It's official...they're little humans.

This post title probably sounds funny to some of you, but to those of you who have ever been around kids (babies in particular), been around people who have kids, or have kids of your own, I think you're going to understand where I'm coming from.  I've heard this comment more than once by multiple people and it always makes me laugh because it's true...for some strange reason, at some ambiguous point in a baby's life, we decide that they are "like little humans".  This is the comment I get and I'm sure many of you have heard or even said when you tell someone that your child (or children in my case!) is talking, pointing, forming opinions, eating "real people" food (as if the baby food isn't meant for people), running, playing and interacting.  They are no longer babies who clearly can not relate with the human race since they do the most ridiculous things...like spit up, drink from bottles all day, sleep a lot, don't sleep at all, cry and not talk, crawl and not walk, whine, and basically live life in their own little world where all they look at is the floor and knees all day (oh yea and faces since they have to be held all the time).  I've heard my husband, brother, friends, parents and even myself say things like, "Look, they're eating with a fork!  They're like little humans!" or "She said 'milk' and pointed to the fridge like a real human!".  These comments sound so ridiculous but they do confirm one thing...my babies are growing up and are doing what they are supposed to do just like real humans!  I guess it also means we're slowly (and quickly at the same time) leaving the baby stage and moving on to bigger, better and faster things like eating with utensils, running everywhere, getting into everything and voicing an opinion!

Through all of this, it's fascinating to watch their little wheels turning in their brains when they encounter something new or when they're trying to figure something out.  It's amazing to see how quickly they pick up a new skill or new word...it's literally almost daily.  I love how they constantly want to copy me and do everything I'm doing whether it's brushing my teeth, cooking dinner, or picking weeds in the backyard...everything is interesting to them and it's probably because they are finally "human"!  

At this point, my life is absolutely crazy!  The kids are into everything...and by everything I mean literally, everything.  They want to play with anything they can get their hands on and by play I mean stab each other with it, break it, eat it or throw it (particularly throw it into the bathtub they have now figured out how to turn on!).  They always want to be "aye-id" or outside wreaking havoc in the back yard pointing to all the Vida land mines and yelling "poo-poo!" just in case I needed to know it was there.  Additionally, water has completely peaked their curiosity as they just can't seem to stay away from it and now it's turned into dumping water on each other which leads to screaming and crying and hitting...aaaaand all the neighbors wanting to call child services on me because it sounds like my kids are in utter agony from the previously mentioned drenching.

Coming to my house, at this point, is like getting free tickets to the circus.  Bryce likes to perform Cirque du Soliel acts on his rocking horse by standing on its back while still holding on to the handles...we're in trouble when he really tries to stand all the way up.  Emma is the magician that can make anything vanish...there's a black hole somewhere in my house with about a million pacifiers along with some legos and Mr. Potato Head pieces and who knows what else.  Ava is the clown who is wearing any kind of clothing she can find...shoes, hats, glasses...she pretty much goes through the laundry basket and just puts stuff on.

We pretty much lead a fun and exhilarating life with every day being completely a surprise as to what could happen!  On the plus side, I've been able to get out more with them by myself.  I still get lots of stares and lots of crazy comments but it's my sanity to be able to leave the house once in a while to get things done.  Of course this means taking about an hour and a half to get ready for a fifteen minute errand and it must be done around nap time...we don't dare mess with the sacred nap time.  We no longer use the triple stroller so instead, I'm bound to the double and I end up carrying a baby which has been awesome for my biceps - haha!  I regularly take them grocery shopping, to Chick-fil-a, Target, the neighborhood playground and to their gym class.  We regularly play in the backyard (thank God for fences) digging in flower pots, playing in the kiddie pool and water table, catching ladybugs and lizards, climbing on the playset, eating dirt, and creating lots of loads of laundry for mommy to do since they don't understand the concept of "clean" yet.  Like I mentioned earlier, their vocabulary is changing and growing almost daily with new words and sounds.  I constantly feel like I'm playing charades or am being some sort of interpreter trying to figure out exactly what they are saying to me over and over again.  Clearly they know what they're saying because they are so serious about it but sometimes I just don't know what they are trying to tell me so I just shake my head, agree and act really interested to make them happy because if they're happy and acting like a "little human", then I'm happy!