Blogtime in Twin Town

Skiing with Grandpa is the BEST!

2011-03-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Deuce love Whistler!

2011-02-23T11:12:00.000-08:00

Obrigado. Domo arigato. Thank you.

2010-12-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

One year ago today we welcomed a feisty young girl from Brazil into our home, who had exactly what it took to fit in seamlessly with our family. She has been a trusting caregiver for the Deuce, always dependable and consistent. She's brought joy to the boys with laughter and song, hilarious games and a seemingly endless amount of creativity. Her energy perfectly matched that of the twins, yet she remained their source of calm when things needed to slow down. She was always available for a beijo (kiss) on a fresh wound, or a abraço (hug) before bed. She brought her own unique blended culture to our home, insisting the boys say por favor, onegai shimasu and please (Portuguese, Japanese and English) before receiving anything.

She has offered so much more to our family then just childcare. Today her room is empty and I'm guessing that we are going to see small changes in the boys, as they struggle to deal with the loss of their dear friend.

Before leaving she played this sweet movie for us, which beautifully captures their adventures this past year.

Thank you for everything Lily. You will always be a part of our family.

Looking back at summer fun

2010-11-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

Before all the leaves fall from the trees and we begin our descent into our cold, wet winter months I wanted to reflect on our warm summer adventures.

We had an excellent summer travel plan - one weekend we're home, enjoying our boat, or city and our friends and the next weekend we're out exploring the world with our camper trailer in tow. And repeat.

We alternated travel weekends like this all summer. And while I have to admit I was exhausted at the end of September, I now am overjoyed with all the memories we've captured as a family.

We certainly have little adventurers on our hands!

Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island, WA

Hobuck Beach, Olympic Peninsula

Lake Chelan, WA

North Cascades National Park, WA

(Ross Dam)

Westport Beach, WA

Minnesota

Wanna see my cape?

2010-10-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

I've learned the beauty of stretching things as far as we possibly can. Toys get played with until they break, clothes get holes in the knees, books are read until they fall apart and one small you tube clip can be watched over 50 times before we're ready to download another. So why not get the most out of our Halloween costumes?
The boys told me well over a month ago that they wanted to be "Spiderman" and "Superman", although for some reason I knew that F was actually taking about Batman. (When arguing the superhero's name with him one night, he told me that Batman is actually a type of Superman. Which I guess is true.)
The first time I rolled these costumes out was an evening out for sushi dinner. They LOVED everyone pointing, laughing and even cheering as they walked in the restaurant. "Wanna see my cape?", F would say to everyone who gave him a smile.
Since then we've had multiple trips to the park, visits to our neighbors and several days just lounging around the house as their alter-egos.
By the time October 31st rolls around, I have no idea what kind of shape these costumes will be in. But the amount of fun that we've had so far (and it's only the 7th day of the month!) will be well worth it.
Here's a clip of the boys explaining their new found super powers.

First Day of Pre-School!

2010-09-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

More Fishing!

2010-09-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

W: F & O have really taken to fishing...this time we caught some actual fish, with Grandpa of course.

Gone Fishin'

2010-08-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

The Swarm

2010-08-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

D: Last Wednesday evening started out simply lovely… idyllic really. We were enjoying our friends company at a beautiful house that overlooked the Puget Sound, while cooking, drinking wine and admiring the sunset over the Olympics. The kids played happily in the front driveway.

At one point, just before the sun set behind the mountains, one of our friends led the Deuce and I down to explore a tree in the backyard. It was a magical place for sure, a place hidden from the world, sheltered by the hanging branches with enough of a clearing for a small child’s imagination to run wild. We were admiring it’s charm, when O decided to turn back up the stairs which we came down. Seconds later, I heard a wretched scream and turned to saw O surrounded by hundreds of swarming hornets.

I ran to him as fast as I could, hearing my wine glass shatter against the rocks as I scooped up his overwrought body, trying to swat the bees away from his skin at the same time. I could not run towards the house fast enough, and actually kept dropping my poor, screaming boy on the ground because I could not carry him, withstand the constant stinging, and swat away the beesat the same time. The swarm seemed to intensify the closer we got to the house and all I could do was scream out of pain.

Ironically our friends, who where still enjoying their wine and sunset, heard our screams and thought we were playing a game. It was not until I finally yelled the words, “HELP US!” that someone ran to us and helped carry O inside. “Are you OK?” they asked a crying O. “The BEES!” I screamed as I grabbed my little boy once more into my arms and ran for the shower.

Once under the freezing water, I stripped off my clothes as hornets flew out from my bra and my pants. Someone helped Ollie get undressed, as someone else started pulling the stingers from our swollen bodies. Someone arrived with a solution of baking soda and water, and many of my friends started rubbing it all over our wounds. Many people continued to respond to my demands for more ice, more water, more anything that would make the flames under our skin calm but for a second of relief.

From the moment I ran toward the swarm I was filled with such a frenzy of rage and anger. I hated those bees for hurting my little boy, and would’ve done anything to protect my son. Luckily he only bore about 15 stings. But because I was shielding him with my body, I withstood almost 50. So, now I was feeling so much pain myself I could barely stay lucid from the shock of my injuries.

Of course, W was our hero, staying calm while deciding what to do, calling 911 and getting us to the hospital ER quickly. Our friends were my defenders, as they killed the remainder of the hornets flying around the bathroom and the rest of the house. Others were O’s caretakers when I couldn’t be, icing his wounds and laying with him on the bathroom floor as he whimpered about how “the bees gave him outchies”. And of course, two of our friends were F’s protectors, keeping him from the hornets’ attack and staying with him, telling him that his mama and brother would be OK.

Later, as O and I lay on a shared bed in the hospital ER for several hours, as the Benadryl and pain medication did its job, we cried in pain and whispering words of compassion to each other. It was the most intense bonding experience I’ve ever had with anyone. He kept trying to rationalize the evenings traumatic events by wrapping his little three year old logic around it… “Mama, we forgot to tell the bee’s to stop.” “Those were really mean bees weren’t they?” “They got us really good, didn’t they?” “I don’t want to go down to the magic tree anymore.”

It was after midnight by the time we got our meds, and W got everyone home. The next day, O and I cuddled for several hours together, sleeping away as much as the day as we could, through our pain and discomfort. By the end of the day O was almost back to his chipper self and even went to the park with F, while I was still physically throbbing and emotionally traumatized.

Luckily, the next morning W and I left for So California for a wedding, where I had ample opportunity to recover both emotionally and physically. And O and F had a great weekend away at their Nana and Papa’s, with little to remind them of last Wednesday night's events. We returned last night from CA, and O still seems fine. We will make sure to talk to him about the rarity of the circumstance, and hope that he is not too inhibited by bees in the future. I can only hope that I too, can garner as much resilience to overcome this experience.

Swimming in Lake Washingmachine!

2010-07-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

What'd he say?

2010-07-27T22:20:00.001-07:00

"Look, there's the Space Noodle!"

"We threw the ball into Lake Washingmachine."

"Remember when we went to the pharma-seed?"

"Ah!! Do you think it's going to fit down the hole?!" (about his poop in the toilet)

"Look at those boobies!" (pointing to two buoys)

"Daddy had a new office, because his old office is broken".

The Deuce: Version 3.5

2010-07-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

D: "I'm three and a half," they proudly tell anyone who asks. I think they may have been announcing this since they turned 3, but as of this past week it is official. And just as I've done every few months for the last 3.5 years, I find myself looking back, amazed at how fast they are growing up.

The past 6 months have brought dozens of new character traits in each of them. They are definitely growing into their own unique individual personalities that seem to complement each other almost as much as they clash.

For instance, O's most outstanding trait at the moment is that he is very thoughtful. F's most outstanding trait at the moment is that he is very impulsive. In a given "play" situation, O might think about all the ways the game might be played, and try to instruct F how they can play together. F, on the other hand, jumps right in with little regard if O is along for the ride or not. Of course, there are bruised feelings, and too often bruised bodies.

But on the other hand a similar situation might look like this: F jumps right into a game of pirates and bears, "Arr"-ing and "rawr"-ing all over the basement. O joins in on the fun, making sure that the pirate bear is properly caged in the laundry basket before he is instructed to walk the plank off the bed. F absolutely loves O's embellishments.

These particular traits have given us a glimpse at where their athletic abilities might also lie. With F's ability to think on his feet he has much more confidence and is able to take risks, where O might over think something and then maybe not perform as well. On the other hand, O is very good at following instruction, where F would rather do it his way. This isn’t to say, that one is better at sports that the other; I’d say they are pretty much neck and neck at this point. They are actually both so interested in so many activities, I’m sure they will both excel at most everything they set out to accomplish. (Of course, I’m their mom, so I am bias!) At 3.5 their current interests are: soccer, skiing, riding their balance bikes through the skate parks, swimming and gymnastics.

While I write these observations, so that I might capture a moment in their ever-changing youth, I have to note that we are very careful not to label the boys or compare them to each other as being better or worse at anything. The greatest thing about watching two boys grow up together, who are the same age, is that you get to watch each of them excel at different things at different times.

At 3.5, this is who they are now.

One last thing 3.5 has brought us is humor. These kids are hilarious. They are constantly cracking jokes and using ridiculous voices to get each other to laugh. They pick up on our sense of humor and can now play right along with the comedy. One of O’s favorite phrases is, “OH, I’m just kidding!”

