Sassy Maddie!

Driving home from Shoppers while the girls looked at sticker books I made the mistake of speaking to which Maddie replied "leave me alone mama I am reading my magazine. You just drive by yourself and don't talk to us." Uh-huh. Sassy little pixie!

The girls had a great Christmas. They were so excited that Santa ate the cookie, drank the milk and the "reingoats" ate the celery that they didn't even notice their stockings! They got so many lovely things and haven't tired of any of their toys yet (a new record)! They loved being at grandma and grandpa's. We all shared a room and in the middle of the night and in the wee hours of the morning the girls would say "Can I go see grandma andf grandpa now?" I think they were more excited about that than about Christmas! Maddie cried as we were leaving. The sentiment was real initially and then she did her usual "for show" cry once she gets a reaction. She is a funny one! They were great on the car rides there and back, thankfully. Maddie napped, Emma didn't. Today we are off to the Disney Princesses on ice show. They are very excited and are wearing their Belle dresses downtown. Hopefully the show will live up to their expectations!

We took the girls tobogganing for the first time with John and my dad. They had a great time. Maddie was nervous at first but they both went down the hill on their own. The hill wasn't that big, but it was big enough that I was nervous and would sort of run after them at first! We wanted to take them skating but the canal hadn't frozen yet. Maybe in February.

The girls were chasing the cats as usual, but are a bit calmer now and understand the need to be slow and quiet, even though they don't always follow that rule!

I am looking forward to being home with them this week. We have lot's planned (Princess and the Frog movie, play dates, celebrating New Years etc).

Maddie and the neverending cat questions.

As I put the girls to bed tonight they asked if we were going to Ottawa tomorrow. I said yes. I then proceeded to receive a slew of questions and comments about Rocky and Bailey (the cats)from Maddie. Among them were: Does Rocky have big teeth like a shark?Are his teeth yellow?Does he bite like Bruno?Do we have to talk quietly and walk slowly?Does Bailey like to be under the covers and we can pet her bum-bum?Does Rocky eat human food or pebbles?Do they drink water and not chocolate milk?Is Rocky going to run away?Do the cats like me?Does Bailey have to stay inside because of the snow?Is Santa going to bring the kitty cats a present too? My goodness I had to cut her off, she would have gone on forever. No word of a lie, she said/asked all of these things one after the other barely waiting for me to answer. Emma (for once) could not get a word in edgewise. I walked by their room 10 minutes later and she was STILL talking about them! lol

More funny things!

I love being home with the girls as it increases the chances of me hearing them say funny things. We were talking about Santa (we talk of little else these days) and Maddie asked if she could share her chocolate with him. I said that we leave Santa milk and cookies, and we leave a carrot for the reindeer. She said "no carrots mama." I asked why and she responded with "cause only bunnies eat carrots, not reindeer!" I asked her what reindeer eat and she said "things that are green and yucky!"

Aunt Sue is taking the train up to Ottawa so last night she dropped off some gifts for us to bring up in the van. The girls were awake and saw the bags of presents and we told them they had to wait until Christmas. So this is the conversation I had with my daughter, Miss Maddie, this morning just after 7 when she appeared at my bedside:

Maddie: Mummy, now can we open Aunt Sue's presents?
Me (still half asleep): huh?
Maddie: Aunt Sue's presents. Can we open them now?
Me (more fully awake): no
Maddie: (some sort of grunt or growl): but I want to open them NOW
Me: No Maddie, not until Christmas. 3 more sleeps.
Maddie: I don't want 3 more sleeps.
Me: Maddie, mummy said no. Go watch tv.
Maddie: grunt, scowl, growls out of the room!

Funny! She hasn't mentioned them since. The girls are colouring and I decided I would try and have a shower. I said "girls, mummy is going to have a quick shower. Will you be ok here for a few minutes?" They said yes. As I was walking up the stairs I heard the pitter patter of little feet. Maddie was at the bottom of the stairs and she yelled "come back soon mama, don't be too long. We are down here if you need us!" lol What a cutie!

Dad, you stink!

So after a night of hockey (and probably a couple of beers), Emma is sitting on John's lap the morning after. She says "dad, you smell awful. Mama smells just right!" Too funny!

The girls are super excited about Christmas. Every day for the last week they've been asking "now we go to grandma and grandpa's?" There was a moment of uncertainty as to how Santa would know they are at grandma and grandpa's house, and would he bring their presents there? I assured them that Santa knows all and he will bring their presents to Ottawa! The whole naughty and nice list has worked fabulously this year when they aren't on their best behvaiour. We pretty much just need to say "hmmmmm, would Santa think this behaviour is naughty or nice" and it usually nips it in the bud. At night they ask if they are on the nice list and I assure them that they are. Then they proceed to name everyone we know and I have to say whether they are naughty of nice. Maddie insists that everyone is nice but Frank (John's friend) is naughty! ha ha!

Dreams and Shenanigans

The other night around midnight Emma came bolting into our room. John was watching tv downstairs and I was in a deep sleep. When I woke up a little bit, Emma was crying and saying "I lost Queen Clarion." For those who aren't "in the know" Queen Clarion is the Queen in one of the Tinkerbell movies. I said "Emma, you don't have Queen Clarion, Kristina does and you left it at Auntie Julie's." She said "oh yeah" and proceeded to hop back into her bed. I am not entirely convinced she was awake. It seemed to be a state of half-sleep. She didn't remember it in the morning.

Today I am home with the girls and we got to colouring in new colouring books. I was on the computer in the next room when I heard "Mads, check out my tattoo." I went over to check out said tattoo and found a shape on Emma's belly that she drew on with her marker.Apparently it was a mermaid. I proceeded to check the rest of her body, the walls and the floors. Never assume your daughters are actually colouring in their colouring books!

3 Cousins

We took the girls to the Rogers Kids Christmas party today. It was fun but they were pretty wiped by the end of it. They went on rides and Maddie loved all of them this year, except for the merry-go-round. Last year she was very leery of most of the fast ones, but this year she was excited to be on them. The girls even went on some by themselves, without us. Maddie was also tall enough to go on all of the rides, and the look on her face was super cute when she realized this. She said "I bigger." They wanted to see Santa again but the line-up was too long so they agreed to just go over and wave to him. They asked again if he would be getting Holiday barbie for Emma and Rollerskate barbie for Maddie. We will see what Santa can do.

After the party we had a dinner for Sue's birthday. Jenn, Jeff and Katie were there and the girls played really well together. At first Katie was a bit shy as she had just woken up from a nap in the car. But after a few minutes they were off and playing. They were even upstairs for a bit by themselves and everyone shared and played nicely together. It was great to see.

