It's a Family Thing (Finally!)

Since the girls learned to ride their bikes without training wheels, we’ve been contemplating whether Baby B needed a new bike.  She was still riding a 16”, in comparison to Baby A’s 20”.  Our A seemed to get places a lot faster with those bigger wheels, and little B seemed always to be telling us how tired her legs were.

Hubby told B we’d get her a new bike when we got back from vacation.  So of course the first words out of B’s mouth the morning after we got home from Maine were, “We’re getting my new bike today!”

Late that Saturday afternoon, we made good on our commitment, taking the girls to the bike shop downtown where we bought their original bikes two years ago.  We found a great bike for B, and A was [mostly] patient while her sissy got lots of attention.  B agreed to let A ride her bike, so all was relatively well.

Hubby and I had been talking about getting bikes ourselves, but I hadn’t planned on making the splurge that day.  It was no time, though, before we’d each picked out bikes.  It’s a good thing we recently straightened up the garage…our family of bikes is quite formidable!

I’ll admit it took me a few minutes to feel comfortable on my bike.  (It had been quite a few years…30, perhaps???...since I’d ridden one!  And I’d never had a bike with hand brakes and gears!!!)  We tooled around a bit that first evening, and then – helmets on – we went for our first family bike ride the next day!

Over the past two weeks, we’ve logged as many family rides as we could…early on a Saturday or Sunday morning, or first thing when Mommy gets home from work in the afternoon.

This mama is having a super-fun time whizzing through the neighborhood, and it’s such an awesome sight to be surrounded by the family.

I’ve long talked about Mommy milestones, and certainly the girls’ milestones are huge.  This is one Family Milestone that will stick with me for a long, long time!

A Milestone for the Girls AND the Hubby!

I came home Tuesday night to my hubby standing in the driveway.  I couldn’t see the girls, though, which was unusual.  Typically they’re jumping up and down to greet me when I get home (which is all kinds of adorable).

As I was getting out of the car, it caught my eye…

…the girls’ bikes…SANS TRAINING WHEELS…by the garage.

I truly couldn’t believe it.

The girls came running up to me, helmets on, ready to show me what they could do.

Hubby helped B push off on her bike, and then he shuffled right behind her to make sure she maintained her balance.  They made several loops up and down the driveway.

She was doing it!!!

Baby A waited {mostly} patiently for her turn.  She was doing it, too!!!

I grabbed the camera to make some pictures.  I tried not to distract the girls…but they were so proud of themselves, I think they wanted to smile at me…which resulted in some big swerves here and there!

Then I took a turn running behind the girls.  The funny thing was the coaching that Hubby kept giving to ME.  “You should be to her left!  She’s used to me being on her left!”  Hahaha!

We celebrated the girls’ accomplishment after supper with their second-ever banana split.  They were tickled!

By Night #2, the girls were riding by themselves (still with a little help getting started).  Their confidence was no-doubt aided by the bright pink elbow and knee pads Hubby got them that day.

I am so proud of the girls, and I love seeing the pride on their faces.

And as proud as I am of the girls, I am also so very proud of my husband.  He’s very, very protective of the girls.  He absolutely cannot stand the thought of them getting so much as a scrape.  To see him running (in a not-so-relaxed fashion most of the time!) just behind the girls…it made my heart swell even bigger.

What a milestone for all THREE of my loves!!!

Farewell, Old Friend

We said goodbye to a faithful friend this weekend...

...one we purchased when the girls were not quite 10 months old, and began using when they were about 15 months.

One that has seen us through a few leaky diapers and potty training...

...one spilled hot chocolate.

One that made trips as far east as North Carolina, as far west as St. Louis...

...as far north as Chicago, as far south as New Orleans.

One that kept them safely rear-facing until they were more than four (and I'm still pretty proud of that!)...

...and witnessed the AWE of four-year olds viewing the front of the car for the first time.

One that saw us through the first day of preschool, to preschool graduation...

...to the first day of kindergarten, to the end of first grade.

But the time has come to retire these jewels.

So farewell, Faithful Friends.  We thank you for your valiant service!

************************************************************************

We found convertible seats that should last us the duration, ones that will still allow 5-point harnesses until the girls are 57" and/or 65 pounds.  Score!!!  After their first ride, the girls complained that they weren't sitting up as high and that the seats felt "weird".  I guess so...a change after 6 years is a shock to one's system!

