Language and games
The basic language development from about 18 months on is pretty astounding, but stories and thoughts continue to spill out of Sarah and Jessica with increasing complexity which is both fun and startling. When I try to write down what they say most of why it seems remarkable to me is lost when I try to put it on the page. Here are some typical conversations around our house, that happen over and over again.
Sarah: Never! (for a completely unknown reason, not in response to anything. She just likes to shout it.)
S&J: They don't have any imaginary friends, but we do have an imaginary peacock. He bites. He has to go to timeout. Sometimes he needs food. When he is in the minivan you need to roll down the window so they can throw him out of the car.
Me or Jeff: Not tonight. It is too chilly.
Jessica: Tell the air conditioner not to come on in my room.
Me or Jeff: Don't worry it won't.
Jessica: The air conditioner will be loud.
Me or Jeff: Don't worry I will make sure it won't come on.
Jessica: So the air conditioner won't come on in my room?
Me or Jeff: That's right.
Jessica: Why did you say that's right?
Me or Jeff: Because the air conditioner will not come on.
Jessica: OK. Mama, can I suck my thumb?
Me: Yes, Jessica you can suck your thumb. Good night.
Sarah: Mama, I like your hair a little bit.
Me: Oh thank you, Sarah!
Sarah: Not a lot. Just a little bit.
Me: Oh OK.
Routines
Sarah and Jessica are in their own rooms and as of last week are both sleeping in double beds.
7 a.m. - Typical wake time. I get the girls up and dressed for school before we go downstairs for breakfast
7:45 a.m. - Breakfast is either eggs, oatmeal or greek yogurt. The girls each get Claritin in the morning and a teaspoon of local, raw honey in an attempt to help with allergies. After I do their hair, while they eat breakfast and then they get half a Flintstone Vitamin. We play a little - often taking turns on the Ollie - for about 5-10 minutes before we load in the minivan and head to school.
8:30 a.m. - Drop off at school. We are supposed to be there by 8:30 a.m. We are rarely there before 8:40 a.m.
5:30 p.m. - Unless I'm out of town or Gran and GrandDad volunteer to do pick up, I usually do so around this time. The evening routine is pretty simple, but if Dad is home early sometimes we sneak in play time outside. Dinner is as soon as we get home. They come home starving, but then it gets a little chaotic as everyone usually has to potty during dinner time and they want to play. We have to motivate them somehow to get to actually get in the bathtub.
7 p.m. - Bathtime in our large bathtub downstairs. Teeth brushing with the new sonicare toothbrushes for kids that we got about a month ago. They are awesome. I highly recommend them as our kids teeth are visibly cleaner with them in spite of all of our best previous efforts. Storytime for each girl in Sarah's room. Each girl goes to the bathroom and then one parent tucks in a girl and then we switch. We've gotten to the point that we allow "one special request after they are in bed" and that's it. Special requests include light adjustments, drinks of water, taking stuff out of their rooms, etc.
8 p.m. - Bedtime. Right before I go to bed I turn off the closet light in Sarah's room. She likes to have the closet door wide open, which I think is too bright for good sleep.
Weekends - Favorite activities are going to church, riding bikes, going to the park, going to see Gran & GrandDad and talking to GrandmaC and Papa on Skype. The girls still nap from roughly 12:30 - 2 p.m.
Milestones
Food
The girls are so adaptable to available food it is awesome. Favorite snacks continue to be yogurt, applesauce, string cheese, Cheerios and Go Lean. On the weekends, I typically make waffles or pancakes on Sundays. The rest of the time they eat what we eat. Saturday evenings they get pizza at church. The rest of the time we have grilled meat, veggies and fruit at a typical meal. The love stealing food from my plate and my best trick is not offering the food I want them to eat most and putting it only on my plate. It creates instant demand and they will eat kale off my plate, but not if I put it on theirs first. Yesterday morning Sarah asked for a lunch box. I don't make their lunches for school and feel guilty about it because I think their lunches are generally very lame and terrible. That said, it is relief not to have to do yet, so I'm going to pretend she didn't ask. For now...
Favorites
Routines
Sarah and Jessica are in their own rooms and as of last week are both sleeping in double beds.
