Getting on Board

One of the things I looked forward to, when I was daydreaming thinking about the fun things I’d do with my future kids, was sit around the table as a family and play board games.

When the twins turned 3, I bought them the game Candy Land – hopeful but not expecting much. I’ve played the game more times than I can count at work, but always with a kid that was at least 4. When I pulled it out for the twins, they promptly started turning over ALL the cards and placed the pieces wherever the hell they wanted.

I put the game away for awhile, wondering who actually managed to successfully play it with a three year old, since its rated 3-6.

Unfortunately, so many of the cards got lost that I had to throw it away before I could even try again.

Today, I made a random run to Target, thinking maybe they’d be old enough. The twins have really been into “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” story lately, so I picked up what is essentially the caterpillar version of Chutes and Ladders. In the car, I told the twins I had a present for them, which of course elicited some excitement. I pulled the game out and Miles asked to see it, prompting Abby to ask where “her game” is.

Yeah, I should have seen that one coming.

Abby is still throwing a fit when we get home and I open the box, while I correct Miles by saying it is for BOTH of them, not just him. Abby still doesn’t want to play.

I don’t want that ONE GAME!

But I set it up anyway, putting together the blue caterpillar for Miles and the yellow for myself, when Abby predictably walks over, sits at the table, and steals my caterpillar.

notice she has the yellow one

We each take a turn, both placing their caterpillar on the correctly colored space. What they won’t do, however is leave it there. Instead, they “walk around” the board. Then, once they figure out the food pieces flip over (it changes the slides), its all over and has turned into a play acting game involving feeding caterpillars fruit.

would you like an apple?

So no, even though the game is rated 3-6, we are NOT at the point where we want to play it as written, however they have spent the last hour pretending to be their various daycare teachers, lining up the kids at the fence and to go outside (FREEZE! LINE UP!), so it isn’t a total loss.

I guess family game night will have to wait 🙂

Life with Twins – We are Three

The twins had their three year well check today (apparently they take three year olds’ blood pressure now) and the first thing the doc asked when she came in was, naturally, how are they doing?

“They are toddlers”, I said.

She nodded, knowingly (she has one too).

I think that I can sum up toddlerhood in one sentence: “Some days they are great, and other days I want to put them to bed at 6 o’clock”. (ok, ok, 4 o’clock)

“Sounds like you have a good understanding.”

I REALLY REALLY hope that I don’t eat my words later here, because all I’ve heard from others is how much worse three is than two. I know they literally just turned three, but to me they’ve been three for the last month at least. SO FAR, three has been much easier for me than 2 and a half to three was. We had SO. MUCH. WHINING for a few months that I literally said out loud (more than once) “this is why I work”. It seems like something clicked though and they are finally responding more positively when I try to re-direct from the whining.

On the positive side, we have begun to see what I like to call Toddlerisms or Toddler Logic, and it is hilarious. This was a real conversation last week:

Me: Miles, do you need a diaper change?

Miles: no

Me: Do you want to pee in the potty?

Miles: no, my feet are dirty.

Abby weighs a little over 30 lbs and is 3 feet 2 inches tall, putting her at the 90th percentile for height. I am not sure where that came from. She LOVES to color, and literally colors the pages of a coloring book to the point where there is very little blank page left. Once, she pulled one I threw away out of the trash, and still found somewhere on it to color, even though she had a brand new one on the table. Despite weighing 2 lbs less than Miles, she is our eater. She also spends a decent amount of time singing. Recently, she has begun to hate getting her picture taken, unless it is in selfie mode. In that instance, she will let you take as many as you want. She loves to snuggle under blankets, and lay in our bed and pretend she is asleep. She has also started to become fascinated with doors, but only because she likes to pretend she is coming/going home from work.

Favorite Food:  ice cream

Favorite Toy: colors

Favorite movie:  Robot Movie (Big Hero 6) or Anger (Inside Out)

Favorite Show: Mickey Mouse

Favorite Book: Caterpillar (The Very Hungry Caterpillar)

Miles is a little over 3 feet tall and weighs 32 lbs. He is “all boy” and loves to jump, climb and move. He is the one who says “mommy, I want to run”, which makes me more than happy. He could take or leave food, but eats enough to make me happy….unless its a vegetable. Those, he will lick, and put back down. He actually likes playing in the play kitchen and “cooking” pizza and cake. He will “cook” lots of carrotscorn (thats what I call them) but won’t eat it. He actually loves getting his picture taken, often shouting “cheese!” before I even get the camera feature on my phone working. He likes to ride his “motorcycle” (tricycle) and scooter, and just explore and walk outside.

Favorite Food: cereal

Favorite Toy: firetruck

Favorite movie:  Robot Movie (Big Hero 6) or Anger (Inside Out)

Favorite Show: Mickey Mouse

Favorite Book: Caterpillar (The Very Hungry Caterpillar)

I am thankful they like the same stuff generally, at least right now, because it alleviates fighting. Bryan did tell me yesterday though that he asked them what they wanted to watch. It went down like this:

Bryan: what do you want to watch?

