Wednesday, February 28, 2007

The Old Switcheroo

For the first 30 months of our sons' lives, only I could definitively tell them apart...even my husband struggled. Luckily, W has a small mole on his lower back for people in the know to check when in doubt. But at a glance, they are apparently very hard to tell apart. Further complicating matters was that they really didn't know their own names. They knew that they were "D & W" but if you asked "where's D?" D was just as likely to point at his brother as he was to point at himself. I blame this on the poor things being called by the wrong names so many times. However, once they started preschool last fall, things clicked and they started to say their own names. Everyone in our family (immediate and extended) and all of our friends were so excited! Now when one was in doubt, all you had to do was ask "what's your name?" and you would get a correct answer. Until yesterday...

Our babysitter was putting them down for their naps and, in order to place him in the right bed, asked W what his name was. First, he said W. and she went to tuck him into his bed. As she did so, he said "No, no that not my bed. I go in the other bed. I'm D." He said all of this giggling and grinning. Needless to say, she finally got them sorted out, but we are all dismayed that the trickery has begun at such a young age. I thought we had a couple of years at least before we had to deal with this.

I am reminded of a story that we heard when we were expecting the boys. We were sitting in the doctor's office waiting for a room, and the most adorable pharmaceutical rep sat down next to us and struck up a conversation. When she heard that we were having identical twins, she told us that she was an identical twin. Then she told us a story that we have vowed NOT to forget. When she and her sister were in high school, they would take turns going home in time for curfew on the weekends. Their parents would always be in bed, but the rule was that they had to go into their parents' bedroom when they returned to let them know they were home. So, one girl would go in and out of the room TWICE, pretending to be both herself and the other sister. They got away with this for a whole year before their parents caught on to it...at which point they were grounded for eternity. Once they were "ungrounded" they always had to present themselves TOGETHER in their parents' bedroom.

So, D & W, here is at least one trick that mom and dad are already wise to. I'm sure you'll think of lots of other things to keep us on our toes, though.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Grown-ups! Culture! Good Food!

An update on today's surprise date. He had bought tickets to the Louvre exhibit at the High Museum in Atlanta! We toured the exhibit, ate a wonderful lunch in a restaurant without a child (ours or anyone else's) in sight, and then toured the rest of the museum. Plus, we had over an hour on the way down and back to carry on an adult conversation and tell each other all those things we've been meaning to tell each other for the last two weeks. Well, I did call his mother on the way home to catch up on her trip to Charleston with a friend. It was the least I could do for him after all he had done to make the day special for me. Other than that, we just enjoyed each other's company and listening to music that was not solely intended for the under 7 set.

Husband of the Year...right here in my living room!

She's Got My Back

8:15 this morning. I am trying to sleep. Husband is asleep. Daughter comes in, gives me the lightest of kisses on the cheek and whispers, "Mommy, I want you to sleep just as long as you need to." Moving around to the other side of the bed and no longer whispering, "Daddy, I'm starving." Daddy says, "Hey, why don't I get to sleep as long as I want like Mommy?" To which she firmly responds, "Because you are not growing a baby in your tummy...so get your lazy behind out of bed!" Okay, I made that last part up, but it was clearly implied in her tone. It is so nice to have a six year old on your side at times like these. He could not argue with her logic, and he did not try.

And he did get up and get everyone dressed and fed breakfast. And I did stay in bed for another hour.

Now, he has told me that a babysitter is coming at 11:00, and I need to be dressed reasonably well and ready to go somewhere. And he's not giving me any clues. That makes me crazy.

I might nominate him for husband of the year. I'll let you know when I see where this "surprise" takes us.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Funny Boys

One of the boys' favorite books is The Very Hungry Caterpillar (like most kids). W was "reading" it to us at dinner last night (we were waiting on our food at a restaurant...forever), and when he got to the end of the part where the caterpillar has eaten himself sick (I can sadly relate), he said "that night he had a Tummy Cake (a.k.a. stomach ache)." We had to get him to repeat himself like 10 times because it was just so cute (at least to mom, dad, grandparents, and great-grandparents).

(For the record (my record)--They both love to read and be read to. Some of their other favorites are Going on a Bear Hunt, Barnyard Dance, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Goodnight Gorilla, and Where the Wild Things Are.)

D's latest cute saying is "gimme have it please" when he wants something. I guess it's a combination of "give it to me" and "let me have it please." This is great not only because it's cute but because it shows him starting to assert himself more. He is such a laid back little guy, and I am thrilled to see him starting to make his preferences known!

Every day with these two is more fun than the one before!

Saturday, February 17, 2007

36

I turned 36 yesterday, and I have to say that of all the things I thought about my 36th bithday, being 24 weeks pregnant was not one of them. Each year, God truly shows me in a new way that His plans are not my plans and His ways are certainly not my ways. Having said that, this baby is just one of the best and sweetest reminders of that ever! I never ever thought I would have 4 or even 3 children. In fact, there was a time when we weren't even sure that we would have any children.

In my moments of weakness and self-doubt, I feel so unsure as to why God would choose ME to be their mother. I mean...does He know me? I am disorganized (really)...I don't cook (much)...I fall short every day in so many ways. But in my best moments, I feel so blessed because He chose ME to be their mother, ME to love them, teach them, hold their hands, wipe their tears, read them stories, sing them songs, hear their prayers. What did I do to deserve all this? But then I know that blessings like these sweet ones aren't earned...can't be earned. They are truly good and perfect gifts from above. And I thank Him for them every day.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Welcome Robert

Apparently we have a new member of our family. His name is Robert Gordon, and he was adopted from the Imaginary Friend Orphanage by our daughter. He is the exact same age as M. (they have the same birthday), he is missing the same teeth, has the same loose tooth and even has a splinter in his heel in the same spot as she does. According to her, they are "identical twins."

We have to apologize to him frequently because we keep stepping on him, sitting on him and bumping into him. Thankfully, he is very quiet and very forgiving.

She has always had a vivid imagination and has never required the actual presence of people to interact with them. However, this is the first time that we have given a name to someone and had him move in with us.

I would post a picture of him, but I can't seem to get him to stay in one place long enough to capture him on camera. Apparently though, he has "the exact same color everything" as M. Makes sense, seeing as how they are identical twins.

Saturday, February 3, 2007

Tinkerbell No More


Yesterday she told me she had decided that when she grew up she either wanted to be a movie star, a cowgirl, or a train engineer. At least these three things, as opposed to Tinkerbell, are actual professions. I was a little worried about how she was going to make a decent living as a fairy taking care of lost boys. I don't think there are many openings in that department.