Way Back When-esday: Longevity!

Uncle Tommy and Aunt Janet sent the girls these adorable LL Bean sweaters when they were three.

I opened the package and ooh'ed and ahh'ed at the cuteness...and promptly gasped at how much they surely cost.  (I tend to be more of a Target kind of gal.)

The sweaters, size 3T, were a bit big on the girls that first year.  We wore them a time or two, but the sleeves were rolled up, and we had some extra length in the torso.

Last year I made pictures of the girls in these sweaters, marveling at that being their FOURTH season to wear them.

I am beyond amazed we've now made it FIVE SEASONS.  The sleeve length is borderline, particularly for my A, but these sweaters have truly stood the test of time.

[For the record, I have no idea if my A has *always* worn the blue, and B, the pink.  I guess that's my next task...to comb through pictures from 2013, 2014, and 2015 to nail that down.  HA!]

And...depending on growth spurts, my B has the potential to record another year next year!!!

I dare say these sweaters were an incredible investment...and -- although we still love our Tar-jay -- I don't know that our store brand duds have near the longevity.

Wow!!!

{Thankful to the One and Only Cheryl at Twinfatuation for prompting "Way Back When-esday"!!!}

I was in no way compensated by LL Bean for this post...just sharing our amazing experience...and marveling at how different -- yet same -- my BABIES are.

Heart Strings

Y’all. 

My heart strings. 

They are being tugged.  Pulled.  Stretched in uncomfortable directions.

I’m getting ready for the spring consignment sale.  And I’m struggling.

I tend to buy new clothes a bit on the big side, and we wear clothes for quite a long time.  A 4T sundress was likely bought when the girls were three…worn as a dress for a couple of years…and then worn as a tunic with leggings or shorts thereafter.

That means I’m just now parting with things the girls wore to preschool.  In the sale pile are the outfits they wore on their first day, when they were 3 ½…the outfits they wore for pictures…the outfits they wore for their year-end receptions.

Gulp.

Surely it seems like that was YESTERDAY.  Surely THREE AND A HALF YEARS can’t have passed since they plodded down the sidewalk in front of me, their cheeks still baby-chubby, since they came home from preschool and I laid them down for a nap in their cribs.

I really try to focus on the now…to enjoy each stage as we’re in it…not to mourn the passing time.  And I usually do pretty well with that.

But there’s something about holding these sweet little clothes that’s getting to me this week.  It may not just be that random prick of an errant safety pin that’s bringing a tear to my eye now and again.

Matchy-Matchy

When I think of "matchy-matchy", I generally think about dressing twins alike.  When we went to the zoo this weekend, though, I realized it was not just the girls who were dressed similarly.

Granted, when I spotted these shirts for the girls, I kinda fell in love with them.  I could just envision them with their khaki capris or denim walking shorts.

And then I paused to chuckle, thinking that's just what I'd wear.

I didn't consciously dress us all alike on Sunday, but I had to chuckle again to realize we were all wearing the same stripe...three-quarter-length sleeves...and denim capris.  Hee hee!

And it made me smile even more when B said, "Let me put my sunglasses up like you, too!"

I just need some pink sneakers, and we'll be set!

{LOVE}

Exercising Their Independence in the Mornings

By and large, I have maintained the same wake-up routine with the girls since they were itty bitty.  They call for me when they wake up…I go into their room, give them lots of hugs and kisses…they use the bathroom…and we head downstairs to start the day.

It’s VERY rare for them to “sleep in”.  Since they got their “OK to Wake” clock when they were about three, they very rarely ask to get up “early”, but I can probably count on two hands how often they have slept past 6:30.

I just imagine B waking up at some point before 6:30, and waiting with baited breath for the green signal that it’s OK to call Mommy.  Sissy usually joins in the chorus, and our day begins.

Very occasionally, Baby A is still asleep.  A handful of times, B has recognized this and slipped downstairs by herself.  She has been SO proud!  Of course I know she enjoys her solo snuggles with Mommy.  And sometimes she gets double goodbye kisses from Daddy, to pass along to her sister when she wakes up.  But as much as anything, I think B loves the idea of “treating” her sis to some extra sleep…taking care of her in that way.

And then, when A does wake up, B loves to go upstairs with me and tell her good morning.

