Interaction: A Step Away from Parallel Play

It makes me hold my breath and breath a sigh of relief all at the same time. They are actually playing together...with their own rules, adaptations and inventions.

Their game is a mix of trading, choosing, requesting, and deciding. The other day it lasted for 30 minutes. These two crack me up.

Double click to see the whole video.

A post before a post

I often peek in at my boys as they are sleeping and can just see them recharging for the next day. And now, my four little walking batteries are buzzing around me with their various interests as I attempt to sit down and write an overdue post. School starts in a couple of weeks so we are in "pre-training" mode...trying to see if the littles can "keep themselves entertained" between the hours of 8:30 and 9:30.

But before I start in on our camping excursion, I had something quite encouraging happen to me in the supermarket yesterday. A lady stopped me inquiring if I had two sets of twins (it happens more than reason would lead you to believe). She went on to explain that she has twins and used to belong to a mothers of multiples group. She asked me to think hard about how many twins between the ages of 1 and 2 I see out and about. "It's just the hardest time to have two the same age" she said. "It is much easier to simply stay home!" Wow! What confirmation to the feelings I have been having lately.

It was a moment of calm in isle 7. Noah was playing with a bag of brown sugar in the front, Ollie was crushing a bag of chips in the back (who cares...they are for taco salad, he was entertained!) and Jake and Max were intensly focused on "a game" in which the cart was a boat and they couldn't let go or they would be eaten by piranas. (I like this game and you better believe that I reminded them of those carnivorous fish when they began to wander!)

We knew it would be hard. We even had the common sense to "have no idea how hard" it was going to be. But in the last few months, that difficulty has seemed to multiply in mobility and attitudes. Chase one, the other goes in the opposite direction. Tell one "no" and the other one tries. And on it goes.

What a great time it was to talk with someone else who had been through this stage! She even identified with the perplexity of looking at others with three or four kids and thinking "This shouldn't be that different!" I see now why there are support groups for families with multiples. Thank you, isle 7 friend! I will think of your encouraging words often.

Baby Interaction

Probably the most frequent question I get in regards to having "virtual twins" is "How do they get along?"

Well, up until now, the answer has been "indifferent unless provoked." However, a new stage has come in which amusement with the other small mobile creature could describe their interaction.

Here is a slideshow of their typical baby to baby manners.

Not So Wordless Wednesday and a Belated Movie Monday

So one question I often get is: How do the babies get along?

Well, that is an interesting question and the answer is complicated. They do like to be near each other...at least Oliver always finds his way to where Noah is contentedly sitting with his toys.

However, I am not sure that desire to be near each other necessarily denotes friendship. It usually ends in screaming as Baby A undoubtedly will grab whatever toy Baby B is playing with. The scene typically goes something like this:

"OOOO...look at THAT toy....it is moving. I want THAT one!"
Followed by Baby B's toy getting grabbed away.

Baby A then inserts said toy into his mouth (marking territory???)

Baby B either a) attempts to grab it back b) throws a fit or c) a combination of the two.


This situation is only made worse by long fingernails, approaching naptimes or those irritating teeth that just can't seem to come through.

Honestly, this is their interaction the majority of the day unless they are physically restrained from getting to one another by the use of carriers, bouncers or barriers. My conclusion? Well, they're babies. I guess they just haven't reached the social level as of yet.

In this instance, Noah won the prize and Oliver was sent to his bed for a much needed nap.

They DO smile and talk from time to time...especially when they just wake up. Just the other day I saw them in their room before they saw me and they were "talking" between the two cribs. Both had managed to pull the beautiful comforters made by Aunt Kellie and Grandma off the side of their crib and were laying facing each other making cooing and squealing sounds.

And that is about all of the physcho analyzing I can inflict on my two little ones. Let's just say they don't yet have the mental development to "get along." Or perhaps they just have a little too much of the sinful nature coming out! Either way...they are loved and imagining my life without either one of them is next to impossible.

And before you watch the following video and say (like my husband inferred) "You just sat there and filmed them?" Just imagine this scenario taking place about ten times in the course of a day. One stretch of letting them "work it out" is not going to kill them (although it looks like Oliver is trying his best when he goes for Noah's hair!). Besides...this just HAS to be recorded to show them later in life.

Just remember...no babies were harmed during the recording of these events.

And if you are STILL horrified...just come spend a day at my house. :)

Movie Monday

So the boys have decided that they need to be on the same schedule. This came about when Oliver was hungry...and Noah decided that he was also. I thought it was a fluke, but this morning was the same. Kind of inconvenient...mostly cute.


Give us our food! ("So this is how you ask for food!")



Now that's what I needed! Warning...breastfeeding shot...nothing exposed, but you don't have to watch if *that* bothers you.



Satisfied...burps and all.

It could be worse

Some have questioned our decision to willingly have two babies at one time while also having two under five. Others just shake their head and say "I could never do that." or "Do you know what you are getting into?" Well, if you have voiced that, or just thought it...remember: it could be worse! This blog is hilarious and fun to read. In this post that is linked, scroll to the bottom video.

Tripletland

Anticipating chaos,
Jodi