The Evolution of a Bedtime Story

I have loved books for as long as I can remember.  My mom was the best to always take me to the library and she kept me fully stocked in the books I wanted to read.  I remember being so very excited to get my very own library card, even though it had to reside in the file at the library until I was older (after graduating high school, maybe?  It's a little fuzzy now).

Because of my own love affair with books, I desperately hoped my girls would love reading and books, and I did everything I could to encourage that love.  I read aloud to them when they were too little to understand the words--mostly magazine articles, but also chunks of To Kill a Mockingbird.  How's that for culture?

I put out books for the girls starting almost immediately, when they were far too young to know what to do with them.  I wanted them to see books lying around, to know what they were, and to hear the words and see the pictures they contained.  Naturally, we started with thick and chunky board books, soft fabric or plastic books, and a couple of these indestructible books, which A & M really loved around 18 months or so.

When the girls were just a few months old, I started read an actual "bedtime story" each night.  Even if they squawked and fussed through it, this short little routine was one of the last things I did before putting them in bed for the night.  At some point, I began reading a short little Baby Einstein book (Lullabies & Sweet Dreams), which had a nice little rhyming cadence...that I can still recite most of, for the record.  This book remained in our bedtime rotation, even once we added other books in, for at least two years.  I still try to pull it out every once in while, even though I am usually vetoed now.

I rejoiced when the girls finally reached a point where they would sit (relatively) still in my lap for a couple of stories.  I don't remember exactly how old they were at that point, but I remember thinking it was a pretty young age for them to be actually "listening".  (I am guessing a little more than a year or so?)  I was so excited to finally be able to get through a small stack of books at bedtime.  Though my mind was numbed at times by the basic, repetitive wording in most of the simple board books, I was glad to see my girls' interest growing.

We stuck with the simple books through about age 2 1/2, employing only a few more wordy titles here and there.  As soon as I felt it made sense, though, I started incorporating more and more books with actual pages, more text, and (gasp!) occasionally an actual plot.  I was relieved to be free from board book prison.  And to my surprise, as the length of the books we read increased, so did the girls' patience for the stories.  They became good little listeners, only rarely interrupting and always sitting still where they could see the pictures.

After age two, I began seeking out all manner of books that I enjoyed reading to the girls.  I hunted down childhood favorites, flipped through tons of books at the library, and made note of books I saw recommended online.  Some became new favorites of mine, while others struck the girls' fancy.  We had a few standbys in common, but often our favorites do not overlap.  (I may or may not have placed the ones I loathed reading aloud at the bottom of the pile occasionally.)

I love, love, love getting to explore new titles with my girls, and watching their comprehension grow by leaps and bounds.  Though they haven't shown any real interest in learning to read themselves yet, I feel sure that we have built a solid foundation that will hopefully help them become lifelong readers.

Recently, I have branched out in their bedtime stories once again, trying out the idea of chapter books.  Mackenzie is still enamored with the The Jesus Storybook Bible, which she requests every single night. The stories are not very long, but do have a sense of continuity from one story to the next, so I figured they might be ready for some of the more simple chapter books we could read a little from each night.  After watching the movie "Ramona & Beezus", which the girls loved, I picked up the book at the library.  I remember reading and re-reading Beverly Clearly when I was young, so I was excited to share her books with them.  A & M were so excited to see Ramona in book form, and to hear some of the same stories they'd seen in the movie, plus new ones.

I probably overestimated their attention span a little, as the chapters turned out to be a little longer than is ideal at this point.  Still, they did listen to a full chapter on several occasions and we made it through a good chunk of the book.  A few weeks ago, I ordered The Children of Noisy Village, and its chapters a bit shorter.  The girls have liked it the nights we have read it, and I like the quaint, simple story lines.

As a new facet to our bedtime story routine, the girls now request to 'read' on their own for awhile after I tuck them into bed.  Mackenzie gets her Jesus Storybook and Addison usually requests her large Princess book, and they wind down by flipping through the pages of their familiar favorites.  I love that they have developed this habit, and I hope it's a sign of good things to come on the book front.

