Archives for the Month of April 2006 on Twinmomma's Online Journal
Imitation
We are starting to see the emergence of imaginative play with the boys. I swear it is so fascinating to watch these things develop day by day. We are also seeing the beginning of imitation.
I read that at around 19 months toddlers want to help with chores around the house so they imitate the things they see you do- wipe a table, put silverware in the dishwasher, fold laundry, etc.
Yesterday I saw Dale imitate an action he must have seen thousands of times. The boys where playing in the basement, when I saw Dale walk over to Chip and try to check and see if his diaper was dirty. He grabbed the back of his shirt, lifted it up, and then grabbed the back of his pants and pulled them out. Then he looked. I was cracking up. It was so funny. He didn't even have the diaper so he was basically looking down Chip's pants. Chip was standing perfectly still letting him look. And he's my favorite part, Dale was the one who had the dirty pants!!! It was as if he was looking for the source of the smell and it was coming from him!! What a riot!
Duck, Duck, Goo
Recently, we gathered with friends for the evening and had a pleasant time. My friend Fesko walked into the host’s kitchen to get food or an adult beverage, as he passed each child on the way in he patted them on the head and said “Duck. Duck. Duck. Goose.” Dale was sitting on my lap and turned to watch Fesko interact with each child. The next day it started.
Dale walked up to a pile of stuffed animals and said “Duck. Duck. Duck. Duck.” As he patted each one on the head. Then it morphed into walking past the couch touching the cushions saying, “Duck. Duck. Duck.” Every once in a while he would say “Duck. Duck. Duck. Goo.” Which was pretty funny.
It’s been two weeks since our dinner with friends and Dale now sits on the floor with toys calling them a Duck. He points to the box of Kleenex and says “Duck.” You give him a bottle of milk and he says “Duck.” They only time he doesn’t say Duck is when he sees Pumpkin and calls her a “Cat.” Which is correct because Pumpkin is a cat. Of course he also called the neighbor’s dog a “Cat” last night.
Crazy like a Fox
Chip is driving me nuts right now. He's so BAD!!! agh! We've hit the terrible 2's and we are only 19 mo. old. How is that possible?
He is into destroying and hitting right now. He runs around like a crazy person. He's throwing trucks at people's heads. He's ripping apart book cases. Agh! Frustrates me to think about it.
I hope this little phase passes quickly. I think he's in a perpetual time out! I'm sure it all stems from frustration. He's in a new room at day care. From what I read that alone causes quit a bit of discontent. I'm sure there are other toddlers demonstrating behavior I'd rather not let him witness and their abilities are more advanced than his since he's one of the youngest in the room. Plus, there's the language thing. He's not speaking, so how can he let us know what he wants or needs?
We get their speech evaluated in 10 days. I can't wait to see what they have to say- good bad, or otherwise. Dale's language is starting to take off. Today he said "book", when Chip tried to hand him a book.
More stories from the Stupid File
Yesterday, I took the boys to the grocery store because we were out of the oh so needed MILK. I used to love the grocery store. I loved going and figuring out what great culinary delights I was going to make that week. Now I hate the grocery store. It is not designed to go shopping with small children. When the boys were still in their car carriers I couldn't put them both in a cart. Sure one carrier fit on the front seat but where does the other one go? It doesn't fit across the cart, it barely fits in the cart. And what's the point of putting the child in the cart if that's where you are supposed to put your groceries??
So when I had to go to the store I'd take them in with their stroller. Worked Ok for a while and only if you were buying a few things that you could put in the basket under the stoller. One a few occasions I have tried to buy more by pulling a cart around after me but that's more difficult that it sounds because the stroller really requires two hands to maneuver otherwise you're running into the displays at the end of aisles.
Now the kids are walking (ok running) and don't want to be in the stroller. So what do you do? Well they have those kid carts. Tried that once. They were really too little for it because they couldn't follow one step directions yet. Plus now they are at grocery level and can reach out and pull things off the shelves. Yeah! Fun. More bending over for me to pick things up.
One day at Giant Eagle I see a twin cart! Yea! A Twin cart! It puts both kids up in front near you with their legs dangling towards the groceries. So you can talk to them and keep them entertained while shopping. But the store only has one cart. And they don't have it at all of their stores. It's hit or miss if I am going to get one when I go in.
Ok, I've gotten away from the story I wanted to tell. Yesterday we went shopping. I could not find a twin cart, or even a little car cart, so we were stuck with a regular cart. I put a basket down below for the food. Two minutes into our trip, this older woman stops us and wants to know if their twins. Nope just felt like complicating my grocery store experience by bring my neighbors kids with me.
"They don't look a like" she says.
I said, "No they don't because they are fraternal but you can tell they are brothers."
"Well who do they look like", she wants to know?
I told her they look like their dad and his brother.
"Well that's stupid" she said. "Everyone knows that twins should look like each other."
Thanks I'll make sure to tell God when I meet him upon my death.
"And if they don't look like each other then one should look like mom and one should look like dad."
"Sure", I say, "that would be great but I'm happy with my children's looks and I think it's great that we can readily see the family resemblance."
Then she says to me, "Did you hear about this one woman who broke up with her boyfriend and had sex with him?"
Um, no I didn't but I hear that happens a lot when people break up. Thanks for sharing.
Seriously though, I thought she was telling me a joke. It just had that set up. Then she tells me that the woman went and had sex with her new boyfriend the next day and she got pregnant with twins and each child was fathered by a different man. She heard that each man was fighting for custody of his offspring.
Then she asks me, "Do you know what happend in that case? Because I never heard the outcome?" Well let's see, I'd have to consult the manual they gave me at the hospital, or was that the one I got when I joined the twins club? Well in any case I'd have to check one of the manuals They gave me that makes me an expert on all things twins and get back to you.
(sigh) I swear. As Hubby says, "Stupid People Rule!"
Giggles
A lot of people talk about how twins have their own language when they are young. I've seen it first hand. It's called giggling.
I've noticed that every time I'm in the car with the boys, I hear a lot of giggling in the back seat. It usually goes on for a few minutes and then dies out. Sometimes it looks like they are trying to play Peak-A-Boo with each other by hiding in their car seats. Tonight we were driving across town on our way to a friends house, so we were in the car a little longer then usual. After a while the Hubby pokes me and nods towards the back seat to see if I'm paying attention.
Chip was blowing raspberries to make Dale laugh. Dale would start giggling and then Chip would let out this big belly laugh which would make Dale laugh harder before Chip would squeal and then blow more raspberries. After a while Dale starts trying to make Chip laugh but by this point he's been laughing so much that he's sore from laughing. He's trying to blow raspberries and all he's doing is basically spitting in his face and laughing. At this point Hubby and I are laughing at them laughing at each other.
One of these days I've got to record one of our drives across town. Before the kids get talking! Somehow I don't think it will be as much fun when they can tattle on each other. But I can hardly wait to see what Potty Humor will be like with my two little comedians!