Super Stuff

I haven’t been very diligent – sadly – about my “Super Stuff” posts.  Sure, I capture a fair amount of fodder on Facebook, but I know I’m missing some notes over the past couple of years.

This past weekend, as we took a quick trip to Sweet Home Alabama, I kept a slip of paper in my purse, and I jotted down a handful of sweetness from the past few days…

The girls have been so sweet – and so grown-up! – relating to each other at times.  Baby A asked B to bring her a pair of socks from upstairs.  It just struck me as so cute…and so mature!!!  B said, “Sure,” and that was that.  Sister helping out a Sister.

And I had a similar sweet sensation when the girls were talking with each other about their school library.  Baby A was describing a certain set of books, and B couldn’t quite picture what she was talking about.  “It’s in that section…” A elaborated, moving her hands about, and B nodded in response.  Again, it just seemed so grown-up!!!

We’ve been struggling with coughs the past few weeks, on and off, and one night I had to go upstairs to check on Baby B.  I settled her down, and glanced over at A.  From her deep slumber, Baby A mumbled, “I love you.”  How precious it is that that’s the first thing to come to her mind.

We checked into our hotel last weekend, which is always a fun treat.  Baby A accompanied me downstairs for a cup of coffee.  On the way, we both skipped down the long hallway, hand in hand.  She was tickled to press the elevator buttons, and I let her pick up a pamphlet in the lobby.  :)  On the way back to the room, she again started to skip down the hall.  I told her to go ahead, that I’d have to walk with my hot coffee.  I started to laugh at seeing her joy from my vantage point.  She heard me, and threw up the “I love you” sign, not missing a beat.  It made me laugh even harder, and my heart smile even bigger.

These baby girls have such dear hearts.

Capturing Memories: Alabama and GG

(This post is a bit belated, but I didn’t want to forget some of the sweet things from a couple of weeks ago.)

GG came to visit in late June.  It was a visit much anticipated by all of us.  We were so glad to have her here!

The girls and I went down to Alabama, our second trip just the three of us.  Our first stop was Aunt Alison’s house.  It’s always such a treat to sit back, relax, and catch up.  (Well, that’s what Alison and I did while the girlies played!)

That afternoon, we headed to Granddaddy’s house.  We had the most awesome dinner at The Fish Market.  I didn’t realize the scenery was going to be so picturesque, or I would have taken my camera.  We sat right on the river.  We enjoyed some fun live music, and the girls enjoyed watching the boats come in for supper.  Oh, and the food was delicious!

The next day, the girls and I went to visit our newest baby cousin, Z.  She is precious!!!  The girls were enamored with her…once they got a taste of holding her, they didn’t want to stop!

We had another fun afternoon at Granddaddy’s house.  Although it was HOT, we got in a lot of outside play time.  Granddaddy surprised the girls with these planes…

…and we all got to admire Granddaddy’s new car.  WOW!!!  He took us for a very short ride around the block.  (I was incredibly nervous, since the girls didn’t have car seats, but we literally didn’t see another car at 6pm on Sunday evening.)  The girls thought it was AWESOME to ride with the top down!!!

The next day, GG, Uncle Tommy, and Aunt Janet came to Granddaddy’s for an early lunch.  We enjoyed a short visit, and then we loaded up and brought GG back home with us.  I didn’t get to enjoy as much time with GG as I would have liked…I was at work my usual schedule…but the girls and GG (and Daddy) had a great time together.  Here are a few of the highlights…

·         GG and the cats.  GG met Miki and Alex for the first time.  She loved them!  And Miki, in particular, liked her.  He was quite taken with her hair, combing his little paw through it every chance he got.  He obviously got some kind of kick from this, and GG definitely did!

·         “Helping” GG.  GG took it upon herself to make sure the girls’ beds were made every day.  B was glad to supervise.  (Sigh.)  GG told me that B was directing her how to put the blanket.  GG cracked me up when she recounted it.  “I’ve got it, B,” GG told her.  HA!  And how cute it was to hear A caution GG, “Careful!” as she went up the stairs.

