Building the blackmail files...

If we want to have anything to hang over their heads when it comes time to enforce curfew, we have to start collecting it now. This should work, right?

The Macarena.

Alternately titled "Hear No Evil".

Lillian's been doing this thing recently where she covers or plays with her ears while she's sitting in her high chair. It's fun, later, to pick sticky crud out of her hair. Both girls have been purposely entertaining us recently and I just can't get enough of their deliberate weirdness.

Missed it.

So, ah....

I totally forgot to mention that this past Thursday was the girls' one year un-birthday. Their adjusted age (remember all that calculus?). Had they been born on their due date, they would have turned one just two days ago. Wasn't it at least 800years ago that we had that November party? Obviously, I've already let go of the obsessive math that answered the question, "How old are they?" and sometimes forget that they're not _really_ almost 15 months old. I've decided to embrace this forgetfulness as a sign that I am not constantly worrying over them.

However, we are not the types to forgo a reason to party. So, last Sunday, when you saw Papa tossing Naomi alarmingly close to the ceiling, we made time to decorate a brownie with candles and sing a slightly confused version of Happy Unbirthday (When singing to twins--do you sing just once with both names? In what order? Sing twice?)

From two girls who are, officially, in every way, one.

A Portrait of the Artists as Young Women

A story, in pictures:

Enticement.

Trying to assemble a critical mass of things interesting enough to get Lillian to come down from the coffee table on her own. It's quite a gap for her, as she likes to have an intermediate handhold. Even with my cell phone there, we were not successful. I'll have to try the dog water bowl, as that seems to be irresistible.

Moving on.

This morning was probably our last day at Baby Group at the Parent Center. It's been a great place to meet new people and share in the agony and ecstasy that the first year of babies can be. We'll switch now, to Thursdays, which host a beautiful chaos of mixed age drop-ins. Toddlers and preschoolers and, like, 4 sets of twins. It will be less focused on us fraught parents and more on the kids, with circle time and free play. In some ways, I could tell we were getting ready. We can't just put down roots at the side of the carpet anymore and chat with the other parents. I listen in to the conversation as I'm following the girls around the big playroom, picking up discarded toys and trying to keep them from clobbering the tiny little babies. At least with the older kids, the clobbering will be fair.

Have You Ever Been THIS Excited by a Newspaper?

We have.

High Chair Hijinks.

The girls have been very funny, playing with each other and teaming up in games. In this photo, they were playing peek-a-boo from either side of the chair legs. They also like to sit in their chairs and flop their heads back and forth. They've only conked heads a few times, but it hasn't ruined the fun.

Now, if we could just get them to share.

Hang Time With Papa

It won't be long before Naomi realizes who she needs to go to when it's time for roller coasters.

Roxy Love

This poor dog. Her life will never be the same. Does she understand how many ways it is better? She certainly did this morning when Lillian was studying the effects of gravity on scrambled eggs.

Zoom.

More.

I know her hands are out of focus. That's the exciting part. I *think* she's actually giving me the sign for "more." We've been working on "eat", "drink", and "more". For the last couple of days, she's been clapping when I show her the sign (which is touching all of your fingertips together in front of you, squirrel-like) but today, there was a definite difference between clapping and this gesture.

Perhaps Naomi knows it, too, but she never wants more, if what's being offered is food.

Windows.

I think they're looking for spring. I know I am.

Fox in Sox?

No, just Naomi.

Her socks spend more time in her mouth than on her feet. She will often tug one of them off of her foot, stuff it in her mouth and crawl around like that. Last night, the girls stole the same sock from each other repeatedly and chewed on it.

Why my kitchen will not be clean for the next 17 years...

And yes, Naomi is making faces at herself in the stove.

Sweetish Swedish Fun

IKEA! It's like a field trip for grown-ups. Yesterday, we drove to another state for the express purpose of shopping. In hindsight, it might have been overly ambitious.

Joined and aided by Nana and Papa, we looked at lots of sleek modern furnishings and picked out some organizational tools for the playroom. In that, we were successful. We also hopped over to L.L. Bean and tried on coats. In all, we did everything that we set out to do and mostly had a lovely time doing it. But, Lillian might have overheard Papa taunting the victorious and gold-and-black attired 'Puke'sburgh Steelers fans one too many times. While some may have left their hearts in San Francisco, she left her gastrointestinal contents in Pennsylvania. Twice. Once, rather spectacularly, all over me in front of the hostess desk at the California Pizza Kitchen.