7 a.m. - Typical wake time. I get the girls up and dressed for school before we go downstairs for breakfast
7:45 a.m. - Breakfast is either eggs, oatmeal or greek yogurt. The girls each get Claritin in the morning and a teaspoon of local, raw honey in an attempt to help with allergies. After I do their hair, while they eat breakfast and then they get half a Flintstone Vitamin. We play a little - often taking turns on the Ollie - for about 5-10 minutes before we load in the minivan and head to school.
8:30 a.m. - Drop off at school. We are supposed to be there by 8:30 a.m. We are rarely there before 8:40 a.m.
5:30 p.m. - Unless I'm out of town or Gran and GrandDad volunteer to do pick up, I usually do so around this time. The evening routine is pretty simple, but if Dad is home early sometimes we sneak in play time outside. Dinner is as soon as we get home. They come home starving, but then it gets a little chaotic as everyone usually has to potty during dinner time and they want to play. We have to motivate them somehow to get to actually get in the bathtub.
7 p.m. - Bathtime in our large bathtub downstairs. Teeth brushing with the new sonicare toothbrushes for kids that we got about a month ago. They are awesome. I highly recommend them as our kids teeth are visibly cleaner with them in spite of all of our best previous efforts. Storytime for each girl in Sarah's room. Each girl goes to the bathroom and then one parent tucks in a girl and then we switch. We've gotten to the point that we allow "one special request after they are in bed" and that's it. Special requests include light adjustments, drinks of water, taking stuff out of their rooms, etc.
8 p.m. - Bedtime. Right before I go to bed I turn off the closet light in Sarah's room. She likes to have the closet door wide open, which I think is too bright for good sleep.
Weekends - Favorite activities are going to church, riding bikes, going to the park, going to see Gran & GrandDad and talking to GrandmaC and Papa on Skype. The girls still nap from roughly 12:30 - 2 p.m.
Milestones
- Sarah is now in a double bed as of last week. She loves the new bed and is very proud to be in a big girl bed. She used to sit up in bed with a blanket over her lap when we tucked her in. Now she will lay down with baby dolls on either side of her and a blanket up to her cheeks.
- Jessica is fervently working to stop sucking her thumb. She asks if she has permission to do it. She loves to get her sticker everyday. When she's tired you can see her stop herself from putting her thumb in her mouth. We tell her she can go to her room if she wants to suck her thumb when we are home. I think we are going to need a couple of months of calendars to make it so this isn't such a conscious effort for her.
- Jessica and Sarah were waking up dry more often than not, so I asked them if they wanted to sleep in panties this week. They did. It stressed Jessica out a little and she got up in the middle of the night to go potty, but they wanted to do it again last night and again tonight.
- Yesterday they helped me unload the silverware from the dishwasher and put all the silverware up in the drawer by themselves in the correct slot.
Food
The girls are so adaptable to available food it is awesome. Favorite snacks continue to be yogurt, applesauce, string cheese, Cheerios and Go Lean. On the weekends, I typically make waffles or pancakes on Sundays. The rest of the time they eat what we eat. Saturday evenings they get pizza at church. The rest of the time we have grilled meat, veggies and fruit at a typical meal. The love stealing food from my plate and my best trick is not offering the food I want them to eat most and putting it only on my plate. It creates instant demand and they will eat kale off my plate, but not if I put it on theirs first. Yesterday morning Sarah asked for a lunch box. I don't make their lunches for school and feel guilty about it because I think their lunches are generally very lame and terrible. That said, it is relief not to have to do yet, so I'm going to pretend she didn't ask. For now...
Favorites
- Books: The Monster at the End of this Book, Pinkalicious, Fancy Nancy, Ladybug Girl and Five Little Monkeys. The girls have library day at school on Tuesdays and bring home one new book each week. I think this has been the best addition to the school since we've started going there. The girls love it!
- Toys: Any arts and crafts projects, bikes, Ollie, Duplos, baby dolls (Sarah), painting (Jessica)
1 comments:
Lisa, I LOVED reading all of this! You really did a great job of capturing the girls, especially the exchange w/ Jessica about the "ac coming home in her room". I could just see (and hear) her! I loved the description of Sarah in her new bed, too. Such precious girls!!!
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