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!