A beautiful Seattle morning at Gasworks Park

2010-05-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

I wish I were a...

2010-04-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

"It's hard being a racer"

2010-04-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

Homemade Egg Hunt

2010-04-08T16:09:00.000-07:00

While Mom and Dad are away, the Deuce will play!

2010-03-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

D: Any time I start to worry about the kids, while I'm at work all day, I'll just watch this video and remember how much fun the Deuce are having with their awesome and amazing Au Pair. Thanks for making such a sweet video, Lily. We love you!

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It's only a matter of time...

2010-03-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

Drummer Boy

2010-03-24T22:34:00.001-07:00

My little Guitar Hero

2010-03-22T22:18:00.001-07:00

Why does this remind me so much of the Frampton Comes Alive album cover?

Strike!

2010-03-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

Guys weekend

2010-03-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

D: Last weekend I enjoyed a trip away, by myself... a ski trip in Montana with some old friends, leaving W behind to care for the Deuce. Throughout the weekend he kept sending me pics taken on his phone that told me a sweet story of great Dad enjoying the heck out of his boys.

Stronger together

2010-02-12T19:03:00.000-08:00

D: Last week the boys started gymnastics class. It's a small independently owned gym that specializes in teaching the little gymnast. As if the balance beam, rings, parallel bars and the vault needed to be any cooler, this gym has my kids believing they are spaceships on a mission to mars and each piece of equipment a different planet. Needless to say, the boys are in L.O.V.E with gymnastics.

I took them to their first class and observed them as they sat in a straight line of cross-legged children. Each patiently listened to the teacher giving instructions on how to use each piece of equipment. The Duece were so excited about what the teacher was telling them that they were literally bouncing up and down on their seats. At one point, they caught each others glance, smiled brightly, and then ran to each other to embrace in a frantic hug!

And even though they were doing very different activities throughout the class, in different parts of the room, they continued to "check in" with a hug several times through out the class. It was as if sharing their mutual excitement and joy with each other fueled their confidence and enthusiasm. It was an astounding realization as their parent.

I can see how some people might think that this kind of relationship with twins could be a crutch... that maybe there's a chance that each child could depend too heavily on their 'other half' to be there to push them along. But I believe that this special bond that they share will push them to each find their own independent styles and unique talents. It may seem counter-intuitive, but I think the more they are offered the chance to cheer each other on, the stronger each child will stand on their own.

A long overdue welcome

2010-01-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

W. In early December we welcomed our new au pair Lillian into our family (the boys can't say that very well, so we call her Lily instead). We are having an absolute wonderful time getting to know her, and the transition into the boys' lives has just been terrific.

Many folks don't know about au pairs, and neither did we until we looked at it as an option for our family. That was about 2 years ago, after trying day care and in home nanny child care. Neither of those options were a good fit for us, so we decided to become an au pair family, and we haven't looked back. It works for us.

Au pairs are like nannies in that you have in home child care, but there are a few major differences. The big difference is that au pairs come from outside the U.S. and they live with you. The term "au pair" in French means (roughly) "on par" or equal to other members of your family; they aren't employees like nannies are.

Back when we first considered becoming an au pair family, we had many, many questions. Where would she live? Would we lose our privacy? How would we know we found the right au pair? What if it doesn't work out once she's here? The list goes on.

But to us, the benefits far outweighed the costs. We love the in home care and attention that the boys receive. And we had an extra room (we had to give up our guest bedroom/office). Because we pay room & board, the cost is less than day care and far less than a nanny. And we get valuable foreign cultural exposure for the boys. All that and we haven't hired a babysitter in over 2 years (and we go on a "date night" once a week).

Both Dana and I studied abroad during our college years, and for each of us the experience was life-shaping. So to have the opportunity to provide the foundation for a foreign student/au pair to have the same experience here in the U.S., well, that was a no-brainer for us.

The addition of Lily to our family has only solidified our appreciation for au pairs, and we are so lucky to have her living with us, playing with our little guys, and being there when we need her to be. Welcome to our family, Lily!

A few random things...

2010-01-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

W. First, I want to give a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY message to F & O. The fastest (and best) 3 years of my life - let me tell ya. The boys have been having a wonderful day so far (they woke up to harmonicas!), and it is so much fun to be around the little guys.

I also wanted to publicly exclaim my love for my iPhone camera (thanks again, hon). It is so much fun to be able to take a quick picture at a moment's notice. Here are some of my recent favorites (all taken with my iPhone).

O's Debut Guitar Solo

2009-12-27T18:09:00.000-08:00

A special messsage from Santa

2009-12-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

Santa!

2009-12-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

W: TOTAL SANTA SUCCESS! First, we want to give a shout out and a special thanks to our friends over at the Miles Files/Leo Log, who told us about the super awesome, low-key Santa experience at Swanson's Nursury, complete with two live Reindeer and a Christmas train! It was a huge hit.

The "Santa Hug," as you can see in the second picture below, was a month in the making. Slowly, methodically, we've been weaving the Santa myth into the boys' everyday life with stories and Christmas specials and movies.

We even made a couple of trips downtown to see the fancy big city Santa at Nordstrom's "North Pole," but both times we bailed early due to the long lines and other assorted mayhem. We also had to deal with the twins' confusion - why exactly were there so many Santas downtown ringing bells?!

Fortunately for everyone involved in the exchange, the Santa at Swanson's wasn't the sit-down-on-his-lap type. In the week leading up to the visit, each time I asked the twins "so do you want to go see Santa?" they replied with an exuberant "YEAH!" And when I asked the twins "and do you want to sit on his lap?", I was met with an equally exuberant "NOOOO!"

If Santa comes through (and I have a pretty good idea that he will) the boys - on account of their being so good this year - will get those guitars and drums that they told Santa that they wanted under the tree. Sounds like 2010 is going to be a that much...noisier.

Good bye and thank you

2009-12-07T16:55:00.000-08:00

Giving Thanks

2009-11-29T15:40:00.001-08:00

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.

First Ski

2009-11-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

Laughter along the way.

2009-11-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

D: Last night I overheard F saying to his dad,

"Sometimes farts grow up to be poops."

*

Riding the Potty Train

2009-11-12T21:09:00.000-08:00

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.

Robots on Parade

2009-11-02T09:20:00.000-08:00

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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Practicing for Halloween

2009-10-22T11:53:00.001-07:00

New friend

2009-10-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

D: Our boys have a new friend. His name is Buddy. Buddy lives in a tree in our front yard, but often times plays downstairs when we are all upstairs. It seems that Buddy is just shy of 2 feet tall, but other than that I have no idea what he looks like... because Buddy is Finn and Ollie's imaginary friend.

That's right, they have the same imaginary friend. They can both see him and talk to him, and they both seem to know what he's doing at the moment. Buddy seemed to be Ollie's friend first, and then Finn caught on that Buddy was a fun friend to hang with.

I've heard Ollie talking with Buddy downstairs by himself, showing him toys to play with and putting him to bed. Today I heard him call out to him from a tree in a park, asking him to join him. At first we thought he was talking to Finn (Oh, how cute, he calls his brother 'Buddy'!), but alas... I realized that no one was there.

I really thought that maybe because they had each other every waking moment of their lives that they would be less inclined to have an imaginary friend. I guess it just goes to show how truly imaginative (and social!) they really are.

2009-10-16T22:25:00.001-07:00

Chili Bean

2009-10-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knew our family knew and loved our dog Chili Bean. Chili is the kind of dog that could care less about other dogs, and absolutely freaks out over attention from humans. At the dog park he spent most of his time sitting on the laps of the human dog owners, gushing from their attention. He made 'giggle' type noises every time a hand was extended his way. And while not everyone cared for this kind of response from a dog, absolutely everyone agreed that he was one of a kind... a real special dog.

Chili Bean's first name was Elvis. It only lasted a few days, before we soon realized he needed a name that better suited his appearance and attitude (small and feisty). Chili was our second dog, bought as a companion for our yellow lab. Their pecking order was established early, with Chili literally sleeping on top of our lab and biting at his face any time the lab got any attention. And although I could never understand how our lab could possibly stand that kind of abuse, they seemed to have an inseparable friendship and mutual understanding.

When the twins began eating solid foods, gleefully throwing food all over the floor for our dogs to enjoy, they weighed about 19 lbs. And so did Chili. With each passing month they quickly gained weight... and so did Chili. By the time they boys broke the bad habit of tossing their food to the ground our little pug grew 1/3 of his body weight! He was still healthy as a tic... but now he looked like one too!
And even though I would call him my 'grub' and we would make fun of his fat rolls, I still can't get over how stinkin' cute he looked, when he'd cock his head from side to side as if he was really trying to understand what you were telling him.
For years I slept with Chili, under our covers, spooning him like a teddy bear. I realized my spoiling was creating a bit of a monster, so I had to stop. However I couldn't resist a snuggle on the couch every evening... and nothing could make him happier.

Chili didn't know any tricks, other than we taught him to say "I love you" like the pug on Letterman, but he was never as good at it as I pretended his was.
When Chili was really fired up, he would scoot his little butt under his legs and tear around the living room, doing laps around the dining room table. It was hilarious to watch.

The boys always called him Chi Chi.

And when he wagged his little cinnamon bun shaped tail, he always made me smile.

