My Life as Described by Twin Trials and Triumphs

Valentine's Day Fun in the Kitchen

2012-02-13T06:19:00.004-06:00

The girls are developing a deep love for crafts. And a craft in the kitchen? Can you hear their unison squealing???

As part of our Valentine's Day fun, I let the girls help me make some goodies for a couple of our neighbors and friends.

They helped me hunt for pretzel rods at the grocery store, and they helped pick out the perfect combination of holiday-colored sprinkles.

The girls rolled the pretzels in the chocolate...

...and then again in the sprinkles.

So pretty!

The girls will attest to them tasting good, too. "Yummy in my tummy!" they agreed.

Accompanied by one of their handmade cards? Happy Valentine's Day from A and B, indeed!

The Meaning of Valentine's Day, per A and B

2012-02-12T08:17:00.007-06:00

I've always heard that the holidays are so much more fun with kids, and I always associated that statement with "the holidays", meaning Christmas.

I'm learning that "the holidays" in the context of little kiddos doesn't just refer to Christmas. Even Groundhog's Day is fun when shared with the wee ones...reading books, doing crafts, and inventing ways to celebrate!

Ahead of Valentine's Day, we've been doing lots and lots of crafts, mostly making cards for our friends and family. And I've been impressing upon the girls that that's what it's all about...expressing our love to those we hold dear.

A couple of days ago, the girls were working on their magnetic drawing pads. Baby B announced, "I'm making a Valentine for Sasha!"

That's so nice! What does it say?

In her typical expressive fashion -- complete with batting eyelashes, head nods, and waving hands -- B proclaimed:

"It says...

Dear Sasha, Your fur is so soft and I like to stroke it, and your nose is so wet and I like to pet you and I love you."

No doubt she picked up on that line of thinking from one of the books we've been reading, but oh...how sweet!

My girls melt my heart with their sweet play patterns, showing me they're taking in all the elements of their environment. And their awesome regard for their furry sister Sasha is the icing on the cupcake for this mama.

No-Sew Handmade Heart Baskets

2012-02-11T06:07:00.017-06:00

I was thinking about something little and fun for the girls for Valentine's Day, and I remembered these felt heart baskets my mom used to make.

A quick romp through my craft supplies yielded several pieces of standard 9" x 11" felt, and I got to work.

Fold your felt in half, top to bottom, and cut it half. Each piece will be 4.5" wide. You will need two for each basket. I used coordinating colors.

With the folded side to the bottom, round the top corners. I didn't use a pattern, but started my "curve" about 2" down one side.

From the bottom, cut three even slits, 1.5" each. The slits should be 4.5" long.

Then start "weaving" the two pieces together. Start from the top inside "divot" of the heart. Here are pictures of the first row...

[I had to play around to remember how to do this. Once I got started, it was easy and went very quickly.]

Repeat the alternating pattern for the next two rows, and your woven heart will look something like this, wrinkled and rumpled.

Pull each of the rows so they are straight, and viola!

I know I labeled this as "no-sew", but I did sew a little handle onto each basket, 1" wide and 9" long...but you could glue it if you wanna.

The finished baskets are about 6" x 6"...perfect for an itty bitty "happy" for my itty bitty valentines.

***

Linking up with Adventures-in-Mommy-Land for her Valentine's-themed Weekend Show and Share...a place for mamas (and dads) to show off the crafts they've been up to. Hop on over to see all the amazing things Charlene has been working on...and check out some great ideas from other bloggers, too!

Fab 5 Friday

2012-02-10T08:46:00.004-06:00

Counting my blessings for another fab-filled week!

1) On Friday afternoon, the timing worked out for us to meet Daddy downtown after school to go to the post office. We’d planned to have a little snack at our favorite coffee shop, but by the time we finished, it was closer to supper time. Spur of the moment, we decided to go to one of our favorite shabby-chic restaurants for The Best Pizza on the Planet. Seriously. The pizza was scrumptious, for sure…but it was so much more than that. It was awesome being able to go out to dinner spur of the moment, and to so fully enjoy a meal together, so effortlessly.

2) Our twin friends K and K had their third birthday party on Saturday, at an indoor play place. The girls had an absolute blast in the bounce houses (as did Mommy!). It was so fun to watch B climbing all over the place, and so sweet to see A claim a baby doll and push it around in a stroller. And of course it’s always great to see my girlies playing with their friends.

3) The girls have been all about letters this week. A favorite pastime has been them asking me, “What does ____ start with?” I’ll sound out the word, and maybe give them a clue, and they usually get it. Baby A has taken a real interest in writing letters, too. She’s mastered A, I, T, E, F. And I could not believe when she asked me on Thursday, “What does Whitey [their stuffed bear] start with?” I told her “W”, and 15 seconds later, she said, “Is this a ‘W’?” She drew it without any instruction!!!

4) We hosted our twin friends M and C, who are 9 months younger than A and B, for a play date on Tuesday. It was so fun to see the dynamics of the group. Baby A hung with the boys and played with the train set for quite some time, while B pretended to run errands. We’d talked about sharing before M and C got here. A couple of times, I caught A taking a toy from one of the boys. When I called her on it, she said, “He needs to share.” Um, still have some work to do there!

5) And the quotes of the week?

The four of us were snuggling in the den, the first thing Friday morning. Baby A was twitching her nose, and I asked if she smelled something. “I smell Daddy.” What does Daddy smell like? “Like he needs to take a shower.” Not true (at least to my nose)...but oh, so funny!

And I overheard B explaining to A about a toy, “…and if it rolled under the couch, Daddy would get it when he gets home...because he's the master of getting stuff."

Tender Heart

2012-02-09T08:45:00.003-06:00

It’s happened twice this week.

The first time, we sat cuddled on the couch in the girls’ room after nap, reading a story about Lilypet.

Lilypet is a pristine white field mouse who disobeys her mommy and wanders away from their house in search of adventure. She tries to make friends with some animals on a farm, but they are scared of her. She runs away from the farm, only to come face to face with a tom cat. She narrowly escapes the cat, only to then realize she’s lost.

At that point in the story, I glanced at Baby A, and her little chin was trembling, tears welled in her eyes.

“It’s OK!” I told her, turning the page. “Look! See, Lilypet finds her way home, and here she is with her mommy, safe and warm.”

Despite the picture of the happy ending, Baby A was quite upset, crying. She climbed into my lap and burrowed her face against my shoulder. We had to put the book away and move on to something else.

A day or so later, the girls asked to read from the book of fairy tales they got for Christmas. Judging solely by the pictures they insisted on reading “the one with the ducks”, The Ugly Duckling.

Given what had happened with the Lilypet story, I was trying to temper my usually-impassioned style of reading, and hurry through the sadder parts. But my efforts were to no avail. We made it to the part of the story where the ducks are teasing the baby swan, and Baby A lost it again.

Of course I don’t like to see her upset – and I’ll try to be more discerning about what stories we read for a while – but oh, how I just want to wrap her tender little heart in the softest blanket and cuddle my baby girl forever.

Phone Etiquette

2012-02-08T08:36:00.005-06:00

As a general rule, I think my girls are pretty well-behaved. Sure, they test their boundaries here and there – as is their job – but they’re mostly pleasant kids.

The last week and a half, since the floodgates (er, baby gates) came down, there has been more boundary-testing, but that’s understandable. I’ve done my best to be consistent in discipline, while remembering that certain things…like the lure of making laps around the kitchen table…probably just have to run their course.

The one horrific exception to the girls’ good behavior is when I’m on the phone. This has been a challenge to some degree for a while, but – if worse came to worse and I had to answer a phone call – I could step into another room (leaving the girls in their gated safety bubble).

Now, though, all bets are off.

The girls could be playing beautifully, engaged in a great pretend scenario, or reading, or drawing…but the ringing of the telephone often seems like the starting gun of a 100-meter dash.

No sooner have I uttered “Hello” than the girls are climbing on the back of the couch, peeking into a cabinet, or making a run for the stairs.

I know consistency in discipline is important, and my friends and family have heard me “count” the girls – and put them in time-out – plenty of times. I know that the girls need to learn that – even when Mommy has her attention turned – they are still expected to behave as they know how.

But oh, my…we’re just not there yet.

So, friends and family, please forgive me if I’m out of touch. Husband, please understand that no, I still haven’t called the cable company to explore our options.

I’m just biding my time…trying to save myself some drama and keep my blood pressure in check.

And as for nap time? That’s MY time! I talk all.day.long, and I don’t usually answer the phone then, much less make calls.

It's necessary I save my voice box "to be consistent in discipline" when the girls wake up.

Valentine's Day Fun (and Learning)

2012-02-07T06:18:00.012-06:00

Hubby and I have never made a big deal out of Valentine's Day, but, with the girls now three years old, I find myself more excited about the upcoming holiday than I was when I was a pimply teenager.

We have been having so much fun making Valentine's crafts!

I love having so much "themed" inspiration...and an outlet for our creations. At the risk of spoiling some of the surprise for our friends and family, here's part of what we've been up to.

And in addition to all the gluing and "following directions" practice, the girls might just be learning a little something, too...

...like a heart symbolizes love.

..."X" is a sign for a hug, because you cross your arms (and the girls hug themselves).

..."O" is a sign for a kiss, because you make your lips into that shape (and the girls do a big "mwah!").

...and lots of letter sorting and placement...

I love the way these turned out!

And of course the girls are always so proud to show off their creations!

We've gotta kick our production into high gear and start getting these in the mail. Unlike our Christmas cards (which I may still be working on...ahem...), I'm hoping to do a little better. :)

***

Speaking of creative inspiration, I'm the featured blogger today at Adventures-in-Mommy-Land! And Charlene's blog truly has some of the greatest creative inspiration.

Charlene does the most amazing crafts with her kiddos...and she bakes, and she decorates, and she sews, too.

She hosts a weekly link-up, "Hey, Mom, Look What I Did!" and there are always so many great ideas showcased.

And she just launched an Etsy shop selling the most precious aprons. I happened to be lucky enough to win one from her blog in October -- it's gorgeous! She has aprons for adults and kiddos -- girls and boys.

If you haven't met Charlene, I encourage you to stop by and say hello...I think you'll be glad you did.

Ungated Goodness

2012-02-05T08:37:00.003-06:00

Lots of changes at our house this week with the downing of the baby gates! While it's been lots of work in some respects, there have been lots of sweet moments, too.

Here's one of my faves, from Saturday morning...

...Daddy reading his paper after breakfast, spontaneously joined by the girls, reading their books.

Worth it!!!

Budding Artists?

2012-02-04T08:14:00.010-06:00

We bought the girls small magnetic drawing pads for our mini-vacation last summer. They had fun playing with them in the hotel, and I kept them packed in our "travel bag" for future such trips.

Our sweet Miss Jennifer gave the girls similar magnetic drawing pads for Christmas, and the girls had a blast playing with them in the den. After a play date at a friend's house, where the girls really enjoyed the larger Magna Doodles, we decided to invest in two of them with some of the girls' birthday money.

What a fantastic investment that has been!

The girls L-O-V-E to draw. It's not at all unusual to find them like this...

...for 20 or so minutes at a time!

The girls love to draw themselves, and of course they love to request drawings upon drawings from Mommy.

And when Mommy draws, she sometimes tries to sneak in some letters and numbers, too. To the girls, it's all part of the game, but I think the drawing pads are really a great - and fun! - learning tool.

I've been amazed, too, at how well the girls draw on them. With crayons, they still mostly scribble...lots of colors, all mixed together.

Maybe the pen glides more easily across the drawing pad...or maybe it more closely resembles an actual pen...but the girls hold it in pretty good form, and they've made quite a few masterpieces (I think!).

Here's B, showing off one of the first examples I saw her make of an actual face...

...and here's A, so very proud of her "A"s.

Of course, I can't always recognize the girls' drawings. Here's A, with her signature letter, and B explained, "This is a type of animal...that I really love!"

I'm with Julia at Pontifications of a Twin Mom again this week for her great link-up, Mama Loves.

I don't know if we have budding artists on our hands, but this mama certainly loves these doodlers, and so do Baby A and Baby B!

Fab 6 Friday!

2012-02-03T08:59:00.003-06:00

We’ve had such a gorgeous week of weather. While I would mostly rather the seasons stick to how they’re supposed to act, we have so enjoyed all the time outside. The girls and I have gotten in some great stroller walks, and some great hand-in-hand walks, too…sometimes in immediate succession. We’re all just soaking up the sunshine and fresh air, and that’s truly fabulous!

In other fabulous news…

1) We usually go out to lunch on Saturday, and we had our sights set on one of our favorite dives. Hubby saw an ad in the paper for a new restaurant, though, and – spur of the moment – we decided to try it. It was excellent! From-scratch sandwiches, pizzas, and salads, in some pretty interesting flavor combinations, using “Kentucky Proud” ingredients. We had a great meal…and how GREAT it was to try a new place – spur of the moment – with the girlies!

2) The girls and I have had so much fun making Valentines this week! Pictures to come, of course. :)

3) It’s rare that the girls and I go out to lunch during the middle of the week, but we decided to break with routine and treat ourselves to a mid-week outing. Aunt Karen was available to join us, and it made for such a nice morning. We enjoyed our lunch, and the girls were extra-snuggly that day, too…there’s just something so heartwarming about seeing my babies cuddled with their “auntie”.

4) We have a small futon in the girls’ room, and we used to cuddle there every morning as a family. We had to dispense with that when potty-training started, though, as we began making a beeline for the bathroom instead. Over the past couple of days, the girls have asked to read books when they woke up. How sweet it is to snuggle with them there, so reminiscent of their baby days.

5) I noticed a new freckle on Baby A this week, a tiny one on her left collarbone. I know I won’t always be able to document every little thing, but it makes my heart smile to be able to recognize such little changes…and to know that that little freckle will be with her always.

6) Baby B is an avid thumb-sucker, but only when she sleeps. When she’s really tired, she’ll go ahead and insert her thumb into her mouth as I’m zipping up her blanket. Daddy has been talking to her gently, asking her to try to refrain. Bless her heart…she’s trying…but I had such a laugh one night. I zipped up her blanket and she tucked her left hand inside. She wrapped her right thumb in her blanket too, and said, “I’ll just put it here so it’s safe.” Hahaha! And of course as soon as her head hit the mattress, I heard that familiar sucking sound.

And me???

I met a friend for a late cup of coffee on Friday night, scoring my favorite spot in the whole city, right in front of the fire place at the coffee shop. AND…I got a pedicure…ALONE…on Sunday afternoon. Bliss!!!

Hope there was plenty of fabulous in your week, too!

An Un-Gated Community: Day 5

2012-02-02T13:53:00.005-06:00

We’re on Day 5 of no baby gates. All in all and KNOCK ON WOOD, things are going pretty well…as usual, much better than the worst-case scenario / Mommy-stuffed-in-the-oven-while-the-girls-swing-from-the-chandelier I had imagined.

Granted, I have relaxed some of my standards. I would really like for the girls to hang out in the den unless they have a reason to be in the kitchen…but I quickly realized that’s probably unrealistic. Particularly when I’m in the kitchen, they want to wander in to see what’s going on, and I’m OK with that.

Nonetheless, I have held to most of my rules:

- The den is for playing; the kitchen is not.
- Toys stay in the den.
- Walk - don't run - on the wood floor (at least in theory).
- Do not sit on the wood floor.
- Do not reach up on the table or the counters.
- Do not open cabinets or drawers.

I was afraid the kitchen table would be a big lure, and I envisioned the worst of bumps and bruises – on the girls and on the furniture. We quickly reached a compromise, where the girls can sit at the table to read. (And how I love to see my babes propped up reading!!!)

Still, that has prompted us to add a new rule -- do not move the kitchen chairs.

One more rule I added -- ask Mommy before you throw anything away. (I didn’t think about it, but the girls have never had free access to a trash can!)

The girls have done a good job of not wandering into the dining room or the living room. They don’t see us spending much time in there, so maybe it doesn’t much occur to them. And they haven’t gone upstairs by themselves, save when I’ve gone up there to get something, which is probably understandable.

These past few days have been interesting for me, though, a combination of count it, and ignore it, while trying somehow to be consistent.

I know that the girls are exploring their boundaries, and some things probably just need to run their course. They’ll eventually realize that walking laps around the kitchen table is not very fun. It drives me a little batty, but I’m choosing to ignore it.

Other times, I’ve found myself being very strict about certain things, like opening cabinets. I think there is a certain example that needs to be set, that these are hard and fast rules. Three strikes, and you’re in time out, no questions.

Like any other transition, the past few days have been stressful…the girls, testing their boundaries, and me, trying to respond fairly, and in a way that helps them understand what’s expected of them.

And, although I didn’t think to expect it, this has been a very emotional few days, too. I look back to so many other transitions…most recently, potty training…when the girls are accepting new responsibilities. It must be a lot for them to process, and there’s definitely a heightened sense of emotion here.

Between the stress of trying to discipline the girls and the emotions running pretty high, this mama is pretty tired. I don’t usually think much about what day of the week it is…but this week I’m definitely looking forward to the weekend and having Hubby home.

And my guess is that this first week will be the toughest…that in another few days we’ll all have reached a new level of “normal”.

In the meantime, I’m so enjoying the open feeling to the house…not hurdling baby gates 100 times a day…and the idea – as Rebecca said – that “it’s their house, too”. It’s definitely a new level of “family”.

Tales of a Duck and a Butterfly

2012-02-01T06:24:00.007-06:00

About two years ago, we bought the cutest, fuzziest hooded towels for the girls...a yellow duck for Baby A, and a bright pink butterfly for B.

At just over a year old, they couldn't tell us how much they loved their towels, but their big smiles - and soon after, their voracious signing - were quite clear.

Our duck and butterfly towels aren't quite as fuzzy as they once were, but the girls still love them, just the same. After every bath, they give them nose kisses and declare, "Thank you for drying me off!" before they trek to the hamper.

We'll have to retire our towels before long, but they've certainly served us well. I look forward to being joined by a couple of new fuzzy bathtime friends...but not before I got one more photo session with our beloved duck and butterfly.

I'm linking up with Twinfatuation for Way Back When-esday. Thanks for hosting this trip down memory lane, Miss Cheryl!

Grocery Store Stalkers

2012-01-31T08:47:00.004-06:00

I have always maintained that – while it can be a little cumbersome – I generally don’t mind people ooh’ing and goo’ing over my sweet baby girls when we’re in public. As long as you don’t try to touch my sweet baby girls…in which case I will go Ninja on you…I fully understand they are completely irresistible.

Even the usual “double trouble”-type comments, I try to savor to some degree…as I know they won’t last forever.

Since the girls have gotten a little older, though, I’ve started to get much more sensitive to what people actually say.

I don’t want random strangers, well-meaning as they may be, to plant a seed in my girls’ heads that they’re trouble…that they’re a handful…that one is smarter / prettier / more outgoing than the other.

At the grocery store a couple of days ago, we kept running into the same older couple.

The lady was polite, but ultimately she was focused on her shopping. Hmmm…I would like to focus on my shopping as well. The man, though, seemed just along for the ride. He was not interested in matching coupons to brands of oatmeal. It was obvious he was looking for diversions.

Aisle 8
Oh, look, how sweet! Are they twins?
Yes, ma’am! Say, ‘Good morning,’ girls!
B: Good morning!
Double trouble!
Double blessings!

Aisle 6
Hm. Brown eyes and blue eyes. How’d you do that?
Smile sweetly. [Via special order at the Buy One, Get One Free store.]

Aisle 5
How are you girls today?
B: Good.
Brown eyes must not be able to talk.
Oh, she’s a talker. She’s just taking it all in this morning. [And she apparently thinks you’re creepy.]

