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.

***

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!

Larger Than Life

Baby A came home a few weeks ago with a paper to let us know that her art teacher had selected a piece of her artwork to display at a pop-up gallery at a local ad agency.  The teacher could only select four pieces from the entire school...and our A was among them!  What a great honor!

Baby A was super excited, counting down the days until the "gallery opening" and reception.  (Baby B was tolerant of A's excitement...but she didn't quite share the same level of glee.)

The big day finally arrived.  I left work a few minutes early, and we made our way downtown to the agency.  There were quite a few people there (as each school in our district -- elementary, middle, and high school -- was represented).  A's art teacher was standing close to the door and intercepted us before we walked in.   She told A, there's a BIG surprise for you.

And a BIG surprise, it was!  We were floored to see that A's artwork had been enlarged to cover the wall inside the entrance!!!

I'm not sure that A knew what to think.  She was very focused on *how* they enlarged her art.  What was it made of?  How did it stick to the wall?  Would it come down?

She eventually warmed up to the idea and posed for pictures.

We enjoyed seeing all the art on display, and we spent plenty of time admiring the Baby A Wall.

When we left, we planned to eat somewhere downtown to celebrate our fun family evening.  Baby B had one suggestion, and A had another.  Then Baby B, of her own accord, popped out with, "Sissy, it's your special day.  You choose."

Wow.

That was a brilliant display of another kind.

Sissies Share

I can't say that my girls always share nicely, or that they always get along.  Far from it, at times.

But sometimes, they do.  And it's some kind of sweet!

Most of the girls' pajamas are matching sets.  (They rarely dress alike...and matching pajamas are my little weakness.  I cannot resist the cuteness!)  They have one set, though, that doesn't match.  One is a watermelon print, and one is an ice cream print.

I didn't realize until a couple of weeks ago that one set is more coveted.  (And I'm still not sure which it is.)  When I laid out pajamas, there was originally some fuss: "You wore that last time!  It's my turn!"

I likely said something along the lines of: "I'm not playing a referee.  You guys figure it out."  And the next thing I knew, they had!

One kiddo had on watermelon bottoms and an ice cream top, while the other sported a watermelon top and ice cream bottoms.  They looked a little silly -- bizarro twins! -- but my heart couldn't have been happier.

And then a few days later, one of the girls opted to have a blue ice pop at school as part of some special fundraising event.  The other had told me she didn't want a blue ice pop.  ("It's just colored sugar water," she told me.  HA!)

That afternoon I asked B how her blue ice pop was.  She said it was good.  And then I asked A if she regretted not getting one.  "It was fine.  Sissy shared a bite with me."

Sweetness!!!

For all those times they don't get along so perfectly, I'm recording these recent couple of gems as proof they sometimes do.

When They Need Each Other...

I think of our girls as so independent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sweet, Seven-Year Old Anticipation

I was witness yesterday to some sweet, precious, seven-year old anticipation.

Yesterday morning the girls got up and came downstairs.  I hadn’t asked them for “belly sugar” in a while, so I decided to give my luck a go.  We play a little game where they tell me what kind of kiss I can give them…ranging from little to big, and from super sweet to silly.  A “little-sweet” kiss is just a peck.  And a “big-silly” is a huge raspberry.

No matter the type of kiss they allow, I always make a big deal of preparing myself.  And seeing the light in their eyes…not knowing how much something will tickle…is golden.  I ALWAYS make good on my commitment to honor their allowance for little/big, sweet/silly, but they can hardly stand the anticipation. 

My kisses are met with a range of hugs to squeals, and it’s one more piece of “baby” I can hold onto for now amid all the “grown-up”.

And then, yesterday at lunch, Hubby met me with the girls at the hair salon.  I got a trim, as did Baby A.  When it was B’s turn, I asked if she wanted to get more than a trim, to cut her hair just below her shoulders.  She’s been growing out her bangs since last summer, and we’re almost there!

B answered with gusto right away, “Sure!”  I showed her how long her hair would be, confirming we’d still be able to do a ponytail.  She was game!  She sat in my lap, facing me.  I got to see her face, full of anticipation, no doubt proud of what she’d agreed to.

And at least as sweet was watching Baby A’s face taking it all in.  She was rapt with anticipation, too, her eyes just dancing as she watched Sissy’s hair fall to the floor.  “Do you like it, [A]?” I asked her.  “YES!  It looks AWESOME!!!”

Sweet anticipation…and sweet sissies…I couldn’t ask for anything sweeter.

The View from Behind

I chose to leave my camera in its cozy nest on Saturday morning when we went for our first family walk of the spring.  I know I missed capturing some amazing moments, but I hope they stay clear in my mind for a long time.

The morning was cool, and the girls were excited to wear their Puma track suits.  I fixed their hair – braided ponytails for both – and they skipped outside, full of energy.  Hubby and I were energetic, too, but we didn’t join the girls when they started to jog.

