When They Need Each Other...

I think of our girls as so independent.

Sure, they're usually together.  And they often dress in coordinating clothes ('cause it's easier for me!)...and they'll occasionally want to match.

But developmentally?  Psychologically?  They seem to be very confident in themselves.  They're two little people, orbiting in close proximity, but usually very much doing their own things.

I guess that's why it feels extra sweet to nab the occasional picture of my girls, clearly comforted by being together.

I took this at their open house, two days before school started.  Hubby couldn't come with us (as he was at his own open house across town).  While I waited in line to get our car tags for the pickup line, I told the girls to wait in the line to get their tickets for the popsicle stand.  I could see them at all times...in their school gym...but they were still apprehensive to wait in a line themselves and ask for something of an adult, without me being right there.

I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures as they inched closer to the front of the line, clearly a bit nervous at the prospect ahead of them.

My sweet girls!!!  I am so incredibly grateful for them...and for the fact that they have each other!!!

Saturday Night, Seven Years Ago

Last night was graduation at Hubby’s high school.  He left shortly before supper, his faculty gown in hand.  The girls ooh’ed and ahh’ed over it, gave him a kiss, and we set about our evening.

We’d had a big lunch, and – since it was just the three of us – I decided to do a scaled-down supper.  The girls were tickled over a peanut butter and banana sandwich, and we enjoyed a cookie that B and I made earlier in the day.

After supper we read some books, and A helped me with a few chores.  B got in on the chore action just before bedtime.  The girls donned their pajamas and I brushed their teeth.  As a reward for their help, I read them a full chapter in our latest Little House on the Prairie series. 

The girls hopped into bed and I kissed them goodnight.  We did a couple of rounds of extra hugs, I told them I’d see them in the morning, and I headed downstairs to do a few more chores and then settle down to watch some TV and edit some pictures.

It hit me at some point what this same night was like SEVEN YEARS ago.

Hubby’s graduation was the first night that he wasn’t there to help me get the girls in bed.  I was perfectly comfortable managing the daytime routine, but by the end of the day, I was so incredibly ready for a second set of hands. 

I don’t remember the particulars, but I do remember feeling like an absolute hero for getting the girls to bed by myself.  I remember plopping down in front of the TV and indulging in an ice cream bar.  HA!

To the age-old question, “Does it get easier?” I generally don’t reply in a straightforward manner.  My answer is usually along the lines of, “It’s still hard, just in a different way.”

But this bedtime comparison reminds me, THIS is one thing that’s definitely gotten easier with time!

The Realities of Twin Parenthood: A 7-year Old's Perspective

When the girls get up in the mornings, we usually have the kitties in the basement.  Our routine is that we eat breakfast, the girls brush their teeth, and then they can go downstairs and play with the cats until about 7.

Baby A is usually the first to finish, so she usually has extra time with the fur babies.  A couple of mornings ago, she lamented:

"Mommy, I need you or Sissy to come downstairs with me to play with the boys.  It's hard when I'm down there by myself, because I can only play with one of them at a time."

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

My seven-year old just stumbled upon one of the big realities of twin parenthood.  I couldn't help but smile.

(At least the cats can feed themselves!)

Alex and Miki!

Alone in the Spotlight

The girls have been singing “It’s a Jungle Out There” for weeks…they’ve been practicing their “monkey moves”…they’ve been reciting lines that aren’t even theirs…they’ve been telling us ALL about the play at school.

This week was finally the week!  And as luck (or something) would have it, we got to attend the play TWICE.

The school divided the kiddos into two groups, one to perform on Tuesday night, and the other on Thursday night.  Being in separate classes, the girls’ performances happened to fall on different nights.

I know I could have asked their teachers to allow them to perform together…and one of their teachers eventually volunteered this as an option.  This certainly would have been more convenient, but I actually kinda like the way it worked out.

Baby A’s performance was first.  She was the most excited little monkey!!!  

