Five

People keep asking me if I miss my children being little. No, no I don't. I like them just the way they are right now. I will admit it IS pretty crazy that the twins are five now, but looking back at these posts from when they were born feels like a lifetime ago.

I just went to my brother and sister-in-law's baby shower on Saturday for their first baby. It will be fun to have a baby niece nearby, but I guarantee you I'm not one of those people who always has to be the first in the room to hold the baby.

Anyway, the girls are SO looking forward to having a baby cousin nearby since they aren't getting a little sibling.

Some days I get kids that will smile for a picture, some days I don't. These were taken a few weeks back when I needed portraits to submit for something and the lighting was just right in my dining room.

You'd never guess from these pictures, but Joy is quite the silly bug. I guess it just depends on the mood by day (or hour). And really she was being quite cooperative for these pictures, which I didn't really want silly!

She is very independent and knows what she wants and why. Or where. Or how. I think she's going to be a bit particular, a little like her oldest brother. Things have an order to them. In this she also follows directions very well and has learned how to color quite neatly within the lines. She's very proud of that skill.

At times like this I struggle a little to come up with ways they are different. They each have their own personality for sure, but they like to do most of the same things and are together almost 24/7. So for as much as developmentally kids go through things at roughly the same ages, that's what we have here. If we ever wonder if they are identical I think this always reminds me that they most likely are. (No, we haven't had them tested, but it's highly likely that they are)

Poor Hope is my toothless girl. After these were taken she even had to have one more on the top removed from the trauma a year ago because it had gotten infected as well. She does pretty good at crazy 5am dentist visits and isn't too traumatized by the actual events.

She goes about her days singing quietly almost all the time. And always reminds Daddy when he forgets his glasses before leaving for school.

They go back and forth being clingy still when I leave them at preschool, but away from me I hear that Hope is a bit more reserved. It's like if she knows I am in the vicinity she is fearless. But even sometimes in the grocery store she will hide her face from someone we know. We're still working on not just running away ahead of Mama though.

For the most part though, these are THE most outgoing (and loud) children you've ever met. They will hug anyone I even have a casual conversation with!

For all their clinginess in the mornings I think they are really enjoying preschool. They're learning their letters and numbers and at their conferences last week I was surprised to find they can each count almost up to 50 without missing a number!

We have lots of interesting conversations in the car about the weather and the things we see as we drive to and from school and all around town for errands.  One really cool part about having cousins living on the other side of the world is this giant wall map at church where we can point out every week where they live.  And where my penpal Amy lives.  And where Sweden is that Mommy went to 18 months ago.  I love geography so it's really fun that they like it too.

The twin bond is still very strong between these two.  They do occasionally do things apart from each other, but more often than not you will find them doing the same things.  If one is coloring, the other will eventually join in.  If one is playing with the dollhouse, very soon the other will be there too.  In some ways, when Noah (usually) plays with one of them that introduces competition into the relationship.  They do have their squabbles, but for the most part they get along better than most siblings I've seen.

The last time we went to the doctor they had reached the 85th percentile on the growth charts.  For being at the 25th percentile when they were born they've caught up and passed "average" for kids their age.  I'm not surprised since the rest of us aren't small either.  It will be fun to see if they continue to stay in this range or even get farther ahead of the growth curve like the boys are.  They continue to stay very even with each other although Joy is slightly heavier (she eats more!) and has a half size bigger feet.  Joy: 48 pounds, about 44 1/2 inches and size 12 shoes.  Hope: 45 pounds, about 44 1/2 inches and size 11 1/2 shoes.

I love these girls and can't wait to see what they do and become as they get older!

Girl Quotes

All the kids will sometimes ask to be tickled.  Brian likes to say he's going to "count their ribs".  So tonight Hope asks, "Daddy, will you count my ribbons?"

Joy: Hey mom, are we in a planet?
Yes, planet earth.
When are we going to another planet?
Geography by 3 year olds is hard when all your favorite cartoon characters go into space all the time! (Yes, I've been saving these for awhile)

The girls call the deep end of the pool the "deepness".

They have decided they will name their future babies Rosie Rose (Joy) and Sparkles (Hope).

Always when it's time for bed they want to "tell you a question" just one more time or say "I just remembered that...".  It's their, cute, yet annoying way of stalling.

Attitude!

Because sometimes the stars align and I get my good camera out and then I get this!

Look out Hollywood!

And because they are twins they posed the same way without even trying!

Love them!

Four

Four is...

full of energy,

and spunk,

and sass!

It's knowing all your letters and pointing them out.  It's writing your name on things and wanting to know what specific things say in books.

Four is very independent... when you want to be!

Four is conversations about all the things in the world and observing all the little details.  It's wanting to help do everything Mommy is doing and yet not when you are asked! 

Both girls are still almost identical in height and weight although they go back and forth by who is bigger by quarters of an inch and a pound or two.  They come in slightly smaller than average for their age, but considering they are twins and were fairly small to start with that's normal!  About 41 inches tall and 38-39 pounds.  They wear size 4 and a few 5's. 

