On The Catwalk

We went school shopping with the girls a couple of weekends ago. 

I always loved school shopping as a kid— the anticipation of a new year, the excitement of new clothes and school supplies (especially new crayons, am I right?) — and I was so excited to share that with them. While school supply shopping was less fun (a crying Henry had much to do with that), clothes shopping was a blast. They loved picking out their own stuff and were thrilled to hit the fitting rooms with their finds. 

But the real fun came once we got home. Scott was on Henry duty while the girls shopped, so we decided a fashion show was in order. Their poses were hilarious — I have no idea where they learned all of that, but what they said as they walked on their imaginary runway had us cracking up.

Claire was the first one on the “runway,” and we hear Grace whisper-yell to her “Claire, do a pose!!”

As Grace is putting on a pair of jeggings that I semi-forced her to buy (if they weren't pink or sparkly, she pretty much denied them): 

     Grace: Daddy’s going to tell everyone I’m a laughing stock!

     Me: Why? What do you mean? 

     Grace: Because of these pants — I look like a farmer! 

After I complimented some of Grace’s accessories, she said “Claire helped me. I look AMAZING.” 

And as I was telling them to wrap things up because it was bedtime, Grace responds “But Mom, we have a lot of fashion to do!” 

These little fashionistas picked out their runway wardrobes and created those poses: 

Claire Goes To Kindergarten

Dear Claire-

My sweet, sweet Claire. In a world where Grace is my spirit, you are most certainly my heart. 

You love so openly and unconditionally — never shying away from a hug or another hug or a thousand more hugs. It breaks your heart to see someone hurting, especially those closest to you. Without thinking twice, you’ll sacrifice your own happiness to ensure someone else’s. What an amazing quality in a five-year-old! 

Once, we were racing up the stairs and you were in the lead and purposefully backed off because you thought I would be sad if I didn’t win. You have done this same thing countless other times — letting me win at a game of memory or giving me the last bite of your favorite food. It’s simply amazing. 

It’s this incredible heart that will help you on your upcoming big adventure: Kindergarten. I know you will make new friends (both teachers and kids) once they have a chance to get to know you. Sometimes you are a bit shy when you first meet someone (you get this from me, for sure), but if they take the time to see under that shy shell of yours, they’ll see what I see: a child overflowing with love. 

I have loved being on maternity leave this summer and getting to watch you grow more closely than before. I’ve watched you shed some toddler-like behavior and embrace some big kid responses. Several times you have told me you won’t complain about what we’re eating (sometimes this holds true, sometimes it doesn’t), but I see your desire to grow and that’s certainly the first step. 

In fact, you have stopped throwing fits most oft the time when you don’t get what you want — you are using more logic when it comes to disagreements. In fact, you are debating with us so much that it drove your Dad to say the other day, “Stop arguing with me!” I reminded him that you are his daughter and that will be an uphill battle. And speaking of your Dad — you completely, utterly, totally adore him. You certainly love the rest of us, but in your eyes, there is no one more perfect than your “Papa.”  

You are a great helper and you never ever turn down a request if it’s something for Henry. You have fetched more diapers and made more binky runs than anyone in this family — you would do just about anything for that little boy. 

You still love to read and learn and I just can’t wait to see how you take off once you hit school. You soak up knowledge like a little sponge and will often tell me “Well, actually, Mom (insert fact here.)” Eventually we’ll have to work on the know-it-all-ness (you can thank your Dad for that trait), but for now, I love watching you learn and retain and share your love of knowledge with others. 

As Kindergarten approaches (and really this applies to the next 20 years), you’ll be learning more and more about yourself. We recently watched the movie “Inside Out” and you left the theater saying you identified mostly with the emotion fear. You are a Nervous Nelly (you can thank me for that trait) and often worry about how things will unfold, so I knew why you related to fear. But in subsequent weeks, you have had conversations with your Grandma and myself about being brave and on several occasions, I have excitedly and proudly watched you show courage in the face of your fears.