Aisle 3
You’ve got your hands full driving that limo (referring to my double stroller, behind which I was pulling a full cart).
Yes, sir! I just try not to run over too many toes. [But I could run you down and mow you over, dude.]

In Front of the Bananas
So who’s older?
B: Sissy!
Smile slightly. [Seriously? Are you following us? Or do you just happen to have the exact same grocery list as I do? I could call security, ya know?]

In Front of the Grapes
Who’s the boss? (To B) You’re not going to let your little sister be the boss, are you?
B: Mommy’s the boss!
Good answer, Baby Girl! Tell this nice man to have a good day.
A and B: Have a good day!

[Whew! Made it to the check-out! And no one's following us!]

That’s the thing about the grocery store…I’m there for a reason, and I’m working my way through my list. Oh, and I happen to be on a schedule, too. It’s not like I want to haul my refrigerated items (and my two children…who might eventually like to eat lunch!) over to the sporting goods section to kill some time to allow these folks to get out of my hair.

I know people are well-meaning. And I want my girls to appreciate idle chit-chat with folks in public. But I sometimes wish I could request people think before they speak.

Or maybe I should wear a Ninja outfit???

A Scratch or a Pick?...HELP!!!

2012-01-30T08:20:00.004-06:00

I worked with this guy one time. Long before we even thought about having children, he volunteered – very much at random, as I remember it – that his children didn’t do gross things. “They don’t pick their noses and eat their boogers. That’s disgusting, and I won’t allow it.”

At the time I thought, “Well, duh…who would allow their children to do gross things???”

And now, I can only rationalize that Michael worked long hours and traveled on top of that…such that he was rarely home to witness any grossness.

In the scheme of the world, I feel like the grossness at our house is relatively nominal…or maybe I was just desensitized long ago by projectile spit-up and diaper blowouts.

Still, I counted it as a small victory that I had not had to deal with any nose- / booger-related issues.

Until now.

It’s like Baby B has just discovered her nose, and she is so mesmerized by its spelunking opportunities that she can’t keep her fingers out of it.

Fortunately – KNOCK ON WOOD – everybody is healthy at our house, and her digging has been purely recreational…in that I don’t think she’s scored any gold.

But frankly, I’m at a loss.

There was a day or so that I “counted” her each time I saw her fingers in her nose, and she served a couple of time-outs. Alternately, I’ve told her, “Big girls don’t put their fingers in their noses.”

“But I have a boogie!”

“Well come with Mommy into the bathroom and we’ll get a tissue.”

No avail.

At three years old, I thought we were past the “body exploration” of infanthood.

No?

I’m looking for some advice from you seasoned mamas. Is this a phase that will pass? Should I just ignore it? Should I punish it?

Help, please! I would so like to be able to claim, “My children don’t do gross things!”

Letting My Guard Down

2012-01-29T09:01:00.003-06:00

Literally.

I’m a little ashamed to say that our girls just turned three years old, and – through yesterday – we’ve continued to have them gated in the den.

In my defense, our den is big…it houses all their toys, and there’s plenty of room to run and jump and play. And, more important to note, our house is otherwise very open. There wasn’t a great way to open up just one or two rooms, and I just haven’t felt like I’ve been up for that challenge.

In hindsight, I might have taken the baby gates down long ago. It’s been a little cumbersome (and back-breaking!), lifting them over the gate 100 times a day. And it’s been a bit embarrassing to have people over at times (although I’m hoping that’s my mind playing tricks on me…I think all our friends understand, “ya do what ya gotta do”).

Still, this system has worked for us. I just didn’t feel like my nerves were up to what I anticipated would be some pretty extensive behavior modification.

(I should also note that we haven’t done any baby-proofing in the kitchen. It’s something that Hubby has been quite opposed to, and I just couldn’t trust being able to turn in one direction, risking the girls getting into something dangerous in another direction.)

I wrote a couple of weeks ago that our girls have FINALLY started to respond to time-outs…as in, they HATE it. Woo hoo!!! Having that as a behavior deterrent (as part of the 1-2-3 Magic methodology) has worked wonders for us all.

That in place, I decided it was finally time to take down the big gate dividing the den from the breakfast area / kitchen. (I also reached a compromise with Hubby and put two cabinet locks on the cleaning supplies.)

When the girls woke up this morning, they came downstairs to find their play tent from Aunt Alison set up in the den.

Wowza!!! Who would want to leave that kind of fun???!!!

And so far, so good! I’ve reminded the girls a few times that the den is for playing, the kitchen is not. The same rules apply as always…no reaching up on tables / counters…no crawling or running on the wood floor…you have your cabinets (in the play kitchen), and Mommy has hers.

This feels like a long-overdue change in a lot of respects, but I’m hoping – having waited so long (???) – that it won’t be as bad as I’d feared.

Still…if you don’t hear from me for a couple of days…please stop by to check. There is a remote possibility that the girls will have stuffed me into the oven and are swinging from the chandelier.

Love is in the Air

2012-01-28T08:09:00.008-06:00

Valentine's Day is just a couple of weeks away, and I've started talking to the girls about it.

We broke out our Valentine's books yesterday, and I've got a handful of crafts in mind.

The girls are definitely starting to feel the buzz.

In response to the heart-patterned shirt I got out for A yesterday, she said, "Ooh, we could wear these hearts for Valentine's Day!"

And one of the first things B told her daddy when he got home was, "Daddy! Valentine's Day is a very special day when we celebrate love!"

I'm even thinking of getting crafty and making a card for the hubs this year. My mind keeps going to this picture that we had taken before the holidays...I love it!

I love all the hearts and glitter and CHOCOLATE surrounding Valentine's Day...and it's so much more fun to share it with our baby girls!

Fabulous Friday!

2012-01-27T08:30:00.004-06:00

We’ve had our share of rain this week, but we did enjoy a bit of time outside, including a really invigorating jaunt with the jogging stroller. I think it was December 30th, or there about, the last time we did that…way too long! I’m very thankful for that, and so many fabulous things this week!

1) Baby A has been pretending to fold laundry, and she is some kind of serious about it. She buzzes around like it’s her JOB to fold the little doll blankets in the den. And she really does an excellent job of it, matching the corners almost perfectly…that’s my girl!

2) The girls have been really into crafts lately, which just makes me smile. We’ve done lots of water colors, crayons, and stickers. I got out the girls’ scissors one day, and I was so surprised how well they did! Baby A, in particular, cut a piece of paper into about six strips, all by herself. I can foresee our crafting hitting new levels soon!

3) I let the girls help me in the kitchen on Thursday afternoon. I measured out everything to make Strawberry-Kiwi Shortcake, and they had a lot of fun dumping everything together and stirring. They were beyond excited to tell Daddy what they’d made. He was teasing them, calling it “Tall Cake”, though. Baby B didn’t find an ounce of humor in that. She was very defensive over her “Shortcake”.

4) After a particularly good nap on Tuesday, I decided to treat the girls at the yogurt shop. Daddy met us there after school, and we had a sweet time together. I then tempted fate and stopped by the grocery store to pick up a couple of things…sans stroller. I’m so thankful to report we had a successful trip!

5) Baby A woke up early a few days ago, and so she was already downstairs when I got B up. Baby B and I were alone in the bathroom, and I just couldn’t resist telling her how cute she was…sitting on the potty with her bed-head and super-soft fleece pajamas. “And I’m sweet!” she added. “Like a dessert!”

6) Baby A was trying to tell me something one day, and I just couldn’t understand what word she was getting at. She finally said, “Seep!!! A little lamb!” It’s happened a couple of times where she’s offered an explanation for something, which just amazes me.

7) A very sweet friend sent the girls a couple of new CDs for their birthday. They are in.love. with one, and they request it most mornings after breakfast. It is amazing to me how quickly they’ve picked up on so many words already. And I just love how Baby A asks to dance with me to the first song. She wants me to pick her up (which is rare), and dance around. I very happily oblige.

Hope you had a fabulous week, as well!

Goodbye, Nighttime Bottle!

2012-01-26T08:41:00.003-06:00

That’s a little over-dramatic…as our girls haven’t actually had a bottle since they were 15 or 16 months old…but we have been holding on to their nighttime milk routine until just recently.

When the girls were infants, countless people told us to “stuff them full” before we put them to bed for the night, to get them to sleep as long as possible. Of course there’s only so much “stuffing” you want to risk with the wee ones, but I appreciated the concept.

Once the girls were a few months old, we had worked up to a rather sizeable bottle of milk, particularly before bedtime. We were blessed with really good sleepers, but the idea of them staying full overnight still made sense to me, and that seemed like a bit of insurance, at least psychologically.

We proceeded in similar fashion until the girls were 18 or 20 months old, and we started to have MAJOR issues with leaky diapers. I tentatively cut back their 12-ounce sippy cups to six or eight ounces. That didn’t directly solve our diaper issues, but I learned that my almost-two-year olds didn’t wake up from hunger, either.

Fast-forward to Round 1 of potty training, when the girls were about 27 months old. Baby A was waking up at the CRACK of DAWN to use the potty.

At that point, I further reduced our end-of-day cups of milk, to about four ounces.

A quick poll of my mommy friends revealed that most had long ago abandoned a nighttime milk routine…but this mama just wasn’t quite ready.

I loved the idea of one last snuggle with our baby girls, just before bed…the same sweet snuggles we’d been enjoying since Day 1. The girls seemed attached to the routine, too.

A couple of weeks ago, though, one of the girls asked for milk with supper (as opposed to water). On a whim, I told her she could have milk at supper, but then she wouldn’t have any before bed.

Both girls agreed. They drank a big cup of milk (I felt safe giving them more than their four-ounce allotment), and there was no fussing before bed.

For the next couple of nights, I gave the girls the option of milk at supper or before bed, and they continued to choose supper. We’ve officially decided that’s our new M.O.

And while I do miss those extra snuggles, it gives us a little more time to “snuggle proper” over our bedtime story.

And – it may be a coincidence – but the girls are more consistently sleeping until 6:30 in the mornings…and I think that makes us all feel more snuggly.

For the Love of...Rats???

2012-01-24T08:31:00.004-06:00

Before the holidays, a family friend stopped by. She was telling me about someone she knew whose Christmas decorations were mouse-themed. I’m picturing little mice in Santa hats, I guess, but our friend said, “It just creeps me out. I hate rats!”

Sponge A and Sponge B, hearing everything, of course, have been asking about rats ever since.

It is almost a daily discussion at our house…

“Mommy, why does Nana Audrey hate rats?”

Well, some people don’t like rats very much. And let's not use the word 'hate'.

“Are rats bad?”

Well, maybe some are, but I don’t think all rats are bad.

“Do you hate rats?”

No, remember, we don’t ‘hate’ anything. And generalizations like that aren’t nice. Remember the little mice we saw at the pet store? They were sweet.

“Some rats are sweet, but others are not.”

Well, that could probably be said of many things. We haven’t met all the rats in the world, so we don’t know.

And on…and on…and on.

The girls started with Daddy last night. He did his best to answer their questions…although he was not as “protective” of the rat species’ reputation as I have been.

I finally heard him tell the girls, “That’s enough talk about rats. We’ll talk more about them when you’re older.” And they moved on to dissect another rousing subject.

After the girls were in bed, Hubby asked me what was up with the rat convo. I told him the background, and – clearly creeped out himself – he said, “You know that rats are not mice, right? Rats are disgusting. They carry diseases.”

I know, I know. And I have no affinity for mice or rats, I can assure you.

But I want to encourage the girls to form their own opinions about things, based on their own experiences, and not just adopt what they’ve heard in some random context.

It just so happens that rats are the girls’ subject du jour.

And while Hubby agrees with me in theory, I think he would say we could just go ahead and pass judgment on “disease-laden sewer scoundrels”.

Hmmm…another parental quandary, for sure.

A Bit About Me, January Edition

2012-01-23T06:20:00.006-06:00

My birthday is on February 23, and on the 23rd of each month, I've taken to sharing a couple of random bits about myself. Here 'goes for January...

33) I'm a bit particular about my cereal.

I love eating cold cereal in the mornings. (In college I used to eat it for other meals, too...but I have tried to dispense with that habit since I got a mortgage.) For the last several years, my favorites are Raisin Bran Crunch and Frosted Mini Wheats, the crunch being central in both of those.

So, to optimize said crunch, I wait until the very last second to pour my milk...and I eat in no-time flat, barely pausing to wipe the milk that sometimes dribbles down my chin. Paramount is getting the most crunch out of my bowl!

With the Mini Wheats, I do take the time to turn all the "wheats" so the frosted side is up, out of the milk. Careful analysis has shown that the time expended in such exercise yields more crunch overall. And I always save the one with the most frosting -- the crunchiest! -- for last.

34) I still haven't finished my Christmas cards.

I just mailed about 10 more this week, and I'm trying hard to have everything post-marked by the end of January. But it's not just a matter of addressing cards...in fact, the envelopes are sitting on my counter, already addressed.

Particularly for folks I don't see often, I try to write a little note...and it just takes time. Granted, it shouldn't take me until spring to allocate that time...but it sometimes does. I'm just hoping my "Happy Holidays" message still applies to Groundhog Day.

Oy...February is drawing near! I'd better start planning my birthday dessert!

A Celebration to Remember!

2012-01-22T08:42:00.011-06:00

Here are pictures from the girls' birthday party last weekend. We had such a fun time...the girls have played "party" every day -- multiple times -- since then.

Before the party started, I caught Baby A oogling over the cupcakes. The look of anticipation on her face and her death-grip on the table is just priceless to me!

The girls enjoyed their pizza, as Granddaddy looked on...

After pizza, we sang "Happy Birthday" to the girls...Baby A first...

...and then to Baby B. Both girls sang to themselves, but B was especially animated, clapping at the end of the song. And she blew out her candles with no help! In this picture, she was giving Mommy a high-five for her expert candle-blowing technique.

After cupcakes, everyone enjoyed some yogurt. The girls were even kind enough to share with Mommy!

And then, despite what had to have been a huge sugar-high, the girls sat down to work on their sticker activity cards...here, with a little help from "Grandma" June.

And it so warms my heart that we were joined by all our closest friends to honor our baby girls.

Here are M & C, who are 9 1/2 months younger than the girls. (They may have been the talk of the party in their matching train applique sweater vests and plaid button-downs...so stinkin' cute!)

Here are K & K, born two weeks after the girls, working on their sticker cards with Miss Bethane' . You can tell the girls apart since one's hair is ever-so-slightly curlier than the other's...HA!

Here are E & L, the babies of the group at 13 months old. A & B just L-O-V-E them, and their sweet parents, too. Here is Baby A, giving a special party favor to Miss Rachel for the babies.

Here is Mr. J, 9 months older than the girls, and his baby sister, A, who is 6 months old...the only non-twins at the party. A & B also L-O-V-E this baby girl!

Here is Miss Krista and her girls M & A, who are 4 months younger than A & B, along with their big brother J, who is 5. These are our sweet neighbors...we've logged hundreds of miles together with our girlies in their strollers!

And here are the Borders. K & S were born one week before A & B. (There are two pictures, as I just couldn't choose a favorite!) We love these guys!!!

This was truly an awesome celebration of the most awesome three years!

Mama Loves...Watercolors!

2012-01-21T08:29:00.007-06:00

Since long before our girls were born, I dreamed of hours spent coloring with my children...doing arts and crafts...cutting and pasting and hole-punching.

I bought the girls their first crayons when they were about 15 months old, but they didn't really show much interest for the first few months. By the time the girls were around 21 months old, though, they loved to scribble and use stickers.

And then I got brave and introduced finger paints to them. They loved those, too...but Mommy had to really psyche herself up for the inherent MESS.

The girls were generally good about following directions...only putting their hands on the paper (and not their heads)...but -- even using washable paint -- it still took some fervent scrubbing to clean the girls' hands. And, of course while we scrubbed Baby A's hands, Baby B was asked to sit nice and tall and straight with her paint-covered hands. ((deep breaths...toes crossed...pleeeease let her be patient!))

A couple of months ago, I bought some watercolors for the girls.

I think we've found a new favorite medium!

I have been really impressed how the girls hold the brush so nicely, and I think 99.5% of the paint has stayed on the paper.

Once I figured out to give the girls each a small bowl of water (it only takes a tiny bit) in a heavy ramekin -- as opposed to a paper bowl -- we haven't had any spills.

And...I think the watercolors meld together to make some really pretty creations, too...

...and Baby B's self-proclaimed "rainbows" can't help but make me smile!

I'm linking up with sweet Julia at Pontifications of a Twin Mom for Mama Loves again today. Thanks, Julia, for sharing what you and other mamas are loving!

Fabulous Friday!

2012-01-20T06:26:00.005-06:00

I haven't "accurately" counted to five -- as in "Fab 5 Friday" -- for a long time. It's not that my math skills are waning that much...but I'm having a hard time narrowing down the fabulousness of my week to just five points. And I'm OK with that. So here, the top seven reasons our week was fabulous...

1) I know I have to be careful with B’s “mothering” tendencies, but I can hardly stand the cuteness when she calls her sister “Baby”. Baby A will ask a question, and if I don’t jump in quickly, B will say, “Yes, Baby, this is Monday,” or “No, Baby, it’s not time for lunch.”

2) Every day for nap, I take Baby B upstairs first, and Baby A’s job is to get their baby dolls tucked in for their nap. She takes her job very seriously…a blanket under them, a blanket covering them, with them positioned together just right. And she is always so proud to show me what a great job she did.

3) While I was making lunch one day, the girls were “cooking” in their kitchen. I loved listening to their dialogue. “I’m dicing some cucumbers…I’m washing the lettuce…here’s your pizza and broccoli…here’s the milk from the milking cow…wait a minute, let me get a steak knife.” I don’t make a habit of dreaming about what they’ll be when they grow up, but I couldn’t help but think about a Dynamic Duo cooking show…HA!

4) One morning Baby A woke up earlier than B, so I had her downstairs with me. Daddy didn’t realize B was still asleep in her room, and he turned on the light in the hallway. I immediately heard B start singing the Beatles, “Here comes the sun, little darling, here comes the sun / and I say, it’s all right…” as I used to do with them every morning as I turned on the light in their room.

5) I’ve been talking to the girls almost non-stop since the day they were born, and they long ago picked up on the idea of narration. Baby A made me laugh one morning as we went into the bathroom. “Yep! That’s my bathtub! That’s where I wash my hair!” Her tone of voice was priceless, as if she were giving a tour.

6) We had snow on Thursday night and Friday. I knew the girls would be excited when they woke up, and they did spend quite a bit of time looking outside. At one point, A said, “That snow is amazing!”

7) I try to make the girls aware of various musical instruments. They can name quite a few that we see in magazines and books, and they’ll ask “Is that a piano / guitar / drums?” when we’re listening to a song. They didn’t know the cultural significance of what they asked a few days ago, but in essence they asked me to show them how to play “air guitar”. Even funnier? We were listening to an acoustic CD!

Hope you had a fabulous week, too!

Time-Out Emotions

2012-01-19T08:30:00.005-06:00

I first tried instituting time-outs as part of our disciplinary approach when the girls were just shy of two years old. They really didn’t react to it, but I hoped that consistency on my part would help them get the message.

It wasn’t long before time-out seemed to become a novelty. “I want to go to time out!” they’d ask. And those requests were all the more prevalent if Sissy had recently served a two-minute sentence.

I took a break from the time-out methodology for a while. It clearly wasn’t making much of an impression.

In need of a disciplinary system, I decided to revisit the time-out approach [as part of the 1-2-3 Magic methodology] this past fall, when the girls were a couple of months shy of three.

