Little Readers

I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but somewhere in the last couple of weeks Emma has discovered that books aren't just for gnawing on anymore.

Instead, if you take that same board book over to mom or dad, they'll make those mouth noises that can be so much fun. Sometimes there's barking, or singing or rhyming words. You never know! Each time you grab another book and drop it on the head or lap of the correct parent, words come out! Often times, there are snuggles, unless you feel the need to go grab another book mid-reading. Or poke your brother. A girl's gotta have priorities.

Does anyone else have a hard time not being allowed to finish a book? I find that my reading suddenly speeds up and I will attempt to finish the book from memory if the book is snatched away.

Babies! No respect for plot development!

Eric pointed out one difference between the twins: Emma will bring you book after book to read to her, while Logan will pick up a book and flip through the pages. OK, so sometimes the book will be upside-down, but he's "reading" to himself, while Emma has others read to her. Caitlin was exactly like Emma, actually. She loved to be read to and she was never happier than when she was curled up in your lap, her two middle fingers stuck in her mouth, listening as you read Goodnight Moon* or Pajama Time! or Hippos Go Berserk to her One. More. Time.

It's amazing just how fast all of the words come back to you, too. Now that we're reading them to the twins, on fast forward and constant repeat, I'm amazed that there's room in my brain for anything other than children's books. Good thing I like Sandra Boynton so much.

Oh, another cool change is the sign language. Emma is on top of the sign for "more". She's not specific yet as to what she'd like more of, but we figure it out through the process of elimination. If the grunting, screaming and "more"-ing stops, we've found the right thing. Logan has learned the sign for "eat". Somehow, this wasn't a surprise that he would pick up on that sign first. The both sort of occasionally will sign for milk, but are just as happy to grab my shirt and try to disrobe me.

No patience. No subtlety.

Emma is crawling up stairs like a champ now, while Logan sits at the bottom step and squeals at her. He's just not interested in even trying. Lazy!

Both babies love having baths in the big tub together. Now they can splash at one another, squeal and flail around with no waiting! Their biggest complaint about being washed in the kitchen sink was that one of them always had to wait while the other was having all of the fun. Now, they both go in at the same time but they go out separately. After I've washed them and let them play, whomever is ready to get out first gets handed off to daddy for the drying/lotion/diaper/PJ cycle. Then there's the running around their room in footed PJs, squealing, and flinging books at our heads for reading.

Then, finally, sleep. Whew!



* Ever notice how almost all children's books end with a plea to go to sleep? We're trying to raise a nation of narcoleptic readers, aren't we?!