Twinnies turning into people.

The twins are 19 months now, and their personalities are becoming clearer by the day. For example, I took them to get professional haircuts, and Sam was afraid the whole time. He's terrified of finger painting, colored bath soap, and now haircuts. 

August, however, sat in the chair like she was in a salon on Rodeo Drive, and talked her cell phone the whole time while simultaneously brushing her hair... you know, to help the stylist while she cut.

Both babies continue to adore their big sister and emulate her in all kinds of ways. If you go and wake up Sam in the morning, the first word out of his mouth is "Claire." I took August grocery shopping the other day, and upon our return to the car, I buckled her into her seat, and she immediately started looking around for "Claire Bear."

Sam is gaining an awareness of the camera, and has invented a new smile.

August, on the other hand, was born ready for the camera, and has myriad faces to choose from.

Their vocabularies are growing, but Sam's remains rooted in a few very important phrases:

"All done" (for everything, including time-outs, eating and sitting still)
"lo lo lo lo lo lo lo" (don't know what that one is)
"O-Day, O-Day, O-Day" (thinking this one might be "okay" but then he'll use it in a new way and we're stumped again.

August is a complete chatterbox, and will say nearly anything you ask her to. She says all the parts of the face but they all begin with some form of  "zee." For example:

Hair = "Zee hayir"
Nose = "Ze noe"
Mouth = "Ze mowww"
Eyes =  "Zuh eye"

She is still obsessed with cats, and loves "mows" of all kinds. She has to sleep with at least one at every nap and bedtime.

August isn't the only "crazy girl" in our house. 

In Claire's opinion, August is a "crazy girl" and Sam is "trouble." That is definitely true - the twins have started ganging up in their efforts to make messes. Matt and I found them on top of the kitchen table the other day, carefully removing the keys on my computer, one by one, with their tiny, sharp little nails. I didn't even know that was a thing... real nice.

Sam is still shy and gentle, but has a temper. August is as outgoing as you can possibly get and very dramatic.  The twins have started getting time-outs, and depending which twin is incarcerated, the situation is very different. Poor Sam gets more time-outs. When Sam is on time-out, August revels in his punishment, and strokes my arm and puts her head on my shoulder.  August just got her first time-out recently, and Sam came around the corner, instantly realizing that the tables had turned, and smiled as big as the Cheshire Cat. He waddled over on his short little legs, and shook his finger at her "No, no, no, no, no!!!!" Then immediately proceeded to take her hand and say "All done," and whisk her away from imprisonment. 

Both babies love to "coy-or" and August will sit for almost an hour scribbling away. Sam will do it for a little while, but then wants to rip paper and break crayons. 

Sam is still a bit of an old man, he loves an early bedtime, and gets fussy if he doesn't get enough sleep. He's the first one awake in the entire house, too. August would stay up and party all night and likes to sleep in. She's the last one awake in the house.

I am still grateful and amazed on a daily basis at the maturity these twins bring out in Claire. She hasn't let them rock her boat, and is always happy to help me with them. She has taken to dressing them every single day (some interesting outfit choices, but whatever...) and she knows just what they need when they are upset. She's quick to comfort them...She and I are the closest we have ever been. She's my partner in crime wrangling these little people, and we share so much laughter. I am grateful every single day that I have the luxury of being home with these crazy little people.