And it’s not that I relished the screams of my sweet baby girls, but I was glad that they finally both decided time out was, indeed, NOT a good thing.

That was really integral in the 1-2-3 methodology being effective for us, and – by and large – it has been.

On the first offense, “That’s one.”

“But I don’t want to go to time out!”

Well behave nicely, then.

And usually, they do. There are days when their three-year old memory banks seem a bit shallow, and they sometimes make it to time-out before straightening themselves up...

...but it’s clear to them both that time-out is not to be desired.

I had to laugh (to myself, very discreetly) a couple of days ago. Baby A had earned herself a three- minute time-out, and she was not happy about it. She was crying, and then she began pleading, over and over, “I don’t belong here! I don’t belong here!”

[I couldn't help but think of a prisoner, pleading his case from his jail cell, to anyone in earshot. Hmmm...perhaps I've read one too many legal thrillers in my time.]

And last night, Hubby was playing some Elton John for the girls. He told them that the title of the next cut was “Sad Songs”. Baby A volunteered, “Sometimes I get sad when I am in time-out.”

It was too cute, and sweet, and kinda pitiful…but – particularly after the time-out parties the girls seemed to want to have this time a year ago – I’m actually glad it’s making an impression on them.

Gettin' Our Craft On, Birthday Style!

2012-01-18T08:35:00.005-06:00

Our girls love books.
Our girls love cupcakes.
Our girls love to craft.

On their birthday, we got creative and combined all three.

Our inspiration was a Corduroy book we bought several months ago.

Corduroy realizes one morning that it is his best friend Lisa’s birthday. When she leaves for school, he decides to make her a cake…but all he makes is a huge mess in the kitchen (…as if I needed a reminder not to let the girls loose with a mixer anytime soon!).

To escape the mess he made, he hides in the sewing room. He feels terrible…until he discovers the most beautiful buttons and ribbons and bows. He becomes inspired to decorate a hat box for Lisa as a gift…which she later exclaims looks like a “Corduroy cake”. Corduroy made Lisa’s birthday special in his own special way.

I started by letting the girls comb through my big tub of buttons – something they love to do – to pick out three favorites. Then, using a combination of tactile materials, we created birthday cupcakes…each with three candles, of course.

The cupcake liners we made from coffee filters. Our cupcakes were felt, adorned with buttons. Ribbon, topped with glittering sequins, accounted for our candles.

Unless I’m one-on-one with the girls, I don’t turn them loose with a bottle of glue. I spread glue on the coffee filter and felt and let them place those pieces on our cardstock. I ran the ribbon through my Xyron to create a “ribbon sticker”, and I put dots of glue for them to place the buttons and sequins.

They had a great time, and they continue to have fun comparing their activity to their beloved Corduroy.

I’m linking up with Adventures-in-Mommy-Land for Hey, Mom! Look What I Did! Thanks to Charlene for her awesome crafting inspiration, much of which is book-inspired, too!

And I’m guest-posting today on Pontifications of a Twin Mom as part of her Specially Christmas series. Thank you for the opportunity, sweet Julia! Psst…my post includes a recipe!

A Mama's Tender Touch

2012-01-17T08:55:00.004-06:00

As an ice breaker for a discussion on cold and flu season at our MoMs group last fall, we were asked to share our most poignant childhood memory of being sick.

Someone shared about being sick over Christmas; someone talked about having gotten sick after having too many cherry cough drops, and she can’t stand anything cherry-flavored to this day.

I told a story about being sick when I was about six.

My mom and I were sitting on the floor of the den playing games, likely an early-80’s game show on TV. She had been letting me drink Sprite, a rare treat. I asked for something to more to drink, and she said I should drink some water, since I’d had too much soda. I pleaded for Sprite, “It will make me feel better!”

She answered me sternly, that I needed water, and left to go to the kitchen. She brought back a glass of clear liquid with ice, and I pouted. “Mom, I want Sprite!” “Mandy, just drink it,” she told me. And what did I find when I touched the glass to my lips?

Sprite, of course. And she smiled.

There’s nothing like a mama’s tender touch when you’re sick. And no matter how old we get, aren’t there times when we all think, “I just want my mama!”

Since becoming a mama myself, I know there’s absolutely nothing worse than having a sick baby. It almost physically hurts my heart to know one of my girls doesn’t feel well.

What warms my heart, though, is knowing they look to me for comfort. I can’t always provide physical comfort from a sore throat or a sick tummy, but I can cuddle and snuggle and stroke their hair…and I know there’s comfort in that.

It’s surely the same comfort my mom provided to me, and her mother, to her…that must certainly shape us to care for our babies the way only a mama can.

Celebrating Our Little Ladybugs

2012-01-15T08:46:00.007-06:00

We celebrated the girls' third birthday party yesterday at our local yogurt shop, one of their very favorite destinations.

The girls were ladybugs for Halloween, and not long thereafter we decided to celebrate our little "ladies'" birthday with a ladybug theme.

Here's a sneak peek at our decorations...bright pink, bright yellow, and lots of black spots!

Part of the birthday banner...

Sticker activity and goody bags...

The goody bags each had a little wind-up ladybug and a magnifying glass, for "real" bug hunting.

Here's the sticker activity, as displayed by Baby A. At the bottom, there were stickers for each child to spell his/her name, declaring, "I can count!"

Our ladybug cupcakes...a pink bug for A, and yellow for B...and mini's for all our guests...

Napkins and utensils in bright yellow and pink buckets tied with black polka-dot ribbon...and it wouldn't be our party without WET WIPES!!!

And here are Mommy, Daddy, and our precious guests of honor!

We had a great time, and we so appreciate our friends and family coming together to celebrate with us!

I Don't Feel Well...Take Care of Me!

2012-01-14T08:24:00.005-06:00

For Christmas, Aunt Alison gave the girls a doctor kit, and they have had so much fun with it. They play with it off and on all day, every day.

The preferred role seems to be that of the patient. It took me a couple of days to realize the new cries of “I don’t feel well! Take care of me!” weren’t actually cause for my alarm. Rather that’s one of the girls asking her sister to play doctor.

The girls listen to each others’ chests with the stethoscope, look in each others’ ears and mouths, take blood pressure readings, give shots (which only hurt for a second, and then it will be all better!), and apply band-aids with great expertise.

And I can’t get enough of them explaining things to each other in the most patient way.

“Now let me listen to your chest. OK. Now let me take your temperature. Uh-oh! You have a fever. Now let me give you a shot. It’s OK, Baby, don’t worry…you’ll feel better soon!”

The girls also take care of their baby dolls, and play vet to their stuffed dogs, mice, and dolphins.

And the icing on the cake? I credit all the doctor play with helping the girls not to be afraid during their three-year checkup last week. They knew what to expect from Dr. F, and they even pointed out his “stethoscope” to him. And for the first time ever, no tears!

I’m linking up this week with my sweet friend Julia for Mama Loves, as this is one of our favorite toys. And this mama sure does love seeing her girlies taking such good care of each other.

Fab 5 (or 6) Friday!

2012-01-13T06:20:00.004-06:00

Very thankful for another fabulous week with my baby girls!

1) We had a fantastic play date with my friend Demara’s twin boys M&C this week. The boys got a train set for Christmas, very similar to the one A&B got, and we were anxious to get the kiddos together to play. At this age, there’s still not a great deal of interactive play, but the girls had an awesome time, and we hope they did, too!

2) Miss Demara made a beautiful lunch for us, including delicious sandwich wraps. The girls ate part of their servings at her house, but the wraps must have made a bigger impression. I decided to try my hand at a ham and cheese wrap for them later in the week, and they devoured it. “You and Miss Demara make good wraps!” B said.

3) In preparation for the girls’ birthday party, I needed to pick up a couple of things at the dollar store this week. After several pep talks, I decided to let the girls walk in with me – sans stroller. I was nervous…as there’s so much stuff…everywhere...but they did great! I found two little buckets for their party. I gave them each one to carry, and they were set! My big girls even made a little conversation with the clerk.

4) One afternoon this week, I was feeling extremely tired, and Daddy was going to be home late. I told the girls Mommy needed to close her eyes for a few minutes. I lay down with a pillow and blanket on the floor of the den. At first the girls climbed all over me, but after a minute or so, they settled down. Then I felt my Sweet Baby A…she was stroking my hair, and then my face. It was keeping me from resting, but it sure lifted my spirits!

5) While I was making supper one evening, I heard the girls decide to play hide-and-seek. It was so funny to observe. B stood in the corner and counted to 10, while A was to hide. Baby A kept getting antsy, though, and she would run and goose her sister from behind. B kept telling her, “You’re supposed to hide!” They were squealing and laughing like nobody’s business.

6) Baby B has said some of the funniest things lately. One of my favorites was over dinner, when I made split pea soup. “I was disappointed because I hadn’t had peas in a while. But I’m not disappointed now, because we’re having peas.” I hate to disappoint the babes, ya know?!

Hope you had your share of fabulousness this week, too!

Party Planning!

2012-01-11T08:47:00.006-06:00

The girls' third birthday party is this weekend. Last night, as I was surrounded by close to 100 ladybugs in various shapes and sizes (working on decorations and favors), I couldn't help but think back to the girls' first birthday party.

This year, we'll continue to count our blessings, surrounded by family...

...and friends...
We'll play...

...and sing...

...and be silly...

...all the wonderful things a birthday party should contain, at any age.

But I'm kinda hoping we might not be quite as messy...

...but no guarantees there!

Linking up with Miss Cheryl at Twinfatuation for Way Back Whenesday today. Thanks for encouraging this trip down memory lane!

And the Winner Is...

2012-01-10T08:24:00.004-06:00

And the winner of the I See Me! personalized book giveaway is...

...Strong Blonde!

Congratulations! I hope you and your sweet babes will love this book as much as we do.

Oh, and speaking of winners, in case you didn't hear the resounding "ROLL TIDE!!!" coming from the deep south last night...

CONGRATULATIONS to The University of Alabama on their [21-0 shut-out smack-down] victory to win the BCS National Football Championship!

***

The girls don't have a real concept of football, but I like to pretend they do. When they woke up this morning, I said, "Guess what?!?!"

What, Mommy???

"Alabama won their big game last night!!!"

I'm proud to report they at least had the wherewithal to say "ROLL TIDE!" in response (although, in fairness, they do that at most any mention of the state of Alabama).

The Tradition Continues

2012-01-09T06:11:00.011-06:00

In honor of The University of Alabama playing for its 14th NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP tonight...

When the girls were about 18 months old, I posted "The Top 13 Ways You Know You Might Be a Bama Fan."

The list included things like the girls' first 'sign' being "Touchdown, Alabama!"...and how I avoided certain color combinations in sippy cups (blue / orange, yellow / purple...boo! hiss!).

The list has expanded in the last 18 months, of course.

The girls not only know the chorus to "Sweet Home Alabama" and sing it with such energy, but they request it almost every time we get in the car. Upon hearing the first few notes, they even say, "WHOO! Turn it up!" They may do all of this with a slight southern twang.

The girls insisted on wearing their football jerseys on our trip to Alabama before Christmas. Forget that Mommy had a cute little penguin shirt in mind...they heard "Alabama" and they knew what that meant!

The girls can only spell a handful of words, but BAMA is right at the top of the list.

The girls yell "ROLL TIDE!" whenever they hear the word Alabama or football...no matter what they're doing, or if it's roughly in context.

The girls also yell "ROLL TIDE!" when they see an Auburn logo on a flag or decal.

The girls can discern the Alabama script "A" from other capital A's.

Interestingly, the girls have never actually seen a football game...but when they do one day, they're gonna be some kinda ready!

Even though we don't live in God's Country (i.e. Alabama), I'm doing my best to raise my girlies with some down-home Alabama Pride!

Let the indoctrination continue!

Here, at 6 1/2 months...the first picture I have of the girls BOTH smiling...a coincidence? I think not!

Here, at 20 months (still sporting those 6-9 month onesies)...

And here, at 2 1/2, finally in big-kid jerseys...

We're Dixie's football pride, Roll Tide, Roll Tide!!! Bring home another one, Bama!

Super Stuff on a Sunday

2012-01-08T09:08:00.005-06:00

So much super-fabulous stuff for which to be thankful this week!

1) We’ve had quite a bit of unseasonably-warm weather lately, and we’ve been taking advantage of it. We made an impromptu trip to the park on New Year’s Eve, a different one than we usually go to. The girls were so brave playing on the new equipment, and they were really well-behaved, too. It gives me hope that…one day…I can attempt a park visit with them by myself. Here’s to 2012!

2) After our park time on New Year’s Eve, we took the girls to the first time to a Greek restaurant. They devoured the pita bread and tzatziki sauce, and they particularly loved the sauteed mushrooms. It was definitely a fun experience!

3) We’ve had a few occasions to run around in the side lawn this week, and the girls are beginning to get a very basic idea of playing tag. They SQUEAL with delight when you run at them…Baby A so much so one time that she let out a humongous SNORT!

4) On New Year’s Day, the girls helped me make pigs-in-a-blanket, and we had “knick-knacks” (appetizers) for lunch. They’ve been pretending to eat “knick-knacks” with their baby dolls all week.

5) We took the girls to the pediatrician on Monday for their three-year visit…and they didn’t cry!!! My babies were such big girls! To celebrate, we went to lunch at the girls’ restaurant of choice, a sit-down place downtown (which happens to be one of Mommy's favorite places, too!).

6) Daddy went back to work on Tuesday after a two-week holiday vacation. While we miss having him home, it was nice to get back to our routine…and the girls did a great job with the transition. (Some times in the past have been a bit challenging!)

7) The girls have been enjoying their MagnaDoodles they got for Christmas. They love to ask me to draw things for them, and then they’ll try to draw. Their favorite subject? “I’m drawing darkness,” which means they’re coloring everything in. I think it sounds poetic. HA!

8) Just this morning, the girls were cooking in their kitchen. I overheard them say, “Here’s some broccolini.” Broccoli? I asked. “No, broccolini.” Love.these.girlies.

9) Our beloved Miss Jennifer, who’s been coming to hang out with the girls one afternoon a week for the last year, is doing a study abroad this semester. (I’m still in denial!) I was so incredibly touched that she stopped by to see the girls the day before she was leaving. I knew she was super busy, and I expected her to stay 10 or 15 minutes. She spent over an hour, just hanging out and playing! It’s such an awesome feeling to know how much she really loves the girls…and they, her, of course.

10) And the quotes of the week? Baby A always points out the cardinal directions on the map. She was talking to her animals, and she explained, “Upstairs means north, and downtown means south.” Good try, Babe! And we had snow on and off on Monday. It took me a while to discern that “snow fairies” were what the girls were calling “snow flurries”. I kinda like their version!

And of course, the most important things…celebrating the girls’ THIRD BIRTHDAY, and a HEALTHY REPORT from the pediatrician!

Third Birthday Play-by-Play, Part II

2012-01-06T19:34:00.010-06:00

[I took over 100 pictures on the girls' birthday, such that I had to break down their birthday play-by-play into two posts! Following yesterday's morning details, here's the second half of our day...]

After a fun-filled morning, the girls couldn't quite settle down for a nap (the only challenge of the day). We got in some extra play time and a little more crafting...

...before we bundled up for an afternoon walk.

The girls had some more play time with Daddy (they were so happy to show him the soccer uniform in their dress-up puzzle!)...

...while Mommy cooked supper. I made one of the girls' favorite meals, baked shrimp scampi with portabella mushrooms, over rice.

The girls wasted no time in digging in!

After supper, the girls opened one more present each, a couple of new books.

And then it was time for dessert, candles, and the singing (twice!) of "Happy Birthday!"

The girls were exhausted after such a big day, but they always have time for bedtime snuggles with Daddy.

Happy birthday, Baby A! Happy birthday, Baby B! We had an awesome day with our two most awesome baby girls!

Here are links to the girls' FIRST and SECOND birthday play-by-plays. Some things are the same...like morning and nighttime snuggles, lunch with Aunt Shanda at Garcia's, lots of playtime, and Mommy's chocolate molten lava cake for dessert...but the changes from year to year are so incredible!

Third Birthday Play-by-Play

2012-01-06T08:30:00.012-06:00

My sweet friend Jenny does an awesome play-by-play of her kiddos' birthday every year. I'm thankful that her twinnies are a week older than A and B so I could borrow her idea from the get-go.

I have had so much fun documenting the girls' special day each year, and what a fun look back it will be, to see exactly what we were doing when they were one, two, and now, three!

The girls woke up at 6:22, right on schedule...Baby A's schedule, anyway. (She's been on a 6:22 kick for weeks now, somehow not a minute earlier or later.) We usually head directly to the potty before even turning on the light, but the girls begrudgingly honored my request for early morning pictures.

We headed downstairs, where the girls snuggled on the couch, in anticipation of opening a couple of birthday presents.

The girls opened a gift from Aunt GG...

...kitty slippers!!! Baby A had so much fun traipsing around in GG's slippers during Christmas, and now they have their own. Here they are, "petting" their kitties...

There were more morning snuggles, here, with Mommy...

...followed by opening a gift from Mommy and Daddy, magnetic dress-up puzzles!

After Daddy went to work, Mommy made the girls' favorite breakfast, French toast!

We played and played, and then enjoyed a special birthday craft, decorating a felt cupcake!

We then headed to lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, where we met Aunt Shanda and Aunt Karen. We've done this every year...Aunt Shanda was there when the girls were born, and Aunt Karen, shortly thereafter, so we just have to share our birthday with them!

As a super-special treat, Daddy was able to stop by for a quick midday birthday kiss...and he brought CUPCAKES!

The girls have been fascinated with cupcakes for the past year (although they have had them only a handful of times). I told them they would have cupcakes at their birthday party...but they didn't expect any today! They were thrilled!!!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's exciting conclusion of the girls' third birthday. It was such a fun, full day!

Third Birthday Emotions

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

The girls remarked a couple of days ago about a snapshot we have in our kitchen, of Hubby and me in Central Park. “Where was I?” they asked.

“That was before you were born.”

“But where was I?” they prodded, clearly not understanding that concept. “Was I in your tummy?”

I tried explaining, but I finally told them, “You were in my heart.”

Truer words could not be spoken.

On the girls’ first birthday, I was overcome with emotion. Joy, yes…and relief…and…sadness. I’m not sure I could have pinpointed it at the time, but I was sad. I was sad that the first year had passed so quickly, sad that I hadn’t enjoyed it as much as I would have liked.

The girls’ second birthday was mostly a happy day for me, but I still shed some tears. It was during that year that my babies turned into children…and that was a lot to process.

As I write this, on the eve of the girls’ third birthday, my heart feels pure and happy. I can’t promise I won’t cry at all tomorrow, but my tears will certainly be ones of joy and thankfulness.

I just feel “settled”. Complete. I’m secure as a mom, and we are as a family. This past year has been full of so many wonderful adventures, and – while time does seem to pass so quickly as it is – I can’t help but look forward to the adventures to come.

So yes, my girls were in my heart long before they were in my tummy, but I somehow feel like this role has been “me” for a long, long time. And it feels good. And I am full of joy.

Happy birthday, Baby A! Happy birthday, Baby B!

I’m looking forward to celebrating you tomorrow…and for the many, many years to come.

I am so thankful to be your mommy.

The Notebook

2012-01-04T08:57:00.005-06:00

The girls had their three-year checkup on Monday. As I was getting my bag ready…making sure I had our insurance cards and wipes and a couple of books to entertain the girls, I also had to make sure I had The Notebook.

