I’ve never exactly been the target audience for Marie Claire magazine. I describe it as very “Sex in the City,” and I don’t live in The City, among other things…
Nonetheless, I’ve been a loyal subscriber for close to 10 years.
I’ve never owned a pair of Louboutins, or paid more than $100 for a handbag, but the fashion and the photography is still interesting to me. I have been introduced to several new artists and authors from their “Must Do” lists, including Amos Lee, and that alone justifies the subscription fees I paid over the years. And I always appreciate the focus on women’s issues, particularly around the world.
My subscription is up for renewal, though, and I’ve been dragging my feet in writing the check. I have more magazines coming each month than I can feasibly read, and should this one continue to make the list?
Last Thursday was a cold and dreary day. The rain set in early and continued all day without a break. Hubby wasn’t going to be home in time to eat supper with us, much less give me a break from the daytime routine. I had staged more picnics, constructed more puzzles, sang more songs, and read more books than I could count that day.
I.could.not.do.it.anymore.
Digging deep for inspiration, I wondered if the girls would be interested in leafing through a magazine with me. Marie Claire was on the top of the heap. The three of us snuggled up together in front of the rain soaked window, the girls eager for something new.
I opened the magazine and began pointing out things of interest…
…purse…umbrella…shoes…hairbow…purse…scarf…purse…shoes…puppy doggy (at last! in a preppy ad also featuring a golf cart)…purse…shoes…flowers…purse…um, oops, let’s turn the page…purse…shoes…not sure what that is…hey, another purse!
The girls were very interested in the new material…they, too, were probably enthralled by looking at something other than zoo animals by that point in the day.
But the experience left me a little “empty”.
Three hundred pages, 247 purses, 189 pairs of shoes, a lot of crazy hair and makeup, and one lone puppy doggy.
I know I’ll miss reading about some of the women’s issues…and I’ll definitely miss the feeling of “sophistication” when that artsy cover arrived in my mailbox each month…
…but for this stage in my life, I think magazines like Redbook, Good Housekeeping, and Parents are more suited to me.
So Marie, it’s not you, it’s me. Keep on keepin’ on, though…with your purses and your shoes and your relative lack of puppy dogs.
Maybe I’ll be back one day, to check out the latest handbags – when I’m no longer toting a ginormous diaper bag – and get some recommendations on new music to explore – when I have time to listen to music, that is.
It seems every day with twins is a mix of trials and triumphs. Certainly the triumphs...the joy, the smiles, and the laughter...far outweigh the trials. And another thing that's for certain is that it's ALWAYS interesting.
February 28, 2011
February 27, 2011
These are a Few of Our Favorite Books...
The Question of the Week on Multiples and More is about your children’s favorite books.
I’ve blogged several times about the evolution of our bookshelf…I’ve learned that what holds the girls’ attention definitely changes over time...and sometimes it takes some experimentation to figure out what volumes to dust off next.
When the girls were infants, for example, they sat through at least a couple of John Grisham books – anything to fill the hours of “awake time” every day.
And then at some point I found myself buying time with Cheerios while the girls sat in their highchairs and I read the likes of Alice in Wonderland.
During the girls’ entire first year, and through the first couple of months of their second year, my reading fell on seemingly deaf ears. I persevered, hoping that hearing my animated voice, at least on some level, was beneficial for the girls.
It was such a feeling of joy when I finally discovered the girls loved picture books, when they were 13 or 14 months old. That was about the time that they really started adding to their vocabulary of baby sign language. And although I wouldn’t call it “reading” per se, they loved to look through books and point out different animals and objects.
Over a period of three or four months, it was so amazing when those picture books very gradually turned into short stories. At last, we were really “reading” again…and this time, the girls actually seemed to be following me…without being tied down and bribed with breakfast cereal!
These days, the girls’ attention spans continue to increase (relatively speaking, and if I time it right!). We still scan through some books quickly, looking at pictures, but more and more they’re content to listen to longer story lines. I’m loving it!
Curious George is a huge favorite with the girls right now. We have two big compilations of adventures, each with eight or 10 stories, and they also have several small board books.
