Jay and Julie

I haven't recorded in a long time. The girls have really become better at speaking since December. 

I wrote the following on Jan. 10:

I gave the girls cheddar cheese and then put the last of the package on Theo's sandwich.

Miri asked for more cheese so Jay gave her swiss. She ate some and he gave her more.

Then Jay got up and Miri said to me, "Yellow cheese."

I got our another package of cheddar and Miri gobbled up the cheese I gave her. 

Then she handed me the piece of swiss and told me, "Not good cheese."

At least it sounded like that. I didn't know she knew how to say, "Not good."

It was so funny.

I wrote this just the other night on Apr. 5:

One night the kids had been playing in the hose water, despite it being 70 degrees out. I finally threw the shivering kids into the bathtub.

After getting out of the bath, the girls were cold again. I wrapped them in blankets but told them I'd get them pajamas. They didn't want to get them on.

I said, "Look, jammies! Warm, warm, warm!"

Miri countered, "Shirt, warm, warm, warm!"

So that's why they are wearing shirts and soft pants to bed. Wendy already had warm pajamas on but immediately took hers off because Miri made clothes sound so much fun.

Other things from the last 3 months

While the girls can use sentences now (ish "du du du" tends to be used instead of prepositions) they don't understand everything. 

Miri came out with something of Theo's. I asked where she got it from and she told me what it was. I asked again and she said, "Hand." She was telling me where it was, not where she got it from. It was still cute and I'm sure she'll learn.

They have also been singing more. They like to go out at night right before bed and look at the sky and sing "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star." Wendy especially can carry that one.

We've been just waiting for vaccines for the girls' age group, so we're still at home. Since the Omicron wave ended we have been seeing my parents, mostly outside. The kids all really love them and also love going to their yard.

While we haven't had COVID-19, we were sick 3 times in the last 4 months from things Theo brought home from school. The last time in January I was actually the one who stayed sick the longest. Of course, the girls saw the doctor and got rescue breathing meds and things. I ended up with bronchitis and after not being able to sleep much and having coughing fits I saw my doctor and she told me what I had and prescribed my first even inhaler of Albuterol. So I now have first hand knowledge of that after I've given so much to the girls. Thankfully we've been better since then.

A few weeks ago Little Foot kept getting me up in the night to be let out. He's so old -- nearly 17 years old -- that despite having a dog door he now needs help. I was very upset with him, but took him to the vet and it turned out he had a UTI, poor dog. When I described it to the vet tech, she was very nice saying, "He woke you up every 40 minutes for 5 hours last night? You must be so tired!" 

I didn't tell her I had twin toddlers and not sleeping is something that I've done before. But she was right, just because I'm used to it, I was still tired.

The girls have much longer attention spans for books these days. They love the Bunny Slopes book and the other ones in the series where you tilt the book to help the bunny ski or blow wind into the sails to help the bunny go. They've also really loved a book called Clive and His Babies, about a toddler who plays with his dolls. It's one of those books that is so simple yet they are obsessed and they have had more fun with their own dolls since we got that book.

Theo still reads a lot. He would get more books if he could be convinced to return the library books he already has out. He especially likes the Dragon Masters series, Diary of an Eight Bit Warrior, and Phoebe and Her Unicorn. He does still enjoy reading the picture books I bring home for the girls too. He reads after official bedtime for an hour each night, as well as reading in the daytime, especially on library day.

Miri

 

Wendy put herself to sleep

Back in January where they were just learning to use the big swings
Wendy is in the pink and Miriam is in Theo's old crocheted navy sweater.
They love the bobble hats.

The girls get into the bathrooms any chance they get. Wendy went after the conditioner, calling it lotion. I told her to come out of the bathroom and said that it wasn't lotion, but conditioner for your hair. The next day I found her like this. See how she remembered it was for her hair?
Since then Jay has installed a lock that Theo can undo but the girls can't.

Theo can't sleep without all his books

Wendy and Theo

They were chanting, "Ice cream! Ice cream!"
My little spider babies.
They have since learned to open the freezer. 

While Theo's school (which requires uniforms on most days) didn't allow Theo to wear his Halloween costume, they have Spirit days and so he dressed up as Runt from Diary of an Eight Bit Warrior (he's a villager character turned warrior)
The school gave very little notice, but Jay put that together in like 5 minutes the morning of. He was so happy about it he wore it all day, even when the long sleeves got hot.
I'm glad he got to dress up as a Minecraft thing.

The girls helped me make pumpkin muffins. While I put on the topping and put them in the oven, I wondered what I should do with the rest of the can of pumpkin. I turned around and found that they were spooning it into the bowl and cups and squishing it in their hands. They were delighted. I didn't use the pumpkin in anything else, and that's okay.

Don't be fooled. The hair never lasts long before they pull it out.

Wendy feeding Little Foot. The picture doesn't do justice just how cute this was.

Life with kids

We got sleeping tents for the girls. Wendy especially sleeps better and they help my crib escapers not bother each other so we can all sleep. 
Also, Jay painted the ugly red accent wall the nice green color.

Daddy jungle gym

The girls love pockets so much. Miriam found a pocket in Wendy's overalls (thanks for the clothes, Jenna), and put her hand in. Wendy was very unhappy about it. 
I did stop Miriam after taking the picture.
Behind them you can see the rings Jay installed into studs that we tie those sleeping tents to. It stops the girls from traveling in their tents.