Kindergarten Graduation Take 2

Finally, we are done with Kindergarten!  These two are officially first graders, and boy, are they ready!

click to view larger

We have been learning a huge lesson about fairness and how life is not fair.  Gracie earned a medal for citizenship and Lucas earned two medals, one for academic excellence and one for leadership. Gracie is having a hard time because Lucas is so confident about what he knows and Gracie is terrified to be wrong.  She hesitates and, as a result, people think she does not know as much as she actually does. Lucas is super speedy and can read with confidence.  He is really fast at math and can add and subtract in his head like nobody's business.  Gracie loves to draw, read, and write.  She especially loves to pretend she is a teacher and "grade" all of the books in her room.

This should be our last year in a classroom together! Hello, grade school!

Glasses for two

Other than her eyes, Gracie does not resemble me one bit. And to be honest, her eye color is very much her Daddy's so even those don't look like me. One thing we both have in common is that we are now both the proud owners of glasses.

Apparently, we both read a lot.

Daddy and Tio Joey's Big Day

In about 12 hours, the day we have been waiting for will be here.  Tomorrow morning, Tio Joey will go into surgery so that the doctors can remove one of his kidneys.  That kidney will then be transplanted into Daddy.  It's a big, huge day for them tomorrow.

We've been very anxious, trying to catch up with lots of things, recording Daddy singing lullabies for Gracie and Lukie (apparently, I don't sing well enough), and trying to just enjoy one another.  The road to recovery is going to be long and difficult for Daddy and we wanted to make sure to get as much in as we possibly could.

But tonight, in preparation for the big surgery, we celebrate Tio Joey.  He has gone through so much to make tomorrow possible.  He's changed his diet, lost 35 pounds (weight we did not think he had to lose), and spent hours traveling to see doctors for test after test.  He never hesitated when Daddy asked if he would be tested;  none of the tios hesitated.  They all volunteered to give Daddy a kidney.  That amount of love cannot be quantified here or anywhere.  They are simply amazing.

So tonight, we want to say "thank you" to Tio Joey for giving our Daddy a second chance at a good life with us.  We love you, Tio Joey!

Tio Freddy, Daddy, a fierce Lukie, and Tio Joey celebrating Daddy's 40th Birthday

Boys have a penis. Girls have a vagina.

Oh, yeah. I went there.

I read a lot of things about describing body parts when Gracie and Luke were super little. Pretty much every expert agreed that giving "cutsy" names to body parts would only serve to confuse the Twinsies and lead to confusion in their communication with adults. So, when Lukie pointed down and said, "What's that, Mommy?" I was honest.

"It's your penis, Lukie."
"My penis?"
"Yep."
He asked me about 50 more times, but I won't bore you with the back and forth.

Once Lukie knew what his special body part was called Gracie got in on the action. "What's this, Mommy?"
"It's your vagina, Gracie." (I know they are labia, but I opted for vagina. Sue me. She's my daughter.)
"Bagina?"
"V. Vvvvagina."
"My bagina?" And so forth.

Our discussion of the penis and vagina led to a discussion of boys versus girls. I am happy to report that both Gracie and Luke are able to correctly identify everyone in their lives by their gender.
Mommy = girl
Daddy = boy
Lukie = boy
Gracie = girl
Tio Freddy = boy
Baby Emmy = girl
and so on...

The fun part is that they love to say "penis" and "vagina." So much so, that Daddy has been incredibly embarrassed in front of nurses at Kaiser.


Please excuse my cellphone video.

Where the Heck are Gracie and Lukie?

Oh, stop! Have you really been asking that question? Really?

Some of you actually have. To be honest, we've been right here. I've thought almost every day about coming to update, but honestly, I've been enjoying Gracie and Luke too much to take the time. I apologize for that. Prepare to be bombarded with news!

