So Happy Together

It's amazing how well the girls get along. Gabriella has had an attraction to the twins since she first saw them in the ultrasound picture. She named them in utero and was one of the first people to kiss them when they were born. A born big sister, Gabriella can make them laugh like no one else. Julia and Genevieve love playing with her stuff. Her room is a treasure trove of playthings.

Today after a serious reorganization of the twins playpen I brought in Gabriella's kitchen. Cleaned and restocked I expected the twins to dive right in. When they woke from their nap I revealed their new toy. They hesitantly walked over to it and then casually touched the faucet before moving away. I was shocked, I'd been so certain they would love it. Gabriella came home from school and immediately recognized that her toy was back in the house. She dove right in after she did her homework and the girls immediately followed suit. The copied everything Gabriella did. If she picked up a pot they did too. If she pretended to drink out of a cup, so did they. It was really cute. Gabriella showed them how to use this new toy and they followed her lead. I'm sure tomorrow they will be cooking up a storm.

So Different

I think these little babies look the most similar in sleep. During the day when they are wide awake and really only visible as small blurs running around, they are markedly different. The different hair and eyes are hard for people to get past when I tell them they are twins. The surprised looks on the asker's face are usually there for an extended period of time before they resignedly give up trying to figure it out. If Gabriella happens to be with us someone will often comment how lucky she is to be a big sister. She is such a proud big sister and loves to play with her littles. I do think some of the novelty of having twins sisters is starting to wear off. The littles are drawn to her room like bees to honey. The sound of her door opening is like a sirens song to their tiny ears. Once inside they go straight for whatever is most precious to her at the moment or what will make the biggest mess. They love the doll house, which is fine, she grudgingly allow them to play with the furniture. What is less fine is all the art supplies and scissors that seem to be within arms reach on every surface. While we do our best to keep Gabriella's room as off limits sometimes they are too fast, too quiet and by the time we realize they've been in there the damage is done.

There other favorite toys are the DVD's. They constantly take them down and tote them around the house. The newest development is that they now have the fine motor skills to open the DVD boxes. So now instead of just finding random DVD boxes spread around the house I'm actually finding CD's shoved into the pantry or under the couch cushions. It makes cleaning up a bit more like a treasure hunt. One of the worst tricks they've learned is turning off the TV. Picture this: Greg watching the final moments of an important tennis match, his fingers crossed that the DVR player has recorded enough for him to see the end of the match, when a tiny mini version of him saunters over to the box and presses the button turning off the whole shebang. There is usually some sort of muttering and then politely but firmly moving of the offensive child. Where as the child comes back and does it again, possibly another fifteen times, before a snack is given to distract them. This is fine if you've actually recorded the program it's much more upsetting when you've just paused a regular show.

On the up side the girls are also starting to work together and play with each other. They have been snatching toys away from each other for the past few months, but now they are playing peek a boo with each other or running after each other playing their version of tag. It's very cute, but my concern for their safety prevents me from taking a video of them.

Kickin It

This last weekend Gabriella had her very first soccer game. The weeks of practicing and the excitement of the day was apparent as eight little girls chatted about their outfits and new hair bows. As team mom I had the important job of providing the snacks and drinks for the game. While we searched through what seemed like a thousand fields searching for ours, lugging a cooler full of drinks and ice, I noticed how many kids play soccer. This was just one field in what are probably millions across the country holding games just like the one we participated in. I'm not much of a sports person myself, but I can appreciate the skills organized sports teach a child. There are many, personal discipline, team work, good sportsmanship and the idea that you can have fun even if you lose. In Gabriella's division they don't keep score but every parent knows the score as we cheer for every shot and goal. At first I wondered why not keep score because surely the kids would know, but the reality is they don't. Hours after the game Gabriella casually asked us who won and what the score was. I was shocked and happy. It proved that the AYSO knows what they are doing, win or lose the kids love to play the game and I guess that's the point.

Year One

You've come a long way babies. You've survived a whole year of life on earth. You were born into a beautiful paradise and survived a move halfway around the world. You've already been to more Theme Parks than most do in a lifetime in your first tender year. Julia can already recognize and say Donald Duck. Genevieve has shown a preference for the princesses. When I look back at their baby pictures I can't believe they've changed so much in just 12 short months. There are times when I still can't believe I have twins. The mornings when just one wakes up and I'm cuddling them alone on the couch I wonder how easy it would be with just one. But then I look at the twin in my arms and realize my life would be missing what the other twin brings to our family life. They are so different, their personalities could not be more opposite. They are a study in duality. There are times when people don't believe that they are twins. Their physical differences are striking.

Genevieve is taller and has a full head of hair and beautiful brown eyes. She loves to smile with her bottom teeth sticking out and likes to study a situation before she is willing to jump into the fray.

Julia likes to run, she often walks with her hands behind her back like she's addressing a jury. She likes to snuggle and enjoys chasing her big sister Gabriella around the house. Both girls love their daddy, especially if he happens to be sitting on the floor. They crawl over him like he's some sort of jungle gym. Their giggles and "discussions" when they wake up in the morning make all the hard stuff worth while. I suppose I could list how hard it is to be a mommy of multiples but I don't think it's that hard. Overwhelming? Yes, and at times I feel like I've been ground into the dirt with the heel of a combat boot. But through it all, through all the difficulties and tears the twinkle in their eyes as they call me mommy makes it all worthwhile.