These are all the things I want to remember about Chili Bean now that he's gone. He was such a crazy dog, truly misbehaved in many ways. But good for a laugh or a cuddle for anyone who needed one. We will all miss the Bean.

Chili died last Saturday from an Addison's Disease crash. He's had them in the past, but this one was too much for his little body to take and he died suddenly.

Good bye, sweet Bean. You were a special part of our family and we love you.

Open Wide

2009-09-11T15:17:00.001-07:00

D: Last week the boys had their first trip to the dentist. It was an appointment that I've been regretting, simply because I imagined the worse... I mean, come on, I know my kids! They usually can't sit still for more than a few minutes. Twice a day they resist having their teeth brushed by us. They certainly are not 100% without stranger anxiety. Yet, last week they confirmed one of my favorite parenting tenets, "never underestimate your children's ability to continue to surprise you".
Both kids were angels during the entire visit. They were sweet to the staff, allowing them to poke around in their mouths with all their goofy contraptions, and even saying 'thank you' when they were done.

It certainly made all the difference that we were in LOVE with our new pediatric dentist the minute we arrived. They had a kids play room in the front. The staff were very accommodating of scheduling twins back to back, and allowing us to maneuver between the two kids in the play room and the exam room. The technician let each kid play with each tool for quite a while before asking if it was OK if she went into their mouths with them. And the best part: there was a flat screen TV on the ceiling above the exam chair, so while the boys patiently laid on the chair with their mouths wide open, they were able to watch The Incredibles and listen to it on headphones.

The Dentist gave both boys (and their parents!) a thumbs up on the status of their teeth. Everything's looking good, except that he did confirm that O's front two teeth are 'dead' from a fall he took months ago on the pavement. They are slightly discolored and will be until they fall out.

There's nothing permanently damaging and his new teeth with grow in just fine. The only thing we're worried about now is his self esteem. It's not super noticeable (we didn't even notice it for a while!) and we make sure not to make a big deal about it. I do, however, find myself telling him more and more what an adorable smile he has... which of course he does!

Mountains, rivers, rocks, sticks, smiles, and sun

2009-09-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

Check out our latest video of our recent adventures:

2009-08-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

Finn's Second ER Visit

2009-08-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

And he's only 2 1/2 years old.

Nothing too dramatic. Just spun around too quickly, and tripped over my feet (of all things!). He hit his head on a hard surface and split his forehead, just above his left eye brow.

He's fine... he actually seemed quite proud of his "owie", and doesn't seemed bothered by it today at all.

When we came home from the Hospital Ollie ran into the kitchen saying, "Finn, you brake your head?!"

We love the Washington Coast

2009-08-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

W. We think it's just fine that the Oregon Coast gets all the fuss over its beaches and its haystacks. Because for us, that just means less people on the less heralded yet more pristine and more beautiful Washington Coast. Last weekend we packed up the kiddos, hitched our 1960 Shasta Airflyte to the back of the truck, and headed out to go explore the furthest NW reaches of the continental U.S. It was spectacular (and the kids loved it).

Here are some fun pictures from the trip. We camped on the north shore of Lake Ozette in the Olympic National Park, and from there took fun day trips hiking out to Cape Flattery (the northwestern most point in the lower 48) and playing on Shi Shi beach, the northen most beach of Olympic National Park. We also hit some fantastic tidal pools at Salt Creek/Cresent Beach on the Straight of Juan de Fuca.

A lesson learned quickly

2009-08-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

last bill

2009-07-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

D: I am sitting at my dining room table doing my bills online and I just came across something strangely emotional... my last hospital bill. It is not a secret that having a baby can be expensive. But having twins is definitely not the 2 for 1 kind of deal, that everyone thinks! I had more than twice the amount of prenatal doctors visits, which included ultra sounds every other week in the 3rd tri. And then, of course the bedrest for 6 weeks, with 3 of them in the hospital. The delivery required a team of at least 4 medical professionals present, and every time anyone even said 'hi' to either twin while in the hospital they seemed to charge us for it.

Needless to say, of course it was all worth it. I always tell anyone who listens that my greatest achievement was delivering my two healthy boys. Now looking back, 2.5 years ago seems like an eternity. And oddly enough tonight, while paying off my last bill I got a bit weepy about all that I went through to have the twins in our lives.

The twins are not babies any more, and are quickly growing into little boys. Time goes so fast; it's strange how you cherish those relics that remind you of the past... even a bill that comes every month.

Of course, I won't miss it that much :)

Happy Birthday... everyone.

2009-07-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

Basketball Star

2009-07-28T07:45:00.001-07:00

And a quite old lady who was whispering "HUSH".

2009-07-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

D: That line from "Good night moon" keeps going through my head every night for the past few months. Ever since the boys decided to make bed time into play time (and other times throughout the night as well some times) I've resorted to camping out in a chair in the dark for as long as it takes to get those boys to drift off to night-night land. And some times, it feels like for EVER.

The Wallingford Kiddie Parade

2009-07-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

The boys' best friend, Sophia!

2009-07-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

A beautiful photo taken by our Au Pair

2009-07-11T23:47:00.000-07:00

Two monkeys in the pool

2009-07-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

So the boys were looking so cute in their goggles in the pool, we told them to "put your arms around each other" and say "cheese". They didn't quite understand what we meant, so we clarified, "put your arms around each others shoulders". Still, not really getting it. So I demonstrated by pretending to put my arm around someone's shoulder... and this is what they did.
Hilarious.

Dog Torture

2009-06-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

Finn thinks he's "playing" with Sedro. For Sedro, it's just pure torture.

(Be warned, the squeaky toy is just about the most annoying sound you've ever heard!)

Hot Summer Days...

2009-06-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

...call for a nice cool down!

New Tricks

2009-06-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

D: I was not expecting this one. Really it came out of no where.

Last night, around 12:30am, I heard tiny voices talking about farm animals. Once I figured out I was not dreaming about tiny mice on a farm, I realized that those voices were my dear children reading one of their favorite books to each other. At 12:30am. But how?

I opened the door... "HI!" they both said cheerfully to me, sandwiched together in their over sized rocking chair with the light on.

Trying very hard not to crack a tired smile, I put on my mean face and point to their beds. Finn ran full speed and jumped under the covers. Ollie had several other ideas in stead of going back to sleep ("glass of milk", "ba-ba", "hit golf ball", "ice cream") all of which I politely refused him, and finally he fell back asleep.

1 hour later... "Hi!" Lights were back on and this time they both where running around their room like madmen.

By the third try it was clear that Finn had grown tired of his brother's shenanigans, and I was awoken 3 more times throughout the night by Finn telling Ollie to leave him alone and go back to sleep.

All because Ollie has discovered how to turn on the lights at night.

Last night I chalked it up to the full moon. They certainly act a little nutty on a full moon. However, he has done it twice tonight. The second time the light switch got a nice coating of duct tape, however, as I post this I am hearing them tear their room apart. If this continues, I'm going need a new game plan to try to get my little werewolves to sleep.

Great Park Action

2009-06-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

We love Doe Bay (Summer's here!)

2009-05-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

Gelato Heaven

2009-05-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

W: Last night D had a gals' night out, so the Deuce and I decided to have a guys' night in. The weather was perfect for some outdoor dining, and Finn made the call for -- you guessed it -- pizza. I paid.

Finn's tastes are highly refined, and while he will eat just about any type of pizza, he prefers the good stuff. And since we were ordering the good stuff, Ollie politely suggested that a bit of gelato was in order on account of the good weather and alfresco dining. Plus, he said he loves a good gelato after a hefty pizza binge.

I'm pretty damned sure that they were working as a team on this.

On to the photos...as you will be able to see from my little photo essay below, the Deuce are highly conscientious of the rare, but wonderful gelato; they take every precaution and all means to use every part of the gelato. And what they can't use, well, they let the dog share in the spoils.

A mothers day celebration

2009-05-17T21:30:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we took a very impromptu Mothers Day trip to a nearby state park, Camano Island. It was everything I wanted my Mothers Day weekend to include (besides having to work a 10 hour day on Saturday). Immediately after I returned from work on Saturday, Walker had our newly inherited Shasta camper trailer (thanks Dad!), all packed up and we were all set for a 1.5 hour drive up the coast to Camano Island State Park.

It was a weekend of many firsts... first time camping with the Shasta, first time ever staying at this camp ground, first time camping with the twins, first time camping with the kids AND both dogs. etc. And like most firsts, they may not have been very easy (as you can probably imagine, there was not a lot of sleeping going on). But that was OK, we were just happy that we were away, with our family and enjoying getting started on the rest of our lives together.

I know it sounds corny (and maybe it had something to do with being centered around a holiday that celebrates motherhood and family) but I could not help myself from dreaming about all the adventures that we will have together, in each stage of our children's lives. It's pretty exciting to think about!

Instead of gushing over every detail of my short 24 hour Northwest family vacation, here are my favorite pictures, briefly narrated.

Once we set up camp, we took a short walk around the campground. This is the view from our trailer, overlooking the Puget Sound.

The boys loved playing inside our camper together.

And reading books while cuddling up on their big boy bed before bedtime.

The next morning we played in the camper with play dough... (who says play dough isn't messy?)

We explored the campground and made many wishes on the dandelions.

Then we packed up camp and headed down to the beach.

And the best part of the Mothers Day trip... I got to spend it with MY mom! Since we were so close, they drove up on Sunday to spend a few hours with us on the beach.

