When Wil had trouble sleeping saturday night, I got him up out of bed for a little while and took him in with me to lay in our bed (we hadn't gone to sleep yet). He settled down immediately. I love lying with them when they're sleeping. I said 'Wil, Daddy loves you.' I think he mumbled 'and Momma and Eh-beh.' (that's the usual litany).

They're perfect (in terms of what kids should be). They drive my crazy sometimes. They constantly put my selfishness in stark relief. But I love them very much. They're perfect in my sight.

Since the have to share, the twins are really big on 'turns' and 'picking'. It's understood that when one picks a book or a video, the other gets to pick next. This can be problematic when we want them to watch only one video. We try to say 'You can pick next time.' and that sometimes placates them.

Anyway, they were picking videos saturday morning and I wanted to get my reservation made. I said 'Daddy picks next, and I pick football in an hour.' (the Oklahoma-Nebraska game). When their video ended 15 minutes later, Elizabeth said 'Daddy pick now.' I said 'I pick football in 45 minutes.' They seemed to be okay with that. They still talked about watching other stuff and about picking, but they were ultimately content to let me watch football. Right on.

Later, when we walked into Schlotsky's to see if they were still distributing candy (on the lackluster parade attempt), Elizabeth said 'More suh-baw.' Sure enough, the tv had football on. We've got these kids cultured already.

One of my many nervous habits is holding a pen between my thumb and forefinger and shaking it rapidly back and forth. The other day when I was doing it Wil said, 'A butterfly!' That boy is smart and imaginative.

Well, as you can see, I finally figured out basic ftp and img src so we can have a picture on this site. Now I think, 'Well duh, that was easy. Why couldn't I figure that out sooner'. But I didn't.

Elizabeth put her poop in the potty chair today. You might think that's gross to talk about. But, as parents, we think it's FREAKIN' AWESOME!

Christine says it just goes to show that kids will potty train when they're ready.

Elizabeth was singing "In the Highways" at bedtime. "Sing Bunny Song, E'beh?" asked Wil. "I sing Kids Sing," she said. They repeated this conversation at least twenty times. Sean said he wished Elizabeth was that patient with him.

Lots of new pictures! Run (do not walk) to Yahoo! photos!

Wil has a nasty cough this morning. Probably he's allergic to cats like me and his Mama and we stopped at Josh's house last night after the inglorious parade event. We even gave him his antihistamine after the visit. Alack.

We wanted to go out to the Halloween festivities in our neighborhood yesterday. We put the kids down for naps early because they were so cranky and Wil was lethargic and wouldn't eat. They proceeded to cavort and scream happily in their separate cribs for more than an hour. So they didn't get up until four. By the time we got to the festivities, they were over. But they didn't know, and we didn't promise them anything. As far as they're concerned, a parade is where you go walk and see other kids in their costumes and stop in at The Delta Cafe for your very own dish of vanilla ice cream with sprinkles.

Yesterday we ate lunch out. While waiting for our food, Elizabeth said, "Look Dada suh-baw!" Sean turned around to catch a glimpse of football on the TV and asked her, "What do we say when we watch football?" "Go eye-in!" (go Vikings,) she said, complete with fist-punch.

They fell asleep in the car on the way home this afternoon, so they're having a hard time settling down for real naps. Right now they're singing "dadada" to the tune of Jingle Bells. Watch Sesame Street's Elmo's World for reference.

Both kids, but especially Wil, have picked up on the affirming things we say to them. Yesterday in the car Elizabeth saw something out the window and Wil said, "Good eye, E'beh." At home eating snacks, he said "Good bite, Dada."

We're working very hard these days on asking for things by saying 'please' instead of whining. This morning I said to Wil, 'How do you ask for something nicely?' 'Ni-lee,' he replied.

This morning while we were watching 'The Toy that Saved Christmas,' Elizabeth kept asking what happened to Christmas. After a couple attempts to give her an answer, I realized she thinks the toy is 'Christmas.'