The girls also love Mother Goose rhymes. With very little prompting, they can probably recite 10 or 12 already!
We also enjoy our fair share of alphabet books. I know it’s just memorization at this point, but the girls can name at least five words that start with every letter of the alphabet (although sometimes I have to break into my sing-song animated voice to prompt them, “Big O, little o, what begins with O?” …and they sometimes confuse owls with ostriches, but I think they’ll figure it out in due time).
At bedtime, we have a handful of favorites that we cycle through each week…Guess How Much I Love You, Have You Seen My Purr?, Love Is a Handful of Honey, Bunny’s Noisy Book. There are many nights when the girls seem to love the familiar cadence, knowing every word on the page. Other nights, when they’re a bit more restless, I can challenge them to find something new on every page, and we can usually spot a grasshopper or mushroom or something we haven’t discussed before.
I still have all my books from when I was a child. I’ve shared them only sparingly over the past year, though, since the girls can reach out and touch as quick as lightning strikes.
I am looking forward to sharing more of the same stories my mom read me – especially the Raggedy Ann and Andy series, and the many adventures of Uncle Wiggly, which really stand out in my childhood memory bank.
I’m trying to be patient, though, both for the girls’ attention spans to increase, as well as for those roving hands to stay more securely tucked in their laps.
I’ve blogged several times about the evolution of our bookshelf…I’ve learned that what holds the girls’ attention definitely changes over time...and sometimes it takes some experimentation to figure out what volumes to dust off next.
When the girls were infants, for example, they sat through at least a couple of John Grisham books – anything to fill the hours of “awake time” every day.
And then at some point I found myself buying time with Cheerios while the girls sat in their highchairs and I read the likes of Alice in Wonderland.
During the girls’ entire first year, and through the first couple of months of their second year, my reading fell on seemingly deaf ears. I persevered, hoping that hearing my animated voice, at least on some level, was beneficial for the girls.
It was such a feeling of joy when I finally discovered the girls loved picture books, when they were 13 or 14 months old. That was about the time that they really started adding to their vocabulary of baby sign language. And although I wouldn’t call it “reading” per se, they loved to look through books and point out different animals and objects.
Over a period of three or four months, it was so amazing when those picture books very gradually turned into short stories. At last, we were really “reading” again…and this time, the girls actually seemed to be following me…without being tied down and bribed with breakfast cereal!
These days, the girls’ attention spans continue to increase (relatively speaking, and if I time it right!). We still scan through some books quickly, looking at pictures, but more and more they’re content to listen to longer story lines. I’m loving it!
Curious George is a huge favorite with the girls right now. We have two big compilations of adventures, each with eight or 10 stories, and they also have several small board books.
The girls also love Mother Goose rhymes. With very little prompting, they can probably recite 10 or 12 already!
We also enjoy our fair share of alphabet books. I know it’s just memorization at this point, but the girls can name at least five words that start with every letter of the alphabet (although sometimes I have to break into my sing-song animated voice to prompt them, “Big O, little o, what begins with O?” …and they sometimes confuse owls with ostriches, but I think they’ll figure it out in due time).
At bedtime, we have a handful of favorites that we cycle through each week…Guess How Much I Love You, Have You Seen My Purr?, Love Is a Handful of Honey, Bunny’s Noisy Book. There are many nights when the girls seem to love the familiar cadence, knowing every word on the page. Other nights, when they’re a bit more restless, I can challenge them to find something new on every page, and we can usually spot a grasshopper or mushroom or something we haven’t discussed before.
I still have all my books from when I was a child. I’ve shared them only sparingly over the past year, though, since the girls can reach out and touch as quick as lightning strikes.
I am looking forward to sharing more of the same stories my mom read me – especially the Raggedy Ann and Andy series, and the many adventures of Uncle Wiggly, which really stand out in my childhood memory bank.
I’m trying to be patient, though, both for the girls’ attention spans to increase, as well as for those roving hands to stay more securely tucked in their laps.
