naptimes these days are a disaster, if you judge by amount of sleep occurring. occasionally they're really tired and do go out, but for the most part, they just enjoy each other's company too much. even when they comply with the 'stay in your own bed' policy (i usually give this about an hour to see if they'll actually sleep), they just lie there 5 feet apart, chatting happily about the various zoo animals in their room today (my favorite is the 'wolfs') or which of the 'bad guys' they need to zap.
it is pretty fun listening to their conversation though. when else do you get to eavesdrop on every thought that crosses a person's mind? toddlers (at least mine) seem incapable of having a thought without verbalizing it =p lately though, what's struck me is the new material. by which i mean a behavior, a game, a phrase whose roots i don't recognize. of course, their fertile little imaginations are always coming up with new things, especially cooperatively, but i usually see some source, however distant, in what we've done or talked about or read recently.
the girls spend an average of 3 hours a week apart from me, 3.5 if you count chloe's gymnastics class, after the 15 minutes of coaxing her to stay in by herself. maybe 4, if i get in a weekend run. i should hardly be surprised that they're starting to get other input, but it makes me a bit sad all the same. such a few short years that they spend at home. someone hit me upside the head the next time i start thinking of them as a burden! =D
ps - can anyone tell me what 'criss cross applesauce' actually means?? that was lucy's phrase today. some kind of game?
:) What fun eavesdropping. I wish I were patient like you during naptimes!
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, in our house, criss-cross applesauce has 2 meanings. One is the term/description used to sit "Indian style." (i.e. "please sit criss-cross applesauce")
The other is an actual fingerplay.
It goes:
"Criss-cross applesauce" (draw an "X" and then a circle on their back)
"Spiders crawling up your back" (your fingers crawling up their back)
"Spiders crawling down your back" (fingers crawling down back)
"Elephants walking up your back" (your fist gently pounding steps up their back)
"Elephants walking down your back" (fist gently pounding down)
"Tight squeeeeeeeze" (hug them tight)
"Cool breeeeeze" (blow on their hair)
"Now it's time for... tickle-eeeeeeze" (tickle them silly)