We Have Been Sick

We have all had colds in the past couple of weeks.  Mine went away quickly. The twins' colds seemed to drag on until their illness finally got the best of them.  I took Elinor to the doctor last Thursday and she was diagnosed with minor pneumonia.  Poor thing.  John had an infection as well. Now they are both on antibiotics - which they hate - and they seem to be on the mend. They were both witnessed jumping and playing together yesterday.  That's a good sign.

While the house was full of sickness, it's good to know that dog grooming was not forgotten.

Elinor is using her own hairbrush.  Too cute. 

John is really adding to his vocabulary. He says "poop" when his diaper is dirty.  I think he might be ready for potty training before Elinor.  He says "Mimi" and "Pop Pop". I have also heard him say bed, duck, stuck (that's a big one) and more. My favorite is when I greet him in the morning and he says "Hi Mama"  ...plain as day.
Oh, and a shout out for Elinor... as I was covering her with a blanket the other day, she exclaimed "Nice and warm!"  I thought that was so funny.

One last swim

I love autumn.  I love the cooler temperatures. Most of you probably know that winter is my season of choice.  It will be interesting to see which seasons are John and Elinor's favorite.  Here they are trying to get in one last swim in the swimming pool.... sans water.

Don't look too close...

I cannot remember the last time I was able to get a picture of the twins together; one where they are both smiling and looking at the camera.  So, I had to do a bit of magic and merge two photos together.  So don't look too close....

Andy gave John John that buzz cut.  Not too shabby!

Here are the other two photos.... 

A Day at the Park

Friday, a friend and I took the kids to a beautiful park not too farm from here.  The park, Schoepfle Gardens,  is just over the county line.  I could not believe it has been here the whole time I have lived here in Huron and I never knew about it. It is beautiful with walking paths, trees, flowers and a small children's area for climbing and playing and touching.  So wonderful for the twins.  

We're Still Here...

Alive and well...

New words

Elinor has been talking up a storm.  Some of her new sentences are:

"Mommy, I help you."  which translates to "Mommy I need help"
"I like that."   translates to "I don't want it or I don't like it"
"Here Lloydie"
"Mommy (or Daddy) I love you" 
Elinor can name all the animals in Noah's Ark, she knows many colors, some shapes, and today she counted backwards from the number 8.
I have been trying to teach John some sign language and it's funny when Elinor uses it.... because I know what she is trying to communicate.
John has picked up a few more words. He is using "Mama" and "Daddy" without being prompted. He can say no, choo choo, Elmo, Ernie, ball, Pop Pop, Mimi, bye, Ellie, pull and maybe a few more.  Every word is a celebration.  He uses some sign language when I prompt him, which is great because it confirms what I am asking him.  He has also started to sing using la, la, la and he loves to play the harmonica.
I have to remind myself not to compare him to Elinor.  Each child is different.  I don't feel like I am a very good teacher though.  The speech therapist comes weekly - I am not sure how much that helps.  However, the kids will go to a new sitter after Labor Day.  There are a few kids their age and I think that may help John with his verbal skills, as well as his social skills.
Next on my checklist:  eliminating Elinor's paci and then on to potty training.....

Mommy, I'm Sleeping

Elinor is talking really well.  She can put two to three words together.  She is starting to recognize colors and she can almost sing the entire songs of Twinkle Twinkle and the ABCs. Yesterday, while I was cooking dinner I heard her yell, "Mommy, I'm sleeping."  I yelled back, "Okay."  I mean, I wasn't going to argue with that.  But she kept yelling it, which meant "come see me."
This is where I found her....

... in the bathroom sink. 

What a hoot!