·         Giggles.  I called home on Monday to check on everyone.  Hubby answered the phone, to an ongoing chorus of giggles in the background.

·         Mastery.  While GG was here, B mastered the hula hoop!  She’s been able to do it for a year or so, but something clicked, and she’s got it now without a doubt.

·         Kudos.  On Thursday, the ‘fam picked me up from work and we all went to lunch.  I asked around the table how everyone liked their food.  “This is good, Mommy.  Amazing, actually.  Fantastic,” A said.

·         Fun.  On Friday night, Hubby needed to cut the grass, and I didn’t have much planned in the way of supper.  Since it was just us girls, I decided to spring something different on everyone.  We had a “picnic” in the den…PB&J sandwiches on towels while we listened to GG’s favorite singer, Willie Nelson, on CD.  It’s obvious that it doesn’t take much to impress the girlies.  “This is the best night ever,” A told me.

What a GREAT week!  One I don't want to forget, for sure!!!

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!!!

Super Stuff on a Tuesday

Some random "super stuff" from the past couple of weeks...

The girls saw their first magic show a couple of weeks ago.  They were pretty tentative, but ultimately excited to watch.  After the first trick, when the clown pulled a bird out of a balloon, Baby A had the funniest look on her face.  “That’s strange,” she remarked.  Hee hee!!!

Speaking of “tentative”, I caught the most precious precious of the girls while they watched the magic show.  They were intensely focused on the show, while they absentmindedly held hands.  I am so thankful I was able to sneak a picture to remember this sweet sight.

I was in the shower and Baby A was trying to tell me something.  I couldn’t quite understand part of what she was saying, and I’d asked her to repeat herself a couple of times.  Finally, in near-exasperation, she declared, “Nap, Mommy!  N-A-P!”  I had to crack up at her emphatic (yet nonchalant) spelling!

Baby A brought home a particular “prize” from school, the same type of prize she’d brought home once before.  I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect, but I was trying to show my enthusiasm for what she’d earned.  Baby B wasn’t quite so considerate.  “Sissy, the last time you had that, Mommy said that was not appropriate for our house.”  Hahaha!!!  I do remember saying that…and it struck me as pretty funny that B did, too!  My exact words, no less!

Baby A told me, “Mommy, before I was in your tummy, I was like a puzzle and God put together the pieces.”  Sweet girl.

Over supper, we were talking about street performers.  I reminded the girls we’d seen musicians and dancers in New Orleans last year, specifically some we saw right in front of us at Café du Monde.  “Those were Mommy’s band cousins,” B said.  Bwahahaha!!!  That is one thing Hubby teases me about, being a band nerd, and I couldn’t believe B remembered that a year later!

So thankful for Super Stuff!!!

So Much Super Stuff!!!

I have been absolutely terrible about carving out time to write over the past few months.  I won’t lament that [here]…but I am very thankful to have jotted down a few gems over the past few weeks.  Super stuff, for sure!

1)    When GG was here for Thanksgiving, we surprised her by having uploaded her picture to JibJab, the video making site.  We were all in hysterics, seeing her dance online to Feliz Navidad, the girls along beside her.  She had never seen anything like it, and just couldn’t quit laughing.

2)    In the fall, a children’s author came to visit the girls’ school.  They were so impressed, and they told me all about what he said.  When we brought out our Christmas books for the season, my A noticed he illustrated one of their books.  “HENRY COLE!!!!!  Mommy, HENRY COLE!!!!!  He came to our school!!!!!  HENRY COLE!!!!!”  I LOVE her enthusiasm…AND that she would read the name of the illustrator by herself!!!!!

