Remind Me

I have a weird memory.

I can remember mile splits and training times. I can remember that I  have to buy Valentines for daycare. I can remember every single time Bryan throws his clothes on the floor instead of the laundry room. My family might disagree, but I’m actually good at remembering birthdays. I just don’t remember it when I need to (like 2 weeks early or 3 days late).

Oddly, if I a) write it down or b) tell my phone to  remind me, I generally end up remembering on my own. I’ve used Siri on a number of occasions, particularly when I know I’m already going to have to remember several other things. Generally, they go off without a hitch. I tell Siri to remind me to pack a puzzle tomorrow at 7am and she does. Siri can be a fabulous resource, but like voice texting, she doesn’t always hear me correctly. Also, I sometimes almost always talk too fast, but that can’t possibly be part of the problem.

So sometimes, I get reminders like these:

• Buy ponco prices and candy (Bunco prizes)
• Us to buy a card for mom’s birthday
• Get the pressure best (vest)
• Call candy doctors (I have no idea but if the doc gives me candy, sign me up)
• Record doomsday propers (again, no idea)
• Tell my sister happy birthday (no, this one isn’t messed up, but the fact that I have to remind myself is)
• Qqe (uh….)
• Put the asthma pamphlet in my bed (a little light reading)
• Copy the bison love it cards (bisyllabic)
• Let Johnson dog out (John’s)
• Pack the crusty to pick the crusty to pick the crusty crab (WTF?!)
• Send the twins to school and the jets (in pajamas)
• Grab the bag of swim (Slim)

If I ever show up to your house with ponco prizes in your bed to pick the crusty crab, well, it’s Siri’s fault.

No

A two year old’s favorite word is no. At the very least, it comes in right behind another word we hear often: MINE.

I have kids at work that say no to everything, which after awhile can become quite frustrating. So, instead ending up on a never ending train of “do you want this?” “no”, I just ask questions that end up with funny answers.

For example (and pardon the fact that I look like crap):

I’ve even tried “do you want a cooke?”, except every once in awhile this catches their attention and they respond with a “COOKIE!” and then I am in trouble.

Abby, who tends to say things a week or so behind Miles, started the same trend recently. Yesterday, after we returned home from a birthday party, Abby decided to go for a swim. As she sits there, I say “Abby, did you decide to swim? With all your clothes on?”

“No”

Say What? – Part 2 (and Jord Giveaway Winner)

2 year olds are interesting beings. The things they learn, and how quickly they learn them can be really astonishing.

Last week, both twins and I were sitting in the family room. I put together a car track for Miles and their favorite nursery rhymes (courtesy of You Tube and Little Baby Bum) were playing in the background. My parents bought the car track a few months ago and this was the first time he was really excited to play with it. I started to take a video of him playing with them when I realized Abby was reciting the ABC’s.

Miles names 4 numbers. Abby knows 7. Like, they can look at them and tell me what they are. I was amazed.

But, the funny ones are still my favorite.

This past weekend all of us were spending some time outside. Miles came over, exclaiming “bug!” (another one I didn’t know he knew) “its a bug!” Excitedly, he opens his small hand and releases a dead bug into mine.

Ew.

“It’s all done,” he says.

Yup, buddy. It sure is.

*For those of you who entered the watch giveaway – we have a winner! Kristy Hanselman – an email is coming your way! Congratulations!

10 Thoughts Thursday – The One Liner Edition

1. It has seriously, seriously been difficult for me to come up with a cohesive, thoughtful post lately that doesn’t already involve some theme (twins monthly updates, marathon training recaps etc) because I seem to have that little brainpower left.

2. What do you call a bear without teeth? A gummy bear.

3. Is it just me, or does it always seem like there are 8 billion things to do and only 10 minutes in which to get them all done?

4. What happens to a frog’s car when its breaks down? It gets “toad” away.

5. I do not handle change well.

6. How do astronomers organize a party? They planet.

7. My confidence in my skills, all around, has been lacking lately.

8. A drunk walks into a bar with jumper cables around his neck. The bartender says, “You can stay but don’t try to start anything.”

9. I truly believe that laughter can assuage almost anything, which is why I tend to be sarcastic, crack jokes, and make every other thought something silly.

10. Two men broke into a drugstore and stole all the Viagra. The police put out an alert to be on the lookout for the two hardened criminals.

HAHAHA!

Christmas with Toddlers (Part 1)

I was so proud of myself last year – with two 7 month old babies we not only managed to get the tree up a month before Christmas but all the outside and inside decorations too.

Enter a year later, with two 19 month old toddlers. Granted, there have been a few other kinks in the chain, such as Bryan’s work schedule, going through the process of changing jobs, and now a bout with the flu (yay me), but lets talk about what did  did not get accomplished THIS year.

We have NO outside decorations.

The tree was put up 8 days before Christmas.

There is still a box of ornaments sitting on a nearby table that never made it on the tree.

We have a few inside decorations….kinda.

Two stocking holders made it onto the counter, but no actual stockings.

All blocked off by a lovely play yard gate.

You win some, you lose some, but I am still thankful. Plus, it makes for a funny story, which I am always a fan of.

