Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Only teachers in a 3 year old room would need this one
Nate to Laura: "The most important rule of water play day is no peeing in the buckets."
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The double edged sword of swimming
By now, I've established that the boys nap at school but they are ready to give up their naps. This leads to them being up way too late, which means they are very tired and cranky in the morning. Jon and I found a "perfect" solution to the problem - take them to pool after school to completely wipe them out.
The problem with this solution is we often walk home from the pool with two whiny cranky children who complain the entire way. They continue to be cranky until they go to bed. Lots of crying, lots of complaining, lots of bad behavior.
Jon and I have finally resigned ourselves to the idea that we will either have crankies from 6-8 if they don't nap or we go to the pool, or WE will be cranky from 7:30-9:30 as they play and go crazy in their room, and constantly test limits by coming out or fighting.
I'd rather deal with crankies on their time than crankies on my limited personal time. And again, once we expect the crankies, everything seems so much easier!
The problem with this solution is we often walk home from the pool with two whiny cranky children who complain the entire way. They continue to be cranky until they go to bed. Lots of crying, lots of complaining, lots of bad behavior.
Jon and I have finally resigned ourselves to the idea that we will either have crankies from 6-8 if they don't nap or we go to the pool, or WE will be cranky from 7:30-9:30 as they play and go crazy in their room, and constantly test limits by coming out or fighting.
I'd rather deal with crankies on their time than crankies on my limited personal time. And again, once we expect the crankies, everything seems so much easier!
Monday, June 28, 2010
I'm going to feel old writing this out loud
My friend Ann visited this weekend from San Francisco. Readers may remember Ann from a trip I took to San Francisco last year. Longer term readers may remember a trip Jon and I took to San Francisco two years ago. And even longer term friends and family may remember that Ann and I met the first year in college at the age of 18, and have now been friends for GULP.... 18 years.
The visit was awesome and included a spa and shopping day, a visit to The Pit for some NC pulled pork (my pants are still tight), and some time cooling off in the pool. The best part about old friends is you can just hang out, chat, and it's just as fun as any crazy activity you can plan.
Ann and I were poor college students together, waitressed to get free food. We worked at the same engineering company right out of college, struggled to make ends meet. We worked at the same software company and learned to stop being workaholics. We have traveled together to Europe and in the US. We've seen each other through moves to new cities, new jobs, new careers, heartbreaks from stupid men, finding the right men, buying houses, settling down, and having kids. I'm a strong believer that you need old friends who knew you before you were a grown up and Ann is a great old friend.
While our 20s were a BLAST, we have never been so fabulous as we are in our 30s.
Something tells me we will still be awesome in our 40s. And 50s. And 60s. And hopefully beyond! Thank you Ann for making the super long flight across the country to hang out and see my life!
The visit was awesome and included a spa and shopping day, a visit to The Pit for some NC pulled pork (my pants are still tight), and some time cooling off in the pool. The best part about old friends is you can just hang out, chat, and it's just as fun as any crazy activity you can plan.
Ann and I were poor college students together, waitressed to get free food. We worked at the same engineering company right out of college, struggled to make ends meet. We worked at the same software company and learned to stop being workaholics. We have traveled together to Europe and in the US. We've seen each other through moves to new cities, new jobs, new careers, heartbreaks from stupid men, finding the right men, buying houses, settling down, and having kids. I'm a strong believer that you need old friends who knew you before you were a grown up and Ann is a great old friend.
While our 20s were a BLAST, we have never been so fabulous as we are in our 30s.
Something tells me we will still be awesome in our 40s. And 50s. And 60s. And hopefully beyond! Thank you Ann for making the super long flight across the country to hang out and see my life!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Two little ducks that I once knew
I've spent the last year focused on saying YES to the boys.
Have I ever mentioned bath time is my favorite time of the day? Bath time is never boring at our house. Almost daily pool visits require baths to prevent Nate's hair from turning green.
Even the simplest of activities turns into a giggle fest at bath time.
I struggle with keeping the action in focus because everything moves quickly and I am also involved in the giggle fest.
Even the blurry shots demonstrate the joy at our house.
It all happened because I said yes when they asked if they could wear their swim caps in the bath. And I'm so glad I did.
Have I ever mentioned bath time is my favorite time of the day? Bath time is never boring at our house. Almost daily pool visits require baths to prevent Nate's hair from turning green.
Even the simplest of activities turns into a giggle fest at bath time.
I struggle with keeping the action in focus because everything moves quickly and I am also involved in the giggle fest.
Even the blurry shots demonstrate the joy at our house.
It all happened because I said yes when they asked if they could wear their swim caps in the bath. And I'm so glad I did.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Random list of nothing related to parenting (and inappropriate use of capitalization)
* I have listened to Somebody to Love about 10 bazillion times in the last two days. Bieber Fever, CATCH IT!
* I did a cannonball into the pool on Tuesday night and robo-ear was hella mad at me. This confirms the theory that changes in pressure cause searing pain. I should be mad at myself for testing the limits of robo-ear but NO PAIN NO GAIN!
