Our Kids

This morning while I was showering the girls were happily playing with each other.  When I came out they both had hats on and were chasing each other around the house saying, “Get your booty in here” and laughing hysterically.  I think I must say that a lot when I am chasing them into the bedroom for a clothing change or wanting them to hustle into the potty.  It was so cute and they got a real kick out of saying it to each other, it made me laugh.  I guess it is nice having two extra consciences around the house in addition to my own.  If I ever start hearing them say something that I don’t like I know it probably came from me, talk about pressure to stay in line.  Lately I have not been 100% so I try to say as little as possible so that I don’t slip up and regret something down the road;)

Something that has been a huge relief happened and I can’t remember when or why I did not blog about it. The girls used to cry when they woke up at any time, in the night, after a nap, in the morning…..anytime.  They would be most upset after nap time since that was when I was alone and had to hold them both.  But at some point it stopped.  Now they wake up happy at any hour of the day.  It is such a relief, we had tried everything but they would just cry when they woke up and sometimes they needed to be held for up to 30 min before they could move on.  Needless to say I was very glad they did not have to get anywhere in the morning because that would have been serious drama.  Anyhoo, that chapter has closed and we are on to the next where they are testing the limits of what bedtime and naptime are going to be.  So far all is under control but I can see their independence rising, another reason to keep my mouth in check:)

I have almost posted the last of the photos, a few more tomorrow and then we are moving forward. I must say that I have been having a REALLY hard time getting back into our routine after vacation. I am going to blame the heat when it is more than likely my bad attitude:) I am struggling to be the positive mommy me that I am 95% of the time but am only managing at about 75-80%. I am tempted to head for the hills of Flagstaff where it is a chilly 78 but I think that would only prolong the agony of the Arizona summer unless I did not come back until October. The girls are doing okay with good days and bad, probably along with my mood so goes theirs. We have been able to play in the backyard for at least an hour in the morning and 30 min at night and that is a nice break. The playroom has been destroyed more times this week than I can count. Anyhoo, poor me, blah blah blah….snap out of it girlfriend!

Well we survived our first real vacation with the girls.  I think after all our days in corporate america, Jason and I are totally not vacation people.  Despite all that it was a really great time, maybe we just needed kids to finally start to learn to vacation.  We stayed on Coronado Island which I love because you can walk everywhere and we did just that.  We stayed a few days on the beach side and a couple days on the bay side.

The girls loved the sand and surf and wore themselves out every day laughing, running, holding hands and walking on the boardwalk.  I think they melted the hearts of about 200 people as they walked down the boardwalk each day holding hands and chatting to each other, it was the sweetest thing.  They did not brave the waves all by themselves but they did go in with mommy, daddy or grampy.  We looked for seashells, Lela was very discriminating and picked up about 4 in 3 days, Piper was very undiscriminating and picked up every broken scrap she saw.

On the bay side we rented a canopy bike and tooled around the island with the girls in seats on the front.  Then we took the ferry over to San Diego, walked on the board walk and swam in the hotel pool.  The girls did so well I was even amazed.  They took the 6 hour road trip in stride with only one pit stop, no DVDs and very little whining.  They read books and chatted with each other and sang songs.  It was a long ride to listen to nursery rhymes for 6 hours for Jason and I but when your kids are happy and not complaining I suppose you should just soak it in and shut up:)

So we have not had a real temper tantrum in days, I don’t know if I am getting better at avoiding them or if something else is going on, like the growth spurt is over.  The girls couldn’t be any cuter these last couple days.  Yesterday one was in the living room with Reba (their stuffed elephants) and the other was in the play room.  They each had a blanket and their strollers and were acting out their own little scenes with Reba.  Piper had her blanket spread out on the floor of the living room and she was sitting on it and rocking Reba back and forth saying, “it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, I know, I know, I know” which is what I do when she gets too worked up and needs to calm down.  She was soothing Reba, so cute.  Then Lela was in the playroom with her Reba sitting and singing it Twinkle Twinkle and ABCs and putting it to bed.  They were totally adorable.

