Backwash

This is a post the girls will probably frown upon when they're a bit older...but it's one I really want to write in hopes of remembering this one day.

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The girls aren't always big fans of showers. 

(I can't begin to understand this.  I know they don't like the interruption from their books...or from hanging out with the cats...whatever...but showers are one of the very favorite parts of this mama's day!!!)

A couple of weeks ago, I told the girls it was time for a shower, and they headed that way somewhat reluctantly.  While I gathered towels and PJs, they got a head start.  Before I knew it, they were giggling and having a big time.

I overhead a cry of "Back wash!"  I was at first somewhat concerned, until I saw what they were doing.

When I joined them, they informed me they had agreed to wash each others' backs.

(One day, when they're older, they'll understand the *other* meaning of 'back wash' and know why this was so funny!)

OK.  Have at it!

B apparently had done her job already.  "Are you guys ready to get out?" I asked.

NO!!! They decried in unison.  "Sissy still has to wash my back!" B exclaimed.

I wish I had a video.  My A soaped up B's washcloth and washed B's back like it was her JOB.  I couldn't help but cackle.  She took that job so seriously.  "It's like you're washing the side of a car!" I couldn't help but comment.

Of course that devolved everyone into a fit of giggles.

Fun times!  And if 'back wash' helps give the girls a little more pep towards the shower...I'm all for a good scrubbing!

Little Lambs

GG was here last week, and she’s always clamoring, “Let me buy the girls something!”  I appreciate the sentiment…and I LOVE to shop!...but I’m working really hard not to set the example for the girls that shopping is sport. 

The girls *needed* some new towels.  We’ve been using the big fuzzy hooded ones since they were about a year old, and their inaugural set was wearing very thin.  GG and I went out one night after the girls were in bed, and I told her the girls would be tickled if she bought them new towels.

I’ve bought hooded towels several different places, but the ones from Kohl’s are the best by far.  I was disappointed there that they only had licensed characters to choose from (which is against my being to the core).  I found the lamb (from Doc McStuffins, I think), and decided it was the best of my options.  [I cut out the tag, and the girls didn’t know any difference.]

The next morning, the girls saw their towels on the counter, and they were thrilled.  “Whose are those???” they exclaimed with a glimmer in their eyes.

I got the towels washed a day or so later, and the last night GG was at the house, I whispered to the girls, “Let’s go take a quick shower before bed.  You can use your new lamb towels…why don’t you come out and surprise GG?”

They were GAME!  They RAN to get in the shower.  I told them to call me when they got out, as I wanted to coordinate them coming out together, all lambed-up.  I went to sit with GG while they showered.  I cackled when I heard them singing, loudly, in unison, “Baa, Baa Black Sheep”!  HA!  A bit of foreshadowing, for sure!

It was a little tricky to get the girls to wait on each other, coming out of the shower.  Once Baby A donned her lamb towel, she wanted to bolt into the den.  I finally coerced the girls into staying together…and they were SO excited to show GG their get-ups.

GG couldn’t contain her laughter, and neither could I.  The girls were more than happy to pile up for a picture...and GG was, of course, thrilled to oblige.

The laughter of little lambs...hardly anything sweeter!!!

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!

Simple Pleasures

Just within the last couple of hours, I "indulged" in a couple of simple pleasures...ones I don't want to forget...

I got home from work this afternoon and I could hear Daddy and the girls have a large time in the basement.  They didn't hear me come in, though, so I changed clothes leisurely to the sounds of lots of laughter.  What sweet joy.

The girls eventually heard me and came bustling upstairs to invite me down to play ball with them.  We played for a few minutes, and then I came upstairs to get supper on the table.

The girls had gotten quite sweaty, and after supper I gave them the option of a quick shower or a bubble bath.  They agreed on the latter.

While I was getting the bathroom ready, Baby A yelled, "Can we have tall water, Mommy?"  I wasn't 100% sure I'd heard her, so I asked her for clarification.  "Tall water!" she said again.  And then, "T-A-L-L W-A-T-E-R!" she spelled.  Hee hee...I loved it!

I got the girls situated in "tall water" (which, as I'm typing this, reminds me of high cotton...HA!).  I could have used their soaking time to get some laundry rolling, or just sit down for a few minutes myself.  Instead, I decided to be in the moment with them.  I'm so glad I did.

"Can I join you?" I asked?  I had a book in my hand, and they didn't quite know what to make of it.  I sat on the side of the tub, my feet in the bubbles, and read them a few chapters of a cute little reader.  They were in little girl heaven.  So was I.

We finished our book before bedtime, and still had time for a night-night story.