How fun it was to sit back, Baby B alongside me and Hubby, to watch Baby A do her thing.

Baby B’s performance was tonight.  Baby A was a little wistful that she didn’t get to wear her monkey hat, but I reminded her it was her turn to observe.

This was a rare opportunity for the girls to have the spotlight to themselves, and for one to sit back and take it all in.  (And the play was so stinkin’ adorable and the songs were so catchy, it really was fun to see it twice.)

Baby B enjoyed an extra-special something at the end of the night.  I could see her on the final song, doing the motions, but not actually singing.  That’s very unlike her…and when we got to her classroom after the play, I saw why.

B lost her first front tooth!!!

Now a snaggle-toothed monkey, B was even more ecstatic.  (I wouldn’t have thought that possible!)

I was so proud of my girlies, and what a treat it was to appreciate them in their own spotlights.

Hugs before B's play.  LOVE.

Fill 'Er Up.

I was lucky to be able to pick the girls up from school today.  As we were driving to meet Daddy for a special afternoon snack, Baby B was bouncing all around in her car seat.  I asked her why she was so happy.

"I asked Sissy at school today if she was my best friend, and she said yes!"

Cue a big smile from Baby A.

"And [A], is Sissy your best friend?" I asked.

Cue Baby A bouncing all around in her car seat.

{L.O.V.E.}

We talked a little bit about friends and best friends and how A and B will always have each other.  "Because we were born together!" B said.

Yep.

And that fills this mama's heart right up.

Sister Show

When I got home from work today, the girls immediately presented me with a “program”, one that outlined the “show” they’d been working on to present to Daddy and me. 

Sleenky and Sisters.

We are going to do sleenky tricks and how we like being sisters.

They were SO excited.  There was lots of whispering and planning leading up to the big event.  After supper, as promised, they escorted us upstairs, where they’d lined two chairs with blankets for us to sit on.  They “hid” behind a pile of pillows, and then began their show.

First up, there were sleenky [i.e. "slinky"] tricks.  They illustrated how they could move the slinky from hand to hand.  Then The Amazing Baby A illustrated how she could build a tall tower of blocks.  And The Incredible Baby B showed how she could force two magnets together.

There was a robot demonstration, which consisted of the girls running around “like robots”, having their batteries run down, and then recharging themselves by the wall.

My favorite part was the “sister show”.  Each baby held one end of the slinky, and they coordinated to move it from hand to hand.  Then they bicycled their legs.  And then – upon my suggestion – they tried singing the A-B-C song alternating letters.  (That didn’t work out perfectly, but they had fun!)

The show ended with a grand finale, catapulting the slinky down the stairs.

How incredibly heartwarming it was to see the girls working together, professing their sisterhood.  And how sweet it was to see their first “show”…which reminded me of the many, many “shows” I put on by myself, and certainly any time I had a friend over, when I was a little girl.

What a great gift to come home to!!!

A Singular Party Invitation and a Case of Mistaken Identity

Wow…that’s a title straight out of a mystery book, huh?  The story I’m about to recount wasn’t a mystery, exactly, but it’s a milestone of sorts that I don’t want to forget.

This spring, Baby A got an invitation to her friend R’s party.  R and A were in the same class.  While Baby B knew R, they didn’t share classes together.  B was not invited.  Baby A wanted to go, and B was tearful.  “That’s not fair, Mommy!  I want to go!”  Hubby weighed in on the situation, saying I should call R’s mom and ask if B could come.

Having read about this conundrum from other twin mamas, I had decided I wouldn’t take that approach.  I’m certain R’s mom would have been fine to add B to the invite list, but I wanted A to have her special time with her friend.  B quickly conceded when I told her she could do something super-special with Daddy while A and I went to the party.

A week or so ago, an invitation came in the mail for B.  Baby A had a moment of sadness when she realized she wasn’t invited, but I reminded her of R’s party…and the super-special time she’d have with Daddy.