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone,

A few festive things mixed with a few toddler things

All of the unfinished decorations….and a wagon

At least the presents are BY the tree

A New Low (#Microblogmondays)

 

Saturday was my long run day (and a great run at that!) and since Bryan had kept an eye on the twins while I was gone I was in charge of lunch. They were finishing up and starting to get restless when nature called. And it wasn’t the quick out of the bathroom in a flash kid, it was the this is going to take a few minutes kind.

Nature tends to call at very inopportune times.

The twins have gotten into a few songs on YouTube (namely, the Animal Sounds and Phonics Song) so I turned one on my phone and ran to take care of business while they were still seated in their high chairs. This way, I figured, I at least wouldn’t have to have company.

Unfortunately it took a bit longer than I anticipated, the song was over (should have turned on Pocoyo) and Miles started to get cranky. “AAAAHHH AHHHHH” he cries, which roughly translates to “get me out of this highchair yesterday before the world ends!” So I’m around the corner, sitting on the toilet with the door cracked open, finding myself singing “A is for apple, a, a, apple” in an attempt to keep the peace.

Parenting win?

 

(I’m in) Double Trouble

One of my Speech Therapy kiddos was joined by his ABA therapist during his session yesterday. She, like many others, react to the fact that I have twins with a bit of shock. Though this time I didn’t get a comment as I’m carrying two toddlers out of daycare about how I have my hands full (literally – hold the door for me please). Instead, she told me she just one her own nine months ago, and to her, twin moms are like superheroes.

I’m not sure how I feel about the whole superhero thing, but as nervous as I was about how I’d balance twins, I’ve felt pretty pleased about the way I’ve handled things in general. Felt is the key word here. As we quickly approach the dreaded “terrible twos” and “threes that are way worse than twos”, I suddenly feel ill equipped.  I work with 2 and 3 year olds daily, dole out speech, language and tantrum advice often but more often than not feel completely lost as to what is the best was to go about the more difficult aspects of toddlerhood.

One of my two year olds yesterday decided that as he was leaving his therapy session would be THE BEST time to throw himself on the ground screaming. I see this daily of course so it doesn’t bother me, but poor mom was embarrassed and forced to scoop him off the floor with his voice still ringing in all of our ears.

Suddenly, I thought about the time in the not so distant future, when the two of them will undoubtedly decide that the middle of Target is an AWESOME time to throw a fit TOGETHER, and YES I REALIZE I’M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF BUT OMFG WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!?!!?

AHHHHHHH!!!

Ten Reasons My Teething Toddler Threw a Tantrum

Oh my goodness. Remember how I mentioned both twins had a fever? Well, in addition to that, mother nature decided this would be a great time for Miles to start cutting THREE teeth (both top canines and a molar) at.the.same.time.

Needless to say, there were a few tantrums. A list of my favorites.

Ten Teething Toddler Tantrums (yes, this is similar to reasons why my son is crying, sans pictures)

1. I picked him up.

2. I put him down.

3. I tried to hand him a ball.

4. I offered him some frozen yogurt.

5. He finished the frozen yogurt.

6. I made him stop playing in the dog food.

7. I tried to dry him off after I took him out of the bathtub.

8. The TV screen turned black for 5 seconds while a new Baby Einstein started (actually, that may have been Abby).

9. I wouldn’t let him eat nail clippers.

10. I tried to offer him a teether.

Don’t be jealous 🙂

 

When it Rains

Its been a drizzly rainy week around here lately. I love this weather as a runner, but otherwise rain rain go away.

The title to this post really serves two purposes here.

Remember when I wrote about how a bacteria stole my birthday? And this post about a cruddy day?

Well I think I’ve topped it.

Let’s start with Monday. Bryan and I get into the car to take the twins to day care. It won’t start, so we jump it, assuming it needs a new battery. Wrong. The alternator is bad. After some hemming and hawing we take it to a local mechanic.

Tuesday Bryan texts me that the mechanic called. Supposedly, he’s spent 8 hours trying to replace the alternator (and CV joint), broke two tools and is so pissed he told Bryan to come get the car and never bring it back. He finds a kind neighbor to drive him to get the car, jumps it again, and then drives home and fixes it himself. How the mechanic couldn’t manage but he could remains a mystery to me.

Wednesday I wake up with faucet nose. Hello cold.

I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again

Thursday I meet a neighbor to take the twins for a walk. When we start, its misting outside. I have my (brand new) iPhone in the Bob Stroller pocket covered by the flap. After some walking we get caught in fairly heavy rain, and somehow the water has leaked through the flap into the pocket where it has collected a puddle WHERE MY IPHONE IS. Needless to say, it is no longer working.

Today, after 24 hours of drying it out, it still doesn’t work. I try to reactivate my old phone online, and Verizon keeps telling me to switch out my SIM card. HELLO VERIZON! iPhones don’t have a removable back! Abby wakes up with a fever. At 230 the daycare calls because guess what? Miles has one too! I Finally get my insurance claim in for my phone and its on backorder with absolutely no timeline as to how long it will take. (I finally got it reactivated with a phone call later)

Glass? Thanks, but I’ll take the whole bottle

Bring on the weekend.