So many fun little happies this evening.  I can't help but think of the adage, "Enjoy the small things...for one day you'll realize they are the big things."  #truth

Bath mit fun, taken a few months ago.  :) :)

The Evolution of Bath Time

I gave the girls their first bath when they were in the NICU.  I am really thankful for having that experience, as it made me ever-so-slightly less PETRIFIED when we bathed them the first time at home.

We continued to bathe the girls in their infant tub for many months, until they could sit up relatively well for a tub bath.

For a very long time, I got in the tub with the girls.  They bathed in our master bathroom, in our big jetted tub.  It was far too deep and wide for me to manage bathing even one baby from outside the tub, so we made it a family event.

I would bathe with one baby, while the other sat in the bouncy seat in the bathroom.  Then we'd switch for Round 2.

After the girls' first birthday, I decided we could all pile in the tub.  It was a bit crowded, but it was certainly more efficient.

At some point during the girls' second year of life, I decided that bath time would be a great opportunity for one-on-one time.  For a long time after that, I would get one kiddo squeaky clean, while Daddy played with the other...and then we'd switch.

After the girls' second birthday, I finally discovered that I could sit on the side of the tub, with just my feet in the water, and wash them well enough.  We continued in that manner until we moved into our new house.  (I distinctly remember becoming very expeditious with bath time when the girls took swimming lessons at 3 1/2.  Our lessons were at 3:30, making it 4:30 by the time we got home, which was pushing suppertime.  At least for those few weeks, we dispensed with bath toys and got straight down to business.)

When we moved in October, the girls were thrilled to finally have their own bathroom.  Although their tub was a much smaller, standard size, they loved their baths...and Mommy finally was able to manage hair washing from the {relative} comfort of the floor mat...no more wet toes for me!

Then...a couple of weeks ago...I asked the girls if they'd like to try my big walk-in shower.  I didn't know how they would react, as the last time we got out the sprinkler in the backyard, only one of them was was game for being squirted.

THEY LOVED IT!!!

The body sprays are right at the level of their heads, so those work well for washing their hair.  And they have a blast sloshing around in the "rain".

B cracks me up!!!  She looks like she's really relaxing from a long day of play.

Mommy is back in the mix, though, at least for the hair washing.  That's OK, though...it's an easy in and out for all of us.

I love thinking back through the progression of bath time...but it's just another reminder...my BABIES are growing up!  At least they're still all about hooded bath towels.  No matter how "grown up" they are, they're still my tiny babes in fluffy animal get-ups.

(At 13 months, they got butterfly and duck towels...we've progressed to owls and frogs, but the cuteness factor hasn't changed a bit.)

Super Stuff on a Monday

So thankful for a full list of super stuff to share!

1)      After more than four years as “sisters”, our kitty Sasha has finally warmed up to the girls enough to let them brush her…at least a tiny bit.  It has been the highlight of their week, to have her come up to their extended hands and rub against the brush.  On occasion, she’s even sniffed their fingers.  Hooray for progress!!!

2)      For a couple of months now, the girls have been toying with the idea of using the jets in my bathtub.  Baby B has been really interested, but A has remained apprehensive, I think because I told her they would be loud.  They finally agreed to give it a test run this week, and they were in heaven!  B got in right away, and A worked up the courage after a minute or so.  They enjoyed the depth of the water (up to their chests!) as much as anything.  And I couldn’t quit giggling to see them be scooted along by the strength of the moving water.  Hee hee!!!

3)      There are few things that compare to hearing a four-year old’s correct usage of “may” and “can”.  It makes me a little bit giddy!

4)      I took the girls to the park on Monday afternoon.  I can’t help but marvel (although I still KNOCK ON WOOD as I type this) at how much fun it is to take the two of them these days.  It wasn’t long ago that a trip to the park with them by myself took quite a bit of courage on my part…and was rarely ever “relaxing”. 

5)      Over the monitor one morning, I heard the girls exchanging the sweetest nothings.  “I love you, Sissy…” and “…I love you, too.”  My heart melts!

6)      Baby A was successful in blowing bubbles, consistently, for the first time this week.  It’s such a fun milestone!

7)      It made me so happy to see Baby A RUN to get the soccer ball when she saw Daddy’s car rounding the bend towards home one afternoon.  I know it made his heart smile so big, too.  And then B got in on the soccer action, as she wanted to divide the four of us into “teams”…one would be Chelsea, and one would be either Manchester United or Manchester City.  Daddy never fails to beam at the girls’ English Premier League soccer references.