3 Cousins

We took the girls to the Rogers Kids Christmas party today. It was fun but they were pretty wiped by the end of it. They went on rides and Maddie loved all of them this year, except for the merry-go-round. Last year she was very leery of most of the fast ones, but this year she was excited to be on them. The girls even went on some by themselves, without us. Maddie was also tall enough to go on all of the rides, and the look on her face was super cute when she realized this. She said "I bigger." They wanted to see Santa again but the line-up was too long so they agreed to just go over and wave to him. They asked again if he would be getting Holiday barbie for Emma and Rollerskate barbie for Maddie. We will see what Santa can do.

After the party we had a dinner for Sue's birthday. Jenn, Jeff and Katie were there and the girls played really well together. At first Katie was a bit shy as she had just woken up from a nap in the car. But after a few minutes they were off and playing. They were even upstairs for a bit by themselves and everyone shared and played nicely together. It was great to see.

I'm not even second behind Santa? I'm 5th?!?

Here is the conversation the girls and I had this morning. Priceless!

Maddie: Mummy, I love you. You are first.
Me: I love you too Maddie. You mean I am number one?
Maddie: Yes, you number one.
Emma: No Madison, Santa is first.
Me: Ems, you mean you love Santa more than Mummy?
Emma (to her credit, she did seem to ponder this for a few seconds): yes because Santa brings me presents.
Me: well mummy gets you presents too.
Emma: But Santa has a roly poly belly and says "ho ho ho."
Me: Am I next after Santa then? Am I second?
Emma: no, you five.
Me: 5? Who else is before mummy?
Emma: Santa's "rein-goats".

Well, at least I know where I stand: behind Santa and 4 reindeer! Thank goodness Maddie still thinks I'm number one!

Proud Mama!

I am so proud of the girls. Today we went to the toy store to pick up some toys for children who are less fortunate (for the toy drive that we donate to each Christmas). They chose very carefully; a dolly for a little girl and two fancy cars for a boy. They did not once ask for something for themselves, which is quite remarkable considering a) they are 3.5 and b) we walked through the barbie aisle twice. I kept reinforcing that some kids have no toys and that we need to be nice and give them something to open for Christmas. They were really into it and seemed to get it. What lovely girls I have!

We won a race against the moon!

We were on our way to our first Christmas party of the season. Emma noticed that the moon was out. After a few minutes she couldn't see it anymore and asked where it was. I said it's behind us now and she said "oh yeah, cause we are winning the race!" lol Funny! This will be cut short as John and the girls are hiding under the covers waiting for the crocodile (that's me). I have heard John yell out 3 times "is the crocodile coming now?" More later!

We won a race against the moon!

We were on our way to our first Christmas party of the season. Emma noticed that the moon was out. After a few minutes she couldn't see it anymore and asked where it was. I said it's behind us now and she said "oh yeah, cause we are winning the race!" lol Funny! This will be cut short as John and the girls are hiding under the covers waiting for the crocodile (that's me). I have heard John yell out 3 times "is the crocodile coming now?" More later!

Annual Santa Claus Parade

We are off to the parade in a few minutes. The girls are very excited. Emma asked me if she can pet Santa's "deer-ings" at the parade. Madison chimes in with "dey not called deer-ings, Emma, dey rein-goats!" Well, each of you are half right! ha ha! They say the cutest things!

Fun in the bath!

The girls had a great time in the bath tonight. They were both in great moods, which has been rare this week. Maddie has been super tired when we pick her up from Julie's. This results in a very cranky girl for most of the car ride and once the whining quiets, we look back and she is sound asleep. Then she wakes up when we get home and is pretty cranky for the rest of the night. They have pretty much dropped their naps, with the exception of the odd one on Saturdays after dance, so I think she is still adjusting. Today she was awake the car trip (albeit still whiny) but fine once we got home. They were squealing and giggling during bath time and they did not want to get out. When John and I finally got them out, Emma says "oh my goodness mummy, I'm afraid I have a bad case of the giggles." It was the cutest thing and it was said in her little girl voice, making it that much cuter. Maddie continued the giggles right up until bedtime and then she got the hiccups, which made her giggle even more! So cute. I love it when they are happy.

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

John was making up lyrics to this song this morning. Yesterday I snapped at him after a long drive back from London. So here are John's version of the lyrics (starting from two turtle doves)and the girls joined in at the end. It was hilarious!

John:Two cute daughters
One black stripe (note: referring to Emma's stuffed fish Nemo, that she was carrying at the time)
And a mom that doesn't say sorry
Then the girls chimed in with:
Emma: and a dad that says no no
Maddie: and a mama that says yes

It was hysterical, pretty darn accurate and their timing was perfect!

Kids say the cutest things!

This morning Emma put on a little dance performance and when she was finished she said "say favo, mama and Maddie." I looked at her blankly and didn't realize what she meant until Maddie lept to her feet clapping her hands and shouting "Favo, favo". I said "oh, right. Bravo, bravo!" So cute! On the same morning we were driving and we passed the rec center where they go swimming. They think it's closed every day that they don't have a lesson. So Madison says "it's closed today we go on Tuesday" and I said "yes, that's right" and Emma said "it's Nextober today, we go on Tuesday!" Ha ha! I replied "It's Sunday today, it was October last month and November this month!" I love it! This is why I started this blog, so I don't forget the funny things they say and do!

Lazy Saturday Morning

The girls crawled into bed with us this morning around 7. Maddie went over to John and Emma came to my side. I was snuggling with her and this includes lot's of hugs and squeezes. At one point she says "mama, I think you love me too tight because I can't breathe!" It was so cute! Then it was breakfast and off to dance class. They love dance class. I like the fact that I get to drop them off and I can run errands during the hour long class. I went to the Mastermind that just opened and I found some gifts for a friend of mine who just had a baby boy. I also bought a memory-type travel game for the girls and they both love it. They played with it for most of the afternoon. I could tell they were getting sleepy by 2, as they started getting very cranky and whiny. They didn't even put up a fuss when I said they needed to nap, so I know they were really tired. They have been asleeo almost 2 hours which is good, as they will be in good shape when our friends come over tonight. They can even stay up a bit later. I love weekends!

Trials and Tribulations at Swimming!

John was lucky enough to get invited to the Leafs game tonight which meant I was solo bringing the girls to swimming lessons. About 10 minutes into the lesson the instructor waves me over and I see that Maddie has to use the bathroom. Now, Maddie has had to leave the pool to use the washroom every lesson since the beginning. This is in spite of us taking her to do her business a minute before her lesson starts. Her lesson is only a half hour for pete's sake. Anyway, when I go to get her (parents sit behind the glass and watch the lesson) I notice she is walking funny. It's because she pooped in her bathing suit! Argh! So I clean her up (luckily I brought two extra swimsuits) and she went back to the lesson. While changing Madison, Emma eats chewed gum from the change-room floor. GAG! As soon as I see it I pop it out and tell her to never do that again as it has germs and could make her sick. Sigh! Good times!

