Slumber Party

Playing dress up



 After playing hot potato, Ana & Piper danced for Lizzie & I



All three girls barely fit inside Piper's toddler tent -
we had fun squeezing in there!

Eating cookies and watching Toy Story 3
in sleeping bags is so much fun!

And finally, exhaustion set in and sweet dreams began

Sweet Memory

Piper had two friends spend the night this weekend for a slumber party.  Her friends are Ana Maria "Ana" and Elizabeth "Lizzie", also known as "the twins" in dance class.  We have known the twins for 2 yrs.  Both girls are delightful, bright, sweet, generous, and adorably fun friends for Piper to grow up with.  They have really good manners and have one of the nicest mom's I have met.  Winona is so nice but if she thinks someone is being rude or hurtful, don't get in her way!  She can be fierce if needed ;o)  And I mean this in the nicest possible way....even when being fierce she isn't rude or disrespectful.  Hoping some of her girl's good manners rub off on Piper.

The girls look so similar that it is difficult to keep them straight at times.  But, I did it!  Yea for me.  I asked who was who when they arrived, and kept outfits/colors straight in my head as well as after we changed clothes.  As the evening went on, I knew them by their personality not just colors.  It must be hard parenting twins and no one knowing who is who.  I was determined to get it down so I would no longer be one of those parents.  If Piper had a twin, I would want both of my daughters to have a name & personality and would not understand why other people didn't see what I saw.  I would not want them referred to as "the twins" all the time - seems rather impersonal. 

Ana is more of a tom-boy than the other girls, she was Buzz Lightyear for Halloween, likes pirate costumes, brought a Buzz Lightyear sleeping bag, and has sensory problems like Piper - although she hides it well.  The only time I noticed her sensory problem was at a birthday party when it got too loud and kids were running around.  She and Piper were covering their ears and couldn't play with all the kids running around.  Piper stopped in the middle of the kids running around, didn't move while covering their ears while Ana ran to find "mommy" while covering her ears.  Both Winona and I encouraged the girls to get back out there and play once the noise makers were gone and kids were not running around in a circle.  Ana is already reading!

Lizzie is girly like Piper.  She likes lipsticks, pretty dresses, babies & barbies, was Tinkerbell for Halloween and brought a Tinkerbell sleeping bag with her.  Lizzie enjoys hanging out with grown ups as well as kids.  She is an early riser and wants to go to bed earlier than the other girls.  Last night, she was tired but today she jumped right in and often led the playtime activities. 

That is, when Piper wasn't being difficult.  Piper tried hard to be a good host but was tired from a sleep over the night before with her grandparents.  Piper doesn't have the same reserve other kids have.  She is fighting off something, pale with dark circles, and decreased lung function.  Although she is in "kiddy heaven" from both sleep overs, she is physically drained.  A meltdown over her pink fork almost landed her in time out until I realized her blood sugar was low and she needed food.  After we fed her, she perked up and apologized for her meltdown. 

We made Thanksgiving placemats, colored pictures of pilgrims & indians, played dress up and sang/danced, read books inside the tent, and watched Toy Story 3.  The girls were excited so I was afraid they would not sleep.  At 10:15, they all needed to make a potty run (truly did) and that stirred them up again, giggling, etc. 

Like grown up girls, they wanted to sleep with the door shut and the light on (Piper can't sleep in the dark yet without Mommy).  As I left the room, I heard one of the girls say "we better go to sleep this time".  Ha Ha!  I got my bluff in - yea for me.

It was challenging dressing them all in pj's and play clothes, feeding, etc because I was out numbered but I managed it and they were patient with me.  I have always wanted 5 kids, I guess I got a glimpse of what multiple kids would be like ;o)

We had so much fun and can't wait to have Ana and Lizzie over again (& their Mom, Winona).  After they left, Piper said "I want to be one of the twins".  She is sad they had to leave today.  It was fun having a house full of kids.  By the way, I decided I would have loved having 5 kids - being a mom and having a loving home full of sweet little feet running around warms my heart and soul.

Peace and Bunny Ears,
Aimee