Pictures speak for themselves

2009-05-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

D: This was a trip to the Tulip Festival, the day after our first day of toddler beds. Needless to say, we had some pretty cranky boys on our hands!
Besides the tears, we still managed to enjoy the beauty, and the boys loved seeing the farm animals and playing in the muddy fields.

Getting the hang of it

2009-05-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

D: All right, so I admit that sometimes I can get a little panicky. When times are tough, I tend to think that they will ALWAYS be tough. Which of course, is NEVER the case.

We are well into our second week of the boys' transition to their toddler beds and things have gotten much better. The boys turned the corner, actually only a few nights into it, but I've been putting off writing this post, since I really didn't want to jinx it.

But I must say, since introducing the toddler beds, bedtime has come much more peaceful. Once they got the hang of it, we haven't had a single night where they have 'cried it out'. They just seem to understand the routine better... which has become a little more 'sleepy-time' centered, with long quite reading and then laying with the boys next to their beds in the dark whispering quite "goodnight, I love you"s.

There are still a few nights here and there that they will get up, no matter how much time we spend with them before we leave. But I just go back in, quietly, tell them that it's bed time and they need to sleep in their beds now and put them both back to bed. Usually they are hiding in the closet, or (recently) I found them both under the rocking chair. It's still a little mischievous, but at least it's not crazy, full of energy antics. More like quite giggles.

However, as I said, I'm not holding my breath on this one. I've definitely learned that sleep is not something that I can count on. And like all transitions, they Deuce are just going to be leading the way while I follow blindly, scratching my head in confusion and calling out 'mercy'!

Sleep... interrupted

2009-05-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

D: Yesterday was a huge milestone for us...one that we were not necessarily ready for: the boys are now in toddler beds. For the past few months, we have been doing everything to avoid/postpone this day for as long as we possibly can, but the boys have been doing everything they can to climb out of their cribs for some time now.

The first step we took was to turn the cribs around, so that the higher part of the sleigh bed was in front. A few weeks later, we lowered the mattress to its lowest setting, hoping that would buy us another few months. I then decided it was time to cage them completely in, with crib tents... but the boys were much too smart of those pesky zippers and too strong for the fabric (two weeks later I was left with two broken zippers and 4 huge unrepairable holes). We then lowered their mattresses BELOW as far as they would go, ie. we took out the inside frame of the crib and the mattresses were on the floor, with just the crib frame around it. That gave us another month or so. But yesterday, we ran out of options, and we decided we would just bite the bullet and go to toddler beds.

Unfortunately, we are not having the best luck.

Yesterday we listened to 3 hours of fighting, playing, screaming, fighting, playing for them to finally fall asleep... one in his bed and the other on his chair. Last night was much better... only 1/2 hour of talking and they both ended up in their beds all night long. (magical!)

But today is hell... at the moment we're on 2 hours worth of screaming and fighting. And every time I go down there, they have NO interest in going near their beds. We've tried taking everything 'fun' out of their room, but they still have each other... and what's more fun than beating up on your brother?

Ollie-isms

2009-05-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

D: O-Bear's been hamming it up lately, singing songs and making up words for things that he thinks is hilarious. Here are some of my favorite:

(sung) "Twinkle twinkle soccer ball, la, la, la, la, what you are."

(when he sees a large boat down in the harbor with freight cars on it) "It's a Choo-Choo Boat!"

(when it's his turn for the toy) "Finn's turn! Finn's turn!" (while pointing to himself).
This one tough to explain, because he is always hearing us say, "it's Finn's turn"... which to Ollie, signifies that it's time to share.

Or maybe he really thinks he's Finn? ;)

One on one time

2009-04-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

D: Last weekend I had one of the best days, spent as a parent. And then this weekend, I has a similarly spectacular day, but for different reasons. Last week, I was with Finn for 4 hours, just he and I. This weekend was spent with Ollie. I had such a great time with each of my sons! I’m not sure how this is going to sound, but I honestly felt as if I were just getting to know them individually for the first time.

Taking the much-appreciated suggestion from Tracy, W and I decided it was important for us to carve out some one on one time with each child. Playing zone defense when one of us is absent, or even when it’s two on two, can get overwhelming during this challenging age. But we are also learning that it’s an age that is filled with many wonderful moments of development and wonder… those moments are just harder to savor and appreciate when your attention is being pulled away towards the other child.

Don’t get me wrong. We love our family time, all 4 of us together. It’s how we roll. We’re good at it, and we all have a lot of fun together. It actually is hard for W and I to leave each other to each go and do fun things apart… because we’d rather go and do them together. But recently I have realized that not only were we missing out on the chance to have some valuable encounters with our kids, the boys are also missing out on the chance to have their parents attention 100% on them.

And so, when we have the chance to get some one on one time with the boys, this is what’s most important to me… the ability to completely let any and everything else go and be entirely in the moment with that child. I always try to be in the moment when I’m with both of them… I let work, house cleaning, errands, etc. fall by the way side… and I simply get down on the floor and ‘play’. But from their perspective, they never really have my undivided attention. And until now, I didn’t really realize how different they behave around me when they are not always fighting for my attention. It’s amazing, and that’s what I mean by ‘getting to know them for the first time’.

Not only do they behave better (less tantrums, less defiant, more agreeable), but also each one of them communicates with me more, and seems more at peace and able to just ‘hang out’ in one place for a long period of time. This is, I’m sure, because they do not have to feel rushed to keep up with their twin, or not swayed to push their brother’s buttons or fight for what’s due.

Finn and I walked along the beach and collected rocks to throw in the water. We were able to do this task at his pace, which I’ve never really realized is so methodical. We went for a hike and I let him lead me, allowing him to pick and choose whichever path he wanted to go down. Ollie and I went down to the Pike Place Market. He stopped at every busker on the crowded sidewalk and smiled at them and danced along to their music. We also shared a pastry across from each other at a busy coffee shop and people-watched for almost 30 minutes with no highchair or straps! Then we walked hand in hand down to the pier to watch the boats come in and wave at ever single person getting off the ferry.

These excursions have allowed me to see what my children are capable of, as individuals. I am so proud of who they are becoming and love each of them so differently. I am so glad that W and I are able to have the chance to devote all of our love and attention to each one of them individually, and that we now realized just how valuable these opportunities are.

Easter Bunnies

2009-04-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

With the help of our Au Pair and a couple of ski goggle (the boys new FAVORITE clothing item), the Deuce were transformed into two little easter bunnies, bouncing all over the house when I got home the other day!

Bring on the Embarrassment

2009-04-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

D: Hello language explosion! It’s finally here…yippee! Everyone said it was right around the corner, but that corner was beginnings to seem pretty far down the road for my boys. Alas, in the last week both boys are repeating just about any thing that comes out of our mouths and forming cute little broken sentences left and right.

Finn walks around the house pointing at everything, and naming it. Which I suppose is what I’ve been doing for the last few months, so it might be a while before he realizes that’s now how we really talk.

They’ve also started pointing at things and asking, “what’s that?” And then it’s our turn to tell them what it is and then they repeat it back to us. Then they repeat that word all day long.

Well, this morning, when they were getting dressed Finn leaned over to Ollie and pointed at his nipple and said “boobie” very clearly and intently.

Hmmmm…

Although I don’t remember giving him that word, I’m going to give my darling husband the benefit of the doubt and say that it could’ve been either one of us sarcastically naming his nipple ‘boobie’.

Ollie got a kick out of this word uttered by his brother, so he pointed to Finn’s chest and he said “boobie”. They both rolled over with laughter. I admit, it was pretty funny so I started laughing as well. But then they turned it to me… pointing to my chest and chanting “boobie, boobie!”

Uh, oh.

Suddenly I find myself trying to problem solve how to avoid any unnecessary “boobie” chanting in public! Any suggestions?

And if I tell them it’s actually a ‘nipple’, is that really any better?

Toddler Tips… Wisdom from other toddler mamas

2009-03-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

D: Since the idea of parenting is not something I’ve ever thought to myself, “I’ve got this all under control and I know exactly what I’m doing,” I’ve sought the wisdom of other parents to gain new perspective since before the kids were born.

Recently, I posted a question on a few parenting forums about trying to make sense of my toddler’s behavior. Specifically, the throwing, the screaming, and the self-destructive tantrums. I received some excellent advice and thought I’d post some of it here, for other parents to glean from.

These tips were derived from a list serve of women who all are moms to toddlers around the same age as the Deuce. Have any tips of your own that you'd like to share?

****
~ I have told tons of friends that having 2 yr. old twins is *almost* as hard as having newborns...it's crazy. I also believe that it's a phase...their brains are coming online still...they need to be challenge to find out if we will give them boundaries.

~ I reserve the time-out for major bad stuff right now...hitting our sister with the toy broom....whacking me, throwing stuff so it's not safe, etc. Basically when safety is involved.

~ I try to be consistent with my language...playdough stays on the table. If I see it on the floor, it's mine. Food is for eating. If I see it being thrown we are all done. The key with this is to then take away the toy, food, whatever as soon as they throw it, etc. This is the hardest part for me because it is exhausting and mentally numbing to do this 6 million times a day… but it's working.

~ The testing is normal...they are looking for boundaries and it's interesting b/c they truly WANT them...they are seeing if we mean business. I also stay totally neutral...calm body, calm voice, etc. so they know they aren't pushing my buttons.