* Since finishing the Uglies series, I've read Bad Mother, Drop City, Waiter Rant, Your Four Year Old, One Fifth Avenue, Parenting School Age Twins, Retirement Savings Time Bomb, Four Hour Workweek, Twenties Girl, and The Girl Who Played with Fire. RANDOM MUCH?
* It's the end of my 30 day TV detox. I'm glad I did it because it made me think about my relationship with tv and it helped me make significant changes. And now that I can watch tv again... So You Think You Can Dance All-Stars is the greatest idea EVER!
* In addition to donating my temporal bones to science, they asked for my DNA to help with genetic research. This is the second time in four years I got to play CSI. Now I know why Alex hated it so much, those swabs are not comfortable in the mouth. In hindsight, why did we pay for a DNA test when the boys were SO CLEARLY FRATERNAL? SLEEP DEPRIVATION, THAT'S WHY.
* I've started speed training to improve my time for fall half marathons. 40 minute speed workout yesterday, all Justin Bieber soundtrack. Best run I've had in two months. BIEBER FEVER!
* PS. Tina Fey is awesome.
* I did a cannonball into the pool on Tuesday night and robo-ear was hella mad at me. This confirms the theory that changes in pressure cause searing pain. I should be mad at myself for testing the limits of robo-ear but NO PAIN NO GAIN!
* Since finishing the Uglies series, I've read Bad Mother, Drop City, Waiter Rant, Your Four Year Old, One Fifth Avenue, Parenting School Age Twins, Retirement Savings Time Bomb, Four Hour Workweek, Twenties Girl, and The Girl Who Played with Fire. RANDOM MUCH?
* It's the end of my 30 day TV detox. I'm glad I did it because it made me think about my relationship with tv and it helped me make significant changes. And now that I can watch tv again... So You Think You Can Dance All-Stars is the greatest idea EVER!
* In addition to donating my temporal bones to science, they asked for my DNA to help with genetic research. This is the second time in four years I got to play CSI. Now I know why Alex hated it so much, those swabs are not comfortable in the mouth. In hindsight, why did we pay for a DNA test when the boys were SO CLEARLY FRATERNAL? SLEEP DEPRIVATION, THAT'S WHY.
* I've started speed training to improve my time for fall half marathons. 40 minute speed workout yesterday, all Justin Bieber soundtrack. Best run I've had in two months. BIEBER FEVER!
* PS. Tina Fey is awesome.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
I'm going to try hard not to say "suck it" in this post
Alex spent two hours at the pool yesterday jumping off the starting blocks into the deep end.
After diving in, he swam ON HIS OWN an entire half length of the pool. Many times.
Turns out, he's a stronger swimmer than Nate. He just needed some time to feel confident. (Nate did the same thing but he kept trying to talk to me when coming up for air, thus losing momentum.)
It's only June and both my boys are swimming on their own. Can I tell you how glad I am that we do not need to shell out money (AND TIME!!!) for swim lessons this year?!
After diving in, he swam ON HIS OWN an entire half length of the pool. Many times.
Turns out, he's a stronger swimmer than Nate. He just needed some time to feel confident. (Nate did the same thing but he kept trying to talk to me when coming up for air, thus losing momentum.)
It's only June and both my boys are swimming on their own. Can I tell you how glad I am that we do not need to shell out money (AND TIME!!!) for swim lessons this year?!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Another sad day
Grandma Roxane left this morning after a week's visit. We are all sad.
The boys had a blast with her never ending interest in playing with them. Jon and I had a blast getting away by ourselves. We all enjoyed having awesome home-cooked meals (she even made Paula Deen's banana pudding!). We loved talking, hanging out, and having fun.
Nate summed it up best by saying, "I have a great idea. Whenever grandma wants to come back and visit, she can visit." Agreed Nate, agreed.
The boys had a blast with her never ending interest in playing with them. Jon and I had a blast getting away by ourselves. We all enjoyed having awesome home-cooked meals (she even made Paula Deen's banana pudding!). We loved talking, hanging out, and having fun.
Nate summed it up best by saying, "I have a great idea. Whenever grandma wants to come back and visit, she can visit." Agreed Nate, agreed.
Monday, June 21, 2010
So much to say, I don't know where to start
Jon and I enjoyed every minute of our getaway to NY. It was exactly the right amount of time doing city stuff and then we were ready to come home to our peaceful suburban living. After living in SF and Chicago, I still love being in a big city for a few days but I know it is not the right place for us. We are happier with a slower pace and more space.
We shopped, we ate outside, we went to the Met, we hung out to read on a quiet bench in Central Park, we saw a movie, we slept in, we walked and talked. It was exactly what we needed. We both came home feeling refreshed and energized and the boys looked so grown up when we saw them this morning.
The only downside is Jon missed the boys terribly on Father's Day. Being in NY made us think of the boys constantly. When will we take them for the first time? What will they think? How do we answer the questions about why we left the big city excitement? Even though Nate and Alex were having a grand time at home, they never left our thoughts.
It took awhile to kiss all those frogs to find my prince but he was worth the wait. Thanks for an amazing weekend sweetie! I couldn't dream up a better father for my kids!