They took off ahead of us, jogging side by side.  How grown-up they looked in their coordinating gear, ponytails swinging as they bounced down the road.

The jogging didn’t last too long, but it gave way to skipping at one point, the girls holding hands.

What a view.

On Sunday, the girls wanted to go for a bike ride.  I reluctantly agreed.  (The last bike ride wasn’t all the pleasant, with one kiddo tiring out and having to push her bike part-way home.)  I reminded the girls of the “rules”…that they aren’t to get too far ahead of me…to stay together…to stay on the side of the road opposite traffic…to stop if a car is coming.  They committed to the challenge, so off we went.

Baby A took off first, riding to the top of the first hill to wait on Sissy and me.  Once we got closer, she took off again.  I encouraged B to catch up to A, and to wait on me at the stop sign.  The girls were off!  Baby A rode ahead most of the morning, with B following her.  I jogged (most of the time) to keep up with them.  A few times, I yelled to A to wait on us before embarking on the next leg of the journey.

How adorable it was to see the girls, again from behind, peddling hard and following the rules.  At one point I let them go down a dead-end side street (while I rested from the jog!).  They were so incredibly cute, talking with each other as they peddled side by side.

We made the full lap through the neighborhood, a solid 2 miles round-trip.  Baby A had great stamina to make it up the final big hill without stopping – a very recent feat for her!  Baby B was losing steam, but I told her she was responsible for getting home.  I was walking, with B alternately peddling and walking her bike behind me. 

At that point, I looked up to see A running towards me.  She’d ridden her bike home, and she was coming back to help her sissy.  My A disappeared over the hill, and then she and B summited together…Baby A reported she gave Sissy two pushes, and from there she jogged alongside as B made the final stretch home.

What a glorious sight!

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.

Fill 'Er Up.

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

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

Cue a big smile from Baby A.

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

Cue Baby A bouncing all around in her car seat.

{L.O.V.E.}

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

Yep.

And that fills this mama's heart right up.

This Was Big, Y'all

Baby B brought home the year’s first library book.  She chose a new Berenstain Bears story, and she was elated to tell me about it.  “Can we read it tonight???” she asked as I walked in the door from work.  A few minutes later, Baby A told me, separately, “Sissy got a Berenstain Bears book from the library!!!” 

As I was making supper, the girls were sitting on the couch in the den, looking at the book together.  I asked B if she wanted to come read to me while I was working.  She scurried right over.  And then I asked A if she wanted to come while B read.  She scurried right over, too.

I was so impressed…not only that Baby B powered through the entire book with confidence…but also that Baby A sat there, such a patient audience.  She helped her with a word or two, but she was enjoying B’s presentation.

It was a proud Mommy moment, for sure.

It was funny, though…B had read the book at school already, and she kept foreshadowing events.  “Just read!” I kept telling her.  “I want to be surprised!”

B finished the book, and it was time to eat.  “Can we read it for bedtime?” the girls asked.  "Read it to us!"  Although we were running a little late, we piled up in the den and I got my turn with the book.

Seeing my girls supporting each other in reading…that’s wholesomeness right out of a Berenstain Bears book, for sure.

This picture was taken a few weeks ago...but this is a common sight at our house these days!  Love!!!

Sister Show

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

Sleenky and Sisters.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What a great gift to come home to!!!

Super Stuff on a Saturday!

So thankful to have recorded some of the Super Stuff from around our house the past couple of weeks!

The girls aren’t always in lock-step with each other, but it’s so sweet when they are.  A few nights ago, after supper, Baby A planted a big, spontaneous hug on Baby B as we were heading into the den to play a game.  Made this mama’s heart smile!

On the way to school, Baby A was talking about how old she would be when she can drive.  “I’ll be able to drive when I’m in college…but you’ll still pick me up, right, Mommy?”  Absolutely.

Our kitty Miki is famous for wanting to sit in my lap, specifically during mealtimes.  (He’s really good and doesn’t reach for food…he just likes being there!)  He was all comfy after supper one night, and A asked if I would put him in her lap.  I did, and he sat there for the longest time.  She was in furry baby heaven!

I took the girls for ice cream cones at the Dairy Queen last weekend to celebrate A losing a tooth.  Once upon a time, this would have been major anxiety for me.  I realized most of the way through, though, that the girls were eating their cones WITHOUT MAKING ANY MESS.  Wowza.

On the way to school one morning:
B: "Mommy, what if the earth is just a tiny little spec, like in Horton Hears a Who?"
Me: "Well, it really kind of is, in the scheme of the universe."
A: "Yeah, and it would take a thousand years to reach another galaxy."
...Little minds. Big thoughts. 

