Bath Night

The world according to Ryan and Lucie revolves around whether or not they'll have a bath that night. We've never been ambitious enough to get baths going every night, and instead have settled for an every other night schedule, or every three nights when we're feeling really wiped out. Since they know there's a schedule, Ryan, and sometimes Lucie, will often turn to us randomly during the day and ask, "Mommy, iz it baff nite?" He likes to know what to expect.

"Baff nite" and non-bath night both have special treats that accompany them. On bath nights, the bath, of course, is a big treat. They love bath time and happily splash around, practicing their back float and covering every inch of bathroom floor space with water. It's a well-loved ritual. But the extra special part about bath night is that they get to use a different kind of toothpaste (actually a flouride rinse) instead of the usual night of brushing. They're something about dipping their toothbrushes in this rinse that gives them such glee. They love it so much, that bath night has now been renamed "dippers night", or "dippas night!" in Ryan speak.

Lately the treat on non-bath nights has been Daddy's puppet show. It started out as a regular puppet show, but once one tossed puppet got accidently stuck on the ceiling fan, it's now become a game of throwing puppets on the fan and sending up puppet friends to rescue their buddies. This game is talked about all day long -- R & L adore it. They love to get right in on the action, laughing hysterically as Ryan the Rhino or Cherie the Cheetah get stuck once again on that fan. Watching these two giggle so intensely is the most incredible thing. I soon start laughing uncontrollably, and am amazed by the pleasure a handful of puppets can bring.

Though bath night and non-bath night are loved, the true favorite in our house is the night when a bath happens during the day (most often due to an art project gone head-to-toe). On these days, they get all the benefits of both nights -- "dippas" and puppet show. Oh, how exciting life the life of a three year old can be!

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Year 3 Stats

Medical science confirmed what Megan and I have known for a month — Lucie and Ryan are growing, thriving 3 year olds. For the uninitiated, watermelon skewers are a new favorite in our house.

The move to the new house meant finding another pediatrician. Fortunately, we got several positive recommendations for the clinic down the street. As parents of preemies, we're not new to doctor's visits, but we still made the cardinal sin of scheduling a wellness visit on a Monday afternoon. After a lengthy wait, we made it through the appointment with flying colors. And picking a prize from the toy chest was enough to win over L & R despite their first shot in over a year.

	Height (Percentile)	Weight (Percentile)
Lucie	38 inches (75th)	29.5 lbs (25th)
Ryan	38.5 inches (75th)	31.5 lbs (50th)

Then and Now

It's no surprise that we have an encore appearance of the fireman and ballerina this Halloween. Ryan and Lucie found their callings, and they're not parting with them, no matter how many wizard, kitten, cowboy or hula dancer costumes come their way. Although Lucie did surprise us when she chose to wear her veterinarian jacket to a neighbor's costume party last weekend. We'll see what happens on Halloween night.

At our twins club fall party, we happened to come home with a few photos that were almost identical to shots we took last year. It's fun to see how far Ryan the Fireman and Lucie the Ballerina have come.

Ryan's costume fits him perfectly this year, with no need to roll up sleeves or pant legs like last year. Judging by the fabric on the knee patches, this costume has had its fair share of trips through the washing machine. The original black helmet is long gone, left at a park last winter and never seen again. It its place is a much loved helmet given to Ryan from Uncle Greg and Jessica last Christmas. This fireman suit has to be the best $15 ever spent on Ryan.

Due to over-wear, Lucie's costume from last year (pictured in the train photo before it got dirty at lunch) didn't make it. However, her newest tutu is getting just as much love and attention in its place.

Happy Halloween!

"It be Fun!"

Lucie and Ryan started their first drop-off class a few weeks ago. I think -- no, I take that back -- I know I was more nervous than they were. When I started prepping them weeks before, I didn't know what to expect. Would they like the idea? How many tears would I see on the first day? There was no need to worry. They were so excited. As if to reassure me, Ryan said, "Mommy, you going to drop us off, go home, then come back in ONE hour -- okay? It be fun!"

He's right. It's very fun. Once I saw how easily they said good-bye to me on the first day, I knew they'd be fine. They spent an hour and fifteen minutes doing art projects and acting out stories with a teacher they adore while I had some free time. Glorious! I guess the butterflies in my stomach were not necessary.

Since then, they look forward to their class every week. When I pick them up, they each have three or four art projects waiting for me, as well as stories about the songs they sang or books they read. Originally, there were two boys in the class and four girls. But, it seems the boy has had a tougher time being away from his mom. So, now there are four girls and Ryan. Ryan doesn't mind. When they had a choice of making key chains or bracelets last week, he was thrilled to have all the key chain supplies to himself.

I'm so proud of Ryan and Lucie for jumping right into the class so effortlessly. I wonder if it's easier because they have each other, or if they're both simply just ready for this level of independence. Either way, we all embrace it.

Three Moms + Six Kids = Homeschool Preschool

With our recent move and the outrageous cost of preschool tuition for two, we decided to hold off on a formal preschool program this fall, and instead find other opportunities for Ryan and Lucie to be around other kids. Our weeks now tend to be a mixture of free time, and short, structured activities like tumbling and art classes. The most exciting new addition to our schedule has been a morning we call "Homeschool Preschool".

Two fabulous and creative women in our twins playgroup came up with the idea of getting together once a week for a preschool program organized by the moms. I was thrilled to be included. Not only is it tons of fun to plan and run, but it's a great way for Ryan and Lucie to interact more closely with other kids their age and receive direction from someone other than their mother. And, best of all, the two moms I'm working with are incredibly talented at engaging the kids. I often feel like we are a part of a professional program with the energy and enthusiasm they bring to the morning.

Each week we have a theme, letter of the week, and circle time. We mix in breaks for free play and snack, as well as other structured activities like songs, stories, crafts, and movement. Some of Ryan and Lucie's favorite activities so far have included making a spiderweb, parachute games, decorating the outline of their body, and two recurring favorites, snack and "sitting on towels" (mats used for circle time).

As we're entering into our sixth week of this program, I can tell my kids are enjoying it. They talk about "Miss Elayne", "Miss Jessica", and their fellow preschoolers throughout the week. When we met our playgroup at the park last week, they excitedly pointed out their preschool buddies, and talked Jessica's ear off about all their latest happenings. This is unusual for them, as they tended to be more reserved and shy during our playgroups over the past two years. It's great to watch the transformation.

(This last photo cracks me up. For some funny reason, every time we have the kids sit at the table, the boys sit on one side and the girls sit on the other. We've never asked them to do that, it just happens that way, over and over again.)