February 26, 2011
What I Love About Blogging
Well, there are a lot of things I love about blogging, but one of best parts is definitely the awesome folks I’ve met from around the country and around the world…and the fantastic sense of community I feel among us.
There’s a blog award that’s been circulating in my little circle of blog friends. Thank you so much to THREE of my favorite bloggers for awarding it to me!
Andrea of The Mays Twins
Mandy of Hoping for Hoberts
Holly Ann of Twins Plus One, Three Times the Fun
I so appreciate these wonderful ladies thinking of me, but equally cool I think is the illustration of the community of ladies we belong to. I love connecting with and learning from new people, and I think that connection is strengthened many times over when we have common friends.
It’s just amazing to me to see people learning from each other, referencing each other’s families and taking joy in each others’ adventures. I truly feel like I’m a better mom, learning from other mothers whom I really respect…and knowing I’m not alone in this awesome challenge called Motherhood.
Here’s to many more shared adventures…and in the meantime, please feel free to talk amongst yourselves. :)
There’s a blog award that’s been circulating in my little circle of blog friends. Thank you so much to THREE of my favorite bloggers for awarding it to me!
Andrea of The Mays Twins
Mandy of Hoping for Hoberts
Holly Ann of Twins Plus One, Three Times the Fun
I so appreciate these wonderful ladies thinking of me, but equally cool I think is the illustration of the community of ladies we belong to. I love connecting with and learning from new people, and I think that connection is strengthened many times over when we have common friends.
It’s just amazing to me to see people learning from each other, referencing each other’s families and taking joy in each others’ adventures. I truly feel like I’m a better mom, learning from other mothers whom I really respect…and knowing I’m not alone in this awesome challenge called Motherhood.
Here’s to many more shared adventures…and in the meantime, please feel free to talk amongst yourselves. :)
February 25, 2011
Fab 5 Friday...and ME!
By all accounts it’s been a pretty fabulous week at A&B Enterprises…
1) We had a great family dinner out on Saturday night. It’s just so pleasant to be able to share a meal together where everyone enjoys their food and is content in their surroundings. {happy sigh}
2) While we were eating on Saturday night, a man sneezed in another part of the restaurant. Baby B said, “Bless you, somebody!”
3) The girls starting sitting on the potty (“like big girls”) this week…per their request! They haven’t produced any output yet, but they are so proud of themselves nonetheless!
4) First at Hubby’s urging, and then of their own accord throughout the day, the girls wished me “Happy Burfday” over and over on Wednesday. At one point I knelt next to Baby A and told her, “You are Mommy’s sweetest birthday present ever.” Baby B, without missing a beat, piped up, “[Baby B] sweetest birthday present, too!”
5) Just this week the girls have started to use the words “maybe” and “probably”. On Thursday morning I asked Baby A if she was going to make stinkies on the potty like a big girl. She said, matter-of-factly, “Yeah, probably.”
And what did I do for ME this week?
My birthday fell on Wednesday this year, so I have a couple of “birthday happies” planned for this weekend.
This past week, I’d have to point to the time I devoted to scrapbooking as my “me” time. I am finally caught up (relatively speaking) on a few other things on my list…AND I’m so proud to say I have organized my scrapbooking materials once and for all…so it’s been such a pleasure to spread out and construct a few pages. The only challenge is that I have to watch the clock…I could get lost in it for hours if I weren’t careful!
1) We had a great family dinner out on Saturday night. It’s just so pleasant to be able to share a meal together where everyone enjoys their food and is content in their surroundings. {happy sigh}
2) While we were eating on Saturday night, a man sneezed in another part of the restaurant. Baby B said, “Bless you, somebody!”
3) The girls starting sitting on the potty (“like big girls”) this week…per their request! They haven’t produced any output yet, but they are so proud of themselves nonetheless!
4) First at Hubby’s urging, and then of their own accord throughout the day, the girls wished me “Happy Burfday” over and over on Wednesday. At one point I knelt next to Baby A and told her, “You are Mommy’s sweetest birthday present ever.” Baby B, without missing a beat, piped up, “[Baby B] sweetest birthday present, too!”
