How Can it Be?

I love these babies. Their curls melt my heart. Their cheeks and curls bounce when they run on their tippie toes. They love to hug each other, hold hands, and sing songs together. They love to sit in my lap and play with my hair. They love their big sisters and they squeal and run to the door when Daddy comes home. They eat all day long and have no idea how to tell if they are full. They are precious and I adore them.

Then how is it that they are also the naughtiest little girls I have ever raised? They are seriously taking me for a ride. Let me describe a typical day:

Up at 6:30, they climb out of their crib and come into my room. Breakfast usually consists of a couple bowls of cereal and at least ten attempts each to get out of the high chair. They can wiggle out of a five point harness and sit or stand on the tray of their high chairs in about 5 seconds flat. While I clean up breakfast they get into the fridge and take bites of whatever produce we have in the drawer. I have tried three different fridge locks and they can muscle through all of them.

After telling them no about 100 times, we move on to getting ready. Everything is a wrestling match- changing diapers, getting into the car seat, getting dressed, doing their hair. Nothing is done willingly by these two. So after I wrestle a diaper change and clothes on, I try to do their hair. I will start with Annie while Aubrey empties all the drawers in my bathroom. I manage to get a rubberband in Annie's hair and then start with Aub. Instead of playing with everything that Aubrey already threw on the floor, Annie pulls out all of the towels onto the floor. Happy that they are both dressed and ready, we go out to the family room. On the way Annie decides to take the outlet cover off and try to stick whatever she has in her hand in the outlet. Aub puts the outlet cover in her mouth and runs to try and do the same thing to another outlet. I get the cover out of her mouth, try to teach them no and keep making our way to the family room.


One of the big kids is hungry- so the twins are hungry too. While I am making food for the big kids, both twins hang on my legs and cry until I get them something else to eat. They shove the whole thing in their mouth and start over with the hanging and crying. Now everyone is fed and so I decide to try to do the dishes. Both babies stand on the dishwasher and pull out anything they can get their hands on. I try to direct their attention to putting away spoons, but they already have half of the dishwasher unloaded and thrown on the floor. I decide the dishes can wait. I put on a movie. All the kids are watching. The babies turn off the tv. Everyone is mad. I get the tv back on, the babies turn off the dvd player. Now everyone is really mad because we have to start the movie over or wait for the menu to reload. We work that out and I get the babes to sit still by giving them something to eat. I decide to sweep the floor because I keep stepping on food. The babes can hear that I am doing something. They come to help. Someone steps in my pile. While I am cleaning her foot off, the other one gets a snack out of the pile. I am totally disgusted and exhausted. It is about 8:30 AM. I get the floor swept and go upstairs to get clothes for the other kids.

When I come down the fridge is open and half of its contents are on my freshly swept floor. The bookshelf is empty and the babies are nowhere to be found. I go find them and show them their mess. They laugh. I tell them no and make them help me clean it up. I take the clothes into the big kids and Annie is back to the bookshelf. I tell her no again or she will sit in time out. She squats so she is ready to run and then she takes another book off the shelf and takes off. I chase her and put her in time out. She folds her arms and smiles at me. Aub comes to see her. I tell Aub that Annie is in trouble because she touched the books. Aub eyes the bookshelf. I tell her no. I beg her not to go. She runs to the shelf, takes a book off and then comes to join Annie in time out all on her own. We get through it and move on.

It is lunch time. I feed the babes, (redo the high chair climbing saga) and check the clock. It is naptime. I ask the babies if they want a binky. They drop everything and RUN to their room. It is the only thing that is constant. They will always stop for a binky. I have been thinking that the little toddlers really shouldn't have a bink anymore, but I have decided that it is my only defense and I am keeping it until I gain some control around here. So the babes are in bed for about 2 hours and it is bliss. The big kids are as quiet as can be for two hours. We all love them dearly, but naptime is sacred around here.


So, the day goes on. They dump out cereal boxes, take their diapers off over and over, poop on the floor, empty the spice drawer, take all of the shoes out of the shoe bucket, push a million buttons on the computer so that it has to be rebooted, eat a few crayons, unfold my folded laundry, climb on the kitchen table, each hang on a leg and scream while I try to make dinner, so I give Annie a sip of gatorade, then when it is Aubrey's turn, Annie is mad, so she smacks the gatorade bottle out of my hand, it goes everywhere, I clean it up, my feet stick to the floor the whole time I am making dinner, etc., etc. This is not an exaggeration. This is a typical day. I had to document it because in a year or so I might not even believe myself.

All of that said, they are my babies and I ADORE them. I love to watch them interact and I love to watch them process all that is going on around them. They are so compassionate with each other and love to be praised for being good. They are generous with their hugs and kisses and smiles and laughs and will sit in my lap ANY time of the day. I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for "surprising" me with these precious girls and giving me the opportunity to raise them. I know that it is a blessing and I am so thankful for it.