3)    One of our first Christmas activities was to make snowflakes.  I got out some coffee filters and showed the girls how to fold and cut them.  The girls were intrigued.  And when B finished hers, she must have said five times, in awe, “Mommy!  It’s just so beautiful!!!”

4)    I took the girls to see Rudolph the Musical at our local performing arts center.  It was our first time to go to a show there, and the girls were in awe.  What a pleasure it was for me to take them...to introduce them to one of my childhood favorites, at that!  And My A, in particular, was sitting on the edge of her seat!  I’d prepped the girls that the Abominable Snow Monster would be a part of the show.  They were nervous, but they both did great, keeping it in perspective.  My A later said that was her favorite part of the program.  HA!

5)    The girls learned (maybe from school? as we didn’t focus much on it during our reading at home?) to name the 8 reindeer.  They are fiercely passionate about doing so, any time they see a drawing of Santa and his reindeer…and then they interrupt whatever story or situation to break into song about “the most famous reindeer of all”.  Hee hee!

An elf and a reindeer...my loves!!!

6)    We had a really crazy day on Friday before Christmas.  It’s a post (or two) in itself, involving numerous X-rays and a potentially broken arm.  When the day finally closed on a high note (with the option for us to just watch B for any signs of distress), I told her we should celebrate at the Dairy Queen.  That baby girl looked like she had a new lease on life…that was definite cause for a celebration!

7)    During our Crazy Day on Friday, I told B at one point (before it was all over), “It’s been a crazy day.”  She tearfully replied, “And I don’t like it!”  Me, either, Baby Girl!!!

8)    On the first weekend of Christmas break, we were having a pretty ordinary day.  We were doing laundry, coloring, cleaning up a bit.  Out of the blue, my precious B said, “Mommy, I just love days like this!”  Me, too!!!  Oh, how I miss our unstructured time!!!

9)    One morning during Christmas, my A asked, “Are we going out today?”  I originally told her no, to which she exclaimed, “YES!!!  I can wear my pajamas ALL DAY LONG!!!”  I later remembered we had an errand to run.  She reluctantly got dressed…but she came home and put her PJs back on!

10) WE GOT KITTENS!!!  The girls have been looking forward to this for months and months…and so have we.  They are the sweet big sisters to those furry babies!

11) We got our kittens on December 21, and of course we had to make stockings for them.  We decided to use the stockings the girls brought home from kindergarten…we cut out the kittens’ initials from felt and glued them on.  The girls were so excited to hang them over the fireplace!

12) A couple of days after we got the kittens, A asked to spend Quiet Time in the basement with them and her daddy.  She “napped” on the couch with them (I CANNOT believe she slept…but she was quiet for a good while!).  Afterwards she said, “This was the best quiet time EVER!”

13) We went to a sandwich shop over the holiday break, one we hadn’t been too in a long time.  I could not believe that B walked in and immediately remembered that her daddy spilled a cup of water the last time we were there – a year ago!  These girlies don’t forget anything!!!

14) Before Christmas, B was taking guesses at what Daddy bought for Mommy.  When she realized she was right, she said, “That’s what you got her for her birthday, and for Mother’s Day!”  (Yes, I love dark chocolate…but Hubby is not very original.)  B’s horror and her accusation just made me laugh!

15) On the topic of presents, A worked hard to wrap up a piece of her artwork for each of us.  I overheard her ask B, “Do you have your gifts made for Mommy and Daddy yet?”  B said, “I don’t need to make anything…they already have the best gifts ever,” referring to herself and her sister.  Hahaha!!!

16) On Christmas Eve, we were buzzing around…doing the last few preparations for the big day.  During Quiet Time, I told the girls that Mommy needed a nap.  My A asked if she could snuggle with me and nap, too.  I’m so thankful I took her up on that…we piled on the love seat, stretched out, and that precious baby slept in my arms.  Merry Christmas to me!!!

17) Baby A has been so affectionate lately (not that that’s a new thing).  One of her favorite things to say is, “I wish I could snuggle with you every single minute of every single day.”  Me, too, Baby Girl!!!

