Turtles

Ok, onto turtles.

Both kids talk up a storm. But we just can't understand what they are saying most of the time. Of course, we can understand the requisite "Mama, Dada, Hi, Bye, Axxx (Max), App (Nap), Nack (Snack)" and a few others. But most of the time it's just babbling as usual. And half of the time, I think it's twin language anyways.
As mentioned before, Ryan loves anything musical. In fact, if he is being super whiny, I can just turn our TV to the country music station and even without picture, he will just sit and clap and sway his butt. It's fantastic. And here's where I fully divulge where I fail as a mother: I absolutely stink at singing them "children's songs". We have the books & CDs out the wazoo for them, but half of the time, I don't remember the words and can't get the hand motions right, so I don't even try.

The other day I was trying to use this hand puppet thing for "Old MacDonald" - and for the life of me could not get the words right - and then just the coordination required to put the right hand puppet up at the appropriate time -- well, it was just beyond my mothering skills. I thought the first time I tried it and failed was because I had indulged in my glass of pinot grigio before their bedtime, but no. I am just bad at it. One more reason why I have a special respect for preschool and mother's day out teachers.
And mommy fail admittal #2: those songs drive me CRAZY anyways.
So, instead we listen to a lot of country and a good bit of worship songs. And my kids will probably go to school knowing every word to Blake Shelton's "Honeybee" and Jason Aldean's "Dirt Road Anthem" - but not one word of the "Wheels on the Bus." Awesome.
My point is that Ryan always has music in his head. A lot of his babbling is very sing-song and he repeats it over and over. I have no idea what he is singing, but he's very passionate about it. Quinn on the other hand, does a lot of exclamations and yelling her words, but doesn't sing them. She toddles over to me multiples times throughout the day to bring me something (a piece of string, a stray bean from lunch, a toy, a shoe, or anything else she can carry) and proudly exclaims some words. I think she is asking what it is, so mostly I just say "shoe", "book", etc and she toddles away happy with the answer. But she doesn't usually repeat it in full. She just will make the first sound of it "Baaaa" or whatever.

Lately, she has been obsessed with turtles. A few months back, the twins were given some little bath books, one that came with green turtles and the other came with pink pigs. Obviously the pigs were more for Quinn, but I'm pretty sure I am raising a little bit of a rough & tumble tomboy, so she loves the turtles. Whenever Matt bathes her, that's what she goes for first. So for a couple of weeks, he has been repeating the word, "turtle" over and over and over in the tub.
The other night he yelled for me to come into the bathroom during her bath. I was a little irritated because it was the final wheel on "Wheel of Fortune" and I was pretty sure I could solve and win my imaginary mini-cooper or thousands of dollars. I am nothing but cool these days.

 But he never asks for me during bathtime so I figured it must have been pretty important.

I walked in and he was "Listen...she can say "turtle"." Ummm ok. I think not. The child doesn't say big words - she doesn't even say "bubba" or "Ry" or anything for her brother.
To my great surprise, Matt held up the turtle and said, "Quinn, what is this?". She looked at him, looked at me, looked down, and in the sweetest, tiniest, but most grown-up sounding voice, she said "turtle." Clearer than a bell. Apparently she had said it 3 times before that as well.

I couldn't have been more proud. That is a BIG word for a little girl. I may have cried over that darn turtle. So there you go, Quinn - your first "big" word - "TURTLE". Good job!