My Faith and Joy… and Boys!

I’m happy to report that the girls slept better last night, and while they aren’t completely back to normal yet, I think they’re on the mend.  Susanna still has times of the day where she doesn’t want to be out of my arms, which made picture-taking a bit difficult this afternoon.  But I managed to shoot a quick video while the girls were occupied with their dinner.  I thought I would give you a glimpse into their current unwieldy utensil-wielding status.  They don’t manage to get much in their mouths when using a spoon (or even two, in Susie’s case), but they sure have fun trying. 

DISCLAIMER: Don’t watch this video if you’re queasy about seeing messy mouths combined with runny noses (ahem…that’s you, Jim!).

Because my previous attempt at simple entertainment was so well received by the girls, I figured I would continue the trend with some more old-fashioned toys: a ball and string.  

At first, the girls were a little befuddled by the simplicity of my suggestion:  Here’s a ball, here’s some string.  Go play!  

I think Susie was looking for the ball’s on-off switch.

But soon, the kids did what kids do best – they improvised.  They wore the string as a bracelet and a headband.  They played tug-of-war.  And of course, they played the classic game of keep-away.  Twins are especially well-practiced at the game of keep-away.   

These games only kept them entertained for a few minutes while I tried to clean up from dinner, but it gave me hope that the girls don’t need fancy toys to keep them occupied.  They don’t need flashing lights or remote controls to pass the time.

But don’t tell their Dad!

Ah, the joys of easy entertainment.  At 17 months old, the girls don’t need video games, iPods, or Barbie dolls. 

All they need is a pillow in the middle of the room.

Their lack of balance and coordination does the rest. 

This isn’t exactly a thrilling video, but it gives you the flavor of our evening.  Three cheers for mindless fun!

On Tuesdays, we typically head out to a local toddler Story Hour, which means that the girls miss their morning nap.  It’s a small price to pay for the socialization – for them and for me.  The girls’ weariness is generally overcome by their excitement at interacting with (or just watching, slack-jawed) other small children.  It’s not until we arrive back home that their fatigue catches up with them, and they wander around the house, whining and restless.  Now that I think about it, maybe their behavior is due less to lack of sleep, and more to the disappointment at once again being home with only each other and me to look at all day…hmm…In any case, the three of us are always very ready for their afternoon nap to come.

I was especially eager today for the girls to rest, as I’ve been fighting a persistent headache, and I was hoping to be able to lay down for a few minutes while the girls slept.  So when it was nearly naptime, I gathered Becky into my lap and asked her in what I assumed was a rhetorical voice, “What time is it?”  To my surprise, she looked up and said, “Nigh-Nigh!” (translation: Night-Night, which is what I call naptime).  I nearly cried tears of joy, both because I considered this to be her first word, and because I was really ready for all of us to go to bed.  I thoroughly congratulated her on her intelligence and perceptiveness, and ushered the girls upstairs. 

Becky was indeed ready for naptime, and she took a good long sleep, but Susie must have decided that since she wasn’t the one to respond to my question, she wasn’t going to go “Nigh-Nigh.”  She alternatingly fussed and played in her crib for the duration of their naptime, which meant that sleep eluded me as well.  However, I was instead able to use the time to get some much-needed cleaning done, and fortunately my headache subsided somewhat as well. 

I’m not completely positive that “Nigh-Nigh” is in fact Becky’s first word, because on New Year’s Day, she might have uttered a version of “Cracker” or “Cookie” that sounded like “cuh-cuh.”  But I wasn’t sure if she had spoken the word spontaneously, or she was simply repeating the sounds after I said them.  Both girls are getting better at that.  They can repeat “Hi” (“Eye-eee”), “Tommy” (“Tah-eee), “Yay,” and my niece Alli will be happy to know that Susie even repeated her name this evening (“Ayeee”), but they don’t say any of those things without me saying them first.  And of course, they’ve been saying “Mama,” “Dada,” and also “Bubba,” which is their collective name for Jim’s parents.  So while my mom confidently informs me that my first word was “Light,” I’m not similarly certain of the girls’ first words.  But for the sake of their baby book (which, for all intents and purposes, is this blog), I’m announcing that Becky’s first word is “Nigh-Nigh.”  Does she get extra points for the two syllables?

But all this “Nigh-Nigh” talk is making me sleepy.  I’m going to go join the girls in slumberland.  Nigh-Nigh, dear readers!

Becky: “Wheee!  I love it when Kim uses me to do her bicep curls!”

Becky: “Maybe if I sit really still, no one will notice me here and I can stay and play longer.”

Susie: “Where’s the horn on this thing?  Get outta my way, Becky!”

Susie: “These are our champion smiles.  We make a good racing team!”

Adrianna (on right):”You better not come near my toys, Becky!”

Susie: “I love sitting on Aunt Joyce’s lap when I get to munch on treats and learn tricks from Uncle Joe like sliding my bottle across the table.”

Susie: “Yeah – family is the best – but dessert is right up there.”

Susie (on floor in front of couch): “You’re all looking at me, right?”

Susie: “I found a new Wii balance board.  It’s softer on my feet.”

Susie: “Oh no!  Mama found us!  It’s all Megan’s fault for exposing me to Trouble – with a Capital T that rhymes with P that stands for POOL!”

Susie: “Here, Beck – you take this phone.  I’m ready for an upgrade.”

Becky: “Woohoo!  I’m gonna call my cousins and tell them we wish they were here!”

Becky: “I’m doing my best Joe Cool impersonation.  Is it working?”

Becky: “We’re such good drivers now, I think we can help Dad with the trip home.”