It’s hard to pick a favorite part of my day, but it might be right after I pick up E at daycare. I grab him first, and then we go to pick up his brother. I open the door and tell E to go find his baby. And he runs around looking from baby to baby until he finds G. It’s seriously the cutest thing ever.
This part of the day is easy and fun. It’s before the dinner struggle. Before I have to fight to get them in PJs and deal with tears because they’re overtired but don’t want to go to bed.
At this point of the day they’re excited to see me. They have things to tell me - all the fun stuff they did all day. They’re excited to see each other too. G will giggle and smile at E, and he’ll jump up and down and say “the baby!” He helps me get him loaded into his car seat, and push the stroller out the door and through the building as the staff waves goodbye.
Later, when we’re home, the tears will come. Both of them are teething right now, so there is drool and biting and discomfort. Both of them want 100% of my attention, which I cannot give. So I enjoy the ride home while I have it. They’re both strapped in and entertained. E has his car snack and water, which has trashed my car, but keeps him happy and chatting to me on the way home. It’s almost worth the smell coming from my car right now to watch him trying to feed his rubber ducky an animal cracker in the backseat. When he’s done with his snack he’ll reach for his sunglasses and put them on, telling me it’s too sunny out.
The baby munches on a toy, looks out the window, and will occassionally surprise E and me both by deciding to be chatty. He doesn’t really babble that often. It’s rare enough that you notice when it happens, and it’s usually quick. But every once in a while we’ll get a ride home where he’s telling us some story and will not stop. E loves to mimic him - “Wah bah bah dah! It’s baby said!”
It’s such a difference to go from one kid to two in the backseat. It goes from transporting a baby, to a road trip. There’s life and energy just pouring from the backseat. I can’t wait for car trips in the future, even if it means fights and “are we there yet” and “he’s touching me!” because this is exactly what I dreamed about. And it’s so crazy fun to watch it come together before my eyes.
