Teamwork

Colin and Veronica are very, very different in their personalities, and this definitely comes to play in terms of what they each can do. Colin is very adept at opening, unfastening and taking apart … everything. He mastered the child locks on the cabinets, he now opens all our doors (the downside of having lever handles), he can unzip and unload my backpack in a matter of seconds, will repeatedly flush the toilet if the bathroom door is left open … you get the picture.

Veronica is more verbal, and is more adept at thinking things through (and therefore, at following complex instructions). She already has taken on certain self-appointed “chores” around the house, including bringing down the bottles and putting them in the sink (with a little help reaching), carrying dirty clothes to the laundry shoot and finding specific books or toys (for us, herself or Colin). 

John always has the twins clean up their toys before they nap, or go outside or come downstairs to eat. We keep nearly everything in open canvas “bins” that slide into cubbyholes on the shelves upstairs. Both Colin and Veronica can pull these out (although Colin is more likely to do it) and find whatever toys they feel like playing with. We don’t keep things in any particular order in these, although I try to keep the wooden and plastic food in one, and their Mega Blocks in another. 

Apparently, one day last week when John was supervising cleanup, the three of them were throwing toys into whichever bin was handiest. But then Veronica realized other toys had gotten in with the blocks, so she carefully fished all the non-block toys out of the block bin and moved them to a different bin. She has now done that a couple of times with me as well. Very organized, my girl is.

The twins also have learned how to use each others strengths to get things done. The other night, Veronica was helping me look for one of Colin’s shoes. She was checking under the jukebox, and saw something. But she’s not very good at/comfortable with reaching under things. So she stood up and said, “Col-col” while pointing at the jukebox. Colin immediately came over, laid on his belly and fished out a number of toys (but no shoe — it was hiding in the toy box, a victim of Veronica’s overzealous cleanup earlier in the day).

(To be honest, I use Colin to fish things out from under the couch all the time — he’s low to the ground, very good at reaching and seems to enjoy the challenge.)

Veronica also doesn’t open the doors (although she’s tall enough and perfectly capable of doing so). If she wants to get into a room where the door is closed, she will rattle the handle and Colin will happily come oblige her by opening the door (and joining in whatever trouble she had in mind). Last week they got into Ethan’s bedroom while John was fixing bottles and managed to take apart all of his Lego creations in less than 10 minutes. (We’re now installing eye hooks out of reach on the critical doors to keep busy babies out.)

I have a feeling we’re in big trouble — together these two are going to really keep us on our toes.