Heard

While trying to roll clay into a ball, Adeline stopped to announced. . .

I can't do that until I'm 55.

Savannah:  You mean 5 right?

Adeline: No 55!

She managed to roll one ball (with help) and turn it into a Baby Einstein caterpillar head.  The body will be rolled in about 50 more years.

Five minutes later while Savannah is continuing to impress us with her ability to make a rainbow out of the primary colors of clay, I hear, "Oh, Nannah, that is a wonderful color.  Good job."  (she sounded so grown up and motherly). 

Here are Savannah's creations.  A palette with paint brushes dipped and ready to go and a rainbow.

While playing with Lila. . .

A:  Lila you be the teacher and I'll be the children.

L:  Okay

A:  Lila, you got to teach me something.  Lila, teach me!

So Sweet

Savannah placed this on Alex's monitor yesterday after studying a table/check list he was working on.  Here is her check list/table.  Can I freeze her in time because this kind of thing is priceless?  ("tun" is supposed to be "ton")

Chick-fil-A and Painted Plate

Last Thursday, the twins had their first date!  They went to Chick-fil-A with Daddy.  The fast food chain was set up for a father-daughter date night, complete with hostess, waitress and cow dressed like a princess.  The girls were very excited to hear that it was a double date. . . with Charlotte of course.

Although I was not there, it sounded like a big success.  The service was good and apparently the chicken nuggets and ice cream were a success too.  There was a photo booth where the girls' pictures were taken with their daddy (see above).  To top it off, they were given a special flower before leaving.  I know this because when they arrived home, they came yelling up the stairs, "We have a surprise for you Mommy!"  Behind their backs hiding was a pretty, red carnation.  The girls thought they were doing something very special for me and were beaming with pride.  They are so sweet.

What a night and all for the price of $12.00.  Thank you Daddy and Chick-fil-a.

While the little girls were on their date with Daddy, I thought I would take Savannah somewhere special.  I figured a fast food restaurant pretending to be a fancy eatery was more fun the four year olds.  Savannah chose to go to The Painted Plate.  She is so careful and does a great job.  I can't wait to see how the plate turns out.  I love spending one on one time with her.  She is such a joy!

One for Apple Juice, One for Milk

Lila and Adeline LOVE to talk about when they were TINY babies.  They like to talk about how the doctors had to take care of them and how they pooped in their diapers.  Just recently, I was showering with Lila when she mentioned, "Babies drink out of those."  Yes, you can imagine what she was referring too.  "Not tiny babies because they are too sick," my once tiny baby, now four year old tells me.  Lila then goes on to tell me, "One is for apple juice and one is for milk."

Coloring Finally Improves

All of the sudden, both little girls are starting to pay attention to lines, colors and completion.  For so long, the crayon has slipped out of Adeline's immature and weak grasp.  Now that she has a stronger grasp, she can give her attention to the actual picture.  Lila, for months, has colored (I think scribbled although she fights me on it) every picture in rainbow fashion.  She solidly covers the picture with a variety of colors paying no attention to lines or appropriate colors.  Why does she do this?  Well, Miss Adeline loves rainbows and Lila colors every picture in rainbow fashion and then gives them to her.  This was sweet the first five times, after seeing 30 plus scribbled pictures, I am tired of rainbow coloring.  Needless to say, after sitting down and coloring Valentine pictures together during one of our many snow days, I was overjoyed.

Coloring in the lines 75% of the time (for Lila at least) - check

Using appropriate colors or colors that we chose instead of just grab without looking - check

Coloring the entire picture (mainly a milestone for Adeline) - check


Double click for a close up.

All three girls colored the same picture.  No longer such a difference!

Expressive Language Delay

Lila is still struggling with her expressive language.  Oddly enough, Adeline out performs her in this area according to my informal assessments.  While this continues to weigh on my brain, I am reassured by the emphasis on receptive language in children this age.  It is always better for expressive language to lag behind receptive language instead of the other way around.  Knowing that Miss Grace understands and has the cognition of an average 4 year old is reassuring.  However, the expressive language delay continues to drag her down.  Lila talks in circles because she can't quite get to the point.  Being her mother helps when it comes to these conversation because I usually catch on faster than most and can guide her speech while helping her express her thoughts.  It is hard to watch her struggle when it is so obvious the words are in her head but can't make it to the tip of her tongue. 

Here is a classic example.

Lila took her preschool's Friendship Bear home for the weekend.  The children are supposed to let the bear travel with them, take a few pictures, and then come back and share the events with their classmates.  Lila decided to take Friendship Bear sledding.  She zipped him in her jacket and down the hill they went.  We took pictures and come Monday, Lila was ready to share with her peers.  I took a moment to ask her about what she was going to share.  Lila had this to say. . .

L:  I'm going to tell them that I took Friendship Bear in the. . . in the. . . in the snowy day. (she was trying to say sledding.)

Me:  What did you do in the snowy day?

L:  He was in my jacket in the snowy day because he not get snow on him.

Me:  Do you mean that you took Friendship Bear sledding?

L:  Yes, I took him sledding in my jacket.

Something as common as sledding, and believe me there has been a lot of it, was beyond Lila.  She paused, thought about it and could only come up with snowy day.  She wanted to say sledding but just couldn't get there.  Once I said the word sledding, she was all over it.  The conversation continued well beyond what I dictated above.  It was like giving her the word sledding lit a fire under her.  I wish my girl could say what was on her mind.  It must be so frustrating for her.  What four year old struggles when retelling a story about when they went sledding?  Not many!

Prematurity coming back to bite us once again. . .

Gas

Setting - Lila is sitting on the toilet and Adeline is in the living room playing Geo Trax.

L:  Adeline, did you hear that?  Did you hear something?

A:  What?

L:  Adeline, did you hear my gas?

A:  Oh yes Lila, I heard your gas.

L:  Adeline, you sit on the stool while I go poop?

A:  I don't know Lila.

L:  Adeline, you sit with me while I go poop?

A:  Oh, okay Lila.  (runs into the bathroom and sits on the stool with her back to her sister.)

L:  Adeline, you sit this way (motions for her to turn around).

A:  (turns around)

L:  Adeline do you want me to play Geo with you after I go poop?

A:  Oh yes Lila.  Just a minute Lila.  (runs out of the bathroom to me and asks. . .)  Mommy, can we play Geo after Lila is done pooping?

Even though it was nap time, I didn't have the heart to say no.