Tiny Tots with their Eyes All Aglow...

...Will find it hard to sleep tonight."

Sleep issues in this house have nothing to do with Santa. The kids have no idea what Santa is. They have no idea why there is a tree in our living room, either, but they seem to like it. No-- their eyes are all aglow because they are toddlers and they are excited to be alive. They are fast. They are starting to communicate with actual utterances that sound more and more like words. They are starting to scare me.

Remember Lucy? Formerly known as "Good Time Baby" for her easy-going nature?

Try prying a remote control or cell phone out of her hands and she will release an unrelenting shriek of glass-shattering proportion. 

This baby is learning to assert her independence. Pretty common for toddlers, but she's always been feisty. She bit me the other day when I insisted she sit in her high chair for longer than two seconds. Biting, I thought, was something we'd deal with at two. But I guess I have a precocious biter.

Then there's Effram. Otherwise known as "The Fussy One." Again, not anymore!

This kid has overcome his gastrointestinal issues and got through a seemingly ugly surgery surprisingly well. He's been smiling, laughing, and talking. He's still not walking on his feet, but he does walk upright on his knees, which is a sight to see. He still loves crackers though. Plain old graham or Barbara's Bunny crackers are his favorite things on earth. And his favorite activity? Throwing things. The bigger the bang, the better. One week he located every water glass within reach and threw them hard on the ground, shattering them. I thought I had hid every glass, but he is very good at finding things. Besides glass, his favorite things to throw are metal buckets full of toys. He hasn't figured out that throwing things at people hurts them. This is what we are working on. You can throw a ball to me, but you cannot throw that bucket full of heavy wooden blocks at my head. Why not? The word of the week is "hurts." As in, "It hurts when you throw that at me." and "Biting hurts, darling."



There is no going backward. They are growing fast and they are dangerous.

Together they love to destroy the house, starting with the bookshelves.




 What a difference a year makes!



They do not sit still as these pictures suggest.  

                

Effram is still interested in cuddling with Mama sometimes. That's nice, because I'm not entirely ready to let them grow up and leave the house just yet.

It is interesting to watch children form attachments with things. Lucy has become Quite attached to Mr. Bear. She now gets him out of her crib during play time and drags him around the house. I've seen a lot of kids interact with beloved objects, but I've never witnessed the development of the attachment and it is very sweet.



Endless fun with household objects.

Look how cute I am as I throw this block at your eye.

 

Lucy: "Who the hell is this guy?"        

Effram: "I don't know but I better get a cracker for this."

Milk and remotes. Happiness can be bought.



We have tons of pictures but I have very few words. It's two degrees outside. How did this happen? I swear it was just Halloween a little while ago. Now it's a winter wonderland, except that wonderland has already frozen solid and it's practically Russia outside. Lisa's working a lot because things break in the wintertime and people's bathrooms are falling apart left and right. I've been trying to keep up with these babies and keep us all fed and healthy and am reading a lot of classic Judy Blume books and taking baths. The Judy Blume thing must be research. I think I've got stories in my head but I am not ready to write. However, I am convinced of one thing: 

It's going to be a good winter.

It's going to be a good winter.

It's going to be a good winter.

I mean it, damn it. I have hope!

We've got a lot to be grateful for.