Super Stuff on a Monday

So much “super” to be thankful for this week!

1)      I watched Baby A, counting out blocks.  She was intuitively grabbing two at a time…she was so close to counting by two’s!

2)      Baby A has been fixed on “100”…and she’s trying to figure out comparisons.  My favorite this week was, “Mommy, I love you more than 100!”

3)      On Monday, our task was to make a present and card for GG’s birthday.  The girls worked SO hard and SO diligently on it…it just warmed my heart.

4)      My Baby A has been quite the snuggle bunny lately.  A few nights, after supper, she’s asked me to come into the den.  “Mommy, please come snuggle with me.”  Of course I obliged…and she lay with her [now very long!] body entirely on top of mine…conforming to my lap and outstretched legs…as I read her a book.  Mommy was in heaven.

5)      I told the girls about the Superhero Photo class I’m taking.  B has been so cute to ask every day, “Mommy, what’s your photo challenge for today?”  And at least so far, they’ve been [relatively] willing participants.

Watching to see how high the ball bounced. :)

 6)      One afternoon after nap, I declared that it was “Game Day” at our house.  The girls and I each took turns choosing a different game to play.  B and I alternated board games and card games, while A picked “Frisbee” every time.  The girls had such a blast!  It was a great change of pace to focus our collective effort on one activity…everyone played…and everyone was a good sport.  And the girls have asked to have “themed” days several times since.  B’s request is usually for “Book Day”, while A would play games all day long, I think.  

7)      Daddy was out of school on Thursday and Friday, and the girls were BEYOND thrilled that he would be able to come with us to school, and that he would be there to pick them up.  They counted down the days all week, leading up to Thursday.  It was so very sweet.

8)      Baby B picked the nighttime story a couple of evenings.  Each time she said, “This is in honor of Daddy’s long weekend.”

9)      Baby B cracks me up…if she spies I’ve left the pantry cracked open, without fail, she’ll ask, “Mommy, may I close your pantry?”  Her organizational tendencies just make me smile.

10)   On Friday we enjoyed a family lunch out at the Thai restaurant.  We haven’t been there in a long time, as they only serve their lunch menu through the week, and we rarely eat out outside of the weekend.  It makes me so happy to see the girls experimenting with different kinds of food…and asking for THIRDS out of the large dish I ordered for the three of us to share.

11)   We usually go out to eat lunch on Saturday, but this week the girls and I had some errands to run, so instead we went out for a mid-morning bagel in between tasks.  The four of us ate lunch at home, and B said, “It’s a special treat to have lunch at home on a Saturday.”  I didn’t realize how much she would enjoy an “ordinary” lunch on the weekend.

12)   We took advantage of Daddy being home for a couple of extra days to score some one-on-one time.  Baby B accompanied me to the grocery store one day.  The next day, Baby A went with me to the mall.  It’s so easy being out with “only” one of them…we have such great interaction over the most ordinary of experiences…and I love observing them apart from each other.

13)   And a couple of quotes…

B was explaining to me the picture she'd made with her magnetic shapes. And what are these red ones? I asked her, of the shapes she had on each side of the cookie sheet. "Those are the cardinal directions, Mommy." Well, of course they are.

The girls were pretending to make up Easter baskets for their baby dolls. Baby A said, "She will have a chocolate, a Peep, a new book, and a toy rattlesnake." Just what every kid wants, right? I personally think I might faint if I found even a toy snake curled in the bottom of a basket...eek!!!

Looking forward to another "super"-filled week!

Super Stuff on a Monday / Tuesday

Even though I'm late to note it, I'm so thankful for another week full of notable notes!

1)      The girls have [FINALLY!] started asking, “How are you?” on the phone.  It’s so stinkin’ adorable to listen to them…another element in such an “adult”-sounding conversation.

2)      The girls and I agreed we’d put up our snow-related books the end of this past week.  (Little did we know it was March 2^nd that we’d finally get SNOW!)  I told them we’d read “Frosty the Snowman” one last time on Thursday night.  I sat down with them on either side…but instead they read to ME!  They recited almost every single line, word for word, in almost-perfect unison.  It was the best present ever!

3)      On Saturday, we finally had a little bit of snow…on a day when my girlies weren’t fighting the sniffles.  It wasn’t nearly enough for a snowman, but the girlies and I still enjoyed a peaceful walk through the neighborhood, and some good snow-stompin’ when we got home.  And the girls were seriously excited for some homemade hot chocolate after our romp in the snow.

4)      The girls were talking (at random) about Halloween.  I asked if they’d thought about what they want to be.  B said, “A kitty cat,” which is not a huge surprise.  Baby A said, “A pudu!”  We’d just looked up a series of animals out of a new book (“Hug Time”) and she’s brought up the pudu several times.  It is some kinda cute, and I’m sure she’d make an adorable pudu…HA!  Now if only Old Navy will stock that costume…

5)      On a related note, B showed me her drawing pad one morning.  “Look, Mommy!  I drew a giraffe and a baobab tree!”  I love seeing how the girls incorporate new knowledge into their playtime.

6)      The girls and I had to pick up something at the toy store on Sunday, and they asked if they could look around.  We rarely “browse” in any kind of store, so I decided that would be OK.  They did such a great job looking at things, but not asking to buy anything!  In the seasonal aisle, we spotted the cutest spotted ladybug Frisbee…a soft one that felt like the girls just might be able to use.  I couldn’t resist…and we’ve already had so much (indoor) fun with it.  The girls have seen their daddy and me play Frisbee several times (we’re pretty competitive!), and they can’t wait to join in the fun.  I’ve been impressed with their “form” – relative to throwing in our den – and their incessant giggles just top it off.  I can’t wait to get outside with them!!!

