Since the day Elsa and Clio were born, I looked forward to when they'd be able to talk. I couldn't wait to be able to communicate with them verbally, and find out what was going through their little minds. It is, indeed, a lot of fun to see them adding new words and phrases to their vocabulary daily, and stringing little sentences together with increasing alacrity. I love that they can express their needs and wants more easily now. The only very small problem: what they need and want is frequently INSANE AND ILLOGICAL AND RIDICULOUS.
At the moment, it's Clio in particular whose "needs" are often exasperating. If, for example, I bring out two completely identical bowls of applesauce -- same color, same size, same amount, etc. -- and put one down in front of Clio and one in front of Elsa, Clio will point to the bowl I give her and say (scream), "No, dat's Elsa's!" So I will switch the bowls (thank God Elsa is a little more chill about this kind of thing), thinking it's a quick and easy fix to the problem. Ha ha ha. No. Because althought it was Elsa's bowl (clearly) it had Clio's spoon in it. So now Clio is screaming "No, dat's Clio 'poon! Dat Clio pooooooon!!" so I switch the spoons. Fine. Whatever. BUT -- silly me, I didn't wipe the spoon off before transferring it, so it still contains some of Elsa's applesauce (are you following all this?) which is completely unacceptable to Clio. She holds the spoon out toward her sister, now screaming quite frantically "No! Dat Elsa's appasauce! Dat Elsa's! Elsa have Clio applesauce! Dat Clio's!"
And on and on it goes.
Honestly, at times I feel like I'm through the looking glass -- a hapless Alice who simply doesn't understand the logic of the world she's in. There are times when I just ignore it and put my foot down: No, this is YOUR bowl, and YOUR spoon, and you'll eat it, end of story. But this is far, far easier said than done. A todder's yelling and crying is not easy to withstand -- and Clio is a stubborn little lady. Not to mention loud. When she's screaming, all you want is for it to STOP. And of course, there's the Other Twin factor: while one sibling is pitching a fit, it's entirely possible that the other one will start clamoring for your attention, too. Or take the opportunity to sneak out of the room to attempt some kind of dangerous chair-climbing expedition. Or make a massive poop, requiring a full clothing change.
It's slightly less frustating when the girls have absurd arguments among themselves. This weekend in the car on the way home from swimming lessons, Clio started saying that she wanted to eat fishies. (As in the Pepperidge Farm kind.) We said yes, fine, OK, when we get home you can have some fishies with lunch. Elsa chimed in and said that she wanted fishies, too. Again, we said yes, fine, great. Fishies it is. They both kept repeating their desire for goldfish crackers, and at some point it devolved into an all-out verbal toddler brawl:
No, Elsa, CLIO eat fishies!
Elsa eat fishies too!
No, Elsa. Dat not nice! Clio eat the fishies.
Nooooo!! (crying now) Elsa want fishies!!!
And of course, I'm twisted around in the front passenger seat, trying to remain calm, attempting to explain that they can BOTH have goldfish crackers. But I might as well have been talking to a couple of rocks. No -- wait. Bad analogy. Rocks are quiet. I might as well have been talking to a couple of fucking CHAINSAWS. Eventually, somehow, they managed to calm down, and when we got home, and I let Clio choose which plate she felt was "hers" at that moment, and we ate fishies, and everyone was (temporarily) happy.
I am wondering if maybe it's time to start designating certain clothes, toys, utensils, etc. as belonging to either Clio or Elsa, since Clio, anyway, seems to have some real issues around what is hers and what is Elsa's. The only problem: How do we choose what belongs to whom? It seems to change on a minute-by-minute -- nay, second by second -- basis.
Sigh.
On a happier note: I'm pleased to report that I visited another preschool for the girls for next year, and it's adorable and I think they'll love it, and I registered them on the spot, and they're in! So, starting in September, the girls will go to "school" two mornings a week (to start). It's a ways off, and I'm glad, but one less thing to worry about. Oh, and our battery charger finally came, so I'll post some new pictures soon. To tide you over in the meantime, here are some shots from a few months ago -- when the world was green, and we played outside, and life was sweet, and my posts didn't have a lot of ALL CAPS and the girls never had tantrums about absurd and ridiculous things ever.
