3 x 1-year olds = fun, fun, fun

Yesterday, my dad took a semi-deflated beach ball, placed a pretend sunny-side up egg (made of cotton material) on the beachball, and then launched the little egg skyward by slapping the beachball on either side with his two hands. It puts a catapult to shame. It was funnnn. What can I say, we're simple folk.

Today, Ada went to get the beachball where we had packed it away, then she looked for the egg in the toy bin. I could tell she was on a mission! Before I could draw everyone's attention to what she was doing, she figured it out and launched the little egg that it flew to the other side of the playroom. I couldn't believe that she could remember how to put these random things together, and that she knew to hit the ball with both hands to make the egg fly. Then, she repeated the game over and over again. Even with a tiny stuffed animal. She laughed and paused in anticipation every time before the launch! I was so thrilled when she kept doing it, because I'm sure nobody in our household would've believed it.

Julia decided to start walking today. She's finally walking everywhere, turning to change direction and continues walking. She still "runs" into my arms when I'm close, but when I keep my distance, she walks on her own. Julia and Emma like to walk and drink milk simultaneously. It's quite the sight to see them walking together. I can imagine the 3 of them sipping chai tea as they take a stroll when they're teens. Emma's now bending and crouching to pick stuff up with such ease and walking less stiffly. She walks over uneven surfaces like it's nothing. Julia walks wide-legged, precariously balanced, and with some uncertainty still, but she's getting there - and fast.

Ada set a new longdistance crawling record tonight by crawling from the play area, down the hall, to the diaper changing table. She is becoming more feisty by the day and gets VERY upset when things don't go her way.

Today, Emma said "row row" and "pappa" and "daar" (it means "there") when I asked her to point to a particular animal in a book. She whispers words and repeats sounds softly, like she's testing the water first before she'll commit.

Julia likes to learn a new sound and then say the same thing for days. At first, she could have a full conversation with you by using "du-du" with different intonations. (It means to sleep.) As of yesterday, she's saying "me me me." Yes, my dear, it's all about you, LOL. I actually think she's trying to say, "moo" and "miau" which are two animal sounds I've been saying over and over. When I asked her what sound the cow made, she said, "mee-ai" The imaginary cow has a bit of an identity crisis, but at least she's responding to my question with a vocalization! I'll take it.

Ada's been saying "kop kop kop" which means "head." Sometimes it sounds like "kap" which means to "hit." I think she's just trying out sounds.

When I ask Julia about the sound a pig makes, she'll snort like a piggie and crinkle her nose. Oink oink is not in her vocabulary, she imitates the real thing. Too funny.

Tonight, Ada took the "slinky pop toob" and played it like an Australian didgeridoo. She blew raspberries into it to listen to the sound come out on the other end, just like we've been playing. They love playing with the slinky pop toob - it's the best $1 I've ever spent on a toy.

Oh, and Emma hasn't stopped bopping to music since our friends' music appreciation visit. Emma did the cutest darn hip swaying jiggle when I asked her to "dance." She's going to rock a dance floor someday - this girl has some serious moves.

This age is so delightful. The girls are incredibly fun now, and I love that they can ask me to play a game. Julia walked up to me tonight, went and sat down, facing me, and started pulling on my hands to play “row row row your boat.” She even said something resembling "row" for the first time.

This past year has been rough in so many ways, but I feel like we've finally arrived to a place where it seems not only manageable, but utterly joyful. I know we have hard days ahead with tantrums times three, but for now, in this moment, things are good.