Item 1: Learning, Learning, Learning
Daycare, also known as preschool, has been a ton of fun lately. I can tell because the laundry I've been doing is full of dirt, finger paints, glue and feathers. We've received weekly reports on the Twinsies. Apparently, they sometimes remember their numbers, sometimes remember their shapes, and sometimes remember their colors. Which is weird, because they always remember them with me. Hmmmm. Performance anxiety? I don't know. We've also tried our hand at potty training. But let's face it. Gracie and Luke are just not ready. They think the potty is exciting, but unless someone runs them there, they will happily pee in their pants. Not fun. They like underwear, though, so we'll keep trying them on.


Item 2: Talking, Talking, Talking
I can remember when I wished Gracie and Luke could express themselves. I no longer need to wish for that. Both of them are very good at communicating (when they want to) and their vocabulary is changing like crazy. I've been a bit sad, actually. Other people's kids mispronounce things in cutsy ways. Not Gracie and Luke. The most exciting thing they mispronounce is "strawbaberries." Well, there is Lukie's pronunciation of anything with an "r" sound in it. For example: "dey-er" (there). They've gotten so good at talking, I thought I would interview them.


Item 3: Playing, Playing, Playing
During Spring Break, I took Gracie and Lukie to the park almost every day. It was great to get out and we tried to go to a different park each time. Some trips were more successful than others. I counted any trip where we got back into the car in one piece as a success. Of course, I noticed somethings while visiting the park: 1) Lukie only likes to play with Gracie, but at the park, he's a total loner. 2) Gracie could make friends with the meanest person on the planet and they'd smile and play with her for an hour.


Item 4: Singing, Singing, Singing
Just as their vocabulary has exploded, their singing has too. They have many songs memorized and love to sing. We do have to hear "Round and round" about 50 times when Gracie gets stuck on "The Wheels on the Bus". By far, the best is "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Gracie says, "Bup, a-bup the world so high..." Lukie likes to make up his own songs. Daddy and I sit there trying to translate. I'm afraid we just don't speak "Lukese." Although, yesterday, his song sounded like "A Fed-co," but then, how would he know about Fedco? They closed before Ed and I even got married. Here's their latest favorite. A song I sing just for them.


I have lots more to share, but I don't want to overwhelm you!

Today's Score: Twinsies 298 - Mommy and Daddy 0

They're winning.
How do I know?
They whine. They cry. They throw themselves on the floor. They run away.
They get what they want. Because it is easier that way.
I don't know how it got like this. We were doing really well. Then, it seemed like overnight our pleasant Twinsies turned into mean talking, hitting, whining, and generally unpleasant 2 year-olds.
Daddy and I have started to sound like the parents we never wanted to be. We yell, we threaten, we use time-out as a punishment instead of a time to step back. Everything is a battle and we are weary.

Just like with everything else in our lives, we know what we are supposed to do, we know what we are supposed to say and yet, we don't. Why is that? John Rosemond, in his book, Making the Terrible Twos Terrific, says that the battle we do now to establish our role as the parents and the Twinsies role as the children will have long lasting effects. In fact, he says that if we don't establish our role as the "alpha dog", if you will, then the Twinsies' teenage years will be the most horrific of experiences. He isn't talking about us beating them down to always do our will because they are scared of us. Rather, he is talking about them doing what we ask, behaving as we ask, because they know it is what they are expected to do.

So, I sit here now, weary, heartsick, and feeling beaten. Why does this have to be such a battle? Why can't they be good listeners? Why can't I find the right words to inspire them to listen to me? Why do I have to fail at every turn?

Because really, they aren't winning. We are all losing.

Cheese!

Gracie and Luke never let me take pictures of them. They always turn away or hide when ever they see the camera coming. Thus, the lack of pictures recently.

Tonight, they had a special treat of McDonald's for dinner. When I approached with the camera, they actually let me take pictures! Yay!

They even smiled for me!

We spent the rest of time after dinner watching the original Ice Age movie and worrying about the baby and the Mommy and Daddy. Much conversation and reassurance seems to be required now a days when something scary happens in a movie or in real life. Daddy and I don't mind explaining things to Gracie and Luke. They are just trying to make sense of their worlds.

