Threenagers

 

On average, I say “no” about 150 times a day.  I sigh and give in about 75 times a day because well, twins.  I open approximately 10 snacks – 2 at a time – most of them between breakfast and lunch.  I refill juice cups 10 times a day.  I will pick up the same toys 5-7 times as they like to dump out whole bins of toys whenever possible.  I make meals, wipe faces, brush teeth, change diapers (ugh!), and average 6000 steps a day just around the house and 20 trips up and down the stairs.  This is why I am tired at the end of the day.  If it is not physical exhaustion it is mental exhaustion from trying to stay one step ahead of two active children.  All of this gets complicated when mommy does not feel well and mommy has been battling allergies/cold/sinus issues for weeks now.  After traveling through the mountains over the weekend, I came home with some intense ear pain – started an antibiotic today and I am hopeful to finally get some overall relief.  It is hard to be “on” when you don’t feel well, and I am sure that other people can relate, but you can’t be “off” when you have toddler running around your home! 

MANY people have told me that “Age 3 is worse than 2,” so I have been attempting to prepare for the upcoming birthday.  Well, both of my children are over achievers and have settled in to becoming “threenagers” quite nicely.  They already tell me that I am driving them crazy (Mommy may have said that about them a time or two – oops) and that they “never” get to (insert some random task here).  The random breakdowns, temper tantrums, and fighting have escalated to an all-time high.  Riley is in constant prep for the 2030 World Cup and has perfected her “flop.” We, being the brilliant people that we are, decided to take 5 three year olds to the beach for the week… disaster right? Not at all! They actually did great together.  We did have some breakdowns and some disagreements we had to break up, but overall they had a great time together and are still asking to see each other.  We even managed to get the naps and bedtime routines in sync with the other set of twins and they all shared a room! Gasp! I think as long as I keep an open mind and remember that every day is a new day, I will be able to survive these “threenagers” that I have been blessed with. :)

 Landon continues to be quiet and genuinely emotional (remember Riley is the queen of flop).  He proved this to me when we were watching the movie Home and my little man shed a tear that he swiftly wiped from his cheek when the main character was in danger.  Riley fell the other day and Landon was so concerned that she was hurt – he asked if he could sing to her to “make her feel better.”  He has mastered the ability to look up at me with those big brown eyes and I melt.  When we were at the Turtle Hospital at the beach he found a “daddy turtle” stuffed animal with a baby on its back and he held the toy up to me with his huge eyes and I began to pull out my wallet before the Hubby beat me to it. (I love that he calls it a daddy turtle by the way) Landon did well at the beach, but he never set foot in the ocean.  He played in the sand and played with the other kids building sand castles, but was intimidated by the waves.  Luckily some pretty great dads built some smaller pools for the kids so he was still able to enjoy the water.  He loves to play with his dress up clothes and we had a great afternoon pretending to be pirates complete with an X on the floor and a treasure map.  He loves to put all of his fireman gear on also and tell me that he has to hurry to an emergency.  Landon has a very active imagination and will use his animals/toys an excuse even – like as in “I not hungry, Zuma wants a snack though.”  He still has his favorite snacks and foods, not much has changed there.  He describes what he wants by color, like the “red cookies” meaning the ones in the red package.  His meal of choice is “jelly sandwich, chips, and milk” or oatmeal.  He has 3 of his 4 molars in, but they don’t seem to bother him like they have with Riley.  

Riley is my social butterfly, never meeting a stranger.  We met up with my parents in Knoxville, TN this past weekend and Riley made a friend in a random woman at the splash pad.  More than likely this woman was homeless and possibly drunk, but all Riley knew is that she was going in the splash pad fully clothed and had taught her how to stand on the water spouts.  Every time the woman tried to leave, Riley dragged her back over by the hand to play in the water.  She LOVES the water.  It was hard to keep her out of the ocean and she held her swim vest the whole four hour drive to the ocean.  She asks to put on a suit as soon as she sees the water.  Riley loves to sing nursery rhymes and will often start singing them to herself – some of her favorites are the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep.”  We taught them how to play hide and seek the other day and she loves to play – hiding in plain sight and covering her eyes.  She constantly has a stuffed toy with her, usually a dog, but the toy will rotate depending on the day.  Riley has made a couple attempts at potty training - she will spend a few hours in training pants and will sit on her potty every time the alarm goes off (about 10 minutes) and she has earned herself 4 stickers! She is pretty proud of herself, but still isn't consistent.  Her food of choice continues to be cheese and she will eat it all day long now that she knows how to open the fridge.  She will also poke holes in the top of yogurts to take a few licks and take three small bites out of apples and leave them around the house.  She will eat the skin of a whole apple, but she won’t eat the skin if you cut up the apple.  I have threatened to get a lock for the fridge and I may have to follow through on that one.  Riley loves to give hugs and kisses and asks for them as well – it may be a tactic to prolong bedtime, but it is a tactic I don’t mind.  

 They are having full conversations with each other now and the imaginative play can get pretty interesting.  Most of the time they get along well with each other, but they are still working on sharing.  Landon has taken to laying on the floor on top of the toy that he does not want her to have.  I have a rule at home that they cannot take toys from each other, but I don’t force a share either.  They can only have the toy if the other lays it down or freely hands it over.  It is inevitable that if I ask them a question, such as asking what movie they would like to watch, I am going to get two different answers.  It just goes to show that they are individuals with different personalities and interests – it is fun watching them grow into their personalities and I love being a part of it.  

Playing at the hotel with papa

New toy