Halloween 2009

The girls had a great time trick or treating. They dressed up like Princesses again and it was all they could talk about for weeks leading up to it. It was really cold last night but that didn't stop them. The houses in our neighbourhood were decked out with amazing decorations that included scary skeletons, strobe lights and music. One lady was in the driveway handing it out wearing a pretty scary mask. The girls hesitated going to her but I said it was just a nice lady wearing a scary mask. So Emma went over to her and said "my mum says you are nice and you aren't going to bite me." Ha ha! Cute. Maddie would run up to each house while keeping one hand on her pants to hold them up! That girl will be 4 in March and she is still wearing size 2 pants and they are even falling off her. They are too short, but there are no adjustable fleece or track pants, which is what she wore under her dress. Their hands were freezing but they refused to put them in their pockets or wear gloves. After each house they would say "I want to go to another house. Again, again!" After about an hour mom and dad got tired and cold so we went home. They were ok with it and chose a couple of treats to eat that night. The next day they asked about the candy once but weren't really that interested in it. John and I ate too much of it and are giving the rest away tomorrow! I know that won't last, as they get older there is no way we will be able to throw their candy out or give it away, but this year we can!

Tonight after I closed the girls door once the bedtime routine was over I was standing at the hall closet putting a towel away. The closet is right beside their room and I overheard this conversation:

Maddie: I love you Emma

Emma: Love you too Mads

Maddie: Goodnight Ems

Emma: Nighty Night Madison

Maddie: Do you think the monsters are sleeping?

Emma: yeah, mama shooed them away.

Cutest things ever. I love conversations like these! They really do love each other in spite of their many fights! lol

We got the girls the H1N1 vaccine. I lined up for 6 hours and 40 minutes while John stayed at home with the girls. I called them to come when I was about half an hour from getting the actual shot and the timing was perfect. In line Emma kept asking what we were doing and I didn't have the heart to tell her, so I just deflected her questions. When we got to the room where they were giving the shots, she clued in pretty quickly as to what was happening and started freaking out. It was a struggle to get her jacket and sweater off and I had to hug hold her. She tensed up her arm so it hurt even more and then she screamed a good 15 minutes after it was over (it only hurt for half a second). She got so worked up she was gagging and dry-heaving. Maddie cried for the second the needle went in and that was it. All night Emma whined about her arm and then John and I told her it was the OTHER arm she got poked in. So she switched and started complaining about that one! Slightly melodramatic, no? Later that night she said "I don't want to get any more pokes mama!" Little does she know she goes back in 3 weeks for her second dose!

Oct 22nd 2009

I couldn't think of a more creative title! I am trying to blog more often, but it gets pretty busy around here! John is back at the gym and I am in my second clinic at the Running Room (running 3-4 times a week) and taking yoga. The twins are in swimming and dance class so our weeks are packed but we are all very happy with our lives. Maddie loves swimming. She had to go to the bathroom last class and when we finished her class was over (I took her about 3 minutes before the end of class). When she found out she wasn't going back in the water she just sobbed and sobbed! Poor thing. I told her we would be back next week, but I guess it was not knowing that she was done, as she thought she would pop back into the water. She is a lot better about taking the shower after the swim too. Week 1 it was tough getting her rinsed, but week 2 she went in like a champ! She has been quite affectionate lately, saying to me "I love you so much. I love you bigger and bigger" and in the morning when she watches me get ready for work she is constantly kissing my legs and hands. I love it!

Emma loves swimming and dance. She likes to put on shows for us where she dances around like a princess and bows. She is very curious about the world and is in that "why" stage, where she just keeps asking why until I run out of explanations and just end up saying "because!" I think she knows it's a bit cheeky but a lot of her questions are legitimate. She is very perceptive and articulate and sometimes I am amazed at the connections she is able to make on her own.

Julie is teaching the girls how to print and how to colour. She showed us the colouring today and Maddie's is amazing! Emma didn't sit still long enough to finish it (she often flits from one activity to the next, I hope she doesn't have attention issues later) but Maddie coloured within the lines. It was better than some of the grade 1's I've seen (and Julie didn't help her, she just encouraged her to choose more than one colour). John and I couldn't believe how good it was! And Julie says she sits for ages and concentrates on it. Cute!

The girls went to a Princess and Pirate party at Magna and they ended up getting their picture in the local paper! John and I were so excited, we ended up getting extra copies from our neighbours. I even made some photocopies so I could post one up at my work! Proud mama!

First Swimming Lesson

The girls had their first swimming lessons tonight sans mom and dad. I was nervous as they hadn't ever gone in before and I wasn't sure how they would do. Emma has been excited for weeks but Maddie was less enthusiastic as she told us if she went under water her eyes and her ears would be very angry! ha ha! But she went in very enthusiastically (in spite of falling asleep in the car on the way there due to no nap today). They went in and Maddie fell off the step twice! She went right under water and the instructor scooped her up. Another little girl did the same thing. I worried that she would want to come out but she was such a trooper, she did everything except blow bubbles. Emma gets the prize for most enthusiastic swimmer. John and I watched from behind glass but we could still hear her yelling "yeah" whenever the instructor asked if they wanted to do something (float on their tummies, their backs, blow bubbles etc). It was a great lesson and John and I are still beaming with pride!

Little Miss Drama Queen

The apple certainly doesn't fall far from the tree in some cases, does it? Those who knew me as a child (or have heard the stories) already know I was a little, um, dramatic at times (just ask my dad to tell you the story of my broken leg in England). The other day Emma scraped her knee at the park. She has had much worse, this was NOTHING. John had to carry her home for a bandaid. As soon as the bandaid went on, she bent both knees into a crouch and walked like a duck (crouching and walking) the rest of the night. John and I were cracking up. It was ridiculously funny. I said "Emsy, you can walk properly you know, it's just a little scrape" and she said "no mama, I think my leg may be broke." Um, nope, not broke my dear. So we humoured her and propped her foot up with a pillow at bedtime. The next morning she forgot and was walking normally. Then she noticed her bandaid and resumed her duck walk. Me thinks someone will be enrolled in Young People's Theatre.

On another note the power went off for a split second today and the tv went off when the girls were watching Dora. Emma said "I think the power went off and turned off my show. You need to put power in time-out!"