While we may not be ready for a Harry Potter read-a-long for quite some time, I recognize how far we have come with books in four years.  I am thankful for the love of literature I see growing in my girls, and I will continue to do everything I can to encourage it.

One day, girls, we will get to Harry Potter, and your minds will be BLOWN. 

And then they were four

Today, my sweet girls turned FOUR.  J and I were both able to arrange to be off work and spend the day with them.  The morning started with a pile of balloons in their bedroom.  Addison woke up while I was in the shower and came into the bathroom saying, "Mama, I found something in my room!  You have to come see!"

We took them to school, then returned a couple of hours later with pizza and cake for their "school birthday party".  It was so fun to watch them interact with their little friends in that environment!  They left school with us after lunch and went home to take a nap.  We spent the afternoon just hanging out, and A & M opened their gift from us (a very fancy "princess" dress).  Later, we went to my mom's for dinner...and cake, of course.  The girls were surprised again with a pinata, which they had been talking about since a party we attended last summer. 

I'd say it was a pretty good birthday for Addison & Mackenzie....and J and I certainly enjoyed it as well!  My girlies are growing so fast, but it just gets better all the time.

(On top of all that fun, J starts a new position at work tomorrow, and we couldn't be more excited about it.  We are proud of you, Jeremy!!)

Big Fat Vacation Recap

When we started planning this year's vacation, Jeremy and I decided it was time for the middle-of-the-night driving to come to an end.  It worked really well when the girls were babies, but it was exhausting for the two of us.  They're big enough to tough out the six-hour car ride now, we figured.

A couple of weeks before we left, at Jeremy's parents' suggestion, we decided we would all get a hotel room Saturday night in the Montgomery area, roughly the halfway point in the trip.  The layover provided a great excuse to pull out our zoo passes and visit the Birmingham Zoo.  At the last minute, Jeremy was offered tickets to the Auburn football game--for free!  Being the awesome wife that I am (right, Jeremy?!), I encouraged him to take them and just meet us in Montgomery after the game (AU is very nearby, so they would come through there leaving the game anyway).

Jeremy and his friends left for Auburn bright and early Saturday morning, and a few hours later the girls and I set out for Birmingham.  Jeremy's parents met us for a picnic (at the girls' request) and an afternoon wandering the zoo. 

At the end of the day, we all checked into our Prattville hotel, where a tired and slightly sunburned Jeremy was waiting.  This was Addison & Mackenzie's first time staying in a regular hotel, and I was a little nervous about how they would sleep.  It wasn't too bad, just a little trouble getting them to settle down at bedtime.  They did think the lobby was for hanging out, and kept asking if we could "go down to the living room" or if we could "go to the kitchen and get a snack".  Oh, how those girls make me laugh!

After a delicious breakfast Sunday morning, we were on our way to Gulf Shores.  It was so, so nice to only have to drive three-ish hours.  We all felt pretty great when we arrived, so we just went directly to our favorite lunch spot for some fresh seafood.  We were all happy to be out of the car and in sight of the ocean.

(That's Mackenzie, refusing to give me a smile)

We unloaded at the condo--conveniently just two doors down from Sea N' Suds--and after a little unpacking and digging for swimsuits, we headed straight down to the beach.  The girls were so excited, especially sweet little Addison, who kept dancing around, giggling and squealing.  When I asked if she liked it, she answered, "Yeah, that's why I'm laughing so much!" with a gigantic grin on her face.  That is absolutely a moment I feel sure I will never forget.  

And you know, that was pretty much just how the entire trip went--we hung out on the beach, we swam in the pool, we ate, we read, we napped, we shopped, and we watched lots of Netflix on the iPad--we did what we wanted, when we wanted, without agenda.  It was glorious!  It rained and stormed all day Monday, so Jeremy and I took advantage of the situation and went back to the outlets and got all of our shopping done.  (We usually stock up on fall clothes and warm-weather bargains on this visit.)  Every other day was just beautiful, perfect beach weather.

