Sunday, November 29, 2009
Giving Thanks
D: This Thanksgiving was yet another reminder of how thankful we are that my mom and step dad are living in the NW. Thanksgiving day was spent relaxing at their house, eating and sleeping throughout the entire day and enjoying each others company.
The next day W and I hit the slopes, while our Au Pair spend the day with the boys. That night W and I enjoyed a quite night on the mountain, sleeping under the stars in our Shasta camper trailer while my mom picked the kids up for a fun-filled overnight adventure at their Nana and Papa's. The next morning my mom and step-dad drove the kids up to the mountain (while we got to sleep in for the first time in...oh, I can't remember!) where they met us for round 2 of Toddler Ski Extravaganza.
The boys couldn't wait to get back on their skis! We started out on the semi-flat surface where they glided around with confidence. Shortly there after, they were asking to go up on the chair lift, and because we had purchased some nifty harness straps making it safe to cruise behind the kids, we gladly obliged. We had no accidents getting on or off the chair (thanks to the sewn-on handle attached to the back of their harness straps, we would just lift them off and on the chair), and for the most part they loved cruising down the hill, even at a pretty fast clip.
The day ended when we realized that we had pushed their nap time too far and their tantrums had reached their peak. By 4:00pm we were driving down the mountain and they were both crashed out the entire 2 hour trip back to Seattle.
It was a great holiday weekend, full of family, fun and adventures. Thanks to my husband, for having so much fun with me on the slopes. Thanks Mom and Al for being so helpful and accommodating. Thanks kids for making all our memories so wonderful.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
First Ski
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Laughter along the way.
D: Last night I overheard F saying to his dad,
"Sometimes farts grow up to be poops."
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
Riding the Potty Train
D:
Some call it cold turkey.
Others relate it to ripping off a bandaid quickly.
We call it the 'Diaper Fairy'.
Last Saturday the boys woke up to a big surprise. As if it were Christmas morning, they were joyfully told that the Diaper Fairy had come and taken all their diapers away and that she left them a huge stash of new big boy Spiderman underwear in their place. Their initial reaction was mixed with excitement and hesitation, resulting of course in an all out tantrum. (But what doesn't result in a tantrum these days?) We explained that because they were not able to pee and poop in their diapers any longer they needed to learn how to use their potty instead. (Funny side note... All day F kept asking me if we could go on a ferry boat and then later O told me that all the diapers were in the water. It was then that I realized that the boys had understood that all their diapers were boarded on a Washington State FERRY Boat never to return again!)
The plan was fairly strict. For three days, 'Potty Time' would be every hour, on the hour and they sit on the potty for 5 minutes regardless if there is any bodily function or not. We set an alarm so they knew when it was time to get off the potty. (The alarm was fondly referred to as the Potty Train, by the boys.) There would be lots of praise. I mean LOTS of praise, and even some candy. The first day both kids did great... there were only a few accidents, and both kids were fairly agreeable with the new arrangement. Day 2 was an improvement in some areas, yet also a regression in others. Two step forward, one step back. And by the end of day 3, our strict "plan" was slowly going out the window and was replaced by our handy parental instincts and intuition.
Potty training twins is an interesting social and biological science experiment. They both respond very differently to the exact some approach from the exact same parents. It is ridiculous to think that they would learn this very daunting task the same way. I'm glad that we started off so strict, so we can know right off the bat what the kids are capable of... which, to be honest, was actually WAY more than I ever would've given them credit for. I feel that we have mastered a really huge hurdle in a very short amount of time (no more diapers in the house!! Yeah!), but that we now have a very slow and steady route ahead of us that involves building confidence, self control, routine, resiliency, and self awareness in each child in very different ways.
Overall, at this point, I am SO proud of each of my boys. When the day comes that they will both finally 'get it' I know they will be just as happy with themselves as we are in them.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Robots on Parade
D: This year Halloween has definitely been on the twins radar, for the first time. They've been singing songs about jack-o-lanterns and reading stories about trick or treating at preschool. We've been talking about their homemade robot costumes for almost a month, trying them on at various stages of completion. And when the big night was finally here, their costumes had been so tattered and worn, that I actually believe they thought they were turning into little robots for good.
We spent the night in the suburbs, stopping first at my mom's house and then joining our friends and their children for some trick or treating. The neighborhood we went to is known for some theatrical displays, which is pretty cool for the adults but also terrifying to two little robots. The boys did great, however, marching right up to each house (the ones that did not have severed heads hanging from the trees) and promptly saying 'please' and 'thank you' as they eagerly reached for their candy.
They seemed thrilled that something so off limits was being handed out so abundantly. When we got back to the house they quickly spread out their goods on the floor, proudly showing each other their stash. Once the boys were in bed, I dutifully cut their stash by 3/4 (there's no WAY I'm allowing my toddlers to eat that much candy!), and we've been allowing them to have one piece a day from their goodie bags. Honestly, I can't wait until all the candy is out of the house for good (at least until next Halloween). It truly turns them into little monsters!
Here are some picks from their week of costume wearing, leading up to the main event.
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