With your infinite love and your blossoming courage, I will proudly and lovingly watch you take on Kindergarten (and the world) with amazing success. 

Love you, Claire Bean. 

Mama

Gracie Goes To Kindergarten

Dear Grace -

We are in the final week of your last summer before you start kindergarten. As it approaches, I’ve been reflecting on life, growing up and you. 

Let’s start with you. 

You are one spirited child. I think of you as my sunshine — light-up-my day, warm-my-heart, grow-my-love kind of sunshine. I know I’m your Mom and you’ll think I’m just biased (which, for the record, I’m not - you and your sister are indeed the coolest, smartest, funniest kids that have ever walked this Earth), but I’ve heard this from others as well. When you walk in a room, you bring a lightness with you that leaves everyone smiling. 

Now, truth be told, you also can be my thunderstorm — full of lightning strikes and loud claps of thunder (that sound surprisingly like feet stomping) — but we don’t have to go too deep into that. Suffice to say, you are well versed in throwing fits. But we’re working on it. Multiple times a day. 

I have always admired the way you are unapologetically yourself. You know what you like, what you dislike and you never feel the need to change for anyone. Although at times I wish you’d bend to my will more, I know this trait will serve you well later in life. Keep being you, little one, for as long as you can (for forever, hopefully) and sharing that with the world. 

You are growing up so fast. In some ways, it’s positive — you love to help around the house and at the grocery store. In some ways, it’s, well, less than positive: slamming doors during a fit of rage, sassily saying “I know, Mom!!” in a fit of rage, laying down on the floor kicking your feet in a fit of rage — I’m detecting a pattern here.  

But there are still times that I see my little toddler in there. The one who said I was her “beff friend.” The one who would every single morning crawl into my side of the bed and just press her little warm body against mom, wrapping her delicate little arms around me. I can tell you’re struggling between that little preschool girl and this more grown up version, who “loves fashion” and wants “alone time.” 

I know we are just beginning that struggle and that it will likely last for the next couple of decades. As you continue to grow and mature, I will be here watching this transformation. Sometimes with sadness, sometimes with joy, sometimes with anger, always with love. And no matter how many slammed doors or rolled eyes or sassy comebacks, I’ll always be here. I’ll be waiting for you to discover the world and yourself and I’ll be anxiously waiting to hear all about it when you do. 

Now, Kindergarten. It’s a new world — with new teachers to know, new friends to make, new lunches to try. You’ll have good days and bad days (hopefully more good) — days you are so excited to share what happened and days you just want to cry (maybe because of new lunches). But knowing you, you’ll continue to share your bright spirit with those around you, which is exactly what you should do because don’t we all need a little more sunshine in our lives?

Love you, Gracie Girl. 

Mama

Dear Henry: Month Two

Dear Smiliest Henry,

Oh the smiles!! The beautiful, heart-warming, joy-inducing, bad-day-erasing smiles! A week or so into Month Two, you started smiling. And you haven’t looked back since. 

You love baths and have been swimming twice. Both times you fell asleep while we walked around the pool, so I’m going to say pools are A-OK, too. 

This month you also started getting more and more vocal. During your smile sessions, you really get going with your “talking” as well. Claire thinks you have said things like “Once upon a time” and “whoa!” But Grace is less sure that you are doing anything more than babbling. 

As I mentioned recently, sleeping and eating is much improved! Last night I put you to bed around 11 p.m. and had to wake you up at 7 a.m. this morning. I don’t know what I have done to deserve that, but I’ve been saying my daily thank-yous to just about everyone and everything. 

You are also blowing bubbles like a real champ and drenching several shirts a day. 

This month was especially wonderful because life has become much easier than Month One and I haven’t started back to work yet, so we have had these beautiful weeks of just enjoying each other. You have often fell asleep on my chest, quietly breathing in and out, growing my love exponentially with each breath you take. 