The girls have gotten a little wistful when one got to pick out a gift and the other didn’t get to weigh in.  And the goody bag given at both parties caused the non-party-goer to be maybe a tiny bit jealous.  But two parties down (one for each kiddo, THANK GOODNESS!!!), and I feel like this is the right approach for us.

At the party I attended with B, there was another funny twist.  The kindergarten classes weren’t aligned in a straightforward fashion.  There were homerooms, and then kids could have different teachers for reading and/or math.  Baby A is friends with K, from her homeroom class.  Baby B didn’t have classes with K.  But when we got to the party, we saw K (who I’m guessing had reading or math with the birthday girl).  [Clear as mud, right???]

I know K’s dad from seeing him at other events, so I started chatting with him.  We were probably 45 minutes into the party when he said, “Wait……..do you have twins???”  Yes, I told him.  That’s B, and A is at home.

“And A was in K’s class, right???”  Yes.  I pulled out a picture to show him the girls together.

“OHHHH!!!” he exclaimed.  “I wondered why B wasn’t talking more with K!  K and A are usually so chatty!”

Hahahaha!!!  It hadn’t even occurred to me to mention the difference to him.  Our first case of “mistaken identity” (which I didn’t know to expect with my fraternal girlies), in the books!

(And if I thought Baby A was wistful at not going to the party, hearing her friend K was there was really tough for A to swallow.  I’ve gotta plan a playdate to catch up with K.  The girls will both enjoy it…and maybe K’s parents will recognize firsthand we have two kiddos.  HA!)

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.

Super Stuff in St. Louis!

The girls and hubby were out of school last week for spring break.  I took off on Thursday and Friday, and we enjoyed a short getaway to St. Louis.

We had a great time taking in the arch, the zoo – including the sea lion show – and plenty of green areas in downtown.  We ate some yummy food, and talked to some interesting people.  And we even got to meet a longtime bloggy friend in person, which made my heart smile.

At the zoo!

It was a wonderful, MUCH-needed break.  The sights and sounds were fantastic…but some of the best memories come outta the mouths of my sweet babes.

At supper on Friday night, we found ourselves in a family-style diner (I guess you’d call it) right downtown.  I was thinking about a burger, but the server really bragged about their pasta.  I ordered the girls a pasta dish with mushrooms and spinach, and when it came, I thought it looked delicious.  Apparently, B wasn’t quite as convinced.  She took her first bite, though, and immediately declared, “This tastes a lot better than it looks.”  HAHAHAHA!!!  It was a compliment in her book, but I'm not sure the chef would have thought so.

Daddy and the girls at dinner.

The next morning, we found an excellent place for breakfast (Rooster).  They serve a great menu of unique dishes using locally sourced ingredients…just our kind of place.  I ordered the girls a big breakfast platter to share.  B, who was sitting next to me, really liked the potatoes.  She addressed her daddy, who was sitting across the table from her, next to A, “Daddy, you really have to try some of Sissy’s potatoes!”  HA!  I thought it was too funny that she volunteered her sister to share!

Daddy and B traversing a downtown fountain.

On Saturday afternoon, I really wanted a coffee from the Starbucks in our hotel.  Baby A waited in the lobby with her daddy, and B went inside with me.  While we waited on my coffee, I encouraged B to stand by the window.  “Wave to the people on the sidewalk,” I told her.  She did, and so enthusiastically!  It was so much fun to see people walking by, getting a kick out of her big smile and voracious waves.

Baby A was fascinated with the arch, and the zoo, and the view of the Mississippi river from our hotel room.  Just as fascinating, though, was the construction going on next to our hotel.  On Sunday morning she exclaimed, “Look!  Yesterday that was flat, and today there are big huge piles of dirt!”  HA!

Baby A, looking out the window at the construction.