The Notebook was born out of the girls’ time in the NICU, when every last detail was logged. I automatically continued to document their every move when they came home…

…what time they woke up, how much they ate, their wet and dirty diapers, any significant spit-ups…

And then I expanded it to note such details as when we bathed the girls. And then we bought an infant scale, and I was able to record their weights, to the half-ounce (much to the chagrin of our pediatrician, I might add).

Having this record was actually really handy, particularly when the girls were infants. In my sleep-deprived state, it kept me straight on what we’d done and when…and, if I’m honest, it helped me put one foot in front of the other during some trying times.

It was very useful in keeping track of dirty diapers. Since early on, our girls have pretty different habits, and I was always afraid I’d miss someone being constipated since I’d changed so many dirty diapers from the other baby in the course of a day.

Once the girls started eating baby food, I made notes at each meal. At first it was to help me identify any potential allergic reactions, but then it was more to make sure they were getting a variety of fruits and veggies.

Once the girls got a little older, I knew I didn’t have to keep up my journal…but I couldn’t stop!

I loved seeing our days in black and white…and – the little voice in the back of my head said – what if there were an issue? At least I’d be armed with information!

I finally made a deal with myself: I’d continue my journal through the girls’ first birthday, and then I’d retire my pen.

I actually recorded notes through the girls’ one-year checkup, a few days after their birthday…just in case.

I still use my trusty notebook, though -- thank goodness it’s nice and thick! I jot down any questions I have for our pediatrician and what his answers are. I make a note of the girls’ illnesses and medications. And I have a running tally of their weights and heights from every doctor visit.

And it’s fun to take a little trip down memory lane from time to time.

Hmmm…how many dirty diapers did I change on May 17, 2009?

Why, I’ve just been waiting for someone to ask!

***

If you haven't already, please check out my GIVEAWAY...a beautiful personalized children's book!

A Gorgeous Giveaway!

2012-01-02T21:39:00.017-06:00

I recently had the opportunity to review a beautiful book from I See Me! personalized children's books.

I See Me! offers a wide array of books that can be personalized with your child's name and a number of other details.

The book I received, "Who Loves Me?" can even be personalized for twins.
For the book, I provided some basic information, including the girls' names and birthday, along with a list of "who loves them".

I couldn't have been happier when I received our book the following week...it is breathtaking!

The girls' names on the cover...the inscription with the girls' full names and birth date...and the beautiful prose...

Who loves A and B?
Mommy and Daddy love A and B!
How much? So much!
More than the mountains
More than the streams
More than a little one's happiest dreams

Who loves A and B?
Misha and Sasha love A and B!
How much? So much!
More than the galaxy
More than the moon
More than the nightingale
singing his tune

[There are six total verses that can be completed in this book.]

And the collage-style artwork is a perfect complement to the words.

We will celebrate our girls' third birthday this week, and I can't wait to give this to them. Bets on whether I'll cry when I read it at bedtime??? :)

You can take a virtual tour of this book, as well as many others, on I See Me!'s website.

I See Me! has offered to give away a personalized "Who Loves Me?" book to a reader of this blog! [open to residents of the US and Canada]

To enter, please "like" I See Me! on Facebook, and leave a comment to let me know.

For additional entries, leave a separate comment for each...

Follow I See Me! on Twitter.
Follow Twin Trials and Triumphs via GFC, or let me know you already do.
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Post about this giveaway on Facebook, and link to I See Me!
Tweet about this giveaway, and mention @ISeeMe_Maia.

This giveaway will run through Sunday, January 8, at 9pm CST. A winner will be announced on this blog on Monday, January 9.

I received a personalized copy of this book in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own. You may know I have a small obsession with children's books, and this one is awesome.

My Changing Market Basket

2012-01-02T08:39:00.002-06:00

By profession, I am in marketing. Before the girls were born, I spent years thinking about new product ideas, pricing strategy, and promotions. One of the tools I always enjoyed was market basket analysis.

A person’s market basket is what they buy during a single shopping trip. It’s so interesting to pull data for one item…men’s boxer shorts [hypothetically speaking]…to see what is most often purchased with it.

Hypothetically speaking again, I can tell you that batteries are one of the top items you’ll find along with men’s underwear purchases. Boys’ underwear purchases most often include glue (think school supplies). Bacon is often purchased with eggs, and smoked sausage with rice.

When the girls were infants, and I was not far removed from my marketing days…and maybe still swimming in some post-pregnancy hormones…I remember laughing so hard in thinking about what was in my cart at Target one time. I had run in super quickly, in between feedings, to pick up some essentials…things I couldn’t quite ask Hubby to buy me. I had only a couple of items, including nursing pads and control-top panties. I just wondered how prevalent was that combination!

For close to three years, my shopping cart was almost sure to contain some combination of baby items…diapers, wipes, bibs, strained peas, Puffs. Most weeks I felt like I was on auto-pilot, heading toward the baby section.

As I perused bibs and booties a couple of days ago in search of a baby gift, it struck me that I hadn’t been there in a while.

Wow.

Certainly I don’t miss the expense of baby food and diapers [or the need for control-top panties!], but there was something a little bittersweet about that realization.

My girlies are growing up, alright…and I have the grocery receipt to prove it!

2012 = AWARE

2012-01-01T09:08:00.005-06:00

I came across this Henry Miller quote years ago, and it immediately struck me as something very profound.

“The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.”

At the time, I was working in North Carolina, very focused on my job and my career. I tried to challenge myself not to get so caught up in the rat race (albeit a very invigorating race), such that I wasn’t really living.

At the time, I remember thinking about driving to work each day…my mind was always running far ahead of me, such that I rarely noticed anything on my drive. Not only was that physically dangerous, but it was kinda sad…even in my short commute, there were beautiful trees, a small river, and so many sights and sounds that I took virtually no note of.

As I think about inspiration for 2012, I want to revisit this quote.

I think I do a pretty good job of being aware of my girls. Heaven knows I take enough pictures and write enough journal entries…but still, there’s more.

It’s cliché, I know, but I think becoming a parent adds a new dimension to the space-time continuum. Time seems to be flying faster than ever before.

In 2012, I want to continue to strive for awareness, and for appreciation. I want to challenge myself to continuing to be purposeful in my actions…yet allow myself to appreciate and enjoy the carefree days of the girls’ early childhood.

My bigger challenge for 2012 is to be more aware of my other roles…those of wife, household CEO, and friend.

There’s no doubt in my mind that my Mommy role comes first, but I sometimes seem to run out of steam in the other areas. I know part of that is just a function of having two rambunctious babes, and I’ve come to be OK with that.

But sometimes that leaves me feeling like I’ve driven to work (or, in this case, made breakfast, lunch, and dinner, done laundry, read 53 books, orchestrated a craft project and taken the girls for a walk, documenting much of it in words and pictures) without looking up.

Where I think I can do a better job is in keeping a calendar on a daily basis. I want to write down some of my daily tasks, like pay bills, or mend blanket, so that I can have a bit of a roadmap for the day, and – at the end – a written sense of what I’ve done.

I also want to write down things that can sometimes otherwise get lost in the fray, like send birthday card to X, email Y, clean out junk drawer. It’s those little things that don’t necessarily have to happen…but I know will make me feel more rounded out if I can accomplish them on a more regular basis.

So, for 2012, across my many roles:

I aim to be more aware…to be more purposeful…so that I may enjoy my life more joyously… drunkenly…serenely…divinely…fully.

My word for 2012 = aware.

(Thank you to my sweet friend Marcia for the amazing inspiration on so many levels, including the idea of a word for the year. Visit Marcia to see how she and others are embracing the new year.)

Looking Ahead to the New Year

2011-12-31T19:35:00.005-06:00

Our girls turn three in less than a week. While I breathe deeply and try to digest that coming milestone, I’m also looking forward to the year ahead.

This past year has truly been an awesome one, as I’ve (mostly dry-eyed) witnessed our babies turn into little girls. I inscribed the girls’ ornaments this year “a year of first adventures”, and it’s such a true sentiment. This year we definitely branched out, even leaving the city limits on a number of occasions! :)

We took our first mini-vacation as a family of four. We made our first of several trips to the zoo. The girls mastered their tricycles. And we’ve gotten a lot more “adventurous” with our day-to-day, as well, more often leaving our stroller in the trunk, and having ditched the notion of high chairs in restaurants months ago.

And in response to the question, “What’s your biggest accomplishment this year?” posed on Facebook yesterday, I quickly answered “Potty-training twins!”

I know there will be many more “big kid” changes in the year ahead of us. And while I know some of them will be bittersweet, I’m excited to see what’s in store.

A year from now, my girlies will have long since adjusted to their big kid beds, and (I hope!) most of our baby-proofing will be behind us. They’ll be on a break from a preschool program, and I hope we’ll have enrolled them in some type of extracurricular activity, like gymnastics, or swimming, or music, or dance. And I’m certain we’ll have so many more adventures on which to reflect.

I hope that my then almost-four-year olds will be taller and stronger and faster and more well-travelled…but I hope there are other things that will be just the same.

I hope they’ll have the same zest for life, love, and learning. I hope they still squeal with delight. I hope that their eyes still twinkle at the sight of a four-legged friend. I hope that even as they grow, they’ll continue to find comfort in snuggles with Mommy and Daddy.

And I know, no matter how big they are, they’ll always be my tiny baby girls.

May your 2012 be filled with many continued blessings! Happy New Year to you and yours!

Fab 5 (or There Abouts) Friday

2011-12-30T08:45:00.006-06:00

So thankful for a fabulous week with my baby girls!

1) I bought the girls watercolors a couple of months ago, and I finally got brave enough to get them out this week. It was a bit of a challenge for them to get the order of things down…first water, then paint, then paper…but I was impressed at them using a paintbrush relatively proficiently. Plus, I discovered that the watercolors blend together much prettier than what eventually turns into a big brown mush of finger paint.

2) The girls are having so much fun exercising their new scissors. They don’t quite have the full technique, but they’re close. And I’ve been really thankful that they’re being pretty patient with themselves as they learn. (And I’m looking forward to this progression, as it will certainly take our crafting to new levels!)

3) We took the girls to lunch on Wednesday, to a locally-owned soup and sandwich shop where Hubby and I used to eat about once a week. The last time we ate there wasn’t very pleasant (not very fair, as the girls were just 18 months, but I was still psychologically scarred). This time was so effortless, though! We all ate a great lunch, and in the process, we discovered the girls have quite a passion for broccoli slaw. Who knew???

4) We had Miss Rachel and her hubby over for dinner this week, along with their 13-month-old twin girls. A and B were elated to learn they were coming. They immediately started taking certain toys out, “The babies will enjoy this!” “Can I sing a song for the babies?” And they even voluntarily straightened the rest of their toys in preparation. Maybe we should have company more often!

5) We so enjoyed celebrating the third birthday of our sweet twin friends K&S on Thursday! Their birthday party was a great play date, complete with story time, cupcake decorating, and lunch. The girls had so much fun!!! (And I might just brag on myself a bit that I took the girls by myself, and I only used four wet wipes, even through cupcake decorating and lunch…HA!)

6) And Baby A was so cute after we came home from the birthday party. “I just couldn’t believe cameras were there!” she said, talking about the kid-sized digital camera she was playing with.

7) I know I need to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get out of hand, but I have to laugh when I hear the girls correcting each other. Last night, A said to B, “ Don’t bang your feet. That’s not nice.” And B almost always reminds A, “Cover your mouth before you sneeze, Sissy!”

8) While it can drive me a bit batty, the girls are having lots of fun with what I describe as their version of Pig Latin. They’ll change Mommy to “Mom-pay” and Daddy to “Da-tay” for example. They only do it with names, but they think it is absolutely hysterical.

And what did I do for me this week???

I enjoyed a pedicure with three girlfriends!!! Two were running late, but they made up for it by bringing lattes for all of us! Bliss!!!

Hope you had a super-fabulous week, too!

Making Time

2011-12-29T13:24:00.000-06:00

This time of the year always seems so busy…even when I think I’m taking a simple, straightforward approach to things…even when – at least in comparison to some folks – I don’t feel like we have a million engagements to attend, or seven different sides of the family to fit in…there’s still always something to do, something shiny to draw my attention.

Amid the hustle and bustle this year, though, I have been able to step back and appreciate what has to be one of my favorite parts of the season.

It struck me when I got together with three of my twin mom friends on December 21, just a few days before Christmas. We met one evening at a downtown restaurant for appetizers and desserts, after our kiddos were in bed.

We had such a fun time, and it was so relaxed! We devoured three appetizers, and we shared a monstrous dessert, the whole time telling some pretty tall tales…such that I felt a little sorry for our waitress. She kept coming to check on us, and we’d say, “Oh, we’re fine, just talking.” She may have been wishing we’d hurry things up…or then again she may have been entertained by some of our shenanigans. (We’ll hope it was the latter…as long as she didn’t hear too much!)

I came home pretty exhausted, but so happy…happy to have been surrounded by such good company, and ultimately energized by the fun we’d had.

I know each of us had a to-do list a mile long, but for those couple of hours, our lists were forgotten. We made the time to share with each other, and what a great gift that was.

Over the past week, I’ve enjoyed several such experiences…connecting with friends, appreciating each other’s company, and enjoying the holiday season together.

I didn’t trade expensive gifts with any of my friends…but the gift of time, particularly carved out during such a busy season, is so much more than money can buy.

Holiday Confessions

2011-12-28T08:55:00.004-06:00

Here, on December 28, this is mostly a moot point…but I still feel the need to tell on myself a bit, to record a bit of the craziness…in hopes that I might learn from my misgivings and manage next year’s holiday in a little more orderly fashion.

I generally think of myself as taking a very commonsensical approach to the holidays. We have a small family and a relatively small circle of friends, so I don’t buy a lot of gifts. But I like to do little things…mostly baked goods…for the people we know.

I thought I had it all figured out…and I did get a great start a couple of weeks before Christmas. I had all the homemade goodies for Hubby’s colleagues ready to go on the Monday before his last day of school the next Friday. Early and eager, I was!

And then we went to Alabama a full week before Christmas. We enjoyed our visit, and came home on Tuesday before Christmas.

And I guess that’s where I went wrong.

In my mind, I had all sorts of time between our Alabama trip and Christmas day. And maybe that’s why I sat back and didn’t do a darn thing for a couple of days. (That’s not really true…but that’s the way it felt during my near-meltdown on Christmas Eve).

I began the majority of my work in the kitchen on Thursday afternoon, and it seemed like every spare moment for the next 48 hours was spent with flour on my hands, batter on my elbows, and a sink full of dirty dishes.

I don’t mean to complain about the batter on my elbows…rather, I love being in the midst of mess in my kitchen. It’s just that I felt so rushed…like I was on a deadline…that I couldn’t really enjoy it. And sadder yet, nor could I enjoy the time with my girls that I wanted to.

In the spirit of confessions, here are some of the things that I let slide during my frenzy…

• Laundry. We lived out of the clothes basket for about a week. I would get from the dryer what we needed, maybe fold a few pieces here and there, but I never saw the bottom of the basket for way too long.

• Cleanliness. My girls didn’t have a bath for approximately 3 ½ weeks. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but we definitely missed a scrubbing or two.

• Suitcases. Our suitcases from our trip stayed piled in my bathroom for a full week. SHOOT ME NOW!

• Christmas cards. I got about 2/3 of my cards in the mail before Christmas, but there are a good 1/3 that will fall into the New Year’s card camp, for sure.

• Groceries. The girls and I went for necessities – and more baking supplies – when we got back from Alabama. However, I somehow failed to plan a Christmas day menu! Honestly, we probably ate what we would have anyway, since I’d been thinking about certain things for a while…but it was some kinda weird not to have my menu planned in advance!

Despite my lack of planning, we still had a great Christmas. And on December 28, I’m very happy to report that my laundry is caught up, the holiday decorations are down, and my house is back in order.

Now I’d better start thinking about our New Year’s plans…before December 31!

Our Christmas (Mostly) in Pictures

2011-12-27T08:45:00.009-06:00

After much thought, we finally decided to get the girls a train set for Christmas this year. They have been IN LOVE with all things "train" for quite a while now...a small plastic train they have, train books, and -- of course -- riding the train at several zoos.

We opted for this wooden set, and Hubby and I had some bonding time setting it all up on Christmas Eve night.

The girls began exploring it immediately on Christmas morning.

The elaborate set-up made it about 30 minutes (which impressed me!), before we decided to lose most of the bi-level components. Daddy helped the girls figure out a different setup.

I pointed out the train depot to the girls, and told them that's where the trains sleep at night. They promptly began calling it the Home Depot, and saying, "Go to sleep, Little Train!"

The girls also got a set of stacking ABC boxes, which are right up their alley, too.

After our traditional Christmas morning breakfast of Cinnamon Pull-Apart bread, the girls wanted to open their stockings. This is what they most remembered from last year, and they've been talking about them ever since they saw them a couple of weeks ago.

The stockings are big, and the girls kept asking for help to dig around!

In their stockings, the girls got scissors, a small book, and an ornament. Here they are, hanging their choo-choo train ornaments on the tree. The engraving reads, "A year of first adventures."

The girls then got to open their wrapped gift, a bib and bottle set for their baby dolls.

This was a huge hit with our miniature mommies! And this is my favorite picture from Christmas this year, my babes cuddled together, feeding their babies.

The girls then helped Daddy open his gift.

And then they snuggled with Mommy to read their new books.

The girls were delighted to give Sasha her gift. And at one sniff of the catnip toy, Baby Sasha put on quite a show for them, rolling around all over the place.

I don't have a picture of her acrobatics, but she did have a lot of fun batting a tag on a gift bag much of the day.

While we missed seeing our family on Christmas, we had so much fun as a family of four, relaxing, playing, enjoying the company of each other. And with a gorgeous sunny day to boot, we even logged a family walk on Christmas afternoon.

And I could not ask for more.

***

The girls got many more gifts from friends and family over the past week. Here they are, playing with a couple of favorites...

Magnadoodles from Miss Jennifer...

...and a doctor kit from Aunt Alison. They usually take turns being "sick", and they'll say, "I don't feel well...take care of me!"

It was certainly a Merry Christmas to us all!

Super Stuff on a Monday

2011-12-26T08:40:00.005-06:00

As I knew it would, this week absolutely flew by. It was truly a whirlwind, but one that was chock-full of so much super-wonderful-fabulous stuff…

1) We had a great trip to Alabama last weekend. It was not very stressful [speaking relatively to travelling with two, two-year olds], and we got to spend time with much of our family and several friends. The girls will remember the fun we had on this trip for a long, long time.

2) The girls got stuffed dolphins from a family friend. They are so soft, and they just love them. They named them Davey (at my suggestion), but instead of Willy, Baby A said hers would be Peter. I love her opinion, and her conviction!

3) I showed the girls a short youtube video of dolphins swimming. They were mesmerized, and they’ve had lots of fun letting their dolphins glide across the smooth leather couch.

4) The girls have had lots of fun this season making crafts, and I loved getting them involved in the gift-giving process. They were so proud to see their finger painting turn into bookmarks, and they loved pointing out the gift tags that adorned many of our gifts.

5) Miss Jennifer came over on Wednesday afternoon. She was so very sweet to bring a stack of holiday books from her childhood to read to them. And they were so excited to sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to her, which she started teaching them the prior week.

6) On Thursday we took the girls to the Opryland Hotel. It is truly amazing year-round, but it is particularly breathtaking during the holidays. The girls loved looking at all the decorations…the highlight for them was the gigantic hot air balloon (papier-mâché?), and riding the escalators (which had nothing to do with the holidays…HA!). And Mama got a lot of joy out of seeing them in their reindeer sweater dresses from last season.

