Happy New Year!  I hope you enjoyed the holidays as much as we did.

It’s been very busy around here.  I mentioned in my last post that I enrolled the girls in a toddler gym and they love it!  We go twice a week and they start squealing as soon as we pull into the lot.  One day is a class day and we sing a couple songs, dance and have a few organized exercises mixed in with free play. The other day is all free play.  The place has a low to the ground trampoline that they love, and many things to climb or balance on, but their absolute favorite thing is the ball pit.  They’d stay in there for an hour if I let them.  The only problem with the ball pit is that they love to whip the balls out of there at lightening speed.  Throwing things is one of the behavioral issues we’ve been working on in therapy so the ball pit is a huge test for them. I hate the ball pit because I know I’m gonna run around chasing balls (they’ve got arms on them like major league pitchers) and then after a couple of chances have to yank them out and stop them from going back in. This year my sisters got them each a personal ball pit for their birthday, as well as 200 extra balls.  They did this because they truly love the girls but also so they could stick it to me a little bit.  Thankfully we have a playroom and I’m fine with that being a mess.

In October things started revving up.  We went camping again, and then started prepping for Halloween fun.  We went to a pumpkin patch and they had a hayride that they really enjoyed as well as one of those big bouncing pillows to jump on.  They loved the pillow but it was hard for them to stay on when bigger kids came near.  They’d get bounced off and laugh like it was the best thing ever.  They weren’t big fans of touching pumpkin guts but had a good time running around the field.  I like to do a family costume but this year we split it up into boys and girls. I was Willy Wonka and the girls were Oompa Loompas.  They were beyond cute!  The best part was that they were comfortable and didn’t have to wear a hat or anything.  Tas wanted to be a cop,so he could have handcuffs and a gun, and Tim was his robber.  We had 2 different themes going on. The girls were the definite winners.  We went to a big party before trick or treating and the girls had a great time there, but by the time trick or treating started they were about done.  We did 2 houses and called it a night. They’re still a little young to really appreciate how awesome it is to get a bucket full of free candy.

Christmas was a lot of fun this year.  The girls loved the tree and having the house decorated with Christmas lights.  They would always stand at the door and say “pretty” when they looked out.  Taya was intrigued by Santa and would say “Hohoho”.  Emi wasn’t too impressed with him but she loved anything with a snowman on it.  Around November they both started really getting crazy about Mickey Mouse. They don’t really watch the cartoon but like the beginning and the end when the songs come on.  They never really watch a show but they will run and sit down to watch commercials. I don’t really know what that’s all about but I think it’s funny.  Anyway, one day in December we went to the Christmas section in Walmart and they had a 12 foot blow up Mickey in a Santa suit.  The girls lost their minds.  They don’t call him Mickey, they call him Nonnie.  So they see this big Mickey and start bouncing up and down and screaming Nonnie, Nonnie, Nonnie! at the top of their lungs. They always say it 3 times.  Everybody in Walmart started laughing and staring because it was quite the spectacle.  If we turned down an aisle and they lost sight of him they’d start chanting and pointing with the same level of excitement each time he came back in view.  It was pretty funny to witness.  I told Tim to take them there one night so he could experience it and of course he came home with a 12 foot Mickey.  We put him on the dock so the girls could see him from the back windows of the house and it was like we had a rock star out there.  Every morning when they woke up the first thing they did was run to the windows and say hi.

I host a cookie decorating party every year and we had about 15 kids and their parents here this year.  The girls really got into the spirit of things and probably ate a whole tub of frosting between the two of them.  Diapers were great the next day.  Emi also had a sparkly poop this holiday season because she’s an ornament licker.  Fa la la la la.

Aside from Mickey, the girls are also obsessed with cats.  I have no idea why. We don’t have a cat, I don’t like cats, none of their favorite cartoon commercials have cats, but somehow they love them.  We visited my sister for Christmas and she has a cat so they spent most of the week looking under my sister’s bed and meowing at the cat.  For Christmas we got them those Fur real cats and they are more annoying than real cats. They meow and hiss and make a ton of noise.  We also got them strollers that they push all over the house.  They dumped the dolls out and push the cats around.

 

 

 

We got back in town 2 days before their birthday.  We just did a small family celebration because we were all tired and a little crabby.  Thankfully I figured out that I need to buy their birthday gifts in October or November before I buy their Christmas gifts.  This way it’s not an afterthought and they get something good for a birthday present too.  Not that they really care or notice this year, but eventually it’s gonna be an issue.  I don’t want to let their birthday feel like it’s subpar because it’s so close to Christmas. I’m trying to develop good habits now before they are old enough to notice.  It’s hard to believe they’re 2 already.  I’m excited because I’m starting to get glimpses of the kids they’re going to be, but I miss the little babies.  I’m also a little scared of the terrible twos.  They’re gonna give me a run for my money..

I hope you’re doing well and that the new year brings you much happiness.

PS.  If you don’t see the name on the picture automatically, it will appear if you click the picture.