Thursday, September 24, 2009
Doe in the Headlights
Caleb and Joshua wrapped up their second week of preschool today. They love going to preschool and their teacher can't seem to tell me enough how "sweet" she thinks they are. Today when she was telling me how sweet they are, she likened them to "a doe in the headlights". Metaphorically speaking, I guess the preschool experience is the vehicle coming towards them at full speed, and instead of freaking out or running away, our boys calmly face it head-on with a great sense of wonderment and awe. Anyway, I'll take it as a compliment since I'm pretty sure that's what she intended! It's nice to hear someone else (especially someone who has spent a lot of time with a lot of other 3 and 4-year-olds) tell us how sweet our boys are. Anyone who has spent enough time with them knows that they haven't always been little angels. I guess in the grand scheme of preschoolers, they really aren't that terrible after all!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Twins' First Week of Preschool
The twins have completed their first week of preschool, and from what we can tell, it went really well! Joshua was excited about it from the get-go, but Caleb was hesitant and wanted Mommy to stay with him at preschool. The great thing about this preschool is that it's a co-op, so Joe or I will be helping out in the classroom once every 2 weeks, which should make both boys very happy.
On the first day of preschool the boys seemed a little disoriented when I dropped them off, which was to be expected. When I went to pick them up, though, their eyes lit up as soon as they saw me and they ran towards me, exclaiming, "Mommy, did you have fun at preschool?!" which means, "Mommy, I had fun at preschool!" We're hoping that, among other things, preschool will help the boys learn how to speak in the first person. :) When I asked them what they did at preschool, they told me they ate muffins and watermelon, washed their hands, sat in chairs and read a book with their teacher, cleaned up, listened to music, and saw chickens and bunnies. That's right, their preschool has its own chicken coop and each classroom has its own bunny! As you can imagine, this was a major selling point for me. ;)
Their teacher, Mrs. Lavergne, told me that Caleb and Joshua are such good boys and that they're adapting to the concept of "school" better than she expected. Most of their classmates have already been to preschool for a year or two, so the boys have some catching up to do. She said she feels like she's overloading them with new information, but that they're handling it really well. She told me that they are learning how to sit in a circle, carry their chairs correctly, and pour water from a pitcher into their cups, among other things. Mrs. Lavergne did mention that Caleb and Joshua definitely have their own "twin thing" going on and that they like to stick together. I'm so thankful that they have each other to help ease this transition to school which might have otherwise been difficult. Sometimes I feel sorry for Moses because he doesn't have a twin, but then I figure that most of the rest of us are singletons who successfully navigated the rough waters of childhood on our own. Having a twin with whom to share the journey is simply an extra special blessing!
On the first day of preschool the boys seemed a little disoriented when I dropped them off, which was to be expected. When I went to pick them up, though, their eyes lit up as soon as they saw me and they ran towards me, exclaiming, "Mommy, did you have fun at preschool?!" which means, "Mommy, I had fun at preschool!" We're hoping that, among other things, preschool will help the boys learn how to speak in the first person. :) When I asked them what they did at preschool, they told me they ate muffins and watermelon, washed their hands, sat in chairs and read a book with their teacher, cleaned up, listened to music, and saw chickens and bunnies. That's right, their preschool has its own chicken coop and each classroom has its own bunny! As you can imagine, this was a major selling point for me. ;)
Their teacher, Mrs. Lavergne, told me that Caleb and Joshua are such good boys and that they're adapting to the concept of "school" better than she expected. Most of their classmates have already been to preschool for a year or two, so the boys have some catching up to do. She said she feels like she's overloading them with new information, but that they're handling it really well. She told me that they are learning how to sit in a circle, carry their chairs correctly, and pour water from a pitcher into their cups, among other things. Mrs. Lavergne did mention that Caleb and Joshua definitely have their own "twin thing" going on and that they like to stick together. I'm so thankful that they have each other to help ease this transition to school which might have otherwise been difficult. Sometimes I feel sorry for Moses because he doesn't have a twin, but then I figure that most of the rest of us are singletons who successfully navigated the rough waters of childhood on our own. Having a twin with whom to share the journey is simply an extra special blessing!
7 Months for Moses
Moses is 7 months old today! In the past week or so he's figured out how to get into a sitting position on his own, and he likes to bounce up and down while perched on his bum. He loves crawling around the house scavenging for all the toys and knick-knacks his brothers leave lying around. It's so nice living in a house with no stairs- one less thing to worry about!
Moses has also started babbling. He says "Ma-ma-ma-ma" when he wants me to hold him or feed him. He also likes to say "Na-na-na-na" when he's in a playful mood. He loves playing with his older brothers, and Joshua is especially good at entertaining him. Joshua will stand across the room from Moses and say "koochi koochi coo!" while running in place, squinting his eyes, scrunching up his nose, and shaking his head. This act never fails to send Moses into a fit of giggles, complete with batting his arms and kicking his feet in delight.