We ended the night with a round of Hide and Seek and a reminder that Lukie is "6!" Not 2.

Operation Bye-Bye Binky - A Success!

I'm here to raise my hand and say: "My toddlers are binky free!"

I'll admit, I thought it would be awful. I thought bedtime would be a battle and naps would completely disappear. I thought the world would come tumbling down around us. And it didn't.

The first few days were really tough. Last Saturday made me want to cry and tear my hair out. The couple of nights we've been up for a few hours around 2 am made me want to cry and lock myself in my room.

But, every day, they've asked fewer and fewer times for their binkies. Then, yesterday, nothing. No mention of the word "binky" at all! And today, nope! No mention of binkies!

I think that qualifies as a success!

What I find most amazing about saying Bye-bye to the binkies is the change that has overcome Gracie and Luke. They were chatty before, but I couldn't understand most of it around the binkies. They played before, but were calmer and more likely to sit than play in the house. Now, they are talking all the time and running around our living room like crazy. They hop, skip, jump, play hide-and-seek. They smile and laugh and sing and read books to us and make monster sounds. They seem to have more energy and more joy.

Were the binkies really holding them back? Were they keeping Gracie and Luke from talking and singing and becoming? It frightens me to think so, to think that because we waited so long to boot the binkies from our home that they might in some way hindered Gracie and Luke from becoming who they are meant to be.

At this point, Daddy and I are blissfully happy to say, "Bye-bye, binkies! You were helpful while we needed you, but we are glad to see you go!"

So, Bye-bye binkies!

And good riddance!

Operation Bye-Bye Binky - Sunday Update

We're here! We've survived!

Lukie and Gracie are going to sleep fine at night. Frankly, I'm surprised it is going so well. They are mostly staying asleep, but are waking up at 5 am.

They have asked a few times about the binkies. We remind them that they are broken and they threw them away. It has been taking a few times of reminding, but they are slowly internalizing the fact that the binkies are gone.

I'm glad we gave them the opportunity to decide to throw the binkies away. It made the process something they chose to do. Mommy and Daddy did not take them away. They chose to throw the binkies away. They had control. It has been incredibly helpful.

Gracie and Luke spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa. They were exhausted by the end of the day. Tomorrow, I have the day off from work and we are going to see how bad the rain is. We may actually go somewhere!

Operation Bye-Bye Binky - Saturday Update

Gracie and Lukie slept very well until about 2:45 am at which time Gracie woke up and started to cry. When she was still crying 5 minutes later, I went into her room to comfort her and put her back into bed. Crazy Kid! She rushed past me and was in our bed faster than I've ever seen. I decided to let her stay and about 5 minutes later, Lukie started to cry.

So, both Twinsies got into bed with us. BIG MISTAKE! HUGE!

At 4:05 am, I was finally done with wriggling and twisting and I took them back to their bedroom. There was much screaming and crying and general unhappiness. I stayed until everyone was back to sleep and then I tried to go back to sleep myself. We were up again at 6:45, well, Gracie and I were.

We spent the day on a road trip with Nana and it was awful. Nana was wonderful. The Twinsies, not so much. The lack of binkies coupled with traveling in Nana's car meant that Gracie and Luke did not nap. At all. Our trip to Ventura and our trip home included screaming, kicking, crying and tears on the parts of Gracie, Lukie and me.

"Go away, Momma!"
"No, Momma! No like you!"

Whenever we weren't in the car, things were great. We visited a beach and I took a lot of great pictures.







We made sand piles, walked with doggies, scaled walls and threw rocks (no matter how many times I told them not to.)

Saturday night, they passed out in record time for Daddy. There were a few questions about binkies, but a reminder about what happened seemed to calm them. They well Saturday night, but did wake a few times. I had to go in to calm Gracie, but they did it! They survived.

Not sure if I will or if my ears will ever be the same, though.

Operation Bye-Bye Binky Commences - Day One

I can honestly say that I do not know how many binkies Gracie and Lukie have had in their short lives. We had a huge stash just in case we lost some. Remember the binky drawer?