5) Just this week the girls have started to use the words “maybe” and “probably”. On Thursday morning I asked Baby A if she was going to make stinkies on the potty like a big girl. She said, matter-of-factly, “Yeah, probably.”
And what did I do for ME this week?
My birthday fell on Wednesday this year, so I have a couple of “birthday happies” planned for this weekend.
This past week, I’d have to point to the time I devoted to scrapbooking as my “me” time. I am finally caught up (relatively speaking) on a few other things on my list…AND I’m so proud to say I have organized my scrapbooking materials once and for all…so it’s been such a pleasure to spread out and construct a few pages. The only challenge is that I have to watch the clock…I could get lost in it for hours if I weren’t careful!

Labels:
birthday,
Fab 5,
Mommy-time,
potty-training,
restaurant,
scrapbooking,
talking
February 24, 2011
Date Night Ideas
The first thing that pops into my head at the mention of “date night” is a baby sitter (or house sitter, in our case, after the girlies are in bed), wearing some grown-up clothes (i.e. changing out of my yoga pants), and a nice dinner out.
Sure, that may be an “ideal” date night, but I discovered within the last year that’s not the only way to have one.
Although we didn’t call them such at the time, Hubby and I started having date nights at home back during football season. Whereas we missed most of Alabama’s games in 2009, when the girls were infants, we were more organized this past season. We recorded the games to watch in their entirety after the girls were sleeping soundly upstairs.
Of course that meant I had to limit my online exposure during the day, lest I accidentally see a comment on Facebook that would clue me in to the outcome of the game. Oh, and if you called our house during the day, I would say, “If you know the score of the Alabama game, please don’t say anything – we’re taping it!”…before I even said “hello”.
Anyhoo, for each of the games we taped, I spent the days ahead preparing our game day feast.
Although I generally have a strong aversion to the mere mention of the word “Velveeta” (or more generically, "processed cheese spread"), I put my heebie-jeebies aside and made traditional Rotel dip, served with chips and homemade hot wings, for the season opener, for example.
One game we did a Mexican theme with 9-layer bean dip, black bean chili, and homemade guacamole. One week we opted for a more "sophisticated” menu, featuring stuffed mushrooms and bleu cheese-bacon dip.
We would dress in our crimson finest and [quietly] cheer on the Tide [albeit on a six-hour delay].
Those were fun nights…while we weren’t tailgating on the Quad and cheering on the Tide with 100,000 of our closest friends, we were still doing something we’d always loved to do. We were enjoying one of our long-favorite pastimes, and we were enjoying each other.
And as much fun as we had on those nights, another big part of the fun was the planning and the anticipation of it in the days leading up to our “date”.
I love reading about Megan’s Date Night Challenges. Taking some inspiration from her and a handful of others, here are some more at-home date night ideas that I compiled for our most recent Mothers of Multiples meeting…
• Throwback night…what did you do for fun before kiddos? New Orleans was “our place”…so we might whip up some jambalaya and some bread pudding to a soundtrack of zydeco music, and look through our picture album after dinner
• Make S’mores and set up “camp” on the living room floor.
• Create a picnic on the back porch, complete with a blanket and basket.
• Game night! Up the ante by saying the loser has to give the winner a back massage, or let him/her sleep in the following morning!
• Turn off the TV, put on some music, and linger over a candlelit dinner (even if it’s not fancy). Most of us don’t realize how quickly we have to eat most of our meals while we’re juggling the needs of our kiddos!
• Enjoy breakfast in bed (for supper). You may not be able to swing B-in-B in the mornings, but eggs and bacon and pancakes (and maybe a mimosa) taste pretty good any time of day!
• Rent a movie, pop some buttery popcorn, and indulge in your favorite movie candy.
• Set up a super-duper ice cream sundae station (and don’t forget the whipped cream!).
• Test out some aphrodisiac foods…whether they “work” or not, you can have fun trying them out!
You can even do these on a budget, too. And don’t let a $10 limit cramp your style…let it inspire you to be creative. For me, the planning (and the anticipation) is half the fun!