We went to Chuck E Cheese tonight with Rich, Ning, Tynen and Makua. The girls had a blast. Maddie really cling to Ningning and Emma to me. They are very adventurous and try all kinds of rides and games. They were very good girls, and they left without a fuss even though they wanted to stay. As we were leaving Maddie said "bye Mr. Cheese, have a good nap!" So cute!

Rough morning!

The girls went to bed later than usual last night. Emma didn't nap yesterday and she was absolutely exhausted, but didn't end up in bed until about 8:30. This morning they were up just after 6:30 and still very tired. Within 10 minutes of being awake they were whining, complaining and fighting with each other. Fun times! Luckily they perked up a bit after breakfast and became somewhat pleasant. I know enough when they are like this not to do anything like grocery shopping. This would be a recipe for disaster. When they are cranky I focus on activities that keep them engaged and entertained. Big hits with my girls are: play doh, stickers, colouring, painting and anything outside. They still love their scooters, and are very good at riding them. Maddie likes riding her trike too, but this involves me pushing her down the street while she pedals. She just doesn't have enough leg strength yet to get very far on her own. They also love the park and running around in the field at the neighbouring school.

Their new thing these days is acting out scenes from various movies. They seem to both know the words and the roles they play. I have no clue what movie it is from, but it's still fun to watch. They have hand actions, and props too. It's very entertaining. Emma loves to be the center of attention (sound familiar) and will often say "everybody watch me" and she makes sure everyone watches. Maddie enjoys performing with Emma but isn't as insistent on an audience and sometimes stops if people are watching (she gets a bit shy).

They still love dogs and they are very good at asking owners first if they can pet the dog (I had to teach them this as they would run up to strange dogs if they could)! John and I keep waiting for them to ask us for one! Part of their acting is pretending to be a dog. One will pet the other and say "sit, good boy etc" Then they say "whatchagaboo" which they picked up while listening to other people say "who's a good boy." It's hilarious.

Em and M at 3.5

The girls are three-and-a-half now. It's quite amazing how fast the time has gone. In my mid-twenties I remember a conversation my dad and I had about time and how fast it goes. He said "wait until you have kids." Ain't that the truth. Someone asked me the other day if my girls are in school. I said no, but they will be in junior kindergarten in 2010. Then I realized that 2010 is next year! So a year pretty much to the week, my little girls will be gearing up for their first day of school. Wow. I am pretty sure I will miss it since I am a teacher, and John will do the drop-off. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing, but I can't change it (imagine me calling in sick on the first day of school)! ha ha! I would be a wreck anyway, I cry just thinking about it! But now I am getting ahead of myself. I do get a bit sappy when I think of my life now, and how different it is than before I had the girls. I remember when they were nothing but a hope and a dream and I remind myself often how lucky I am to have them. They really complete me and I feel a fullness in my life I never had before. Those of you with kids of your own will probably know what I mean.

John and I are reading up a bit on different discipline strategies. Our kids are fortunately very good, but as kids will do, they test their limits. I am a big fan of attachment parenting in terms of discipline. This does not mean letting kids do whatever. AP definately has boundaries, but the basis of the philosophy is to raise children who are respectful and compassionate. Distraction, re-directing, expecting obedience and talking/listening are all part of this parenting style. It's interesting and it fits in with our personalities for the most part. But we still use time-outs (this is anti-AP as it can be seen of a withdrawal of love) but time outs work for us! I like reading a lot of different styles and I take some and leave some depending on my own beliefs and common sense.

Interestingly enough, Emma has been the one to ask for her soother the odd time since the soother fairy visited (a few weeks ago). I was so sure Maddie would have had the hardest time, but she gave it up without batting an eye! Who knew? Just when you think you know your kids! lol

Funny story: Emma asked John yesterday if he had a baby in is belly! Time to hit the gym hubby of mine!

So long Soothers!

Last night the soo-soo fairy came and took every last soother away and left scooters and dolls for Emma and Maddie. We talked up the soother fairy for a few days. She was supposed to come on Sunday night, but we got caught in a storm and the power went out, so the fairy could not get the gifts from Walmart! Last night the girls lined their soothers up on the windowsill, said goodbye (Emma even gave hers a kiss) and off they went to bed. I was out running but when I came home I heard them talking but then they eventually fell asleep no problem. In the morning (at 6 to be precise) they came in and asked where their soothers were. I told them that the soother fairy must have come. They found their gifts in the playroom along with a card from the fairy that said congratulations you are now big girls who don't need soothers anymore. The scooters were a huge hit, they played with them all morning. Emma asked more than Maddie for her soother, I had initially thought Maddie would have a harder time giving it up as she seems to have it in her mouth more. But Emma seems to be the one needing to adjust, and Maddie reminds her that the fairy took their soo-soo. So let's hope they only ask for them over the next couple of days and then that's it. So far so good, I thought it would be tougher.

Whittamore's Farm

We took the girls to Whittamore's Farm yesterday. It's a farm located in Markham, on Taunton Rd (Steeles). They have amazing food to buy (corn, berries etc) and a great place for kids to play. They have a jumping castle, wagon ride (hay and all), tree houses, sandpits, mini-tractors the kids can ride, swings etc etc. We had a great day. The weather was perfect and it wasn't too crowded. The only thing the girls didn't like was the jumping castle because it had big cow heads (not real, inflatable) in it and they were scared in spite of my efforts. I thought Emma might go in so I gave her a gentle push and she said "hey, mama, no pushing" and I said "I wasn't pushing, I was gently encouraging you" and I got a few laughs from surrounding parents. Last night after we had tucked them in and closed the door Emma called "mama?" so I opened the door a crack to find out what she wanted and she said "I had a great time at the farm." We will definately be making another visit to Whittamore's!

Awwwwww!

This morning I heard one of the girls get out of bed. She turned on the tv and I could hear it was CNN. She sat there for 15 minutes (our tv is in a nook at the end of the hallway on the opposite side of our bedroom, but I can still hear it). Then she (it was Maddie) came in and said "can u change it to my show now mama?" I laughed and asked her why she didn't come in to ask earlier. She said "I don't want to wake up my Emma, she have sore neck." So sweet. So out I went and she had all of her stuffed animals surrounding her on the chair. Maddie sleeps with a minimum of 10 stuffed animals which she calls her friends. Emma sleeps with one or two. So she stayed out there waiting for Emma to wake up and every few minutes she would run into our bedroom and give me that cute little impish grin that she gives. Emma woke up maybe 45 minutes later and then we got up for the day.