I love the glimpse of independence from B, particularly in a routine I’ve {purposefully} kept the same since the girls were born.

When the girls get up, we usually come downstairs and play for a bit before breakfast.  After breakfast, there’s usually more play time (on non-school days, that is), while Mommy tries to sneak in some coffee.  At some point in the morning, we’ll switch gears and head upstairs to get dressed and “officially” start our day. 

I usually make a suggestion about the type of outfit to wear, based on the weather and what we’re doing.  The girls are mostly agreeable…sometimes wanting to match…sometimes wanting to coordinate…and sometimes wanting to wear completely different things.  Unless we have something special to do, I have been letting them guide their dress, as long as it’s weather-appropriate.

Over the past couple of months, the girls have surprised me here and there by getting dressed completely by themselves.  One day last week, they came downstairs with a “Ta-Da!!!” to show me they’d chosen their Alabama jerseys for the day.  (It was a very proud moment for me!)

Of course, sometimes they come down in something a little more “creative”…

…and that’s OK, too.  I love seeing how proud the girls are at taking care of themselves…

...even if it’s a little bittersweet for this sentimental mama.

The Story Behind the Picture

The girls had picture day at preschool on Thursday.  Of course I wanted to make pictures before they had pictures made.  :)

I put them in some dresses I bought at the end of spring, on clearance.  I opened up their new boots, and I got out of the laundry basket the tights we'd shopped for the day before.

The girls loved their ensembles, and they were tickled to tromp around the house for a few minutes in their new boots.  We don't wear shoes in our house, the only exception being when we have brand-new shoes.  I let them take a few laps before we banish the shoes to the garage.

It was a rainy morning, but the rain slacked up enough for us to venture onto our new front porch for our photo session.  The girls cooperated pretty nicely (although B was doing her typical squint, even though the skies were not-so-bright).

Cannot.Resist.Baby.Feet.

It was time to leave for school, so I told the girls they could walk around the front of the house and meet me in the garage.  By the time I got to the kitchen, I could hear B outside.  "Mommy!  Sissy fell and got muddy!"

Wha???  On PICTURE DAY??!!!  I gave A a quick once-over and determined she must have fallen squarely on her knees, muddying her tights.  Thank goodness she wasn't hurt, of course, and thank goodness she didn't get mud anywhere else.

But what to do about PICTURES???

I told the girls to stand perfectly still in the garage while I ran upstairs to their closet to look for more tights. 

No dice.

Fortunately, I remembered the bin of clothes to be donated that was in a random room in the basement.  I was able to find the girls' sweater tights from last year, which I hoped B could still wear.

I had B take off her tights and give them to A.  Last year's tights still fit B well enough.

I was impressed, if I do say so, with my quick thinking.  I think that muddy tights on PICTURE DAY, only 10 days into our New House Venture, might have otherwise sent me over the edge.

This being a couple of days behind me now, my blood pressure having returned to normal, I can finally say HOORAY for Picture Day antics that yielded a funny story-behind-the-pictures.  Hee hee!

Super Stuff on a Saturday -- with PICTURES!

It’s been another B-U-S-Y week, as evidenced by the sad lack of blog posts…but even amid the busyness, there’s a lot of super to be found!

1)      We’ve had so much fun over the past couple of weeks, keeping tabs on the bunnies in our yard.  One afternoon, we saw two adult bunnies, seeming to play with each other.  One would charge at the other, and the second bunny would hop straight in the air to avoid the collision.  They did this for a good three or four minutes.  All the while, the baby bunny grazed nearby…so sweet!

2)      My very dear friend – M&C’s mom – had her precious Baby A on Monday afternoon.  I got to visit her a couple of times in the hospital, and the girls asked after each visit, “Was A out of Miss Demara’s tummy already?”  I can’t begin to imagine how they were processing everything, but that just made me laugh.

3)      Since Miss A was born, my A&B have been very attentive to their baby dolls.  It’s so sweet to see, since they’ve been more focused on their furry babies over the past six months or so.  They are absolutely chomping at the bit to meet Miss A soon!

4)      Baby A called for me a couple of hours after bedtime one evening, which is rare.  I bounded up the stairs to check on her, and was met with the sweetest, raspy little voice.  “I love you, Mommy,” she said, and then she hugged and kissed my hand.  She just needed a little reassurance, I guess, to settle back to sleep.  It was definitely one of those I-love-being-a-mommy moments.

