Book Club at Midnight

...well, it wasn't midnight, exactly...but it was after bedtime.

I put the girls to bed last night, and headed downstairs, as usual, to catch up on some news.  The monitor in the basement stays on, and I didn't hear anything -- also, as usual -- for a good 15 minutes.

Then I thought I heard something.  And then I heard it again.

The girls were talking, by then a full 20 minutes after I'd left them for bed.

That's not the way it works in our house.  I tell them goodnight.  They go to sleep.  Right???

I'll admit I was aggravated.  I didn't hear them bickering -- which occasionally is the case, especially if one wants to go to sleep and is hindered in some way by the other -- but there was definitely conversation happening.

As I neared the top of the stairs outside their room, I paused.  I decided to listen to see what was the cause of the not-sleeping.  I crept just outside their door and put my ear to their door frame.

"...that's what I thought, too!"

"...and you know the part where XYZ?  I didn't really get why ABC..."

"...and I pictured him making a really mean face!  Hahaha!"

"...yes, that was cool!"

I opened the door very slowly.  B gasped to A, "It's Mommy!"

"Are you having a book club meeting?" I asked them through a big smile I didn't even try to hide.

"YES!"  They both giggled.

I told them how happy it made me to hear them discussing a book.  ("We do it all the time!" A told me.)  I gave them both big hugs and kisses, reminded them by then it was FAR past bedtime, and that they needed to conduct the rest of their meeting the next day.

I don't think I heard anymore discussion over the monitor.  But I went to bed smiling myself at the sweetness I got to witness.

Surprise and Delight

On Wednesday, I came home and the girls were working on their homework.  I encouraged them to do a good job, and I told them I had a surprise for them at bedtime.  They couldn’t contain their huge smiles, and they began to guess what it might be.  “Pajamas???”  “A night-night story???”  “A new Christmas CD???”

They went back to their homework, and then we enjoyed a nice supper…but they were a little more anxious than usual to head upstairs for the evening.  They really wanted to look around, to see if I’d hidden something.  [I hadn’t.]

Once everyone had donned their PJs, brushed their teeth, and straightened their beds, I ran downstairs to get the girls’ treat.  Sure enough, it was a new bedtime story, a Thanksgiving-themed one, A Turkey for Thanksgiving.

The girls piled up on either side of me, their attention even more rapt than usual.

(I couldn’t help but be thankful that the girls’ routine still includes me reading them a story every single night.  They’ve been capable of reading to themselves for two years now.  I know this won’t last forever, but I sure savor it.)

I began to read in my best animated voice.  Mrs. Moose asked Mr. Moose to find a turkey for their Thanksgiving meal.  He set out and was joined, page by page, by other animals as they hunted.

The girls were on the edge of their seats…peering intently over my shoulders…I could almost feel them wincing as the animals cornered the terrified turkey. 

Of course I knew the ending to the story…that the turkey was the honored guest at the Thanksgiving table, all the animals talking about the joy of sharing the holiday with friends.

And when the ending finally revealed itself, I relished the girls’ utter delight.

Surprising my baby girls…enjoying a new night-night story…appreciating them, appreciating the story…it was such a wonderful night.

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!

Rare Snuggles

I still don’t know what happened to Baby A on Tuesday.  She’s such a proud kid, she is even very reluctant to tell us if she tripped or fell.  When I got home from work, she did tell me she had “bumps” on her lip, though.  Sure enough, her top lip was a bit swollen.

[The best I can figure is that she bit herself somehow.  And when I was doing laundry last night, I saw a big dirty smudge on the arm of the sweatshirt she wore that day.  I’d guess those are related somehow.]

When she first told me about her lip, she was matter-of-fact.  It didn’t seem to bother her.  But within a few minutes, she started to complain that it hurt.  I had her rinse with water, and hold some cool water on it, but (after I called my nurse friend to confer) I told her she’d need to rest and hope it felt better in the morning.

Our girls are usually very quick to bed and to sleep.  My poor baby girl, though, was having trouble.  I got the feeling it was as much emotion for her as it was discomfort.

She was whimpering, tossing and turning.  She clearly couldn’t get her mind to settle for sleep.

For many reasons, chief among them 1) having twins, and 2) being a staunch advocate for sleep training and reinforcement, I have rarely ever slept with the girls.  As wonderfully cuddly as it is to have them climb into bed with us, for example, it’s just not something we do.  I don’t want to start that habit, as I know it would not be wonderfully cuddly for very long.

There are occasions where I bend my rules, though, and Tuesday night was one of them.

I knew my A just needed to relax.  I went upstairs and, without a word, I snuggled behind her in bed.  I whispered some “I love you’s” and stroked her hair.  She quieted and snuggled back against me.  She hugged my arm that was draped over her, and she kissed my hand.

We stayed like this for a while, her, gradually relaxing, and me, breathing it all in.

Of course I didn’t have my camera with me, but I’ll treasure this memory in my mind.  It was one of those precious times when Mommy really could make things better.

Short and Sweet

...'cause I just don't want to forget...