From the moment you were born, the girls have loved you to pieces. This month was no different. They hug you, kiss you and constantly try to get you to smile. But what I have really loved watching is how you are starting to respond to them. When they come around, your head turns that way and you will often start smiling at them before they even notice. I can see in your eyes how much you are already starting to love those sisters of yours. Let’s hope that endures when you are five and they are 10 and they find you in their room messing with their stuff. 

At last month’s check-up, you were 10 lbs, 9 oz and 23.75 inches (100% for height!). This month you are 12 lbs, 9 oz and 24.5 inches (97% for height, 56% for weight). The doctor said everything looks great and you are developmentally at the four-month-old mark. 

Happy two-month birthday, my smiley guy.

Your Mama

My Brain Made Me Do It

Yesterday, after I put the girls to bed, Claire comes running down the stairs “Mom! I have a secret to tell you!!” 

I’m tempted to use one of my normal “WHY IN THE WORLD ARE YOU OUT OF BED AGAIN” lines, but truthfully I was a little curious about the secret. 

“What is it, Claire?”

“Grace told me that when you tell her she can’t play on her tablet, she goes upstairs and does it anyway. And when you tell her to get her shoes on, she doesn’t do it on purpose. And when you tell her to pick up her room, she just plays. She told me not to tell you. But I did.” 

I walk Claire back upstairs to her bedroom and calmly say to Grace “We’ll be talking about all of that tomorrow.”

Oh man, did that send a shiver of fear up her spine. Keep in mind, this little girl despises being in trouble. If there’s even a hint that she’s done something wrong or that someone is mad at her, big tears well up in her eyes. 

“Mom, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!!” 

I told her I appreciated the apology but that we’d still be talking about it in the morning. 

Fast forward to today. 

I run through my speech about listening and trust and what happens when you lose my trust. Boring parent stuff. 

She appears to be half listening, half preparing her own speech when she says, in all seriousness: 

Grace: Mom, do you remember how I told you my brain has a robot in it? 

Me: Ummm, yes? 

Grace: Well, my brain told me to do it and it’s evil. It tells me to do all kinds of things. I’m sorry, Mom. But it was my brain. 

……

Dang. I had no idea where to go from there. I mean, the kid was right. 

Point, Grace. 

What’s harder — twins or singles?

After Henry arrived, we were asked that often. It’s actually an impossible question to answer because all kids are different and one single could be exceedingly easier than another (same with sets of twins). But I’ll give you the answer for us. 

In Henry’s first weeks, we were sure that he was harder. We truly could not remember the girls being so exhausting. It’s true our memories are probably blurry and we are five years older now (read: wimpier) and we have two other kids to parent. But it just felt harder. 

As you likely know, they were premature, so they spent their first several weeks home just sleeping. We didn’t have to “get them to sleep” — they just did it on their own with little assistance from us. Henry wasn’t so easy. There was much more walking and patting and shushing. And when he didn’t sleep, he cried. So, there was a lot of crying until we walked, patted and shushed.

Now, nearly two months in, it’s much, much better. I’m understanding his tired signs and his rhythm of sleep, eat, play. And he started taking the binky much more consistently, which is probably the biggest help of all. Well, that, and my mom reminded me of how I use to swaddle the girls when they slept. I was sort of half-swaddling him, so I ramped up my efforts there and he now sleeps without waking himself up. He is clocking somewhere between 8-11 hours overnight, usually waking up only once to eat at around the 6-8 hour mark. (Of course, now that I’ve mentioned that publicly, he’ll completely change.) During the day, he sleeps in between each time he eats — sometimes for 30 minutes, sometimes for three hours. 

During the first month, eating was a struggle as he and I learned how to breastfeed. In month two, he eats like a champ — every two-three hours during the day mostly without issue. 

Getting Grace to take her bottle was a challenge, to put it mildly, while Claire ate without issue. 

So, it’s a toss up. For now. 

Promise?

Me: Grace will you stay five forever?

Grace: Mom how can I do that? I promise even when I'm a grown-up I'll still be your kid. And when I move away, I'll still come home and visit. And have sleepovers sometimes.

Me: Promise?

Grace: Promise.