Big Shoes to Fill

But she's working on it.

I would daresay that the girls have been happier with daycare this week. Aside from the fact that they've contracted the first round (if what I assume will be many)of ick, they've been pleasant and whenever I've picked them up they are playful and happy. There's less of the instant meltdown when they see me across the room and we're getting good reports from the teachers. We've figured out a few cheats that I am hoping are contributing to the improvement. Namely, feeding them. I don't think they're eating as much while they're there, so we sneak in a breakfast-before-breakfast and a snack with milk when they get home. With that and judicious use of an animal signs video, we've been able to head off a few of the storms.

We crashed the afterparty of Jack's 4th birthday today. The girls' naptime never lets us get the full effect of birthday parties. So, we show up just as most guests are leaving and lounge around in the afterglow. It's blowing my mind a bit that Jack is turning four. That means that eventually our babies will eventually do the same thing! I remember quite vividly Jack at almost-two and it doesn't seem like it was that long ago. (Yeah, you heard me. Almost-two. It doesn't make sense to count in months anymore. It's only 8 or 9 weeks away.)

Feeding the Hungry

Tonight's show is brought to you by legumes. Please take note that Lillian, while, feeding Naomi a heaping spoonful of green beans, was doing the (seemingly inherent) open-mouth face that one does when one is feeding a baby. You know, where you mime opening your mouth and then closing it when the spoon arrives at its destination? Everyone does it. Apparently even other babies.

Shortly after this photo was taken, Naomi dumped a container of beans on her head.

p.s. Things are still improving at daycare. I am still totally overwhelmed by trying to straddle both worlds, but the girls seem pretty happy at "school".

On a Happier Note.

I'm sorry yesterday's message was such a downer. It's a big transition for all of us, but there will come a time when this all seems normal. And then they'll go to college and I'll be all weepy then, too.

Nana came and picked up the girls with us today. I wonder if we're the weirdos the staff talk about after we leave. We're all misty-eyed and clingy and we come in mass troops for drop off and pick up.

Whatever.

After pick-up, though, we went to the splash park again to meet Amanda, Jack and Ivy. The girls bravely ran into the spray and once Naomi was thoroughly soaked, she demanded that we pick her up and carry her around for the rest of the time.
She did take a minute to make sure she looked cool in my sunglasses, though.



(Oh, and after dinner she threw the mother of all tantrums. I was going to dial an exorcist. But then she got over it and we snuggled a lot.)

I Know.

I haven't posted in a week and I don't have any pictures today. I know.

I knew it would be hard, but I don't think I understood just how much. Or, rather, I was in a state of blissful denial for a long time.

It feels like, if I don't write about it, it won't be real.

The girls have now had two days in their day care center.

I am nothing short of heartbroken.

I also know how lucky I have been to have been home with these babies for as long as I have.

These girls have been my sidekicks, my constant companions for nearly two years.
We have left them only twice with people who are not related to them (really just Nana and Papa). For one of those, their family was still around while the two neighbor girls took care of them at 4th of July. For the other, they were asleep the entire time. And now, we are leaving them for the majority of their waking hours with people whose last names we don't know.

Honestly, just as predicted, they seem to be handling it much better than we are. The first day we were there, we didn't leave, but let the girls hang out for a bit while we went to loiter by the front desk. A few minutes later, we watched their troup come down the hall, all holding onto a rope. Lillian was in the front of the line, happily holding the rope with one hand and waving to everyone in the hall with the other. Naomi was being carried by the teacher's assistant.

Naomi's been a little fussier in general about the whole operation. We had originally intended to break them in slowly, hanging out with them at first, then leaving for an hour or two, maybe staying for lunch on the third day. After talking with the director, we realized that only creates more transitions and difficulty for them. Maybe it would have made us feel better, but it would have been unfair to the girls. And we've seen it already in the two days. If we linger or come back into the room, Naomi attaches herself to us and cries when we leave. If we just _go_, she's fine.

This afternoon and evening, we made sure to have good quality time with the girls. We read and tickled and played with wet sand. We went for a walk around the block and brushed our teeth for a long, long time. They were so tired by bedtime, Lillian was asking for sleep using the sign (close your hand in front of your face, drop your head and close your eyes). This wasn't different from any other day we've had, but William and I were soaking it in in a way that we might not remember to all of the time.

I know I can't take for granted the time I have with our girls.

I know I can't wait for next summer.

Muppet Baby

I just don't even feel the need to explain.

Sucker.

Tonight, Naomi found a ziploc bag with candy in it from the 4th Of July parade. So, she brought it to Daddy.

I think they chose this flavor to complement her eyes.

Garden Cherubs

The well-manicured lawns and gardens of the stately Stan Hywet mansion are a surprisingly wonderful place to let babies and kiddos run and roam.
We didn't dare to take them in the house, as no one would have had any fun at all. But while Saul and Leann and William were exploring the house tour, the rest of us tromped down to the English Garden, an idyllic walled garden that continues to be my favorite place on the grounds. The littles just ran the paths and sniffed flowers and giggled.

Seriously, where are the on-cue butterflies and bluebirds?


(As a side note, I apparently say, "Seriously" a lot, as Lillian has picked it up.)


Here's Naomi, bolting down one of the brick pathways. She couldn't quite catch Jack, but she gave him a good chase.


Lillian, enjoying the view.