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May 29, 2010

Raising Carnivores

The girls love animals. They get so excited to see cats, dogs, birds, and squirrels in the neighborhood. And all their favorite books are animal-themed. We read what seems like 100 animal books every day. The girls love to look at the pictures and make the accompanying baby sign.

On what should be a separate note, the girls are long-standing fans of fruits and vegetables, as well as eggs and cheese. Over the past couple of months, I have also incorporated one serving of meat a day into their diet.

I was caught a little off guard a week or so ago when I was bringing the girls’ supper to the table. “First, we’re going to have chicken,” I said in as scrumptiously tempting of a voice as possible. Baby A commenced to flapping her “wings” and nodding her head. “Yes, chicken!” I encouraged her, but with a silent feeling of dread.

How long before the girls put two and two together?

Will they be horrified to realize that Mommy has baked the fluffy little chicken from the sweet farm story and served it to them in bite-size pieces? Will their protein intake eventually narrow to meatballs, which I will cleverly describe as originating from the meatball tree, should they ask?

Or maybe I’m jumping ahead of myself.

I know I was at least three when I am storied to have asked my mom what they did with the chickens after they cut their legs off (since drumsticks were a childhood favorite of mine). She told me they went to a special farm for handicapped animals.

I don’t know how old I was when I learned there really wasn’t such a farm. But judging from my non-vegan diet, I don’t guess I was too scarred by the realization...

May 28, 2010

Fab 5 Friday

I'm so thankful for another fabulous week!

1) Friday night we took the girls to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. I would usually feed them before we go, and then give them a snack and a couple of nibbles from my plate. Since they had been really interested in my plate the last time we ate there, I decided to try to feed them dinner there…off the menu…AND THEY LOVED IT!!! They did great…eating black beans and rice and a chicken quesadilla like old pros. And maybe technically they are, since I ate there at least once a week my entire pregnancy. :)

2) The girls and I had a sweet afternoon treat on Tuesday. We went to Sonic and sat under the covered patio, them in their stroller, and me in my flip-flops. We shared a junior Oreo sundae. They enjoyed watching the bigger kids run around the playground, and I enjoyed reading a magazine for a good fifteen minutes.

3) On Wednesday the girls got to see all their twinnie friends. We had a play date at the park with Kate and Spencer, and then we went for a walk with Ava and Mattie. I promise I will let them have singleton friends one day, but for now seeing double is just fun.

4) The girls are enjoying playing with their new baby dolls. They’re especially cute when they ask Daddy or me to wrap their dollies in blankets for them. They’re such sweet little mommies.

5) Upon request, Baby B will attempt to say Baby A’s name. It’s the cutest, sweetest, most darling thing ever. It also makes me think we might need an easier-to-say nickname for Baby B, like “Bee”. Otherwise I might have to wait a few more years before Baby A returns the favor.

Life is so very good.

May 25, 2010

Babies Having Babies

(This post is not really such a serious topic...but the title almost seems to fit…)

The girls have been playing with a couple of sets of dolls, one plush, and one mostly plush. Given their recent fascination with babies, I thought it might be time to give them one of the sets of twin dolls they got for their birthday. These dolls have soft bodies, but their heads, arms, and legs make them look much more like real babies.

I walked into the den yesterday cradling both dolls. You should have seen the girls’ faces light up! They both exclaimed, “Baby!”

Since then, they’ve hardly put the dolls down. They have played with other toys, but it’s primarily been with one of their dolls tucked under their arms.

Seeing the girls run around, clutching their “babies”, makes me realize they’re not so much babies themselves anymore…they’re changing into little girls before my eyes.

I am certainly looking forward to the days of tea parties and dress-up (and sidewalk chalk and Big Wheels…just so you don’t think I’m pushing them to like only frilly things…), but wow! I didn’t expect it to be coming on so soon!

May 24, 2010

Quiet Time

Don't let the picture fool you...they weren't quiet for long!



The girls sat for several minutes, looking at their books. How sweet it is! And seeing them together like this just Makes My Monday.

(Playing along with Cheryl again at Twinfatuation!)

Things People Say...

I’m so very proud of my sweet baby girls, so I can’t really complain when random people say random things.

As a general rule, I just love sharing my babies with the world. I love the sweet smiles and ooh’s and goo’s. And although the “Wow! You’ve got your hands full!” and “Double trouble!” comments get a little old after a while, I ultimately still just beam when people comment on the girls.

