Just Tessa

Try to call Tessa anything else, like Tessa Bo Bessa, Tessa Bo, or even Theresa Maureen. You'll get a little laugh and then a stern, "It's just Tessa."  Just Tessa.  Almost an oxymoron around here. One of the things about having twins is the fact that we rarely experience just one of them completely on their own.  But, when they are apart, their personalities shine.

A few days ago, on the 4th of July, Tessa woke up very early from her nap.  Matt was home, and I was halfway out the door to go grocery shopping by myself.  But, when I heard her little voice, I knew I wanted her to come with me.  I'm almost ashamed to say that the last time I took her anywhere by herself was when she was maybe 8 months old.  (I remember it vividly, especially because I felt the need to tell everyone who commented on my cute baby that she was a twin!  They needed to know that information!)  I hurried into the little girls' room, snatched her up with some shoes, and we were out of the house before anyone else woke up.  She was a little thrown and too sleepy to protest.  She got to sit in the "pink seat" in the van, an endless source of arguments in the back row.  So it was novel, to say the least, that she didn't have any competition for a change.  We had some little Tessa talk back and forth from the front to the back, four other empty car seats between us.  She was a great little shopping companion, and even rode on my back in the Ergo.  For my cuddlebug, this was maybe the best treat.  She would whisper which cereal she wanted, try to arch out and grab extra snacks that were not on the list, and ask, repeatedly, if we were were almost done.  Much to her dismay, Mommy had to buy "just a few more things," every time she asked.  She even waited in the frigid cold, burrowing into my back to keep warm, as we bought our fireworks.

On the way home, my little only child admitted that, while she had fun with Mommy (said with a definite tone of consolation), she wished "her friends were there."  Who are her friends?  Megan, Bridget, Annie and Mary, of course!  Aw.  She was truly at a loss without her entourage.  She was excited to show off our pyro-purchase, hiding it behind her back as a surprise, but was so happy to be back in the fold of her sisters when we arrived back at the house.  It might be another few years before she willingly goes anywhere on her own with me again!

Speaking of those sisters of hers, she likes to remind anyone who will listen of the time when she stood up for Annie.  A "bad boy" was causing trouble in a jump house recently, and Tessa had had enough.  She bit her tongue for a few jumps, dealt with his boyish behavior, but when he knocked Annie down, she couldn't contain herself.  She jumped over to the offender and growled, "Don't you hurt my sister!!"  It was loud enough and scary enough to make me flinch, and I wasn't even standing very closeby. Yikes.  Don't mess with Tessa...or her sisters!