8)      On Friday we met our friends M&C for the season’s first trip to Jackson’s Orchard.  It began as a cloudy day, but turned out to be just beautiful!  We had SO MUCH FUN running and playing, and the girls went down the “bumpy slide” by themselves – and then together – for the first time.  They actually went down more times than I could count…at least 20!  By the end, they were definitely tired, though.  Baby A asked if I could carry her up the 25 or so steps to the top of the slide.  HA!

9)      We typically eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant about once a week, and we happened to time our weekly trip with Cinco de Mayo this weekend.  The restaurant was very crowded, so we sat someplace other than our usual table.  The girls enjoyed sitting under their beloved “donkey” picture, and I loved hearing B wish one of the waiters, “Feliz Cinco de Mayo!”  That kid will attempt to say anything, and she usually does a pretty fair job!

10)   Puzzle mania has continued at our house this week.  After lunch on Sunday, we stopped by the dollar store to get a couple new puzzles, each 63 pieces.  The girls have done them twice already.  I love seeing them so deep in concentration!

11)   Baby B was sitting in my lap, facing me.  She looked intently at me, and then almost gasped, “Mommy!  There’s something broken in your eye!  How did you break your eye?”  Poor kiddo was a bit traumatized at Mommy’s lack of sleep, apparently.

12)   As I was working in the kitchen one day, I heard B explaining some kind of made-up game to A: “OK, here's what we're going to do. It's going to be pretty challenging, OK?"  Way to set expectations!

13)   One morning at breakfast, Baby A was explaining the ways of the world to me.  I can’t remember the exact conversation, but she was really serious.  All the while, she had the cutest milk mustache that I couldn’t make myself wipe off…there was something absolutely irresistible about her little baby voice, her very serious eyes, and that smear of milk on her lip.

Here's to another SUPER week!

Super Stuff on a Saturday

Lots of super-fabulous stuff in our week!

1)      Almost every day we drive past a cattle farm, and the girls love to wave to the cows.  One day there was a huge fiberglass cow in one of the fields, next to the road, advertising Angus beef.  The girls saw it and were very excited.  “Is it a little toy for the cows to play with?” Baby A asked. 

2)      Baby A discovered this week that she is tall enough to flip the light switch on.  She can barely, barely reach it…she really has to stretch…but the look on her face the first time she discovered it was absolutely priceless!

3)      We met our sweet friend Rachel and her baby girls E&L at the fabric store on Wednesday.  A&B were so excited to choose a dachshund-print that Rachel is making into a blanket for them.  Afterwards we walked to Starbucks for a mid-morning treat.  The girls were pretty content to sit there with their milk and bagel while we all chatted.  It was such a great morning!

4)      Wednesday afternoon we met our friends K&S and their mom Jenny for yogurt.  I’m always amazed to see four kiddos sitting so nicely together…something I wouldn’t have dreamed of just a year ago!

5)      It’s an entire post to itself, but I’m so thankful the girls had a great time at their preschool open house on Thursday.  To celebrate, the three of us went to lunch downtown.  It was a very special day!

6)      Baby A was folding a couple of small tag blankets that the girls use with their dolls.  “I’m folding Abby’s laundry,” she told me.  You are?! I commented, thinking that was so cute.  “No, Mommy, I’m just pretending.”  Such a big girl, she is.

7)      After a very noisy morning, playing with Weebles (they make noise on the wood floor, which sends the girls into absolute hysterics), the girls quieted down to walk around the house, talking to each other.  I asked what they were doing.  “We’re pretending to look at sculptures,” they told me.  The artistry must have been riveting, as they were at it for a while!

8)      Friday afternoon was gorgeous!  It was just over 80 degrees!!!  The girls took a glorious nap (yes, angels were singing), and we met Daddy at the park when he got out of school.  We ran and played and had a great time…and then we were so happy to see our neighbors, A&B’s friends A&M and their brother J, walking up.  I love the neighborhood feeling!  And I love seeing the girls with their little friends!

9)      Friday when we got home from the park, the girls went straight into the tub, while I jumped in the shower.  I stepped out of the shower to two girls with huge smiles on their faces.  “Come see what we made!”  Um…what???  “It’s a surprise!  Come see!”  I was very thankful to see that they’d figured out how to get two Easter eggs into a large cup that was balanced on the bottom of the tub.  Whew!

10)   Saturday morning, B woke up a few minutes early.  She wasn’t calling for me, but I could hear her singing, “Here comes the sun, little darling / here comes the sun / and I say / it’s all right / hum-hum-hum.”

