This is one of my favorite pictures of my boys.  Grandma made them knit hats that they wore all the time because the yarn was so soft.  They used to laugh like this all the time…now they tend to sneer and growl.  I miss those simpler days when they were the best of friends.  These days, since their personalities are so different, they can barely tolerate each other.  Really, we have tried to teach our boys tolerance and respect even when someone doesn’t agree with you, but when you’re 13 and 15 it is all we can do to keep the vernacular free from those kind of low brow words I’m surprised they know let alone use. 

The first day of school is today, and maybe being in separate buildings will ease the tension a bit.  At least my grocery bill will be cut in half and I won’t have to contend with two warring tribes…and it is so much quieter at my house.  Between sports, school and driver’s ed (oh, there will be a lot more to come on this issue) they will hopefully be too tired fight.