The girls are entering a time in their toddlerhood that makes me dread writing them a letter each month.
‘This month you learned how to say ‘blue’ and YOU’RE A TINY TERRORIST!’
Honestly, they can be SO super sweet, but moments later be in the midst of a full-blown tantrum. I just stare at them blankly, waiting for them to be done. Sometimes I wonder if this is truly a part of their development, or if I’ve completely failed at motherhood. Has my parenting style caused them to be defiant?
Wait… what IS my parenting style?
It’s really not as bad as I’m making it right now… I guess it’s just been a rough couple days. Group hug?
I think all our attitudes will improve once we can go outside and frolic around in the grass and be free as a bird instead of cooped up in this house everyday. Can I get an amen?
In case you’re new… Paisley is on left and Adelyn on right.
Dear Adelyn
You’re kind of a melancholy gal… and while you rarely have a tantrum, you often push the limits to see how far you can get…all with a sly smile on your face. And when you get in trouble, you cry an ugly cry for a good long time and need some serious snuggles to recover from the trauma. You play really well by yourself when Paisley is sleeping, but when the two of you are together, you like to take toys away from her. On the flip side, when Paisley is sad or hurt, your eyes well up with tears and your bottom lip begins to tremble, and you bring Paisley her blankie or sippy cup. Whenever the furnace comes on, you drop whatever you’re doing, grab your blankie, and head over to the heat register. You sit there quietly for the duration of the furnace cycle, and then you resume whatever activity you were doing before. You bring us a book to read, and only let us get through one page before you’re off to find another book for us to read… and then REPEAT. You love to make your noise-making toys play music and then dance. Your dance of choice is holding one arm up in the air and spinning in a circle. For some reason, we have lots of nicknames for you. Sometimes it’s whatever pops into our head. Lately I’ve been calling you Della Doodle, or just plain Doodle. You’re very independent, but love to snuggle first thing in the morning… my favorite time of day. You’re such a sweet girl and we love you so much!
Dear Paisley,
You have more energy than you could possibly know what to do with. You’re constantly climbing things and throwing yourself face-first off the couch. You’re a rough player, and almost never get hurt enough to cry. You love to have pretties in your hair, and you love playing with my hair… which I love too! When you’re happy, you’re the most jubilant chipper little thing… but when you’re mad, it’s UGLY. Every tantrum is epic. You love to wash your hands and put lotion on your cheeks and chap stick on your lips. You refuse to wear pants that are loose around the ankles, and will scream and pull on the pant legs for hours. You only like leggings and skinny jeans. I don’t think it’s a fashion preference, I think you just don’t like how it feels. You always want your sleeves rolled up too. You’re very ticklish, even on your gums when you’re having your teeth brushed. You love your blankie, and affectionately call it ‘B’. It comforts you whenever you’re sad, hurt, or mad. You only suck your thumb when you have your blankie, and you strategically weave your index finger through a hole in the blankie and then rub it against your nose while you’re sucking your thumb. You LOVE to go outside, and ask to go out at least 17 times a minute. Your vocabulary grows everyday, and you’ll try to repeat any word. You’re a fun, wild girl… and we love you so much!
I love reading your updates about, and letters to, the girls. I always get excited because it’s like you guys are far away friends that I haven’t seen in awhile. I know we once talked about endometriosis a long time back, but since then I’ve been hooked! When I realized I had missed 20 months, I went and read that post before I read 21 months; even though both were open in separate tabs.
Thank you for sharing your life! 😀
Stephani
People say Terrible Twos, Trusting Threes, etc…, but really, it’s just the milestones of your children finding their voice (they learn to use the magic NO that we put such emphasis on when they get mobile) and realize what a source of help and information their parents are. Your girls seem to be very emphatic (my twins, who are 20, still have that) and feel things in a very BIG way. Cherish that, even through the tantrums. Those are very special traits that will develop marvelously under your tutelage. Celebrate their strengths and ignore the weaknesses (those will go away eventually) and enjoy every minute of your babies. But don’t forget your ME time as parents. It makes you enjoy your children that much more. I’m no specialist but I KNOW that you and Nick will raise them to be women who will be great assets to this world. Don’t sweat the small stuff and pick your battles. And thanks for sharing!
Suzanne, thank you for taking the time to write such a sweet comment! This is some very good advice. Some days it’s really hard to live in the moment and enjoy their ‘toddlerhood’, but I KNOW I’m going to miss this someday!! They really are sweet girls. I’m a pretty lucky mama. 🙂
Oh, it’s just the Terrible Twos, soon it will be the Trusting Threes.:^) We all have to go through it – just saying, it’s not you. Consistency and follow through – that’s all you have to remember.
Your babies are precious & getting so big! Paisley sounds SO MUCH like my daughter, Carly, who just turned 2. She was the same way with pants & sleeves this winter. She only wants to wear leggings- no pants or jeans and no long sleeves or jackets. She used to shove her sleeves up, too, and now just flat out refuses long sleeves! I have thought the same thing about how it must not feel good to her. She will actually say it hurts now. Carly is super energetic, too, and pretty much only sucks her thumb with her blankie. So neat to see the similarities in another baby because my older two daughters were nothing like her! We are in the same place with happy toddler one minute and epic tantrum the next!!
