3 and a half

Over the past several months I have looked at Jack and Maddy and realized...wow, they're not babies anymore.  Jack still has some of the cute little baby chubbiness on his wrists and thighs, but aside from that they are tall, lean, active, smart, amazing little people that keep us busy and on our toes at all times.  Jack is all boy...he prefers to be collecting sticks, digging in the dirt or sand, or riding around the house in his "motorcycle."  He loves to play out in the shop with Brad and builds things out of scrap wood.  Madelynn is all girl, she insists on picking out her own outfits (apparently pants are out of the question...skirts and dresses are all this girl will wear) and she likes to mother other people, play teacher and can have a book memorized after only hearing it once.  She is also very into building things and has been creating 3D pictures with paper and builds quite the houses and towers with blocks. 

They say things that make time stand still, for just a moment, and I think to myself how incredibly lucky I am to have them, to be their mother and to live each day with them.  Then, when there are moments when I think I might pull my hair out (there are a lot of those these days), I try to remember the moments that make me want to keep them small forever.  Jack has started calling me his "little mommy,"  and when he asks to hold my hand or puts his little arms around my neck I just want to keep him there forever.  Madelynn has a very strong personality and uses phrases like "we shall," or "I would like one as well," and told me the other day that she wants to be called "Madelynn Erin Adsit lady." 

They have both decided that without a doubt, they need a younger sibling.  They talk about it every day and get in arguments over whether they would have a brother or a sister.  Madelynn's solution is that I should have three babies-one for her, one for Jack and one for me :)  We will see about that!

Here are some pictures...

Three years old!

I have been reflecting a lot on the past three years and am completely amazed that my tiny little preemie babies are now strong, healthy, thriving three year olds.  The past several months they have started to play together a lot more, and make up games and pretend scenarios and entertain each other for twenty or thirty minutes at a time, uninterrupted!!  When it is very quiet and I go to check on them I hear, "mommy's coming!"  Wonder what that means?!

Jack is such a strong, gentle soul.  He loves others, and if someone is sad or upset he is right there asking why and offering a kiss and a hug.  He is intrigued by how things work and loves to take things apart.  He loves raking leaves and working in the shop with daddy.  He throws piles of wood together and tells me that is his "house."  He pretends to go to work on his motorcycle and says, "love you, see you later, I'm going to work."  Jack loves music, he recognizes Jack Johnson when we listen to him and he often dances, plays on the piano and sings or hums songs.  He loves to count things and reads books to his baby dolls.  He loves cars and trucks of any kind, especially fire trucks. He loves to play with the water in the kitchen sink and help to "wash" the dishes.  He has been through so much the past several months with his surgery and has completely amazed me with his strength and resilience.  I have no doubt he will grow up to be an amazing boy and I am so proud and happy to be blessed with such a special little boy.

Madelynn is a very independent, strong willed little girl.  Brad says she reminds him of someone else he knows :)  Madelynn loves to read and she has memorized practically all of our books.  She sits for twenty or thirty minutes at a time "reading" her books. She has an opinion about everything from what she wears to letting me know recently that she "prefers to be called Madelynn, not Maddy."  She loves to help me cook and bake, her favorite part is to "mix, mix mix," as she says.  She also enjoys playing school, she is the teacher and I am the student.  She points to the calendar and tells me what day it is and reads books, showing the pictures on the pages to each of her students :)  She also enjoys making cards and pictures for her friends and relatives.  She has been saying lately that she loves her teachers and mommy and daddy and Jack because they are all so smart!  She likes to growl like a lion and try to scare us, she laughs hysterically at herself when she does this.  Madelynn lights up the room with her sparkly eyes, dimply smile and giggles.  She is such a joy and definitely keeps us laughing. 

Here are some photos from the last several months...

Three years old!

Camping in August

Double slide at the park

zoo scavenger hunt

Life with Toddlers

I'm not exactly sure where the time has gone.  My last post was months ago and in the mean time so many things have changed, I feel. 

There was a moment these past several weeks when I looked at Jack and Maddy and realized, they're little kids now.  They're not babies anymore.  They have long stable legs versus chubby toddling legs.  Their faces are less round and they talk more to express their frustration, versus crying.  They are potty trained! 

At this stage, there are two things I absolutely love.  They have reached a point where they play TOGETHER versus side by side.  They make up games to play together, they "read" each other books, they do puzzles, they play trains, they play kitchen.  It is so sweet to watch.  Also, the phrases they come up with are absolutely hilarious.  I wish I had a pen and paper at all times to write them down. 

We are also in a "me do!" phase.  Everything has to be done by them, they can do it!  Putting shoes on, getting dressed, buttoning shirts, clearing their plates, loading the dishwasher, filling washing machine, sweeping, vacuuming.  They try to do it all. 

Madelynn told me once after library story time "I want to be library story time teacher when I grow up."  The next week after a visit to her Dr. because she was sick she told me, "I want to be a Dr. when I grow up to help people like my Dr. helps me."  These things out of a two year old's mouth melt my heart. Madelynn likes to dress herself and pick out her own outfits.  She comes up with very interesting combinations.  A sweater when it is ninety degrees is not out of the question for her.  Lately, it has been her ballet leotards and shoes that have come on in the morning and don't come off until bath time.  When I come home from work she says, "so, tell me about your day,"  "that sounds nice momma," "and what about lunch, when did you eat lunch?"  She sings the ABCs at the top of her lungs.  When she counts to 10, she skips 4 and 5 routinely.  She tries to mother Jack sometimes, which he ignores.  She is so sweet to her Chloe dog.

Jack is such an observer, he likes to watch and see how things work.  As we are driving in the car he likes to point things out to me.  "See that big truck, mom?"  "See that motorcycle?"  When he agrees to something he says "Yeah, okay."  When we leave in the morning to go to school he says "see you next time," to daddy and Chloe.  He loves to feed Chloe, she gets fed several times a day when Jack remembers.  When the music goes on, he dances around and sings twinkle twinkle, itsy bitsy spider and row row row your boat.  He likes to hold hands and pretend we are rowing a boat when he sings.  He jumps, runs, climbs, grabs everything.  He is not interested in going to bed, but once he falls asleep he sleeps forever, as opposed to his sister who goes straight to bed and is up at 7 am. 

We have finally reached the point when I feel like the benefits of having twins outweigh the challenges.  It is so exciting to see them grow into their own little people, while developing a sweet friendship with each other.

The past few months in pictures