Not Much, June 12, 2012

Sometimes when I look at the clock and it's already 3 pm I wonder what I've been doing all day.  Not much, still.  I haven't started the baby books or the Christmas stockings or even loaded the dishwasher some days.  It comes with the territory of having two little girls just about to start walking and seeing what mischief they can make to pass the time.

We've rearranged the pantry.  When Devon chivalrously opens the door to give them access, they'll go for the harmless Gerber cereal and not a jar of jam.  Carrie pulls out a box of rice and tries to cram a corner into her mouth.

"Fees notch poster eschewing bat!" I hear.

"That's right, Devon.  She's not supposed to be chewing on that."

Devon's vocabulary is growing, more on the strength of him repeating sentences he recognizes as opposed to learning new words.

I've been taking lots of bad pictures this week, like this truly hideous one of Melina's head.  I think it's a combination of a short attention span, poor natural light in the middle of the house where most of the action takes place, and very quickly moving subjects of my photos.  My morning face studying the touchscreen...

Carrie and Melina in the exersaucers...

My foot....

The inside of my pocket...

This frightening series of my kids playing in the pen....

...perfectly safe and content but not appearing to be either one.

Okay.  I'd better go break that one up.

 Last night Craig got home from work, said hello to us, and

CRASH!

"Streets nostril coastery shoo-in gnat!" said Devon.

Melina wasn't chewing on anything, she was standing in the laundry room in a puddle of water and broken glass.

Even if Ally kitty's heavy glass water dish is out of reach, it's apparently not too hard to use the plastic place mat to lasso it and bring it closer.  Since they (rather less spectacularly) broke the ceramic food dish a few weeks ago, I get to buy a new set.  I'm thinking stainless steel this time.

We're having a week where it's hard to get through a day without breaking yet another dish.  I marvel constantly at the enormous reaching radius I need for safety around the twins.  I jump up to get the door, a new spoon, or a napkin, hear a noise behind me, and turn around to discover that two feet away wasn't really far enough.

The girls have also given up on wearing their bibs.  Usually I get through a bite or two before Melina reaches over and pulls off Carrie's bib.  Carrie fusses and grabs the bib away from Melina.  Melina grabs it back, so Carrie grabs Melina's bib so she can have one to put in her mouth.

"Please notch sop oyster bedewing fondant" says Devon from his Big Boy Booster.

Yes, Mr. Malaprop.  They're not supposed to be chewing on them.

Sometimes if things are getting too intense I have to improvise a quick snack for Devon to occupy himself.  This one was whole wheat toast and Nutella.  If you're thinking this is not a healthy snack for a growing boy, don't worry.  As you can see, he managed to eat all the toast and spread all the cocoa-hazelnut spread on his face.

I gave him a napkin to wipe up and it stuck to his hand.  He flapped and giggled wildly, waving what might as well have been my white flag of surrender.

That's how we ended up at Sam's Club at 7 last night, picking out a watermelon and strawberries and other things that Devon likes to eat with a fork.  We're going with it because a large plate of meticulously cubed food is the only thing that will occupy him for a peaceful twenty minutes.

I guess that's what I do all day.  Here's Melina borrowing a page from Devon's playbook: shaking her skinny thing until her pants shimmy down, and then stepping nonchalantly out of them and shaking it some more.

Work it, girl!