~ Kids prefer consistency because they know what to expect. It builds trust in your word. My opinion is this isn't one of those things that magically corrects itself and suddenly you have 5 year olds who don't throw tantrums. You gotta do the work up front.

~ I usually ignore tantrums, as in I walk away. It’s hard to keep it up if your intended audience is not there. I don't tell my kids to "not cry", I just let it be known I'm not a participant for tantrums.

~ I have found that when kids are in the middle of all out tantrum mode then it's impossible to talk/reason with them until they are through the worst of it.

~ One of our guiding principles is to draw a firm line between his feelings and his behavior. It's fine for him to feel frustrated, but it's not fine for him to express that frustration in certain ways. Hitting or any kind of physical violence is an immediate time out.

~ One thing I'll add, which helped my daughter--giving her reasonable choices throughout the day. I found she was looking for boundaries at that age, but also some measure of control. So I could ask, if she wanted crackers, "do you want some in the blue bowl or the red bowl?"

~ Also love the choices ... and give 2 choices that you can live with. So instead of, “what would you like to drink,” ask “would you like milk or water?” Instead of “Lets leave the park in 5 minutes,” it’s “would you like to leave the park now or in 5 minutes?”

~A popular one right now is "We need to do ___ right now. Do you want to do it or do you want mommy/daddy to do it?" He generally jumps at the chance to do something himself.

~ From what I've gathered, toddlers emotions can be incredibly unstable – one minute they're happy as clams and the next the world is crashing down around them. This is just a fact of life in the way toddler brains, and emotions, work. To some degree, we can try as parents to mitigate the ups and downs especially if we know what might trigger them and try to avoid that situation, but it's not always practical (or possible) to stave off every emotional switch.

~ The other thing that's going on with toddler brains is the need for some control in their lives. They are told at nearly every turn what to do, not to do, and how to do it. Can you imagine how incredibly frustrating that must be to a little person?? Obviously, when it comes to safety, or violence, we need to protect them and ourselves. But I think it's important to realize that in other situations it might be ok to give them a little bit of control over their lives in order to mitigate the frustration they feel about, literally, being ordered around all the time.

~ I think it's really easy to overestimate what our toddlers are capable of, just as it's easy at times to underestimate their capabilities. Finding a balance that works for everyone is really hard, but constantly expecting them to act like 3 ft tall adults just makes everyone involved want to pull their hair out and scream.

Baker Trip

2009-03-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

The boys LOVE to play in the snow, and talk constantly about skiing. Not sure if it's the fact that we are always talking about skiing, that they can see Mt Rainier (or as Ollie calls it, "munten") from our front window, or that we are always playing Warren Miller videos for the boys... but we are pretty sure they are going to love the sport!

About a month ago we stayed in a cabin in a small mountain town called Glacier with several of our friends and their children. It was the first time we had really taken a multi-family trip, and it was a huge success! Our Au Pair, Anna, came with as well so we were all able to trade off time with the boys and time for some turns on the mountain. I even taught Anna (from Brazil) how to ski. She did great. The following day Anna and I took the boys sledding with a few other friends. Here are some pictures...

2009-03-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

These aren't the greatest shots, but I always think it's funny to see my little boys next to their big friend Luther.
They love Luther!

Rough day

2009-03-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

D: We've told people we practice 'Positive Discipline' to explain why we haven't used (over-used) the word "no" very often with the kids up to this point. When people hear this, I'm assuming they either think we then a) just give in and let the kids do what they want, b) never really set firm boundaries for the kids, or c) raise them in a bubble, with little opportunities to learn life's lessons.

On the contrary, Positive Discipline (or our version of it) is really quite difficult. It takes much more work to make sure that we are explaining the consequences of their actions, following through with those consequences, allowing them to have alternative options, and redirecting them with positive distractions. It's really much more work then just saying "no". And we do say "no" when they are in danger (going towards a dog, the street, or grabbing a knife, etc.).

And while this has been difficult for sure, it seems to be a good fit for our family, and we have really minimized the power struggles.

Up to this point.

In the last few days, something has changed. Maybe because W is out of town for a few days, and I'm feeling like I'm at my wits end, or maybe it's because it was Friday the 13th yesterday. But all of a sudden, our plan is NOT WORKING and I'm back to the drawing board.

My little strong willed boys are testing their mama's patience over and over and over again. Take yesterday for example:
For the first time in their lives, neither one of them had a nap. Instead, they were both in and out of their cribs (that's right... they've officially escaped) biting and fighting each other, tearing the entire room apart, and literally climbing the walls (the built-in book shelf). I tried to sit with them, singing softly in the darkness, but they weren't having it. I was in and out of their room probably 15 times until I finally gave up 3 hours into it.

The rest of the afternoon I was left with over-tired, wound-up toddlers that were doing and re-doing everything they KNEW not to do: dumping potted plants over in the living room, throwing my lap top off the table, banging on the flat screen TV, poking sticks at the cat in the yard, and finally, running (sprinting) in two different directions on the sidewalk in front of our house towards the street.

All in less than three hours. I'm not kidding.
Did I yell "NO"? Hell yes. Several times. And then we all cried.

I'm sure this will pass and it's probably good to stay the course and have confidence and consistency in what we are doing. And I guess I just needed to vent. There are huge changes happening with the boys right now (talking SO much more, learning new things every day)and I'm sure their little circuits in their brains just need to cool off a bit. And so do I.

Running Around

2009-03-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

W. I've been snapping some fun pictures of the boys lately. Here are some of my latest favorites.

O-Bear's First Tree Climb

2009-03-07T16:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, at our favorite neighborhood park, I was doing the usual twin-toddler-wrangler rodeo (one goes one direction, one goes the other... which is going to be the most dangerous situation and needs my attention first?) when I turned around to see Ollie climbing a small tree just outside the playground area. It was a very small tree, with the first branch just low enough that he could get a good enough grip on it. I surveyed his landing... soft grass... and decided to let him keep climbing with minimal intervention. I don't even think he noticed I was watching. When he perched himself up into the first 'sitting' area in the tree he looked around to find me, and starting beaming ear to ear with pride in his achievement.

I caught his proud moment with my camera phone:

Family Fun Weekend

2009-03-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

This past weekend my dad and stepmother came out from Minnesota to visit the Deuce (and their parents, I suppose!) in the great North West. We had a great time showing them all the fun activities that we love to do with the boys on a regular basis. The boys showed their grandpa their favorite animals at the Woodland Park zoo, and their love of farm tractors. They showed him how they throw rocks into the Puget Sound and showed off their favorite fishing boats down at the Fisherman's Terminal. They played with them in two of their favorite neighborhood parks and flaunted their impressive jungle gym climbing skills. On Sunday, my mom watched the boys while Walker and I took our visitors up to Crystal Mountain for a day of skiing. I couldn't believe that my old man can still beat me down the mountain in a race!

We had an awesome time having them in town and can't wait until our next family adventure weekend! Dad and Sue, we love you guys!

25 things I love about being your Mama

2009-02-20T13:42:00.000-08:00

I've been inspired by Facebook

When you sit down on the couch and pat the seat next to you in a gesture to your brother to come join you.
Your %100 confidence in me when standing at a high ledge and then jumping into my arms.
When you look at one another out of the corner of your eye and giggle. I know it usually means there's something sneaky about to happen, but it's still cute.
I love our new routine of waving 'good-bye' at the front window. Although I know the good-byes are sometimes hard for you, you also seem so eager to give me a good send off into my work day. Thanks, hon.
When you teach me new ways to creatively play with the most simple object.
When we dance and sing together in the basement.
I love that you often talk and coo and sing yourselves to sleep.
When I'm driving and I look back in my rear view mirror and see two perfectly content little faces happily bouncing along to the music and watching the world go by.
When you both say "Hi" in unison to everyone you see on the street, at the store, in the mall...
The way you make everyone light up when they see you. I used to cringe at the attention from strangers and now I could not be more proud.
When you both say "bu-bye!" as you walk into another room and then follow it with "have fun!".
When you walk around the house in your dads shoes.
When you put your coat and hat away, exactly where they belong, without even being asked.
The way your whisper "cheeeewwww, cheeeewwww" quietly when we pass by a train yard.
How you read books to yourselves, pointing out each object and making up new works for everything.
How you read books to each other.
The way you both love bath time together and the fun games you come up with in the bath.
How you are learning to take turns. Even though it seems excruciatingly painful to wait for something, you are understanding the concept and are even saying "peeezzz" and "tank-u".
It makes me feel like I've got some sort of magic power when you are hurt and need a kiss on your boo-boo. It really is %100 better instantly.
I love when you give your brother kisses when he's hurt himself... or as an apology if you've bit him.
I love when you give me kisses on both my cheeks and then my nose. I'm not sure where you learned this but it melts my heart.
When you gasp, wide-eyed, at something you think is awesome, then say "WOW".
When you say "YUMMM" with each and every bite of chocolate pudding.
The way you hold on so tightly when you need your mama.
When I say "I love you" and you whisper back "a-wuo-wuo", I know you mean it.

It's never a good thing

2009-01-23T14:09:00.000-08:00

...When you hear the toilet flushing in the other room, and the twins are no where in sight. When you come running in to the bathroom, you see both toddlers peering into the toilet, watching it flush, and waving to it while both saying, "bu-bye!"

What went bu-bye? We may never know.