One of my absolute favorite things was watching the girls play together so well.  Even at home, I am noticing them playing together more than ever, but it was especially evident last week.  They would dig in the sand for hours, carrying on lengthy conversations about their intricate games of pretend.  And geez, do these girls have two wonderful imaginations...they absolutely blow me away sometimes.  Sitting there watching the waves, with a book in my hands, my husband by my side, and my two babies playing happily together...it's hard to imagine a more perfect moment.

Can't you just hear that sweet conversation?

There's not much else to tell...it was an uneventful trip in the best way.  The only thing I'm sad about is the fact that next year will likely be our last late September trip, since A & M will be in SCHOOL the following year.  How is that possible??

(Naturally, I have a few more pictures to share...coming soon!)

A Day Out with Thomas

For Addison & Mackenzie's birthday, my mom bought tickets for A Day Out with Thomas at a nearby railroad depot.  This past weekend was the date we picked, and Jeremy and I had a great day hanging out with our girlies.

There was a life-sized working replica of Thomas the Train, which I totally neglected to get a picture of.  To be honest, though, A & M were just as enthralled with the posters, activities, and plain old passenger trains as with the actual Thomas.

There was a petting zoo with lots of goats, a rooster (??  never seen one of those in a petting zoo, and he really didn't look in the mood to be touched), a sheep, and a llama.  Addison loved the goats and probably would have stayed in there watching the animals for an hour or more if we didn't have to leave for our turn to ride the train.  Mackenzie liked the baby goats at first, but a big one pushed his head between us when she wasn't expecting it, which pretty much did her in on the petting experience.

The girls got to play their first-ever round of mini golf (or, okay, a hole and a half of mini golf!).

We boarded Thomas for our train ride and the girls were having a blast taking everything in.  Jeremy and I were excited to sit still for about 25 minutes!  A & M liked the train ride, but again, I think they enjoyed everything else there was to do even more.  We are thinking about taking a train in the fall to visit Auntie LJ in Louisiana, and from our experience Saturday, I think it would work out well.

After the train ride, we went back to the activities area to the music tent, which was by far the highlight of the girls' day.  The guy singing asked the kids to come up and grab an instrument to "help" him with his songs, and much to my surprise, Addison was all for it.  Mackenzie took a little nudging from me, but she followed her sister and really enjoyed it too.  They strummed little plastic guitars, banged a tambourine, and discovered the joys of playing the bongos.  I was SO proud of my sometimes-shy girls for jumping up there and joining the fun!

It was a great day for our little family, topped off with a spur-of-the-moment decision to eat at a good restaurant on the way home, instead of the fast food we initially intended.  Jeremy commented on the way home that he is thankful we are in a position to be able (financially and physically) to take the girls to do things like this.  I wholeheartedly agree...while I love lazy days at home, I also love taking the girls to make priceless family memories like these.

One last highlight of the weekend for me:  Both girls successfully used public restrooms several times this weekend!  While they have been potty trained for quite some time, the girls' modus operandi when we are out and about is just to hold it until they absolutely can't hold it anymore (which is a LONG time), then demand to go home immediately.  Which doesn't work so well when you're an hour and a half from home.  So hooray for public restroom progress!

New 'Dos

A couple of months ago, I took the girls to my hair stylist for their first "real" hair cut.  I had trimmed it at home a time or two, but they were excited about their first big-girl salon experience.  Despite being a little nervous, they loved it.  We only trimmed it a bit last time, barely even noticeable, but this time they were ready for something a little different.

We went for it and got the full, adorable, little-girl bob:

Mackenzie

Addison

They are loving the new 'dos, and so am I!  I was afraid they would cry for a ponytail as soon as we cut it off, but so far, so good.

Their hair looks so much thicker since it was cut, and it seems it will keep a good bit of curl--probably like mine, just enough curl to make it difficult!  : )

THREE

Dear Addison & Mackenzie,

Yesterday, you turned THREE years old.  I can hardly believe it, but then again, it seems like you have been with us forever.  You are absolutely THE best part of our lives, and your daddy and I love our little family so very much.  Every year gets better and better.