7)      After a week of unseasonably cold weather, Monday was relatively mild.  We had a fantastic walk through the neighborhood, on which we saw a record 12 DOGS.  I love-love-love how the girlies delight in seeing the neighbors’ pets…they coo and make the sweetest gestures.

8)      I had to run to the post office on Monday afternoon, and the girls were golden.  Not only did they wait patiently while I had to fill out a form and address and envelope, but they were polite and conversational with the ladies behind the counter.  It certainly doesn’t always happen that way…but it’s nice when it does!!!

9)      I finally remembered to write down something that makes me chuckle without fail…when the girls play hide-and-seek, they always count in Serbian.  When A gets to 14, she always interjects “turtle” into the middle of the word...too cute!!!  And both girls call their Uncle Vladimir, “Gladimir”…HA!

10)   And a couple of my favorite quotes of the week…

A: "Mommy, seven is more than six." Yes, you're right. Having seven cookies is more than having six cookies. "Yes, but you would never give me seven cookies."  She’s got it!!!

B, to A: "Sissy, you need to eat like a Galapagos turtle!" We had been reading that Galapagos turtles eat very slowly...in contrast to Baby A, who sometimes seems to be practicing for an "all you can eat" contest. ;)   

Super Stuff on Sunday

Very thankful for the little things that add up to make one super-fabulous week!

1)      The girls have been ALL ABOUT coloring this week!  A couple of nights they asked to color while I made supper.  They sat contentedly at the table, working together, for close to an hour one time!  I bought them new boxes of crayons, and they probably colored for about three hours (not consecutively) yesterday.  Wow!!!   And it’s amazing the improvement I’ve seen in them coloring within the lines (at least at times).

2)      Most of the girls’ coloring books have some activity pages.  I’ve coached them through some dot-to-dot exercises before, but it’s been a while.  While I had my attention turned towards B one morning, Baby A did a dot-to-dot completely by herself…counting up to 22!  Baby B did the same – with a tiny bit of help from her sister – a few days later.

3)      I wanted to take the girls to the orchard to buy pumpkins.  We originally hoped to go with M&C, but I finally decided it was Wednesday afternoon – by myself – or bust.  We had such a great time!  I can’t say I got “the perfect picture”, but we still had lots o’ fun.  The highlight of the girls’ day (and maybe their week) was playing with a wagon.   I pulled them quite a bit, and then A was all about pulling B.  B pulled A a little bit, but I think she preferred to let her sissy do the heavy lifting.  They each picked out pie pumpkins for themselves…and then they wanted a tiny one for their furry sister Sasha.

4)      We’ve had a very sweet week, full of friends.  On Wednesday morning we met “Grandma” June for our weekly bagel and milk / coffee treat.  On Thursday afternoon we met Ms. Mary at the park.  The girls were so excited to see her, and to meet her dachshund Max.  They were so proud to walk around the park with him.

5)      And on Friday we had some fun time with our friends M&C.  We’d originally planned a picnic at the park, but the weather had other ideas.  We decided instead to meet at the mall, ride the carousel, and have lunch.  The girls were so thrilled to ride the carousel – a very rare treat – and a trip up and down the escalator sealed the deal.  It was a fantastic morning all the way around, seeing my girlies with M&C…everyone behaving so well and having fun.  I think their mama and I actually had a tiny bit of adult conversation, to boot!

6)      The girls and I spread out early in the week to make Halloween cards for a few friends.  We made all the cards in one sitting, and then set about signing them the next day.  Baby A’s name is half as long as B’s…and she’s been writing her letters (and her name) very proficiently for months now.  She finished in no time, flat.  Poor little B, though, worked and worked and worked and worked.  I give her so much credit for persevering!!!  She eventually signed all the cards.  Baby A signs her name – usually – in a pretty “normal” fashion, the letters roughly the same size, in a line.  B’s letters are still different sizes, and she usually has to go onto a second line to get them all in.  Hopefully the return address will clue in anyone who can’t quite connect all the dots.  :)

7)      I turned on a football game for about 15 minutes on Saturday afternoon.  The girls watched intently with me, but I couldn’t help but laugh at A.  I was narrating every play, and after every play, she’d ask, “Did something just happen, Mommy?”  HA!

8)      The girls weren’t feeling well this morning.  They usually wait quietly until their clock turns green, but a few minutes shy, I heard, “I miss you, Mommy!” from sweet Baby B.  She knows how to tug those heartstrings!

9)      I’ve been able to tell my girls voices / cries / hiccups / sneezes apart since a very early age, with near 100% accuracy.  With them being a little sniffly, though, it’s harder for me to discern who’s who over the monitor.  I had to go into their room a couple of times in response to a, “Mommy!  Wipe my nose, please!”  I’d go in, and I’m sure – even in the dark – I looked uncertain.  B would always point me in the right direction, “Mommy, it’s sissy, not me.”  Bless her soul!

10)   And the quotes of the week…

B, to me early one morning: “Mommy, I can see the veins in your eyes!”

B, talking to herself from the timeout chair: “Being tired is not an excuse for poor behavior!” 

A, playing with her geometric shapes: “I put a trapezoid where a rhombus would go, so now I don't need a triangle.”