everyone's a critic

Esme's reacion to the George Condo show at the New Musuem: "No more boobies!"
Calla's reaction to this painting in particular: "Oh, no!"

bad ladies

The girls watch movies they probably shouldn't. They have seen Snow White many, many times, Sleeping Beauty a handful, and the beginning of 101 Dalmations until Calla started saying "No bad lady" at the appearance of Cruella Deville. Which begs the question: Why do so many classic Disney movies feature women as being either purely pure or purely evil, and nothing in between?

So we've kind of put the an end to all this. Now Sound of Music is their favorite, and I think Nazis are a much more appropriate villian, although we never really get that far as all the good songs the kids like are in the first half.

The girls are becoming wonderful little people, full of words, frustrations, happiness, curiosity and laughter. They drench the bathroom during baths, smack each other's bottoms, pour water into each other's cups, and wash their plastic frogs. And big changes are afoot: They now eat at a little table, moving on from high chairs, which Calla really hated (she's so tall I think it was really uncomfortable for her). Calla very often says "please", Esme barks out orders. Esme loves milk, Calla loves juice. I just bought a new juicer and Calla will drink just about anything, including beet juice. Esme makes a face, and shakes her head "no."

We're going a a road trip this weekend to see my family in Pennsylvania. We're staying with my mom in her tiny condo, which should be fine for one night. The girls haven't met 2 of their cousins, which is kind of pathetic given that we only live 2 hours away, but better late than never. Me, I'm looking forward to eating cheesesteaks, fried chicken and pizza from the same place that used to deliver to us when we lived in Newtown Square twenty-five years ago, taking the kids to the state park where I used to run to collect pine cones and acorns, and just being in the town where I grew up.

some new things:

The kids get a glass of milk and two straws before bedtime, and they sit at their table, sipping.

Honey is a big favorite - they have it at night and on their toast in the morning

Oatmeal bar. Oatmeal bar. Oatmeal bar.

Esme loves, loves, loves her baby now. Takes her everywhere, tucks her in, shushes us when baby is asleep.

Esme won't wear anything but dresses. Calla will wear anything you put on her.

Esme will only wear diapers with Cookie Monster figuring prominently. And she won't just listen to any music on Pandora. I had to buy the soundtrack to the Sound of Music.

Calla loves it when I sit on the couch so she can lie on me, sucking her thumb. She a great cuddler.

The girls can climb up ladders at the playground now, with mommy hovering closely.

Esme tells Myrna every time she arrives that mommy has to go to the doctor. I think this is her making sense of my absence.

Calla likes to park food in her mouth. Olives, dried apricots stay in the gob for hours.

sing along

In order for Esme to go to sleep now, she needs me to sing her songs. She sings along to "Twinkle Twinkle," and does all the accompanying animal noises to "Hush Little Baby." Calla hums along in her crib, thumb in mouth, while Esme nestles into my neck, little monkey legs and arms wrapped around me. Then she insists on 3 blankets, and Mommy's "Fa-Fa", which is my moth-eaten cashmere sweater.

The kids have been spending a lot of time at the community center across the street. They eat lunch with Myrna and all the other nanny's and kids, then run around like maniacs while Myrna tries to herd them up. I don't know why they like it so much there, but they really do. There's a 4-year old boy with glasses named Davis that Esme really likes, and a little girl named named Sienna that Calls lights up to. I'm looking forward to spring arriving so they can spend more time outside. New York winters kind of suck when you have young kids.

Some current favorites:

The Knuffle Bunny books, particularly the third one.

Snow White. Everything Snow White. They made us change the words to the Elmo Song to the Snow White Song. I'm convinced it's giving both of them nightmares, but I think they'd hatch a plan to have us killed if we denied them their "White", as they say.

Mashed-up grapefruit drizzled with honey.

Peanut bars.

Esme can drink a gallon of milk. In between gulps she gasps "More!"

Pancakes, butter, jam. Maple syrup. Any kind of ice cream.

Removing the fuzzy rug from their room to play dodgeball with stuffed frog. I like hitting them and seeing them fall over, laughing. They also like "flying" on Mommy's feet.

The still rarely nap. Sometimes for Myrna, hardly ever with me and A.