 

Mackenzie, at three you are sensitive and kind.  You worry about things sometimes, so we have to be careful what we say around you.  You take care of your sister and get upset if she is upset.  When Addison goes to time out, you usually ask if you can take her a blanket or even end up sitting beside her while she serves her punishment.  You think of other people more than any barely-three year old I know.  Just the other day, you remembered I had been to a movie the day before.  You asked, "Did you like your movie, Mama?"  When I answered that I did, very much, you said, "I'm so glad!"  And then my heart melted.

If you notice I have on a new outfit, or just one you particularly like, you will say, "I like your dress, Mama.  It's very pretty."  Right now, you practically refuse to wear anything except a skirt or dress ("ballerinas", you call them), and I am happy to oblige and let you wear one nearly every day.  The little twirl you do when you first put on a favorite dress is so much better than any cute outfit I could coerce you to wear.  You are very attached to your Jen Jen and Ne Ne.  You love to snuggle and watch movies on the couch, and you are awesome at games of pretend.  You call any dog "Toto", from The Wizard of Oz, and you often tell people very sincerely that your name is Dorothy Ross H----.  I may cry the day you stop asking us to call you Dorothy.

My little Addison, you are the life of the party around here most days.  You are funny and silly and fiercely independent.  Sometimes I shudder to imagine how sassy you might be during your teen years, but we will cross that bridge when we get there, and I will love you even on the days you make me want to scream.  While you are less likely than you sister to cuddle up with me voluntarily, I also catch you more and more often sitting still "reading" a book all by yourself.  You have definitely inherited my love of books, and seeing that love grow makes your mama's heart very, very happy.

I often call you my wild child, but you have a sensitive side too.  Sometimes when you realize you are about to get into trouble, your little face just crumbles and you burst into unexpected tears.  (Yes, that makes it very hard to stay mad at you at that moment in time, a fact I hope you don't figure out anytime soon!)  Just the other day, you were bouncing around while I combed your hair and you caught sight of an ASPCA commercial on tv.  You asked me if the doggie was sad and I, without thinking, answered that he was.  Your eyes immediately welled up with tears and you became inconsolable, wailing, "I don't waaaaannnttt him to be sad!"

You are very much a mama's girl right now, but you often get caught up in things your daddy is doing too.  You love to help him work on the lawn mower and you request to visit the John Deere store almost weekly.  You love to run and play "chase" right now and you can far outlast any of us adults.  You scrunch up your nose when you smile, just like I do, and you have this funny little abrupt way of talking sometimes that absolutely cracks us up.  I can't describe it, but I'm pretty sure I will never forget it.

The two of you together are an unstoppable combination.  You are our yin and yang, our sweet and spunky, the perfect complement to one another.  You are our wild and crazy monkeys, and our lives before you seem dreadfully boring in comparison to the excitement you bring to our days.

As I have said before, being a mama to you girls is by far the greatest and coolest thing I will ever do.  I will make mistakes, and lots of them--like, um, taking your pacis away the night before your 3rd birthday so that you were sad ON your birthday instead of waiting until the day after (sorry about that!!)--but I promise you I will always do the very best I can do for you girls and for our family. 

You are so very loved, girls, don't ever forget that.  Happy third birthday!

(Since you are such big girls now, can you go ahead and forgive me for this paci business soon?  Pretty please?)

Love,
Mama

Parades, Parties, and a Weekend Milestone

This weekend was our busiest in a long time, with something planned for each day from Thursday to Sunday.  'Tis the season, I suppose.

Thursday evening, Addison & Mackenzie attended their first Christmas parade.  The past few years have been cold and rainy, and it just hasn't been ideal for us to take them out to it.  This year was pretty cold, but not unbearable, and the girls absolutely loved it!

My aunt lives very near the parade route, so as we did so many times during my own childhood, we hung out inside at her house until we heard the wail of the sirens approaching.  We walked down to the end of her street to take in the extravaganza.  A & M had lots of fun gathering candy, waving at the people on floats, and watching for Santa to come by.  Afterward, we made the short walk back to my aunt's and enjoyed a warm meal together.

First Christmas parade=success!

