In the past week, more than ever Kenzie & Lexi, have become true sidekicks … or should I say partners in crime. As we approach the terrible twos these two seem to be up to new hijinks every day. Just within the past week here are a few examples of the mischief they have been up to.
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Every day when I come home from work the girls accompany me upstairs so that I can change out of my work clothes. Their latest thing is to “work” on the computer in the office/guest bedroom while I am doing this. They sit side by side on the single desk chair and take turns pounding on the keyboard and using the mouse as a phone. Too cute! The other day once I was changed, I tried to encourage them to come back downstairs with me so that I could start dinner. They protested, and so I told them they could stay upstairs for a few minutes as long as they played nicely together. After being downstairs for about 3 minutes I noticed that it was a little too quiet upstairs … a sure sign that they were up to no good. So I went back upstairs and found that in 3 minutes flat they had managed to empty 2 full desk drawers and were happily sitting amidst a pile of greeting cards, paper and office supplies. They also discovered the stack of old Christmas cards which I keep and now one of their favorite activities is sorting through pictures of family and friends.
pants optional at this office :)
The other incident also occurred upstairs. Another favorite activity at the moment is to stand side by side on their potties/which double as step stools as they “wash hands” with “soap.” I took the opportunity of them being happily occupied for a few minutes, to run into the office right across from the bathroom to upload some photos, and the next thing I know I hear water overflowing from the sink. How can this be?! They aren’t tall enough to reach the drain stopper and the sink has drainage holes in the top to avoid overflow? I rush in to see and discover that they have taken toilet paper (aka “towels/nakins”) to dry their hands and have put it in the sink which has clogged both the drain and the drainage holes. They found this hilarious. Thankfully there was no damage beyond what a towel and a plunger could fix.
The girls also rediscovered their play house (which was a 1st birthday gift from Becky and Mac) this week and we have it set up in our living room again. However, instead of playing in it like a house, they like to flip it on its side and use it as a wrestling ring. They literally tackle one another with hugs and tickles and are a pile of giggles when in the ring. Of course this silliness can also lead to tears as one or the other is a little too aggressive. But most of all these sisters love one another fiercely. They are sidekicks and best friends.
Besides getting into mischief, this is what the girls are up to at 22 months:
Lexi’s vocabulary is exploding. It is so fun to sit with her and “read” a book as she will literally sit there and identify almost everything in the pictures… “baby, puppy, moon, star, mommy, daddy, sissie, potty, bread, cake, horse, cow, baa (sheep), truck, choo-choo, cat, flower, carry, up” and on and on. Her vocabulary literally amazes me every day. Lexi loves reading. She will sit and read books for long periods of time. This week she picked up a Nursery Design book off the bookshelf – an adult book that I bought when planning the girls’ nursery. She sat and flipped through it for a good 15 minutes, exclaiming “pretty!” and smelling the “flowers” and kissing the “babies.” This weekend when we met up with Tara, Brooke and Gavin at the bookstore Lexi was so excited to sit with Brooke and have her read books to her.
Kenzie is still slower in vocabulary development but she is starting to say many new words … “more, Sara, carry, potty” are among her favorites. While she is slower to speak she understands everything. The other day the girls were reading a Disney Princess book together which had different buttons that you push to play music. Randall said something like “Kenzie, push Lexi’s buttons,” and Kenzie proceeded to push the actual buttons on Lexi’s cardigan. Too funny! She also loves to run and get her toothbrush and toothpaste in the morning when you tell her to go brush her teeth and climbing up into her chair when you say it is time to eat.
Speaking of eating, Kenzie continues to be our eater. She takes her time and LOVES to eat! She has become a bit more picky and really isn’t much of a breakfast girl, but if you give her something that she likes (beans – black, pinto, refried – are her favorite food of the moment) she can go to town – and a sign of a good meal is that Kenzie is covered in food at the end. She isn’t afraid to wear her food :)
Lexi on the other hand, while also a pretty good eater, is much neater in her approach. She gets very upset when she gets a single spot on her, exclaiming “mess” and asking for a “nakin.”
Kenzie is our little engineer. She loves to figure out how things work and helping daddy with projects. The other day Randall discovered some dollar store squeeze rockets at our house and Kenzie immediately figured out how they worked – while Lexi continued to struggle even after we tried to show her how several times. Kenzie is also really good about cleaning up and will methodically put her toys into a box if you ask her to.
Both Kenzie & Lexi are really into their baby dolls and love changing their diapers, taking them for walks in their strollers, pushing them in their shopping carts, taking off their clothes and feeding them. It is so fun to watch their natural maternal instincts.
Both girls – but especially Lexi – are really into modes of transportation. Lexi loves trains, planes and trucks. This weekend we went to have lunch at Lunken airport to watch the planes take off and the girls loved it. Lexi would yell with excitement every time a plane took off!
They love playing dress-up, especially wearing their fancy high heeled shoes, jewelry and purses. They love music and dancing … they are full of life and energy and a room looks like it has been hit by a tornado when these two have been there for 5 minutes :)
They are starting to learn manners, saying or signing please and thank you at the appropriate times. They can also show empathy and say “sorry” and give hugs without being told to do so when they know that they have done something wrong.
Kenzie is our little clown. She is funny without even trying, and therefore captures lots of attention. She is silly and carefree … and at times this can lead her to be a bit too mischevious and defiant. She will do something even as you are telling her not to and will laugh while doing it (leading to lots of time outs). Lord help us. She has entered the stage of wanted to do everything on her own … she does not want help putting on her jacket, walking down stairs when there is a railing she can hold onto, etc.
Lexi is a bit more serious and cautious. She is our thinker and is so observant. She notices every new detail as she enters a room – new pillows on the couch, a cabinet or door that is open that is usually closed, etc. She adores her sister and when she sees her sister getting attention for doing something funny she copies it. Lexi seeks attention and wants to share everything good that is happening with others…. so I am constantly hearing, “Mommy! Mommy!” as she wants to point something out to me.
As different as they are, they are still best friends and playmates. I love watching them share experiences together. This past Saturday morning as we were heading downstairs for breakfast, Lexi spotted a “nest” on our windowsill outside the window along the staircase. She immediately yelled for her “sissie” as she wanted her to see it as well. They were so excited. Kenzie kept saying “Wooowww!” while Lexi was asking “tweet, tweet, go?” They insisted on eating their breakfast while sitting on the steps together waiting for the bird to return to its nest, jabbering with excitement in their twin language the entire time. (The bird never returned, as it turns out it was a squirrel collecting materials for a nest high up in one of our large oak trees – but they still check for the tweet tweet every time they go up and down the steps.)
At 22 months Kenzie & Lexi wear us out … they are little balls of energy and their whining can be trying at times … but we wouldn’t change a thing. They make us laugh 24/7. Their hugs/“squeezes” make me melt and there is nothing better in the world than the sound of their laughter! I love them beyond words, and my attempt to capture their personalities in writing really doesn’t do them justice. They are pure bliss!
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