasted the night.  I kept waiting for the phone call.  As the night rolled on I kept thinking "we'll get the call at 1:00 am, just watch".  I picked her up this morning, I am in shock.  Here is the other thing I am in shock about, Rowan kept wondering about her.  I did not expect that.  It occurred to me that they really had not been away from each other.
    Riley and Rowan are fraternal twins, which means they are a brother and sister who just happened to be born at the same time.  When they were little people used to ask me if they had a secret twin language. My reply was "they are not identical, they are fraternal.  If by gibberish you mean a "secret language" then yes, but all of my kids spoke that."  They are as different as different could be.  They don't look alike, their personalities are completely different, Rowan is a full head taller than Riley.  Honestly you would not even take them for siblings never mind twins.
    Up until recently they acted like they didn't even really like each other.  As babies they used to kick each other.  In ultrasounds I could see them hitting each other through the membrane.  I remember thinking, "Wow am I in for it!".  Having said all of that they were each other's build in best friend (that best friend that you don't always like).  Most toddlers parallel play.  Not Riley and Rowan, they always played together.  They did interactive play that most kids did not do until they were 5 of 6.  It always amazed me.  I wonder if other twins do this.
    Recently the kids all invited over a friend for the PA day.  Grace and her friend went off and played by themselves.  Riley and Rowan and their friends played as a group, I did not expect that.  It was really neat to see.  A few days later I ran into a girl I went to school with.  She and her brother were the only twins I had ever known.  I was telling her that she and her brother were my example of twins, she laughed.  I was telling her about Riley and Rowan's play date.  She said that all growing up, right up even through high school she and Derrick had the same friends.  This was interesting.
    Rowan asked about Riley quite a few times last night, and then this morning he kept asking when she was coming home.  Maybe he does like her.  Maybe they are not just a brother and sister who happen to have been born at the same time.   They have known each other longer than they have known anyone else, and that includes me.