And if for no other reason than to prove that there is no such thing as a perfect baby, Moses has decided to be a little more demanding recently. He whines and pouts when he wants me to hold him, which is almost every waking moment. Mind you, this wouldn't be a huge inconvenience if Moses weighed as much as an average 7-month old baby (most people assume he's a toddler and are shocked when I tell them how old he really is). His two top front teeth are coming in, so I'm assuming that has something to do with his sudden spike in neediness. But considering he still sleeps about 9 hours straight each night on a regular basis, I have absolutely no reason to complain!
Moses has also started babbling. He says "Ma-ma-ma-ma" when he wants me to hold him or feed him. He also likes to say "Na-na-na-na" when he's in a playful mood. He loves playing with his older brothers, and Joshua is especially good at entertaining him. Joshua will stand across the room from Moses and say "koochi koochi coo!" while running in place, squinting his eyes, scrunching up his nose, and shaking his head. This act never fails to send Moses into a fit of giggles, complete with batting his arms and kicking his feet in delight.
And if for no other reason than to prove that there is no such thing as a perfect baby, Moses has decided to be a little more demanding recently. He whines and pouts when he wants me to hold him, which is almost every waking moment. Mind you, this wouldn't be a huge inconvenience if Moses weighed as much as an average 7-month old baby (most people assume he's a toddler and are shocked when I tell them how old he really is). His two top front teeth are coming in, so I'm assuming that has something to do with his sudden spike in neediness. But considering he still sleeps about 9 hours straight each night on a regular basis, I have absolutely no reason to complain!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Up, Up, and Away!
Moses has started pulling himself up. The plant table, chair legs, and upside down laundry baskets have all been deemed suitable bolsters for our little explorer. He hasn't pulled himself up into a standing position yet, but he does enjoy hoisting himself up into a kneeling position and taking in the view before settling himself down into a sitting position. Moses has also perfected the art of crawling. His favorite bait is his brothers' brightly colored Polliwalks (mock Crocs), which he enjoys gnawing on with his two (soon to be three) teeth. He also has an adorable habit of locating me in the room, crawling towards me at full speed, and pulling himself up onto me with a big happy smile :)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Moses is Crawling
Moses started crawling today! He's been rocking his booty and taking a practice "step" or two here and there for a few weeks now, but this afternoon he crawled half way across the living room! Joe and I were both in attendance to witness this exciting milestone.
The object of his desire that motivated him to crawl was a soft blue stuffed elephant. At 6 months + 1 week old, Moses has acheived mobility more than 3 months earlier than the twins did. It must be true what they say about younger siblings developing more quickly to keep up with the big kids!
The object of his desire that motivated him to crawl was a soft blue stuffed elephant. At 6 months + 1 week old, Moses has acheived mobility more than 3 months earlier than the twins did. It must be true what they say about younger siblings developing more quickly to keep up with the big kids!
Hold it Right There, Mister
Here's a sampling of some of the phrases that we've been hearing a lot in our house lately.
"Hold it right there, mister!"
The twins learned this from their beloved Gospel Bill Show DVDs in which Dry Gulch's Sheriff Gospel Bill uses this line when he apprehends outlaws. Sometimes the boys will station themselves across the room from each other as if they are dueling, and slowly enunciate, "Hold it right there, mister" in unison. They sometimes pretend that their toy hammer is Gospel Bill's gun. They also have been known to say, "Hold it right there, Mommy!" while sporting a mischevious grin.
"Oh dear!"
They say this when they're having difficulty with something, such as when they're struggling to pull their size 2-3T Thomas underwear (which they are reluctant to retire) up over their size 4T butts, or when they're attempting to re-fasten the wheel onto the axel of their wooden car.
"Oh, baby sweetheart!"
They say this when they spill something on themselves or make some other kind of mess and want to enourage me to be sympathetic with them rather than angry.
"Good stuff!"
Used to describe a palatable morsel, the boys sometimes alternatively say "good duff", then proceed to correct each other, saying, "No, it's good 'STUFF', not good 'duff'."
"Where's my meat?"
They started saying this the week they went to Vacation Bible School, so at first I assumed it was something they picked up from another kid. Of all the things they could've learned from their peers, it didn't seem so bad, just weird. Then it occurred to me that a more likely source is the book "Snow" in which the characters say "we have our bread, we have our meat, give us something good to eat".
"Jo-na-than! Jo-na-than!"
This is said in a sing-songy chant, over and over and over again. It almost sounds like they are taunting someone named Jonathan, but it's actually an affectionate tribute to Joe's former co-worker who played in the pool with them at the company picnic a couple months ago.
"Hold it right there, mister!"
The twins learned this from their beloved Gospel Bill Show DVDs in which Dry Gulch's Sheriff Gospel Bill uses this line when he apprehends outlaws. Sometimes the boys will station themselves across the room from each other as if they are dueling, and slowly enunciate, "Hold it right there, mister" in unison. They sometimes pretend that their toy hammer is Gospel Bill's gun. They also have been known to say, "Hold it right there, Mommy!" while sporting a mischevious grin.