But seeing a couple of cute little babies seems to have a really strange effect on some folks…it seems to make them open their mouths and say things that don’t really make sense, or are otherwise just plain rude.

On several occasions, people have asked me, “Are they natural?” Folks are obviously referring to the conception of the girls, given the heightened awareness of fertility treatments these days. I have a couple of preferred responses to this one, depending on the audience.

For the nosy person who should really mind her own business, I’ll remark, “Yep! They’re 100% human!

And for the little old lady (who should also mind her own business, by the way), I’ll lament, “Unfortunately, I had to have a c-section.

Both responses usually take people off guard. Some really persistent people will try to explain what they meant. Others just give me a puzzled look, usually followed by a sympathetic smile. Perhaps they assume I’m a little off-kilter myself, my brain surely about to short-circuit from the stress of twins.

The craziest comment I have gotten to date was from a waiter at a restaurant, when my husband and I had the girls out for lunch a couple of months ago. He said, “Wow, twins?” Yes, they are. “Are they both yours?

Not just, “Are they yours?”, which would be a strange enough question (and one that I’ve gotten a couple of times…why I would be lugging around someone else’s twins, I don’t know). But by definition (save for some really bizarre reproductive snafu), twins generally go together…as in, where one belongs, so does the other.

I just had to laugh. We got extra good service that meal, though. He was probably worried his goofiness would affect his tip.

If things weren't interesting enough being out and about with twins, I can usually depend on the general public for a good chuckle now and again.

(Link over to the Multiples & More Blog Network to check out other responses to this Question of the Week!)

May 21, 2010

Fab 5 Friday

Wow…I can’t believe it’s Friday again already! There was a lot of fabulousness in this week, and it just flew by!

1) I started giving the girls piggy-back rides a few days ago. They’re not steady enough for the traditional stance, though, so I have to crawl around with one arm holding them on my back. (Yeah, we don’t make it very far!) It’s happened a few times that one of them will come and lean against my back and put her arms around my neck when I’m sitting on the floor (a very subtle hint for a ride). I could melt.

2) The girls have been holding hands a lot more lately. They do it sometimes when they’re in the jogging stroller. I can’t see their faces, but I can see their little hands clasped together…so sweet.

3) Over the past couple of months, the girls have been really interested in books. Their primary interest was in picture books, though, and they liked to sign the pictures they knew, and it sometimes seemed to be a game to see how quickly they could turn the pages. Mid-week, they decided it was OK to have Mommy read them books again. There’s still a long of signing and page-turning going on, but they’ve been more content to listen to a (very short) story. Finally!

4) Auntie Judith was in town this week from Seattle, and she got to spend a little while with the girls one afternoon. Although we only see her about once a year, she is such a wonderful part of our “family”. And it was the sweetest thing to see Baby B warm up enough to eventually give her nose kisses over and over again.

5) Baby A has been walking around the den with her hands behind her back. She looks like she’s practicing for kindergarten. Kindergarten???! Whoa…Mommy needs a deep breath…

May 19, 2010

Taste the Rainbow!

No, our girls aren’t eating Lucky Charms (although that suddenly sounds good to me…). I try to offer them as much variety in the way of fruits and veggies as I can.

Red = tomatoes, strawberries

Orange = sweet potatoes, carrots, peaches, oranges, mangoes

Yellow = squash, potatoes, cauliflower, pineapple, pears, bananas

Green = brussel sprouts, zucchini, avocado, okra, broccoli, peas, kiwi

Blue = blueberries

Indigo = grapes

Violet = beets

As my girlfriend says, “I don’t want to be a chicken nuggets and Doritos mama!" (But hey, Doritos sound awful good to me, too...I guess they could fit into the “orange” category…)

May 17, 2010

Silly Sisters

Oh, pardon me...were you sitting here already?




Seeing my silly girlies interact with each other really Makes My Monday!

(I'm playing along again with Cheryl at Twinfatuation!)

May 16, 2010

I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing!

December 2008. That’s the last time Hubby and I were out to dinner…together… alone.

The girlies have been going to bed at 7:30 for many months now. We still haven’t braved leaving them with a sitter, but why we didn’t act on the “house sitter” idea sooner, I have no idea.

Friday evening, we got the girls to bed on their usual schedule. I tried to be very careful not to let on that I was anxious for them to retire for the evening. Nothing to see here, Girls!