The GIFT of New Shoes!!!

We’ve been incredibly pleased with the girls’ PE curriculum.  Especially in elementary school, I just remember playing on the playground during PE, with the occasional game of dodge ball awarded us now and again.

In contrast, PE these days is a serious subject!  Their PE teacher is simply amazing with how she incorporates learning about the human body in ways that are so much fun.  And our always-active girls are even more inspired to move and groove, as evidenced by the “exercise videos” they like to make at home.  HA!

The girls don’t participate in the running club, but still they have opportunities to log running time each week.  For every 5 cumulative miles they run, they get a little token.  Baby A logged over 30 miles this year, and Baby B, over 20!

I had a hunch something different was up a couple of Thursdays ago, based on the invitation to parents to attend the morning meeting for a special announcement.  I could not have imagined what happened, though.

The girls’ PE teacher had entered their school in a contest from New Balance, touting their curriculum and how running and being active is a part of every day for their students.  Of all the schools in the COUNTRY, the girls’ school WON! 

AND…the unbelievable part is that New Balance gifted NEW SHOES to EVERY student, EVERY teacher, and EVERY staff member…even the bus drivers got new shoes!!!

The girls still don’t quite realize what a huge deal this is, but they do love their new shoes!

The kiddos didn’t have a choice of colors, though, and the girls’ shoes are identical.  Baby B came up with the idea to get different colored laces.  Viola!

When life gives you identical shoes, add some different laces!

And even more special is that these shoes are the girls’ first TIE shoes.  They’ve been able to tie a bow for the past couple of years now…but [frankly] this mama never wanted to give up the speed that Velcro provides in getting in the car each morning.

So far, the girls are tying their own shoes, and doing a pretty decent job of it!  They’re still working to get their knots good and tight.  (I thought it was so cute that A told me proudly after a recent outing, “I didn’t have to re-tie my shoes once!”)

This is such a special treat for our girls and ALL the kiddos at their school.  I know one day they’ll realize how incredibly cool it is – even beyond their first pair of TIE shoes.

Painted Lady? No, Never Mind...

On Sunday the four of us went to lunch.  One of our favorite restaurants just happens to be a couple of doors down from the salon where I get my nails done.  I was overdue for a pedicure, and I nonchalantly mentioned during lunch how nice it would be if I could slip next door after we ate.

“That’s fine,” Hubby piped in right away, to my surprise.  “The girls and I will go get ice cream.”

WOW!!!

Baby A immediately began salivating for ice cream, but B asked to go with me.  I took A with me a year or so ago, and she sat in my lap while I got a pedicure.  (It was not exactly relaxing, but she enjoyed seeing the process, and we enjoyed some one-on-one time together.  B had been asking for her turn.)

I told B that was fine…and then I surprised even myself by asking if she wanted to get her toenails painted.  A first!  Her little face lit up.  “REALLY??!!!” she asked incredulously.

We walked into the salon and stood before the display of polish.  I selected a bright pink, and asked if she wanted the same color as Mommy.  She did (and I got kind of excited about having matching toes).

We were seated right away, B next to me.  There’s an abbreviated pedicure for kids, so that’s what we chose.  I could tell that B was both excited an apprehensive at the process.  I did my best to explain to her what was happening.  She rolled with it, but given the look on her face, I can’t imagine she’d describe the process as “relaxing”.  I told her we could stop the process at any time, but she said she was fine to continue.

(It helped that Daddy and A came in to deliver a few bites of ice cream to B…the best of both worlds!)

After our matching bright pink toes were complete, I opted to carry B to the car.  (Since this was so impromptu, she had on tennis shoes and socks, and I didn’t want her to crease her polish.)  The hilarious part came into play when A saw B’s toes.  “YOU LOOK SO CUTE!!!  YOU LOOK SO GROWN-UP!!!”  Hee hee!!!

I’m not sure that B liked the extra attention she was getting from A.  It’s almost as if she was self-conscious about it.  Both while we were at the salon and when we got home, I reminded B that I could take the polish off at any time.

B admired her toes a bit at home, and then she put on socks.  She said she didn’t want to scare the kitties (who have a strong liking for toes!).  That night, before bed, B asked if I would remove her polish.  I obliged, and she seemed glad to see her “normal” toes.