Miles: Robot Movie

Bryan: what does Abby want to watch?

Miles: Abby, say Robot movie

I think because I see daily how difficult it can be for some kids to learn language, that their language skills still amaze me. They do still mix up pronouns, but I have to say that I find “mommy, pick you up” and “Abby push YOU” too cute to correct constantly.

They stopped napping at home months ago, but still nap at daycare (of course), which has pushed bedtime till about 830. They are still not *sigh* potty trained. We actually were doing pretty well with it, and then suddenly they stopped caring and so did I. About a month ago I tried the whole let them run around in underwear for a day thing and failed miserably.They move up to the next room in daycare in June where they really focus on potty training, and to be 100% honest I’m kind of hoping it’ll happen there. One can only hear ” NO PEE POTTY” so many times.

Picture time!

• We rock some shades

 

• Easter

 

• Abby’s first haircut (and ice cream, of course)

 

• Friends come visit and we hit the beach

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• We meet great grandma

 

• A series of naps

 

• Visit to the zoo

Man, I’m going to blink, and they will be four.

We Solemnly Swear We Are Up To No Good

There was a debate before the twins were even born about whether they would share a room or have separate rooms. Partly because I wasn’t ready to give up the spare bedroom and partly because I thought they’d enjoy being together, my vote was that they’d stay together. They have been together since conception, after all, why separate them when they are born?

My aunt and I, interestingly, were just recently having a conversation about how long they could feasibly share a room, and what the plan might be for it once they grow out of their toddler beds. A few nights ago, I shared this discussion with Bryan, saying that even if we did separate them, they’d likely keep each other awake trying to get to the others’ room anyway. I would rather they be together until they ask for their own space.

An hour or so later, around 9:30pm (yes, I go to bed early) I headed up to bed myself and noticed the light in their room was on. Great. I have not enjoyed the fact that they are now tall enough to reach light switches without the help of a step stool. I opened the door waiting for them to scurry like roaches, and instead found this:

 

I am asleep – do I look asleep?

I can only guess that this is some pathway to the light switch

Zzzzz

Well, at least they are in it together.

A Walk With Toddlers

After breakfast, some playing, and maybe a movie (that they usually ignore half of) over the weekend, there typically comes a time when meltdowns start to happen and so its time to go outside. Miles likes to “go for a walk”.

Here is what a typical walk looks like:

Miles is excited and happily puts on his coat and shoes. Abby, who usually could care less, runs away. Once I ask Bryan to watch her so I can take Miles, she decides she wants to go, but as I’m putting on her coat, she plops onto the floor, exclaiming “no walk!”

So, I pull out the little stroller and strap her in. We make it down the driveway and one house down, where Abby then declares she wants out.

“I push!”

We, by some freak of nature, make it half way around the block when Miles, who has walking happily 10 seconds ago, decides he’s done.

I convince Abby to turn around and by that time, Miles forgets what he was protesting and joins us. He runs towards me saying “hold hand mommy!” Just as my heart is about to melt a little, I stick my finger out for him to hold and he says “no!” Abby stops to look at some acorns.

Then, he asks to cross the street, and I know what this means. Our walk has turned into a trek to grandmas. “Go to Gee-ma’s, mommy”.

Abby, who has been pushing the stroller still, begins to get frustrated the more it gets stuck, but when I try to help her, I am met with this:

Or a scream. Then suddenly I have the stroller:

That is until Miles wants it. Abby, who didn’t give two shits when I was pushing it, is suddenly chasing him screaming “mine!”

Finally, we make it to grandmas, where we fight over who gets to go inside first.

In the end, we covered 3 tenths of a mile in about 20 minutes.

Who wants to join us next time?

I Can S-P-E-L-L

We’ve reached the spelling age.

No, not the age where the twins are spelling, though actually Abby can spell a few words, we are at the age where WE are spelling.

You know what I’m talking about.

Hey, should we go to the p-a-r-k?

Or how about c-h-i-c-k-f-i-l-a for dinner?

Miles wants a l-o-l-l-i-p-o-p, has he had one today yet?

Because once you SAY these key spelled words, its over.

You MUST go to the park.  You MUST go to Chick-fil-a (not that I’d ever complain about that). You MUST give the child a lollipop. Or else the world.is.over. I’ve taken to calling macaroni and cheese M & C, because who really wants to spell all that?

So, Saturday my parents, my aunt and myself took the twins downtown during Small Business Saturday. The twins mostly pushed their strollers around and we took turns in stores. My dad decided he wanted to take the twins by the drug store and get Abby some ice cream (I’m sorry i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m).

Me: Abby, G-pa is going to take you for some i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m. Good thing you don’t know how to spell that yet!

Abby: Ice cream!

