Baby Squared

An uplifting video, for a change.

On Saturday, we brought the girls to a first birthday party for our friends' son at a local indoor play gym. Among the guests was another set of twin sisters, a few months older than our girls. The four of them ended up playing together a bit, started up a spontaneous, non-adult-prompted game of Ring-Around-the-Rosy (led by future head cheerleader and premature all-fall-down-er Elsa), and we managed to take what may be one of the world's cutest kids-at-play videos ever.

 

I debated whether or not to post it here, because I didn't really have any kind of story or commentary to go along with it (and you know how I do like to go on...) Then, tonight, I was catching up with the news and finally saw some of the images from that horrible video of Neda Soltani dying in the street in Tehran, and I realized that that video was being taken at almost exactly the same time we were taking ours, to the hour. Maybe to the minute.

 

I'm still not sure I have much of anything to say about this -- nothing I can articulate too well, anyway. Just that 1.) The world is a terrible place. 2.) The world is a beautiful place. 3.) The older I get, the more it blows and boggles my mind how it can be both things, so fiercely, at once.

 

It's one of those mysteries that, before long, I'll have to start trying to explain to my children, and I know I won't be able to provide them with satisfactory answers. (Who can?)

 

 

Subscribe to this blog and get notified each time a new post is published.


+ DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US

Comments

 

nancy said:

Beautiful and profound. I love that you shared this. Thank you.

June 23, 2009 10:26 PM
 

April said:

Very cute.  My boys have best friends that are also fraternal boy twins who were born on the same day about 3 hours after them in the same hospital.  We did not know each other at the time, but met through our Multiples Club.  I think God created the four boys to be best buddies.  I never saw 2 year olds actually respond to other kids the way they do (and I worked in a daycare!).  

When I say their friends are coming they get so excited! They start dancing around and smiling and clapping.  When they see each other they all do the same thing. Their friends will chant "ERIC ERIC APRIL APRIL (they can't say Harrison yet) " all the way over in the car, then bang on the door when they get here yelling "OPEN UP ERIC APRIL!"  It is the cutest thing ever. Then they never want to leave and boo hoo all the way home yelling "ERIC".  So cute.

June 24, 2009 6:27 AM
 

JustRelax said:

Thank you so much for sharing this. SO MUCH! I happened upon the video of Neda yesterday and without a second thought, clicked through the, "are you old enough" questions on YouTube. Then my life was forever changed. To say that I was not prepared for what I saw would be an understatement. The past 24 hours my mind has wrestled with the images.  Looking at my own daughter I can see how beautiful the world can be, but last night I just couldn't find any hope. Somehow your post and video have really given me understanding.  Thank you.

June 24, 2009 9:55 AM
 

Juliana, mom of twin girls said:

freaking adorable!!!

June 24, 2009 2:18 PM
 

P. said:

Thanks for posting this.  As an Iranian-American and twin mom I'm reminded often that life is so many things beautiful and horrible all at once. My boy/girl twins are a couple of months younger than your daughters. They've kept me smiling these past few days despite the sadness I feel.  I hope that the deaths in Iran are not in vain and that freedom and democracy prevails.  Thanks for sharing your video.  There is nothing better than the sound of a children laughing.

June 24, 2009 2:31 PM
 

Melissa said:

I love how Elsa is pulling everyone down with her. She's the life of the party!

June 24, 2009 8:50 PM
 

Michele said:

Thanks for posting this, so absolutely adorable.  Does brighten one's mood after reading the news, laughter really is the best medicine...

June 24, 2009 10:38 PM
 

Lena said:

I *swear* our children are clones of each other. My "baby A" is JUST like Elsa. She is my 'premature all-fall-down-er' LOL. I actually have a list at my desk of the similarities between Elsa/Clio and my girls. It's UNCANNY! No, I'm not a stalker haha! I just love your writing and your kids!  

P.S. I actually went to youtube to find that video but decided not to watch it after JustRelax's comments... I just can't stomach things like I could pre-children.

June 25, 2009 2:10 PM
 

winecat said:

That was absolutely precious!  And a very needed reminder that the world is mostly a good place.  There is nothing like the laughter of babies and toddlers to reinforce that fact.

June 25, 2009 9:44 PM
 

Lisa Silvestro said:

I'm so glad you got a movie of this!  The girls were super cute playing together.  I have a meager attempt, in pictures, on our blog of trying to convey how cute they were at playing ring around the rosy.  LOVE how they would fall down way before the song said to!  It was fun seeing you and your family, thanks for coming!

June 25, 2009 9:56 PM
 

MommyAmy said:

Oh my goodness that is so freakin' adorable!!!  

June 26, 2009 12:52 PM
 

jocelyn said:

I am sorry we were traveling and missed Vince's birthday and the chance to meet you and the girls.  I am also sorry my curiosity got the best of me and I did find the video on youtube.  I missed this news while abroad and would have been happy to have never seen it.... ignorance is bliss.

June 29, 2009 12:29 AM

Leave a Comment

(required)  
(optional)
(required)  
Add

About Roper

I'm an advertising copywriter, wannabe novelist, mother of twins, musician's wife, bleeding heart and wiseass.

in

About the Blogger

Jane Roper

Jane Roper in Boston

One baby? Piece of cake. Try two. This working mother gives you the inside scoop on the ultimate in extreme parenting: twins.

GROUP BLOGS

  • Strollerderby

    The smartest, funniest, most exhaustive parenting blog in the blogosphere.
  • Droolicious

    Modern design for modern parents.
  • FameCrawler

    Your daily baby celebrity fix.
back to blog homepage