7) We spent time on Christmas Eve morning with a friend of mine who has an almost-four-year old son and a six-month old baby girl. The girls were so well-behaved, playing with the little boy, and ooh-ing and goo-ing over the baby.

8) Late Saturday morning we delivered a few homemade goody baskets to some neighbors. I had made most of the deliveries the night before, by myself, but it was so fun to be able to do it as a family. The girls handed off the gifts with a “Merry Christmas!”, and then they sang a short song – “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” or “Jingle Bells”. They were so excited to go “caroling”!

9) The afternoon of Christmas Eve, we visited with an older neighbor lady, whom the girls call Grandma June. She had gotten some books out for the girls to look at, and they did a great job of “reading” and visiting, and they even performed a couple of songs.

10) Baby B has been using the word “incredibly” a lot this week. For example, she said one day, “I’d like to do a craft today…because it’s so incredibly nice to do crafts.” I need to try to get her on video doing one of her “explanations”…which are full of inflection, hand motions, and exaggerated expressions. HA!

I’m saving the fabulousness of Christmas for a separate post…it deserves it! Hope you and your family had a fantastic week – and of course, a fantastic holiday – too!

A Bit About Me, December Edition

2011-12-23T09:03:00.006-06:00

My birthday is February 23, and on the 23rd of each month, I have taken to sharing a couple of really random things about myself. For December, in the spirit of Christmas...

31) I have a certain (random) affinity for horses.

I've shared before that I played the trumpet when I was in high school. During our annual Christmas concert, from the ninth through the twelfth grade, I had the honor of doing the horse "whinny" in "Sleigh Ride". Each year around this time, when I hear "Slide Ride", my heartbeat increases slightly in anticipation of that part in the song.

32) Divinity has a special place in my heart.

Every Christmas, my grandmother would come stay with us for a few days. She always brought tins of goodies, and I remember being so excited to open them -- what seemed like stacks upon stacks -- and see what delectable treats she'd made. Two staples...two of my very favorites...were buckeyes (peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate) and divinity. I've made buckeyes myself, and they were good, but I've never tried my hand at divinity. It seems so intimidating...but I've gotta kick that thought soon so my girlies can have a taste of that divine spun sugar.

Random...I told ya!

Smoking is Bad, and Other Holiday Lessons

2011-12-22T06:16:00.004-06:00

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I have a deep hatred for the tobacco industry.

I don’t usually think much about smoking, as our exposure is – thankfully – pretty limited. But when we do see someone smoking, outside a store, for example, I usually proclaim something along the lines of “Hold your breath, girls! Shewey-stinky smoke!”

[I also say the same thing when a smelly truck passes us on a walk, “Shewey-stinky truck!” And we often call poop “shewey-stinky” at our house, too. It’s not a compliment.]

I sometimes elaborate that it’s not good for our bodies when we smell smoke.

[We talk regularly about things that are good for our bodies, like fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and water, playing nicely, and resting well.]

When the girls are older, I will approach the subject more directly, but I feel like I’m establishing that smoking is bad at a very early, very basic level.

Enter the holiday season, 2011.

At almost three years old, the girls are really engaged in holiday stories and songs. It’s been so much fun to have so many “new” books to read and music to enjoy over the past few weeks. While we have a few newer Christmas storybooks, many of the ones we’re reading are from my childhood.

Sounds romantic, right?

Yes, except that I’ve had to have some relatively strange conversations with the girls, ones I didn’t remotely anticipate.

In the classic tale of Frosty the Snowman, “Sally gave him a button nose and a funny corncob pipe.”

And in “The Night Before Christmas”, "The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth. And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.”

What’s a pipe? Why was there smoke?

I’m not remotely trying to suggest we re-write these classics, but it is really interesting to gauge the cultural differences in just the last 60 years.

I’ll continue to explain things to my girls at an age-appropriate level, to the best of my ability. And I pray that – among many other things – they grow up agreeing with their mama that smoking is really shewey-stinky.

And I guess we’ll sit back and see what another 50 or 60 years brings…who knows what will be considered shewey-stinky then.

Our Christmas in Dixie

2011-12-21T08:49:00.014-06:00

We made our holiday trip to Sweet Home Alabama early this week. I keep thinking about the trip in little snippets, things I'm thankful for...

The girls insisted on wearing Alabama jerseys for the trip to Alabama...and who am I to argue with such brilliant logic???

The girls asking for "Alabama music" in the car, which I finally figured out was "Sweet Home Alabama". And I just so happened to have my friend Lynyrd Skynyrd along for the drive!

The first thing my sweet little mommies did when they got to Granddaddy and Emme's house was check on their baby dolls (the ones they play with there)...so sweet!

Snuggles with Granddaddy and Emme...

A walk in Granddaddy's neighborhood by the pond to see the geese.

Sharing a beautiful holiday meal on Sunday night.

The girls telling Granddaddy and Emme "Laku Noc" -- "Good night" in Serbian.

Being able to comfort Baby A who was having trouble settling down in a new place.

(Very) early morning snuggles with Baby A who just couldn't seem to get comfy in her pack-and-play.

[Note: I'm very un-thankful for forgetting to take my camera with us on Monday...grrr!]

Aunt Alison taking a very early lunch to meet us for a mid-morning snack on our way to Aunt GG's house.

One of the most fantastic pastries I've ever eaten -- seriously! -- at the German bakery where we met Aunt Alison.

The girls giving Aunt Alison hugs.

Having a friend like Alison.

The girls running straight for Aunt GG when we got to her house.

The girls singing the blessing before lunch at Aunt GG's.

A beautiful holiday lunch at Aunt GG's, featuring some of my favorites from my childhood.

The girls loving the same macaroni and cheese of my childhood dreams.

The girls devouring (relatively politely, too) Aunt GG's Grecian orange cake and her coconut cake.

Baby A have a blast running around the house in Aunt GG's furry slippers.

Napping in the car.

The girls appreciating the gifts from Granddaddy and Emme, and beginning to learn about giving gifts, too.

Visiting the state park close to Granddaddy's house to see the amazing display of holiday lights.

The excitement over seeing the train approach that would carry us through the park.

Bundled-up family snuggles (with Granddaddy in tow to capture it on film).

Walking through part of the park after the train ride, listening to the Christmas music.

The girls being content to sit for stories with Emme.

The girls going to sleep without a peep on Monday night.

More (very) early morning snuggles with Baby A.

The girls singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in its entirety in front of several audiences.

A fun visit with Aunt / Grandma Linda and Uncle / Grandpa Cecil.

Stopping by to see a childhood friend and her mom for a couple of minutes on our way out of town.

Not losing my keys on this trip.

Despite an impossibly LONG trip home (due to a longer-than-anticipated lunch, several potty breaks, and 5:00 traffic), the girls being awesome travel troopers.

The girls running inside to tend to their baby dolls when we got home.

The girls telling Sasha how much they loved her, how much they'd missed her, and Baby B saying, "I'm sorry we were away."

Baby A telling her baby doll, "Don't worry, Abby. I'm right here. I'll hold your hand. I won't leave you." ((sniff, sniff!))

So many wonderful gifts -- the kind without wrapping paper! -- and that's what it's all about.

We May Not Be Up for Making a Gingerbread House...

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

...but we sure enjoyed making ice cream cone trees and marshmallow snowmen!

Inspired by an idea that Deanna at It's a Crazy, Beautiful Life posted a few weeks ago, we invited our friends K and S to join us for some edible holiday crafting.

Everyone had such a fun time...and I was quite impressed that it wasn't even that messy!

(It might have helped that my two girlies were strapped securely in their high chairs! But even in Big People Chairs, K and S kept the mess to a minimum. I didn't even have to mop afterwards!)

While the wee ones had an extra-special mid-morning treat of M&Ms and pretzels, their mom Jenny and I spread store-bought frosting on store-bought waffle cones. (We spread it liberally to allow the M&Ms to stick more easily.)

We gave each kiddo a small bowl of holiday M&Ms, and they got to work!

I love the concentration on K's face (and her tongue sticking out, too!)...

Here's Jenny reminding S that he'd had his snack, and the M&Ms in the bowl were to be used for decoration. (She finally made a deal with him that, for every three candies he put on the tree, he could eat one...HA!)

My Baby A surprised me with how diligently she worked.

And here's a typical pose from Baby B, loving life and enjoying herself a marshmallow break.

The kiddos worked for a pretty long time, and, despite surely having a sugar rush from their extra-special snack, they were quite proud to pose and show off their creations.

It was such a fantastic morning...it just felt successful all around. The kiddos played well, enjoyed themselves, and of course Jenny and I had fun hanging out together, too.

It's hard to look ahead a full year...but I can't help but wonder if we'll be ready to attempt a gingerbread village next year??? At least we know we can supply some great foliage!

Super Stuff on a Saturday

2011-12-17T06:33:00.005-06:00

I had a fabulously super week with my baby girls!

1) As we ate our traditional Sunday morning breakfast, Baby B said, “It’s nice to be together.” We eat supper together all but one or two nights a month, but I love that the girls recognize our family breakfasts are a special treat.

2) On Tuesday we hosted our sweet friends K&S for a play date, which included the assembly of ice cream cone Christmas trees, decorated with M&Ms. It truly warms my heart to see my girls playing with K&S, having known their sweet mama since we were both pregnant. It’s amazing to think back to our first play date, when the kiddos had just celebrated their first birthdays. I love that our girls will grow up having such precious friends, right from the start.

3) The girls have so enjoyed checking out my small collection of nutcrackers, displayed on the mantle for the holidays. One morning I dialed up a short Russian ballet performance on youtube, and then we listened to the entire suite on CD. The girls were quite intent on trying out some new dance moves. And I couldn’t believe they correctly remembered “Tchaikovsky” as the composer when we recounted our day to Daddy before bedtime.

4) I was upstairs one evening, shortly before bed, and Daddy was hanging out with the girls, reading books. I had such a fun time just listening…they were doing a lot more talking and explaining than he was, reading. In particular, Baby B is so emphatic when she explains things, and it cracks me up how she gets her hands going, too. I’ve heard her say this for a while, but it’s so funny when she says, “MY Mommy…” with emphasis on “MY”…as in, “MY Mommy said our bath water should be nice and warm, not hot, and not cold, because babies need to stay warm.”

5) I try really hard to model proper grammar for the girls. I couldn’t help but beam with pride when B said, “If Sasha were to eat this…”…conditional sentence structure at its finest!

6) Since we put the Christmas tree up last weekend, we’ve been sitting in the living room for a few minutes each night before bed. Many nights our kitty Sasha has joined us, rubbing on the lower branches. Because the girls hung so many ornaments at the bottom of the tree, Sasha frequently rings some of my jingle bell ornaments. The girls think she’s doing it just for them. “Ring the bell, Sasha!” and then, “Thank you, Sasha!” they exclaim.

7) After a few brutally early wake-ups this week, the girls both slept soundly until 6:30 on Friday (when Hubby had to start getting ready for work). I was so thankful for them to wake up well-rested...I just hope it continues!

8) On one of the mornings when we were up at the crack of dawn, I heard the girls “reading” to each other. “Don’t be sad, don’t be blue, you love me and I love you.” That definitely put a smile on my otherwise groggy face.

9) Several weeks ago, I bought a beautiful book about the true meaning of Christmas, thinking it would be a great bedtime read. I’d almost forgotten about it until this week, and we read it for the first time a couple of days ago. The artwork and the text is so beautiful…I’ll admit I was almost sobbing by the end.

10) The girls and I were out and about one afternoon, and I tooted the horn at a lady in front of me, who didn’t realize the light had turned green. From the backseat, almost in unison, the girls immediately belted out, “Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep!” HA!

Even amid the crazy...the crack-of-dawn wake-up calls...the spilled milk...there's always plenty of super fabulousness if we only stop to appreciate it.

Hope you had a great week, too!

52 Weeks of ME! Challenge

2011-12-16T08:11:00.008-06:00

It’s certainly been a busy week…but truly, when was the last time I haven’t had a busy week? Um, I’d say close to three years ago!

Still, I carved out some super fun time with a couple of girlfriends this week…and what a fun time it was!

The occasion? Karen and I met at Shanda’s house one evening (my children both nestled snugly in their beds) for some good, old-fashioned cookie baking!

I was responsible for the cookie paraphernalia, and we all agreed to wear pajamas.

I debated on whether to wear my fleece monkey pants to Shanda’s house…or just change into them when I got there. I decided I should be OK to drive in them, as our neighborhood is adjacent to hers, meaning I didn’t have far to go.

So I donned my comfy pants…a delicate, light blue fleece, graced by a repeating pattern of dancing monkeys wearing Santa hats and holding candy canes. It was paired with a demure (in comparison) red holiday tee (on sale this season at Target), declaring “Goodwill to All”.

I was also slightly nervous about the small (dime-sized?) bag of flour I had in the passenger seat, but I figured if I were to be stopped, surely the nice policeman would see my rolling pin and red and green sprinkles to corroborate my cookie-baking story.

Thankfully I made it to Shanda’s house without triggering any red and blue lights, and the baking efforts began.

The cookies weren’t gourmet by any stretch, but we decided we’d rather concentrate our efforts on decorating (and eating) than actually mixing dough.

Still, we floured and rolled and embellished.

And then, of course, we toasted our success and gobbled up some ooey-gooey cookies, hot out of the oven.

It was such a fun, lighthearted evening. And – not being a roll-out-kinda-cookie-baker myself – it gave me some ideas on how to approach such an event with my girls.

I think that’s a priority…as is repeating this little get-together in the holidays to come!

***

What did you do for YOU this week?

Link up, or just leave a comment…hope you’re finding a way to step back, catch your breath, and savor the best of this holiday season!

Gifts: Intangible and Virtual

2011-12-15T08:33:00.009-06:00

My sweet friend Melissa at MaMe Musings is hosting a series of posts this month, highlighting the "gifts" of some of her readers.

I think it's a beautiful thing to acknowledge our talents and traits, the things that make us who we are, and I'm so thankful to be part of her series.

Still, as I was writing my piece for her blog, it felt weird...weird to be patting myself on the back...weird to be putting myself out there to talk about what I love about ME.

I think humility is part of most of our natures...and as a general rule, I think it's a pretty good thing.

I've been thinking a lot about it, though...probably over-thinking (as I might occasionally sorta-sometimes have a tendency to do)...particularly in the context of modeling for my girls.

Certainly I want them to be humble, but it would break my heart to see them be too self-deprecating. Yet another balance to add to the list, I guess.

And particularly in this season of giving, I want to encourage them to think about their intangible gifts as one way they can share with their friends and family.

I'm not sure I've adequately expressed what's been on my mind...but I hope as my sweet friend Julia at Pontifications of a Twin Mom does a great job of reminding us...let's all try to grant each other the gift of grace.

[Now head on over to Melissa's and accept my "virtual" gift to you of homemade peanut brittle!]

Gettin' Crafty for Christmas - III

2011-12-14T06:13:00.010-06:00

The girls and I have had lots of fun over these past few weeks doing holiday-themed crafts.

One of our projects this week was disguising some gift bags as snowmen.

We bought a pack of medium-size brown bags at the craft store (12 for $3.59 with a coupon).

I cut out a hat from cardstock. We used some scraps of cardstock and construction paper to embellish the hat and make the mouth. We used buttons for eyes, orange felt for a nose, and a bright red rhinestone for the holly berry.

My girls now know the word "rhinestone"...should I be worried???

At not quite three years old, I'm not quite comfortable at turning the girls loose with a bottle of glue. I ran the smaller pieces (like the holly leaves and mouth) through my Xyron to make "stickers" for the girls to apply. I drew lines on the bag to guide their placement.

For the rhinestone, buttons, and felt, I put dots of glue on the bags, and they put the embellishments in place.

We put these together over three sessions, I think, to allow the glue to dry for the various sections. The girls really enjoyed it (and it wasn't too messy for this mama!).

While I'm personally much more of a gift-wrap-kinda-gal...

...I like wrapping gifts with nice crisp corners and pretty ribbons and tags...and then ripping the paper off (not the gifts I wrapped, just to be clear)...

...in addition to our handmade gift tags, I thought this would be another fun way to get the girls involved in the gift-giving process.

Saving It For Later

2011-12-12T08:59:00.006-06:00

I distinctly remember the first time I realized the girls could fill in the blanks in nursery rhymes and some of the texts from books we read frequently.

They were 21 months old, and I had wedged myself into the back seat, between their car seats, trying to entertain them to keep them awake on a 45-minute drive.

I thought I’d recite one of their ABC books. ’A’ is for apple, that I like to...and before I could finish, someone yelled out, “Bite!” ’B’ is for bear, whom I cuddle at…“Night!” We continued on and on, and they filled in most of the blanks in the alphabet. I moved to nursery rhymes, and they amazed me there, too.

I wondered how much the rhymes were giving the girls clues. Over the next couple of weeks, I began omitting words here and there in Curious George stories and other books. I remember laughing when one of them filled in the words “launching site” in a book about a rocket ship…it seemed so random, and it certainly didn’t rhyme with anything.

Over the last few months, the girls have started “reading” to themselves and their baby dolls. It’s amazing how they can recite page after page in so many books. There are times when they’re describing the pictures, but there are many times they’re saying the written text word for word, complete with Mommy’s inflections.

I remarked to a girlfriend how, despite me having read those books a gazillion times…which is obviously how the girls are learning the text in the first place…I couldn’t recite the text word for word.

A seasoned mom, she immediately responded, “They’re saving it for later.”

I’ve thought about this a lot. And I don’t mean to sound trite, but I keep equating it to what is said of someone who loses the sense of sight, for example, that his other senses become heightened.

The girls can’t read yet, so if they want to enjoy their books when Mommy is not reading to them, this is their solution.

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a Frosty the Snowman book, the original text from 1950. Granted, I read that book probably 20 times in three days, but I was astounded when the girls started reciting it verbatim within a few days.

Even otherwise unfamiliar text, like “floppy galoshes,” and more poetic syntax, like “said he”…they’ve got it down. And it’s so cute, where one trails off, so often her sister will pick right up.

The capacities of the human brain never cease to amaze me.

...now if I could just channel some of their capacities to remember what I need at the grocery store!

Super 7 Sunday

2011-12-11T08:46:00.006-06:00

So thankful for a super fabulous week with my baby girls!

1) On Sunday, Baby A woke up early from her nap. I let her help me make Pumpkin Gingerbread. She was such a great help! She dumped the ingredients in the bowl for me, and turned the mixer on and off. And of course she was so proud of herself.

2) And later in the week I let the girls help me make a simple batch of candy. They mostly dumped ingredients in the bowl and stirred a little bit, but it made their day! They were so proud of themselves. After supper, B told Daddy, “I will share my candy with you.” HA!

3) I was so proud of the girls for accompanying me to Hobby Lobby this week. I only had one thing to get, and I asked if they would like to walk (as opposed to loading up in the stroller). They behaved so well! They held onto the hand basket and were super good about keeping their hands to themselves. They even made a bit of conversation with the cashier. A big accomplishment, indeed!

4) Coming out of Hobby Lobby we took the opportunity to contribute to the Salvation Army. I gave the girls each a dollar, and they put in the bucket. Then the lady let them ring her bell. They talked about it all afternoon, saying, “…and we put cash in the bucket and rang the bell.” I must have said, “Let me see if I have some cash,” but it cracked me up for them to use that word.

5) The girls are having a great time listening to Christmas music, although they’ve altered quite a few lyrics. “Two turtle ducks,” for example, and Feliz Navidad is “Police la-dee-dah.” At least they know how to request Michael Buble’ by name.