Little Darlings

The little darlings are enjoying a great summer in spite of all the rain! We have been taking them out after dinner since they go to bed a little later these days (part age, part we are on summer vacation). There have been many trips to the Marble Slab, an ice cream place that we love. The girls' favourite is cotton candy (because it's pink, they had no problem with strawberry when they were out of cotton candy). Maddie loves it with sprinkles and Emma loves it with marshmallows, which she calls little pillows. She likes to find them as they are hidden in the ice cream. When she does find one she calls it her treasure, and then eats it. We also go to the park if it's not raining (those of you in the area know that it has been a wet and cold July). They are expert climbers now and I am comfortable not being right behind them while they climb the various aparatus'. Emma still loves the swing and often congratulates me when I push her high like dad (but she still requests dad to push as he is "stronger.") Maddie hates the swing but insists on going in it sometimes. She is ok but you can't push her, she just sort of sits in it. The other day she said "ok mama, you push me but not bigger like Emma." I pushed her maybe an inch and she said "dats enough, no bigger."! They both like to run around the perimeter on the stones and say they are doing their exercises like mama (note: I do not do aforementioned exercises, I stopped running around stones at 30. lol I do run though and they watch me do exercise dvd's that is how they learned what exercises are)!

Bedtime is one big stall fest. We have an agreement that I read 2 books and I tell them 2 princess stories. They always request Sleeping Beauty and I am very animated when I tell it. I fall to the floor when Sleeping Beauty brings her finger etc and now Emma has orchestrated that John be Prince Philip, and he has to kiss me. So he gets on top of me (at least he is getting some action) and then Emma and Maddie climb on him. Yes, good times. After the princess stories, John reads a book and I read a book. I used to read both but one night John offered to read. The girls were not used to seeing him read and after he finished the story Emma said "good job dad, you did it!" I guess they thought he was illiterate up until that point! After that we finally get them tucked in and then we have to count the stones (stickers on their wall) then another kiss and another hug. The whole process takes about a half hour. So much for plopping them into bed when they were babies! I like this much more though! The odd time they get up in the night to pee, but they can do this by themselves (I will stand there with them, but they get on the potty themselves, wipe themselves and get off the potty etc).

They come into our room in the morning usually around 7. John and I actually admitted that we love this and look forward to seeing their little heads pop up at the bed. They are very good about waiting until 8 (mummy doesn't get up before 8 in the summer). So they will watch tv or they will cuddle with us. Maddie will say "mummy, it too early?" and I will say yes it is and Emma will say "it not 8 yet?" and I will say "no, not yet" and then they are quite for another few minutes. Emma is still such a cuddler. Maddie asks us to cuddle with her but then when we go to do it she doesn't really want it. The odd time she will. She does like to be close by holding my hand and she will often put my arm over her.

Last night we had a big scare. At 5 Emma called me to go pee (which is weird as she will usually come into our room). I went in and when I went to put her on the potty she started wailing and convulsing. We were on our way to the emergency room when John realized it was her neck and indeed she had pulled a neck muscle. I gave her some tylenol and we all piled into our big bed (Maddie was up too and very worried about her sister). Emma went back to sleep until about 8:30. Actually, everyone went back to sleep except for me as I lay there making sure Emma was still breathing. When she woke up she said she felt better, but when she went to get up you could see she was still in pain. I called Telehealth on the advice of my dad, and they told me how to help her. She is much better now thank goodness!

It was my dad's birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday again dad) and the girls were super excited about it (they even said today "it grandpa's happy birthday? We have cake?"). They went into daycare yesterday squealing that is was their grandpa's happy birthday. Emma said "I love grandpa, I miss him." I said we would soon be going to Ottawa to help celebrate grandpa's happy birthday and we will see grandma to. They were super excited about that and Maddie said "we see grandpa and grandma? dat so great!"

When we buy the girls things (which we try not to do that often, we want them to appreciate things not expect them) Maddie is so grateful and cute. I bought them shoes the other day, cute sandals with flowers on them. They needed new sandals for the summer (although with this weather I should have bought them another set of rubber rain boots). When I gave the girls their shoes Maddie said "oh my goodness mummy, you got these for me? I love dem, I love dem so much, dey my favourite! Thank you mummy, thank you!"

As for this stage and phase of their life I really can't complain about much. They are wonderful sweet kids and people have commented a few times on how polite they are (thanks Auntie Julie). They have their moments of course, but that is usually when they have gone without a nap. Emma is very reasonable but can be demanding about doing everything herself and seeing what is going on (as in when I am cooking, she wants to stir, pour, crack the egg etc). I let her do as much as I can, but there are some things she can't do for safety reasons. That's usually when she will have a small and short fit. Maddie is pretty easygoing these days. When she doesn't get her way she still throws her soother (got to get them off these soon) and sometimes she will let out these noises of discontent (I can't even begin to describe it, it's almost like a short scream or something). They are very obedient when we go out to the mall. They listen and they don't run too far ahead. If they do John and I yell "red light" and they stop right away until we catch up. It helps as well that we tell them in advance what they can and can't have. So we will tell them "you can choose one treat, popcorn or ice cream. Deal?" for example. Or we tell them "we are going to the mall but just to walk around, no one is buying anything. Deal?" And they respond deal. So when we get there and they start asking, I usually just need to say "remember the deal?" They are still easily distracted by things, so if they don't accept this (and they usually do thankfully) we bring them over to the elevator or escalator which they love, and all is forgotten!

They are growing up so fast. A friend of mine saw a recent picture of Emma and she said "oh my goodness, she is all little girl, no baby or toddler in her anymore." My response? WAH! sob, sob, sob. Time to have another. KIDDING! I love them at this age because that is who they are.

Bad mummy, haven't posted in eons!

I can't believe my last post was in May! Yikes. What can I say, busy time of year for those who teach and I took an intense two-week all day course at the beginning of July. I still have a research paper to complete but things should quiet down for me at the end of July.

The girls are amazing as always. They are so full of life and energy. Maddie has become more assertive with other kids (at the playground, for example, she will say "hey, dat my turn now"). She loves to collect things to bring to her bed at night. So this little thing is surrounded by umpteem treasures and stuffed animals. At Julie's she naps that way too, sometimes sleeping with dvd cases right next to her face. Makes for funny cheek imprints at times! She is a great eater for such a tiny thing. She can wolf down 2 adult sized portions of mac and cheese, or 3 pieces of pizza. But this doesn't happen every day, usually only when she is experiencing a growth spurt. She is quite a picky eater and won't try something unless she liked the look of it. She doesn't like things mixed in together, so her foods need to be seperate. Those plates that have dividers have been great for us. She loves to play outside and is amazing at casting her fishing rod all by herself. She also loves to do karate moves, so much so that John has mentioned enrolling her numerous times. She is pretty good with her hockey stick as well!