18) I usually go up to check on the girls in their beds before I go to sleep.  As I pulled up the covers around A, she stirred ever so slightly…and then she whispered, “Thank you, Mommy.”  Heart. Melts.

Super Stuff, for sure!!!

Fab 5 Friday (Only 1 Day Late!)

It’s been so long since I’ve done this…I don’t even want to look back to see my last “fab” post.  Grrr!!!  I suppose there’s no time like the present to try to kick-start myself again.  So here ‘goes!

1)      After what seems to be running full speed these last few weeks, we took the entire day off on Sunday for some centered family time.  Hubby and I got up and dressed before the girls, and we hurried their clothes on when they got up at 6:30.  A couple of minutes after 7am, we were in the car, headed to Nashville.  We drove to the Pancake Pantry, a storied establishment, and waited in line (not too long) for our much-anticipated pancakes.  After eating way too much, we went to the zoo.  It had been way too long since we saw all our animal friends, and it was blissful to walk around in the cool sunshine.  After the zoo, we had a yummy lunch, and we rounded out the day with some shopping.  The day was exactly what we needed…an escape from work and home…and a focus on family and fun.  Love-love-love!!!

2)      On Monday, Baby A was so excited to go shopping for her new bead to celebrate losing her second tooth.  She and B waited like such big kids in the jewelry store, and A loved gazing at her new bead the rest of the day.  After the jewelry store, we went to the grocery store.  It was RAINING…HARD!...when we came out.  Thank goodness we had our hooded jackets, and we made a run for it.  Although it was kinda icky, it was also kinda fun to be splashing towards the car.  To the girls, it was one big adventure!

3)      The girls got new sunglasses as their Valentine’s Day treat.  They L-O-V-E them, and they are so stinkin’ cute!  I can’t get enough of seeing them in their cool new shades.

Waiting in line at the Pancake Pantry on Sunday morning...cute-cute-cute!!!

 4)      On Thursday after I picked the girls up from school, I needed to run by the grocery store for a couple of items.  I knew they wouldn’t be overjoyed at that prospect, so I told them what I knew would pep them up…”We’re going to get some asparagus!”  They squealed with delight.  We haven’t had asparagus in ages now, because it’s been so high, but one grocery store had it on sale this week.  It cracks me up sometimes to see what excites my babies.

5)      I told the girls a couple of times how I ate peanut butter and banana sandwiches almost every day when I was pregnant with them.  They’ve been wanting to try one for themselves, so I made them one on Friday.  “Oh, my body recognizes this!” Baby A proclaimed.  Hahaha!  Needless to say, the sandwiches were a hit!  And this mama enjoyed them, too, this time alongside her baby girls.

I love the little things...because in the end, you recognize they are the big things.  :) :)

SUPER STUFF!!!

At LONG last, here is my SUPER STUFF {sorta-kinda} catch-up post.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, the girls asked me if they could have a Daddy-Daughter day.  I told them to ask their daddy…and apparently he’d already told them to ask me.  The girls were THRILLED to see Mommy off to go grocery shopping in Daddy’s car, while they prepared to go out to lunch.  I’m told they had a great lunch AND made a stop by Walmart to pick up some cat food.  (My hat is off to the husband for braving Walmart with the girls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, too!!!)

We went on a great family walk the weekend after Thanksgiving, too.  The girls get SO excited when Daddy comes with us.  Without both my hands occupied, Mommy took along the camera and snapped a few (or a hundred) pictures.

We joked with A that she has a "nest" in that tree...she calls it 'her' tree now!

My reflection in B's glasses.  Love.

Showing off their mittens!

The girls crack me up with a handful of continued mispronunciations.  Baby A calls kiwi, ‘kew-ee’.  She can say it correctly, but seems to choose not to.  “But it’s kew-ee to me!” she insisted recently.

