Super Twins at Two and a Half

This post has taken a while to come to fruition, mostly because I'm lazy, but also because it's so hard to pinpoint these little personalities in a few short paragraphs, especially since they're changing daily.

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago.  They like each other...a little bit.

Being a twin is a lot of fun.  I can attest to that.  However, raising two-year-old twins comes with certain, ahem, challenges.  (Sorry, Mop and Pop!) The mild "terrible twos" we experienced with Megan and Bridget in no way prepared us for this amped-up, doubled version!    They feed off of each other, bicker over the most ridiculous little objects, mimic the not-so-great behavior of their older sisters, act like crazy cribbed animals at nap time and bedtime, and require twice the attention (as they should), all while still perfecting their potty skills, which is enough to keep us on our toes. 

The good outweighs the bad stuff, though.  The connection they have with each other is amazing to witness.  I think it's tempered a bit since they have Megan, Bridget and Mary in the mix, but they do have a special bond.  I see it more clearly while the older girls are at school.  They are a mellow pair, these two, when they're on their own.  And their little conversations are so cute!  Since they're the only vocal kids in the car for much of the day, I often listen to little conversations like this:

Annie: "Mommy, are we almost to Bridget's school?"
Me: "Yep. Almost. We have to wait for the light to turn green."
Annie: "OK, green means we can go.  Red means we stop. Tessa, did you hear that? We're almost there, okay, Tessa?"
Tessa: "Okay, Annie!"

And. lately, their vocabulary seems to be building exponentially, with the daily use of words like "actually" and "instead."  "Last night" and "remember that one time" are popular, too.   Just today, I was inundated with "Mommy, I know Bridget is going on a playdate after school, but what is she doing after that?" from Annie.  I think she might be more nosy than I am!  More disturbing. though, is Annie's recent attempts at acting like a little teenager. She now says "Thanks, Mom" and "I told 'ya!" all while strutting around in her favorite pair of shorts with her hands planted deep in the pockets.  I'm hoping "Mommy" makes a comeback.  While they don't have their own little language, they do understand each other, even when we can't.  It's pretty useful to ask Tessa to explain what Annie was trying to say, and vice versa.  Of course, they also have their own funny words.  If they are ever collectively referring to themselves, it's always "we guys."  For example, who took down the big basket of shoes and scattered them all over the room??  "We guys did it." 

They are also enamored with everything school. I feel a little guilty for even considering keeping them home an extra year, which would give them just one year of preschool (gasp!).  I want to keep them home longer for a few reasons, but mostly because I really feel they get so much socialization at home that they don't need to be there next year.  Plus, selfishly, I've realized how fast these years go, and I have no desire to send them any sooner than I need to.  But, they drink up every detail of the girls' school days. As soon as Bridget hops back in the car at noon, the twins are asking 20 questions about her morning.  They know her friends' names, and they give knowing nods when she tells them what she played with. "Oh, okay, Bridget. You played with Ainsley, with the dollhouse?"  They're filing that info away somewhere. As for their own "schooling," they love love love to color and "draw" and we're looking at a strong possibility of Tessa being a lefty!  We'll see how that pans out, but I'm so curious, because that may mean that they are mirror image twins - kind of cool!

Annie, with her right hand, has quite suddenly started to draw people!  I love it!!  I'm pretty confident Megan and Bridget didn't draw anything that actually resembled something until 3, maybe 3.5 years old.  Apparently, that's me on the left.  She's very meticulous when she adds the eyes, a nose and mouth. In typical Annie fashion, she acts like she's been doing this forever.  She is two.

I feel like I've given more examples of Annie's personality than I have for Tessa.  In a word, Tessa continues to be the cuddlebug.  And very sensitive.  "I got my feelings hurt," or "That's not fair" are common utterances from this one.  Every morning carting the girls in to drop off Megan, Tessa wants to be carried.  It's not always possible, since she has a little bit of competition.  So, she's also prone to making a very compelling frown, much like I did when I was little.  I wish I could always scoop her up and cuddle her, but alas, she is one of five kids.  I'm hoping she won't be too damaged by that fact!  Lest I paint her a sad, sad child, though, I have to add that she is also very silly -- definitely our silliest.  She breaks out in songs and giggles many times a day, and especially loves when we notice and tell her what a good song that was!  She has one deep dimple in her right cheek that makes an appearance a LOT, so I think she'll turn out all right.

In the coming months, we're planning to transition the twins to twin beds and make room for Mary in their room.  We'll see how that goes, and hope that little trio will be peaceful roommates for a little while.  I'm slightly worried about the mayhem that may ensue without the benefit of crib rails, but we'll worry about that later!  At that point, I may really have to stop calling them the "babies."  Even with a newborn in the mix here, I still can't break that habit.  Even at two and a half, they're still my babies!