5)      After a particularly busy afternoon, when I realized there just wasn’t enough time in the day to cook what I’d planned for supper, I made a quick decision to pick up a pizza on the way home.  As we started to drive away, B said, “Mommy, I saw a sign on the door.  It was an advertisement for a large pizza with two toppings, for 10 bucks.”  I probably swerved the car at her deadpan statement.  I didn’t see the advertisement, and I can’t imagine that was quite right – as it doesn’t sound like a very good deal – but her “10 bucks” had me rolling!  I don’t think of myself as saying “bucks” very often…but maybe I do?  She had to have heard it somewhere!

6)      On Thursday morning we went out for breakfast…a rare treat that is almost always reserved for the weekend…and then we headed to Lost River Cave for an early morning hike.  We hadn’t been since April, and it was so nice to see all the trees in their beautiful bright greens.  It was a very hot day – even before lunchtime – but it’s so very shady there we were quite comfortable.  I never tire of enjoying hikes with my sweet babies…and I love how observant they are of some of the neat little things that I would probably miss along the way.

7)      The girls and I have been working on a multi-layered art project over the course of the past few days.  It never fails that they pause at some point and say, “This is fun, Mommy!”  It makes the gluey hands and fabric strings so very worth it.

8)      Seeing the girls working on their silly faces!

9)      I’ve let the girls help me unload the dishwasher the past few days.  I know that’s something that most kids have been doing for a while at their age…but it’s a chore I REALLY dislike…and I am usually so focused on just getting it done that I didn’t want to invite any “helpers” into the mix on a regular basis.  The girls have taken turns – one doing the utensils, while the other stacks dishes on the counter for me to put away.  So far, they’re having a blast with it…and it’s actually made it a bit “fun” for me, not quite as dreaded, actually, as it typically is.

10)   Aunt Alison sent the girls new outfits to mark their first day of preschool last August.  They were a bit big at the time, but they fit perfectly now.  The girls wore them for the first time this week, and they could not get enough of their “twirl dresses”.  I fear they could get used to this!

11)   The girls and I have eaten a couple of times at a new-to-us bakery close to downtown.  This week we had the opportunity to visit there with Daddy for lunch.  The girls were so cute, showing Daddy “our” table and telling him what they like there.  Fortunately, Daddy liked it to, so we’ll definitely be going back!

12)   For a long time the girls have been making up words.  “What does 'alla-bob-kich-a' mean, Mommy?” they’ll ask…and then LAUGH.  Usually their “words” are so conjured it’s almost impossible to transcribe them, but they threw out an easier one a couple of days ago.  I thought I would note it for posterity’s sake.  "'Bop' is another word for 'pillow'. I just made it up," Baby A told me.  That was followed by hysterical giggles, in stereo.

13)   One morning, the girls were planning a trip with their babies, and I asked them where they were going. Baby A stated emphatically, "The Empire State building!" A few seconds later, B reconsidered, "Or maybe the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I'm not sure."  B proceeded to make the tallest tower she could manage, and told me it was, in fact, the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

So thankful for lots of super with my baby girls!!!

Super Stuff Catch-up

I’ve only done it a handful of times, but I just KICK MYSELF when I miss one of my weekly highlight posts.  Ugh!!!  Thank goodness I’ve been keeping some notes, though, so for the past couple of weeks…here ‘goes!

1)      The girls were such good helpers making banana bread!  They mashed the bananas for me, measured and added the ingredients, and stirred in the nuts.  I melted the butter and greased and floured the pans, but they did the majority of the work!

2)      One night at bedtime, Baby A asked B to read the night-night story.  B happily obliged.  She picked a book she knows backwards and forwards, “Vicki the Vet”.  While that’s not a traditional bedtime story in our house, I LOVED seeing B “read”…and I LOVED that Baby A asked her to do it.

3)      The next night, Baby A wanted to “read”.  She needed a little more prompting on the book she chose, but I was SO proud that she wanted to try, and I was SO proud that B sat back and let A have the floor.

4)      We met some new friends at the bouncy house a couple of weeks ago.  I loved seeing my friend C’s girls together with mine, and it was extra-nice to be able to all go out to lunch.

