BY Jeff Ruffolo
Guangzhou, China – This is a first time experience.
Since the twins were born they have never been separated. That means 24 hours a day, seven days a week for more than 18 months, Nicholas and Antoinette have never been more than a shout or a “goi-goi” (as Nicholas would say) away from each other.
This week, Cris went to Cebu and took little Antoinette with her, leaving me with Nick all to my myself.
Some “male bonding” and all.
It actually has been ok.
We’ve banned all commercial TV from our home – with the rare exception of a nature program on National Geographic TV or my personal favorite Gold Rush on Discovery TV. I download the show each week and yesterday Nick sat on my lap and we men relished every moment of every dirty and muddy effort of Todd Hoffman and his crew trying to pull that stubborn gold out of the frozen Yukon ground.
Nick is playing with his toys only on occasion because most of the time he is doing his now favorite pastime (next to my reading to him).
Can you guess what it is?
It’s sleeping!
Not what I expected at all. I actually thought he would be pulling the doors of the kitchen apart or find as many bananas as possible.
Nope – what he is now doing is sleeping like crazy.
Now he gets his normal 13 hours when he goes down at 7 p.m. He will have had his hot bath and my reading “Where The Wild Things Are” and “Goodnight Moon” to him. Immediately he is out and down for the count until 8 a.m. the next day.
But he also sleeps a good four hours in the middle of the day.
Wish I could do that sometimes.
No – what really happens when Nick and Toni get together is that she never quiet. In fact she never shuts up. Even when they both pad over to their beds to sleep, Toni is jabbering away about something. Once tucked away, the talking never stops and I am sure the boy would like to slap her across the face with a brick to get his sister to be quiet.
Now that Dad is in control, Nick has been catching up with months on end of restless sleep.
So, sleep well my son as you will be reunited with your blabbermouth sister in a few days.
Sleep well …