What do you pledge?

2009-01-21T21:17:00.000-08:00

D: Now that the president is in office, we have a lot of work to do. And Obama has called the American people to duty... to take responsibility and step up for what we believe in.

"I pledge to raise two young men who are socially conscious, are committed to ending violence against women.

I also pledge to reduce my water consumption and turn off more lights."

Check out the video and ask yourself... What do you pledge?

MySpace Celebrity and Katalyst present The Presidential Pledge

Happy Birthday, Deuce! We love you!

2009-01-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

The making of a dance move

2009-01-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

Check this out! Finlay made this move up on the spot! Look how proud he is of himself.

Ring in the New Year!

2009-01-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

2009 has already offered up some great adventures with the Deuce.

We traveled to Montana to stay with good friends and go skiing at Big Sky (that's right, Dad, I'm back on two boards!). The boys were great travelers even though the icy mountain passes, and torrential downpours added MANY more hours of white knuckle driving onto our trip. I can proudly report that over the course of 30 hours of driving (combined, the entire weekend) we only had Thomas the Train playing on the lap top for less than 2 hours.

On the way back we stayed at a hot springs resort, which had a huge indoor and outdoor pool, heated to 100 degrees. The boys had more fun playing in the water than we've ever seen before. It also had a 50-foot water slide that was a blast!

Last week their Grandma from Indiana came out to stay with us and help take care of the boys while our Au Pair is traveling (we miss you Anna, come home!). They had the best time with her; mostly reading, doing crafts and learning new games. It was so great to have them get to know their Grandma and to see how quickly the love grows.

Even though their birthday is not until next week, we threw a party for the boys last Friday, so their Grandma could attend. The theme was "Dance Party", which was really a cover up for "crazy time, with mass chaos all around us". The boys had a blast hanging with all our friends and eating lots of junk food. They got some great presents (thanks everyone!) and yes, even had a little dance party with the other kids.

This weekend the sun decided to return to Seattle and we had a perfect morning... the kind that reminds me why we live here, and how easy it is to enjoy even the most simple adventures close to home. This morning we went down to the train yard and walked along the tracks waving at all the "choo-choo's". The next stop was the fishing docks to "ohh" and "ahh" at all the boats... all within 2-3 miles from our neighborhood. Awesome.

Here are some pictures from our adventures.

The games we play

2009-01-11T16:39:00.001-08:00

D: One of the best things about twins is watching them play games together. Some games are ones that we've taught them, but some they make up themselves. It is my favorite new past time to just sit back and watch their creativity and playfulness develop with each other.
Here are some examples of games they are currently enjoying:

Spot Throwing: They each stand on a circle in the basement (round bathroom carpets from IKEA) and they throw the ball back and forth to each other. If they get off the circle, they must get back on before throwing again. *This was a game they made up themselves!

Tickle-fest: They chase each other with a high pitch scream and tickling fingers. This often leads to tears however, because they are not quite how to tickle appropriately. For instance, eye sockets are not very ticklish.

1,2,3 Splash: I've posted this video already. It never gets old.

Whhheerrrre's...(insert child's name)? : This game is kind of like pee-ka-boo and hide and seek game put together. It involves a big loud celebration when the person is found.

Flashlight hide and seek: This game is so much fun to join in on! Turn off all the lights in the basement and run around like a mad man. Why haven't I been doing this before?

Party in the Wardrobe: I've just emptied out an old wardrobe that we are planning on getting rid of. But now the kids have come up with a new game in it, making it hard to part with. Basically, they both go inside, shut the door, and scream and laugh as loud as they can. Then they step out quietly, look at each other, laugh, and go back in again for more. It never gets old.

Dance Party: We've always had dance parties with the boys, but they have decided to step up the party with clearing the huge rug (by themselves!), insisting all their clothes come off, and spinning and jumping around like little crazy monkeys. Motown seems to be their favorite.

Cooking: They like to pretend cook while I'm cooking. They pull mixing bowls out, fill them with a few golf balls and stir them around, adding salt (pretend salt) every now and them.

Stump jumping: When they get tired of 'cooking' they will turn the bowls and pans over and arrange them so that they can jump from 'stump' to 'stump' with out touching the ground. It's pretty impressive to watch.

Big shoes: They enjoy finding our shoes/boots/slippers and stepping into them and walking around the house. This cracks me up every time.

Butt scoot/ knee walk/ gallop: Basically they seem to encourage each other to come up with different ways of getting from point "A" to point "B". The butt scoot is hilarious to watch... it looks kind of like the crab walk, but with their butt dragging on the ground and they are using their legs to pull them. The knee walk is cute, but gets old when they are both doing it when you're trying to walk across a busy parking lot. Not fun.

Bu-bye: They are really exploring their independence by saying "bu-bye" to us and then walking out of the room. They come back and yell "hi!" and then seconds later they are saying "bu-bye" with a wave over their shoulders. They both do this together and lately, they've been holding each other hands as they wave “bu-bye” to us... like they are going off together to cause nothing but trouble.
Oh, don't I know it :)

The lighter side of x-mas

2008-12-31T13:24:00.000-08:00

D: Since it is important we document and share the Deuce's 2nd Christmas in it's entirety (the bad AND the good) I thought I'd post a few pics my mom took while the boys were having fun at their place on Christmas day. And while I'm on the subject of my mom, I've just got to acknowledge how blessed we are to have her and my step dad living out here. Not only did they share in some wonderful Christmas memories with the boys, but they quickly jumped right into our crisis when Ollie was sick and helped out where they were needed.

Mom, if there were ever a doubt about your move, please know that what you and Al did for us makes it all worth while. It is a true testament to what family is all about. We love you.

Happy New Years everyone!!

We call this set "Here no evil, see no evil, speak no evil"

Don't panic ~ yeah right.

2008-12-29T13:29:00.001-08:00

D: This past Christmas began perfectly, with presents under the tree at home, a lovely breakfast at my mom's, and then Walker and I went snowboarding all afternoon while the twins played at their grandparents. That evening we picked them up around 6:30pm and although Ollie seemed overtired and cranky there was nothing out of the ordinary about either one of them.

However, only minutes after driving away, I heard a strange sound coming from Ollie. The minute I turned around and saw him I screamed, "Oliver is having a seizure, he's not breathing!" and I jumped in the back to take him out of his car seat. I was terrified that he was choking or had been accidentally poisoned and had no way of knowing what do to next. His little lips and face had turned blue and he was not breathing. Walker imediately pulled the car over and called 911, while I started performing CPR on him, first in the car and then out of the car in the snow. It was probably at least 2 minutes before his seizure was over and he started lightly breathing again, but his body was still listless and his only sounds were a slight whimper.

I have never been more terrified in all my life. I thought we were losing our little boy and I didn't know why.

Thankfully, the EMT responded seconds later and they quickly lifted him into the ambulance. Once they took his temperature (102) they immediately diagnosed him as having a febrile seizure. She told me that this is very common in young children, and that Ollie will be just fine. I wanted to believe her, but given what we had just been through it was hard to believe that Ollie was going to be 'just fine' any time soon.

While I was in the ambulance with Oliver, Walker had to stay in the car with Finlay. Luckily, the responding Police officer was very helpful, retrieving my shoe that had fallen in the snow, telling Walker what was going on with Ollie in the ambulance and helping to transfer Finlay into my mother’s car (once she got there) so that Walker could follow the ambulance to the hospital.

While enroute to the hospital Ollie was starting to 'come to', but he was still extremely unresponsive. The paramedic told me that having a seizure is like running a marathon, especially for such a little guy, and that it would just take time to recover. Sure enough, by the time we got to Children's Hospital he started crying (I never thought I'd be so happy to hear him cry!) and then he started reaching for me saying 'mama, mama'.

Walker quickly joined us and although Ollie seemed exhausted, he was eating, talking, walking and even laughing a little and it was clear that he was definitely going to be 'just fine'. After ruling out everything else, the doctors at Children’s also diagnosed Ollie as having experienced a febrile seizure and gave us the run down on just what occurred and what this means for our little guy.

I wanted to share this information in as much detail as possible because of how common this is for children and I know there are a lot of parents that read this blog. What happened on Christmas night was terrifying, but if I had known what was happening and how to handle the situation, it would've made it much easier on us.

So here's the low down: (from what the doc told me and from the Mayo Clinic Website)

A febrile seizure is a convulsion in young children caused by a sudden spike in body temperature. Fortunately, febrile seizures aren't as dangerous as they may look. A seizure triggered by a sudden fever is usually harmless and doesn't indicate a long-term or ongoing problem. Having one doesn't mean that a child will have epilepsy or brain damage. Even repeated febrile seizures do not indicate that a child has epilepsy.

Often, a febrile seizure occurs before parents even realize that their child is ill. Most febrile seizures occur during the first day of a fever but a may also develop as the fever is declining.

Young age is the strongest risk factor. About one in 25 children will experience a febrile seizure. Most febrile seizures occur in children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years and are particularly common in toddlers. Boys are affected slightly more often. Children rarely develop their first febrile seizure before the age of 6 months or have them after 3 years of age. Some children inherit a family's tendency to have seizures with a fever. Some children will never have a febrile seizure again (most children only have one or two febrile seizures in their childhood).

Most febrile seizures stop on their own within a couple of minutes. If your child has a febrile seizure that lasts more than five minutes or your child turns blue, call 911 right away.