"Oh dear!"
They say this when they're having difficulty with something, such as when they're struggling to pull their size 2-3T Thomas underwear (which they are reluctant to retire) up over their size 4T butts, or when they're attempting to re-fasten the wheel onto the axel of their wooden car.
"Oh, baby sweetheart!"
They say this when they spill something on themselves or make some other kind of mess and want to enourage me to be sympathetic with them rather than angry.
"Good stuff!"
Used to describe a palatable morsel, the boys sometimes alternatively say "good duff", then proceed to correct each other, saying, "No, it's good 'STUFF', not good 'duff'."
"Where's my meat?"
They started saying this the week they went to Vacation Bible School, so at first I assumed it was something they picked up from another kid. Of all the things they could've learned from their peers, it didn't seem so bad, just weird. Then it occurred to me that a more likely source is the book "Snow" in which the characters say "we have our bread, we have our meat, give us something good to eat".
"Jo-na-than! Jo-na-than!"
This is said in a sing-songy chant, over and over and over again. It almost sounds like they are taunting someone named Jonathan, but it's actually an affectionate tribute to Joe's former co-worker who played in the pool with them at the company picnic a couple months ago.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Hi, Man! Hi, Woman!
The twins are on a mission to cordially greet everyone who crosses their paths these days. From fellow grocery store patrons to the homeless guy at the stoplight begging for cash, the boys aren't afraid to extend a friendly greeting. The worst is when a shady-looking guy rings the doorbell in the middle of the day and my efforts to feign absence are foiled when the boys precariously perch themselves on the arm of the recliner, and while balancing themselves on the window sill, brush the vertical blinds aside and wave their hands while yelling, "HI, MAN!" over and over again until they gain said man's attention. At that point I just make sure the door is deadbolted and pray that the strange man will quickly retreat and proceed along his merry way to harass some other stay-at-home-mom.
Albeit unusual to hear coming from a 3-year-old's mouth, "Hi, man" is not an entirely socially unacceptable salutation. "Hi, woman," however, is much less acceptable nowadays than it was when Jesus walked the Earth. Unfortunately, this has not kept the boys from merrily greeting total strangers by chirping, "Hi, woman!" Most women who are greeted by the boys in this manner are forgiving--their countenances slightly contort as if to say, "Did he really just say that?" and they giggle politely. Only once did a rather sour woman retort, "Yes, I am a woman". I was so embarrassed. After that incident, we tried especially hard to teach the boys to say "Hi, ma'am" in lieu of "Hi, woman," but since the difference between "ma'am" and "man" is so subtle, this proved to be rather confusing for the boys. We decided that it'd probably be even worse for the boys to accidentally say, "Hi, man" when addressing a lady, so we initially didn't press the issue. But after a few weeks of persistent drilling, they now understand the difference and enjoy correcting each other.
Imagine me navigating an aisle at Trader Joe's with a cartful for groceries and three little boys in tow. We pass a person of the female persuasion, and the following conversation ensues:
Joshua: "Hi, woman!"
Caleb: "No, Joshua. It's hi MAN!"
Joshua: "No, Caleb, it's hi, ma-MUH!"
Caleb: "That's right. Hi, ma-MUH!"
The amused woman chuckles kindly and I muster an apologetic smile, wondering how someone as fiercely introverted as myself could have possibly given birth to such extroverted children!
Albeit unusual to hear coming from a 3-year-old's mouth, "Hi, man" is not an entirely socially unacceptable salutation. "Hi, woman," however, is much less acceptable nowadays than it was when Jesus walked the Earth. Unfortunately, this has not kept the boys from merrily greeting total strangers by chirping, "Hi, woman!" Most women who are greeted by the boys in this manner are forgiving--their countenances slightly contort as if to say, "Did he really just say that?" and they giggle politely. Only once did a rather sour woman retort, "Yes, I am a woman". I was so embarrassed. After that incident, we tried especially hard to teach the boys to say "Hi, ma'am" in lieu of "Hi, woman," but since the difference between "ma'am" and "man" is so subtle, this proved to be rather confusing for the boys. We decided that it'd probably be even worse for the boys to accidentally say, "Hi, man" when addressing a lady, so we initially didn't press the issue. But after a few weeks of persistent drilling, they now understand the difference and enjoy correcting each other.
Imagine me navigating an aisle at Trader Joe's with a cartful for groceries and three little boys in tow. We pass a person of the female persuasion, and the following conversation ensues:
Joshua: "Hi, woman!"
Caleb: "No, Joshua. It's hi MAN!"
Joshua: "No, Caleb, it's hi, ma-MUH!"
Caleb: "That's right. Hi, ma-MUH!"
The amused woman chuckles kindly and I muster an apologetic smile, wondering how someone as fiercely introverted as myself could have possibly given birth to such extroverted children!
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