6) We went to lunch on Saturday at our favorite sushi restaurant. We hadn’t taken the girls there since this summer, as they had a big case of the wiggles the last time we were there…not quite in keeping with the otherwise zen atmosphere. This time, they did fantastic! They sat up straight in their chairs, enjoyed edamame and part of my salad, and they ate every scrap of their chicken and shrimp teriyaki.

7) We finally got our Christmas tree up on Saturday afternoon. Baby A was up early from her nap, and I was amazed how patiently she watched Hubby and me put the lights on the tree. She then did a great job of helping me take ornaments out of their boxes. When B got up, I loved seeing the surprise on her face at glimpsing the tree. “Is it Christmas?” she asked. And I’ll pat myself on the back for allowing the girls to hang the ornaments…I expected a lot grouped together on the bottom…but I didn’t anticipate they’d also be so intent on decorating the back of the tree. Oh, well…they had fun!

Hope you had a super fabulous week, too!

Pumpkin Gingerbread...Oh, My!

2011-12-10T08:00:00.003-06:00

I tried this recipe for the first time last weekend (with the very excellent help of Baby A, I might add). Melding together two quintessential flavors of this wonderful holiday season, it's definitely a keeper!

Pumpkin Gingerbread

3 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
1 - 15oz. can pumpkin puree
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease two 9x5" loaf pans.

In large mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil, and eggs; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin, ginger, allspice, and cinnamon.

In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven about an hour, until toothpick comes out clean.

I went heavy on the spices, and this was ahhhh-mazing!!! (Just look past the gallon of oil and five pounds of sugar...it's the holidays!)

52 Weeks of ME! Challenge Link-up

2011-12-08T23:59:00.000-06:00

Amid the hustle and bustle of this wonderful season, it's really important for me to consciously step back, catch my breath, and re-energize. I hope you're finding time to do the same!

***

I had a pretty fabulous week with my baby girls...and I managed to log some "me" time in there, too!

On Thursday night, after all our respective kiddos were in bed, I met with three fellow twin mamas from our MoMs group.

Over gigantic cups of hot tea, we had a really productive meeting, outlining our full 2012 schedule. (Did you happen to hear our collective WOO HOO!!! at accomplishing such a task?!)

Of course we talked about more than meeting topics and picnic venues.

I've known one of these ladies since we met in the prenatal classes at the hospital, a couple of months before our babes were born. Her B/G twins are exactly one week older than A&B. The other ladies I met through our MoMs group, and their twins were born within 9 months of ours.

We've worked closely together as part of our group for a couple of years now. Even when we have "work" to do, it's still always so refreshing just to be around them.

They get it. Completely.

These mamas are such a wonderful, warm, supportive group (and their kiddos are pretty fantastic, too). I learn so much from them...and they might just make me feel a little more "normal"...or at least remind this high-strung mama she's not alone on this amazing journey. :)

***

What did you do for YOU this week?

You're welcome to link up, or just leave a comment. Then sit back, grab a cup of hot tea if you'd like, and see how other mamas carved out a little time for themselves this week.

The Egg Carton Doesn't Lie...

2011-12-08T08:27:00.005-06:00

...my girls will be THREE...SOON!!!

That's hard for me to grasp on several levels...one of which is definitely the fact that I've gotta make time during this holiday hustle and bustle to nail down birthday party plans...eek!!!

We are thankful for so many wonderful things to celebrate these next few weeks...even if my to-do list is consumes a spiral-bound notebook. :)

The Early Birds Sits on the Potty

2011-12-07T08:50:00.002-06:00

Our girls began sleeping through the night when they were around three months old. It seems like forever their wakeup time was 6:45. Some days they might have woken up a little earlier, but particularly as they got older, they were very content to babble to each other for a little bit.

Some time before the girls turned two, I realized I was waking them up many mornings. One day, I decided to see how long they’d sleep…and for about six months, I so enjoyed them getting up about 7:30!

[I still maintained my 5:45-ish wakeup, but that meant I had time to work out, shower, and get dressed…it was glorious!]

Enter our first round of potty-training, in April.

As fantastic as it was to change only half the number of diapers, I had no idea that it would so affect the girls’ sleep!

While I continued to put diapers on A for naps and nighttime for a couple of weeks, I don’t think she once went in them. I know that’s actually a good thing…but she would wake up screaming and crying, near hysterical, to sit on the potty. And early, at that. And of course B would wake up, too, upset over her sister being upset.

It was rough.

Things have leveled out with the hysteria. I think that was just a matter of A understanding what was happening with her body. Still, for the last seven months, the days have begun rather early at our house.

A 6:30 wakeup is a good day. The girls no longer cry, but they start pleading immediately, “I need to sit on potty!” (in stereo, of course). And forget them “talking” peacefully while I finish my bowl of cereal. Their requests are usually pretty urgent (and I don’t want to test their little bladders!).

I know this is just part of it…things will even out…and one day I’ll be dragging them out of bed to get ready for school.

In the meantime I’ll focus on the positives…NO MORE DIAPERS…and extra time to read some books in the mornings before I start making breakfast…

…even though I do it in my pj’s without having combed my hair…yikes!

Gettin' Crafty for Christmas - II

2011-12-06T06:06:00.011-06:00

I didn't grow up with the tradition of an Advent calendar, but I've been thinking about it over the past couple of years. At almost three, I figured our girls are old enough to at least begin to grasp a count-down to the holidays.

While I've since seen some really great ideas for Advent, ranging from whimsical fun to spiritual...ones which I'm already excited about for next year...I took a simple approach this year.

When the girls' hands were already messy with green paint from our gift tag production, I had them make a handprint tree. (This required quite a bit of direction on my part, basically "stamping" their hands in the desired configuration.)

When that dried, I plotted numbers 1 - 24 [for which I may have used an Excel spreadsheet].

I added a star to the top of the tree with the year written on it, and I cut out a square for each letter of their name at the bottom of the tree, to look sorta-kinda like presents.

Every morning, the girls add an ornament sticker to the tree. I know they don't have an appreciation for "19 more days" (as of today!), but they do love getting to play with stickers right after breakfast.

And of course these will find a home in their scrapbooks after the holidays, a reminder of early morning sticker fun...and the size of their precious little hands, once upon a time.

Alliteration Escapes Me

2011-12-05T08:46:00.006-06:00

I’ve been doing a Fab 5 Friday post for eons now. Occasionally that turns into a Super 6 or 7 Saturday or Sunday.

I’m running a bit behind this week, though, and I just can’t come up with good alliteration for this Monday morning. Nonetheless, it was a pretty amazing week with my baby girls, and here are just a few of the reasons why…

1) We met my friend and former colleague Rebecca for lunch on Tuesday. The girls hadn’t seen her in a couple of months, but they warmed up right away. I love that their memories are so strong, they knew who she was and remembered things we talked about two months ago! And I love seeing her with them…she has grandchildren of her own, and she exudes all that wonderful warmth towards my babes.

2) Miss Rebecca gave the girls a set of Go Fish cards. They’re not exactly playing “Go Fish” with them, but they’ve had a great time lining them up, sorting them out, and naming all the different kinds of sea critters.

3) On Thursday we took the girls to Downtown Lights Up, when the Christmas lights are turned on for the first time. We got to the square just in time for the countdown. The girls clapped for the lights, and loved walked around (and around and around), listening to the choir sing and looking at everything aglow. And I loved seeing my babes toddle around in their cute little hats, dressed in so many layers they could hardly put their arms down.

4) On Friday I needed to go to the bookstore. It was a beautiful morning, and I decided to brave the outing with the girls on foot (not in a stroller). They did really well! I let them play with the train table in the bookstore (after which I sanitized their hands, of course). They even walked beside me – not holding my hands – on the way to the cash register. They behaved so well I decided to take them next door to the pet store. They squealed with delight in seeing all the fuzzy critters, and I think it made their week to pick out a toy for our kitty Sasha for Christmas.

5) We had occasion to wrap a couple of birthday presents this week. I let the girls “design” the wrapping paper (scribbles on drawing paper) and assist me with the tape. So all week they’ve been “wrapping” their toys in washcloths and blankets, giving them to each other and their baby dolls. So sweet.

6) We went to a birthday party for one-year old twins on Saturday. My girls just love these two sweet babies, and their parents. And A&B finally got to meet their puppy dogs…they were over the moon!

7) I love listening to the girls invent new games and pretend scenarios. I can often piece together parts of books they’re enacting. I had to laugh when B was getting a game plan together one day, “We’re going to the wishing well [from a book]…and then to the yogurt shop [a real-life wish, I imagine]…and then to the shore [also from a book…I promise my babies have not been watching Jershey Shore!].”

8) Both of the girls love to play tickles. They’ve started “tickling” their baby dolls and stuffed animals. Baby A gets the cutest look on her face when she says (of her baby / dog / the cat), “She’s a tickle-girl.”

9) And the quote of the week? Overheard, from Baby B: “I’m going to sit right next to my sissy. We’re sisters and we need to be together!”

10) [And just so I have an even 10…] The girls are having so much fun with the Christmas season. A separate post to come!

Hope you had a super...fabulous...awesome week, too!

Pausing to Catch My Breath...

2011-12-03T06:14:00.001-06:00

...and guest-posting at Multiples & More today about 52 Weeks of ME!

Hope you can take pause for at least a bit this week and do something for YOU!

52 Weeks of ME! Challenge Link-up

2011-12-01T23:59:00.000-06:00

Amid the hustle and bustle of this awesome season, I hope you've found a way to carve out at least a bit of time for YOU.

Be it big or small, we owe it to ourselves to step back, relax, and recharge...and enjoy!

What did you do for YOU this week???

And what did I do for ME???

Since we didn't travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, our five-day weekend was pretty relaxed. We enjoyed lots of family fun on our own schedule...and I was thankful to carve out a bit of time just for me, as well.

At the beginning of the year, my bestie and I decided we'd get pedicures together once a quarter. Following our December twinkle toes, we held off until February before we booked another appointment. At that point we decided that three months was too long to wait for pretty toes...surely we could swing a quick date once a month.

We haven't quite met up once a month, but we've enjoyed several pedicures together this year.

On Saturday Aunt Shanda picked me up after the girls' nap time. She had her seat warmer fired up and Christmas music in the CD player. We enjoyed having our piggy toes pampered just as much as we enjoyed catching up...it had been too long!

I vowed this week I would talk about something other than coffee...so I won't include as "me" time the holiday Starbucks we picked up on the way home, or the toast we made (and took a picture of!) to our friendship...and to pretty toes!

An Invitation I Can't Resist

2011-12-01T06:01:00.005-06:00

Our girls love books…always have, in some form or fashion. Over the past couple of weeks, though, it seems like all they want to do is read and be read to.

They’ve also been in a snuggly mood quite a bit of the time.

Put the two together, and I just can’t turn down their invitations to join them on the couch.

Most mornings after breakfast, I take a little time to drink some coffee and catch up on the computer, while they play independently. They usually do really well with this routine.

But after a while, they’ve been asking me to come read to them.

They’ve been gathering some blankets and making themselves little nests on the couch…with a space in between themselves for Mommy.

How can I resist such an invitation???

And last night, when we were snuggled on the couch after supper, in a very similar pose, Baby A somehow got even sweeter. She was holding the book we were reading, and she kept wiggling around, bumping my arm. I told her it was hard for Mommy to read when she wasn’t holding the book still.

“I’m trying to get closer to you,” she said.

I know this phase won’t last forever, so I’m doing my best to appreciate the moment, and soaking it all in while I can.

(I am sharing the love with Daddy when he gets home from work, though...Mama's voice box needs a rest from time to time!)

Meal-Planning Mayhem

2011-11-30T08:49:00.003-06:00

Well, “mayhem” is probably too strong a word…and, in the spirit of full disclosure, I’m no expert meal-planner, by any stretch.

Still, over the past couple of weeks it’s become clear that I need to adjust my calculations in making my weekly grocery list.

I usually sit down at some point and make a list of what I’ll need to buy, keeping in mind the staples we use every week, and meals I plan to make.

On average, I probably make three meals a week. There are some meals that we consume in one sitting, but there are plenty of meals – soups, stews, roasts, and casseroles – that I make in larger portions, from which we can eat leftovers a time or two.

It’s not that my family has started to balk at leftovers [I shudder at that horrific thought!]…it’s that my girls are eating like HORSES these days!

Following our Thanksgiving meal, for example, I made a chicken pot pie (or hen pot pie, if you wanna get all technical). Once upon a time, Hubby and I could have made close to three meals from that. Factoring in the girls, I banked on it for two meals.

I will admit I didn’t have a full spring in my step when they asked for seconds…and then thirds!

C’mon girls…don’t you know Mama’s got a meal plan going here?

I sent what was left of the pie to work with Hubby today, and I’ll be heading to the grocery store a day earlier than planned.

While I’m thankful that the girls eat well – and that they like Mama’s cooking – if this is what they’re consuming just shy of three years old…I can’t begin to imagine my grocery bill when they’re twelve!

Yes, it’s time to adjust the calculations on my spreadsheet. (I kid!...kinda…)

Gettin' Crafty for Christmas

2011-11-29T08:32:00.012-06:00

Despite the girls not following my fingerpainting directions very closely last week...going all impressionistic on me instead...I whipped out my paper punches, glue, and scissors and forged ahead with my visions of handmade gift tags for our holiday gifts.

I used a 1.5" scallop punch to cut out the girls' "wreaths".

I then used a standard hole punch to make six random holes in each wreath. And I used a 1" punch to cut circles from red card stock.

My little elves then glued the red circles on the backs of the wreaths.

I then mounted everything on a larger piece of red (and some wine-colored) card stock, then on white, to make a gift tag.

(Using the 1" red circles seems like an extra step, but it was helpful in giving the fingerpainted disks more stability...particularly when Baby A glops the paint so thickly, causing the paper to wrinkle!)

At not-quite three, our girls are still a bit young to be a lot of help in the kitchen...but I know they'll be really proud to see their handiwork adorning the homemade gifts to our neighbors and friends this holiday.

I'm linking up with Marcia at 1,2,3 Blog for her Virtual Craft Day link-up. (Thank you to Marcia for encouraging me to get crafty at least once a month...it's not always easy to make time for it, but it's good for this mama's soul!)

And I'm linking up with Charlene at Adventures-in-Mommy-Land for Hey, Mom, Look What I Did! (Head over for loads of great inspiration to get crafting with your kiddos!)

History Repeats Itself

2011-11-28T08:47:00.006-06:00

I’ve heard all my life that girls turn into their mothers. Sometimes that’s said with nostalgia, and sometimes it’s shrieked in a Facebook status, followed by “Aaaaaaagh!”

I’ve had a couple of funny realizations myself over the past few weeks, things that just sneaked up on me…some causing me to shake my head, and others just making me laugh, understanding first hand that I must have caused my mama some headaches now and then.

When our girls were infants, I agonized over every ounce of milk they drank. Since they started eating big people food, though, I’ve taken a more laissez-faire approach…they’ll eat when they’re hungry, and they’ll drink when their thirsty. It will all even out, as long as I offer them a variety of healthy choices.

Baby B has started drinking very little milk in the mornings. She warms up later in the day, but there are times when I don’t think she has even one sip with breakfast. I found myself directing her, “Drink your milk, Sweetie!” “You’ve gotta start the day with some milk!” And I was instantly transported back to being a three-year old myself, my mom directing, pleading, bargaining with me to drink milk.

Gasp! Stop it, Mandy…lest Baby B develops the same psychological (?) disdain for milk that I had growing up!

I gasped similarly when I was putting undershirts on the girls a few days ago. I HATED wearing undershirts when I was a kid. I remember asking to wear a certain shirt, and my mom would say yes, but I had to wear an undershirt.

“But nobody else wears undershirts!” I’d rebut. I remember thinking how dowdy they seemed…slightly gauzy with this scratchy lace trim…ick!

Note to self: Don’t make a big deal of undershirts. Play up the layered look if you have to. And maybe forego the lace trim.

And then I just had to laugh when I realized I’d been whispering a certain sweet nothing in the girls’ ears ahead of nap time. As I try to set the mood for the girls to “Lie down, close your eyes, relax, and go to sleep,” I recently added, “You need your rest to grow up big and strong.”

My mom really dangled that carrot far above my short, stubby legs, telling me I’d grow up tall if I slept well. As a ~four-year old, I remember telling her I thought I was getting really tall, since I’d been sleeping so well. HA!

(Either I didn’t rest as well as I thought I did, or my mom was stretching the truth…I somehow ended up only 5’2”.)

These are certainly not the only times I’ve hearkened back to my upbringing, and I’m sure they won’t be the last. I guess it’s part of the circle of life, so to speak.

I’ll do my best to learn from those before me…and hope I won't have to do too much "paying for my raising".

Mama Loves...Bundling Up!

2011-11-27T08:09:00.009-06:00

I've had a lot of fun over the past couple of months, checking out Julia's "Mama Loves" link-up at Pontifications of a Twin Mom. It's great to see tried and true reviews by real mamas, on real gear, books, toys, songs, and games.

As I think about the baby items that have truly stood the test of time at our house, ones I wouldn't have wanted to live without, I can't help but beam about our carrier / stroller blankets.

Before the girls were born, I found the Bundle Me covers for the girls' carriers. They came home from the hospital in these in January, and I don't think I took them off their carriers until late spring.

Here's a picture of the girls at about 10 weeks old, ready for our very first walk!

Bundle Me comes in various sizes and thicknesses. Since we live in a more moderate climate, I bought the Bundle Me Lite.

If it was cold, I could stuff a blanket down in the bottom and zip the girls up (kind of like a sleeping bag). If it was warmer, I could leave the girls in a sleep-and-play and just cover their legs.

We continued to use the Bundle Me with the girls' carriers through their first birthday.

When we invested in a jogging stroller when the girls were nine months old, one of our first purchases was a Bundle Me for it. I again bought a Lite thickness, in an extra large size (knowing the girls can use it for a long time to come).

Here's a picture of the girls on Thanksgiving weekend last year, just shy of two years old. (The Bundle Me was old news, but the mittens were quite the novelty!)

All in all, we've had a pretty warm fall. That, coupled with how often our girls walk hand-in-hand with us (not in the stroller), we've only had our Bundle Me in our stroller for a week or so. I have yet to snap any photos this year...but I'm sure I will soon.

Here's to many more walks with my sweet girlies...cozy and comfy in even the coolest of weather!

Super 7 Saturday

2011-11-26T05:57:00.004-06:00

(Like Fab 5 Friday, plus a couple!)

Super...fabulous…no matter how I say it, it’s been a pretty great week.

1) We had a very rainy first-part-of-the-week, which just seems to call for finger paint. The girls had a great time, and [KNOCK ON WOOD!], they’ve done so well the past couple of times, containing their mess. I love seeing their different techniques, too. B tends to use a little bit of paint to go a long way, while A globs it up so thick it takes all day to dry. You’d think they’d been to different schools of art, or something.

2) The skies dried up by Wednesday, just in time for the start of Daddy’s Thanksgiving vacation. We bundled up and went to the zoo…and had the place almost to ourselves! We literally didn’t see another family for the first 45 minutes we were there. We mostly hung out with the giraffes and elephants, and they put on quite a show for us. It was really neat to feel that connection with those gorgeous animals.

3) Thursday we enjoyed our first Thanksgiving as just the four of us. It was a pretty special day. We sat at the dining room table together (no high chairs!), and the girls enjoyed quite a feast. The weather was perfect that afternoon for a long walk together, and we ended the day with a sampling of Mommy’s pumpkin cheesecake. (The girls are officially in love, I’m afraid. The first words out of B’s mouth on Friday morning involved “dessert”…HA!)