So, yeah, we might have overtaxed the little darlings for the sake of some shopping. Would I do it again? Not tomorrow, but maybe. I mean, it's IKEA, people.

Here's Naomi, being amused by something over her head, and a fantastic lamp. (Perhaps she was amused by the lamp. I can't remember now.)

Even though I haven't missed a day, you're still getting two. Why not?

Here's Lillian, on the move. She's really been practicing her transitions from standing to crawling and back again. It's great to see such progress. As nimble as Naomi is, I figured she'd be walking by now. But, no. I guess she gets everywhere she wants (and we don't want her to!) pretty quickly and doesn't see the need. Not that I'm rushing. Really. We're fine. (Best game from tonight: Naomi zoom-crawling to try and steal my pencil, then I'd slide her back across the floor. Fleecy pajamas on hardwood make for slippery travels. She got to the point where she'd be giggling uncontrollably even before she got to where I'd push her back.)



In fact, Naomi was doing such a good job of getting into everything tonight that William set up the corral in the middle of the living room. Then he got in it. Lillian is obviously not convinced that this is all a good idea. Next time they're all in there, I'm going out to see a movie.

Oops. Again.

Here is yesterday's picture. It's titled 'Daddy's Home!' When they hear William come in, it's a full on race to the door to greet him. Roxy usually wins, but Naomi pulls a close second. Lillian likes to investigate his bookbag first and then get her love from William.



And today's shot, titled "BabyFest 2011". Ivy came to hang out with us this morning while Nat helped at Jack's preschool and it went quite a bit smoother than I imagined/feared it would.

6 minutes

That's about how long we lasted in the tundra of our driveway. It took much longer to get everyone dressed for the occasion.

I'm uploading two pictures--the first is Naomi all suited up. It's not a great photograph, but I want you to know that she laid on the floor like this, completely flat, and chuckled, for a few minutes.





We made it halfway down the driveway on the sled before Lillian started to complain and we turned around. Perhaps next time we'll make it to the front yard.

Get out of Jail Free?

So, I'm not going to make it a week. But, we had two appointments today, Lillian's running a fever and my camera battery is dead. Do I get a reprieve?

The doctor's appointment this morning was a weight check for Naomi--up to 18lb14! We'll fatten this girl up yet. Is it wrong to feed her a veggie burger every day? (Lil's still holding strong at 23.8) and RSV vaccinations for both, hence the fever for Lillian. At least I hope that's the reason, and not a cold in the making.

Our second appointment was for Lillian's physical therapy, where she continues to make progress. She now pulls herself to standing in her crib like a champ. Getting back down, though is a different story. The first few times we try to coax her into the process of kneeling or dropping her substantial butt to the mattress and laying back down. On subsequent visits (Oh, yes, many, many, subsequent visits. I have stopped counting.) there's no coaching. Naomi gets into the fun by standing up in her crib and then the two of them bounce and giggle at each other from across the room.

To make you forget that I have fallen behind in my resolution already, here are a few pictures from cousin Elizabeth's camera that she took over Christmas. If it looks like Lillian is coyly posing, she is. And then she would demand to see the back of the camera where her picture was displayed on the screen.

Coup

Naomi has decided to take over publishing our blog. I shall claim no responsibility for spelling from here on out.

Sharing

The girls have learned to feed us. Sort of. They like to tease and offer you a piece of whatever they've got then yank it away as you go to take a nibble.

Chow time

If I'd have taken my camera out this evening, I could have offered you a picture of the black bean she stuffed in her ear at Chiptole.

Instead, regular lunchtime. As messy as she is, you'd like to think she was feeding herself with that spoon. But, no, that's just the decoy we use so we can get her to eat.

So, the playroom door closes...

I can't tell you how much I love this child.



But I can tell you that I need to clean these windows.

Helping

Inspired by another mom blogger, I am going to try and take and post a picture every day for the next month. This should teach me a bit more about my camera as well as give a glimpse into our daily, adventurous lives. I can't promise a lot of narration or commentary if I'm going to make this work every day. I also can't promise that I'll really do this. Let's see if I make it a week.

This is Lillian, helping me sort diapers. See got all serious when I pulled out the camera; I wish you could have seen her delight as she tossed them around and built this pile around herself.