Category — Twins

I cleaned out my closet the other day, and Emily found my briefcase-type bag that I used to take to work. She put it on her shoulder and said, “It’s my briefcase. I’m going to work. Then she asked me for her keys. Then she asked me for the red car (a ride-on toy). She said, “I’m going to work.” She drove down the hallway, into the bedroom, and went to work in my closet. Erica put on a backpack. Over and over, they drove down the hallway and went to work in the closet. 

“I’m going to work!”

Sometime this summer Erica taught herself to do somersaults. The first time, I think, it happened by accident. But now she really likes to do somersaults. Tonight she asked me to do somersaults, too.

Emily and Erica have been singing lots of little songs lately. Bits of songs they know and ones they make up. Sometimes they start singing and dancing at the same time, often using something like a flashlight or toy maracas as microphones.

I just want to remember these moments.

Lately Emily and Erica have been saying “a lot” a lot.
“I want a lot of books.”
“I want a lot of Chex.” (the cereal)
“I want a lot of credit cards.” (I save the fake ones that come in junk mail to play with).
“I want a lot of diapers.” (to put on baby doll)
“I want a lot. . .”

The hard part is convincing them that what they have is a lot when we don’t have any more of whatever it is that they want a lot of .

The best “a lot” ever came from Erica tonight at bedtime. “I want a lot of hugs.”

Emily and Erica did this thing tonight. One of those things where you almost want to laugh on the inside, but you definitely have to be “Mom” on the outside. I mean, this stuff should not be encouraged. It went like this. . .

Emily looks at Erica and says, “Do it.” Erica puffs out her tummy and says, “Do it.” Emily pushes Erica. Erica puffs out her tummy again and says, “Do it.” Emily pushes Erica again. Emily turns to look at me and says, “I get a time out.”

They both know that pushing will get you a time out. So Emily got a time out. At the time, I felt that I ought to follow through on this. But now? I’m still thinking about it. Maybe Erica should have had a time out too, because, clearly, they were in this together. Do they like time out, or something?

This is why I am asking God for wisdom every day. At least I try to remember to ask every day, because I sure do need it. More than I know. I just want my kids to turn out right. And sometimes I feel like I have no idea what I am doing.

I have been a mom for two and a half years. This “being a mom” thing has completely changed my life. I feel so blessed. And so amazed by my little girls. They are growing up so fast. They used to call me “Ommy.” Now they call me “Mommy.” One day Erica called me “Deborah.” We got that one figured out. . . “Daddy and other grownups call me ‘Deborah,’ but you guys call me, ‘Mommy.’”

Anyway, nothing makes you appreciate your own mom more than experiencing all this, and trying to imagine everything that she went through to help you get from baby to grownup in one piece. I love you, Mom.

We took Emily and Erica to an Easter Egg Hunt at church today, and they keep calling it the “Easter Egg Hunk.” They are really into the plastic eggs, and don’t seem to care much about whatever’s in them. They ate Tootsie Rolls for the first time. Yum. I like Tootsie Rolls.

For two years I have I have been pushing the double stroller with one hand, while pulling a shopping cart behind me with the other hand. . . like a train, making my way through the grocery store. This shopping cart has changed my life, or at least the way I shop for groceries. I *heart* Wegmans.

We are taking a break from Elmo at our house. I like Sesame Street. What’s not to like about the old songs such as “Who are the people in your neighborhood?” and “Captain Vegetable.” I like Super Grover, Bert and Ernie, and The Count. My girls like Elmo. Even before they turned two, one of them would occasionally pick up the “mope” (AKA remote), point it at the TV, and start saying, “Elmo. Elmo.”

Thanks to the miracle of TiVo, we can, in fact, watch Sesame Street whenever we want to. So we’ve been watching Sesame Street, usually not more than once a day, usually while I make dinner. It keeps the girls happy while I try to get something done. However, they don’t really want to watch Sesame Street. They want to watch the last twenty minutes of Sesame Street: Elmo’s World. And when Elmo goes off the screen, replaced by Mr. Noodle or whoever else, they start chanting “Elmo, Elmo,” until he comes back.

How did the Elmo-love begin?

I blame the diapers. I have no idea why, but we used only Huggies diapers for a long time. But then one day I bought Pampers, and naturally, I tried to make the diaper-changing experience as fun as possible by pointing out which character was on the next diaper. “Oooh. Big Bird. Big Bird is on your diaper this time. ”

Before long, Emily and Erica were making requests. They wanted the Elmo diapers all the time. But after a while they started asking for Zoe and Ernie. Joel and I got pretty good at sneaking on the unrequested Grover and Big Bird diapers. But then the girls started to check. So now I’ve gotten pretty good at convincing them to wear whatever diaper I grab first, but it can be a tough sell.

So, we need a break from Elmo. He talks in third person all the time. “Elmo wants to sing a song. Can you sing a song with Elmo? Elmo wants to ride in a fire truck. Elmo wants to use the potty.” How are our kids going to learn to speak correctly if they are listening to this everyday?

And then there was the episode about fish. Elmo counted fish like this. . . “one fish, two fishes, three fishes, four fishes, five fishes. . . eleven fishes.” Then he sang “The Fishes Song.” Am I missing something here? Did someone go change the rules, and forget to tell us? Didn’t we all grow up reading “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish?” What’s going on here, people??!!!

So, we are taking a break from Elmo.

This is a conversation that I’ve been having with my daughter Erica this week. She is two years old. Her twin sister is Emily. They are identical. She is smiling the whole time, almost giggling, so somehow she knows that it’s funny.

Me: What’s your name?
Erica: I’m Emily and that’s Erica. [as she points to Emily]
Me: You’re Erica.
Erica: Noooo! I’m Emily and that’s Erica.
Me: You’re Erica.
Erica: Noooo! I’m Emily and that’s Erica.