4) Friday morning the girls helped me make Chex Mix. They were very patient, taking turns measuring the ingredients and dumping them in the bowl. And they were super excited to enjoy the fruits of their labor as a snack.

5) Friday afternoon, Hubby and I put up the outside Christmas lights while the girls napped. They both were all giggles to spy the wreath on the front door (which they could see from upstairs when they got up). Their faces were priceless when we came home from the grocery store at dusk and saw our bushes aglow. Baby A cracked me up when she said, “I’ll just stand right here while you make a picture.” She must really have been taken, as she’s not usually one to volunteer to pose for the camera!

6) My babies are growing up, and I notice it in some of the most everyday ways sometimes…Baby B is quite the master at covering her mouth before she sneezes, and then she’ll say, “I covered my mouth!” And I just noticed how proficiently Baby A is going down the stairs, one foot on each step, just like a grown-up!

7) The girls never cease to amaze me…every day…with what they know and what they remember. As we were pulling into the zoo, B said, “You need to get a ticket to park.” I have no idea how (or why!) she remembered that minute detail from our one trip, almost two months ago, but she was right! And as we were walking on Thursday afternoon, a very large cat crossed our path about a block ahead of us. Baby A squealed that she saw a puppy. “I think that’s a kitty cat,” I told her. “Oh! I got confused!” she laughed. Seriously...too cute.

So thankful this week…and always…for my super, fabulous, awesome blessings.

52 Weeks of ME! Challenge Link-up

2011-11-25T00:01:00.001-06:00

Being a mama is always a 24/7 job...but it seems like I somehow need to work overtime from Halloween through the girls’ birthday in January, just to pack in all the wonderful activities of the holiday season.

During this time of the year, more than ever, I know I’m going to have to remind myself to carve out a little “me” time. Sure, Mama would love a new pair of shoes, but a soak in the tub with a good book will also do this soul a lot of good.

I’m really excited to be carrying on the weekly link-up started by dollimama, “52 Weeks of ME!”

It’s been an awesome challenge to do at least a little something for myself each week…which some weeks is just stepping back to appreciate the little things, like a yummy cup of coffee.

I hope you’ll join me in celebrating ourselves each Friday. Link up a blog post with what you did for YOU this week. Or just leave a comment. I find it really refreshing to hear how other mamas are appreciating themselves.

So…what did I do for ME this week???

Well, speaking of a yummy cup of coffee…

I did my Thanksgiving week grocery shopping on Sunday morning, or at least most of it. I realized as I was chatting with the check-out lady that – of all things – I forgot THE TURKEY. We had almost constant rain from Sunday through Tuesday, and I didn’t want to get the girls out if I didn’t have to. Still, I knew I’d better get a bird and get it thawing, fast!

On Monday night, after the girls were in bed, I donned a hoodie and headed back to the grocery store. I took my time, browsing through the holiday goodies (where I might have bought a bag of my favorite Christmas candy). I got my bird, and then made a loop through Starbucks.

I got a yummy (decaf) latte for me, and one for my bestie…I took the long way home so I could drop it off by her house and run in for a quick toast. There’s just something about those beautiful red Starbucks cups this time of year…along with the seasonal flavors…and better yet if shared (even for a moment) with a friend.

Every Day is Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

...when you're a parent.

I am so thankful for my multiple blessings, today and always.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!

A Bit About Me, November Edition

2011-11-23T20:27:00.003-06:00

My birthday is February 23rd, and on the 23rd of each month, I’ve taken to posting a little something random about me. As this is Thanksgiving Eve, I thought I’d keep with a holiday theme…

29) For some reason I don’t seem to have a lot of distinctive memories from Thanksgiving when I was growing up...

...save one year, when I was five or six. My grandmother, who was visiting from the next state over, introduced me to the idea of the wishbone. We waited a day or two to let it dry, and then she and I set to break it, understanding that the one who got the larger half would have her wish granted. She got the bigger piece, and I was disappointed I wouldn’t get my wish…for her never to have to go home. [The mind of a five-year old, huh?!]

I also remember my great aunt, the girls’ Aunt GG, telling me a story every year about a turkey in the woods who was scared for his safety. I didn’t think a thing about it when I was little, but as I got older, I had to laugh that she’d risk telling such a “scary” story to a little kid! [Love you, Aunt GG!]

30) It’s Wednesday evening as I type this, waiting to take my pumpkin cheesecake out of the oven…which reminds me…two of my prized possessions are pie-related.

I have a corning ware pie plate that was my mom’s. I don’t remember her making many pies, but she made the meanest batch of fudge, and she always poured it into that plate. Just the thought makes my mouth water!

And I have my afore-mentioned grandmother’s aluminum pie taker (I guess you call it). She used to make The Most Wonderful Apple Pie. She often brought one for me when she’d come to visit (and a pecan pie for my dad). It’s a great memory…and a handy-dandy tool that I use on occasion when I take a pie somewhere.

Following Directions is Not Our Strong Suit...Or We Lean Heavily Towards Impressionism

2011-11-22T08:22:00.014-06:00

I had [what I thought was] a fantastic idea...the girls would help me make gift tags for our holiday goodies! Brilliant, right?!

The peanut brittle and peppermint bark will be made long after their bedtime in the evenings...but they could still make a very meaningful contribution to the presentation of the gift (in addition to the caroling we're practicing).

I decided that they could finger paint a wreath. As a second step, we could add some dots of red paint, or maybe some red stickers, or maybe some ribbon.

I cut some squares from white card stock and used a pencil to draw a circle on each. I dressed the girls in their smocks, and got plenty of wet wipes handy.

I dipped my finger into the green paint to illustrate how to make a wreath...

Simple, right?

Except I got a lot of this [Baby A]...

...and this [Baby B]...

I revised my instructions, asking the girls to fill in the circle, which yielded this [Baby A]...

...and this [Baby B]...

Better...but still not quite wreath-like. I'm seeing more of an evergreen swag (once we add a bow or something)...

We'll see what Mama's craft punches and a little glitter glue can do.

...to be continued...

[But no matter the outcome, I'm already having so much fun celebrating the holidays with my baby girls!!! And anyone who can't appreciate some messy finger paint artwork isn't deserving of my kitchen confections, anyway! HA!]

What Would a Turkey Do...

2011-11-21T08:44:00.003-06:00

…if he didn’t have plans for Thanksgiving?

I’m guessing he’d hightail it to Canada!

And I sure wish we could join him. I’m picturing a beautiful snow lodge with fireplaces, fountains of hot chocolate, and stacks of books, just waiting to be devoured.

...but if travelling to Canada were possible, then we’d actually just hop in the car to Sweet Home Alabama.

Alas, travelling with little ones is not easy, though, and we’ve opted to do it only once during the larger holiday season. Thus, we’ll be staying put for Turkey Day.

While we’ve been on our own for Christmas several years, it dawned on me that this is the first time we’ll be away from family for Thanksgiving. Over the past 15 years or so, our family hasn’t followed any kind of Turkey Day rituals, but we’ve always been together in some form or fashion.

So…in the absence of ritual and being just the four of us…what’s our little family to do?

I debated a number of different game plans, but I think I’ve settled on a few things.

Wednesday we’ll go to the zoo. I wouldn’t want to brave the Big City traffic on Thursday or Friday, but I think that will be a great family treat to kick off our vacation time together.

Thursday – despite the hubby’s encouragement to “make something different” since he says he’s not a big fan of turkey – I’m going to cook a relatively traditional meal…at least including turkey and homemade cranberry sauce. We’ll do baked sweet potatoes (no casseroles for this girl!), and steamed asparagus (not sure if the pilgrims would approve of that one, though).

And I’ll make my semi-famous pumpkin cheesecake. I started making that a few years ago, and it’s been a keeper. The girls have never had it, but my hunch is that they’ll be fans.

The big ta-da for me is that we’re going to sit at the dining room table for our main meal. I’ve been laughing to myself that the girls probably don’t realize that table is actually for eating…as we’ve never done so since they were born!

I hope between the turkey and cheesecake and table arrangements, the girls will recognize the day as a special one. I also want to spend some time talking about things we’re thankful for. I hope the girls will cooperate for some craft time…in my mind I’d love to make a “thankful tree”, writing the things we’re thankful for on the leaves. What fun it would be to repeat that, year after year.

On Friday I have plans to make Chex Mix. My grandparents used to make the most wonderful concoction of snack mix this time of year, but this will be the first time I try my luck. I think I’ll enlist the girls’ help to dump the cereals together…and I may even get crazy and let them mix it up with their hands.

Saturday is GAME DAY in our world…Alabama versus Auburn…the day the entire state of Alabama stands still for four hours for the rivalry that determines bragging rights for the next 364 days.

Hubby and I will DVR the game in order to watch it uninterrupted after the girls are in bed, but we’ll all don our jerseys for the first half the of the day. And of course the second half of the day will be spent avoiding all outside contact in order not to accidentally learn the score.

No matter what the agenda, I know we’ll enjoy the family time together. And no matter the turkey, the trimmings, or even the outcome of the football game (did I just write that???), we’ll be thankful for so many blessings.

This Morning We're Gonna Party Like It's 2004!

2011-11-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, I used to love to host people at our house.

We didn't do it very often, but I so enjoyed the thrill of cleaning...decorating...menu-planning...cooking...serving...and of course I loved the fellowship with friends, colleagues, and family.

Outside of a few visits from family and the girls' birthday parties, though, we haven't hosted many people at our house over the past three years. It's just so much work...on top of everything I have going on in my little world every day...but I miss it.

On a bit of a whim, I jumped at the chance to apply to host a Shutterfly House Party. I was so excited that I was selected to showcase Shutterfly's awesome selection of holiday cards and give away coupon codes for cards and calendars to my party guests.

[I've been a huge Shutterfly fan for a number of years, so this was not a stretch!]

I had so much fun planning my menu, plotting my tablescape, and thinking about a way to wrap up the coupon cards in cute little goody bags.

Still, as last Saturday drew near, I thought more than once, "Maybe it's too early...maybe the girls are still too young for Mommy to be able to play Hostess with the Mostess."

And I was really thinking that as I was ever-so-quietly crushing miniature candy canes for peppermint bark, long past my bedtime on Friday night.

Even having gone to bed much later than usual the night before, I woke up Saturday morning with a spring in my step. I scheduled the party from 9:00 - 11:00, and I invited several of my mommy friends (thinking that would be an appropriate time for a play date / mid-morning snack).

The display table was set (featuring the sample cards from Shutterfly and the goody bags, along with a few different cards and books I've ordered from Shutterfly over the past year or so)...

...the food was made (pigs-in-a-blanket, strawberry muffins, pumpkin spice muffins, pretzel M&M's, and peppermint bark)...

...and Mommy and her co-hostesses were dressed for the occasion...

We played...

...and we crafted (this is a picture of A&B with the ornament craft they made a few days ago...I was too concentrated on foam and glue during the party to take any pictures!)...

...and one of the best parts was realizing I had all the makings of a former work team (from 2004!) at my house [plus a few little additions, of course!]...

Yes, it was stressful. Yes, it was a lot of work. But it was fun.

And it showed me that it is possible to wear a hostess badge and mom jeans at the same time. :)

[I was not compensated for writing this blog post...but, Mr. Shutterfly? if you're listening?...I certainly wouldn't be offended at an offer!]

Fab 5 Friday...and ME!!!

2011-11-18T08:31:00.005-06:00

Very thankful for another fabulous week!!!

1) We hosted a little get-together on Saturday morning (sponsored by Shutterfly) to get everyone thinking about the holiday spirit. The girls were so excited to get up to the smell of muffins in the oven, the sight of Christmas decorations on the table…and of course to welcome several of their twin friends to play. The girls played so well and shared their toys very nicely – I was so proud of my little co-hostesses!

2) On Sunday we decided to allow the girls to watch about 10 minutes of a soccer game between England and Spain (one Hubby was really having a fit to see). I thought they would be enthralled, but after less than a minute, B jumped up, got her ball to kick around the den, declaring, “I can do that!” Within 10 minutes we decided to take the girlies to the park so they could really play.

3) We had rain the first part of the week, so I decided to break out the finger paint one morning. The girls were so well behaved! They had fun mixing colors, I got some discernible handprints (a first!), and they kept their paint-covered hands where I asked. It was a very successful morning!

4) The girls have been all about snuggling lately. They’re really into reading mode, and so many times they’ve piled up on the couch with blankets, leaving a space between them for Mommy to join. We haven’t put together as many puzzles or built as many block structures as usual this week, but we’ve read tons of books to make up for it. This snuggly stage is one I’m loving!!!

5) One evening I was looking at a book and said the word “babotchka” [Russian for butterfly]. B said, “That means ‘grandmother’ in Russian!” She was close…grandmother is “babushka”…but I couldn’t believe she knew that, as I can’t begin to remember the last time I used that with them.

And what did I do for ME this week???

Miss Jennifer was here with the girls on Tuesday afternoon. I had a quick errand to run at the mall, after which I promptly high-tailed it to Panera. I got a latte in one of their big, oversized ceramic mugs, scored a comfy leather chair by the fireplace, and read a book – uninterrupted – for a good 45 minutes. Ahhh!!!

Thanks to dollimama for hosting this fantastic link-up every week...asking us mamas to step back and think about what we did for ourselves this week. I'll miss the link-up...but I hope to keep up the diligence. A little "me" time has definitely been good for my soul.

Because Gift Shops Give Me the Creeps

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, I remember going to national parks, aquariums, and taking factory tours with my parents. As a kid I thought it was so interesting how the tour always managed to end in the gift shop. How neat!

As an adult, gift shops kinda creep me out, to be honest. You may have enjoyed the most beautiful hike through a cave system, or learned about rare species of butterflies...but then to be confronted by over-priced trinkets, over-sized stuffed animals, and magnets galore...it is not the lasting taste I want to remind me of my adventure.

And as a parent, I don't want a magical adventure to end in tears because I refuse to buy said trinkets, stuffed animals, and magnets.

Our girls are still a bit young to fully understand the tradition I'm imparting, but I'm encouraging them to collect postcards. Having collected them myself as a kid, I think a postcard is an awesome reminder of almost any kind of adventure. It's easy to store, and at usually less than $1 each, it's economical, too.

To reinforce our adventures this summer, I helped the girls each start a scrapbook to keep their postcards. When they get a little older, I hope they'll journal about what they saw. Until then, I've tried to think of little art projects they could do to complement their postcards.

Here are the pages from our visit to an aquarium this summer...

I cut out fish shapes in various sizes and colors and let the girls glue them to a piece of card stock, representing the many different types of fish they saw swimming together.

And here, from a state park we visited with Granddaddy and Emme...

The girls' favorite part of the visit was riding the train. I used my Cricut to cut the letters CHOO-CHOO, and had them glue them under their postcard.

And here, from our first visit to the zoo...

I cut pieces to make grass, a tree, and a sun, and had the girls glue them down. I bought them each an inexpensive pack of stickers with zoo animals. My sticker-loving girls really had fun with this one.

The girls have had a blast crafting, and they love to look at their scrapbooks. And I love that we not only have a reminder of what we did and when, but a sample of the girls' handiwork at the time, as well.

I'm linking up with Charlene at Adventures-in-Mommy-Land for "Hey Mom, Look What I Did".

Head over to check out what other moms are up to with their kiddos this week...and check back with Charlene often, as she posts so many great crafty ideas every week.

Reflections on Potty-Training

2011-11-16T08:57:00.005-06:00

[WARNING: LONG, ARDUOUS POST AHEAD!]

I remember where I was a year ago…I didn’t know much about potty-training, but I knew it would be in my relatively near future. I planned to do my research and decide upon an approach. I would be prepared, and I figured that would be at least half the battle.

When Baby A started showing some signs of interest in the potty, shortly after she turned two, I started reading…the parenting books I had, online sources of parenting information, blog posts. Outside of the “boot camp” approach, I didn’t feel like there was much “methodology” to understand. I read about reward systems and pull-ups, but I surely didn’t find a step-by-step guide as I’d hoped.

Having said goodbye to diapers three full weeks ago (!!!), I thought I’d reflect on what I’ve learned. I know that two children does not a statistically significant sample make, but – even with the girls being very different from each other – there are a couple of learnings I can point to in our experience. Some of these are personal opinions of mine, and some are more overarching principles that I’ll actually reference beyond potty-training.

Consider your rewards very carefully, in light of what behavior you’re trying to motivate.

I often hear about people using sticker charts or M&Ms, with rewards earned for output, sometimes in weighted amounts. In both cases, our girls told us they wanted to start using the potty, so I didn’t need to motivate them to “produce”.

Instead, I sold our girls hard on how cool it was to get to flush the potty. With both of them we went through a period of time when they wanted to tee just a couple of drops to be able to flush (I could just imagine how manipulative things could have gotten if they were jonesing for M&Ms!). I told them, “That’s not enough to flush.” (In Baby A’s first couple of days, we flushed so much the potty actually did “break”…fortunately Hubby heard the anguish in my voice and was able to rescue me during his lunch period that day. In the midst of potty-training, I was in no state to deal with a plunger myself!)

The “prestige” of being a big girl, of flushing the potty, and of wearing pretty underwear seemed to be motivation enough for both our girls. After several months, Baby A began having some very small accidents…not wanting to interrupt her play for a bathroom break. About six weeks ago I started awarding her a sticker at the end of the day for keeping clean and dry all day. It worked like a charm! She loves to get her card off the refrigerator, pick a sticker, and show her new sticker off to her daddy. I immediately got Baby B on the same system, and she’s been earning stickers almost every day, too.

“Play” is part of learning, but I only allow it in measured doses.

When both girls started using the potty, it was quite the novelty, of course. It was so frustrating to me how much they wanted to play! Whereas I don’t tolerate playing at mealtime, though, I was afraid to reprimand them too much on the potty…ultimately they were doing what I was trying to encourage. Someone commented on a blog post, reminding me that a child’s job is to play. It was a great reminder for me to be patient, and know that the novelty would wear off sooner or later.

Still, I have rules about sitting on the potty. Your hands belong on the handles on either side of the seat. When the girls start to play the “why” game, or sing, or get otherwise distracted, I’ll remind them, “We’re here to make our tee-tees / stinkies. We can talk / sing when you’re finished.”

I don’t “reprimand” them so much as encourage positive behavior. After a point, though, if I think they’re truly just playing, then potty-time is over.

Be flexible – and encourage flexibility – in the potty location.

Before the girls started to potty-train, I was vehemently opposed to using a potty chair. (I couldn’t imagine having to clean it out!) I bought the girls a potty ring for the regular toilet. That worked fine…until Baby A seemed to use potty-time as an excuse to garner one-on-one time with Mommy (the bathroom being separate from the playroom). I bought the potty chair and put it right next to the playroom. That quickly addressed Baby A trying to go every five minutes.

Baby A used the potty ring on the upstairs potty, and she had no trouble using the portable potty seat in public restrooms. And if we’re at a friend’s house, she does fine sitting on the regular toilet (I hold her gently to make sure she doesn’t lose balance and fall in!) I have heard about kids getting attached to one particular potty chair or ring. By introducing different potty paraphernalia from the beginning, I hoped to avoid that issue.

I started Baby B on the potty chair, but she was playing so much…bouncing with her feet and wanting to lift the seat from the base. So I moved her to using the potty ring. That allowed me to discourage her playing, as her feet don’t touch the floor. I also transitioned A to the big potty, so we’re potty chair-free these days, too!

I never used Pull-ups.