Baby A, true to herself, found any opportunity to RUN.  Just like in Central Park in NYC, I loved seeing this kiddo take off in the open field beneath the arch.  It’s amazing to watch her, no matter where we are…but doubly incredible to see her doing her thing in such a picturesque setting!!!

Playing tag on a random patch of grass.

The girls shared a full-size bed in the hotel…for the first time, sleeping in the “normal” direction, as opposed to perpendicular to the rest of us.  Baby A slept closest to me, and I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw her hop out of the bed one morning.  She is such a big girl!!!  It seems like just last year I was having to give the girls a boost into a bed like that!!!

And we had quite a few “twin” moments.  It probably happened at least 10 times, when people came over, out of their way, to ask if the girls were twins.  I know this is an annoyance to many twin mamas…but I’m savoring these inquiries.  I know they won’t last forever, and I love the opportunity to brag about my babies!

So very thankful for the {expected} super stuff of a getaway...and the wonderful {unexpected} surprises.

My heart is full!!!

Sisters Helping Each Other

Since they started school, our girls don't seem to be in lock-step with each other the way they've always been.

That's a topic for another (long and arduous) post, but my heart was so warmed to see two unprompted acts of togetherness this weekend.

On Sunday morning, the girls and I went for a bike ride.  (Meaning, they rode and I jogged along beside/behind/and sometimes in front.)  They've only ridden a handful of times in the past 6 months, and I can tell their stamina isn't what it was this summer.

As we turned around at the bottom of a street and prepared to head back home, Baby A was in the lead.  With some cheerleading from me, she made it up the small hill.  B was considerably behind us.  I told A to wait in a driveway, and I called to B, encouraging her to join us.  She got on her way...but stopped short, about halfway up the little hill.

"I'll come push you," I told her.  "No, I will!" my A volunteered.  She went galloping over to B and ran behind her up the hill.  Baby A had the biggest smile on her face, and B giggled all the way.  (And this mama was beaming.)

Sunday afternoon, we decided to treat ourselves to ice cream.  It was a GORGEOUS day...particularly considering we'd been playing in the SNOW not 10 days prior...and it felt great to be outside.

Baby B chose Chocolate Almond Coconut (just like Mommy), and A chose Oreo Cheesecake.  The girls hardly sat down before they were feeding each other bites.  "Do you want to try mine, Sissy?"  "Yes!  Then do you want to try mine?"

These little displays did my heart so much good!  (And I'm writing them down to refer to them when the going [inevitably?] gets tough between my two little angels.)

Things I'm Loving This Week

1)      GG visited us last week.  I love seeing how much the girls adore her, and her, the girls.

2)      I [finally!] bought the first “Little House on the Prairie” book for the girls.  They are in love!  We’ve read about 1/3 of the book already, in just two days.  Sweet memories from my childhood!

3)      One afternoon last week, when GG was here, the girls needed some down time.  I asked if they wanted to watch an episode of “Too Cute” on Animal Planet.  Baby A jumped into the corner of the couch, and invited B to sit in her lap.  Then B said, “Hold me, Sissy.”  They snuggled like this for an hour!

4)      We delivered GG to Nashville yesterday, to meet Uncle Tommy and Aunt Janet for her trip home.  On the car ride down, with five of us in the car, I sat between the girls’ car seats.  That little space is not really fit for a human, I now know.  I sat tall and straight and tried to keep my eyes closed most of the way, willing myself not to get car sick.  I may not have felt very well, but I had the sweetest company.  The girls kept stroking my arms with their sweet, tiny hands.  Sometimes we held hands, and they would kiss my fingers.  “I love you, Mommy,” they alternately whispered.  I could endure the torture of that seat again and again for those sweet nothings.

5)      During lunch with the family, Baby A asked me, “Do you think it’s OK if I sit in Uncle Tommy’s lap?”  Of course it was…he loved nothing more.  I watched the light in A’s eyes as she hung on his every word.