They live in their own twin world, so different than the boys at this age that I remember.  They are so keyed into each other that they will go and do what the other one is doing and I think simply not even hear anyone else, especially if they are moving.

These girls are so engaging and active.  They are the same yet different in a million different ways.  Many days it's exhausting trying to keep up with them and yet twin snuggles make everything right in the world.  I love my girls!

Birthday Number Four

Now that it's officially April I probably should chronicle my kid's birthdays!  Stupid plague that got me down just after the girl's birthday...

We did things a little differently for them this year because their party was away from our house, but their gift was too big to transport...

A doll house!

I was pretty excited for them to see it.  They didn't ask to watch cartoons for days, just got up in the morning to play with it!

The novelty has somewhat worn off now, but it's still pretty cool.  Except for the teeny tiny forks and knives that half of them immediately went missing.

We held their official party at McDonald's this year.  Since it was their turn for a party and every time we drove by they would sigh wistfully I figured it would be a hit, and it was!

13 little kids running around plus regular dinner people and it was kind of wild and crazy, perfect for turning 4!

I had to make gluten free cupcakes for Cory so these supplemented the cake they provided.  And they had ice cream.  Oy, so much sugar!  (and also treat bags with more junk in them)

Hope and Nana

Four!  I can't believe how old she looks in this photo.

Much fun was had by all and they were having so much fun playing on the toys that we just brought the presents home and opened them here.  Lots of fun play dough, art supplies, and dress up accessories.

Too cool for school in her new shades, Joy was playing with the doll house here the next morning.

I bought the Hape brand doll house because it looked pretty solid and also was simple and unbranded (Disney) so I figured it would stand the test of time.  It wasn't too hard to put together and there are lots of fun features!  Unfortunately the storage system I bought to set it on isn't deep enough so we're going to have to get a bit creative, but I think we'll figure it out.  For now it's living in the living room and that works okay.

Four year old portraits coming soon!

Girl quotes

The girls always say, "Mom, I want to tell you a question" and I'm never quite sure if it will be a statement or a question!

Hope sings "head and shoulders, peas and toes".

The boys think they're being sneaky by asking for "C A N D Y" but the girls have quickly figured out what that means so now they ask for "C N D Y" too. 

Our neighbors put up giant blow up characters for the holidays. The turkey went up now that it's November and the girls love it. Today when we got home from picking brother up at school they wanted to get out and go touch it. I said no, because it was raining and Joy said,  "Aw, but I want to snuggle the chicken!"

Wordless Wednesday: Water Babies!

These girls have gone from not wanting to put their faces underwater to this in 10 days!

My little swimmer babies! Their teacher has been teaching at this pool since my family moved here 23 years ago and my old neighbor, whose daughter was in Noah's class last week, said she was her teacher too, so that would be pushing 40 years! She's a pretty awesome teacher!

Wordless Wednesday: Snuggles

This is what happens when I take a nap and the girls find me after their nap is over.  It reminded me of another photo from exactly three years and one month ago.  How has it even been three years already?

And now I'm sitting here listening to them sing and giggle in the next room.  Crazy girls!

Girl Quotes #1

I haven't collected many boy quotes lately because they've gotten so grown up in their use of language, but it's time to write down some of the funny things the girls are saying!  So, first edition of girl quotes!

When a girl asks for something and we say no, or something else, she will often then say "or not".  Example: "I go to church." "No, not right now, sister." "Or not."

Both girls, but more particularly Joy will say if they don't like or want something, "I can't like it."

Hope is a little bossy, but she's always paying attention to the details as well.  She will remind Daddy on the way out the door in the morning if he's forgotten, "Glasses!"

When we have Chicken Pasta Noodle Salad for dinner the girls get it mixed up with what a rooster says and call it "Cock a Noodle Salad".

Every time we drive into town we pass the train yard and the girls call out "woo woo" and then as we're going up the hill they say "Bye bye trains, see ya later!"

When we have huckleberry ice cream Hope calls it Chuckleberry.

Anytime there is a snake in a book and we are identifying animals they call it a "sssss" rather than a snake.


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Wordless Wednesday: Tea for Two!

These girls love their tea parties!

Would you consider voting for them in this contest, pretty please?
Just click on the picture below!

Wordless Wednesday: Park Time

It's still crazy hot here for October, as in, we should have left our AC units in for another week at least!  But it makes for great park days!

Two and a Half

I cannot believe how much my girls have changed in the last 6 months so instead of waiting until they are 3 you get a half yearly update!

Since March they have progressed to speaking many more words and more clearly, particularly since about the first of August. They will now speak in complete sentences when they can although at this point Hope is more easily understood and has more of the sentences down. But they both can accurately communicate what they want and their concept of various ideas amazes me every day.

They remember people and things and places and will tell you about what they did this afternoon if you ask a good enough prompt. They love to go to church and play with "Mr. Evan".  They will finally tell you their names when asked - if they are in the mood for it - and their brother's names too.

This week we finally upgraded to booster seats at the table with everyone else and it's so fun to have them all at the table now rather than in their high chairs kind of off to the side and behind me.  This means they get plates now instead of only occasionally and hopefully it also means less food on the floor!

At least they are generally very polite girls, so cute to hear them say thank you when I give them their food or water cups.