I don’t mean to be controversial here…I know there’s a big market for this intermediate step, so it must work for a lot of families. Maybe because I was able to wait for our girls to make the first move, though, letting me know they wanted to use the potty, I never felt Pull-ups were necessary. I didn’t like the idea of putting a “just in case” / back-up system in place.

I think some parents use a Pull-up when they leave the house, to avoid messy accidents away from home. I certainly understand that fear! I wanted to avoid that scenario at all costs, too. For us that meant staying at home during the first three to five days when the girls were taking on their new responsibility.

With Baby A, who trained at 27 months, I took very small outings at first…a walk around the block for 30 minutes…then working up to a quick run to Target within a 45 minute window. I would wait until she’d just used the potty at home to time our trip.

With Baby B being older (I guess), this didn’t seem like much of an issue. When she “got it”, within the first five days, I felt comfortable to leave the house as usual. She used a public potty within the first week, and it wasn’t a big deal.

Potty-training is an emotional time.

I saw it with both my girls…they became very sensitive when they were potty-training. I’ve read about developmental changes inciting emotions, and I believe it wholeheartedly. I explained it to myself that the girls were coping with a huge responsibility, and – relative to their little worlds – that was a lot of pressure on them. Once they became more confident in their abilities, within a week or so, their emotions stabilized (at least relative to a two-year old!).

Baby A also regressed a bit when Baby B started training. I didn’t anticipate it, but I recognized it quickly. For a full six months, Baby A had been a star on the throne…and here was her sister joining her in the spotlight, wearing pretty underwear, and getting stickers, just like she had been. Whereas Baby A’s potty use had become a fact of life, I began to praise her again, noting how proud I was of her, as well as her sister.

Potty-training is stressful.

A blog friend of mine wrote a year or so ago, “If potty training is stressful, your children aren’t ready.” A couple of kids later, I agree…but…it’s all relative.

Even though I feel confident both my girls were ready, such that motivation wasn’t a huge factor, potty training was still a stressful time. That first week or so there was a constant need for attention…looking at the clock…listening for cues…back and forth to the potty…wanting to discipline, but not wanting to discourage.

But…everything evens out. The newness wears off, the routines kick in, and – over time – going to the potty becomes a part of life. Like so many other journeys to date in this crazy ride called parenthood, potty-training is just a phase. It will pass. You will all survive.

Still…treat yourself! I didn’t reward the girls with chocolate, but you’d better believe I kept a stash for myself! And I distinctly remember on Day 6 of Baby A’s training, I took myself to the Dairy Queen after the girls were in bed. I got a Reese’s Blizzard and sat in the car, all by my lonesome, and enjoyed every spoonful.

Could this be my last potty-training post??? Dare I dream???

The next frontier I can think of is weaning off the sticker rewards (maybe when the girls turn three?), and then maybe moving away from the potty ring. All in good time, though…those props are ones I can handle.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Cop

2011-11-15T08:52:00.004-06:00

Sure, there are many, many hats we mamas wear…

…nose-wiper, pooper-scooper, boo-boo-kisser…

…librarian, train conductor, obstacle-course-maker…

…cook, housekeeper, courier…

I could easily characterize my biggest role as teacher, which encompasses so many facets of our day.

And it’s probably not surprising that I feel like a referee a fair amount as well.

What makes me laugh right now is how I occasionally feel like a cop, too.

It’s not what it probably sounds like…I’m not actually talking about discipline (‘cause I file that under “teacher” so as to pretend that “disciplinarian” doesn’t deserve a classification unto itself)…

…no, it’s actually potty-related.

The girls’ big “reward” for using the potty is getting to flush it. I positioned that as a very big deal…something only big kids do…and they take their responsibility very seriously. After they finish their business, they can’t wait to hop down and run around to the side of the potty to flush.

And therein lies the issue. The toilet paper holder is located precisely at their eye level. They have to navigate around the toilet paper holder to get to the flusher.

Ever afraid of an eye injury or a blow to the temple (which, coming from a toilet paper holder, among other things, would be another embarrassing injury), I always put out my hand to make sure they duck around the holder.

It occurred to me recently that it’s a similar movement to what you see on TV, when a cop puts his hand on the perpetrator’s head to maneuver him into the back seat of the squad car.

I’ll add it to my list of “talents”, I guess...and maybe file it away for playing cops and robbers when the girls get older.

Exuberance

2011-11-14T08:32:00.002-06:00

Saturday afternoon was a typical fall day…cool, cloudy, and breezy.

Two years ago or more it would not have seemed inviting to me to spend time outside. Rather I probably would have donned my fuzzy pants, turned on the fire, and made some tea.

But these days the girls love to be outdoors, so we look for opportunities to take advantage of family time and fresh air. We bundled up and took the girls to the soccer fields close to our neighborhood.

As soon as their feet hit the turf, they were off. Kicking the ball, chasing leaves, running in circles, they were having a blast.

“I’m gonna get you!” I’d tease, and they’d be off, running for all they were worth. (And my almost three-year olds can actually burn some rubber…at least relative to their short-legged mama!)

As I’ve thought about what a fun afternoon we had, I can only describe the looks on their faces as ones of exuberance – pure, unadulterated joy. Their cheeks and noses red from the wind, their eyes aglow, and the biggest grins on their faces as they looked back to see me chasing them…I never want to forget it.

They are unburdened by bills, dishes, laundry, groceries, dust. And for that time on the soccer fields, I was, too.

Sure, the bills and dishes and laundry and housework will always be there waiting for me…but my little girls won’t be little forever.

And what a blessing we get to be reminded of the bigger things in life by the smallest of joys.

Fab 5 Friday...and ME!!!

2011-11-11T08:18:00.004-06:00

It was a pretty fabulous week! Family time, warm weather (at least some of the time), and healthy, fun-loving girls...what more could a mama want???

1) Despite the DREAD that always consumes me before every time change, the girls have done really well adjusting to the new clock. Sunday was a long day, but we filled it with all sorts of excitement – including lunch at our favorite Mexican dive – and time spent playing outside. Whew!

2) The girls attended their first pancake breakfast this past weekend, with our Mothers of Multiples group. No doubt fueled by the Curious George story we read every week, they were so excited when I told them our plans on Saturday morning. They ran around, chanting, “I’m excited for my breakfast!” They had a great time, played with all their twin friends, and napped like logs afterwards.

3) Daddy was out of school for election day on Tuesday. We took a trip to the Louisville Zoo, and the girls were so excited to see the baby polar bear and get a close-up look at the elephants. They thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at Macaroni Grill (even getting into dipping their bread in olive oil!), and napped on the way home. It was a fantastic family day!

4) Daddy’s best friend came down from Chicago for a short visit this week. The girls hadn’t seen Uncle Steve since they were about six months old…but they wasted no time in warming up to him, and then climbing all over him and showing all their “tricks”. It was awesome to see Hubby, Steve, and A and B wrestling around in the den, and later curled up on the couch reading books.

5) I have pulled out several of the books I had when I was growing up to read to the girls recently, including “The Three Little Pigs”. I edit a bit here and there as a read, but the girls burst into giggles when I squeal about my “chinny-chin-chin”. After a meal this week, Baby A reminded me, “Don’t forget to wipe my chinny-chin-chin!”

And what did I do for ME this week???

Thursday night I met Aunt Shanda for the first peppermint mocha of the season…and then we indulged in a little shopping. Good latte…good time…great friend…definitely good for the soul.

What made your week FABULOUS? And what did you do for YOU?

Patterns in Language Acquisition

2011-11-09T08:52:00.005-06:00

It’s so amazing to watch and listen as our little ones acquire language skills…going from gurgles and coos…to strings of consonants and vowels…and finally to first words.

In the beginning I wrote down each new sound the girls made, and then I kept a running list of new words as I heard them. At some point I realized I couldn’t keep up…the girls’ speech was progressing so fast!

I eventually moved to noting longer phrases, and then sentences. And these days, I note much more of the girls’ wit and humor.

In any case, their speech development is truly music to my ears.

Still, there are things they say that are like nails on a chalkboard.

Some mispronunciations are cute to me…like “breftast” for “breakfast”…and Baby A has the cutest way of saying, “I fink so,” instead of “I think so”…and I am already missing the girls saying “norsey” for "horse".

It’s the improper past tense formations that threaten to drive me nuts. The worst? “We goed,” instead of “We went.”

And there’s one particular possessive, “mines” instead of “mine” that sends shivers up my spine.

I’ve read that such indiscretions are actually a good thing. They show that children are thinking about the language patterns. As most past tenses are formed by adding “-ed”, for example, saying “goed” shows that children are actively processing what they hear.

“Mines”? My guess is that goes back to “hers”.

So I’ll do my best to shake the shivers, knowing this is a normal part of language acquisition.

And in the meantime, I’ll continue to laugh at some of the girls’ funnies…lately the addition of “-er” to form nouns.

“Good job, Sissy! You’re a good jobber!”

“I’m proud of you for playing so well today!” “Yes, I’m a good player!”

And…just last night…Baby B was pretending to use a screwdriver (holding a plastic bowl and turning it over a stack of books???). “Look at my screwer, Mommy!”

Quit Trying to Make My Babies into Big Kids!!!

2011-11-07T08:44:00.006-06:00

A couple of months shy of three, my girls feel a lot like big kids…and I love it.

They speak mostly in complete sentences.

They have amazing memories and incredible imaginations.

They can take quite the hike with Mommy in the neighborhood.

They feed themselves pretty proficiently, and eating in restaurants with them can actually be quite pleasurable.

They are smart and funny and full of life, and life is pretty darn good.

Still, I’m not anxious to push them to grow up any faster than the crazy pace they’re already keeping. I know that before I can blink, they’ll be in elementary school…they’ll zoom through middle and high school…and I’m already dreading them starting to date when they graduate from college.

As I’ve been window shopping these past couple of weeks, thinking about the holidays and the girls’ birthday in January, my “big kid” anxiety has definitely heightened.

I’d been thinking for a while about getting the girls a dollhouse for Christmas…but I’m not sure I can do it. It just seems like such a “big kid” toy.

Several friends suggested a modern-day version of paper dolls...magnetic or snap-on dress-up play. While I imagine the girls would love it, that seems so grown-up, too!

As I step back, I think a big part of what weighs on my mind is that many of the dollhouses and dress-up sets on the market are so pink. To date, most of the girls’ toys are more gender-neutral, and it feels like a huge step to move away from the primary colors and wooden construction.

I’ve done some online research, and I think I can still accommodate my wish list for the girls, if I choose. There are more gender-neutral dollhouses, and there are dress-up sets that feature soccer players / doctors / firemen and policemen.

So I was breathing easier, at least feeling like I had more options…until…I went window shopping for holiday dresses over the weekend.

I was in a major department store, in the children’s section. I walked past the section labeled 2 - 6x, filled with beautiful pageant-type dresses. I was looking for size 3T, when I spotted the cutest red Scottish plaid dress with a sweet cream turtleneck underneath.

Hmmm...I only see through size 24 months, though...perhaps they're low on stock.

I looked around a bit more, and finally found a salesperson to ask what was going on with their inventory. She kindly steered me back to the big, fluffy beautiful pageant-type dresses. “Here you are!” she declared.

Whoa. My babies are not old enough for taffeta and rhinestones! I need plaid and knit, people!

Plaid and knit, primary colors and wood…perhaps I have texture issues. As pretty as the girls would look in those dresses, and as much fun as they’d have with those dollhouses, I’m just not sure I’m ready.

My girls may be growing by leaps and bounds, but this mama needs to take baby steps.

Such a Simple Gesture

2011-11-05T13:34:00.007-05:00

We had a busy, fun-filled morning...

The girls had an absolute blast at their first Pancake Breakfast. We joined our Mothers of Multiples group for pancakes, muffins, bacon, eggs, and fresh fruit. They really enjoyed their breakfast, they had fun playing with crayons and paper, and they loved experimenting with a super-duper cool parachute. And it was so much fun to see them running around with their little friends.

On the way home, we realized the Veteran's Day Parade was happening downtown, so we stopped to see the first part of it...complete with horses and clowns and Corvettes and lots and lots of motorcycles.

When we got home, we went for a walk in the neighborhood. It was just too beautiful of a morning to go inside...crisp, cool air, vibrant blue skies, and the most gorgeous leaves in every direction.

When we finally went inside, the girls were so sweet, snuggling with their baby dolls whom they'd no doubt missed, having been away from them all morning.

After lunch, the girls went straight back to their babies, while I cleaned the kitchen. I went to join them in the den, and found them tucked in the corner beside their kitchen, next to their toy shelf. They each had their baby with a little basket, a stuffed dog, and a small toy car.

"We're somewhere!" they exclaimed when I approached them.

Where are you?

"We're at the hotel!"

"There's not much room, but you can come in, Mommy," they said, as they started squishing themselves tighter into the corner, making room for me to join them on their little "adventure".

Mommy would love to come in, Babies! Thank you!

It was such a small gesture, but it brought tears to my eyes.

While the going and doing of the morning was so much fun, this is what it's all about...seeing my babies playing together, and having them invite me to join them.

And I could not ask for more.

Fab 5 (-ish) Friday...and ME!!!

2011-11-04T08:23:00.006-05:00

It’s been a fabulous week in so many respects!

1) We took the girls to our favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch on Saturday, to celebrate Baby B being such a big girl. She was so proud of herself, and the girls (and Mama!) were so tickled to enjoy some cheesy goodness…it had been a while!

2) One night this week, the girls were sitting in Daddy’s lap right before bedtime. Baby A reached over and started “fluffing” her sister’s hair. “Your hair looks nice,” she said. And then A said to B, “Tell me my hair looks nice.” I think I’d call that begging for a compliment…HA!

3) We had the most fantastic park date on Wednesday! Daddy hurried home from work to join us. We started on the soccer field, and the girls were actually pretty interested (for a while, at least) in running and kicking the soccer ball, and even kicking into some small practice goals. Then we headed to the playground. Baby B asked to swing (something that used to frighten her), so she and Daddy hung out there, while Baby A ran Mama ragged on the slides. It was neat to see the girls interact with a couple of other kids there…they didn’t play together, exactly, but they did share the equipment pretty nicely. We swung by the pizza place on the way home, capping off such a fun afternoon.

4) I’ve been counting the pieces of blocks, for example, when we’re cleaning up. It seems to motivate the girls to hear each piece that they drop into the bucket be acknowledged. The girls easily know their numbers to 20, and they can pick up the pattern when I start 21, 22, 23… I was so surprised when I paused after the number 69…B piped right up, “Seventy!” I guess they’re listening, after all!

5) On Thursday night, we had another big celebration for B. I’ll save you the [stinky] details, but we had been talking about going out for ice cream after she reached another big milestone. The milestone was reached just before bedtime, so I asked if we could just have ice cream at home and go out for ice cream the next day. The girls were giddy at having a little scoop of ice cream at home, which they never, ever have. And the first thing B said this morning when she woke up? “We’re going to have ice cream today, because it won’t be dark.”

6) I taught the girls a new song this week, “On Top of Spaghetti.” They have had so much fun singing it, and in a very dramatic fashion…I love it!

And what did I do for ME this week???

I indulged in quite a bit of reading. Several nights I called it an early evening and snuggled under my covers in bed to read for a while. I finished my book last night, “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,” and it was really excellent. Set on the West Coast between 1942 and 1986, it follows two Asian families – one Chinese and one Japanese – beginning with the Japanese internment during WWII. It is a work of fiction, but it supposed to be historically accurate, and it was such interesting insight into two different cultures. Awesome “me” time, for sure!

We're Diaper-FREEEEEEEEEEE!!!

2011-11-02T08:40:00.006-05:00

(Said a la Dave Ramsey…which, come to think of it, may be appropriate…since versus this time last year we’ll be saving about $80 a month on diapers! [Of course there’s the additional cost of toilet paper and water from flushing, but it’s not like I’m setting up a spreadsheet or anything…])

Baby A has been out of diapers since the end of April. All the while, Baby B seemed very comfortable in – even quite proud of – her diapers. She would ask to sit on the potty from time to time, and I’d oblige, but she never had any success. (She did have a small output about three weeks ago, but it seemed to be an isolated incident.)

Baby B has been staying dry through naps and overnight for quite some time. And over the past two or three months, she would tell me the moment her diaper needed changing, and insist that it be done immediately.

I would occasionally remind B, casually, to try to tell Mommy before she needed to go so she could sit on the potty. We started a sticker card for Baby A (one sticker for keeping clean and dry all day), and Baby B would cheer her sister’s successes.

Still, she wasn’t keen on me actively encouraging her to sit on the potty. She even got pretty upset a couple of mornings when – given her dry diaper – I tried getting her in position.

Enter Wednesday of last week.

Mid-morning, Baby B asked to sit on the potty. I put her there, and sat down with her for some encouragement. She seemed to somehow have a different look on her face. I leaned in and told her, “It’s OK to let go.” She looked right back at me, said, “I know,” and went!!!

I asked her if she wanted to wear underwear, and she said yes. I haven’t changed a diaper since!!!

We had a couple of accidents on Wednesday and Thursday, and maybe one each on Friday and Saturday. Sunday Baby B earned her first sticker for keeping clean all day!!!

It’s been amazing to watch the progression, and over such a relatively short period of time, too. Those first couple of days, even after B would tell me she needed to sit on the potty, it would take her a long time – maybe five or ten minutes – to “relax”. That definitely presented some challenges, as it was sometimes hard for Baby A to be patient, and/or wait for her turn on the potty.

B gradually got more comfortable, and by Saturday she was much more efficient.

It was also incredible to see how she learned to give me more notice before she needed to go. Those first couple of days, her need was pretty instantaneous. Again, by the weekend, she was able to offer me a “window of opportunity” of at least a couple of minutes.

The first few days were pretty emotional. I remember when Baby A was going through this…it seemed to be such a big adjustment to a new level of responsibility, she was very, very sensitive. The experience was very similar with Baby B.

This time, I also had to remember to praise Baby A…although she’s been out of diapers for six months, I quickly realized I should tell both girls how proud I am, not just focusing on Baby B’s new talent.

One week later, I’m so very proud of my girlies. Baby B has progressed so quickly, having earned another sticker yesterday. Both girls seem to have adjusted to their new levels of responsibility…and are doing really well in learning to take turns.

And we're looking forward to a farewell ceremony for our diaper pail this weekend!

Annual Family Photo

2011-11-01T08:19:00.007-05:00

It's usually hard for us to get candid family photos, as we don't have family in town. Last Christmas went by with lots and lots of pictures of the girls, for example, and random shots of Mommy or Daddy...but no pictures of the four of us.

Because of the nature of Halloween, though...that there's a window of time during which everyone and his brother / uncle / cousin / dog seem to be milling about our neighborhood...we have managed to con someone into taking a family photo of us each year.

2009:

2010:

And 2011:

The girls had such a fun evening! We practiced our trick-or-treating technique yesterday afternoon...we set up our stuffed animals around the den and pretended to go to each of their houses.

Knock...knock...knock!

Trick or treat!

Thank you! Happy Halloween!

We went to see six or eight of our closest neighbors, and the girls did great, as rehearsed (with a little prompting here and there).

In comparison to last year, they walked with such confidence and enjoyed seeing all the sights. Their favorite costumes were those worn by doggies...they'd squeal in delight!

We delivered our cookies and picked up a few pieces of candy in exchange. After the girls had their supper, I let them split a snack size Kit-Kat.

And in comparison to last year, the girls have developed much more of a sweet tooth. That was the candy I let them sample last year, as well...but they didn't like it! This year they devoured their piece with gusto. (They're my children, after all!)

It's incredible to reflect on the changes from year to year. Time certainly does fly quickly...but I sure am enjoying the ride!