Their behavior last night was monstrous. Christine had a bunch of paperwork sorted in the study that they threw on the floor and danced on. Putting them to bed was horrible. I guess they were overtired. They could not calmdown. We were done compromising.

Wil's favorite video right now is VeggieTales 'The Toy that Saved Christmas'. So, of course, I woke up with the songs in my head this morning, and they're still running through it:

Could that be Santa? Could that be him?
Could it be the one who brings presents for a cucumber like me?

Things you never want to hear your kids say:

"I no like Momma." (Wil just meant he didn't want me to help him, but it still hurt.)

"You obey Wil." (Wil to Elizabeth.)

They were really hard to get to bed tonight - overtired.

The kids watched 'Elmo in Grouchland' in the car. The plot revolves around Elmo losing his blanket and trying to get it back. The twins were very distirbed abou this and cried when Elmo lost his blanket. Wil said 'Elmo need his na-na [blanket].'

We arrived in Iowa in one piece. The kids did really well. We left at 5a and arrived here at 4p. That stretch from Kansas City to Des Moines is the worst.

It's nap time. They're talking in their cribs big time.

Elizabeth just said 'I get out.'. Wil said 'You no get out. It nap time.'

Later, she counted 'One, two, eight, nine, ten, fifteen.'. Wil said 'Yay Eh-beh!'.

So much for putting my foot down. Now he's completely naked - no diaper, no nothing.

Then he said he wants to sleep. So I put him in his crib. I don't get it. More later.

Wil, especially, is a big singer these days. Last night I caught him singing 'laser eyes...mic[rochip] brain' - some lyrics from 'The Rumor Weed'. Christine said 'There's only one word in that sentence that he knows.'. She said he's got his dad's talent for remembering song lyrics.

Christine's at a Homemade Gourmet show this morning and she took Elizabeth. Christine asked Elizabeth if she wanted to go to a party with her and Elizabeth said 'Sure.'. Then Wil wondered about a party, so I said we'd have our own party. I asked him what he wanted to do for his party and he said 'Cake.'. So we walked to Quik Trip (I pulled him in GramPaul's wagon) and he picked out individually packaged pound cake. Good choice. We sat at the table across the street and had a little picnic. I dropped some cake and he said 'That's okay, DaDa.'. I said 'Thanks, Wil.'. I told him the birds would come and eat it later.

We're home now. He must've gotten warm in his double sweatshirts because now he's walking around with no shirt on. He wanted his socks and jeans off, too, but I put my foot down. He's playing with his button book and periodically singing to himself.

Wonder why we haven't been updating? They've been sick. Nothing really gnarly, just a fever and cranky (thus, probably achy). But it's slowed us down a lot. Elizabeth fought it most of the week. Wil had it just on thursday, just in time to have to come home early from Mothers' Day Out. I went in to get him and he was lying in his classroom by himself on his nap mat listening to music by himself. It was, in Gramma Sue's words, pitiful.

While changing his diaper this morning, Wil said, "I need wipe." So I gave him a babywipe. He wiped himself and said, "I pee potty too now?" Son, you don't have to ask twice!

Elizabeth is having a rough time these days. She's potty training, she's had a fever for four days and she's got molars coming in. How much more is one 2-year-old suppose to handle? Wil, thankfully, has been sweet as can be today. He's been quick to help me when I ask and to share with his sister. "Here you go, E'beh," he says when he gives her something. I put them down for naps early today because Elizabeth seemed to need it. Wil didn't put up any fuss. I gave him a few extra toys to play with in his crib since it wasn't really naptime yet and he said "Thank Momma" after every one. I really needed that. God blessed me through my son today.

Wil climbed out of his crib at naptime. First he tossed his blanket out in an effort to get me to come back in the room. When I didn't (for the third time) apparently he went after it. It's tough being a kid, but I think on days like this it's tougher being a parent.