Daddy and I decided recently that the time to say goodbye to the binkies had come. We've been planning and planning, but never really got around to ending the binky usage. Last weekend, we agreed that Friday, January 15th was as good a day as any.

Tonight, while Gracie and Luke were eating chicken nuggets, french fries, dip, and chocolate milk, I went into the kitchen and snipped off the ends of all of the binkies and placed them back inside the cupboard. I think I got all of the known binkies in our house. I can never be sure, though. Every time I think we have all of the binkies, one turns up under a bed or in a toy box. We will have to keep our eyes open for rogue binkies.

After bath time, we went through our usual routine of diapers, jammies and binkies. I set one altered binky out for each of the Twinsies and waited for them to ask for one. A few minutes later, I heard:

"My binky. I want my binky," from Luke.
"Here you go, buddy," I replied and handed it to him. I glanced over at Daddy to see his expression and we just raised our eyebrows at each other.
"My binky. I want my binky too," came from Gracie.

They each sucked on their binkies a few times, but Luke was the first to realize that something was amiss.

"Look-it!" he said. "Look-it!" He held his binky out and looked at it.
"What is it, buddy?" Daddy asked.
"Look-it, my binky!"
"Oh, no!" I said, "Your binky is broken! Oh, no!"
Gracie joined in. "Look-it! Look at my binky!"
"Is it broken, too?"
"Yes!"
"Oh, no. If it is broken, we need to throw it away."
"Throw it away?"
"Yep, we need to throw it away." I walked them over to the trash can. "Do you want to throw them away here?"
"Okay, I throw it away." And they did just that. In the next second, they asked for another one.

We went through all of the binkies in the cupboard. Gracie and Luke tested every binky we had, declaring each and every one "broken." Every "broken" binky was tossed in the trash until there were none left.

"All gone. Okay, let's go read some books," I told them.

We read Where the Wild Things Are in Spanish and a Winnie the Pooh book. Occasionally, Lukie or Gracie would say "It's broken, Mommy. My binky is broken." I would tell them they were right and that was why they put them in the trash.

When it was time to turn off the light, we had a moment when Luke refused to go to get into bed without his binky. I reminded him that they were in the trash and he told me he wanted to see them. Gracie and Lukie and I walked back to the kitchen and they opened the trash can to look at their binkies. There was another chorus of "broken" and we went back to the bedroom.

We tucked them in and Daddy settled in to sing the "Elephant Song." Forty minutes later, he came out, telling me that they were both asleep. So far, it has been an hour and a half and no sounds.

The true test will be how tomorrow and tomorrow night go.

Wish us luck!

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today, we thought we had lost everything.

One year ago today, the Sayre fire brought destruction and sadness to Oakridge.  Many of our friends' homes were burned to the ground.  They lost everything.

Today, Oakridge is slowly rebuilding.  The club house has framing and 80 of 500 homes burned in the fire have been replaced.

Tonight, the winds are strong like they were that night, but this time, there is no sign of fire.

We will never forget that night, the terror, the worry, the helplessness. 

We will never forget.

First Day of Pre-School

Let me start by saying there are no pictures. Daddy was in charge and you can't expect him to pack lunches, wrangle two 2 year-olds, and walk to school with two 2 year-olds by himself AND take pictures.

One moment while I try to recover my breath. I'm still trying to get over the whole "walk to school with two 2 year-olds by himself" image in my mind.

Monday night, Daddy and I were up late preparing our very first school lunches for Gracie and Luke. We had no clue what to pack for them. Well, we did, but we weren't exactly sure what they would eat. They are very inconsistent about what they will eat and when they will eat it. In the end, their first "take to school" lunch was peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwiches, string cheese, grape tomatoes, and apple sauce for snack. I was in charge of labeling the lunch bags (Gracie has Elmo and Lukie has a firetruck) and labeling their plastic ware.