But as soon as they were down, I broke out of my yoga pants into a carefully-planned outfit and high heels. (I say "carefully planned" because I tried on quite a few ensembles before deciding what to wear. I have a closetful of clothes, but the majority of them haven’t been worn in the past couple of years. It was like going shopping in my own house, except I didn’t have someone to hang up the clothes I didn’t want.) (And I note "high heels" because at 5’2”, I LOVE wearing high heels. That’s perhaps what I miss most about my pre-kiddo days [relatively speaking, anyway].)

Hubby and I had 8:00 dinner reservations at one of our favorite restaurants downtown. I had been planning for days what I would order. I didn’t exactly need to look at the menu, but I did, anyway…very leisurely.

And speaking of leisurely, we sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed ourselves.

We enjoyed an appetizer. We enjoyed drinks. We enjoyed salads. We enjoyed the fresh-baked bread (and I’ll admit to requesting a couple of refills on the bread basket). Hubby enjoyed a stuffed pork chop, and I had my first medium rare (leaning towards rare) steak since before I got pregnant. An almost-mooing piece of meat has never tasted so good.

And we would have enjoyed dessert had we not both been so full we could barely move.

Leading up to our dinner out, I kept thinking about some old sitcom episode, where the parents of a new baby go out for the first time. They separately keep excusing themselves, and they sneak around the corner to the pay phone (it’s an old sitcom) to call the sitter to check on the baby. And the only thing they can talk about over dinner is the baby.

I am happy to say that our evening did not resemble that plot at all. We propped our feet up and enjoyed ourselves. I figured if the sitter needed us, she would call. And while we didn’t avoid the topic of the kiddos, we had plenty more topics of conversation to discuss. In that way, it was like old times.

One thing that wasn’t like old times, at least for me, is that I ate every last morsel on my plate. I have never done that before! I certainly wasn’t that hungry, but I just wanted to appreciate every bite.

And another thing that wasn’t like old times was getting to come home to the sweet sounds of two sleeping babies.

And that’s well worth 17 months of no dinner dates.

May 14, 2010

Fab 5 Friday

A few highlights from my fabulous week:

1) The girls ate beets this week…and liked them! And I just think that’s kinda cool.

2) We had a great family afternoon on Saturday. We had lunch at one of my favorite dives, Greener Groundz, a “shabby chic” sandwich shop close to downtown. Then we strolled around the Square and enjoyed a coffee at Spencer’s. To top it off, the girls got to see the carriage horses up close for the first time as they made their way around the Square. They were thrilled and couldn’t sign “horse” fast enough.

3) Sunday was Mother’s Day, my second one as a mommy. Last year I was still a bit lost in the throes of the newborn hamster wheel, but this year I really appreciated the day with my beautiful baby girls.

4) We had lunch at Garcia’s with Auntie Shanda on Thursday for her birthday. Although I fed the girls their lunch before we left home, I gave them each a slice of my chicken quesadilla (cut into pieces) at the restaurant. They loved it! Yup, they’re my girls, alright!

5) The girls are obsessed with saying “Bye-bye!” It cracks me up when, midway through a phone conversation, one of them will try to declare I’ve talked enough. They will start saying, “Bye-bye!” and waving. C’mon Mom, we’re ready for your full attention!

I can’t help but love the antics of Baby A and Baby B!

May 11, 2010

The Cloak of Oblivion

As a mother, I feel it is a big part of my job to set a good example for my children…to make sure they stand up straight, are kind and courteous to others, respect the environment, eat a balanced diet, read, exercise…the list is long, and actually pretty daunting.

As I loaded up the girls after lunch today for a quick run through the Sonic drive-thru for a 44oz. Diet Coke, I realized that I am operating under a cloak of oblivion. At 16 months old, they are still oblivious to most of the not-so-exemplary things I do…like drinking a 44oz. Diet Coke.

Today I can easily get away with a quick drive-through run. I sing songs along the way and point out interesting sights (“Cows!”), so I figure the 15-minute round trip isn’t totally wasted.

But one day, in the not-so-distant future, I know I won’t be able to make such a run without them wanting something for themselves. I won’t be able to step quietly away from playing in the den to grab a bite-size candy bar from the pantry. (Sometimes Mama just needs a little chocolate.) I won’t be able to indulge in People magazine while I stand in line at the grocery store.

No, they will see me. And they will want some of whatever-it-is I have.

