A Spot of Tea

Their eyes were wide with anticipation as they pleaded silently... desires yet unknown to me.  I knew something was coming as I tilted their heads back in the tub and tried to rinse the soap out of the bottom of their hair.  

"Mommy, can I tell you a question?" 

"What is it, muffins?" I asked - braced for something crazy.

"May we have tea as our snack tonight?" they exploded... "That would be SO great!"

What kids ask for tea and biscuits for their night time snack?  It was so adorable I couldn't resist.  We've had tea before, of course, but usually it was my idea, or as a treat at Mimi's house - today it was all them.  And so we got our PJ's on,  combed hair (adorned Emma with a fancy flower), and paddled down to the kitchen where we put the kettle on the stove.  As our water was steaming we made our way to the dining room to pick our tea cups.  Then, as the girls listened carefully for the tea to whistle, I sliced strawberries (and put a teaspoon of sugar in the center of the plate for a special treat).  

I remember my mom putting out a small sugar bowl with strawberries when I was little and it seemed to be the most decadent of all the summer treats.  I couldn't quite believe that this was allowed, wasn't sugar something we were supposed to use in moderation... and here it was, in all of it's sweet wonderfulness piled in front of me and a plate of juicy berries.  I can't remember, but I'm assuming that I ate them just like the girls did, so quickly that there was no way they could voice their approval until after they were finished and licking the risidual crystals from their finger tips.  Their eyes sparkled as they looked at me and said "Thank you mommy, that was so delicious"!

After the berries were cleaned up we turned our attention to our blueberry tea and biscuits.  The girls sipped and talked in their own special way, giggling at things that made no sense to me.
"tastes like chicken!"  giggle giggle laugh
"sissy don't laugh until I say the end okay, say okay"
"okay"
"I do be dee do DA!"
HAHAHA!  giggle giggle laugh

There are times, like tonight that I look at these two giggling and laughing and sipping their tea and I find myself in complete awe of them.  Most of the time I completely forget that I had twins.. two sets at that... They're just my four kiddos.  But some nights, like tonight, the miracle of it all slams me in the chest and nearly takes my breath away...  These are my BABIES!  They spent over 8 months inside of me... kicking and nudging and getting to know each other.  And then they were born and were so tiny and seemingly fragile, yet amazingly resilient and strong.  And they grew.  And then, over night it seems, they crawled, then walked, and developed these crazy awesome personalities, and then they looked at me when I was rinsing their hair and said "Mommy, may we have tea as our snack tonight?"