Emma is still a cuddle-bunny thank goodness. She will come into our bed in the morning and she loves to lie cheek-to-cheek with me while she wraps her arm around my head. If I move my face away by accident she pulls it back. She is a great communicator and sometimes seems older than her age. She seems to know what death/dead and die means, which is somewhat disturbing yet also pretty amazing. She uses it in the right context and everything. She loves to dance and also loves being outside all day. She is a great singer and knows the words to every Princess song which she belts out wholeheartedly. Emma is a great eater not in quantity but she will try new things no problem. She loves to eat lentil curry couscous, beans and soups. She loves dogs, but is scared when they bark. Julie has a dog, Bruno, who she adores.

In a few weeks Santa will be coming and he will leave a present in exchange for their soothers. They go back and forth between buying into this excitedly and saying 'no, don't want Santa to take my soo-soo." It's time, they are almost ready. They only have it for sleep now and they are both attached to other things (Emma her blanket and Maddie her books). Let's hope it's smooth sailing!

They are both up from a long nap so I am off to get them a snack before we go out to play. More later!

Kids say the funniest things

I have a few funny things to share that the girls have said over the last few days. I will post a longer update over the weekend when I have more time (end of year craziness going on at school)!

Here are Emma's:
Emma saw our neighbour mowing the lawn the other day and said "hey mom, dat guy vaccuming de gwass!" We were at the park and she was running along the rocks that are along the perimeter of the park. I said "why don't you go on the slide, or the climber?" and she said "no sanks, I need to do my exercises!" At the same park trip, I was pushing her on the swing and she said "daddy do it higher, you need to do it like dad." I said "I am not as strong as dad, I am doing my best." A few days later we were at the swings again and I guess she liked how high I pushed her because she said "dat's it mama, you getting stronger like dad!" And finally, Maddie was upstairs with me and Emma was hanging with John. John said "let's go find Maddie" and Emma called for her by saying "Maddie sweetheart." John said she sounded exactly like me, as that is how I call for them.

Here are Maddie's: Halfway through an ice cream sandwhich (which she takes eons to finish) we decided she needed to go to a walk-in as she had a very high fever. When she came back, she said "hi mummy, where my sammich?" I couldn't figure out what she meant and then she finally said "where my brown one sammich wif white inside?" and then I had to explain that it was in mummy's tummy! Oops! Last night I was alone with the girls and it was time for a bath. I said "ok girls, time for your bath" and Maddie said "no, never!" I eventually lured her in with the promise of lot's of bubbles!

Kids Say the Cutest Things

We were in the car today driving to Canada's Wonderland and Emma said "mom, grandpa is your dad?" and I said that yes, he was. Then she said "and John is my dad?" Yep. And Maddie chimed in with "and I'm your daughter." Right again. And on and on with "and aunt Sue is your sister and Maddie is my sister and you are my mummy?" yep, yep and yep. Then I say "and your dad is my husband" to which Maddie screams "no, dat my dad." "Yes Maddie, he is your dad, but he is also my husband." "NOOOOOOOOO!" Sigh, ok, I decided not to go any further with that conversation. Then Emma says "we all four princesses and we a family, we a team!" Good to know John is part of the princess family! Cute.

Wonderland was loads of fun and the kids had a blast. Maddie was just tall enough this year (thanks to some hair sticking up on the top of her head). Last year Emma was tall enough for most of the kiddie rides but Maddie wasn't tall enough and that was hard. We went on this kiddie roller coaster that was scarier than I thought. Emma loved it (she loves rides) but at the end of the ride Maddie had both hands spread out at each side, palms down (picture an umpire doing the "safe" sign) and she said "I don't want that anymore!" Then she wanted to go on these airplanes, that just the kids go on, no adults. Fine. As she is strapped in and as the ride is starting she screams "mom, I don't want dis anymore" to which John and I say "um, well, you'll have fun" as there wasn't much to be done at that point. There were chuckles from the other parents waiting behind the gate every time Maddie would pass us (the planes went around in the air in a circle) because she was yelling l "I don't want dis, I don't want dis"! I felt badly for her but at the same time it was hysterically funny. So, next is the swings, which again, is kids riding alone. She insisted on going on them even though I warned her that she doesn't like swings (hates them at the park). Same scenario, and at the end she was practically falling out of it (still strapped in though) as she was trying to get out. Poor Maddie! But, she loved the rest of the rides and had a great time. Emma is a ride junkie. She loves them and wants everything to go higher and faster. We will definately be going again. It was a great family outing.

With freedom comes sacrifice! Big, sleep, sacrifice!

The girls have been in their big girl beds for a month. For the first three weeks, they waited for John and I to enter the room before getting out of bed. This past week, two things have happened: they have taken to crawling into one another's bed (as in sharing the same bed all night) and getting out of bed and out of their room. They come right into our room, which is fine, except for the fact that this is happening at 6 a.m. They normally sleep until 7:30-8, so 6 is quite a shock. They have not had enough sleep and are absolute bears. John and I are hoping it is just a phase, but if not, we will have to mentally prepare for our new 6 o'clock wake-up call. Sigh, we had a good run I guess!

Twinkly Toes

I have officially seen the cutest thing ever: 8 little girls between the ages of 3-4 performing in their first ballet "recital." I use the term recital loosely, as the big performance is on the last class. Today that girls had their first class, which parents don't attend, but we get to return 5 minutes before the end to see what they have learned. It was adorable. The girls were very excited about their dance class, and didn't bat an eye when John and I dropped them off and left. Their end preformance was so cute. Emma, with her seriousness, focused on the teacher and followed each and every step. Maddie stood there at first and grinned at John and I and towards the middle of the performance she got into it. They immediately wanted to go back once the class was over, and have to wait 2 weeks (next week is cancelled for Easter weekend).

We are getting a backyard fence over the next few weeks. It will be great to have a safe spot for the girls to play when the weather gets nice. Emma can play in our friends' sandboxes for hours, so John wants to get a sandbox. It will free up some garage space too, as we can put their outdoor toys in the yard! Everyone wins! Yay!

Sisterly Love

Today in the car Maddie was being super grouchy (no nap and not enough sleep last night). Anyway, I began teasing her, trying to get her to laugh (note to self: do not tease a 3-year-old when they are in a bad mood). So I started calling her Miss Grouchy-Grumps. I said "Miss Grouchy-Grumps, did you have fun at Julie's today?" etc etc. So she was getting annoyed and sort of whining at me saying "I not Gouchy-gump." All of sudden Emma chimes in and says "mom, stop being mean to Maddie, she my sister!" So cute! I told Maddie I was only teasing her and I said "do you forgive Mummy? Are we friends again?" And she said "no, you not my friend, you my mummy." Indeed!