When we first moved the girls into their big kid beds, I was so afraid they'd get up and wander around the house at night.  I impressed upon them that they DID NOT GET UP until their clock turned green in the morning.  "If you need something, call Mommy."

The girls are far old enough to go to the bathroom by themselves...but during the night, on the rare occasion that someone needs the potty, I get a summons.  It rarely happens, so I don't really mind.

Tonight, the girls had been in bed less than 30 minutes when I heard my A call for me.  I ran upstairs and found her sister already snoring.  "Mommy, I need to go potty," A whispered when I approached her.

I walked with her into the bathroom, and she did her thing.  I haven't done this in a long time, but I picked her up when she finished.  Instead of her walking back to her bed, I carried her.

"Thank you, Mommy," she told me as she hugged my neck.

What precious baby girls I have.

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What I Love About Big-Girl Beds

You may remember that I was a bit apprehensive about moving the girls to big-girl beds.  I hadn’t intended to keep them in their cribs until they were more than 4 ½…but that arrangement continued to work for us; I had no real reason to change.

I didn’t want to move the cribs to the new house, though, and so that dictated our transition timing.

In addition to the incredible amount of work involved in the move, I was so nervous!  I was afraid that our wonderfully rested babies would suddenly decide to challenge their bedtime routine; that they would think it was more fun to roam around the {new} house than it was to sleep.

KNOCK ON WOOD, none of those fears have come to fruition.  For that, and for many other reasons – ones I didn’t know to anticipate – I am really, really loving the girls in their big-girl beds.

For one, I couldn’t reach the girls very well in their cribs, so I was missing out on some wonderful nighttime cuddles.

Now, I just love to tuck the girls under their blankets at bedtime, safe and sound.

I love to bend down and give them one last kiss before I turn off the lights.

I love to check on my babies after they’re asleep.  I love to kiss their sleepy heads.  And their soft, sleepy hands are so very tender, I can’t resist squeezing them.

A couple of times as I’ve been checking on my cherubs, Baby A has woken up just a bit.  She’s given me the sweetest, sleepiest hugs.  “I love you, Mommy,” she says from her slumber.

In the mornings, I love to sit on the sides of the girls’ beds and rub their backs, to give them tender kisses on their warm temples, just as they’re waking up. 

I love to pile in their beds beside them for full-body hugs.

I love to tickle them awake, and wrestle with them in their beds sometimes.  I’ll pretend to lie down, and then exclaim, “There’s a lump here!”  The girls think it’s hysterical.

And once they’re up for the day, the girls love to make their beds!  They are so proud to get their covers sorta-kinda straight, and to prop their pillows up just right.

I am so thankful for such a smooth transition, and for the many new joys it brings.

The Girls' New Room!

We're still buried under boxes, and trekking between the "old" house and the "new" house = HOME, but I did finally download pictures from the last couple of weeks.  [Ack!!!  It's been ages!!!]  These are ones I captured on Tuesday before move-in day last Thursday, when I brought the girls to see their NEW ROOM!  They were SO excited!

Their first surprise was a ribbon wreath hanging on their door...they love it!

 

And then they opened the door!

Figuring out which bed is whose...

B, trying it out...

A, getting comfy...

Two PROUD babies, I have!!!

I knew their beds seemed really high with a regular box spring and a pillow-top mattress.  After I saw them CLIMB up and JUMP down, I decided we had to somehow lower them.  The furniture store traded me "bunkie" box springs for the regular ones, and now the beds are a much more palatable height.

I have moved one of the nightstands across the room so the girls have a place for their "OK to Wake" clock.  At night, I put their pillow shams to the sides of their beds, just in case they were to roll off the bed.  To date -- KNOCK ON WOOD -- everyone has slept super soundly...more proof, I think, that this moving business is hard work!

I am SO thankful that my babies love their big-kid beds so much...they're doing a fantastic job with this transition, and that makes this [tired] mama's heart smile.

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!

Ch-ch-ch-Changes at Bedtime

Our bedtime routine has gotten a lot easier lately.

Once upon a time, I remember the routine taking well over an hour.  Bedtime bottles took for-ev-er…and then washing faces…changing diapers…and that wasn’t even on a bath night.

Of course things got easier when the girls quit taking bottles…and then easier, still, when they stopped wearing diapers.  But we’ve had a couple more transitions over the past few weeks, and – assuming we don’t have any meltdowns – things are almost downright easy!

When we head upstairs, Baby #1 (whoever decides to go first) puts her pajamas on.  Barring some complicated button-up, or several warm layers, the girls are pretty proficient in getting dressed and undressed.

In the meantime, I’m in the bathroom with Baby #2.  I floss teeth, brush teeth, wash the face, and apply moisturizer.  That baby hops on the potty while Baby #1 makes her way into the bathroom.

Somewhere in the mix, the discarded clothing gets put in the hamper, and a bedtime story is picked.  (The girls alternate picking the story each night.)

The next part of the routine has – blissfully – remained the same for the past four years.  We snuggle on Mommy and Daddy’s bed for our night-night story.  We exchange nose kisses, and then I put my babies to bed, one at a time.