In rare cases, the seizure may continue until your child arrives at the emergency room. If this happens, a doctor may order medication that's administered either through your child's rectum or intravenously to stop the seizure.

If your child has a febrile seizure, stay calm and follow these steps to help your child during the seizure:

* Place your child on his or her side, somewhere where he or she won't fall.
* Stay close to watch and comfort your child.
* Loosen any tight or restrictive clothing.
* Don't restrain your child or interfere with your child's movements.
* Don't attempt to put anything in your child's mouth.

Not long after having a febrile seizure, many children are back on their feet, running around the doctor's office or playing safely at home. By staying calm, observing your child and knowing when to call the doctor, you're doing everything that's needed to take care of your child.

2008-12-23T02:01:00.000-08:00

Let it snow!

2008-12-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in my Seattle living room watching the snow fall outside my window, after a wonderful day of playing in the snow with my family and neighbors. The snow is beautiful and brings back so many memories of growing up in Minnesota. The problem is, that it's been coming down like this for almost a week and Seattle is a town that is simply not prepared for this kind of weather. Because of the steep hills and the lack of snow removal Seattle closes off streets, public transportation is paralyzed and the entire town shuts down and hibernates until the rain comes and melts the snow away. In the 9 years I've lived here, I've never encountered a 'snow day' lasting more than 1-2 fun-filled days of sledding in the streets. But this year, the weather men cannot predict when the snow will stop coming down, let alone when it will melt away. I will admit I’m getting a little bit of cabin fever.

We are making the best of it by helping the boys learn how to enjoy the snow as much as their little anxious toddler personalities will allow. ("COLD" is another word the Deuce learned quickly and is now heard often.)

Below are a few of pictures from the past few days (Ok, a lot… like I said, we are going a little stir crazy!)

Phone Pictures

2008-12-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

Before the holiday cuteness overwhelmes us all with a new set of photos I thought I'd upload some of my recent favorites from my phone. Below you will see a story unfold of F being silly with mama's glasses, a fun trip to the dog park, a lost picture of O on holloween morning, F climbing the bars at the park, and W and O sharing a coffee at the market this past Sunday (not really... O's was milk!). Oh, and the last one is O "walking" my friend Jessa's 120lb. mastiff. Priceless!

D.I.Y. Rules of Toddler List

2008-12-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

D: Several people have commented on my ever so poignant and strikingly realistic essay about the alternate reality that our toddlers live in. I did not write this myself... at least not completely.

About a month ago my preschool Parent Educator handed me a piece of paper with 3-4 "rules" on it, as a light bit of humor and also a bit of foreboding warning. Since then I've been adding to this list of rules in my head, every time I am reminded of the insanity that I'm forced to reconcile with when raising toddlers.

A week or so ago someone emailed me a much longer list and I decided to pick it apart, add to it and viola: The Rules of Toddlers, as told by the Deuce.

I suggest you too write your own 'Rules'. You will find it incredibly therapeutic and may prevent a head injury or two. (To stop you from banging your head into the wall with frustration!)

The rules of a toddler

2008-12-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

If it is on, I must turn it off.
If it is off, I must turn it on.
If it is folded, I must unfold it.
If it is not food, it must be tasted.
If it IS food, it must not be tasted.
If it is a liquid, it must be spilled.
If it is a solid, it must be thrown.
If it is high, it must be reached.
If it is shelved, it must be removed.
If it is plugged, it must be unplugged.
If it is closed, it must be opened.
If it does not open, it must be screamed at.
If it is full, it will be more interesting emptied.
If it is empty, it will be more interesting full.
If it has a flat surface, it must be banged upon.
If Mommy's hands are full, I must be carried.
If Mommy wants to carry me, I must walk alone.
If it is a car seat, it must be protested with arched back.
If it is dry, it must be made wet with drool, milk, or toilet water.

And finally the defining trifecta:

If it is yours it must be mine.
If it ever was mine, it must still be mine.
If it looks like something that was once mine, it must be mine.

Good friends

2008-12-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

D: Today, while W was at the Seahawks game, the Deuce and I opened our home to host a brunch for 17 close friends. Since it was something that only came together within the past week I was a bit nervous about hosting such a big group. Last night I was lying in bed counting the number of friends and their various aged small children and wondering: Did I have enough plates and glasses? Is the house baby proofed enough for the crawlers? Is the house clean enough for the infants? Are the twins going to be OK with all the chaos?

Thankfully the morning went incredibly well thanks to everyone pitching in and rolling with the punches (and the tantrums, the tears, the bottles and the toys covering every inch of my floor). We had an amazing time together. The boys were great hosts and had a fun time playing with the other kids. However, its pretty apparent in the last picture when they hit their limit! :)

Great friends, great food, adorable children and some great pictures to commemorate!

Less sleep, more talking

2008-11-14T15:03:00.000-08:00

D: The best advice I’ve gotten about parenting is, “if there are big developmental changes underfoot, everything else is going to get a little nutty”. Or something like that. Basically, if the baby is learning how to roll over or crawl or walk or eat solid food, you can bet the little guy is going to be keeping you up all night for a few weeks, or until he’s mastered the skill. We’ve relied on this advice to be true for our boys pretty much like clock work. The problem is, it’s usually always the last thing I remember to consider when they are crying for hours on end for seemingly no good reason. It always, “Is he tired? Poopy? Hungry? Crabby? Hurt? Teething? Sick? Or scared?” (Sometimes it’s all of the above.) Not “Is he going through a developmental milestone?”

Alas, I have determined this to be the case with our most recent bout of restlessness. And what is this milestone, you ask? Language. Finally.

Language is something that we’ve been working on for quite a while here in Twintown. We have been carefully pronouncing every single word in the books and repeating the word twice when pointing out everything we see around us. We’ve been using sign language for many actions and requests (more, stop, please, thank you, help, go). We are even emphasizing certain words when we talk such as, "would you like to go UP!! in the CHAIR!?" or "Would you like some APPLE!?! APPLE!!" (I wonder how this is effecting how I talk to people at work?) But up until a week or so ago the boys’ vocabulary was pretty slim. It was limited to:

Baa (Ball)
Ba- Baa (golf ball)
Anana (banana)
Ba-ba (bottle)
Da (dog)
Ca (car)
Uck (truck)
Er-Oh? ( where’d it go?)
Oh-oh! (I just broke something and moms going to be really mad)
And of course, Mamma and Dada.

Oh, and their animal sounds were pretty amazing. O can quack like a duck way better than I can.

They have always mumbled to each other with similar sounds and expressions, leading me to believe they are forming an intricate language of there own that they will have for years to come. They’ve let us in on one word, “DA – DOW”. Which means, “I’m pretty darn excited.” We say it back and forth to each other and they seem delighted that we are catching on.

On the flip side, I could not be happier that they are also learning how to use our language as well. I’m going to refrain from divulging any of my anguish and concern over the boys' speech delay and focus on how exciting it is that they are finally able to communicate better with us, each other, and even the dogs.

Here is what they are saying lately:
Wa-wa (water)
Go, go, go! (as in, Dog, you better get out of my face!)
Ocks (blocks)
Baby
Nana (their grandma)
Anna (thier Au Pair)
Choo-choo (trains)
Choo (shoe)
Coa (coat)
Ba-Boon (balloon)
Caa-caa (cracker)
Eh-oo (hello)
No, no, no! (Which is pretty ironic, since we never say the word unless they are in serious danger!)

And while this isn’t what you’d call a ‘language explosion’ that I’ve heard happens with some kids, there is a definite shift in their interest towards becoming great conversationalist!

Happy Holloween

2008-11-02T14:06:00.001-08:00

So much of being a parent is about reliving your youth through your children's experiences. Holidays such as Halloween are probably as successful as they because of this reason alone. And sure enough, this Halloween I felt a little closer to my memories and what this holiday used to be all about: cheesy costumes, mass amounts of candy consumption, getting carted around all over town by mom. Although, I gotta tell ya, it's a whole lot more exhausting being the mom!

Here's how our fright fest went down:

2 months ago I think I'm way ahead of the game by purchasing two costumes from Costco for the boys.

2 days before Halloween I pull out the Costco costumes and realize they no longer fit.

1 day before Halloween I rush back to Costco, grab the only two costumes they had left in their size. Once I’m home I realized they do not fit either.

The night before Halloween I rush to Toys R Us (my version of hell). I, along with a few other last minute mothers frantically sort through a huge pile of left over 1/2 price costumes. The only 3 costumes I could find in their size were a chicken, a dinosaur and a super girl costume. That's right, super GIRL. I cut the skirt off, but it certainly didn't make it any less feminine (he definitely had some midriff showing, and his cape and boots were very sparkly). I was really hoping the Dino and Chicken costume would fit.

The next morning, after a slight struggle, I transformed O into a tyrannosaurus rex minus the head. F, on the other hand wouldn't go near the chicken costume with a ten-foot poll. The super girl outfit was also a no-go, until after naptime, when I snuck it on during a groggy diaper change.

Our Halloween adventures included preschool in the morning (North end of town), trick-or-treating at Dad's office (South end of town), trick-or-treating in our friend's neighborhood (North end of town), then finishing off the trick-or-treating at my mom's house (Even farther North of town) before carting our little gremlins to bed well over an hour past their bed time.

Although it was an exhausting day, we all had a good time. It was fun to watch the boys experience the enjoyment of Halloween.