Here is Daddy's accounting of yesterday (please note I have no way to corroborate this story in any way):

He woke up at 6:40 am, got himself dressed, packed the kiddos' lunches, took all of their various bags to the car and came back inside to wake Gracie and Luke up at 7 am. Everyone put on their shoes and followed Daddy out to the car to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

At Grandma and Grandpa's, they had breakfast (which they scarfed down) and got dressed for school. They ate a banana because they were still hungry and then it was time to start walking to school.

Grandma was unavailable to walk with Daddy and the Twinsies, so Daddy put a backpack on each of them, handed them their lunch bags, and the three of them started off down the street. Gracie and Luke walked behind Daddy as they looked at the flowers, bees, the sky, and anything else that caught their eyes. When it came time to cross Devonshire Blvd, Daddy told Gracie and Lukie to stop and taught them about red lights and green lights. He had them pass their lunch bags to him and hold hands. When the light turned green, they carefully crossed the street, no problem!

Hold on. Deep breath. Okay, I'm fine.

They arrived at the school and Daddy told them that this was where their new teacher and friends could be found. Gracie was a little hesitant, but she wandered off when she felt safe to meet new people. Lucas, on the other hand, was having none of it. He knew exactly what the new school meant and started to cry. Daddy tried to calm him and reassure him, but it wouldn't work. Eventually, Lucas found his sister and Daddy left (read: sneaked out). Daddy felt horrible leaving Lukie when he was so sad and he cried all the way back to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

After his dialysis, Daddy returned at 2:30 pm sharp. Recently up from their naps, Gracie was very happy to see her Daddy. Lukie was still waking up and cried to be held. Gracie patted him on the back and helped Lukie wake up a bit more. As they left the school with Daddy, Gracie and Lukie chatted about their day (At least that's what Daddy assumed they were doing. It sounded like they were speaking Japanese to him!)

When they got home, they turned on the "elphant!" (aka Horton Hears a Who) and snacked on some crackers until I got home and made dinner. They were both very tired, so we made quick work of dinner, bath and books. They were in bed and asleep about a half an hour early.

All in all, it was a good day. Daddy and I both noticed that despite their sleepiness, they were both very talkative and happy to see us. It will take some time for them to get adjusted to their new school. This week, they are just playing and getting to know each other. Next week, the individual instruction will begin.

What a two year-old should be learning, I haven't the faintest!

What were you doing 2 years ago today?

Two years ago today, I was laying in my hospital bed, eating a double order of pancakes and bacon and trying to grow the Twinsies just a little more. Food was about the only thing that entertained me in the hospital. Not that I ate all the time or anything! In fact, I wasn't eating enough, thus the 50 million Ensures they made me drink.

Food was one of the few constants of my day. I knew I'd have the babies monitored twice a day. That was a given. But food was something I had control over. And I had very little control back then. Toward the last few weeks of my pregnancy, they finally realized that I had eaten every item on the menu about 10 times and took pity on me. I wish they had realized it sooner, because they let me special order from the cafeteria! I could have things like chicken fajita burritos and pita pocket sandwiches. It was fantastic!

The food on the normal patient menu wasn't awful, it was simply unimaginative. To make it things interesting, I had been mixing things up. I asked for substitutions, had chocolate milk instead of regular, would beg for grilled onions instead of the raw ones they put on the cheeseburger. I learned I had to ask for what I wanted, and sometimes, even fight for something different.

When I unpacked my classroom a few days ago, I found my copy of the menu from Huntington Hospital. I opened it briefly. Memories came rushing back; I could actually taste some of the things I had ordered back then. It was very disconcerting. But it also brought back the memories of the lovely people I spoke with when I ordered my food. I remember a man by the name of Ren who was not only the recorded voice when you called in, but actually took orders. He had a great voice! There was also another woman, whose name I now forget, who was always sick! She would stay on the phone with me, teaching me how to work the menu and giving me an outside person to talk to about things completely unrelated to food. Those moments gave me a break from my hours in that hospital bed where I counted ceiling tiles, waited for another contraction, and learned my baby girl was not growing.