Things have gotten much more streamlined there, too.  I mentioned this briefly a few weeks ago, but I haven’t quite been up to writing about it…it’s bittersweet, for sure.

After we transitioned the girls from their swaddle blankets, at about six months, they began using zipper blankets.  That worked very well until about a year ago, when – at three! – their legs were getting too long for the size XL.  My talented and resourceful friend Rachel came to the rescue, though, and sewed in an additional panel of fabric to make their sleep sacks super long.  (I could almost fit into them!)  And all was well.

A few weeks ago, Husband decided – on a whim – that the girls needed more freedom in bed, that they might get too hot having always to be covered.  I was NOT ready for that change…so perhaps it’s best he sold them on the idea before he mentioned it to me.

We started off with some large receiving blankets we had in the closet, and we bought normal-size, big-kid blankets over the weekend.

As bittersweet as the transition has been, it’s cut down significantly on our put-to-bed time.  And the girls do look so incredibly sweet snuggled in their fluffy blankets.

I’ll focus on that, and the extra time we have around bedtime…and suppress the realization that my BABIES are growing up.

Super Stuff on a Sunday

It's been a very full week...but a pretty super-fabulous one, if I do say so!

1)      Granddaddy and Emme were in Nashville for a couple of days and we met them for lunch last Saturday at the Aquarium restaurant.  The girls loved watching all the fish swim around…they were full of ooh’s and ahh’s the entire meal.

2)      Before lunch, we walked around the mall and Granddaddy joined us on the carousel.  I loved seeing Baby B snuggled next to him for the ride.

3)      On Sunday, Father’s Day, I made sweet potato pancakes for breakfast.  The girls (and Daddy!) were in complete love.  After breakfast we hiked a new (to us) trail at the park near our house, and then played on the playground a bit.  I thought it was the perfect Father’s Day celebration, just being together.

4)      Sunday night, shortly before bed, we discovered we needed a fuse for the air conditioning.  Daddy jetted off to try to catch the hardware store before it closed, while I put the girls to bed.  It’s rare that we don’t do our bedtime routine as a family of four, but the girls were so very well-behaved for me…the best yet.  And when Daddy came in to wish them a quick goodnight before going back outside, Baby B’s chin got all quivery that he wasn’t staying…melts my heart!

5)      On Tuesday we decided to bank another adventure, this time at the botanical gardens in Nashville.  They have a tree house exhibit up for the summer, and the girls were so excited at the prospect of climbing in and out of “houses in trees”.  We had an awesome morning, taking in all the tree houses, and hiking the nature trail.  We took in a few of the gardens, but tried to stay in the shade as much as we could.

6)      We had a great lunch at the botanical gardens.  The on-site restaurant is called the “Pineapple Room”.  The girls sat like little ladies and ate from the big-people menu.  I had to laugh this week when B asked me, “What’s a mushroom?”  You know what a mushroom is, Silly Girl.  “No, is it like a Pineapple Room?”  Hahaha!

7)      Wednesday our swim lesson was cancelled, and the girls were disappointed.  We took them to the Dairy Queen as a special treat.  [We haven’t been to the DQ in months and months…they think it’s reserved for the utmost special occasions, and I’m willing to let them maintain that view.]  They were SO excited to have a vanilla ice cream there.

8)      One day this week I needed to pick up a few groceries.  I took Baby A with me, while B stayed home with Daddy.  Instead of going through the drive-through at the bank, A and I went inside.  “Will I get a sticker?” she asked.  And the nice teller didn’t disappoint.  I asked A what was on her sticker.  “A light bulb.”  And what’s he wearing?  “Sunglasses.”  What do you call that when an inanimate object has a face like that?  “Personification!”

9)      While Baby A and I were gone, Baby B worked on writing her letters with her daddy.  She was so proud to show me the E and F she’d written when we got home.

10)   Friday was our wedding anniversary, so we wanted a fun family day.  We ate breakfast out, a very rare treat, and then hiked our favorite local park for a couple of hours.  By then it was time for lunch, and we all enjoyed our favorite sushi restaurant.  I’ve ordered the girls a [cooked] crunchy shrimp roll the past few times we’ve had sushi, and they think they’re such big girls!  And they remembered to tell Mr. Joe, the owner, "Konichiwa!" when we walked in.

11)   Saturday Baby A had constructed a “computer” out of two puzzle boxes.  She was pretending to type emails to all the pets that we know in the neighborhood.  She kept dictating, “[Name], I love you so much and I give you great big hugs, good night!”

12)   Daddy occasionally goes to get bagels on Sunday mornings, and sometimes he’ll take one of the girls with him.  This morning I decided to switch things up a bit…I asked the girls if they wanted to come with me.  B was so excited to tell Daddy we were going…”The three of us!  Mommy, B, and A!” 

13)   The girls are getting really good at holding hands.  If I need one hand for something, I can tell them to squeeze each others’ hand really tightly, and they are very focused in not letting go.  At least when it’s not crowded out and about, this makes going and doing so much easier!

Very thankful for many blessings of fabulousness!