Turf Wars

Who would have thought that Benjamin would have been a twin? I mean, he was born more than eight months ago and you would have thought we would have known about any multiples... It is becoming clear however, that Benjamin’s twin spirit currently inhabits a dog named Calvin. Let me illustrate this point through a list of similarities:

1. Both whine and cry when they are not being played with or held.
2. Both want Jennifer to hold them, constantly.
3. Both like to chew on dog toys.

Calvin got this toy that Ben NEVER plays with, so we decided he could have it...

---FAST FORWARD AN HOUR---

Suddenly (for the first time) Ben has a real interest in that rubber ducky. Is our little guy having some jealousy issues?!?
This has resulted in a series of fights over dog bones and rubber ducks in which both Calvin and Benjamin will take the toy, chew on it and the other will steal it away, thus precipitating a turf war over the object. There have been about a dozen instances, so far, in which Benjamin will crawl away with a dog toy, laughing, only to find himself tackled from behind or the toy snatched out of his hand by Calvin. Often, Ben tries to keep this toy out of Calvin’s reach by holding it away from him, but this only works for so long… then the process is repeated. (I am beginning to think that Benjamin is the aggressor here.)

Here is Ben scooting over and taking a look into Calvin's bed and finding a toy he wants...

... Benjamin continues to reach for the toy and makes sure the dog knows he has it by bringing it out of the dog's bed...

As soon as Ben starts scooting away Calvin comes and reclaims his spot on the bed... AND his toy... "Don't mess with my stuff, Baby!"...

Let's go back to the scooting away picture... Here is Benjamin... take a close look at his right fist... The whole bit before was a ploy to get the Calvin's bone without getting caught... what a sneak!

4. Both want to lay in Calvin’s bed. (This is funny because, after about ten minutes of being home for the first time, we got Calvin’s bed out. Ben immediately went over to investigate it. Calvin must have known it was his, because he went to Ben and put his nose on Ben’s face and nudged him off of the bed. As soon as Ben was off of the bed, Calvin laid down, put his head on the floor, and stared at Ben, as if to say “Try that again, Bucky…” Oh, yes, Benjamin has tried it again and again and again.
5. Both need constant supervision so as not to destroy the house or injure themselves.
6. Both move with surprising speed when intent on destructive behavior.
7. Both need to be potty-trained (I think that Calvin will achieve this first though.)
8. Both like to drink baby bottles.
9. Both like to eat dog food.
10. Both like to eat baby food.
11. Both need locked up at night (one in an open air cage (a.k.a. crib), the other in a room). (This is so that we can sleep without worrying what they will do to themselves or their surroundings.)
12. Both cry at night to get attention (come to think of it, they do that during all hours of the day…) So I suppose this one really is, Both wake us up at night to achieve their nefarious ends.
13. Both need constant correction from their determined, bull-headed, intentionally destructive behaviors.
14. Both require bathing on a regular basis.
15. Both crawl on all fours.
16. Both sit when you offer them a treat.
17. Both are teething.
18. Both like to bite everything they encounter because they are teething.
19. Both enjoy fighting with each other…
20. Both are extremely cute.

This list could go on and on. It is clear that they are starting to appreciate each other and I am sure that they will soon form a loose confederacy with the objective of terrorizing the rest of us and destroying the home. They are both adorable and make great playmates. While Benjamin, initially, was not a huge Calvin fan, they seem to have reached an arrangement where at least tolerate each other, if not their aggressive actions. When Calvin was purchased, we certainly did not anticipate producing a twin terror. What a happy edition!