Two years ago, we had had our last ultrasound and discovered that Gracie had not grown in the two weeks since our last ultrasound. I remember that Dr. Bruce was concerned that Gracie had actually lost an ounce while Lukie had gained a pound. Dr. Hartford had discovered that my body was preparing to go into labor and I was ready to climb the walls from waiting.

Two years ago, I was excited that it was September. Not August. Not July. Not June. I had made it to September and my babies were going to be okay. I was anxious and tired, getting crankier by the moment. Looking back now, I feel very badly for my nurses. I don't think I was very pleasant to be around.

Two years ago, I was two days from welcoming Gracie and Luke into the world and I did not even know it. Do you remember what you were doing two years ago?

I suspect not, but then again, I don't remember 2 days ago.

It's a darn good thing I have this blog!

First Beach Trip Ever!

Last weekend (no, not yesterday), Daddy and I were both sick and needed to rest. Gracie and Luke, however, were fit as fiddles and ready to play. To keep from going insane, Daddy asked Abue Rosi if Gracie and Luke could come over and play a little. Grandma said, Yes!, and she had a surprise for Gracie and Luke.

Abue Rosi decided to take Gracie and Luke to the beach!

Now, we've never taken Gracie and Luke to the beach. I have issues with the sewage in the water and the new studies that say the sand is so contaminated that you are several times more likely to come home with stomach illnesses. There is nothing exciting about the beach any more. Blech!

But Abue Rosi decided that she would take them to Malibu, many miles north of the run-off and other drains. She and Abue Juve packed Gracie and Lukie up and off they went!

Gracie and Luke loved the sand. The water was way too cold for them, but there was enough sand to keep them occupied for several hours.

One Twinsie buried in the sand.

Wait! When does it get to be my turn?

She looks way too comfortable for an almost 2 year old.

Another Twinsie buried in the sand.

Two Twinsies buried in the sand.

Then, Abue Rosi got into the act.
I think this is when people started thinking "nap."

I'd say she looks done. Wouldn't you?

It took 2 baths to get all of the sand out of Gracie and Luke's hair. That doesn't matter, though. They had a blast at the beach!

Definitely for the Bad Parents Files

From the beginning of time, adults have used the fact that they know more about things to manipulate children. It is easy to convince children of things if they don't have a clue about reality. For example,

"Oh, no, Gracie, we can't go see the cows. They're sleeping."
"Oh, no, Lukie, don't go over there! There's poo-poo! Look out!" (Of course, there's no poop anywhere.)
"Oh, no! Gracie, come here fast! There's a spider right there!"

There must be a special place for parents who use this kind of manipulation on their children. A special place in a very hot environment.

Usually, these things are pretty harmless. However, when you start using your children's fears against them, that's plain mean. Take, for example, my son's sudden unreasonable fear of the pool vacuum at Aunt Bec's house. At first, he really didn't know what it was, but was just a little worried because it was so close to us. I made the mistake of giving it a name. "Oh, Lukie, don't worry! That's just the Nu Nu! Nu Nus only eat dirt and rocks, not little boys."

Um. Yeah. Do you see where this is going?

Giving a name to an object, especially a name that your almost 2 year-old can actually say, is just not the smartest thing to do in the world. Now, when Lukie sees the vacuum coming, heck, even if it isn't coming toward us, he starts yelling, "Nu Nu! Nu Nu!" He grabs hold of me tightly and will not let go. Sadly, if he even sees the Nu Nu in the water, he won't get in. He is absolutely terrified of the thing. It makes pool time less than fun.

Lukie's terror of the Nu Nu is a very dangerous thing. He is so afraid of it that he thinks it exists outside of the pool. He sees any large machine that makes a big sound (and does not resemble a truck) and will run straight for me shouting, "Nu Nu!" His terror of the Nu Nu is also very tempting.