Sure, that may be an “ideal” date night, but I discovered within the last year that’s not the only way to have one.
Although we didn’t call them such at the time, Hubby and I started having date nights at home back during football season. Whereas we missed most of Alabama’s games in 2009, when the girls were infants, we were more organized this past season. We recorded the games to watch in their entirety after the girls were sleeping soundly upstairs.
Of course that meant I had to limit my online exposure during the day, lest I accidentally see a comment on Facebook that would clue me in to the outcome of the game. Oh, and if you called our house during the day, I would say, “If you know the score of the Alabama game, please don’t say anything – we’re taping it!”…before I even said “hello”.
Anyhoo, for each of the games we taped, I spent the days ahead preparing our game day feast.
Although I generally have a strong aversion to the mere mention of the word “Velveeta” (or more generically, "processed cheese spread"), I put my heebie-jeebies aside and made traditional Rotel dip, served with chips and homemade hot wings, for the season opener, for example.
One game we did a Mexican theme with 9-layer bean dip, black bean chili, and homemade guacamole. One week we opted for a more "sophisticated” menu, featuring stuffed mushrooms and bleu cheese-bacon dip.
We would dress in our crimson finest and [quietly] cheer on the Tide [albeit on a six-hour delay].
Those were fun nights…while we weren’t tailgating on the Quad and cheering on the Tide with 100,000 of our closest friends, we were still doing something we’d always loved to do. We were enjoying one of our long-favorite pastimes, and we were enjoying each other.
And as much fun as we had on those nights, another big part of the fun was the planning and the anticipation of it in the days leading up to our “date”.
I love reading about Megan’s Date Night Challenges. Taking some inspiration from her and a handful of others, here are some more at-home date night ideas that I compiled for our most recent Mothers of Multiples meeting…
• Throwback night…what did you do for fun before kiddos? New Orleans was “our place”…so we might whip up some jambalaya and some bread pudding to a soundtrack of zydeco music, and look through our picture album after dinner
• Make S’mores and set up “camp” on the living room floor.
• Create a picnic on the back porch, complete with a blanket and basket.
• Game night! Up the ante by saying the loser has to give the winner a back massage, or let him/her sleep in the following morning!
• Turn off the TV, put on some music, and linger over a candlelit dinner (even if it’s not fancy). Most of us don’t realize how quickly we have to eat most of our meals while we’re juggling the needs of our kiddos!
• Enjoy breakfast in bed (for supper). You may not be able to swing B-in-B in the mornings, but eggs and bacon and pancakes (and maybe a mimosa) taste pretty good any time of day!
• Rent a movie, pop some buttery popcorn, and indulge in your favorite movie candy.
• Set up a super-duper ice cream sundae station (and don’t forget the whipped cream!).
• Test out some aphrodisiac foods…whether they “work” or not, you can have fun trying them out!
You can even do these on a budget, too. And don’t let a $10 limit cramp your style…let it inspire you to be creative. For me, the planning (and the anticipation) is half the fun!

February 23, 2011
A Bit About Me, Birthday Edition
So on the 23rd day of each month I’ve been sharing a couple of random tidbits about myself…leading up to my birthday – TODAY! – on February 23rd.
I’ll go ahead and add my birthday tidbits, and then we’ll step back and see what we can surmise from the randomness…
13) My name is Mandy. It’s not short for Amanda, or Miranda…just plain, straight-up Mandy.
We had a blast…but I have to admit it was a bit awkward, too. We were the oldest folks there by probably 20 years. And while my friends had dressed in jeans, I had on dress pants, of course having no idea where the night was going!
They were playing heavy rap music at the rink. My friends kept requesting Bon Jovi for the birthday girl. C’mon…what self-respecting skating rink wouldn’t have a little JBJ, right??? Finally the DJ conceded, but he played one of the newer slow songs (“Make a Memory”). The entire floor cleared of all the youngsters, and we had the place to ourselves for five minutes. HA!
It was so much fun, but I definitely felt my age – and my responsibility level – as I kept reminding myself to be careful, knowing I couldn’t risk a broken hip!

