Morsels

Every night as I tuck him in bed, DS wraps one arm around my neck and tells me it was a wonderful day.

The other day, he actually said we were having a wonderful day right smack dab in the middle of a terrific morning.

He also especially likes to rub cheeks together throughout the day when we hug.

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During bath time, DS kept asking me to put my hands together. He'd then pour water in my hands. "Thank you." And after swirling around the water with his own hands, he'd instruct me to "pour it in the water." And we'd start all over again. Soon I was singing, "I've got the whole bathtub in my hands . . . "

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DD has located the panda bears DP bought months ago at the San Diego Zoo. She carries them around all the time and plays with them. They are mommy and mama panda. By the way, she still doesn't have two mommies, but a mommy and a mama.

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DS has a new habit: he walks around with his palms pressed together, much like the yogic Namaste stance. It's very meditative of him.

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On Sunday at church, DD actually kissed her nursery caretaker--of whom she was once afraid--goodbye and chanted, "I like Miss T" all the way down the hallway.

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DS likes to help me with my exercises. He lies down on the floor with me and either raises his legs straight over his head or does a back bend. Of course, those aren't exercises I can do.

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Both DD and DS love making forts in the couch. Or, well, playing in them. They can't quite manipulate the heavy couch pillows and so need my help. Their favorite design has both a little house with a window and a yard.

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Play in our house has become incredibly independent and imaginative. They can go for almost half an hour without interrpution (or for the most part intervention). Yesterday, they built a train track to fly (I know, mixing modes of transportation) to Gommie and Pop's. A few days before, they had constructed a boat to sail in with the same bricks. In the bathtub by herself when DS fell asleep at 5:15 the other night, DD played "ocean family" with a turtle, a whale, and a dolphin, with various creatures hiding and seeking. They both still like to "bake" in the tub.

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Harking back to a time when they could barely reach the sink when they were standing on chairs, their favorite art activity right now is actually cleaning the brushes after painting. Water gets everywhere. Soap too. My kitchen--sink, counters, floor, chairs--has never been so clean.

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DS's favorite book right now is Animal Orchestra, a Golden Book about animals who play music. He likes to point to the creatures and name them and their instrument. Yesterday, his babysitter and I helped him mime playing the instruments. Violin and trombone were his favorites.

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DD has a strict, if incomprehensible, hierarchy of stuffed critters. Certain ones (Ernie, Elmo, Wolf, Dragon) must sleep with her. Some of these (Wolf and Dragon, for sure) must stay in bed after she goes down for the day. Some (Ernie, Elmo, Red-eyd tree frog, Polar Bear) can come down. Others (Amy and her three bunny sisters, which were mine and are named after the four Little Women) downstairs must never go upstairs to the bedroom. Shirt transcends all.

We get it wrong daily.
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Favorite song: it's a toss up between Hokey Pokey and (I can't get a consensus on how this is spelled) Luby Loo/Loopy Lou/Loop de Lou/Looby Loo. Both involve much shaking of body parts and turning around. Ring-around-the-Rosie and If You're Happy and You Know it are close seconds. BINGO comes up third.