It's Pumpkin Time!

2008-10-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we visited Craven Farms, less than an hour north of Seattle. It was a perfect afternoon adventure to the farm. The boys enjoyed picking out their own pumkins and exploring the fields. The farm had several activities for children to enjoy: baby farm animals, a goard-sling (much more satisfying than I'd imagined!), and a 'beached' boat and a farm tractor to climb on.

I like to make movies

2008-10-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

D: So here is another music-video-type movie I've made of the boys. This one highlights their crazy toddler antics that make us laugh. There's also a couple of rare twin brother bonding moments that are so precious I'm glad I've caught them on film (so I can watch this when they are pulverizing the living daylights out of each other!)

The music is by the Be Good Tanyas.

Enjoy!

Also, check out my youtube site for all the music-video-type movies I've made of the boys over the last year and a half: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lockhade&search_type=&aq=f

This video is hilarious!

2008-10-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

The laughs were worth the puddles on the floor.

A dance lesson update

2008-10-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

D: Our Au Pair took the boys back to dance class yesterday for their last chance to prove themselves. I wasn't too nervous about it; I've learned to take a 'what ever happens, happens' attitude lately.

This past week has been a great lesson in parenting. I am learning that so much about raising children is not about how your children grow and learn, but how I as a parent identify my strengths and weaknesses in regards to how I will positively or negatively affect my children. Let me be clear, this awareness is not meant to impose added stress about how we influence our children. God knows, I'm trying to make peace with the Control Freak in me every day. On the contrary, it has helped to be more mindful of situations where I have little influence... and then back off.

For example: the dance class. Part of the reason I wanted to find more activities for the kids is because I want to enrich their childhood experiences and help them learn new things. But when it comes down to it... is it what I want, or what's actually best for my kids at this very moment? And then, if I'm certain that something is best for them, how willing am I to be flexible if it turns out it's just not the right fit? I want them in dance class, but really as active and curious as they are right now (and at SUCH a young age) they might be better off mastering the playground and socializing in less structured environments such as toddler play rooms around town.

I know this will be a good lesson to remember as the boys are older, and we enroll them in sports or music or what ever they decide 2 weeks into it they are not interested in anymore. I know too many parents that force their children to have similar experiences they had as children, only to find their children have much different interests. As a ski instructor of small children I saw this all the time. Which reminds me, I suppose I will need to remember this lesson myself this season, as we try to get these boys out on skis at the age of 2... same age I started!

Anyway, back to dance class. The boys did great, both our Au Pair and the teacher said they felt confident they can stick through the class for the remainder of the session. They boys are slowly getting the hang of the structure of the class and above all, really seem to be enjoying themselves. But like I said, I'm not holding my breath... if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out.

How very Zen of me. :)

A Day at the Playground

2008-10-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

W. I (finally) found the charger to my camera, so here are a few hi-res photos from a Saturday morning dad & the dudes trip to the playground. Enjoy!

no dancing

2008-10-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

D: This summer our Au Pair and the Deuce have spent their days together running, climbing, splashing, jumping, and digging in our yard. But as the weather quickly turns cold, wet and dark (ah, lovely Seattle) I have tried to arrange several age appropriate, out-of-the-house activities for the boys. I've often mentioned how busy and adventurous these little boys are, so life cooped up in the house this winter just won't cut it.

Thankfully Seattle is full of classes and activities to enroll your children in as toddlers. I've found toddler/parent music classes, toddler/parent dance classes, toddler/parent gardening classes, even toddler/parent circus training classes. But as you can imagine, the one to one ratio tends to be a bit tricky when it's just our Au Pair and the Deuce.

Thankfully after calling around to several places I found a great dance class that assured me that the classroom environment is extremely energetic and interactive and that the teacher would be there to help out. So, they all have been going for the last 3 weeks, and loving it! They come home hopping and galloping around the house (all things I've never taught them), and our Au Pair says she is also learning a lot about ways to engage the children.

Unfortunately, I received a call yesterday from the teacher telling me that she doesn't think it's going to work out. She feels that while our Au Pair is doing a phenomenal job of working with the kids and keeping them 'controlled' (what ever that means) she feels that she is simply pulled in too many directions and is not able to properly teach the class. She said we can try one more week, and if it's still too chaotic, the boys will be out.

Of course, I got pretty bummed about this yesterday and those around me got to hear my fierce protective Mama Bear reaction... "that's not fair!" "that's twin discrimination" "what on earth are twin toddlers supposed to do for fun around here?!"

But since then I've had time to think. I realize that yes, the teacher was probably having a bad day and might have reacted harshly (other parents in the class have told me they are shocked, because the boys seem to be so engaged and having so much fun). But as a twin mom I simply need to get more creative with planning our activities. Enough with the one/one ratio classes! We're going to find alternatives! Where? Not quite sure yet, but I'll keep you posted.

Until then, they boys will be wearing their raincoats and rain boots more often, while dancing in the puddles in the yard.

Welcome Home!

2008-09-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

D: Yesterday morning we took the boys over to their grandparents house... and we didn't even have to get on an airplane! That's right, their Nana and Grandpa are now living close enough to easily enjoy a Saturday morning with their grandkids any time they'd like.

My mother first mentioned the idea of moving out here from MN the very first time she held the Deuce, just a few days after they were born. Since then the two of them have been busily planning their west coast migration and last week they finally arrived.

We could not be more excited to have family in town and closer to the children. Both W and I feel it is incredibly important that the boys have close relationships with all of our parents. It certainly is a special kind of relationship that forms between a grandchild and their grandparent. I so look forward to the boys being able to spend time with family close by... and of course continue to look forward to planning visits with our family living far away!

Favorite time of year

2008-09-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

D: In my opinion, Fall is the most enjoyable time of year in Seattle. The weather is just perfect; not too hot and not too cool. There hasn’t been a drop of rain in weeks and the skies remain bright blue all day long. We wake up to a distant view through our front window of the sun rising on Mt Rainier and we enjoy the most amazing sunsets over the Puget Sound behind the Olympic Mountains. (Unfortunately soon these views will all but vanish and are replaced by thick grey clouds for several months.)

We have been enjoying every moment of these blissful days with many firsts for the Deuce. Several weeks ago W and I took them to the Washington State Fair. Until now, I didn’t even know that Washington had a state fair. But now, as a mom, I am finding myself searching for places to see live cows for my children to “mooo” at. And boy did they 'mooo'! And ‘oink’ and ‘neigh’ and ‘squeak’ and ‘quack’. They were also big fans of the fair food.

We have done an overhaul on our yard this past summer making it both Deuce proof and fun for the boys to enjoy hours of playtime. 140 Feet of cedar fence, several yards of sod, one sandbox later, and a few donated plastic play things later, we are quite happy with our extended living/play space. It is so wonderful having the freedom to just open the door and let the boys run out into the yard knowing there are relatively few things that they could destroy or hurt themselves with. Lately we’ve been playing in the water, hunting for spiders, making obstacle courses, pointing out every single plane that flies over head and ‘camping’ in our tent.

Last night we met some friends for a picturesque beachside bbq, to celebrate a friend’s birthday. They boys chased balloons along the sand, kicked dirt in their hair, tossed Frisbees, dug in the dirt, blew bubbles, ate water melon, roasted marshmallows and wowed at the big boats coming into the harbor.

We've also been riding the ferry, visiting friend's pools, enjoying Gas Works park, frequently visiting the Woodland Park Zoo, and splashing in what ever mud puddles we can find. Enjoy the rest of your sunshine days!

Toddler Delight

2008-09-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

D: Our kids are expressing their joy in the world around them more and more every day. I love sharing in their delight, through their eyes. I can actually FEEL their excitement as we marvel at the wonders of it all.

What they (and I) now love the most:
Planes flying overhead.
Spiders (the ones up in their webs, not the ones crawling across the floor).
Cows (Mooo!)
Washable crayons.
Sitting in big boy chairs and watching mama cook dinner.
Splashing each other in the bath tub (and their parents).
Pointing to each others body parts and ‘naming’ them (all words are still spoken in twin-talk).
Running around naked.
Dancing while naked.
Pretending to be a naked monster and growling at everything (this was a new one tonight).
Splashing in puddles.
One, two, three… JUMP! (Onto or off of the couch or bed)
Jumping and dancing on the bed.
Balls. Balls. Balls. Anything that looks like a ball. (This word is spoken in English and is heard 100 times a day.)
Climbing up everything. Climbing down everything.
Being lifted up onto the monkey bars at least 8 feet into the air and hanging from them for a good 20 seconds while giggling.
Waving hello. Waving good-bye.
Playing with Chili Bean. (Our pug)
Giving each other hugs.

How to make a twin cry

2008-08-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

New dinosaur pajamas... that glow in the dark.

D: In my defense, I didn't know that the dinosaurs glowed in the dark when I bought the new pj's. And when my little boy started to cry after about 10 minutes of silence, I thought he was just settling in to sleep with a few protests (as he is known to do). But when I went in after about 5 minutes of crying I noticed the glowing twin waving his dinosaur patterned arms around in horror. I immediately grabbed him from his crib (magically bringing the glowing pattern into the air) sending my other twin boy who was fearfully watching from under his blanket into a screaming fit of terror.

Who's mastermind idea was it to make glow in the dark PJ’s for 19 month olds?!