6)      After we ate lunch, I spied a big sale at one of my favorite shops.  B didn’t want to go (and Daddy certainly did not), but A did.  While Daddy and B drove around for a few minutes, Baby A helped me shop.  She was a great assistant!  She held the blouses I picked out, and as I tried them on, she kept saying, “What do you think about it so far?”…before I would even have it all the way on.  HA!

7)      This morning, the girls called me to take their picture.  “Come see, Mommy!  We’re two peas in a pod!”

I'm loving it!

Super Stuff on a Sunday!

It’s been another busy week of school and new house stuff, but thank goodness there’s been a lot of SUPER to see us through!

1)      One day after supper, A told me, “I have a homemade tooth.”  I didn’t understand, so I asked her what she meant.  “I like everything you make, Mommy.”  I finally put that together with my explanation of Daddy’s “sweet tooth” a few days prior.  Hahaha!

2)      The girls wanted to help me make supper last week.  I had plans to make fajitas, so I asked if they wanted to peel the onions.  They got all the skins off, and then after I cut the onion into slices, they separated all the slices into individual pieces.  They were so proud at what they’d done…although it made poor A cry and she didn’t understand why.  Bless her heart!

3)      I have a habit of calling the girls “tiny”…as in, “You’re my sweetest tiny,” or, “You’re my tiny baby girl.”  The girls know that, even after they’re grown, they’ll always be my tiny babies, and they like to reassure themselves (and me!) of that.  Often, in response to, “You’re my tiny baby,” my Baby A will say, “And you’re my tiny mommy,” in the sweetest little voice.  Melt.

4)      While we were visiting the new house, we decided to take our first walk in the new neighborhood.  I cannot wait to explore all the new spaces...together with the girls!

5)      Last weekend we went out for breakfast, and we decided to try Panera.  Panera is our go-to for coffee and a mid-morning snack, and occasionally for lunch, but we’d never taken the girls there for a full breakfast meal.  It was such a nice, peaceful time, and it was pretty sweet to remember that Hubby and I used to enjoy breakfast there from time to time…long before the girls were born.

6)      Daddy loves to practice numbers with the girls…these days, that’s usually writing a big number and having them say it correctly.  It was so cool to hear the girls practicing themselves one evening after supper.  They were bent over a 300+ page story book, calling out the page numbers for the various stories.

7)      The girls were really focused on maps for a couple of days this week.  I heard them looking at one of the world maps we have, pointing things out to each other.  “That’s an island,” and, “Those are in different time zones.”  Hee hee!

8)      One morning before breakfast, I complimented the girls on how incredibly nicely they were playing together.  I reminded the girls how blessed they are to have each other.  “You know Mommy didn’t have a sissy to play with when she was a little girl.”  My A piped in immediately, “But you do now!”  Yes, I do...two, in fact.  And I'm so thankful they share each other with their mommy!

9)      The girls were in a disagreement over something play-related, and I heard B tell A in a very calm, yet firm, voice, "Sissy, this is my decision." Hee hee!

10)   The girls were talking about how thing will be when they grow up. My A said she would have twins "...but I'll just keep one and give the other one to Sissy." Bwahahaha!

11)   The girls were working on some sort of mystery "collages" at the table. I heard B say to A, "I'm going to line these pieces up with the cardinal directions." Hee hee! Apparently even an artist should be organized. (And she might just get that from her mama!)

12)   I love four-year old mispronunciations...B accidentally said "puffet" for "puppet", to a chorus of giggles. And A apparently combined "colander" and "pollen" to get "pollander".

13)   "Mommy! That man on the motorcycle is almost naked!" "And that's not safe!" It was just a guy with no helmet and a very sparse tank top, but you'd better believe it made me pause, though!