Last Saturday the girls wanted to play outside for a few minutes after we got home from some errands.  We messed around with a few different toys, and then B got out a small football she got as a prize at school.  I did my best to show her how to throw it…and she did a really good job!!!  There were even a couple of nice, tight spirals!!!

Serious about football!

We watched a few minutes of the Kentucky Derby last Saturday.  Right before the race, I was caught really off guard that the girls were singing along, word for word, to "My Old Kentucky Home".  At least they can also sing Sweet Home Alabama!

Different-height Twin Problem #17. I laid out the girls' clothes for the day, which happened to include matching sweaters.  Although their jeans were different, the girls happened to put on the wrong pair.  We were running out the door when I noticed A's jeans were high waters, and B's were dragging the floor. Hee hee!  Thank goodness they were conciliatory and agreed to switch.

Outta the mouths of babes, at bedtime last Sunday night: "Mommy, why is the weekend so short? It seems like it just started! I wish it could be 10 days long."  Credit to Baby A for this unadulterated insight.

Playing on Saturday...JOY!!!

The girls were playing with magnets last weekend. They came barreling downstairs to breathlessly tell me what they'd just learned. Then, "C'mon, Sissy!  Let's go see what else we can discover!!!"

Super Stuff and a Happy Ending

Just a few super things from the last few days...

On Sunday, I let the girls take their wallets to Walmart and pick out a Lego set using their birthday money.  How I loved seeing them figuring out how much they each needed to pull from their stash.  (And how much fun we all had playing, too!!!)

The car they built by themselves...before we embarked on a much bigger challenge.

On Sunday, we got caught in heavy rain leaving the grocery store.  (It was just starting to sprinkle when we walked out, but by the time we got to the car, the rain was pouring down.)  The girls were RUNNING and LAUGHING at having gotten caught in the rain…made me smile.  And then it was so cute to hear A telling GG on the phone, “We got in a ginormous rain storm!”  [“Ginormous” is the word of the week, apparently.]  And then B added, “I’m SOAKED!” to which GG cackled.

The last couple of days, B has started wrapping the silverware before supper.  I guess she picked this up from a restaurant, and she thinks it’s the greatest.  It was so cute when she wanted to surprise Daddy the first night.  She begged him to come to the table with his eyes closed.

I woke A up on Monday morning, B having gotten up a few minutes before her.  I asked A where Sissy was, and she said, “She left.  And I don’t know where she went.”  She made it sound so serious!

We had a big rainstorm a couple of nights ago.  It’s not unusual for A to wake up, but I didn’t hear anything from her.  I asked her the next morning if she heard the storm.  “No, I guess I was too busy sleeping,” she rationalized.

I told the girls on Monday night that their new cousin would be born soon.  “Aunt T is in the hospital right now.”  “NOW???” A questioned, incredulously.  “But it’s BEDTIME!!!  When will she sleep???”  If only...

And…in the exciting conclusion of The Case of the Missing Jacket…I’m thankful to report it was located on Monday.  We are all breathing a sigh of relief.

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!!!

Sisters Helping Each Other

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Show of Sistership

("Sistership" doesn't come up as a word...but I think it should.  It's not "sisterhood" I'm striving for, exactly.  There's a big component of "sportsmanship" I'm trying to convey.  I'm rolling with it.)

The girls have been working on their valentines.  Baby A chose to make bookmarks, and B opted for the very ambitious task of making rainbow loom bracelets for everyone in her class.

Valentines are due to school today (Wednesday), and A finished her bookmarks Monday night.  B was not tracking quite as well.  As of Monday night, she still had 8 or so bracelets to make, plus she had to write her classmates' names on the package and assemble everything together.

B made a couple of bracelets before supper on Tuesday (after she finished her homework).  After supper, it was all hands on deck.  I suggested that A help B, and I was so pleasantly surprised that was amenable to everyone.

B didn't balk at wanting to do everything herself, and A didn't boast that she was already finished and had time to do something else.  Everyone pitched in, and -- although it meant we were 20 minutes late for bed -- we got it done!

While B concentrated on writing her classmates' names on the cards, A finished making the last few bracelets.  She then helped me put the bracelets in the little bags.  And then she painted some cardstock that B would need to finish off the envelopes.  That was a big test in my mind.  Both girls LOVE to do anything with paint.  But B didn't bat an eye when A -- solo -- got to don her smock and do her thing with some paint and a Q-tip.

I love how the girls' valentines turned out.  I love that they wanted to make something for their classmates.  But above all, I love-love-love how they banded together to get the task done on Tuesday night.

This is a great valentine present to this mama...seeing my girlies working towards a common goal so seamlessly.

Happy Valentine's Day to me!!!

Things I'm Loving This Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'm loving it!

SUPER STUFF!!!

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!!!

Super Stuff on a Sunday!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So thankful for lots of SUPER!