I Have Some Questions

The dudes and I are sick. We have colds. Well, I have a cold. The dudes have a cold AND are cutting all their teeth right now. Last count Shrek had 3 1/2 breaking through and Donkey had 2 breaking through. It hasn't been real fun around here. 

Mr. Mayer and Diva are doing great. I guess I should say today they are doing great. Diva got a red at school yesterday. Mr. Mayer has threatened to kill her if it happens again. I guess we will see after school how well Diva is doing. 

Anyway...back to point. I have some questions. I promise these boys aren't my first kids. However, I must give Daycare a lot of credit for teaching Diva a lot of these things I am struggling with. I mean, do kids just pick some of this stuff up and start doing it? 

I try and talk to the dudes and teach them new words. Sometimes I forget to use my words. It's hard when there is no reciprocation. I usually just get a lot of smiles and drool. Am I stunting their language development if I don't have constant chatter with them? 

The boys have learned to wave "bye-bye" and both utter something that sounds like it might be "bye-bye" so I count it. Donkey is still taking a few steps and then falls down. Shrek is walking everywhere. Shrek has also learned to clap his hands on command. I say "Yay!" and he will start clapping and saying something that sounds like his version of "Yay!" Both boys do Peek-A-Boo and have refined their pincher grasp. 

I am trying to teach them baby sign. I taught Diva somewhat successfully. Thanks to the BFF Kristen who teaches me so I can teach my kids (She's a teacher at the Oklahoma School For The Blind). So far neither boy has picked up any of the signs. I have noticed that they wave their hands in the air like they are trying to say they are done. Maybe that is wishful thinking. 

I feed the dudes whatever they can gum. That's pretty much anything. They love sandwiches. I have a habit of sitting them in their high chair and putting whatever they are eating onto the tray of their highchair. If we are away from home I just put their food on the table in front of them. I tried those disposable place mats and travel place mats but the dudes just peel those up and throw them. This week I decided that maybe they should learn how to eat off of a plate. Does anyone else find this challenging? If I stay right beside them and put the plate down when they pick it up things are fine. If I turn my back for a second the plates are in the floor. How did everyone else do this? Forget spoons and/or forks. We haven't even gone there yet. Am I stunting my kids?!

And books. I am really stumped on this. Diva loved books. She liked to look at books, read books, carry them around, etc. etc. So far the dudes like to fight over books and push them around the floor. I try to read to them and they crawl off or take the book from me after two words. I have always heard how important it is to read to your kids. My boys don't let me read to them. Does anyone have secrets, tips, advice on this topic? 

Really, there are days when I feel like I am doing this SAHM thing pretty somewhat successfully. Then there are weeks where I feel like I am screwing my kids up royally.