baby 3

So, the main reason that we are looking for a kids day out a couple days a week for the twins in the fall is so that our nanny will have a little break and some one on one time with baby 3!

We are waiting to find out the gender until the baby is born.  And, there's only one this time.  Whew.  Due date is August 15.  So, yes, I'll be preggo during the summer.  I think that covers most of the initial questions.  Feel free to leave more in the comments and I'm happy to respond.

The twoddlers are in for a big fall.  New baby, new room, school, lots of changes.  We might try to move them into the bigger of the bedrooms this summer so that they don't have all the changes at once.  Part of that will depend on when we can get it ready.  Mom says not to worry about having D's diplomas on the wall and books on the shelves, they won't care, anyway.  Probably true.  But, knowing me, if I don't change it to kids' decor before they move, they might get to look at all of D's degrees until they're old enough to take them down themselves...

the call

The kids got in! I just got a call and the twins are accepted into kids day out. It's a program that is recommended by many and where my sister-in-law did some teaching. I'm thrilled! Mostly because I don't have to look for another program. I guess I should probably go tour it...

cool dude

Or Elton John impersonator...

singing!

'Patos

Another of Rafa's favorite words is 'pato'. Which is both duck (pato) and shoes (zapatos). He sort of came across it babbling one day and I repeated it and he repeated it and it stuck. It probably helps that he loves both ducks and shoes. And lest you think he only wants to wear Sylvia's shoes:

bye and no

Sylvia is quite a bit more verbal than Rafa.  Girls.  She loves to mimic our words and has even started piping in as we sing songs and count to ten!

Rafa, well, Rafa is great at animal sounds, but only has a few other words.  Two of his (and our) faves are "Bye" and "No".  It's not the words themselves, but how he uses them that really tickles us.  He says bye, pretty much every time someone leaves (although most of the time, it's after they've left and he's not as shy anymore) or we leave from one place to another.  He also doesn't just say bye to people.  Things get goodbyes, too, when we go.  Our favorite, though, is when he's finished eating (or at least finished playing with the food we want him to eat), he says "bye" and waves at his plate.  It's our sign to clear the table.  We giggle every time.

We have been lucky that the twoddlers haven't started saying "No" until now.  And so far, their learning that word hasn't come back to bite us, yet.  Sylvia doesn't really say it much, but Rafa has mastered it.  And he doesn't just say it.  He commands it.  He says it with full authority.  Kind of like how his mama says it...  But he doesn't say it when he doesn't want something (they still make great use of the head shake, which is adorable).  He says it right after we tell one of them no.  Sort of like an added emphasis to our instructions.  It cracks me up.  Probably because everything else that comes out of his mouth is in such a sweet tone and this is an entirely different voice.

What will they say next?...

nanny update

For those that have wondered, the new nanny is working out well. She loves the twoddlers and is super sweet. She keeps them safe and active. She definitely hits the basics. If they learn her kindness and joy and Spanish, we're feeling good about her being such a big part of their lives. The icing is that she also loves to cook and fixes great food for them, tidies during their naps without hesitation and has a 'can do' attitude which makes us feel less guilty if we need to ask her to do something above and beyond. PLUS, there's more, her schedule is very flexible and has been a great help for babysitting.

While chatting with her after she babysat while David and I both had work events (and she emptied out most of our kitchen to prepare for the exterminators), I learned that not only is she the eldest of 10 kids (TEN!), but her mom had a set of twins when she was 8 and another when she was 10! Since she was the eldest, she was essentially her mom's extra set of hands (and feet and everything else, I imagine).

We also had a great conversation about her 'teaching' style and while I probably should have made that part of interviewing her, I didn't. I consider it extra super bonus points that she and I are on the same philosophical page on that, too.

So, I'd say things are working out jut splendidly! I know there will be times that I'll need a reminder of this. I guess it's a good thing I blog. The reminder will be in the cloud for eternity.