Beach Babies

Cape May Point, the southern tip of the New Jersey shore, was our summer vacation destination, and the girls loved it. The sand, the surf, the sun, the shine -- they dug it all. They ran, they swam, they jumped, they climbed, they dunked, they stood and looked at the beauty (and made some too). And when they had had enough of the waves, they said what any sensible toddler would, "No more bubbles."

They met a camel (and giraffes, bears, snow leopard cubs, a white alligator, lizards, giant tortoises, zebras, cheetahs, golden lion tamarins, and the roar -- the amazing roar -- of a lion) up close and personal at the Cape May County Zoo. They played in the town fountain -- for almost an hour and a half, maybe the most fun they had all week (which is saying a lot, given how much laughing and smiling they did, with us following just behind in more ways than one). They ate clams and crab, shrimp and plenty of Momma's secret vegetable and fruit smoothies. They took in the fun of the seemingly endless Wildwood boardwalk in blistering heat, as we walked from one end all the way to the other before taking them on the trolley back, a ride they were shouting for ("Train! Train!"). Sundown to sunup, bay to beach, clothed to naked, they were non-stop action. We swear: they conducted the sea. Enjoy.

Water Everywhere

The baby pool is out, and the girls love stomping around in two inches of water, floating their toys, and getting soaking wet. They got a new water toy -- featuring a water wheel -- for their birthday from their grandparents, and play with it for hours. And this week we'll open the swimming pool. "Water!", pronounced "WA-La," the girls love to say of one of their favorite creations. As what promises to be a rainy week begins with a rainy Sunday, the girls went outside in their gear today to have some fun. Enjoy.

p.s. Naturally, rain time was followed by a warm bath. WA-La!

Two, Two

Our girls turned two today! Wow. And pictures seemed appropriate, stretching back from last fall to the present. These pictures feature them in winter gear and mud splashing, stripped down and scarfed up, in the nation's capital and in the butterfly house, sleeping and reading, hugging and exploring, and growing, growing, growing. Enjoy.

And the answers are...

Twin Knowledge Quiz Answers:
Rory
Both
Danni
Rory
Rory
Danni
Danni

Twin Knowledge

With their second birthday just around the corner, we thought it was a good time to test your knowledge of the girls deepening personalities. So here you go. Results revealed this weekend. Hint: 3 Rory, 3 Danni, and one of the answers is "Both."

Good luck!

1. Which girl likes to say "No"?
Rory
Danni
Both

2. Which girl loves to eat olives?
Rory
Danni
Both

3. Which girl will almost always try something new (like walking across a rail tie in the yard or getting into a sled)?
Rory
Danni
Both

4. Which girl likes to kiss about any object she passes (a plant, a statue of a frog by our back stairs, a chair)?
Rory
Danni
Both

5. Which girl loves trying to put things together and always has (such as buckles to a seat belt, parts of a toy)?
Rory
Danni
Both

6. Which girl loves making funny faces for her parents to imitate?
Rory
Danni
Both

7. Which girl always likes being tossed around?
Rory
Danni
Both

Winter Wonder

The girls began fighting back today in their daily evening wrestling matches with Daddy. Usually it's Daddy tackling, lifting, and tossing one after the other, over and over, onto the futon mattress on the floor, as the girls laugh in flight and rush back at him for more. But the girls tonight not only fought back, they teamed up. Meanwhile, they have started building with blocks rather than just smashing them apart or destroying with a huge smile whatever Momma and Daddy erect. Words are more readily tried too, and standing atop anything within climbing height has become a favorite hobby. As for their diets, it is staggering to us how much they consume, and Momma's healthy treats keep coming, including her latest, homemade Lara bars of figs and nuts that the girls just love.

The little ladies are growing fast.

To mark the end of 2010, we escaped together for six days in the Poconos, and the location proved ideal: a dead-end street, where the newly fallen snow had been pressed flat by the recent plowing, and tall evergreens on either side of the road not only kept the wind away but lay a beautiful peace around us. So it was the perfect place for the girls to break out one of their two big Christmas gifts from Santa, the first being push-along tricycles (with handles to rescue their parents' backs) and the second being...sleds!

As these pictures show, the girls dressed warmly, bundled up like little marshmallows, and loved the sledding so much, by the end of the trip they had decided to pull the sleds themselves. Did we mention they're growing fast?