In hindsight, I wish I’d let B come with me to observe the process as A had.  I think it was overwhelming for her to have people she didn’t know touching her feet, and then to have such a visible reminder.

I’m proud of her for stepping out there to try, though.  And I’m even prouder of her for having the courage to tell me she was done being a Painted Lady (my words, not hers).

This was a new experience for both of us.  It didn’t end quite the way I would have imagined, but we did it together.

(And I guess my pedicure time every few weeks will remain one of quiet for me…I don’t think the girls will be asking to accompany me for a while.)

The End of an Era

It's the end of an era at our house.  

Baby A has had big-kid front teeth for close to a year now, and now B -- my second and final toothless kiddo -- is following suit.

The toothless stage is such a cute one, and now I realize it's pretty short-lived.

This is one of the last pictures I have of B with her precious little baby front teeth.

November 2015

It was only a couple of days after this picture that B lost her first front tooth.  She was performing her class musical, and we saw she got kind of quiet at the end of the performance.  When we got to her classroom, we saw it was because she lost her tooth!  And you might say she was a WEE BIT excited!

November 2015

It was less than a month later that B lost her second front tooth.  It was *just* in time for Christmas...so she legitimately got to sing "All I Want for Christmas".

December 2015

B remained adorable and toothless for about five months.  This is one of the last pictures I have of that signature smile.

April 2016

A couple of weekends ago, B's front tooth began to peek through.

May 2016

And by the next weekend, her new smile was taking shape.

May 2016

B's second front tooth is right behind the first.

These big kids happen so fast!

My (New) Favorite Age

When the girls were smaller, I remember regularly declaring at each new milestone, “THIS is my favorite age.”  It just seemed like things got “better and better”…certainly more “fun”, week after week.

I haven’t uttered that phrase in a long time now.

It’s not because things have suddenly gotten “not-fun”.  I think it’s because the milestones aren’t as easy to see.  There’s much less contrast between 5 ½ and 6 than there was between 2 ½ and 3.

It struck me within the last week, though, what an awesome age 7 is.  It’s such a dear combination of BIG KIDS and precious BABIES.

My amazing girlies are big enough to actually help around the house…and sometimes they even enjoy doing so!  Yesterday they surprised me by setting the table [in almost excruciating detail, no less!].  They love to help manage the grocery list, both ahead of going to the store and while we’re shopping the aisles.

We can have some really in-depth conversations with the girls.  We talk (at an age-appropriate level) about politics and race and gender.  Their questions and comments amaze me quite often. 

(Last week I told my A that her comment was very evolved…and then I asked her if she knew what that meant.  “Changing slowly over time?” she mused.  HA!  YES!  Although there’s a twist to the way I used the word.)

And the girls love to play with words, too.  I asked for help in the kitchen this weekend, I was answered by, “I’d be delighted, my lady!”  Hahaha!!!

The girls read ALL THE TIME.  B, in particular, is in the biographies.  (Just over the past couple of weeks, she's read the likes of Louisa May Alcott, Thomas A. Edison, and Frederick Douglass!)  And the girls love to write, too.  They love to journal about what we did in a day.  It’s pretty incredible to read their perspective!

On the other hand, though, my BABIES still love to cuddle in my lap.  They lavish me with affection.  “You’re the best mommy in the world!  I could hug you and kiss you forever!”

They play pretend – like when they made an old-fashioned “train” of barstools [just like when they were three!] – and they love their stuffed babies.  I even see them cuddle their baby dolls from time to time.

So…seven is in contention for my favorite age.  It’s a look ahead to the amazing things to come…and a glimpse back at the same time to the sweet little girls of yesterday.

Swim Lessons (and Daddy)

I signed the girls up for swim lessons again this year, again with Ms. J.  We just love her, and the girls have learned so much.  It’s hard to believe this is our THIRD summer with her!

I was a little hesitant (and a little heartbroken), knowing that Daddy would be taking them instead of me.  This has been part of our summer routine for quite a while now, and I would be so sad to miss it.  And…I wasn’t sure how much Hubby would *love* the application of sunscreen, the navigating of wet bathing suits, and the piles of wet laundry.

