At first glance, the Birds could not be more different. Brainy Bird is very tall and skinny; he is not really built for sports. His head is narrow in shape and he has big ears. He has brown hair and his eyes are light, almost green. Brainy Bird is an extreme introvert. He is reserved, focused, and analytical. Brainy Bird will express that he disagrees with rules from time to time, but he follows them. He loves to read and study new things. He values his friendships, and prefers to hang out with one or two friends rather than in a big group.
Little Chirp is lean, and he has a natural athletic build. He has a large head of blonde hair and big brown eyes. Little Chirp is high energy, clever, and enthusiastic about everything. He is an extreme extrovert. He loves to make people laugh, and he can never seem to get enough attention. He loves parties, chaos and crowds. He doesn’t take school very seriously, and he has a hard time with authority that sets rules that do not make sense to him.
I sometimes joke that one of my sons was switched at birth, but I can’t figure out which one of them it is.
There are a few underlying, defining traits that they share. The first is a competitive spirit. They both love to compete, and they both love to win. The second passion they share is a love for sports. Brainy Bird may not be a super star athlete, but he loves sports. Little Chirp shares this love along with a natural athletic ability. Both boys have uncanny hand eye coordination. On more than one occasion, they have attracted attention at carnivals with their arm loads of prizes from the little skill games that they won.
Most importantly, they share a sense of loyalty and love for each other. This is not to say that they do not knock the crap out of each other from time to time and argue over petty things that children fight about. They fight as brothers have since the beginning of time, but they also look out for each other. They champion each others accomplishments, and they work together to help our little family along. They miss each other when they are apart, and they are always excited to share good news or interesting stories with the other. They learn from each other, and by being so different, each boy gives the other a unique perspective on life.