11)   The girls have a dentist appointment on Monday, their first since they were 18 months old.  We’ve been talking about it, and they’ve been practicing showing all their teeth.  They open their mouths super wide…but with it they also open their eyes super wide, too.  All I can think of is “The Shining”.  I hope the dentist isn’t scared!

Fab Stuff on a Friday!

Sometimes the few days after Hubby has been on vacation, home with us, can be challenging…getting back into the routine…playing zone defense instead of man-to-man.  I’m thankful we made the transition pretty well this week, and that I have lots of fabulousness to report!

1)      The girls have been really into their train set every day this week.  I love seeing them constructing it in different ways.  (And Mommy likes to play just as much as they do!)

2)      Baby A “made a computer” (out of two puzzle boxes).  I loved hearing the email she was dictating to our cat…”Dear Sasha, I hope you’re upstairs and I hope you’re staying well.” 

3)      We had fun playing with plastic Easter eggs in the bathtub this week.  The girls experimented with making them float and sink, and watched the water drain out of the little holes in the ends.  They have talked about it every day since.

4)      Baby A has been into dressing up this week, and her outfit du jour just makes me laugh…a tutu, a too-big sunhat, and a “backpack” made from putting her arms through the straps of a purse.

5)      Baby B has been the Queen of Reminders lately.  She overheard her daddy reminding me to treat a stain on his shirt one morning.  “Don’t forget to treat the stain, Mommy!”  And another day, “Don’t forget to tell Daddy the lawn people haven’t come!”  I actually welcomed the help on both occasions!

6)      We practiced using scissors for the first time in quite a while.  Both girls did really well!  They’re not cutting out shapes, by any means, but they can cut strips pretty proficiently.

7)      I had to laugh at B as she ran up to me one morning, holding a puzzle piece.  “Quick question for ya, Mommy,” she rolled off her tongue.  I swear she sounded like a little business person!

8)      Baby A has long been a little kangaroo, jumping and hopping…and Baby B has finally joined the ranks.  She doesn’t get it right every time, but she can do some of the cutest little hops.  And I recorded Baby A forward jumping a good 18”…wow!

9)      On Thursday afternoon we had an impromptu park date with Daddy.  It was a gorgeous day and the girls had a blast.  Since our last park visit, they both scaled a jungle gym-type ladder, and they both spent some time in the big-kid swings.  We topped the afternoon off with a very rare Thursday night dinner out.

10)   The girls have been extra curious about the goings on in the kitchen as of late.  This morning I let them sit on the barstools on the other side of the island, and we played “cooking show” while I made breakfast.  It wasn’t my most efficient effort at cream of wheat, but they enjoyed it!

Hope you had a fabulous week, too!

Super Saturday

The super-fabulous highlights from our week...

1) Baby A’s hooded duck towel was in need of replacement, so I bought her a bright green frog towel. At bath time earlier in the week, she was at first concerned she didn’t see her duck…but her face at seeing herself wrapped up as a frog was priceless! She was absolutely beaming, and giggling almost uncontrollably. And her sister just cackled, too.

2) The girls have been pretty insistent on wearing their sunglasses when we go out for walks. What is hysterical to me is seeing them put their glasses on their heads. “This is the way I like them,” A will tell me. I have no idea where they got that from! [wink, wink]

3) On Wednesday, I went to tour the preschool I’m considering for the girls. I asked our sweet neighbor, “Grandma” June, if she would come stay with the girls for an hour. I told them Wednesday morning she was coming, my fingers crossed that they wouldn’t cry. Not only were they not upset, but they both lit up. B exclaimed, “I will introduce my baby dolls to her!”

4) To kick off Daddy’s spring break, we went downtown for breakfast on Friday morning, which is a huge treat. Daddy and the girls ate (really well!), and the three of them went for a walk. Aunt Shanda and Aunt Karen joined me for a late breakfast, and then the girls got to wish Karen HAPPY BIRTHDAY when they finished their walk. I never tire of seeing my friends and my girls together!

5) On Friday, the girls and I went to Target. I had to return something, and while we were waiting in line at the customer service desk, we spotted a lady we know who was working behind the photo counter. She asked if the girls wanted stickers, and I told them it was OK to go see Miss Kylie. They were not more than 10 feet from me, but I was so very proud of them for walking over, chatting nicely, and saying THANK YOU of their own accord! (That was a big step for me, too, to turn them "loose" in a public environment!)

6) We’ve been enjoying a few new books, namely “Daisy the Doctor”, “Vicky the Vet”, and “Fred the Firefighter”. I love seeing the girls incorporate so many themes from those books into their play. Their stethoscope is getting a big workout, for sure.