That’s interesting that Carly says ‘it hurts’… I’ve often wondered what Paisley would say about it if she could talk. It’s such a mystery why she wouldn’t like to wear regular pants. Sounds like our girls are very similar!
They are too cute! Oh & believe me I have wondered the same thing “Am I doing something wrong for (in my case) him to act like this?!” You go girl for double time 🙂 my kiddos are 2 years apart so I will hopefully get a small break from the terror of toddler days once Wil passes out of the 2s stage… but my girl is 7 months and already showing sassy-ness 😉
Hello. I’ve been following your blog for some time now, but have never commented. I really enjoy everything you write about on here. I have twin girls that are now almost 25 months, so only a little older than your two. It’s so crazy to me how much our girls sound like your girls. My one daughter absolutely loves sitting on the heat vent when the heater comes on. She loves how it blows her hair and even tests out different object to see how they’ll react to the air. So funny! My twin girls are fraternal and quite the opposite of each other, much like yours. It’s so refreshing to hear other people’s experience with twin girls. I completely understand anticipating warmer weather to end cabin fever. We are finally getting some nicer days over here in PA. Everyone’s moods have improved. But, there are still times when I feel the same about having a “tiny terrorist” or two. Keep up the great posts and blogs! I enjoy it immensely! Feel free to visit my blog (www.buckbuckgoose.com) too.
Sharon, thank you for commenting! It’s always fun to talk with other twin mommies and compare stories… and it sounds like our girls are all pretty close in age! You’re a few months ahead of me, so I’m guessing I could learn a couple things from you. 🙂
Love the letters! I wrote a journal to my son during gestation and through the age of 25. I’ve asked him if he wants it but he tells me it’s too precious for him to have, it’s safer with me. You are doing a fabulous job. Don’t kid yourself, there’s not a Mommy in the world who hasn’t stood in the middle of the room and wondered how she got to just THAT moment! Life goes by in a blur, next up, dating! lol!
What a great idea to write letters to the girls. I have a journal I started for/of the older, and just added the youngest into it. But I often find myself having problems identifying (smoothly) which one I am referring too. I may need to steal your idea and just write them monthly (oh who am I kidding, every other month) letters.
Steal away! It’s something I really enjoy doing… AND it’s fun to look back on! I’m not very good at keeping up their baby books, so this might have to do. 🙂
The picture of your girls is adorable! I love reading your letters to them, how special it will be when they are older to have this written history of their lives, their personalities and the love their parents have for them.
Debbie 🙂
Always love reading your posts about the girls. We have 4yo twin girls and your posts always make me think back to when ours were the same age as yours. It really does go by in a blur. Everything you are dealing with now will get better just at the time you learn how to deal with it. And then something new will come along. Welcome to parenthood. I think you are doing an awesome job.
I LOVE that Adelyn loves sitting on the heat vent. That is possibly the cutest thing I have ever heard of. It’s crazy how different they are. Also, I’m the same way as Paisley. I hate the feeling of loose pants. I pretty much wear leggings 99% of the time… unless they are dirty. I do hate doing laundry. Is Paisley weird about other textures? Because I have all kinds of weird texture issues. I can’t sleep with anything fuzzy, like flannel pants or sheets, or fleece blankets. I too was a particular thumb sucker while rubbing a blanket on my face.
And: That picture of them is heart melting. You’re doing a good job. Keep up the good work friend. 🙂
Bahaha! Love that you and Pais are kindred spirits. I haven’t noticed her having a thing with textures yet, but it wouldn’t surprise me. She’s pretty particular about the way her clothing fits and feels. She pulls on the collar of her shirt if it’s not real loose, and yet she hates having the looseness of her pants around her ankles. A total weirdo if you ask me. Although, If I had the legs and butt for it, I would totally wear leggings too. But alas…
oops…their development. : )
My favorite posting! Love to see and hear about the girls and there development.
Wendy
So sweet. Yea, kids have fits too, you seem to be dealing with it well. It happens to us all. Your a good mommy don’t question your self. Mary in NY
Awww! So precious! I love reading your blog and following your little girls 🙂 Not creepy right? Haha!
Not creepy at all! Thanks for following along. 🙂
surprised the girls are in matching shirts of different colors….
Also, how freaking BIG are they getting, I so wish you lived closer and I got to see those babes all the time!
How sweet it is that you do this for your girls. Wish I’d done something similar. Seems you are a wonderful mommy!
Okay, first of all, how FREAKING CUTE are your babies?! I cannot believe how big they are! So precious!
Secondly, it SERIOUSLY freaks me out how alike our girls are. I mean, really. My Macy girl is JUST like Paisley, even down to being the twin with the hemangioma. How weird is that? She is definitely my wild, crazy, run around, fearless little thing who loves her binky and lovey. Peyton is like Dell, plays quietly, but is mean to her sister at times just because she can be! She is my thumb sucker and HAS to have major cuddles in the morning before she can start her day or else things do NOT go well for anyone.
I love having another twin mommy that can truly know what it’s like in our house. LOL
And no, tantrums are not a reflection of your parenting. You are a wonderful mommy!
Whoa that’s crazy how alike they are!! The only difference is that the opposite girls prefer paci or thumb. 🙂