2 posts tagged “playing”
It's funny how parents are so often 'easier' on their second (or in my case 2nd & 3rd) kids. When Brianna was growing, we were so careful when it came to her safety and watched every move she made. Now that the twins are easing into toddler-hood, I find that my husband and I are so relaxed in comparison. I'm not saying we don't protect them from harm -- we have covers on the plug outlets, a guard in front of the range to prevent injury from burns, gates in front of the stairs and some doorways, etc....
I've put some of the twins' toys in their room and if the door is open they crawl in there and play -- Brianna was at least 18 mos before I felt she could play in her room on her own. When I'm in the kitchen cleaning, I let the twins crawl around and explore -- not a chance until Brianna was a few months older. One of Brianna's Christmas presents a few years back (she was 18 mos) was the LeapFrog Fridge Farm Magnet Set and she loved playing with it while I was in the kitchen. At that age, I was comfortable with her cruising around while I was in there, and she was happy just to be near me. It was also nice for both of us since Mike used to travel for months at a time for work, and this was a great way to keep her out of my hair for a couple of minutes while I got dinner ready. A couple of years later, we bought her the LeapFrog Word Whammer Fridge Phonics and she loved making words with the letters. She still does, actually.
I digress...
I don't expect as much from the twins as I did Brianna at that age, and I know full well that I am strict with Brianna to this day. I am slow to loosen the apron strings. I find that I am often surprised by what she is capable of when she just takes initiative and does something for herself, or when I reluctantly agree to her requests. I am trying to loosen up. These things take time.
Yes, I am more forgiving of the twins' behaviour, and I am far more relaxed when it comes to when and how they play. I don't know if it's their personalities, or the fact that I am more relaxed, but the twins listen to me and follow my requests better than Brianna does now! Simple things like 'Don't touch', or 'Sit down please' are followed, without having to raise my voice (I usually smile at them and use a cutesy voice, and they smile back -- while they are doing what they are told!). Eureka! Why didn't anyone tell me this stuff actually works when Brianna was a baby??
FYI: It did not take the twins long to discover the two musical and highly entertaining toys -- conveniently located on the lower section of the fridge. Looking for a last minute gift for the kiddies? These two are definitely kid-tested and mother-approved in this house! Can't go wrong with LeapFrog!
Kaitlyn in pink, Ainsley in yellow.
I like to make sure the the twins get plenty of play time on the floor. After all the outdoor fun, Brianna and I enjoyed some time with the twins when they woke up from their nap. Here's a few pics:
Ainsley (left) and Kaitlyn checking each other out. They used to hate being on their tummies, but now they can handle it in small doses. They can both flip over, and are practising the art of lifting their huge craniums!
Not the greatest shot of Kaitlyn, but she did a great job of lifting her head way up!
A great shot of Ainsley's baby blues!
Brianna's starting to love the fact that the twins can interact with her. She can't wait until they can play hide and seek and Candyland with her. Kaitlyn likes to pull her own sucky out and yank on the cord. I don't think she likes it pinned to her shirt.
Brianna and Ainsley holding hands. Way too cute!
Ainsley seemed to be content to just lay on her tummy and stare off into space. I tried to coax a smile out, but no luck.
Here's a great smile from Kaitlyn, though! She's such a ham! She giggles so easily... Ainsley is pretty frugal with the giggles. She smiles a lot, but not many giggles.
So that was our day. We had a lot of fun, but it wasn't the end for Brianna. After dinner, she took Daddy to school for a Parent/Child open house, and showed him some of the activities she does at school. AND.... rather than struggling through the last bottle for the twins between 9 & 10 PM, we decided to give the twins their bath right after Brianna's and put them to bed earlier than usual. They never finish their last bottle, and are often grumpy anyway, so why not just drop it? Thus, the twins were in bed and quiet by 8:30, and Brianna's light went out around 8:45. Later than usual for her, but give us a break.. this was our first attempt at putting all three girls to bed at once (bath and all)!
It's now 11:22 PM and Ainsley has woken up twice to have her sucky put back into her mouth, but no one has cried to be fed. Wahoo! Off to bed for me! G'night.