7) And the quotes of the week…

The girls were pretending to be at a restaurant. I asked them how much their lunch cost. B said, “Five dollars and seventeen cents!” I thought it was funny how exact – and relatively plausible – her number was!

We had been talking about The Last Supper, and B explained to her Daddy, “On Sunday we have the last supper, and on Monday Daddy goes back to work.” HA!

I'm very thankful to have so much super-fabulousness to cite this week!

Tales of a Duck and a Butterfly

About two years ago, we bought the cutest, fuzziest hooded towels for the girls...a yellow duck for Baby A, and a bright pink butterfly for B.

At just over a year old, they couldn't tell us how much they loved their towels, but their big smiles - and soon after, their voracious signing - were quite clear.



Our duck and butterfly towels aren't quite as fuzzy as they once were, but the girls still love them, just the same. After every bath, they give them nose kisses and declare, "Thank you for drying me off!" before they trek to the hamper.



We'll have to retire our towels before long, but they've certainly served us well. I look forward to being joined by a couple of new fuzzy bathtime friends...but not before I got one more photo session with our beloved duck and butterfly.

I'm linking up with Twinfatuation for Way Back When-esday. Thanks for hosting this trip down memory lane, Miss Cheryl!

Sneaking in Some One-on-One Time

Our girls knew each other before we knew them. And they’ve been side by side (or top to bottom) from the very start.

While I envision a day where I’ll take Baby A to the grocery store, while Daddy takes Baby B to the park, we’re just not there yet. To date, our girls have had very little time apart. The only real examples I can think of are a couple of doctor visits over the past 21 months…not exactly the fun and games of a Grocery Store Wonderland and a Great Park Adventure!

Our family schedule – coupled with the girls’ young age – just hasn’t allowed us to “single date” (as opposed to “double date”, of course).

I decided to get creative and try to carve out even little bits of individual time. Whereas I’ve been bathing the girls together for a long time, and before that we would all crowd in the bathroom together, the “dry” baby safely strapped in the bouncy seat, I thought bath time might be a good first step.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been taking one baby at a time upstairs for a bath. With “just one” kiddo to juggle, we’ve had the most fun exploring bubbles, pouring water from one cup to another, and making funny soap sculptures. The other baby is downstairs for one-on-one time with Daddy.

The first time we did this, Baby B was a little uneasy. She wanted to be facing me at all times in the tub, for example, and I could hear her calling, “Sissy!” from downstairs while Baby A was upstairs with me.

The second time went more smoothly, and by the third time, I think Baby B began to appreciate the luxury of having the entire tub to herself…and what girl doesn’t love to lounge in the tub???

Sure, it takes a little more time – all the playing in the tub, plus twice the set-up and clean-up – but I think it’s a good start.

And at least I’ll have a couple of extra-clean babies when we finally do get to “single date” one day.

Adventures in Water

The very first time we gave the girls a bath at home, our normally chilled-out Baby A was a fusspot, whereas Baby B seemed to rather enjoy herself (as much as a two-week old infant can enjoy herself, that is). It’s so interesting to see how that one aspect of their personalities – unlike almost anything else – has remained pretty consistent over time.

Aside from a couple of pee-pee / poo-poo incidents over the past 17 months, bathtime has become pretty predictable at our house.

Baby A is content to take her bath…as long as Mommy doesn’t get water in her eyes. Unfortunately, getting water in Baby A’s eyes seems almost unavoidable, as she’s so darn squirmy! But as long as I keep a towel close by to dry her face after any contact with water, all is well with her world.

Baby A, standing up to have as little contact with the bath water as possible.

I think Baby B may have been a fish in a former life. She loves the bath. She gets all giggly as she’s getting in, and I think she would sit and play for an hour if she could. And not that I don’t try to avoid getting water in her eyes, but if and when I do, she hardly even blinks. She maintains a big smile on her face, soap suds and all.

Baby B, as happy as a turtle in mud.

I wondered if the girls’ bathtime behavior would be an indication of how they would respond to the kiddie pool we bought last week. And sure enough, it was.

I got in the pool with the girls. Baby B sat down almost immediately, giggling and ready to play. Baby A clung pretty tightly to me. I told her to sit down, and she would squat (sweetly following directions), but she never got her backside too close to the water. I sat her down in my lap a couple of times, but she just popped right back up. She was content to walk around the pool and play with the water toys, but I think she would have been just as content to play with those same toys on the comfort of dry land.

Nonetheless, this was such a fun adventure. And if nothing else, I couldn’t get enough of the girls in their swimsuits. :)

We’ll try again in a couple of days, and I hope Baby A will eventually grow some sea legs.