Baby B still says interesting as ‘inch-resting’.  She doesn’t seem to be able to say it correctly, despite her stellar pronunciation of virtually every other word in the dictionary.  That makes it so sweet to this mama’s ears…hearing her talking so seriously, so grown-up about something, and proclaiming how “inch-resting” it is to her.

B was talking to A about something Christmas-related.  “Sissy [A] Elf,” she called her in the sweetest voice.  Melt.

B cracked me up when she commented – of her own accord – on A’s choice of red-and-white striped reindeer socks with her pink tennis shoes.  “A’s shoes look good with those reindeer socks!” she declared.  Hahaha!

The girls were chatting in the back seat of the car one day on the way to school.  “When we grow up, there will be two mommies in the kitchen, not just one, like you.  That way we can cook faster, and Daddy will be happy, because he is always hungry.”

Another funny quote, from that same conversation…”Daddy goes to work so we have money on the days when he is off.”  I guess we don’t need money on the days he works???

The girls have been practicing dribbling a ball, off and on, for a year or so.  It finally clicked with Baby A last week.  She counted 35 times that she dribbled!  And I know she’s done even more at once…it’s pretty amazing!

Both girls love to come show me how sweaty they get, running around in the basement.  It’s such a badge of honor for them.  HA!

B was sitting by the fireplace a couple of days ago.  She called A over and said, “Kiss me, Sissy!”  I guess A came in close enough for B to plant a kiss, and then she said, “You have to kiss me back!!!”  HA!

We recently let the girls start using placemats, and they think they are SUCH big kids!!!  So far they’ve done a pretty good job at keeping them clean.  It’s one more step towards a normal table setting…hooray, and sniff-sniff.

I asked Baby A to go upstairs and get two ponytail holders from her bathroom (as they tend to migrate upstairs by the end of the week).  She brought down a handful to last us the week, without me asking her.  I just thought it was so neat to see her thought process.  The next day she picked up both sets of pajamas and put them in the laundry basket, without me asking her.  It doesn’t always happen, but she can be such a responsible baby girl.

On a whim a couple of weeks ago, I started teaching the girls some volleyball moves.  They LOVE it!!!  They will hit balls (or try to hit balls) back and forth for ages.  This mama loves it, too.  I can’t wait until we’re more reliably able to pass to each other…so fun!!!

Last Friday Daddy had an unexpected snow day from school.  Since the weather wasn’t supposed to come until later that day, we went out for a family breakfast.  We hadn’t been in quite a while, so it was a big treat.  The girls cleaned their plates…and then part of mine!

This dates back a few weeks, but I didn’t want to forget, as I laugh every time I think about it.  We had gone down to Nashville for a little shopping and then lunch.  The three of us were in the bathroom stall together (a big one, thank goodness), when “The Thrill is Gone” came over the sound system.  The girls have never heard that song, to my knowledge, but Baby B started strumming her imaginary air guitar and swaying slowly to the rhythm…all while Mommy was going potty.  I could have just fallen over, it struck me as so funny.

Also going back a few weeks, Baby A called me in the middle of the night.  I went up to her room and found her sitting in the middle of the floor, between the beds.  “Mommy!  I can’t find my blanket!” she cried.  I chuckled and told her her blanket was on her bed.  I tucked her back in, and she went to sleep.  It wasn’t until a week or so later that it dawned on me, I think she fell out of bed.  Poor kiddo!  She’s one tough cookie, though.

And from the second night (I think) we were in the house…the guy was here from the gas company, working on our fireplace.  Hubby went outside with him to look at the gas grill.  Baby A followed them on the inside of the house, looking through the windows.  “Mommy!!!  Why is Daddy going to the edge of darkness???”  She was so alarmed, and it cracked me up how she characterized it.  She’s been using “darkness” a lot recently, instead of “dark”.  That just seems so foreboding!  

Lots of SUPER I don't want to forget!!!