Wow- 2. It is hard to believe that we started here...
They are 8 days old here. I still look so pregnant...but don't focus on me...look how TINY they are!
And now, we are here!
Random amazing things about them at this point in the journey-
1) Manners- they are so stinking appropriate and adorable with their pleases and thank yous. They say please, thank you, my pleasure, and apologize to each other and others....not all the time...but often. :) I don't know why, but these simple words, used genuinely by them melts my heart unlike anything else. I think that it is because they convey respect and gratitude. I feel like the proudest mama ever when I think that our kids, not even two years old, could begin to grasp those concepts.
2) Music- they love to listen to music while they eat, while in the car, and during dance parties at home. This is all great, except that I end up taking on the role of DJ. They are really demanding about what songs they want to hear- they have names for all their favorites, ask me to turn the volume up, and at least twice a day, Owen requests, Adele's "Rumor Has It". I am not sure why his affinity for this song, but he loves it.
3) I know they are eating during these pictures, but I don't care, I love their smiles SO MUCH. Recently it seems we have jumped into the "terrible twos" with both..okay...all four, feet. The tantrums and moodiness are almost too much for me to take sometimes. Usually it is just one or the other that is falling apart, but this means that basically you never get a break....a necessary break. However, their personalities and demeanors seem to swing on a pendulum so if you can imagine being pushed to, and sometimes over, your frustration limit, you might also be able to imagine how much freakin love I feel for them when they are not quite so difficult. They are cuter than they have ever been. They are turning into little kids who say the funniest things, give random hugs and kisses, have definite opinions, and want "mommy play" ALL the time. I try to hold onto these things and conjure them up when I am at my wit's end. Hopefully this moody stage doesn't last right through to adolescence. I need a few years to gear up for that one.
Here are a few pictures of their party at Kamas Pool. It was great! There were no good party hats to be found at the stores so we had party sun glasses...perfectly appropriate for an indoor, nighttime party. :) Notice in the picture above how they are each looking at the other person's cupcake....just making sure theirs isn't any bigger.
4) Ruby and Owen LOVE their family members. They know everyone's name, can identify them in pictures, and know where most of them live (state names anyway)...sometimes. :) They love a lot of our friends who they get to see a lot and live near by too. They can name the siblings that go together and often the parent's names too. It is quite remarkable. We often watch the slideshow of pictures on our laptop during meals and name who are in the pictures and/or what we were doing. I guess practice works!
Mindy made the trip from Steamboat all by herself for the weekend. She wouldn't miss their birthday party. She rules. :)
Owen and Ruby were pretty happy about their big gift this year...the kitchen! I am hoping that this will help them stay out of MY kitchen a little bit.
We did not get enough pictures of all the awesome guests at the birthday party, but did get this one of Graham (in one of Evan's sweatshirts). Love it.
5) Hobbies- Ruby and Owen both love to paint. We probably break out the smocks and other accouterments at least a few times a week. And, recently, especially Ruby, really enjoys coloring with crayons. Daily, sometimes twice, she asks to be lifted up into a "big girl" chair and for paper to draw. She holds the crayons like a pencil and is quite detailed in her work. Owen is a sweeping-circles man. They both know their colors and like to tell you what they are drawing a picture of (reindeer, moose, cars, trees, welcome home signs for daddy...these are popular subjects).
6) We recently ditched the cribs for a full size mattress on the floor for both kids. This makes midnight wakings and early morning starts easier to manage as they are pretty easy to snuggle with. They will usually lay down with me or Chip and fall back asleep within minutes if it is not the "right" time to be up. I am sure we are establishing some "bad" habits or something, but I think the best parenting advice is, do what works. This works for us for now. A funny habit that did come out of this transition is that Owen falls asleep in front of his door on his rug both at nap and at night. He loves his bed, but can't seem to get back into it before falling asleep after playing around in his room a bit. We might have to do something about that one at some point.
In the wake of the Newtown tragedy and experiencing that loss in a more personal way than we would have liked, it can be difficult to pick ourselves back up and remember that life is a gift and a celebration and that we should not live in fear, but in faith, that most people are good and most times we are safe. We don't know how long we will get to enjoy this journey, so as Paris says below,
"The way I see it, you should live everyday like its your birthday."
-Paris Hilton
-Paris Hilton
