Making Liszts

Alabama has had an interesting effect on the Schmookies. They have found a love for the piano at Gee Gee and Ga Ga's house. At first they were just pounding on the keys, but then after a little practice, they began to develop a real talent. I am still amazed.

Driving Miss Ga Ga

Keillor and Emaline say that the best part about having a grandfather in a wheelchair is that they get to push him around and ride in his lap. They asked me to video them driving him in the kitchen and post it to the blog. Keillor thought people would get a kick out of it. Emaline suggested music from Peter and the Wolf as an accompaniment. It works.

Gimme a Little Foot

When I was a kid, I loved bath time. At  least, I remember loving bath time. For whatever reason, the most vivid memory is my dad bathing me and singing to me. He took the old standard "Gimme a Little Kiss" and changed the lyrics to "gimme a little foot," or "gimme a little arm," or "gimme a little leg." I'd gleefully stick out the requested part to be cleaned. I can still hear my dad crooning, "Gimme a little foot, a will you, huh, and I'll give it right back to you."
Bath time is part of our nightly routine. They bath, take their allergy meds, brush their teeth, get into the jammies, read stories, sing, and go "nigh' night." I suppose we have continued a Mau family tradition because the Schmookies won't let me bath them without "song, song, Daddy." So, 34 years later, here I am with my two-year-olds singing the same song my dad sang to me.
Here is a little taste of the song. Just replace "kiss" with "foot" and you've got yourself a toddler favorite.

Emaline sports a bathtime mohawk

Keillor communicates with other dimension Keillor

Elmo in Mauland

When it comes to television characters, the kids have three favorites: Thomas the Tank Engine, the gang from Yo Gabba Gabba, and Elmo. They have only ever seen three Elmo videos, but their first, The Best of Elmo 2, is an often requested film. It features songs by Jason Mraz, Feist, the Goo Goo Dolls, Ray Charles, and many others. We have watched the DVD so many times, it is wearing out. Then there is the dreaded Elmo in Grouchland. This is where the twins show how different they are. Keillor, a blanket connoisseur like Elmo, loves the story of how Elmo's blanket is sucked into Grouchland. It scares the $h!t out of Emaline. She will literally start crying if it is played while she is in the room. She has such empathy for other people's misfortune that it just breaks her little heart.
While they have had an Elmo stuffie for some time, they recently inherited Granddaddy's Tickle-Me-Elmo (don't ask). I got a call from my mother (hi, Mom) asking how the kids like Elmo. See for yourself:

Since I haven't updated in a while, I should also add that the twins have finally gotten their own rooms. They started off together upstairs in a room that we renovated just for them. We then moved them downstairs, more than anything just to see if we could haul a queen-size Temperpedic mattress up a flight of stairs. We have known for some time that they are both keeping each other awake and waking each other up. Keillor gets up early in the morning and likes to wake his sister up. Emaline takes a shorter nap and wakes her brother up. Not any more. We are back downstairs in the master suite with its Winnebago bathroom and they each have their own room upstairs. It only took two years. This move seems to have done the trick. It's also super cute to hear them say goodnight  and "I love you" to each other.

We took the minivan for its maiden family voyage up to Cinci for the 4th. All the way there, Keillor talked and talked and talked. They were very excited to see Lila who took them to her park and to her grandparents' lake, and shared all of her toys with them.

Hanging out at the house

Safety first

Robot dance

Keillor and Lila escape

Relaxing at the water park with hot dogs

Emaline finishes her swim

Boating

Keillor is more of a sand Mau than a water Mau

This is what happens when Keillor plays with girls