This past year has been one of massive transition for our family and while it was difficult at times, these two girls handled it with more flexibility than I expected. They are both more adaptable and can roll with the punches better than Lia (or me for that matter!). They have just finished up their 3 year preschool class and will be starting pre-k in the fall. I think this new class will be awesome for them and will hopefully be good preparation for kindergarten. We opted to keep them in the same class this next year again (mostly because it was the only 4 day a week option), but we plan to have them in different classes for kindergarten (at least that is my thinking at this point... we'll see.)
Erin and Halle get along very well and play great together. I'm not sure how much of this is being twins and how much of it is simply developmental. Regardless, it is really fun hearing them play and just be happy together for extended periods of time. They are not exclusive and play well with Lia as well as other friends. I'm glad to see that. They have become frustrated lately at school with kids not knowing what their names are and calling them "the twins." Halle has been the most affected and will be sad saying "I'm not twins, I'm Halle." She has insisted on continuing the hairstyles at school to help others be able to tell them apart. She fell apart crying recently because I put her hair in two ponies without even thinking about it and said "I don't want two ponies because everyone will say I'm Erin." Poor baby. It must be hard to deal with day in and day out. They still don't have a major distinguishing factor between them which makes it hard for others who really want to be able to call them by name. We need more freckles!!! haha.
Here's some fun tidbits about each of my girlies!
ALL ABOUT ERIN!
- Erin is independent, friendly, skeptical, joyful, LOUD, spirited, emotive, easygoing, and cautious. She is unsure in new situations or with new people, but after she warms up she does very well. Odd things will cause her to feel insecure and she needs more reassurance than her sisters. She handles change within routines better than she did when she was younger and doesn't mind if our regular schedule changes (unless we are going somewhere new, seeing new people, or trying something remotely daring).
- Erin likes to watch things happen for a few times before trying something new or challenging. When Todd and I watch her try something new, we both find ourselves really hoping she is successful because she tends to panic if things go wrong or gets upset if she can't do something she really wants to do.
- Erin loves to play with trains, blocks, barbies and dress up. She still has a major soft spot for zebras. She enjoys playing with other people best, but does well playing alone during quiet time. She doesn't really have a favorite item to play with, she just likes to be in the mix and play with whatever others are doing.
- She is a great sleeper and probably could still be taking a daily nap if she didn't have two non-napping sisters. She loves sleeping with her two bunnies, Heather and Mermaid.
- Erin demands to do things herself and has always been the one to accomplish tasks first. Dressing herself, brushing her own teeth, etc. Bedtime routine is a total breeze with Erin.
- She aims to please and loves to have praise for things she has done well. Recently she was struggling with something in swimming lessons and you could see the pride in her face when she did it and the immense pride when I added on the praise. Sweet girl.
- Erin loves, loves, loves muffin dates and Todd says when they are out together she is just chatting and chatting. She's a talker for sure!
ALL ABOUT HALLE!
- Halle is witty, selfless, expressive, sensitive, affectionate, dainty, social, particular, a little OCD and has a dash of passive aggressiveness . She is a major lovebug and enjoys snuggling any chance she gets. Halle is a peacemaker and will give up anything she has to make her sister happy. This makes her a bit of a pushover unfortunately with two dominant sisters, so we've been working on using strong words to help her that it is okay to say 'no' if she doesn't want to give something up. This new revalation has made things a bit more tense between the three kids, but I think it is important for Halle to know how to stand up for herself.
- I never expected birth order to be a major player between Erin and Halle, but it totally is. Halle is a textbook youngest child. She tends to be more babyish and doesn't do things by herself (like dressing) that I know full well that she can do. Her favorite thing to say is "I can do it, but I want you to do it for me." Any display of independence from Halle gets major praise from us!
- Halle hates being dirty, sticky, muddy, or wet. If anything gets on her clothes they are ruined for the day and she changes. She washes her hands many times a day and FREAKS out if something sticky is on her.
- She is super organized and clean. I love this and watching her is so fun. She sorts things by color, organizes her animals by size, and is very methodical with her artwork. Maybe a touch of OCD somehow inherited from Uncle Bob-o perhaps. LOL
- Halle continues to be the most adventurous with food. She likes to try new things and usually likes them. She is not affected by spicy foods and if her sisters were not telling her that something is gross, she would probably eat an adult type diet.
- Halle loves puzzles, books, horses, magnet blocks and princesses. She still barely tolerates animals (Sydney included) and is the one that does not go near bugs, frogs or anything else that Lia tries to catch. She plays with others but also enjoys playing by herself. She will often separate herself out from the group to play quietly in her room. She is also the one that will come and hang out with the adults while the kids are playing.
- While Halle is the peacemaker, she also has the ability to be incredibly passive aggressive. The "I'm not touching you! I'm not touching you!" is a real thing people and she will be following all the rules while still managing to annoy the snot out of her sisters (mostly Lia....) :)
- She is no longer in speech therapy and is doing well. Sounds are coming along slowly and her words are more easily understood. We plan to do a repeat evaluation when school starts to see how she has progressed.
Happy birthday Panini & Sweet Tea! We love you SO MUCH!
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