He totally is, Pete. He totally is. And last week while I was 88 post-it notes deep in hymns he did it all – the cooking, the laundry, the diapering, the vacuuming.
What’s that Pete? He does all of that every week? Oh yeah. You’re right. Awesome, that’s what your Dad is.
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Today we have a handful of pictures, one for every goofy child of ours:
His signature dish, “Potatoes and Forks” was preferable to his earlier attempts at raising a tuber, calling out “Ball!” and tossing it at the nearest sibling.
If Curly Girl: The Handbook ever comes out with a new revised edition, Cele will be writing a chapter titled “DIY Styling Products: The Curling and Coloring Properties of Squash Soup.”
During school yesterday he made an character-defining decision. Abe decided to become a “pencil ear.” I always wanted to pull that off, but I think he has what it takes.
When you wear your everyday shoes to make a backyard swamp during recess then you’re left with the ever-stunning dress shoe, slipper sock, swimming truck trio later in the day.
The kid loves swimming. I love the kid.
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Don’t worry, I’ve cut them off.
Now, if I could only locate their source of Vim.
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The baby gate alone was sufficient for the rest of the children.
All I can say is that it’s good we got Pete and Cele as twins and not Pete and RePete.
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Things I (We) Love: Our Twins
Now, don’t get me wrong, outside of the clever Thing 1 and Thing 2 reference that can be made, I typically think of them as people not objects. Also, while we’re making sure everything is crystal clear, regardless of what you are about to read, I do love them. Very, very much. That’s why they are allowed to stay. Otherwise, they’d be off to boarding school faster than you can say “Cat in the Hat.”
For your reading enjoyment, with a heavy side of “Whew! I’m sure glad I’m not her!,” here is a brief rundown of what our 15-mo-old Twins were able to accomplish today. Please keep in mind, that despite my propensity for exaggeration they did do each and every one of these things in the last 24 hours:
You’ll have to forgive the lack of pictures. I was a little busy. No! Wait! I have this one from exactly a year ago.
I think I’ll just stare at that for awhile.
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Abe! Quick! Quit posing and check your brother's mouth!
Things I (we) Love: One-Year-Old Babies
And this is the way in which our love is demonstrated: Finger Swipes.
We demonstrate our love often.
Sometimes love bites.
And sometimes, even if our hands are covered in raw pork, it is necessary to find ways to show our children that we love them.
No, Cele . . .
not the . . .
stapler!
A year ago 20 little fingers, 20 little toes, two cute noses, and 11 lbs. 12 oz. of joy entered our already zany life. Gladly all those statistics, except weight – that’s up to around 40 lbs., are still the same, but our zany life has changed quite a bit. Definitely for the zanier.
One of the greatest changes has occurred in our conversations with complete strangers. Despite my Nebraskan upbringing I was not fluent in small talk. The twins have changed all that. They are social magnets and attract conversations wherever we go. We’re starting to get in the groove, and have come up with some stock responses for the most frequently asked questions and comments. Here, I’ll give you a sampling:
Inquisitive Stranger: Do Twins run in your family?
Us: Not yet, but I think if you give them a couple of months they’ll be hard to catch.
IS: Four boys and one girl!? She’s going to be a little princess.
Us: Either that or a tomboy.
IS: Four boys and one girl!? She’s going to be a little tomboy.
Us: Either that or a princess.
IS: Oh, look, a boy and a girl? Are they identical?
Us: No. (Really, this has been asked THREE times. My favorite was when the husband of a couple who had been ogling over the babes for the better portion of a morning asked the question, and his wife replied before I could slip in, “Of course not, honey, they don’t look anything alike.” Exactly, that is just what I was going to say.)
IS: Better you than me.
Us: We think so, too.
Our conversations with the general public aren’t all like this, though. In fact the Twins have done more to connect us to people, both strangers and loved ones, than anything to date.
Womb Reenactment
Yesterday evening we took the family out to eat for Aber’s birthday and an older couple engaged us in conversation about the twins and our children. As they got up to leave the wife placed a $20 bill on our table, smiled, and said “Enjoy your birthday meal together.”
This is just one example of Peter and Cecilia attracting more than the random “Awww’s” of passer-bys. Because of them we have been the recipients of abounding kindness. Kindnesses that wrapped both our children and our hearts in warmth. Kindnesses that left us speechless while our mouths were filled with delicious food. Kindnesses that gave us renewal and invigoration when a full night’s sleep was still months away. Kindnesses that strengthened our weary bodies by encouraging our equally weary spirits. Kindnesses that deserve monuments, not 11 month tardy Thank You notes.
So, to all of you we know and love, and to those of you we don’t know, and still love: Thank you for the love. Thank you for every meal, every stitch of clothing, every gentle word to the Brothers, every hour of baby-sitting and baby-holding, every ounce of patience you’ve had with our screaming children, every piece of folded laundry, every scrubbed bathroom, every changed diaper, every sung hymn and spoken prayer, every “you have a beautiful family,” every facebook “like,” and every understanding smile.
Each thing on it’s own brought peace to our lives, and collectively they have propelled us through this year. The Lord has certainly worked through you all to provide for all we needed. And for that, we love you in Christ.
Sappiness off. (But, you were warned yesterday about the Early September Emotional Trifecta.)
. . . Peter knew his head extended above his eyes.
. . . Simeon didn’t drink my coffee. Or Jerry’s.
. . . Abers looked less cute when he admitted to washing my cell phone, locking Jerry out of the house, stabbing his baby brother in the eye with an action figures’ sword, spraying room freshener in our bedroom, and tying knots in my necklaces. All in the past 24 hours.
. . . Mo Willems wrote a new book every day.
. . . marbles had never been invented.
. . . the Bible were in alphabetical order.
. . . my sister lived next door.
. . . Thomas had never heard either the Grand Rapids Lip Dub or Weird Al.
. . . all seven of the people in this house wore exactly the same socks.
Welcome to our extremely humble abode.
. . . our boys had never learned to use scissors and tape.
. . . our boys had never shown an interest in Interior Decorating.
. . . if I could blog in the shower. Don’t worry, that technology seems a ways off. Although, maybe that’s what Abe was working on with my phone.
Christina Joy
Stacy
...and we laughed and laughed. 