Larger Than Life

Baby A came home a few weeks ago with a paper to let us know that her art teacher had selected a piece of her artwork to display at a pop-up gallery at a local ad agency.  The teacher could only select four pieces from the entire school...and our A was among them!  What a great honor!

Baby A was super excited, counting down the days until the "gallery opening" and reception.  (Baby B was tolerant of A's excitement...but she didn't quite share the same level of glee.)

The big day finally arrived.  I left work a few minutes early, and we made our way downtown to the agency.  There were quite a few people there (as each school in our district -- elementary, middle, and high school -- was represented).  A's art teacher was standing close to the door and intercepted us before we walked in.   She told A, there's a BIG surprise for you.

And a BIG surprise, it was!  We were floored to see that A's artwork had been enlarged to cover the wall inside the entrance!!!

I'm not sure that A knew what to think.  She was very focused on *how* they enlarged her art.  What was it made of?  How did it stick to the wall?  Would it come down?

She eventually warmed up to the idea and posed for pictures.

We enjoyed seeing all the art on display, and we spent plenty of time admiring the Baby A Wall.

When we left, we planned to eat somewhere downtown to celebrate our fun family evening.  Baby B had one suggestion, and A had another.  Then Baby B, of her own accord, popped out with, "Sissy, it's your special day.  You choose."

Wow.

That was a brilliant display of another kind.

Sissies Share

I can't say that my girls always share nicely, or that they always get along.  Far from it, at times.

But sometimes, they do.  And it's some kind of sweet!

Most of the girls' pajamas are matching sets.  (They rarely dress alike...and matching pajamas are my little weakness.  I cannot resist the cuteness!)  They have one set, though, that doesn't match.  One is a watermelon print, and one is an ice cream print.

I didn't realize until a couple of weeks ago that one set is more coveted.  (And I'm still not sure which it is.)  When I laid out pajamas, there was originally some fuss: "You wore that last time!  It's my turn!"

I likely said something along the lines of: "I'm not playing a referee.  You guys figure it out."  And the next thing I knew, they had!

One kiddo had on watermelon bottoms and an ice cream top, while the other sported a watermelon top and ice cream bottoms.  They looked a little silly -- bizarro twins! -- but my heart couldn't have been happier.

And then a few days later, one of the girls opted to have a blue ice pop at school as part of some special fundraising event.  The other had told me she didn't want a blue ice pop.  ("It's just colored sugar water," she told me.  HA!)

That afternoon I asked B how her blue ice pop was.  She said it was good.  And then I asked A if she regretted not getting one.  "It was fine.  Sissy shared a bite with me."

Sweetness!!!

For all those times they don't get along so perfectly, I'm recording these recent couple of gems as proof they sometimes do.

Book Club at Midnight

...well, it wasn't midnight, exactly...but it was after bedtime.

I put the girls to bed last night, and headed downstairs, as usual, to catch up on some news.  The monitor in the basement stays on, and I didn't hear anything -- also, as usual -- for a good 15 minutes.

Then I thought I heard something.  And then I heard it again.

The girls were talking, by then a full 20 minutes after I'd left them for bed.

That's not the way it works in our house.  I tell them goodnight.  They go to sleep.  Right???

I'll admit I was aggravated.  I didn't hear them bickering -- which occasionally is the case, especially if one wants to go to sleep and is hindered in some way by the other -- but there was definitely conversation happening.

As I neared the top of the stairs outside their room, I paused.  I decided to listen to see what was the cause of the not-sleeping.  I crept just outside their door and put my ear to their door frame.

"...that's what I thought, too!"

"...and you know the part where XYZ?  I didn't really get why ABC..."

"...and I pictured him making a really mean face!  Hahaha!"

"...yes, that was cool!"

I opened the door very slowly.  B gasped to A, "It's Mommy!"

"Are you having a book club meeting?" I asked them through a big smile I didn't even try to hide.

"YES!"  They both giggled.

I told them how happy it made me to hear them discussing a book.  ("We do it all the time!" A told me.)  I gave them both big hugs and kisses, reminded them by then it was FAR past bedtime, and that they needed to conduct the rest of their meeting the next day.

I don't think I heard anymore discussion over the monitor.  But I went to bed smiling myself at the sweetness I got to witness.