I left work early to accompany Daddy and the girls to their first lesson.  It was so wonderful to see Ms. J, and to see the girls take right back to the water!  I talked Hubby through what I was doing with sunscreen and changing out of suits after the lesson.  He didn’t seem thrilled, exactly, but he was compliant.  [It helps that the girls can shower themselves at home.  At least that's one load off from years' past.]

I got to go to the girls’ fifth lesson, last Saturday, and I was pretty impressed to see their progress!  They were doing so well!  (And I was pretty impressed, too, with how well Hubby was doing!)

Baby A, mid- back stroke.

Baby B, coming to the side.

High five for Ms. J!

It’s been a great set of 10 lessons.  The girls have progressed further than ever before, and they’re really enjoying themselves, exuding confidence in the water.

What’s been equally as great for me is to see all this through J’s eyes.  He’s been excited to report to me each afternoon how the lesson went…not just an obligatory update in front of the girls, but oftentimes something that he comes back to after they’ve gone to bed.

“B had an incredible lesson,” he told me last night.  “She just glides through the water.  She never looks the least bit in distress.  Ms. J says she’s a natural.”

And of A, he mused, “She’s so fast!  Ms. J had to jump out of her way a couple of times!  And you wouldn’t believe the big smile she has on her face the whole lesson.”

Actually…I would believe it…but I’m so glad he’s seeing it, too.

Independently Clean

I feel like I *should* say this is bittersweet, and in the longer term, I am sure it will be.  Now, though, it just feels AWESOME!!!

Over the last couple of weeks, the girls have learned to shower themselves.  I feel a little bit guilty that I didn’t encourage this earlier.  I think the girls were probably ready (and I remember bathing myself when I was about their age).  It’s just been so easy to plunk them both in the tub, or for the three of us to hop into the big walk-in shower.

It was just before the girls went to basketball camp that I thought I’d better bite the bullet.  They’d need to get cleaned up after camp, and I wouldn’t be home.  I got them both in the shower.  I stood in the door and coached them through, going through the motions on myself.

The girls seemed to get a kick out of it, and they did a good job!

A few days later, I coached them through washing their own hair.  I still fear they won’t get all the soap out…but truthfully, I fear that when I wash their hair, too.

It’s such a load off to know they can take a quick shower when they need to.  And it’s a lot less pressure for me to rush home from work to wash their hair so it has as much time to air-dry as possible before bed.

Independently clean.  I like this part of my BABIES growing up!

Another Milestone in the Tooth Department

Although I'm tracking considerably ahead of where I was last year, I still haven't blogged to the degree that I'd like to.  When I glance through the {short} list of posts I've published over the last couple of months, there's definitely a recurring theme.  Teeth.  Specifically, the lack thereof.

Baby A lost her first tooth without me, at school.

Baby B lost her first tooth...FINALLY!

And Baby B lost her second tooth, with a great degree of nonchalance.

I'm writing today about Baby A again (which I just notice puts the balance back to 50-50...such a "twin mom" thing to think!).  A's front tooth has been on the cusp of coming in for a few weeks now.  Every day, I'd check to see if it had broken through.

On Sunday night, when we were in Alabama, it happened.  She was SO excited!!!  "We have to celebrate!" she said immediately.  (I didn't follow up on that one, though...if we celebrate both the loss of teeth and the addition of new ones, we'll be taking out a second mortgage before the girls hit third grade.)

Still, it's been really fun to see her tooth slowly make its way into the world over the past couple of days.  Fun...and (oddly?) kind of emotional for me.  It just feels like a HUGE milestone away from babyhood.  And it feels pretty groundbreaking to witness the emergence of this precious little [big] tooth that will be front and center of her face from here on.

It took me a couple of days to snap a picture of the evidence.  Here's what I got...

I guess if I get too sentimental and weepy, I can just look at that second picture.  No way can I keep from cracking up.  This kiddo is growing up, yes.  But the sense of humor that comes with that is a pretty awesome benefit.

It's Starting...

Hairstyles.  

A month or so ago, I’d gently planted the seed with the girls about growing out their bangs.  I think they look perfectly adorable with their now-standard cuts, but I am guessing they won’t want bangs forever…and they’re painful to grow out…and we might as well do it when they’re younger…and summer is probably the best time to start.

Baby B was very open to the idea.  She talked about how she could pull her hair back to play soccer.  She was sold.

Baby A was not very excited, though.  She’s sometimes resistant to change, and I think that’s probably what was driving her reaction.

