It's a twin thing

Until only a few months ago, my girls were just not that into each other. Yeah, sure, there was the occasional hug, but mostly they seemed to be either neutral or pissed off about the other one. I felt sad about their lack of that twin thing... the special bond that I've heard others talk about.

Some other mums told me that their twins did not have that bond until they were 2 or later. Something to do with being able to actually play together - throwing the ball back and forth, not just whacking each other or tossing it into the undergrowth.

Well these days, my girls are well and truly bonded. They play together constantly, even when there are other delightful kids to be with. They embellish each other's storytelling, and they feed each other treats. Sure, they also clock each other on the skull with sharp heavy things, but not so often.

Last weekend we camped at the Prom with some friends, in a tent-site-shaped dustbowl. There was quite a lot of grass, but of course three 3-year-olds would far rather sit in sandy dust.

Here is Hazel giving Ivy a massage. She's tenderly sifting dust into Ivy's hair and clothes.

I think I can release my fear that they will not love each other.

Puppy and Digger

Hazel has two imaginary friends! This is so cool!

    

They are dogs, named Digger and Puppy. I asked Hazel to draw them for me, and she zipped away and made these pictures.

They are grey, with pink fur. They each have a pink tail, and grey legs. Trudi wandered in and mentioned that the dogs have no ears, so Hazel added pink ears. I took the pictures away to photograph them, but Hazel took them back before I could. She added the brown stuff - a bobble at the end of each tail, and also a "medicine tube" for Puppy.

I think the medicine tube is because Ivy and Hazel came with me to buy flea treatment for the cats today. The flea "medicine" comes in a little tube, similar to a toothpaste tube. So Puppy gets one too.

I'm pretty excited by these pictures. These beings look quite like dogs, to me!

A spider with two babies, by Hazel

 

The spider is brown, and it has a black baby on its middle. I think the second baby might be the black blodge at the end of one of the brown legs.

The mummy spider has spinnerets at the bottom, and each spinneret has a big shoe on it. The mummy spider also has a bunch of black eyes.

Oh hang on, I think the second baby is actually brown, just below the black baby. No idea what the orbiting black things are.

Thanks to Trudi for sending Hazel's picture from the iPad to my email address while I am supposed to be working.

Ivy has a balloon in her bed

And I can't believe it!

For about two years, until a couple of months ago, Ivy had a terror of balloons. At the sight of a balloon skidding around in the next room, she would shriek and stiffen, then scream until the balloon was dealt with.

When people found out about her fear, they would ask her if she was scared because balloons can pop. After being asked this many times, Ivy started to say that she was indeed scared because they can pop. I don't think that was the cause of her fear though. She had a time of being scared of lots of similar things - balloons, those round bouncy balls with handles that you sit and bounce on, and (wait for it) my breasts. All are round bouncy (or floppy) things. She also cannot stand jelly, cooked egg, or any other bouncy wobbly food. So I hypothesise that wobbly bouncy things freak her out.

So.

About a year ago we showed up to our Monday playgroup, to be confronted by about fifty balloons that were left over from a weekend event. They scudded and twirled when I opened the door. Ivy shuddered and went into overload. Eyes rolled back, screaming, climbing up me with talons extended.

My Mum was with us that day, and she found a big rubbish bag and ran around collecting the balloons. Ivy guttered and flamed over the horror, clinging to my head, while Hazel tootled around happily. Once she had all of the balloons safely hidden, Mum disappeared for a while, then came back to mutter something dire out of the corner of her mouth. Later, she told me that she'd found a blunt steak-knife (every playgroup kitchen has these) and stabbed each one to death in the backyard. No balloon onslaught was going to make her granddaughter have a bad day!

Our friends have been very understanding, and we have attended a few balloon-free birthday parties.

Hazel has occasionally been permitted to have a balloon in the house, but it was to be played with in one room only, and only when Ivy was at the other end of the house.

What changed? I have no idea. Ivy's fear of balloons loosened up. She enjoyed a balloon when we were out somewhere - I forget where.

I found a packet of unused balloons that I had bought over a year ago, when I had thought that having balloons around might help her get through her fear. a couple of weeks ago, Ivy and Hazel asked us to blow up more and more balloons. I want a red one. I want a blue one. Orange one please. I neeeed another blue one. I need blue ones because I am a boy (that's the stuff of another post).

Our house now has a small platoon of skittering, shrinking balloons. It feels special to be so normal!

A week ago, Hazel took a balloon to bed with her. And why not! Who among us would not like to have a rubbery-smelling, bouncy, squeaky, round person in their bed?

Tonight, Ivy chose a balloon to take to bed. She found it a warm spot under the doona, and snuggled in for the night. I think she is not scared of balloons any more.

Names

Hazel has been Harry the Dog (sometimes Harry the Puppy) for a few months now. Ivy was Minke the Kitten in retaliation.

Last week Hazel changed into Harry the Car.

Ivy shyly told me that she is a fluffy white bear. Today she is a fluffy pink bunny (with no particular name).

Clothes train

Now that Ivy and Hazel are 3, Trudi and I want them to learn how to get themselves dressed. Each girl can put on her own undies and pants, and they are getting a lot better at T-shirts.

To help them move to the next stage, I've invented the Clothes Train.

To make a Clothes Train, I lay out all of the clothes for one kid, in a row on the floor. Each item is laid out in the right orientation, so that the kid simply picks it up and puts it on. At the start is a pair of undies, then pants. Then comes the shirt, and a dress if that's on the agenda.

For the last few days I've set out two parallel Clothes Trains on the lounge room floor, and got them both started at the right end. that was enough - they both managed to get to the end with all of their clothes on. All I had to do was make choo-choo noises.

When I started writing this blog (waaay back when I was 18 weeks pregnant), I had intended it to be a record for myself. This post is a just what I thought I'd be writing about. Really boring content, but the sort of thing that I won't remember in a year or three.

Toast

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