Sisters will be sisters and they do fight over things, but for the most part they each have a few things that are "theirs" and they share the other toys fairly well.  They are still banned from the brother's room for the most part, but occasionally get in and are starting to want to play with the little Legos without putting them in their mouths.  I wish we had more Duplos for them to play with, but at this point I don't think I'm going to invest in those. (The ones we have came home with us on a plane from friends in Arizona!)

Hope in particular will point out "mine" color anytime she sees pink in a book or someone's shirt.  But it doesn't bother them too much to both wear pink or purple.  However if there is one pink shirt and one purple shirt and you get them backwards, woe and bad tidings to you!  Funny how their little brains work!

The trains are a very big point of interest.  We often will "catch" a train while going into town and as we pass the train yard they have to say "bye bye trains" as we go up the hill and can't see them anymore.  Sometimes they are "too loud" when we have the windows open in the evening and they whistle at our crossing just down the street.

We watch more cartoons in the morning now and the girls love Daniel Tiger.  It's an animated spin-off from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and it's actually quite adorable.  There are cute little lessons in each story complete with a song and I will hear the girls singing the songs days later.  Things like "you take a turn, then I get one too".  I hope it helps!

They also like Strawberry Shortcake, Clifford, and just discovered Curious George.  They love Blues Clues too, but unfortunately we don't really have access to it other than at Grandma's house.  They almost know how to work the whole Wii by themselves... a scary thought!

Speaking of singing songs, they very much love music and Hope will stop everything and dance if she hears any music anywhere.  They will sing along with me at bedtime as I'm singing to them and ask for particular songs.  The Elephant Song (not a bedtime song) is adorable if you ever get to witness it.  As is I'm a Little Tea Pot.

We went to a birthday party tonight and the girls thought we were going to a tea party.  They would not be convinced otherwise.  That's where the photos came from in this post.  I hope it lived up to their expectations.  They did at least get ice cream!

These girls are still kind of little, they've grown 2 1/2 inches since March, but only put on 3 pounds!  Around 35 inches and 30 pounds each.  Guess I shouldn't complain too much since they still both want to be held at the same time.  Moving into 3T clothing in all except pants, which still fall off half the time.

Shoes are a very big deal and have to be kept in the cedar chest or there would be a shoe hunt every day we needed to go out somewhere. (They have dress up shoes for wearing in the house.) Unfortunately they also like to take their shoes off the instant they get in their car seats so I spend way too much time putting shoes and socks back on every time we stop to go somewhere.

And that I believe is your head to toe update!
 

Wordless Wednesday: Faces

I can't call them "baby" faces anymore. My girls are growing up!

Wordless Wednesday: Riding in Cars with Bears

The girls have decided that they love these bears, and they must bring them in the car with us whenever we go anywhere.

Joy

Hope

Road Trip: Montana Wedding Part 1

So, now that it's two months later and our summer of all the crazy is over I have a few minutes to actually get to the pictures I took... back in June!

We left off leaving Yellowstone a day early due to crazy hail and rain. We went back to spend the night with my friend in Bozeman and the next day headed over to Billings for Brian's cousin's wedding.

We stayed at a KOA, which was world's apart from the campground in Yellowstone... we even got a Kabin the first night as we heard it was going to rain again... it did!

The boys climbed this tree and then Noah realized just how far off the ground he was.

Daddy to the rescue!

I have zero pictures from the rehearsal dinner that night, but it was fun.  Time to see most of the family and have yummy food.  Also, the boys having (pool) noodle fights with cousin Keenan.

The next morning we went swimming with Auntie Allison and Cousin Cassia, who got in from Africa at midnight!

Then we went to Cracker Barrel for lunch... sorry, we were not impressed.

These cousins are stair stepped exactly 1 1/2 years apart.  Miss Brooklynn.

Brooklynn's mom Cassandra, and Cassandra's mom, Aunt Cindi!

After a mad dash to change into wedding clothes in Aunt Priscilla's hotel room we made it to the site for family pictures.  Noah fell asleep on the way so he was kind of cranky.

Then to entertain little girls for over an hour until the wedding starts... look Mommy, I'm picking the flowers that are part of the landscaping!  Whoops!

Tea for two!

The monkeys were from Aunt Eloise.  All the kids got one and they were a hit!  Sadly Noah's got switched for William's in August so it's taking a trip to Africa for adventures and hopefully we can trade back in December!

By the time the wedding actually happened we had to put the girls in our baby packs and pace at the edge of the seating area.  But otherwise they did really well.

The groom, Joktan, and cousin Cassandra

Cousin Cassia was distraught after many many hours on a plane and little sleep.  But shredding the grooms boutonniere was fun!

Gorgeous flowers as centerpieces

Joktan proposed to Caitlin after a long hike to the top of Granite Peak.  He actually hiked it once the day before to leave his guitar up there so he could surprise her!

Sadly, the ring got left at base camp on a rock wall and I'm not sure if they ever got it back even though he hiked up again the next day to try and find it.

Next post: actual wedding pictures!  This is why I will never be a wedding photographer, I don't have time to edit that many photos!