I continued to market the idea to both girls ahead of our haircut appointment last week.  B continued to be excited, and A continued to balk.  I even got our hairdresser in on the idea, and she talked it up as an adventure.

When it came time to make the cut (ahem), Baby A was adamantly against it.  I didn’t push her any further.  And so, here we are…the beginning of different hairstyles.  Gulp.

Baby B is learning the ropes of barrettes and hairbands.  Baby A has shown some slight interest, seeing B pick out some cute accessories.  She’s still loving her bangs, though, and that’s fine with me.

We Made Up for It with the Celebration

Baby B lost her first tooth a few weeks ago.  It was one she’d worked on for a long time, it seemed.  Not only was I not surprise by it coming out…I was begging her to end the process.

Yesterday, B got up and said her tooth was really loose.  She took a tissue (as I had encouraged her to do with her first tooth) and wiggled and pulled.  This time, I encouraged her not to rush it.  “You can wiggle it, but don’t pull or twist.  It will come out when it’s ready,” I told her, inwardly wincing.

I didn’t think another thing about it.

I went to work, came home, and then played outside with the girls for a few minutes.  We came in and decided to have a quick shower before supper.  Nonchalantly, B told me, “I lost my tooth at lunch today.”

Wha???

No phone call to Mommy at work?  No waiting with baited breath to show Mommy your new smile?

I was truly surprised how in-stride B took everything.

We went ahead with our supper plans, and then I had an idea.  I decided to load the girlies up after supper and take them for ice cream.  We’ve never gone somewhere AFTER supper…we’re usually rushing to get ready for bed.  The girls were incredulous when I told them the surprise.

As we drove to the ice cream shop, the girls began to ask, “Can I have the cookie thing?”  I don’t know that they’ve ever had a sundae there before, which includes a huge dinosaur cookie, but they’ve seen other kids have it.  Of course I said yes.

Our first pic minus TWO teeth!

The girls were giggly and cuddly and so sweet.  I loved everything about it, including the opportunity to snap some pictures in the late-day sun.

Waiting in line...

HUGS in anticipation of ice cream!

Big snaggly smiles!!!

Enjoying our treat!

Biting to the side!

Giggles at Sissy!

 I hate I missed the event itself, but we made up for it with the celebration!

She Finally Did It!!!

My sweet Baby B lost her first tooth Friday night!!!  It’s been a long, long time in coming…both in that Baby A lost her first tooth a full year and a half ago, and in that this tooth has been very wiggly for a long time now.

We went to the dentist on Thursday, and I joked with B that they might pull it for her.  She was OK with that!  The hygienist said that they didn’t want to “traumatize” a kiddo, though, and she encouraged B to wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.

When I went to floss B’s teeth on Friday night, the tooth was literally hanging by a tiny thread.  I told her she really needed to try to pull it.  I handed her a tissue to use to improve her grasp.  I can only compare the sensation I had to that of when I was encouraging her final step in the potty-training process.  She wanted to do it…she was excited to do it…but she was just a tiny bit scared.  I was cheering her on, and she was shivering, almost crying…and giggling, all at once.

She came so close, but she didn’t quite make it.  I asked if she wanted me to pull it, and she said yes.  I took the tissue and very easily came out with a tooth.

I wish I could have recorded all the dancing and squealing and laughing!!!  And very soon after, she tried to whistle, to make sure she still could.  Affirmative.

Baby A’s first-tooth experience caught me by surprise.  It was not something I was mentally prepared for, and I really had to fight back tears, to put on my happy “celebration” face.  For B, though, I was nothing but ecstatic.  I am so proud how patiently she’s waited for this to happen, and I am so excited for her to finally join these ranks.

We ran downstairs to show Daddy and make pictures, and then we made promises to celebrate B’s special day on Saturday.  We kicked off Saturday with breakfast at JD’s, B’s choice.  We hadn’t been there in ages, so it was a big treat for all of us.

B was looking forward to having her first bead on her bracelet, too.  I was hopeful she wouldn’t be disappointed that I’d bought her bead already.  (The jewelry store was discontinuing the line of beads we started buying, and I went ahead and bought her initial bead so it would match her sister’s.)  I wrapped it up with a pretty bow and gave it to her as a surprise at the restaurant, before our breakfast was served.  She was so happy!