Giving the cat yummies, then sampling some themselves if I'm not fast enough. They still enjoy hugging the cat and licking him.

it's been a while

A lot has been going on here lately. We went to London with the kids, the trip shortened to five days because of the bad conditions at Heathrow. The girls were really good on the plane. We took two day flights, which made a big difference. We managed to keep them entertained with snacks, the ipad and trips to the tiny, tiny bathroom, which they loved. It kind of made me feel like supermom, changing two toddlers in a bathroom the size of a phone booth. Calla enjoyed playing with the tray that comes out of the arm of the seat, and then offering to get me a “kooka” (Coca Cola). It was work but it was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and the kids has so much fun with their cousins.

The girls are becoming much more vocal these days. But sometimes A and I can't interpret what they're saying. Here are a few translations:

sha sha = shower
fay fay = sweater (Calla hates it when I wear a sweater, but Esme likes it)
boo boo = band aid (part of the bed time ritual)
tee tee = tv
nana = banana
ka = car
ga ga = Calla
Essy = Esme

temporary removal of beloved object

does not work. Not only do they not care, but the threats no longer work either. I think we just need to accept that the kids are two years-old, and we just need to be consistent and show no weakness (or fear. They can smell fear). I have a feeling that when they get a little older the removal tactic will work, but for now, we'll just have to bite it.

Poor little Beanie isn't feeling well. She threw up at 1:30 in the morning two nights ago, somehow managing to avoid hitting any of her animals or blankets. Impressive considering her crib is half stuffed animal. Poor little thing was scared to death. This is only the second time she's vomited, and it was a doozy. I ended up giving her and Esme a bath (there was no way Calla was going to get a bath and Esme wasn't), and the look on their faces was Christmas come early. Anyway, Calla work early this morning (7) and woke her sister, so both kids got into mommies' bed. Calla fell asleep laying across my stomach, thumb in mouth. Esme watched Martha Speaks and Monsters Inc. I've never seen Calla so lethargic, but it follows the same exact pattern as Esme when she was sick last week. It's strange for them to just lay on the rug under a blanket, not moving, waiting to get dressed. It's usually chaos around her in the morning. But she ate a good breakfast and seems to be feeling better.

another one of those days

The weather was absolutely awful yesterday. Pouring, pouring rain, sheets of it blowing across the highway and the ball fields across the street. So housebound we were. We watched Miffy, ate ice cream, went to the playroom, and the kids played with their new toys that my mom got them for Christmas. It was a long day, but the kids were really good considering their confinement. The only bad part was Calla sitting on a ball of play dough while on the rug. We'll have to deal with that one later.

More things:

Calla did a one-armed tumble sault yesterday. She had her matchbox cars in her left hand, and when asked to do a tumble sault, didn't bother dropping the cars. We were very, very impressed.

Esme is back to eating her usual amounts, thank god. She now has a very large belly for such a small little thing.

They love pumpkin ice cream.

Esme loves taking showers with her Mama. Calla is a bath kind of girl, like her Mommy.

To our horror, they called the Christmas tree delivery man "Daddy." 10 times. Apparently everyone of the male persuasion is "Daddy".

I tried taking away 2 beloved objects during dinner last night, baby and red car, from Calla, who was throwing her food. I even took her plate away and she didn't get any fruit. Was she upset? No. She sat by herself by the window, having a chat with her reflection, and watching me very carefully. I think it was a self-imposed time out that lasted 15 minutes. I don't think she made any connections between her behavior and her "punishment".

Neither of them are napping. Myrna suggested removing all animals from their cribs with the exception of baby and pooh. Tomorrow will not be fun.

fun

When you can't touch a Christmas tree ornament, what are your options? If you're Calla and Esme, kissing the ornaments is a perfectly reasonable substitution.

What's a bad idea? Having a giant Elmo at a Little Maestro's class. Elmo is crack to a toddler. He elicits cries of "Momo, Momo!" from our kids, and makes it a particularly un-fun experience for Mommy, who has to keep said kids away from Elmo FOR THE ENTIRE CLASS, because before Calla could see Elmo behind the puppet stand she could smell him, and like a bloodhound, she found him.

What's fun? Dipping your baby's legs in milk while in the high chair, then daintily sipping from them. Saying "Oh, No!" for every disaster large and small, from the eyes coming off the sticker turkey Mommy made (I had to draw the eyes in with a pen after the 10th time they either fell on the floor or stuck to an Esme finger), to a baby head turned slightly the "wrong" way. What else is fun?
Throwing trash out in the trash can (seriously), pulling tissue after tissue out of the Kleenex box, blowing your nose, then putting the tissues back in again, and blowing kisses to the Fresh Direct delivery man.

Fun.