Baby Bump (no, not mine)

Emma and Maddie were at Val's last week, as Julie's father-in-law passed away and their family went to Florida for the funeral. Val is 6-months pregnant and told me that Emma is fascinated by the baby in her belly and was asking tons of questions and feeling the baby kick etc. When the girls came home I was already there and Emma came running over and she said "mom, we at Val's today." John had been dropping them off and i guess she assumed since I wasn't taking them that I didn't know where they were! lol Anyway, I said "yes, I know you were at Val's." Then she says "Val has a baby in her belly." I respond "I know" to which she says "do you have a baby in yours?" "um, no, but you and Maddie were in my belly together." She pulls my shirt out and puts her head under it and says "like this?" and I laugh and say "kind of." Then I tell her stories about how they were when they were little, and the rest of the night she wanted to be my baby (when she has her own kids she will realize she will always be my baby). It was super cute.

Maddie wasn't interested in babies or the conversation, she is in a phase where all she wants to do is watch Dora on tv. I have to jump through hoops to get her to do other things. Thank goodness the weather is warmer as she will never say no to the park or riding her bike outside. The girls' bikes from last year are in good shape and Emma can ride it no problem, but Maddie is still too short much to her dismay. John will put blocks on the pedals so at least she will be able to ride it. I have registered them for dance class and am still waiting to see if they got in. I hope so, they (esp. Emma) love to dance. I will put music on for them and they will dance away. When I start singing they are quick to cover my mouth and Emma even said to me today "mom, your singing is too loudsy, it hurtin my ear!"

Mummy, you my best friend!

Maddie said the cutest thing tonight. She was super, super cuddly and of course I loved it! She kept giving me kisses and then she turned to me and said "mummy, you my best friend!" So sweet! Then when I was tucking her in at night I gave her a kiss and said "I love you Maddie" like I say every night and she said "I love you too mummy, forever and ever and ever...!" This is something I have said to the girls before, but she was the first to repeat it. Melted my heart!

This morning was my turn to sleep in. John is really good and he takes the girls out for breakfast, or they make pancakes at home. He always waits for me to wake up (I am a pretty early riser anyway and up by 9-ish even on my sleep-in days) and keeps the girls out of our room. It must have been around 8:00 a.m and I felt something touch my side (I was burried under the covers). I ignored it and felt it again, this time it tickled and I jumped. I heard a giggle. I poked my head out from the covers and Emma was standing there. She looked like Maddie and I said "Maddie, go downstairs, it's mummy's sleep-in day." Her face totally fell and she said "I Emma and I want to say hi to you." So of course I felt badly and pulled her into the bed with me and we cuddled for a bit. John thought she was downstairs (he had taken Maddie to the bathroom). He said he came up to look for Emma, and came into our room but she must have been hidden under the covers at that time. After a few minutes Emma said "ok mama, I go downstairs now and you have your sleep-in!" I went back to sleep and they came in an hour or so later with my morning cup of Timmy's! If I have to be woken up, the best way is with a cuddle and a cup of coffee!

Um, but your heart is up here!

I forgot to write about this funny story. Those of you who have seen The Little Mermaid may remember the part where Scuttle, the seagull, us trying to decipher if Eric is alive or dead. Being the sort of goofy character who gets things wrong, he checks his heartbeat by putting his ear to Eric's foot. So at the doctor yesterday, the doc said to Emma "ok, I am going to listen to your heartbeat now." And what does our Emma do? She sticks her foot out and says "ok!" The doctor looks at me and says to Emma "um, but your heart is up here!" I explained and we had a good laugh.

Happy Birthday to my girls!

The girls celebrated the big 3 last week and it was a great day. They woke up and were a tad cranky and I was worried, but they got more energy as the festivities started. We rented a play gym and then went back to our house for pizza and cake. It was a much smaller affair than the last two years, and I think it was the best birthday yet. They got lot's of amazing stuff and I need to find room for it! I decided that both girls deserved their own Happy Birthday song so we sang twice, once for Emma and once for Maddie. Maddie didn't ask me to stop singing for once! I guess everyone else's voices blocked mine out (she doesn't like it when I sing, but Emma does so it can't be that bad)!

We went to Disney's Stars on Ice last night. I was worried as it started at 7 (their bedtime) but they surprised us and had a 3 hour nap before we went downtown. They were so well-behaved John and I were truly impressed. Emma sat on my lap the entire show (2 hours long) and was completely mesmerized by the skaters (she called them ballet dancers) and the princesses. We danced and sang to all the disney songs. Maddie preferred to sit on her own or with Uncle Daniel, and was a bit ansy after intermission, but overall was fine. Of course Daniel and John bought them Ariel wands that light up and this other princess thing and a hat and a necklace etc etc. Super expensive night but worth every penny. I had as much fun as they did as I knew all the songs and characters and I am so glad we went. They got home and in bed at 10:30 and were up at their regular time to say and they were exhausted. They are napping right now and I bet I will have to wake them to make sure they get to bed on time. They need to get back into their "school" schedule as the break is over.

This March break was so much better than last year. They are easier and it was much more fun. Monday was rough and I was worried. I didn't have anything scheduled as they had their 3-year check-up. The girls fought all morning. Ten minutes before we left Maddie said "there is something in my hair." Yep, her electric train was in her hair and her hair was caught on the wheel! I had to give her an impromptu haircut. They were great at their check-up. Very curious and because I had prepped them before, they knew what to expect. Emma was telling the doctor what to do "check my eyes, now my ears, and my belly." It was really funny. Maddie had to pee in a cup as she has been complaining about pain when she pees. Emma insisted on holding the sample and as we were walking down the hall to give it to the doctor, an elderly gentleman passed us. Emma thrust the pee cup in his face and said "Hi, Maddie peed in the cup and we going to give it to the lady" (the lady being the doctor). The man laughed and said "I recognize that sample, good job to Maddie" and Emma said "good job Mads!" Turns out Maddie has a UTI and they want to do more testing as this is uncommon for toddlers. I am a nervous wreck. A good friend of mine's mother once told her "you will never know such intense joy or such sheer terror as when you have a child of your own." Man is this true. I was up all night reading about UTI's in toddlers and what it can mean. I read everything from it's caused by holding in their pee (which Maddie does) to kidney failure (hence my being sleepless). We will just have to wait and see. They will do blood work and an ultrasound. Not sure how they will draw blood from a 3-year-old, should be interesting!