It was a very rainy day yesterday, so we have yet to celebrate with ice cream at the Dairy Queen, another tradition, but we’ll add that to the list of celebratory actions very soon.

I love this now-crooked smile, and the big heart of the kiddo it belongs to.

She Lost It Without Me

Baby A lost her first tooth when she was a couple months shy of five.  She’s lost a few more since then, and I can’t say I’ve grown to love seeing those super-wiggly teeth.  I *try* to be excited and encouraging, but it takes a lot of acting on my part.

(I do have one rule, that you don’t wiggle your teeth at the dinner table.  I think that’s fair enough…and for the love of dinner…please…just don’t.)

Baby A has recently had a couple of relatively wiggly teeth, as has B (although B has yet to actually lose one).  On Wednesday, I came home to find A’s tooth VERY loose.  I encouraged her to get it out…it seemed ready…but she couldn’t quite do it.

Thursday passed.  And then Friday, I came home from work to see my A with a new twist to her smile. 

My baby girl lost her sixth tooth at school that day.

And I wasn’t there.

I knew it was bound to happen at some point, and I can’t say I missed the actual wiggle-wiggle-wiggle…POP!...but it was bittersweet.

Of course A was giddy.  Her tooth came out in art class.  What did you do, I asked her.  “I raised my hand,” she said, beaming.  The teacher told her to “wait a minute,” and then she got to go to the office.  From the health room, they got a pill bottle (???) and put her tooth in it.  She washed her hands and went back to class.  “Everyone wanted to see it!” she gushed.

I was very proud of A for being such a big girl, and – thinking back to my elementary school days – I can only imagine how *cool* it must have been for her to experience losing a tooth at school.  We celebrated on Saturday with a new bead for her bracelet and an ice cream cone at the Dairy Queen (a very rare treat). 

She even managed to tear into the cone with her snaggle teeth!

Lots of smiles surround this little milestone (some of them more crooked than others), but I can’t think too hard about it.  Loosing teeth is a sure sign of growing up…and handling it without your mommy there seems even more momentous.

Sniff, sniff!!!

UNO!

The girls got the game UNO Moo for their third birthday (I think).  We’ve played off and on, even relatively recently, and it’s a fun little game.  I’m not sure where the girls glimpsed the original UNO card game, but a couple of weeks ago, they started asking to play.

Hubby and I used to spend hours playing, keeping our point tallies and talking a big game.  We were pretty excited to think about the girls joining in the fun.

We played our first game last Thursday, the evening before we left for our little getaway.  Baby A teamed up with me, and B with Hubby.  The girls were mesmerized!  And they were giggling all the while.  I knew they had fun, but I wasn’t certain how much of the game they got.

On Friday, the girls asked to take the UNO cards to St. Louis.  When we got to the hotel, it was the first thing they asked for!

We didn’t find time to play UNO in St. Louis, but Monday when I got home from work, the girls were READY.  “Sissy and I are going to play you and Daddy,” they both insisted.

I really didn’t know how well the girls understood the game, but they were so excited to play, we let them roll with it.

I could.not.believe that the girls BEAT US in their inaugural game!!!!!

The past two nights, the girls and I have played after supper.  They team up against me.  Last night, they won two games to one, and tonight I pulled out the victory.

I love seeing how much fun the girls are having!  I love seeing them conspire together to plot their strategy!  And I love all the big-kid fun I’m having, too!

Tender Hearts and the Big Screen

For Valentine’s Day, we took the girls to their first movie.  I’d seen the previews for Paddington, and I thought it looked sweet and funny.  I checked with a couple of friends who’d seen it, and they said it was very benign.  Their kiddos loved it.

The girls were excited to go.  We saw a “movie” at the planetarium a few months ago, and they have been talking about it since.  I prepped them as best I could, telling them how big the screen would be (“As big as the WALL???” Baby A kept asking), and that it would be dark during the movie.  They were set.

The movie began sweetly, but it was no time until there was a devastating earthquake.  Baby B hid her head, and Baby A started to cry.  Baby B remained tentative throughout the movie, and A cried off and on for the next 90 minutes.

My A was upset that the father of the family didn’t take kindly to having a bear in the house.  She was terrified of the villain in the film, the taxidermist who kept trying to steal Paddington from the family.  (Yes, a taxidermist.  Why I didn’t read about this and consider it might present a struggle, I don’t know.)

