Twin Tuesday: Behold, the Crib Tent

Since Little Miss Escape Artist refuses to stay in her crib, this is our latest purchase. We had turned her crib around so the lower side faced the wall. This did keep her in but made it awkward to get her in and out on the side. That, and the fact the back of her crib is solid instead of slats made it impossible for her to see Matthew. They like to have long, meaningful conversations before falling asleep and this made her unhappy. So her crib tent is working well so far. When she saw me first turning her crib back around she was quite happy. And then I went and put this tent on the top. Not a happy camper as you can see.

But if teaching school taught me anything it was to say no, ignore the complaining, and not feel guilty. So after about 5 minutes of protesting, she lay down and went to sleep.

Matthew gave her moral support.

Hopefully she won't smuggle scissors into her jail and learn to cut her way out.

PUPPY BOWL VI

Who needs the Super Bowl when you've got the Puppy Bowl?

Every year we record the Puppy Bowl during the Super Bowl and then have two hours worth of canine cuteness to use whenever we need our doggy fix throughout the year.

The sixth annual event this year had its kitty half time show and they threw in bunny cheerleaders and even had a blimp sky cam piloted by hamsters. And don't forget the underwater cam at the water bowl. All pups are rescue dogs and they try to drag their toys across the goal line before being tackled. It makes me want to run to the pound and get my own doggie.

Twin Tuesday: Happy Groundhog Day!

Even Punxsutawney Phil is on Twitter.

According to the official Punxsutawney Phil Groundhog Day Web site, Groundhog Day is the result of a blend of ancient Christian and Roman customs that came together in Germany.

In the early days of Christianity in Europe, clergy would distribute blessed candles to the faithful on February 2 in honor of Candlemas, a holiday celebrating the Virgin Mary's presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem 40 days after his birth.

Along the way, February 2 also became associated with weather prediction, perhaps due to its proximity to the pagan Celtic festival of Imbolc—also a time of meteorological superstition—which falls on February 1.

Tradition held that the weather on Candlemas was important: Clear skies meant an extended winter.

Let's Talk About Twin Talking

With Matthew and Sarah having passed the 19 month mark, they are making a best effort to communicate not only with each other, but with us as well. Still, the going is slow, and the number of words each can say is closer to a dozen than a hundred. Whether their own "twin talk" has anything to do with it isn't entirely clear, but we are finding that they are understanding a lot of what we say, even if they cannot reciprocate in the discussion.

For example, I can ask Sarah to take a bottle and give it to Matthew, and she complies. I can also ask her to "give that to your mom", and she finds Kristine and hands over said object. Both know to "put the blocks away" and to "go get a book" and "put the book back". I've even seen Sarah respond when asked to "go get Matthew's shoes", returning with loafers in hand. So they're listening, even if not obeying.

They can even "spin" on command if I tell them to "spin" and twirl my hand in instruction.

But as we're a little lagging in the official baby book department, I thought I'd note the words we know they can say, in no particular order. I also don't believe there are any words that one can say which the other cannot. Kristine can add or change this list if I overlooked anything.

As of January 2010, Matthew and Sarah can say:

• Dog
• Dad
• Mom
• Thank You
• No
• Laszlo (my parents' dog)
• Hi
• Bye
• Ball
• "Hush" (as in Good Night Moon)
• "Woo Hoo!" (as in Homer Simpson)

Guess who taught them the last one?

Here Comes Trouble: Sarah Will Be the Death of Us

Sarah is a natural born escape artist. Combined with an otherworldy level of flexibility and a smirk that lets you know she's constantly going to try and get away with something, she is adventurous, not accepting barriers that could otherwise get in her way. If it wasn't for Matthew, who serves as her underpaid but highly effective alarm system, who knows what kind of mischief she could achieve?

Although the two are twins, their nighttime rituals are quite different now. Matthew is simple. Put him in a set of PJs, place him in his crib and say goodnight. No issues. But for Sarah, this ritual involves putting a safety pin through the zipper of her outfit to prevent its removal, for if we left it as is, surely by midnight, she would be clothing-free, with diaper flung out of the crib as far as she could toss. Somehow, despite our work, she still often manages to remove said diaper, even if her clothing structure remains intact.

In parallel, while Matthew's crib faces out, letting him have full visibility to the room, Sarah's crib looks "backwards", facing the wall. Why? Because the escape artist learned to lift her leg high, like a ballerina, atop the crib's lip and flip herself out. Seconds later, she would walk to the door, turn the doorknob, and join us in the living room, as nonchalantly as anyone could. After having this happen no fewer than five times on Friday, we had enough and turned her crib around, much to her frustration.

Meanwhile, each time she jumped out, due to surprise or his concern for his sister's safety, Matthew sounded the alarm, crying out so we would solve the issue.

But not even this, apparently, was enough to solve Cirque De Sarah. This morning, again, I was awoken by Matthew crying in something of a panic. I enter the kids' room, and find Sarah hanging on to a single column dresser, like a monkey, for dear life. The lamp and lampshade which had been atop it, were cast askew on the floor, and whether she fell or jumped, she was sure to make that her next move.

Doorknobs are no match for Sarah, barring preventative locks. Gravity doesn't scare her. Clothing is optional. Gates simply present a challenge. Food is a suggestion that needs to pass her critical review. Matthew is a frienemy, as fun to hit as to hug. And despite all this, Sarah is an absolute delight. A scamp, but our scamp.

Meet My Husband's New Girlfriend

If only she cooked and cleaned.

Twin Tuesday: Sharing is Fun