The twins love the 'O Brother, Where Art Thou' soundtrack. They especially love the song they call 'Kids Sing' - 'In the Highways' which is sung on the album by some...kids who are supposed to be the Little Warvey Gals.

They see my use a music stand at church sometimes when I lead worship, so they think whatever's on the music stand is music. Last night I had finished teaching and they came in and saw the music stand and wanted to sing. Elizabeth sang 'In the Highways'. Wil sang, you guessed it, 'Larry-Boy'.

They also like the song they call 'Papas Sing' - 'I am a Man of Constant Sorrow' (because the Soggy Bottom Boys use beards for disguises on the video). It is hilarious to hear Wil sing those words (in Wil-speak of course) - 'I am a man of constant sorrow, I've seen trouble all my days. I bid farewell to Old Kentucky, the place where I was born and raised.'

They also know 'Mamas Sing' (Go to Sleep Little Baby), 'I'll Fly Away' and 'Sunnyside' (Keep on the Sunnyside of Life).

We have had the DVD and Stephanie's little TV and DVD player since we went to Iowa for Labor Day. Sometimes we put the TV on our bed while we're getting the kids ready to go to sleep. They can watch the kids sing, Sunnyside, and the papas sing, depending on what they want and how much time they've got.

Elizabeth and I spent part of the morning cleaning out their closet and pulling out clothes from last winter that I thought they might be able to wear still. We found Wil's turtle costume from last Halloween. Elizabeth wanted him to wear it. So I told her to go ask him. Pretty soon they both came trotting into the bedroom to try on Wil's "tur-tle" (two very distinct syllables) "ka-koom." It still fits. He wore it at breakfast. He wore it to church. He's still wearing it to nap in. This evening is the Fall Festival at church. I suppose he'll still be wearing it then.

While playing in the nursery at church this afternoon, Wil asked me to follow him on the tractor, "come Momma." "Where are you going?" I asked. He replied, "Ju divin a-wound." (Just driving around.)

This afternoon Elizabeth and I read a short story in Ladybug magazine about swinging that reminded me of Elizabeth's first experience with "thrill rides." I was pushing her in the swing and she kept saying, "Mo beeg push." So I'd push her a little higher. Then she'd lean back, hold her hands above her head, and say "Whee!" I said, "Elizabeth, you're flying." She'd repeat, "I fy-in. Mo beeg push." Pretty soon she said, "My belly fy-in."

They're awake now. Wil's singing about Larry - 'Larry. Here he comes. Here comes Lah-wee-bee-bee. Etc.' Elizabeth is singing and talking, too, but I haven't made out any comprehensible words.

Last night while we were trying to get the picture up we heard one of the twins whimpering from their room. Christine went in to check in them. It was Elizabeth. She said, whimperingly 'Hi, Momma.'
Christine said 'Are you cold?'
'Uh huh. Baby, too.'
So Christine covered up Elizabeth and her baby and they went right back to sleep.

Elizabeth and Wil are getting their two year molars. Wil's started to come in about two days ago (at least so far as the hand-in-his-mouth-and-slobbering sign is concerned). Elizabeth's started today (according to the same sign). They were so cranky when they got up from their naps, I decided they must be hungry or have low blood sugar or something, since they haven't been eating because they're teething. So I offered them ice cream. They were happy to take it.

Then Wil polished off three pieces of pizza and drank 8 ounces of milk and 8 ounces of apple juice and half a cereal bar. Huzzah!

Wil continued to play with the Larrymobile all day. He took it to bed with him and didn't ask for his pacifier. Woo hoo!

It's beautifully, wonderfully, deliciously cool today.
When we went outside Wil said, "Oh, it nice. No bight" (Not bright.)
"En coe," Elizabeth said.
"Yes, it's nice and cold," I agreed.
"En rain," Elizabeth said.
"Yes, it looks like it might rain," I said.
Our usual discussion of whether or not we like rain and who is scared of "boom," (Elizabeth's word for thunder,) followed.