Baby B sat in my lap, and A sat by her daddy.  He kept hugging her, reassuring her.  A couple of times I tried to get his attention to see if he thought we should leave.  I had mixed emotions, for sure…it was torturous seeing A upset…but I thought it might be helpful for her to see the story through to witness the conflict resolution.

The movie had a happy ending, of course.  Walking out of the theater, Baby A said, “I liked the end, Mommy.”  She loved seeing the last couple of minutes, the family playing in the snow with Paddington.  And we talked a lot about the movie the rest of the day, confirming the girls’ understanding of certain parts, and trying to put them in context.

I don’t think the girls are scarred from the film, but I don’t think we’ll be making it back to the movies very soon.  Baby A has only seen a few movies (including Curious George and Milo and Otis), and she’s found both of those to be too intense, or “scary”, as she calls them.

Certainly I hate to see my babies in distress, but I so loves their precious, tender hearts.  I do hope they’re able to enjoy a good movie one day, but I hope that dear part of them never, ever fades.  

Strides in Reading!

I don't precisely remember learning to read.

I remember not being able to read, and I remember an adult saying, "You can't even read that?"  (I was FIVE!)

I remember learning certain letter combinations in first grade.  And I remember being incredibly proud for sounding out and spelling the word "clown" for one of my classmates.

Everything turned out OK for me in the end.  ;)  I was a big reader throughout my growing up years, and -- as I discovered during the girls' infancy -- I just don't feel like "me" if I don't have at least one book on my nightstand.

My girls are reading.  They have been reading since shortly after school started.  And it's such an awesome thing.

Tonight, though, I saw my Baby A read completely new text with such incredible ease.  She needed a tiny bit of help on a couple of words, but she was otherwise reading so fluently!

It was beautiful to watch...and beautiful to see how PROUD she is of herself, too!

No flash = blurry picture...but look at that JOY!!!

For the first time, she brought home a chapter book for homework.  The teacher sent a note that this book was to replace the weekly book she read TWICE last night.  "She's flying!" the note said.

She instructed A to read one chapter a night.

Baby A read her chapter to Daddy after school.  Before bed, she asked if she could read another chapter to me.  And she was pretty disappointed I wouldn't let her read a third chapter after that...but it was already past her bedtime.

My Dearest Baby A,

May this be the first of many decades to come of you wanting to stay up past your bedtime reading.

With love and hugs, 

Mommy

Happy SIXTH Birthday to My [ALWAYS] Baby Girls!!!

Monday, my girls turned six years old.  SIX!!!

I’m coming to terms with them being BIG KIDS.  They…

·         Love to draw

·         Love to craft

·         Enjoy math challenges

·         Write the sweetest notes

·         Read pretty proficiently

·         Make their beds (sometimes)

·         Rinse their own hair in the shower (no easy task)

·         Eat (most of the time) without getting food on their clothes

·         Sit on their bottoms and are tall enough to reach the table

·         (Usually) like to help unload the dishwasher, and they know where almost everything goes

·         (Usually) like to help with laundry…they can set the washer and dryer themselves!

·         Buckle and unbuckle themselves in the car

·         Complete all zippers and buttons without help

·         Can tie a bow

·         Know the way to most places we go in town

·         Are excellent travelers

·         Can recite all our address and all our phone numbers, including the phone numbers of some family members

·         Can put their own hair in a ponytail (Baby B can, anyway)

·         Know far more about an iPad than I do

·         Ride bikes (with training wheels)

·         Hula-hoop

·         LOVE our kitties

I could go on and on.  They are smart, and sweet, and kind, and thoughtful.  As they are growing into such amazing young ladies, I am so thankful they still…

·         Love to snuggle with their Mommy and Daddy

·         Love to sit in my lap

·         Squeal with delight at tickles

·         Can’t resist a good strawberry kiss on their bellies

·         Love to be read to

·         Let me carry them to bed at night

·         Delight in talking to Mommy on the phone

·         Are so affectionate with their hugs and kisses

·         Talk about when they grow up, and their “house” plans always include each other and Mommy and Daddy

·         Play with their baby dolls

·         Create amazing pretend scenarios, often involving “vet” or “store” or “train”

They are the most precious BABY girls…always will be…at SIX or SIXTY.

