I need you,Gramma

My heart lifted when I heard, "I need you, Gramma."  When I got to him, Nathan explained he needed to go outside.  Later in the day, while swinging in the hammock, he told me, "I don't need help" and pushed my hand away.  It was then that fear gripped my heart.  "Up in the sky" was the request from Nathan, while Andrew was quick to tell me, "Not high in the sky."  On the way to Gramma's house, Ryan Joseph said Andrew was listing the RULES his mother tells him each morning in the car; 1. No hitting, 2. No biting, 3. Share, and 4. Eat your food. Twins are their own system of checks and balances.  At least, I'm hoping one of them will check the other one's curiosity.  Kind of like a conscience you can see.

The boys' abilities are growing and they know it.  They're so anxious to try a new challenge.  Nathan can now buckle and unbuckle the seat buckles on his high chair, stroller and car seat.  I don't mind waiting for him to buckle up, but when I realized he also unbuckles I told him he was getting too smart to be safe. 

 I can make it.

Almost there.

Now, it's your turn.

The boys know Friday is Gramma and Grampa's day.  Andrew thinks Tuesdays are 2's Days.  I often think how strange and confusing our language is, as I witness the boys learning it.  I'm amazed any of us could have figured it out, much less at the warp speed they're doing it. When Nathan walked into the house on his own, as his father was getting Andrew out of the car, he ran to me to be picked up and said, "Let the brother in."

Nathan was watching the Bulls play basketball.  I was entertained to hear him shouting, "You did it!" and "Almost."  He's showing coaching abilities.  I think he may have heard these from his Daddy as he practices his own free throws.  He was so excited to watch those big boys play HIS game.

I need more blueberries.

I love blueberries, but they're SO sour!



Ring Around the Rosie

At snack time, Nathan said, "I NEED more blackberries."  At lunch he said, "I NEED more meat."  I wondered where that came from, until I could recall my own voice telling him, "Just tell me what you need" and "Show me what you need."

When he asks me to do something, like pick him up, I usually have to take a second to free up my hands or my time.  Nathan will repeat his request a bit louder, as if I didn't hear him.  I assure him by saying, "I know, I need to finish this and then I can do what you want.  He then says, "I know," with my exact inflection.  I have to smile at our little parrot.

I find him responding to my statements like "the alligator is cute" with, "me, too."  I stop and ponder, does he mean he's cute, too or he does he also think the alligator is cute. 

Andrew now points to a picture of Ryan Joseph and says, "My Daddy."  Clearly their language development is marching on. 

Sometimes with children their clearest way to communicate is through their body language.  Andrew is clearly letting us know "I'm happy to see MY DADDY."

Naptime has evolved.  The boys loved it.  And no one cried when they woke up.  Not even Gramma. 

This activity is for the trained professionals. DO NOT try this at home. Notice the manly grunts. Those are imitations of Grampa doing manly work.  He's singing "Ring Around the Rosie" and ends with "all fall down."

It's Not Daddy's Birthday

We're ready to send him out to do Birthday-grams.  We celebrated Nathan and Andrew's birthday two weeks ago.  Nathan got the song down very well.  He stops once and awhile to think and remember.  Like in the video when he seems to consider that it's not Daddy's birthday.  He'll sit very quietly and out of the blue say, "Easter Bunny." After the boys have gone Grampa and Gramma sit and relive all the Friday moments we've shared. It's nice to know we were part of HIS memborable moments.

Uncle "Myaatt" (the boys say his name with a smile, so it affects the pronunciation) is just the greatest!  He's going to make a good Daddy someday.  But until then, he can practice on me.

Grampa's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nathan and Andrew love the chocolate chip cookies Grampa bakes for them.  It was late afternoon, past snack time and getting closer to dinner.  Nathan spotted a container of cookies Grampa had prepared earlier sitting on the counter.  He pointed them out to me, as if I mustn't know they were available.  Grampa and I decided that the boys could split a cookie without destroying their appetites.  We got out the plates and the boys rushed to their snack table.  Nathan hurried through his cookie so quickly that he finished before Andrew.  Upon finishing, he asked for more cookies.  I told Grampa he was asking for another.  Nathan's face waited in rapt expectation.  Grampa said he'd have to wait until after dinner for another cookie.  His face hung in sorrow.  He looked at his plate and used his finger to scoop up two remaining crumbs.  Then he looked over at Andrew holding the last of his cookie.  Andrew seeing him coming and reading his mind slipped what was left into his mouth.  Nathan was wise to him and certain he was just holding it in his cheek.  Andrew was trying to keep very mum about it.  Nathan continued to probe the situation. 

Andrew swallowed his success.

Gramma loves the way the boys say, "yes."  It's so unexpected.  I think of two-year-olds as loving the word, "NO" and all the power it gives them.  I have spent the last two weeks gushing over them for it.  I thought it might make it last longer. One should never press their luck with a child.  It's usually very humbling and not for the child.

We continue to watch our birdies in the window.  The babies are filling out the nest, leaving little room for Mother Bird.  Andrew is also trying to stretch his wings a bit, becoming more and more daring.  This rocking chair was handmade by my Great-grandfather for my mother.  It has lasted and bore children safely for four generations.  Andrew may change all that, if he has his way.

The chair Nathan is sitting is was made by his grandfather for his father.