I am Michelle D. Carter

We met the Hildreths at Meet Your Teacher night before school started last August. They are the other set of twin boys in my boys’ class. The cooler weather was approaching and like so many other people, we hibernated. Then, this past spring, as it began to warm up and we emerged from our cocoon, I started making play dates for the boys. It was then that I realized Alex and Andy have been friends with Ben and Will all through school. They played extensively with each other and rarely played with other kids. A bond was formed.

As the boys played more and more, Tim and I got to know Todd and Laura. We realized just how much fun they were to be around. All this happened about the time we found out we were moving to South Carolina. DANG IT!! I was OK with moving until I got to know them. In a very short amount of time, the Hildreths and the Carters have become very close friends.

Realizing time was short. We started spending as much time together as possible… cookouts, sleepovers and pool time.

On our last day, the Hildreths rented a pontoon boat. We spent the entire afternoon at Lake Jacomo. It was great!! Of course, there was the time when we thought the boat was anchored. We swam off only to realize that we weren’t REALLY anchored. The boat went floating off. Luckily Tim was on the boat. He waited until I swam all the way back with Will and I said, “Don’t you think we should go get them,” before he started the boat to go pick the rest of the passengers.

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my last day in Kansas City… good friends, good times.

DANG IT!! I almost wish I didn’t get to know them. I miss them very much!

The boys were going to have some friends spend the night Saturday night. Saturday was also the day our neighborhood pool opened. If they weren’t asking me ‘what time are Ben and Will coming,’ it was ‘is the pool open, can we go?’

I told them that I would take them to the pool after we had lunch. We were only going to go for a little while because the weather hasn’t been all that warm and I’m sure the water would be cold. It was, but it didn’t seem to faze them. I got in up to my knees and that was enough for me.

After we returned home, we all took showers to get ready for the evening. Ben and Will were coming over with their parents. We grilled out and enjoyed spending time with Laura and Todd while the kids entertained themselves. The boys had fun and did really well with the sleep-over.

Ben and Will are twin boys and are in the same class as the boys. Ben and Andy are in Mrs. Mautino’s class; while Will and Alex are in Mrs. Todd’s. That is how they paired off for the night as well. We thought it was because they were in the same class. However, after spending more time with them, it was amazing just how similar they were to each other. We noticed that Ben had a bruised finger nail. That’s Andy. If someone is going to get hurt, it will be Andy. Both Ben and Andy were wearing tie shoes. Alex and Will wore Velcro. In the morning, both Alex and Will got up and got dressed right away. Andy and Ben remained in their pjs until we told them to get dressed. Alex and Will are the first born, Andy and Ben, the second. I truly enjoyed watching them. It was obvious they were best buds. I was OK with moving until now. I don’t want the boys to lose this connection. Tim and I also really like Todd and Laura. Luckily, they have relatives that will be fairly close to us after we move. We plan to keep in touch and try to get together at least once a year.

Sunday was spent at the pool as well. I left a little early and went out with Laura. Tim brought the kids home and had them jump in the shower. Andy had the towel wrapped around him laid on the floor to watch a little TV. Tim was just getting ready to tell him it was time to get dressed when he looked over and found his little naked body fast asleep. The playing hard, little sleep and the pool had finally caught up with him. Rather than wake him and have him be crabby, Tim let him sleep. Soon, Alex was out too.

Andy woke after Tim had already warmed up some left-over pizza. Andy was not happy!

Andy: “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

Tim: “It’s OK; I’ll warm it up for you.”

Andy: “You should have woke me up. And why did you take off my pajamas?” Clearly, he was oblivious to the earlier events. Gotta admit, that is cute!!

Monday was a little cold and rainy. It was nice to have a break and no expectations. It was a great day to relax, which is exactly what I did! It was a great weekend!!

It all started last Thursday when Alex ran into the house and proudly exclaimed, “We’re climbing the thing out there with the net.”

“The basketball hoop?”

“Yeah.”

OK, whatever, I think to myself. I had just started dinner, but had to head outside to check on them. This is what I find:

Oh my God! Look at those monkeys!! Alyssa can’t be out-done by her little brothers. Being a girl and all, she doesn’t have the upper body strength the boys were born with. After a couple attempts, she reaches the top by climbing like a native up a coconut tree (see photo). She must have acquired this skill in utero, while we were in Hawaii.

When Tim arrives home from work, they impress Dad with their climbing skills. What’s next, peeling bananas with their feet?

After supper, the neighbor girls, Alex and Lauren, come over to play. Alyssa runs out to the pole to impress Lauren with her new skill. About that time, Tim steps out of the house, fearing the liability of a lifetime quadriplegia caused by a 10′ fall head-first into our driveway, shouts, “I hate the neighbor kids over here climbing like that! We don’t need anyone getting hurt.”

The following afternoon the girls come over to play. Only this time they ask if they can play, instead of shouting for the kids. Impressed and puzzled by their politeness, I say, “Sure, they are out back.”

Lauren, the younger and more timid of the two, quietly states, “I know what Tim said.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t remember,” she says. I give off a coaxing laugh. “I know, I just don’t want to get in trouble.”

“It’s OK, you can tell me.”

“Last night, he said he hates the neighbor kids.”

“Oh no! Sweetie, he meant he hates you guys over here climbing the basketball hoop. We don’t want you to get hurt.” With everything cleared up, they run out to play.

I tell Tim, to trot his little butt over to the neighbors and talk to them. They need to know exactly what happened.

We found Ken, their Dad, supervising their Mom, Jennifer, mowing the yard. I’m sure Ken would say he was “working” on the yard too, but we know who was doing the real work . . .

“Oh, that explains it,” Ken said. “Last night she came running home and said ‘Tim said…he…’ and ran in the house. Jennifer and I looked at each other, neither one having a clue what she was talking about. By the time we got in the house, they were snacking, and we finished the evening without another thought about it. When she asked to if it would be OK to go to your house this evening, it seemed a little out of character. Just the way she said it, it was weird. Now we know why. I’ll have to tell Jennifer, she’ll get a kick out of it.”

So NO, we don’t hate the neighbor kids. Just like all kids, they have their arguments, but most of the time they play well together. It’s great to have friends that live next door.

Confronting issues in your relationships instead of hoping they weren’t “that” offended or waiting for them to cool off and forget about it will make your relationships stronger! I need to practice that more.