14)   My A wanted to play with a particular toy by herself, so she declared she was going into the living room. Not 10 seconds later, B whined, "Mommy! I'm lonely by myself in the den!" Twin sisters...can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

15)   On Friday we met our friends A&E at Jackson’s Orchard.  It was a HOT day, but it was so sweet to see our little ladies playing together.  For some reason, my A&B were feeling a little shy, but A&E invited them to play right away, and by the end of the morning, they were all holding hands.  So sweet!  And to top it off, we all went to lunch together…all four girls did a great job, and the parents actually logged some semi-coherent conversation!

All four kiddos, going down the big slide, almost at the same time!

So thankful for lots of SUPER!

Super Stuff!

This was the girls’ first week of four-year old preschool.  Between that and lots of house stuff going on, it’s been a busy one!  Still, I’m so thankful for lots of SUPER stuff to cite!

1)      I loved seeing how giddy the girls were to get their backpacks and lunch boxes ready for school on Monday.  They had to practice opening and closing every little pocket and zipper, and then they had to parade around the house in full gear.  I remember being so proud of getting a new lunch box when I was a little girl…it’s just crazy that I now have my own excitable pair!

2)      As the girls were getting dressed for their first day of preschool on Tuesday, my sweet B said, "Mommy, can we wear the same thing today so people will know we go together?"

3)      I think it was Baby A who started this a few weeks ago, and it’s now become part of our nighttime routine.  The girls take turns choosing a bedtime story each night.  These days, the trick is to hide the book before Mommy and Sissy get back to the bedroom.  Daddy is usually the accomplice, although so far, the book has been hidden in only a couple of places.  It’s so much fun to watch the girls try to “trick” Mommy.

4)      Daddy has been trying to teach the girls the “slap hands” game (I don’t know the name of it…where you try to trick your opponent into pulling her hands back before they get slapped).  The girls are heee-larious!!!  They get the concept of the game, but their reflexes are pretty slow.  Baby A will say, “Mommy, I want you to pull your hands back verrrrry sloooooowly towards your body.”  HA! 

5)      Baby B’s pronunciation is typically very good, and I think she used to say the word “normally” correctly.  She’s turned it into an exaggerated “NERmally”, though, and it never fails to crack me up.

6)      Baby A was looking at a picture from her first birthday party, the girls with their smash cakes. "Mommy, I'd like a whole cake again sometime, OK?"  She is her father’s daughter!

7)      I haven’t written much about it…because I still don’t quite want to believe it’s true…but the girls haven’t been napping over the past month.  But this week – once for Baby B and twice for Baby A – the girls ASKED to nap!  Bliss!  And of course we had to celebrate the double nap with ICE CREAM!

8)      I feel kinda silly admitting I’ve never made a smoothie.  I almost think I’ve never had a smoothie, come to think of it.  The girls got cookbooks for Christmas, and they oogle them from time to time.  As a special treat on the first day of school, I had them pull out their book and find the smoothie recipe.  They helped me make a strawberry-banana smoothie (mixed with vanilla yogurt).  They thought it was the best treat ever!

9)      I took the girls to the yogurt shop one afternoon, and I couldn’t help but sing along to some of the songs they were playing.  A John Mayer tune came on, and I told the girls he is one of the best guitar players in the world.  My A contributed to the conversation, very nonchalantly, "Elton John is one of the best singers."  And then B piped in, "Sissy, it's SIR Elton John."

10)   Few things make me happier than seeing one of my girls walk by the other and plant a sweet kiss on the top of her head or her cheek. (Of course those kisses occasionally evolve into hugs...then tumbles...then brawls...but the initial contact is so very precious.)

11)   The girls were playing one morning with a set of color-coded stacking miniature chairs. Baby A came barreling into the kitchen with a wild look in her eyes, "Mommy! Three six's is 18!" I love seeing the wheels turning in their little minds!

12)   When I walked in their room one morning, B greeted me with the Beatles' "Yesterday." Together, we segued into "Here Comes the Sun"...until Baby A rolled over and growled, "STOP THE SONGS!!!" They're a bit different in the mornings.

So thankful for the SUPER in our week!