The other day in the car Emma said "mummy, I need to kiss you." I said "oh Ems, I would love that but I am driving. Why do you need to kiss me now?" and she said "because I love you!" Nothing melts my heart more than when the girls tell me they love me. Today we went to the Bulk Barn and they got to pick out their "Friday Treat" as I like to call it. On the way home in the car Emma said "this is the best candy I ever met!" Ha ha. They say funny things. Maddie has been thanking me every day for the princess dress (really a nightgown) that I got them for their birthday. Every morning she says "thank you for the princess dress." What else do they say that i want to remember? Oh, I can't remember the context, but we were talking about mummy, Maddie, Daddy and Emma and Emma said "we a family because we a team!" Yep, we are a team! The girls wanted me to pick them up and spin them around. They are getting big now (Maddie is 22 pounds, and Emma is 30) and I was explaining that I can't pick them up at the same time anymore. Emma said "just try it mama" so I did and she said "see, you doing great!" I have my own built-in cheering section! What a great team I have!

Been gone too long!

Ok, so it's been ages since I've posted. Way too long! I've been taking an online course and that takes up much of my computer time. So, I will update as best I can from the last couple of months.

The girlies will be 3 in less than 2 weeks. I can hardly believe it. I vividly remember the day they were born. I have this image in my head of the first time I held them. Emma was all red-faced with this tuff of jet black hair, sound asleep all swaddled in those hospital-issue blankets. Maddie was the teeniest thing I had ever seen and she was wide awake, these dark blue (her eyes were blue at the time, like all babies) staring up at me. I remember wondering what these tiny, beautiful creatures were thinking, observing, feeling etc. Fast forward 3 years and here they are, the same beatiful creatures, who are not so tiny anymore (well, I guess Maddie still qualifies as tiny, more on that later) who can fully express what they are thinking, observing and feeling.

Emma has a wonderful sense of humour and is still very affectionate (yay for me)! She is very intuitive about people and situations and her memory never ceases to amaze me. Maddie is sweet and active and strong-willed (well, they both are, I wonder where they got their stubborn streak, hmmmmmm......) and she also has a cheeky sense of humour. They play really well together and they even act out scenes from various movies (Barbie and The Diamond Castle is their current favourite). There are two best friends in the movie, and Maddie and Emma keep the same roles. I have no idea what they are doing, but they definately both know the script! It includes a dragon named Slider and I often see them running down the hallways screaming "here comes the bad guy run for your lives!"

As much as they will play together they can also fight, as sisters do. Their fights don't get as physical anymore, but sometimes there will be pushing over who gets to go into daycare first, or who gets to go with mummy to the car and who goes with daddy etc. They can really screech at each other but are getting better at saying what they want/need. John and I encourage that when they whine and scream at each other so now we will hear them yelling "Emma leave me alone, don't do that!" or "I don't want to play that, I want dis one, dis mine." You get the idea.

There was an incident yesterday where Emma wasn't cooperating while getting into her jammies. I being the softie was struggling to get her to comply, so John stepped in and used his "daddy voice." She started fake crying, which often turns into real tears. John said "why are you crying" and Emma said "cuz you screaming at me and I don't like that voice!" lol It was really cute.

We moved the girls into big girl beds last week (which are their cribs minus the side rail) and it went really well. It's funny because they never climbed out of their cribs, so they don't know that freedom yet of being out of bed and in their room at night or in the morning. So they don't get out of their big girl beds until John and I go into their rooms! As soon as we walk in they hop out! Not sure how long that will last, but it's really funny!

Two nights ago I was on the computer upstairs and I heard a big crash. I thought it was coming from downstairs, but then I heard John running up to see what it was. I stood outside the girls' room and I heard Maddie whimpering. I went in and she was in her bed but her blankets were on the floor. Emma immediately told me "Maddie fall out of her bed and she sad." I was so proud of our little trooper because she just hopped back into bed. I said "Maddie, good job of getting back in by yourself, are you ok now?" and she nodded and that was that.

After school, Emma likes to come up with me while I change out of my work clothes. We've started a routine where she comes into the closet with me and chooses my clothes for the next day. She loves jewellery and wants to look at mine. The other day she said "mama, I like your pokes." I couldn't for the life of me figure out what she was saying. She was getting increasingly frustrated as I continued to have no clue what she was saying. She finally said "I like your ear pokes." I said "oh, my earrings?" and she nodded and said "yeah, can I wear your pokes?" So cute!

Maddie loves to run to greet John at the door when he comes home from work. She hears the garage door open and screams "I hear Daddy, dad is home!" and she will sit and wait until he comes in the door. Then when he comes in she runs away!

I will try and do better at my blog updates!

Update

Sorry I haven't posted in ages, Christmas flew by and now I am taking another online course so it's been busy. Christmas was wonderful. We hosted this year and my parents and sister stayed with us. My stepbrother and his family came for Christmas dinner and it was fun watching the girls play with their step-cousin Valentina, who is about 20 months. Emma and Maddie were really into the whole Santa thing this year and that just makes it so much fun. Emma will tell everyone that Santa is back at the North Hole (yes, hole not pole) making presents for her. They are also cute the way they point to the fireplace and say "Santa comes down there wif presents for me." The break was very enjoyable as John had the same two weeks off as me so we alternated sleep-in days. It is a lot easier caring for two almost 3-year-olds when you have someone there to do it with you!

The girls are at a very fun stage, learning and exploring and asking a gazillion questions (what's dat, what's dis, where does dis go, what's her name etc)! They get along pretty well but of course being siblings they also fight. Emma is much more of a tattle tale than Maddie. Maddie only blames Emma when John or I ask a specific question (who coloured on the couch, for example) but Emma will tattle on Maddie for anything. "Maddie spilled her juice mama" or "Maddie throwing her toy" or "Maddie moved her chair"etc even if I haven't asked and even if it's not an infraction! If Maddie happens to be in trouble for something and I say "Maddie you are not listening" Emma will make a point to say "I listen Mama". Or if Maddie is crying Emma will say "I not crying." It's quite funny. Maddie gets into trouble a lot more, but nothing major, she is just feisty and stubborn (sound familiar)?. She will go in time-out without fuss and "does her time" and then moves on. Emma is a lot more sensitive and she will cry when she gets in trouble and then she will make sure John and I still love her after. She will come over and say "you angry wif me? You happy now mama?" etc. She needs more reassurance.

Overall the girls are very well-behaved (thus far). They are typical almost 3-year-olds but have been quite manageable (I hope I am not jinxing myself). Those who knew me as a toddler or who have heard the stories can probably imagine what I thought we were in for. Mind you it is still early but I was already a handful by 2, so maybe I'm in the clear? Hopefully! I'll keep you all posted!