 

Life With Twins – Two and a Half

Good grief. Where did the babies go?

you know you cant handle the cute

Since our last update, we have stayed quite busy. Actually, that’s an understatement. Sometimes, I wonder how so much energy can be contained in two little bodies. On the plus side, since sibling rivalry hasn’t really kicked in yet (though they do fight over things of course) they keep each other entertained really well – so much so that sometimes I think I actually get more accomplished having twins than I would with just one toddler.

I’m sure I’ll be eating my words soon since I just said that out loud.

Collectively, sometimes I’m really impressed with what they know and learn and how quickly things shifted from my counting every word in their vocabulary to putting 5 and 6 words together. Mostly, they use 2-3 but I’ve definitely heard some longer ones. Both are officially in toddler beds, which may or may not be contributing to the recent “sleep strike” where they’ve been playing in their room until 9pm and then waking up at 5:30 to play some more. Neither one will touch a vegetable with a 10 foot pole and I’ve taken to making “juice (aka smoothies) in order to try to get them to eat some. We are told by daycare that they eat their veggies there, so I guess that’s something. They’ve almost graduated from high chairs (that they are really too big for anyway) and often now sit at their little picnic table for meals. They still love Pocoyo, Little Baby Bum, and recently “guppies” (Bubble Guppies). Neither are potty trained, and I’m admittedly not very consistent about it. They understand, as Miles once demonstrated as he peed in the bathtub while saying “I pee”, and tell me if they’ve pooped, but we still haven’t gotten them to do anything on the potty yet except “try”, and even then sometimes its a fight (NO PEE PEE POTTY!!!). And they both have this weird obsession with lights and garages (bye bye garage!). If I don’t pull the SUV into the garage, they get upset.

Miss Abby loves to color and can honestly sit for almost an hour just scribbling away in her coloring book. She can read (and spell, I think) her name, Miles, mommy and daddy and recently started making Bryan hold her hand while he wrote out each of the letters. She throws a fit if you give her Miles’ daycare paper (more A-B-Y!) and, as always, still LOVES looking in the mirror, particularly if she has a “so pretty” (dress, clip, bow) of some kind. She continues to be the more laid back of the two for now. Recently she’s started to take interest in the toy cars, and every night she sleeps with her Minnie Mouse and pink bear.

Miles likes to move. He often “wanna go for a walk”, which will either consist of riding on his bike or actually walking. At Halloween, we think he walked a mile or more (Abby rode in the wagon). He really likes peanut butter by the spoonful, so if you come to our house, bring your own peanut butter. He’s starting to ask me to read stories to him, usually at least 3 times apiece. He’d eat a “lalapop” at every meal if we let him. Miles is very sensitive and emotional. Earlier, he was throwing a tantrum and I told him if he didn’t stop I’d put him to bed. So he climbed up the stairs, went into his room, closed the door and cried.

Time for picture overload!

• ❤

Kiss

• Miles demands cake

CAKE CAKE CAKE!

• We do a LOT of running (and post run recover-ing)

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• We pick out and paint pumpkins, then hop on a hay ride

• We go outside during a break in the rain to splash

• We visit “cookie”

COOKIE!

• And enjoy “Happy Day”

It’s a Happy Day!

• Mom stops procrastinating and takes us to the dentist

Don’t be fooled, she hated it

Um……

Get.that.away.

Post dentist treats

• We eat dinner at “home”

• 

  Macawoni and cheeeese!

• And of course, Halloween

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Videos!

• Slide slow-mo

• PENGUIN MILES!!

• Mommy can’t sing

• Dance

Videos!

Whiny Mc Whinerson

There is something about whining. Something about it that makes me absolutely crazy.

Ladies and gentleman, I have a whiner. I have a kid who reacts to whatever the latest reason I told him “no” (one cookie is enough, please don’t climb on the stove, don’t poke your sister in the eye) with an ear piercing, throw his head back cry or whine or kick or sometimes all of the above. Sometimes, even when he asks for things, he whines. (mooooooooore peeeeeeeeeeeeese)

Unfortunately for me, he isn’t quite old enough yet to understand the concept to “use his big boy voice” or “I don’t understanding whining”. I mean, he is two. And don’t get me wrong, he is truly the sweetest little boy. He keeps an eye on Abby at all times, calls for her when she’s in a different room, brings her crackers and cookies before he gets his own. It’s like that saying or book – when he is good he is very very good, but when he is bad he is……..whiny.

if I’m going to be completely honest, I’m not entirely sure if its the whining that makes me crazy, or my reaction to it. Because I know that I do not react well. It is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me, and after the 2nd or 4th or 239847932th time, I find myself yelling “stop whining!”.

P.S. That doesn’t help. Just in case you were wondering.

Every age has brought with it its challenges, and honestly overall I enjoy toddlerhood much much more than I thought I would. The things they say are hilarious (Miles pointed to my sisters parakeet on my head over the weekend and said “its a bird hat!”), and really, he is just being two.

I just its probably me who needs a few extra deep breaths (and glasses of wine).

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese.

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!