I try to give the kids simple directions so they can anticipate what comes next. An example is "First we're going to put socks and shoes on. Then we're going to get our bag. Then we're going to go see Daddy." Now when Elizabeth wants me to wait she holds up one finger and says, "Furse."

Wil played with his Larrymobile from 3:15 to almost 3:45 this morning. After we got up around 7:30, he played with it for 1-1/2 hours before he was ready to eat breakfast.

I am convinced that being a twin is the single best way to learn to share. Last night at church a little boy was crying for his mother. While I held him I said to Elizabeth, "He is sad. What do you think would make him feel better?" "Puh-puh," she said and pulled out the puzzles. Then she sat down with him and gave him pieces of the puzzle to put in place. If he didn't know where to put them, she'd point out the place. Pretty soon Wil came over to play too and they all kept busy putting pieces in, then dumping the puzzle and starting over. They're only 2! I was amazed.

Later when we were playing outside Wil kicked the same little boy for not moving off the slide fast enough, but that's not really part of the story.

Elizabeth has been trying out different affirmative phrases since she began talking. At first it was "okay," as though something was your suggestion instead of hers. Then she tried, "Yep, mm-hmm." The latest version is "sure," as in "Do you want to go see Daddy?" "Shur, Mama."

This morning Wil and I were reading before breakfast when Sean came in and asked Wil if he wanted something to eat. "In a minute, Da," he said. Long before the twins were verbal I said one of their first phrases would be "Just a minute." In just a minute I'll tell you why....

By the way, if anyone reading this gets tired of the ads up above, we can get rid of them for only 12$/yr! So click on it yourself and X them out, or email us the go ahead (with the check following in the mail) and we'll be happy to do it.

When I held doors open for Wil and Elizabeth tonight they said 'Thank, Da-da.' It was wonderful.

Wow. They had a bad night tonight. I'm not sure why. Maybe going to school is hard on them. Christine wondered aloud if they've ever done that much crying in a three hour period before. It was pretty bad. Wil is teething, so that could be part of it.

Wil's pacifier was broken when he got home from school today. It was torn and, therefore, dangerous. Time to decide: buy him a new pacifier or make the transition. Elizabeth gave up her pacifier a long time ago (like Memorial Day). It hasn't been too bad, because he only gets it in his crib, but still...

We decided to be brave and tell him it was time to give up his pacifier and he could have the Larrymobile instead of his pacifier.



He was pretty fired up about that.

So after naps and a little dinner (Wil hardly ate all night, I think from exctiment) we went to the Bob and Larry Store (ie, Family Christian Stores). I asked him why he was getting the Larrymobile (wanting to reinforce that it was taking the place of his pacifier) and he said 'to share with Eh-beh.' It took me a few seconds to figure that out, though we'd talked about it. I said 'Right, good, and you get to have the Larrymobile instead of your pacifier.

He talked about the Larrymobile for awhile on the way. He says it 'La-wee Bee-bee'. He'd sing some of the Larry-Boy song - 'at the wheel of the Larrymobile' (you imagine it in Wil-speak, I'm not transliterating that bad boy). Then I talked some about the Larrymobile and became much more interested in that. He kept saying 'More.' I said 'More talking about the Larrymobile?' and he said 'Okay.'

I'll skip a bit. We got the Larrymobile and found a place in the mall to open it. He wanted the wheels off and the wings extended right away. He kept saying 'La-wee-bee-bee fly in the air'. He talked about it the whole way home. He played with it on the way home. I started to think he will never put it down again. He played with it while we got ready for bed and he took it to bed with him. More tomorrow.

I colored a picture of Wil yesterday morning while the kids were coloring. I said 'See, Wil. I drew a picture of you.' He said 'Oh, thank, Da-da.' and took it from my hand. I hadn't intended to give it to him, but I was happy to.

Welcome to twinlog! Christine said we should keep a journal of things the kids say. I'd been thinking about a weblog instead, and she thought it was a good idea, so here we go!