Morning Musings

I have a lot to write about, so I hope this doesn’t get too boring. Remembering that our target audience is mostly family and our dear grandmas (related or not), this shouldn’t be so bad for most of you. It’s just some reflections.

Sometimes growth happens so gradually that it’s hard for me to record. With the twins, since they are not my first, I have a more difficult time remembering or realizing when something is a true first for them. For instance, this morning Patrick said, “It’s over, Joe Joe” – Patrick reflecting on the end of a Wiggles video. This seems like the first full sentence that he came up with on his own. I could be wrong. They talk a lot but it struck me as different this morning. We also had a mini conversation. It went something like this:

Patrick: Hi, Mommy!
Mommy: Hi, Patrick! How are you doing?
Patrick: Good!

Other gradual growth changes: Patrick and Luke can eat with forks now. They LOVE to use them, even for things like chicken nuggets. I think it makes them feel grown up. They also walk up and down the stairs without putting their hands on the stairs, now. I can’t remember when I stopped being obsessive about Joe going up and down the stairs or when we stopped using the gate. I don’t think I’m quite ready for that now, mostly because I want to be able to keep them corralled when I need it.

The twins can also eat yogurt and oatmeal with their spoons and it isn’t a total mess (it does require some serious wipe down afterward, but less and less everyday) Also, they can pretty much say whatever words they want, but it’s mostly repeating and they continue to struggle to communicate their needs. It causes them a lot of frustration, which results in a lot of crying and whining.

Last week, we visited a park that we went to at the beginning of the summer. I was totally amazed at the things the twins could do that they couldn’t do just two months earlier. They also sing, which is totally precious. Luke especially will sing “Muffin Man” and the theme to “Elmo’s World” from Sesame Street. I’ve heard him singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” but with different (made up?) words. It’s beautiful to hear his little voice.

Finally, a few days ago, Scott forgot to put down their little bath mat in the tub to keep them from slipping. No one drowned in the tub that day. From the infant tub to the sink to their little blue seats and finally to the suction cup mat, we have always needed excess equipment just to keep everyone safe. Now, we don’t need anything. Maybe someday feeding will be this way, too. No more bibs, baby silverware, seats, trays, sippy cups. That’s just not something I can even imagine yet.

Joe is not growing as much as he is learning. Joe’s new phrase is “I want to do it all by myself!!” He said this about tying his shoes the other day. Good luck with that. Another big development for Joe is his ability to use a mouse. It’s something that takes a lot of hand-eye coordination and some fine motor skills, so I was totally shocked when he maneuvered and clicked successfully after only a few tries. He played 3 whole games of Zoe’s Animal Shelter sorting game from Sesame Street. Joe also started tracing his letters. He got bored around letter E, but for our first attempt, I was impressed. I wonder if he had the ability for a while, but we only just tried it now. Even though he won’t be in school for a while, I guess he’s almost considered a “preschooler.” I can’t believe how quickly he’s grown.