5)      As I was taking the girls to the zoo a few weeks ago, Baby A asked how much longer until we got off the interstate (which seems to be her question of choice).  I told her we had about 15 minutes left, and she said, “15…5-5-5!”  Wow!!!

6)      For their preschool closing ceremony, I put B in a yellow dress, and A in a white dress with blue plaid and yellow trim.  The girls were ecstatic when Daddy came down with a navy plaid shirt with a tiny yellow stripe in it.  Baby A noticed it first, “Daddy!  Your shirt matches my dress!”

7)      One day in the car, Baby A said, out of the blue, “I have the sweetest Daddy in the whole wide world and I love him.”

8)      The girls have long said they want to be vets.  They started working through the details together one day – of their own accord – and here’s what they came up with…Baby A said she would be a vet in the morning and a Mommy in the afternoon…and then B said she would be a Mommy in the morning and the vet in the afternoon…and some days they could switch up.  B said, “If you can’t find me, you can go to A, and if you can’t find A, you can come to me.”  I think it sounds like an awesome set-up!

9)      Since the girls declared that “helping Mommy in the kitchen” was their favorite part of Christmas this past year, I’ve been trying to get them more involved in cooking.  One day they helped me make juvec (which I describe as Hungarian jambalaya).  I taught them to pull the stems from the mushrooms, and they did a fantastic job!  They added all the ingredients and helped me stir the pot.  They were such good helpers!

10)   On Memorial Day, I had my heart set on grilling, and then making S’mores for dessert…what would be the girls’ first introduction.  We had a malfunction with the grill, so we had to do our burgers indoors.  The girls didn’t get the full experience of roasting marshmallows over the grill…but they were enthralled watching the marshmallows expand in the microwave.  And of course they LOVED the ooey-gooey-chocolatey mess!

11)   For their upcoming tumbling class, the girls will need leotards.  They were SO excited to shop for them a couple of weeks ago.  Even more exciting, I learned, though, was finding “exercise shorts” to wear over their leotards.  I hadn’t thought about how often they see their daddy and me in Umbros or Adidas shorts, and they were ecstatic to find shorts like Mommy and Daddy’s!

12)   One day the girls were sitting at the table, coloring.  I couldn’t help but smile as I listened to them “yes, ma’am”-ing each other.  Hee hee!

13)   We were working on a little thank-you project for the girls’ preschool teachers, involving all their classmates.  One of my friends got a kick out of hearing my girls ask straight away, “Mommy, is this washable ink?”  I was reminded of that when I heard the girls playing in the bathtub, “Would you like some hand sanitizer?”  “Yes, thank you!  Would you?”  Hahaha!

14)   And then, a few days later, I asked B to tell me a story…"Once upon a time, Lily [her doll] wanted to change the garbage." And then what happened? "She changed it." [pause] "But she had these little gloves on her hands to keep them from getting dirty." I hope I'm not creating two little [germophobic] monsters!!!

15)   The girls have been pretty focused on my food lately.  Once, out of the blue, Baby A turned to me at supper and said, “I love this, Mommy,” as serious as she could be.  HA!

16)   I overheard Baby B, correcting her sister: "No, Sissy...it's 'I WAS', not 'I were'. You can say, "IF I were a ladybug, I would have black spots,' but otherwise, you say, 'I was.'"

17)   And Baby B again… "Mommy I just wrote it on my calendar. I'm going to behave well today." Learning early, what gets measured, gets done!

18)   Baby A proclaimed one day, in a fit of giggles, "Mommy, I'm as smart as a door!”  I have always heard what they say about doorknobs…but I guess doors themselves are pretty smart.  Who knew???

19)   Baby B’s wisdom…"Unfortunately, mosquitoes are very smart, and they know I am a sweet baby girl."

20)   Baby B’s recap of a shopping trip…”And since we had only a few things today, we went through the self-checkout, because it was much more expeditious than the regular checkout."  I love the commentary...and the vocabulary!

21)   And I could hardly contain myself when the girls were playing with their kitchen and their stuffed animals.  I overheard, "Look, Chicks! Scrambled eggs!!!" and all I could think was, “Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?”!!!

Hoping to get back on track...SOON!  I don't want to miss a moment with my sweet baby girls!!!