You see, when Lukie won't come to me, all I have to say is "Lukie! Oh, no! It's the Nu Nu! Come here! Fast!" and whoosh! He's right next to me, eyes searching the horizon for the Nu Nu. When he throws rocks at our air conditioner out back, "Lukie! Oh, no! That's the Nu Nu! It's going to get you! Come on! Mommy will protect you!"

See? There's a special place in that very hot locale waiting for me. Well, it's waiting for Daddy and me because he is just as guilty as I am.

I'll admit. The Nu Nu got me thinking. What if I told Gracie and Luke there was chicken in their teeth and they needed my help brushing to get it out? I could tell them there were crackers and ice cream and apples in their teeth and I might actually get to brush their teeth without a fight. So, I tried it.

And it worked.

Lukie now walks around saying, "Teeth! Ucken, Momma. Ucken. Crackas. Teeth, Momma!"

Great. Now he's obsessed with his teeth.

Like I said, a special place down south waiting for us.

Panicking

In one month, Gracie and Luke will be 2 years old.



I'm stunned. Where did the time go?

I've been looking at baby pictures and I cannot remember holding such little human beings.

Do you remember when they were 1 week old? I barely remember it. I was exhausted from getting up at all hours to pump milk for them while they were in the NICU. I do remember being totally freaked out, scared, and sad that they were stuck in the hospital while I was at home.

I had better pay better attention to them. Next thing I know, they'll be going off to college or being elected president.

Our Independence Day - No not that one!

One week ago today, it was official.

We said good-bye to the temporary abode after Daddy and I dragged ourselves over there to clean the place before our walk-through. We were both sick, but all we could think of was getting it done so that we could officially be done with the temporary abode and be officially home.

And now, we are!

241 days after the Sayre fire, we are officially back in our home. We are surrounded by boxes and lots of Twinsie Traps, but we are home and loving it!

I'm calling July 14th our Independence Day. We are back on our own, in our own home.

I promise to post pictures soon. As soon as I find the box with my cord for my digital camera or my SD card drive.

Some day....

So Much to Say!

A week ago, I asked Gracie and Luke if they wanted chicken for dinner. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Gracie, Lukie! Do you want chicken for dinner?"

Luke: "Yesssss!

Gracie: "Chick-ken."

Me: "What was that?! Gracie, what did you say?!"

Gracie: "Chick-ken."

Me: "Gracie, do you want chicken?"

Gracie: "Yeah!"

Me: "Holy moly!"

Then, yesterday, we were rolling around in bed after the Twinsies woke up and I was asking them about their animal sounds. When I asked what an elephant said, Gracie replied, "Elphant. Elphant. Elphant!" She rolled around the bed saying "elphant" over and over again.

Last night, Lukie joined the chicken club.

Lukie: "Momma! Ucken! Ucken! Pan! Pan!"

Me: "You'd like some chicken and bread?"

Lukie: "Yessssss!"

This morning, it we were looking at one of their alphabet books and Lukie pointed at the picture of the owl.

Lukie: "Owl."

Me: "Huh?"

Lukie: "Owl."

Gracie: "Who. Who!" (Imitating Baby Bop and B.J.)

Apparently, we've been watching too much Barney Goes to the Zoo.

These kids kill me!

Word a Day

Words are coming fast and furiously here in our temporary abode. Gracie and Luke fluently understand anything said to them in Spanish or English. When they come up with new words in Spanish, I don't usually catch them. My Spanish is minimal and I don't have enough experience with it to pick it up when my 21 month olds are trying to say something new.

However, the English words are flying around here and are coming from both Gracie and Luke at an alarming rate!

New words recently:
outside
chicken
book
I do!
Yay!
bus
sunshine
truck
apple

I love when they use a new word and surprise me. It is so much fun seeing how happy it makes them to communicate with me. We still have plenty of grunting from Lucas, but they are trying more and more to use words.

Another cool trick (that I must get on video) is the animal game. I can hold a book open and say, "Lukie, where's the cow?" and he will gleefully point at the cow and shout, "Right there!" (it actually sounds like "riiiidaarrrr") "Gracie, where's the giraffe?" "Right there!"

It is seriously fun!