Friday, Jeremy and I had a "date" to finish our Christmas shopping.  We dropped the girls off with Jeremy's parents and had a very delicious dinner before heading to the most dreaded of all children's stores...Toys R Us.  I never go there, and actually I try not to shop there since a few bad experiences with Babies R Us when the girls were babies, but J was convinced we needed to go see what they had (translation:  he wanted to play with the toys himself!).

It was horribly crowded and took forever to check out (I was honestly in shock over the amount of toys some people were buying), but we survived.  We did find a wooden train set for the girls at a good price, as well as a play coffee pot, since they love to "make coffee" for us.

After that task was complete, we spent an hour or two wandering the shopping center, ending with coffee in the bookstore.  Just as we got in the car to leave, Jeremy's mom called and said Addison wanted to come home instead of spending the night at her house.  We weren't really surprised, since she has been very much a homebody lately, so we arranged to meet his mom and pick her up.

And thus, we accomplished the second "first" of the weekend:  Addison and Mackenzie spent their very first night apart from one another.

I will admit it...I was a little sentimental about the milestone.  My girls have spent each and every night under the same roof since birth (actually, since before birth, if you want to get technical about it!), so it was definitely a strange feeling to creep into their room and see only one bed occupied.

I think it was probably a good thing for both of them.  Addison got to spend some quality time with Jeremy and me, and Mackenzie got to have her NiNi all to herself.  The first thing Addison said on Saturday morning was, "Where's my sissy at?"  And when Jeremy brought Mackenzie home on Saturday afternoon, Addison was still asleep in her bed.  Mackenzie barged through the house, saying, "Where's my Addison?"

Ahhh, melts my heart!

I was originally supposed to attend The Nutcracker on Saturday evening, while Jeremy and the girls had a movie night at home.  Mackenzie was pretty attached to me once she got home, though, and she cried real tears and begged me not to go.  Who could deny a pitiful little girl asking, "Mama, will you stay home and watch a movie with us?"  Not this mama!  I decided time with baby was worth way more than the $30 I would be losing for the forfeited tickets, and we had a fun movie night at home.

Sunday was a flurry of church, baking, wrapping, and preparing for the Christmas party with our youth group.  It was a success, and I wound up with a dirty santa gift I actually wanted:

Jeremy, on the other hand, was not as lucky...though Addison & Mackenzie are having a ball with his gift!

How was YOUR weekend?  Is the holiday busy-ness in full effect for you too?

Cry Baby

Ironically, there is almost nothing that can make me smile faster than a crying baby picture.  Is that awful?  I think it's just the sweetness, the vulnerability of that moment that just gets me every time.

It's an inescapable part of the baby/toddler experience...we've all heard those whining face-melting screams that can make you want to climb into bed and smash a pillow over your head... but they're so often followed by the sweetest cuddles you've ever experienced, and that just makes it all worthwhile.

Marcia is showcasing some favorite crying baby pictures today, and I'm linking up to share some of my own.  Most are from the 6-12 month stage...that seemed to be the high point of the crying in our house, then it turned into toddler-whining, which is a different category entirely (and not nearly as endearing!).

Just over a month old--I decided to do a photo shoot one morning, and Mackenzie was NOT having it.

Evolution of a crying baby photo:  Awww, look at my sweet six-month-old girls!

Addison decides to eat her sister's hand, causing a few tears from Mackenzie...

Remove the unhappy baby, the remaining baby slowly slides over, leading to a perfect crying baby shot!

One of my favorites of Mackenzie.

Addison, after M likely pushed her out of the way.

Mackenzie, on the morning of her first birthday.  I remember that she was in a bad mood that morning, for some undetermined reason.  

Mackenzie again, in the classic whiny toddler "pick me up, please" position.

Addison, in a much more recent picture from the fair this spring.  Wyatt blew the horn and terrified her.  Needless to say, she didn't stay on to ride...she did love the slide and the carousel by the end of the night, though.

We used to call Addison our little drama queen, but looking through these pictures, you'd have to think Mackenzie might be the one to earn that role!

Thanks for the idea, Marcia...   It was fun to look through old pictures.  I vote we do sleeping babies next; I have a ton of those pictures!

My Loves