So one day, I’ll either have to alter my ways and set a better example, one I’ll truly want them to follow…or I’ll have to get better at hiding my indiscretions.

Yes, I’ll have to find a better cloak.

May 10, 2010

My Three Favorite People

I love this picture...


Daddy was playing with the girls, and they were all having such a good time. He may not be much (or anything at all) for changing diapers, but it makes my heart smile to see my hubby enjoying our baby girls.

(This just so happens to fit in with the "Makes My Monday" theme on Twinfatuation!)

May 7, 2010

Gifts

I've been asked on occasion, "What's your favorite part of being a mom?" If taken literally, that's such a huge question, one I could never narrow down to a singular answer.

I am a different person today than I was two years ago. I'm still "me", but I now know the depth of the greatest of loves, and I am so thankful and so humbled by this experience, this opportunity.

I've been more specifically asked, "What's your favorite part of having twins?" That question is a little easier to answer, although my answer is a broad one.

The best part of having twins is witnessing their special bond, their interaction as they grow and develop together. It's magical.


I found a beautiful quote a couple of weeks ago:
"You don't choose your children. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." - Desmond Tutu
Certainly, my girls are the most amazing gift I could have ever imagined. I am so privileged to be their mom.
(I wrote this post on Friday, but it just happens to be the Multiples & More Question of the Week....what are the odds? HA!)

Fab 5 Friday

…another fabulous week, courtesy of Baby A and Baby B!

1) As I announced the final course at lunch one day this week was pears, Baby A began to pointedly sign “bear”. Either she misheard me, or she was going for the closest sign she knew. How cool is that?!

2) Baby B showed some serious engineering prowess this week when she stacked two Bumbo seats to climb onto a chair. It gave me quite a scare, but I couldn't help but be proud of her ingenuity.

3) My aunt, uncle, and great aunt came for a visit this week. We don’t have family close by, so it was good for the soul to see them…and to see them with the girls.

4) While my family was visiting, we took the girls for ice cream. I feel a little guilty at my resolve to make them like ice cream, but it appears the fourth time was a charm. They rather enjoyed a few bites of vanilla ice cream, and they seemed a little jealous when Mommy turned her attention to her own scoop of White Fudge Truffle and refused to give them a bite.

5) Because of the flooding (which is anything but fabulous), Daddy was out of school on Monday. We enjoyed a magnificent lunch at a downtown café. We scored a sidewalk table, and the girls were content to take in the scenery while Daddy and I ate lunch. It felt so awesome to be spending the afternoon as a family of four.

May 3, 2010

Ice Cream Investment Strategies

Over the past few weeks, the girls have sampled ice cream three times.

Outside of fresh fruit, which they love, they have had very little exposure to sweets…only their birthday cake, and then Mommy’s homemade holiday treats – strawberry cake for Valentine’s Day, mint cream cheese brownies for St. Patty’s Day, and carrot cake for Easter.

They got a free pass with their birthday cakes, but I don’t really think they ate much…they smeared some frosting around and threw a lot of cake on the floor. With the other desserts, they’ve only had five or six small bites.

Still, I expected them to naturally love ice cream. What kid doesn’t, right? But even after three samplings, reviews are still mixed.

Baby B has adopted a “no pain, no gain” approach. She seems to love the taste, but she doesn’t love the cold. After the first bite, she squeals for more, and then she closes her eyes and winces until it’s over with.

Baby A seems much more risk averse. After the first bite, she turns her head to the side with a big smile, refusing any more. Even though I think she likes the taste, too, the shock of the cold is just not worth it for her.

So…fast forward 30 or so years…what if the girls take a similar approach to financial investments?

Baby A will have a nice little savings account and a cozy little bungalow.

Baby B will either have hit it big in the stock market, or she’ll be living in the basement of her sister's bungalow.

Let’s hope it’s the former so she can afford to buy herself lots of ice cream.

…or maybe I’m putting too much stock into the girls’ affinity for dessert. Perhaps I should just keep trying [read: Mommy should have ice cream more often], and eventually they’ll catch on.

I mean, these girls have got to develop a taste for ice cream. How else can I justify ordering kiddie cones???

May 2, 2010

It's Important to Accessorize

The girls have had so much fun with their stacking rings since they were 8 or 9 months old.

Over the past couple of weeks, they've taken to wearing them like bracelets (sometimes with a little help from Mom). They love to adorn the rings and wave and clap madly.


I say it's never too early to learn to accessorize.