So, in looking back over the past few months…
1) I studied Russian language in college.
2) I love measuring spoons.
3) I heart San Francisco.
4) As a child, I wanted to *be* Crystal Gayle.
5) I’ve never been to Disneyworld.
6) I spent my career in consumer packaged goods marketing.
7) I can bake a mean cookie.
8) I’m not a movie person.
9) I am a band nerd at heart.
10) I have no idea if I’m a “morning” person or a “night” person.
11) I can’t stand for my husband’s sock- and underwear drawers to be disorganized.
12) I once drove 350 miles in the middle of the night in a rental car with three complete strangers to make a business meeting the next morning.
I think there are several items that underscore my drive (or OCD, as some might call it...). And there may be a couple that suggest I appreciate the finer things in life, like measuring spoons, and homemade cookies, and the beauty of San Francisco (and admit it – Crystal Gayle’s hair!).
Happy birthday to me! I’m looking forward to spending the day with my girlies and ordering pizza (a very rare treat these days) for supper. I have a few little things to look forward to this weekend, too. Life is good!
I’ll go ahead and add my birthday tidbits, and then we’ll step back and see what we can surmise from the randomness…
13) My name is Mandy. It’s not short for Amanda, or Miranda…just plain, straight-up Mandy.
Both my parents have names that require some explanation. My mom’s name is unisex, but with a feminine spelling, which people very rarely got right. My dad goes by a derivation of his middle name, which no one would ever guess. They were bound and determined for me not to suffer the same fate, having to explain and correct folks my entire life.
But alas, I’ve always had to convince people that my name isn’t a shortened form of a longer name! Oh, well…at least they tried!
14) I love to skate. Some of my favorite birthday party memories from my childhood are from the skating rink. And last year for my birthday, a few girlfriends surprised me with a late dinner downtown…followed by skating!!!
14) I love to skate. Some of my favorite birthday party memories from my childhood are from the skating rink. And last year for my birthday, a few girlfriends surprised me with a late dinner downtown…followed by skating!!!
We had a blast…but I have to admit it was a bit awkward, too. We were the oldest folks there by probably 20 years. And while my friends had dressed in jeans, I had on dress pants, of course having no idea where the night was going!
They were playing heavy rap music at the rink. My friends kept requesting Bon Jovi for the birthday girl. C’mon…what self-respecting skating rink wouldn’t have a little JBJ, right??? Finally the DJ conceded, but he played one of the newer slow songs (“Make a Memory”). The entire floor cleared of all the youngsters, and we had the place to ourselves for five minutes. HA!
It was so much fun, but I definitely felt my age – and my responsibility level – as I kept reminding myself to be careful, knowing I couldn’t risk a broken hip!

So, in looking back over the past few months…
1) I studied Russian language in college.
2) I love measuring spoons.
3) I heart San Francisco.
4) As a child, I wanted to *be* Crystal Gayle.
5) I’ve never been to Disneyworld.
6) I spent my career in consumer packaged goods marketing.
7) I can bake a mean cookie.
8) I’m not a movie person.
9) I am a band nerd at heart.
10) I have no idea if I’m a “morning” person or a “night” person.
11) I can’t stand for my husband’s sock- and underwear drawers to be disorganized.
12) I once drove 350 miles in the middle of the night in a rental car with three complete strangers to make a business meeting the next morning.
I think there are several items that underscore my drive (or OCD, as some might call it...). And there may be a couple that suggest I appreciate the finer things in life, like measuring spoons, and homemade cookies, and the beauty of San Francisco (and admit it – Crystal Gayle’s hair!).
Happy birthday to me! I’m looking forward to spending the day with my girlies and ordering pizza (a very rare treat these days) for supper. I have a few little things to look forward to this weekend, too. Life is good!
February 22, 2011
When You're Older...
It’s no secret that I have the Gift of Gab, and I put that "gift" to full use when I interact with the girls.
When they were infants, I used to narrate to them all the time. I swear I gave daily dissertations on such subjects as folding towels and the variety of canned goods available at our local supermarket.
