Brothers at arms.

"DAAAAAD!!!!! HE'S KICKING MEEEEE!!!"
"ARRRGHHHHH! HE'S TRYING TO GET MY FAAACE"
"NOOOOO! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

The boys sometimes enjoy trying to kill each other, in often violent and inventive ways. Some days it's been a full-time occupation trying to prevent Armageddon. Although we've issued a non-violence policy, punishable by raised dad-voice and the devastating loss of favored toys, they still occasionally end up damaging each other, mostly by "accident" when they are "playing".

I sometimes suspect them of whispering mafia-style death threats to each other when we're not in earshot. "Youse gonna wear concrete shoes brother" speaking sideways out of his mouth, "Meet me at the deserted warehouse on the misty docks at midnight, and you'd better come alone".

I also suspect that even when we think the fight is over and dealt with, the grudge is still being harbored. This was validated by overhearing SM muttering sadistically to himself... "mumble, mumble, my brother needs a handbag...". A vicious threat indeed.

Bigmad is getting wise in his old age and starting to become more self-aware. After getting irritated at his brother - as were we too, he was being a pain - rather than swinging a punch at him, told me with a very grown up shrug of his shoulders and a resigned voice "Well, I suppose when my brother was born, at least I got some free lego".