Twenty-Three Month Newsletter

As we approach your second birthday, in some ways, it is much more difficult than in your first year. You often move in opposite directions. Or you collide. You don’t want to eat. You want to eat something else. You want to be carried at the same time. You fight. You fight us at diaper changes. You make yourself heavy. You find six million distractions in the ten feet between the front door and the car door. You know what you’re saying. But we don’t always.

We are learning to find grace in dissension.

We are in the midst of witnessing the birth of your imaginations. And you are reigniting ours. You look for each other. You help each other up. You park yourself in our laps to read books. You know your favorites. You know what you don't want. You can stay up a little later without melting down.

(most of the time.)

You want to be carried. You want us to diaper your owl/fox/matchbox cars. You show us things in a span of ten feet we would never have noticed. We know what you’re saying. And what you say makes us laugh.

Like when Mateo calls every penguin he sees, "Tango". Even the Spanish penguins in Me Gusta Cuando.

Or when Harper, after releasing an especially forceful fart, said “Who is it?”, and then thoughtfully responded: “It’s poo poo!”

Or when Mateo, upon negotiating a diaper change, requests “change semi-trailer truck diaper?”

Or when Harper, on a tire swing at the park, me pushing her, calls out to a little boy crossing the playground bridge “Hey! Come ‘ere! Come sit down!”, so genuinely playful, and yet so genuinely… bossy.

And what you say makes us cry:

Like when Harper said to Mateo, who was upset at the dinner table: “Don’t cry, Bo Bo, is’ okay. Come ‘ere, Imma hold you”, her arms outstretched, hands together, palms open to him.

Or when Mateo said to Harper when she was crying for Mommy at their first day of school: “Mommy come back”, not as a plea, but as a statement of reassurance that they were not alone. Because they were in it together.

A good half of this month has been spent with a runny nose and fever, a pinball action sequence bouncing between the two of you and among Matou and me. And we’ve had a few spectacular spills and bruises, too – the split forehead, the busted lip, the bruised cheek in the bathtub. So the gross motor skills could use some tweaking. And for the sake of good order, let's just go ahead and throw in Daylight Savings in there. Because just when we had that all worked out!

As for fine motor skills, we’re doing a lot more coloring and painting now, more crafts to keep you busy, and we smile from ear to ear to see you meet us at the top of the stairs with your projects. We’ve filled your play kitchen with empty containers (animal cracker boxes, yogurt drinks, spices). And you fight over the shopping carts. EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE TWO OF THEM. On pretty days – or at least days where there is enough patience and daylight – we practice pouring with water and rice. Outside.

We’ve had our fair share of weekend activities in the last month: fellow twins third birthday party, a two day fiesta in San Antonio for cousin Emily's birthday, your first Rodeo that bordered just this side of disastrous. Oh. What's that, Mateo? Why do you look so mad? That's because you had to wait SIX WHOLE MINUTES for your turn. SIX! Let's just you made everyone else's kids at the Houston Rodeo look really good that morning.

Also: a crawfish boil at your uncle Jimbo’s house, brunch with friends, hitting more golf balls at Matou’s work, and just yesterday, your first day back at school.

It was possibly the longest day of my life so far.

We have acknowledged, though, that keeping you home all week any longer might just clip your wings a bit too much. And so we’ve decided to enroll you in school two days per week so your social net reaches just a little bit farther out. Sure, you're not two until next month, but today it's Montessori school and then it'll be a drivers licence, and then great-grandchildren. It's all connected! And we're just taking a little step towards reducing the sting that one day you'll be all grown up.

With arms wide open,

Mommy and Matou

Comments

[Kate]

I think every kid should have a twin.

[Lil Fen]

I'm feeling a little of what your feeling. Today was my first day back at work and we had to put Amelia in daycare. Mary's sister didn't work out. However, I'm very happy with where she is and in the long run it's probably a better situation for her.
I agree that every kid should have a twin! I just don't know that every Mom could handle having them. It takes some very special Moms, which you are!!