Since the girls started to become verbal, I’ve tried to back off a bit, at least during parts of the day…I have to remind myself to let them get a word in edgewise!
I’m still pretty famous for affirming what they say and elaborating on it, though. For example, one of the girls might say, “Mommy wear[ing] earrings!”
And I might say, “Yes, that’s right! Mommy is wearing earrings! These earrings are gold and silver. Your daddy gave them to me a long time ago, before you were even born! Aren’t they pretty? One day, when you’re older, you can have earrings, too!”
I hope that I’m helping the girls work towards the development of more complex communication…but, in truth, for all I know, the girls may have wanted to take that “conversation” in a completely different direction.
Well, I guess they’d just better learn to elaborate themselves, then, huh?
Anyway, I recently realized I must have been saying “when you’re older” quite a bit. The girls picked up on it, and they’ve recounted quite a list of things that they’ll be able to have / do “when older”…
“[Baby A, Baby B] have pretty piggy toes when older!” Yes, you’re right! You can have your toenails painted like Mommy when you’re older.
“[Baby A, Baby B] ride bicycle when older!” Yes, you’re right! You will get to ride a bicycle when you’re older. Then Baby A added “Ride bicycle fast!” tonight. I’m not so sure about that one…I probably need to add a caveat about wearing a helmet when they’re older, too.
“[Baby A, Baby B] have puppy doggy when older!” Hmmm…I guess I did say that at some point. Note to self: be more careful not to make promises you’re not sure you can keep. These kiddos are listening to what you say!
“[Baby A, Baby B] wear bra when older!” Huh???
The girls have developed a fascination with my bra lately. They always remark when I put one on in the mornings. They often ask to see it, or just help themselves to peer down my shirt if they’re in my lap. They are also fond of noting who isn’t wearing a bra, like their daddy, and the cat (seriously!).
I guess I’m pleased that they’re observant and interested in the finer details in life…but I am not prepared to talk to my girls about training bras just yet. I really thought I had at least another ten years!!!
When they were infants, I used to narrate to them all the time. I swear I gave daily dissertations on such subjects as folding towels and the variety of canned goods available at our local supermarket.
Since the girls started to become verbal, I’ve tried to back off a bit, at least during parts of the day…I have to remind myself to let them get a word in edgewise!
I’m still pretty famous for affirming what they say and elaborating on it, though. For example, one of the girls might say, “Mommy wear[ing] earrings!”
And I might say, “Yes, that’s right! Mommy is wearing earrings! These earrings are gold and silver. Your daddy gave them to me a long time ago, before you were even born! Aren’t they pretty? One day, when you’re older, you can have earrings, too!”
I hope that I’m helping the girls work towards the development of more complex communication…but, in truth, for all I know, the girls may have wanted to take that “conversation” in a completely different direction.
Well, I guess they’d just better learn to elaborate themselves, then, huh?
Anyway, I recently realized I must have been saying “when you’re older” quite a bit. The girls picked up on it, and they’ve recounted quite a list of things that they’ll be able to have / do “when older”…
“[Baby A, Baby B] have pretty piggy toes when older!” Yes, you’re right! You can have your toenails painted like Mommy when you’re older.
“[Baby A, Baby B] ride bicycle when older!” Yes, you’re right! You will get to ride a bicycle when you’re older. Then Baby A added “Ride bicycle fast!” tonight. I’m not so sure about that one…I probably need to add a caveat about wearing a helmet when they’re older, too.
“[Baby A, Baby B] have puppy doggy when older!” Hmmm…I guess I did say that at some point. Note to self: be more careful not to make promises you’re not sure you can keep. These kiddos are listening to what you say!
“[Baby A, Baby B] wear bra when older!” Huh???
The girls have developed a fascination with my bra lately. They always remark when I put one on in the mornings. They often ask to see it, or just help themselves to peer down my shirt if they’re in my lap. They are also fond of noting who isn’t wearing a bra, like their daddy, and the cat (seriously!).
I guess I’m pleased that they’re observant and interested in the finer details in life…but I am not prepared to talk to my girls about training bras just yet. I really thought I had at least another ten years!!!
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