This morning they are doing a repeat of yesterday.  When I came in from my walk they were sitting at the table like such big girls feeding themselves breakfast.  When I came in they said “Hi mommy” and just kept on eating.  Then they petted Otto for a while, since he is exhausted and calm, then off to the playroom.  In the playroom they took turns sitting in a chair and fixing each others hair like I do for them.  As I type Piper is cooking food on the grill and serving Lela and telling her it is hot and to take little bites.  They are being very kind and polite, asking “do you need a fork” and saying “oh okay I will get it.”

We are off on our first official vacation with the girls this weekend.  Otto will be spending the next week at the kennel getting fixed (he has some issues so it is a bit of a bigger surgery than normal) while we are in San Diego.  I hope that we all get some R&R while we enjoy the cooler weather.  Here is to a great vacation:)

Well it has come back around.  It used to be all Jason, all weekend and nights too where the girls only wanted Jason to do things.  Now I was totally NOT upset about this, in fact I rather enjoyed it:)  But the tides have turned and it is all mommy do it which is kind of difficult when I am 7+ months and have to rock two babies to Twinkle Twinkle each night, LOL!  We make do but I am hoping that the tides shift again and Jason becomes the apple of his girls eyes before baby number 3 arrives;)

There have been more tiffs lately but I think some of that is to get mommy’s attention away from the other one.   I am certain it is just another growing phase.  Most of the time they are content to play with each other.  We finally booted Jason out of his office and are making him a new home in our walk in closet.  Our clothes have been relocated and will find a new home in a free standing closet in our room from IKEA.  The girls LOVE the new playroom and my niece rearranged it so that it is nice and spacious and organized.  It is great to have a place for them to explore and create safely (safe being relative since they are toddlers:)

Okay so last week was definitely the worst week with the girls.  I think because they are soooo good I am a little bit unprepared when they act their age, LOL!  Piper had a real temper tantrum out in public, bigger than any one she has ever had at home, that’s the bad news.  The good news is that it didn’t phase me or Lela a bit, I just scooped her up and out we went with her screaming at the top of her lungs right in my ear.  After I got her in her car seat she seemed to forget about the whole thing and off we went.  It was kind of crazy but at least we all came out unscathed.  Thank goodness it wasn’t both of them at the same time, that I might have freaked about.  She has had a couple more since then but we are more prepared.  I just scoop her up and hold her tight and sing or rock her and she calms down, I think it is just supreme frustration and she needs an outlet and an escape.  Then she is back to normal Piper.

She has finally gained another lb after about 6+months of staying strong at 26lbs, she also seems a bit taller so maybe it is a growth spurt.  Also my niece is visiting and that might be part of it.  Overall the girls are doing super, we are powering through the summer although the heat is beginning to wear on us all.  I am not sure if I am pregnant or in menopause with all the hot flashes, LOL!  I mean one minute I am fine and the next I am in a cold sweat all over my body, freaky.  We are off to San Diego for a week starting Friday so that should give us all some down time and some cooler weather.

Thank goodness Jason is such a supportive DH and a great dad, he knows just when to sweep in and rescue me and of course his girls adore him.

We had our follow up appt today with Dr. Hansen at Phx Children’s concerning Piper’s nail.  We all thought that the nail had changed a lot in the last month and for the better.  So we decided to hold off on the biopsy for at least another two months.  We have a follow up in October at the Mayo Clinic to see what they coalition of dermatology experts think.  Since the likelihood that it is cancer is about .1% I am comfortable with waiting.  Of course it was still like nothing he had seen, the fact that it changed for the positive was a shock to him.  He took more photos since he said Piper was making history;)  Destined for greatness that little one.  The girls were both super at the appt and during the whole ordeal which took most of the morning.  We are all relieved and a little wiped out.  Too bad for me I have to clean house while they sleep.  Poor Poor Mystique:)  Hmmm….I am calling that housecleaning service today!

I don’t know how or when it happened but I know with whom.  Lela started to just call me mom, mostly when she wanted me to come to see her or do something.  A very distinctive, “MOM” comes from the playroom to beckon me.  Now Jason gets the “DAD” and I get the “where’s dad”, or “where did dad go”, or “what is dad doing.”  It is so cute and funny since no one we know calls anyone mom or dad.  Our little girls are growing up just like everyone said they would.  They still have not gotten mad enough to tell me that they don’t like me or anything of the sort but I know it could happen:)