We discovered it takes about 5 days after returning home from a trip before things are back to normal. With twins "normal" shifts around every few weeks. In addition to keeping life between the lines on a day-to-day basis we have to do some course correction after travelling as well.
I have yet to close the chapter on our trip home so let me take a few minutes to finish out the adventures at Oma and Opa's house. Easton and Layla finally proved their ability to go up and down the stairs unassisted. Yes, they could crawl up several months ago, but the recent milestone involves walking upright like a normal person up and down the stairs. In the morning Easton still asks to hold my hand since he takes a bit longer to wake up than our "instant-on" Layla.
They both climbed the steps after breakfast one morning and decided to turn the stairs into a hang-out spot.
We were fortunate our path crossed with Uncle Logan and Bree. The timing didn't look promising, but after the Grapevine was shutdown due to snow and Logan took some days off work we were able to spend a day together. The motorcycle crew gained serious confidence and wanted to show off for Uncle Logan.
Once stopped Easton will sit motionless until the Thomas horn cycles through to the clip which says, "All a boaaaaaaard!" and then he'll take off down the street. He also discovered he could honk his very quiet horn at the cars driving by. I think he learned that from Kendra?
Logan and Bree brought their xBox Kinect for us to play and the twins liked it much better than the Wii. The technology seemed a little quirky, but overall the Kinect was impressively accurate.
We wore out Layla as much as possible and then loaded up the car for the trip home. Opa, Logan, and Bree were there for the send-off which included two or three rounds of hugs from Easton and Layla. This was the first time they really "got it" regarding good-bye and the inability to see them for a long time.
The trip home was uneventful except for long stretches of fog and the Sound of Music soundtrack stuck in my head. It still is, by the way... Especially The Lonely Goatherd. If only I knew what they were saying!? I'll have to Google the lyrics to reach a state of peacefulness again.
We did our routine stop at In-N-Out for burgers and a wardrobe change for the twins into pajamas. and boots. Layla and I took one last stroll around the parking lot before strapping them in for 8 hours of sleeping.
Our kitchen was bare after 4 weeks of being away so we went to PF Chang's for dinner. Kendra played a common game of "Go, freeze!, Go" as we walked through the parking lot. When she says, "freeze" the twins stop and spread their legs out really wide. This is a result of when Dr. Mels Carbonnell spent the evening with us and demonstrated the game to them with the horse riding stance technique.
Anyway, just as they were frozen a plane flew overhead so Easton's attention immediately went skyward to see the commuter jet. He correctly identified that one as we've come to expect.
When people ask me, "what's it like having twins?" this is the picture I will show them. They lock their legs around my ankle and hold on tight as I walk like a dinosaur through the house. This consistently generates belly laughing by all three of us and ends when Layla says, "I got you, big GIANT!"
Since we arrived home Easton and Layla both took an even greater interest in the sit-n-spin. Now they have the skills to actually sit and spin so I can understand why.
The hat on Easton's head has GOT to go. He found it in their big box of stuff and decided to squeeze his head into it.
Can you believe he was only 4 months old when he first wore this hat?
I'm a very future-oriented person. Always planning and predicting and calculating. However, these past few weeks as I think about how the twins are approaching their 3rd birthday I find myself reflecting and mourning. The first three years of their life were the most challenging of my entire life. Even tougher than my MBA program. At least I was able to sleep when I wanted to during the MBA... Anyway, I'm mourning the closure of their baby stage because a big part of my heart doesn't want them to grow up.
The two-week vacation from work really meant the world to me as I spent almost every waking hour with them. Yes, it was stressful and occasionally frustrating, but I wouldn't trade that quantity and quality of time for anything.
OK, better get back to the present day before I tear up. Kendra's leg is still bothersome so we took the twins to a park and sat next to each other while they played. Sure is a good feeling to finally relax a little and not worry about them climbing around. We lured them over to the park bench for a picture with promises of Princess and Nemo chewies (gummy bears). It's amazing how well they sit still and obey when a snack is on the line.
Kendra took on the monumental challenge of repainting Easton's furniture. Neither of us is willing to put up with yellow light wood so she's on a mission to sand it down and turn it black. All of those home improvement shows really motivated her to jump in!
As she is sanding and painting, the twins ride their tricycles around the court. I'll probably print this one of Easton and frame it in my office. He's made some big strides in growing up and I can start to see some confidence in his character. Also, with the cactus and palm tree in the background it's a good capture of Arizona life.
and this is what happens when I tell Easton and Layla, "Do NOT stick your tongue out!" (sigh)
Still more work to be done in the obedience department, but I'm really proud of the progress we are making.
See you soon!
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