The Reading Bug

The reading bug is a real thing…and my Baby A has got it!

Hallelujah!!!

As I’ve written before, the girls have had really solid pre-reading skills for a long, long time now.  I’d count at least two years that I expected them to start reading any day.  I never really pushed them, figuring it would happen when they were ready.  I thought that once they started, they’d just take off, and it sure feels like that’s what my A is doing.

She wants to read EVERYTHING now!

Last night, I was amazed as she made her way pretty proficiently through a huge stack of early reader cards.  She just kept plugging away!

And then before bed, she wanted to read a book.  She picked “The Very Grouchy Ladybug”, which is not exactly an easy reader.  With very little help, she got through the first several pages before it was time for bed.  She BEGGED to read more, but it was time to go upstairs.

It’s a little hard for me to tell exactly where Baby B is on the curve.  She hasn’t proactively sat down to read something with the same gusto as her sister, but she was helping A fill in the blanks in her book last night.  How cute it was to see them playing off each other.

How happy I am to see those synapses firing away.  I hope it’s the start of a long and storied love affair with reading!

First Day of Kindergarten!!

Wednesday was the girls' first day of kindergarten!  It was really hard for this mama to believe...and even harder for me to swallow...but I focused on the girls' excitement for their next big adventure.

I decided to spare the girls an early-morning photo shoot.  Baby B was raring to go when I woke them up at 6:20...but A, despite being reminded it was the First Day of School!!!...pulled the covers over her head and said, "NOOOO!"

I enticed her out of bed with the promise of crab quiche waiting for her...one of her favorites.

B downed her plate, but A didn't eat her usual portion.  I think 6:20 is just early for my baby girl!

After breakfast, both girls galloped upstairs to brush their teeth and get dressed.  There was a small amount of coaxing, as these are new shirts (ones I bought a couple of years ago on clearance, the girls have been begging to wear them!).  They have a different neckline than what the girls are accustomed to, and A wasn't quite feeling it.  We finally moved past that, and everyone was ready for hair.  They both chose braided pigtails (much to Mommy's delight).

And then we headed to the front porch for a little photo shoot.

They loved the sign I made them!

After pictures, we were off!

We got to school at 7:30, thinking that the first day would be kinda nutty.  It was anything but...I actually questioned myself if it was, indeed, Wednesday.  The parking lot was almost empty!  We were one of the first families to walk into school that day.

The girls were SUPER excited to put on their new backpacks.  I didn't even have to beg for this picture!

And there they went...

(Of course I was following closely behind...I wasn't going to miss walking my babies into school that first day!)

We had to wait for a few minutes for the classrooms to open.  The girls were pretty quiet in the foyer of the school.  I'm sure there were a lot of things going through their little minds!

When we got to their hallway, though, they relaxed a bit.  Here are their pictures in front of their classrooms.

Love the look of anticipation on A's face!

My big girl B!

B gave me a quick hug, and filed into her classroom.  Next door, A gave me a quick hug, and she was gone, ever-so-slightly more tentatively, too.

When I got to school to pick them up that afternoon, the car line was already quite long.  I waited, watching intently to see if I could catch a glimpse of them walking outside to the pick-up area.  I didn't see the girls...but I did see Hubby!  What a surprise it was for all of us!

He managed to get away from his school a bit early, and he headed over to see the girls.  The three of them had to wait until I pulled around, but he was able to walk them to the car.  Baby B had a smile on her face, but A was a little bit overwhelmed, I think.  She wasn't upset, but I know she missed her mommy.

Both girls were EX-HAUS-TED that afternoon.  Still, they loved their strawberry smoothie I made as a special snack.  For supper, I made split pea soup, and A said, "Oh, this is very special, too!"  Hahaha!

The girls told us all about their first day.  A's favorite part was getting to draw a farm during centers.  B's favorite part was watching a cartoon of a pig trying to climb a refrigerator (?).

The girls had two recess sessions that day, but they didn't get to see each other.  They saw each other in the lunchroom, but only from afar.  (They told that matter-of-factly, but I think everyone will be happy when their regular schedule kicks in on Monday and they are together for reading and math.)

I am very thankful that the girls had a great first day (and so far, a great first week).  They are super-pooped, though...I know everyone is thankful this first week is a short one.  Welcome the Weekend!!!