The twins at 31 months

Apologies for the late post this month. We have been really busy in the last week or so, visiting the grandparents in Ratley and just being busy with Christmas preparations! But here we are now:

Feeding

No changes in this category at all. The only thing worth mentioning is that we have gone a bit backwards in our mealtime routine in the last few weeks. I can’t remember how or why it started, but lately the twins only want to eat in the living room in front of the telly. I think we started allowing it because one of them wasn’t feeling well or something like that, and it was an easier way to make them eat. Unfortunately, they have now got used to it and will demand moving their plates from the dining table to the living room 🙁 If the telly is not on they are more likely to sit at the table, the problem is they love the telly and it’s an easy solution to keeping them entertained whilst you cook or do other stuff around the house… We certainly need to find a balance between keeping them happy at mealtimes and getting them to sit at the table!

Sleeping

I would say we have pretty much dropped the day time naps now, at least at home. Eric very rarely sleeps at nursery, although Elisa still has a nap from time to time there. Although, like their carer said, they never sleep for more than an hour and a half, so it’s not like they were huge naps to start with.

Sleeping at night has been great this month. And putting them to bed hasn’t been an issue either. We have noticed that Eric naturally wants to be in bed by 8pm. After his milk he asks to go to bed and falls asleep of his own accord after I’ve read a couple of bedtime stories (he still absolutely loves the Pirate Book). Elisa tends to be a bit more playful at bedtime. She doesn’t like getting in her cot straight away, she likes to sit on the floor next to me whilst I read Eric’s stories and she plays with the books, or looking through her dresser’s drawers. When she finally allows us to put her in the cot, she still doesn’t lie back to settle. She likes to play around a bit, but I must admit that we then say goodnight, give her a kiss and she’s good as gold.

We spent a couple of days at the grandparents and they were also great there. They now know their house more and recognise their room, so it’s not like a strange place any more. On Friday night grandma and grandad put them to bed and apparently they were very good. And on the Saturday, Jon and I did it and were also golden. So no issues here.

 

Development.

Elisa’s speech is finally getting much better. Still not as good as Eric’s but she has definitely come on leaps and bounds in the last couple of weeks. I’ll look into posting a video of her talking, although I must say that when she realises that I am recording her, she goes in full diva mode saying “Don’t take a photo mummy!!”. She must think I’m the paparazzi, hahaha…

And the conversations that they have between each other are priceless too. I am glad to say that they have been getting on a tiny bit better these last few weeks. I haven’t noticed them fighting so much (although they still do) and they also are playing together more. Their imagination is developing really well too. They “see” purple minions around the house and run away from them, and their “telephone conversations” with the minions or the girlses are fantastic to hear too.

Have I mentioned that they are both obsessed with the Minions? If it was up to Eric we would watch Despicable me, Despicable me 2 and the Minions film all day everyday… Maybe Santa will bring them some Minion toys to play with!

They are becoming more and more independent. They always want to do things themselves, even things (especially things) that they haven’t mastered yet… So they need to help with pouring the cheerios into the bowl. They need to help making tea. They certainly need to sit on their car seats on their own (and if I dare to sit them myself, they will wriggle themselves down and climb up again on their own). Funnily enough, there are things that they kind of refuse to do themselves, like putting their shoes on. Maybe in the summer, when their shoes are a bit looser, they’ll find it easier…

Dropping offs at nursery have been a bit of a nightmare in the last few weeks, especially if I take them or go with them. They refuse to go into the room, and just cling on to my leg, whilst crying their hearts out. It’s really heart breaking. It’s also annoying because I know for sure that they have an amazing time every day, and when we go to pick them up, it takes us a long time to leave the nursery because they don’t want to go – they want to stay playing with their friends!

 

Socialising.

We’ve had a few social events this past month. Elisa has been fine in all of them, however – and funnily enough – Eric was a bit of a pain in a couple of them. We attended a Christmas craft event at nursery on a Saturday at the beginning of the month, and Elisa had a great time. She had a go at all the craft stalls and didn’t want to leave at the end. Eric was just miserable the whole time, refused to take part in any activities and just asked to go back home the whole time. I don’t think he appreciated being at the nursery on a Saturday…  That same day, in the afternoon, we attended a birthday party of a set of twins friends of ours, and although eventually Eric warmed up, he looked like he was determined to be miserable again and demand to go home… until he saw the bouncy castle!! That changed everything…

We also went to see Santa in a grotto and after queueing for a few minutes and explaining to both of them what we were about to do, then they didn’t even want to go into the room the moment they saw Santa… oh dear. There was also a craft fayre at the community centre and they just wouldn’t go in. We had to go outside and walk in the field instead of seeing the nice things indoors. Child logic!

We also went to see some friends for a pre-Christmas get-together and unfortunately both Eric and Elisa had a “walkabout” day. After lunch they did not want to just sit and chat to the adults, they had to walk around the garden centre and look at all the trees, fountains, decorations, lights, etc. I had almost no time to talk to our friends. Such a shame… The kid of one couple, who has just recently turned 5 years old, was just happy to sit there with his star wars doodling book. I can’t wait until these two can do that too…

 

Health.

I think this has been a good month health wise for them. <I> have been ill, but they seem to have got away with it.

I did receive letters from the doctor’s surgery asking to book them in for the flu shots, but I must admit that I completely forgot about it until my friend Graciela told me her experience with her son (not a great experience, by the way). I must call and get them booked for after Christmas and just get it done before winter ends.

—

And that’s it for their monthly summary. We are going to have Jon’s parents and grandma for Christmas lunch in a couple of days and we will be opening quite a few presents! We haven’t gone crazy with the presents. They already have lots of toys and the more you give them, the less they appreciate them. So grandma and grandad have bought them two new balance bikes (as their old red ones are too small for them now) and we have got them the helmets and pads, some minion toys, a few books (some of them bilingual) and some stocking fillers, like kaleidoscopes, bouncy glitter balls, etc. They’ll also be getting a few toys from uncles and aunties and friends 🙂

This month’s photo is from a cupcake batch that we baked one Saturday afternoon that daddy was away. From time to time they demand making cupcakes… whatever keeps them entertained! (apologies for their messy hair… they’ve been needing a haircut for a while now!)