PS. I still regret eating the duck tongue at Craft.
We shopped, we ate outside, we went to the Met, we hung out to read on a quiet bench in Central Park, we saw a movie, we slept in, we walked and talked. It was exactly what we needed. We both came home feeling refreshed and energized and the boys looked so grown up when we saw them this morning.
The only downside is Jon missed the boys terribly on Father's Day. Being in NY made us think of the boys constantly. When will we take them for the first time? What will they think? How do we answer the questions about why we left the big city excitement? Even though Nate and Alex were having a grand time at home, they never left our thoughts.
It took awhile to kiss all those frogs to find my prince but he was worth the wait. Thanks for an amazing weekend sweetie! I couldn't dream up a better father for my kids!
PS. I still regret eating the duck tongue at Craft.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Two years makes a huge difference
Two years ago when the boys just turned 2, Jon and I took a week-long vacation by ourselves without the boys. Both grandmas came to town. We left a schedule, list of foods, and a multi-page document to help them out.
This morning when the boys just turned 4, Jon and I are leaving for New York by ourselves. Just one grandma is here. No information to leave behind except HAVE FUN! And Nate can't go off the diving board unless an adult is in the deep end with him.
This morning when the boys just turned 4, Jon and I are leaving for New York by ourselves. Just one grandma is here. No information to leave behind except HAVE FUN! And Nate can't go off the diving board unless an adult is in the deep end with him.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Thinking
Facebook is an interesting social experiment to me. To round out my high school resume to help me stand out from the nerd herd, I ran for senior class president and won. Had I known it came with a lifelong sentence of organizing reunions, I never would have run. I console myself by hoping it was the tipping point that got me into Caltech. Because my 20 year reunion is coming up, I say yes to everyone on Facebook from my class since the reunion will most likely be organized on Facebook.
During elections, I see statuses from all political parties. During sporting events, I see statuses from fans of all teams. I see funny statuses. I see sad statuses. I hide some people who clearly spend way too much time on Facebook.
I only see two types of statuses about the oil spill. I see the people calling for a boycott of BP and I see people blaming Obama. When I saw this picture (via the Guardian) of the spill in Orange Beach, Alabama, I couldn't help but think about why we haven't stopped to blame ourselves.
What can you do today to use less oil? Can you drive one less mile? Can you make sure your tires are inflated? Can you turn down your AC one degree? Can you eat one vegetarian meal - a PB&J sandwich for lunch? Can you wash your clothes in cold water instead of hot? Can you buy something from the farmer's market instead of having it shipped thousands of miles from South America? Even better, can you buy one less thing today?
The thing is, you don't have to make big changes to reduce your footprint. You don't need to drive a hybrid or wear hemp clothing or live on a farm off the grid. If each person did one thing today, it would make a bigger impact than one person taking it to the extreme. Learn small things you can do to help here.
Do I think there is blame to be had? Certainly. But we must also take some time to think about how our own actions can help the situation. And as parents, we need to think about what we are teaching our children and what we are leaving behind for our children.
During elections, I see statuses from all political parties. During sporting events, I see statuses from fans of all teams. I see funny statuses. I see sad statuses. I hide some people who clearly spend way too much time on Facebook.
I only see two types of statuses about the oil spill. I see the people calling for a boycott of BP and I see people blaming Obama. When I saw this picture (via the Guardian) of the spill in Orange Beach, Alabama, I couldn't help but think about why we haven't stopped to blame ourselves.
What can you do today to use less oil? Can you drive one less mile? Can you make sure your tires are inflated? Can you turn down your AC one degree? Can you eat one vegetarian meal - a PB&J sandwich for lunch? Can you wash your clothes in cold water instead of hot? Can you buy something from the farmer's market instead of having it shipped thousands of miles from South America? Even better, can you buy one less thing today?
The thing is, you don't have to make big changes to reduce your footprint. You don't need to drive a hybrid or wear hemp clothing or live on a farm off the grid. If each person did one thing today, it would make a bigger impact than one person taking it to the extreme. Learn small things you can do to help here.
Do I think there is blame to be had? Certainly. But we must also take some time to think about how our own actions can help the situation. And as parents, we need to think about what we are teaching our children and what we are leaving behind for our children.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
News news news
Great news: Irene had her twin boys on Saturday! Gabriel and Oliver were 6lbs 1oz and 6lbs 4oz, born 9 minutes apart. They are all at home and adjusting to life with three boys and a dog.
More great news: Jon's mom Roxane gets here tonight to stay for a week. She is watching the boys so Jon and I can go to NY by ourselves for a 3 day weekend! (!!)
Crazy news: Nate is going off the diving boards with no floaties and swimming to the side on his own. Since the water is 9.5 feet deep, one of us stays in with him. Video evidence:
Bad news: my very good college friend Mike V's wife's breast cancer has come back. Suckity suck. I'm kinda pissed at the universe because I opened myself up and shared my Mondo list and it clearly said no cancer.
More great news: Jon's mom Roxane gets here tonight to stay for a week. She is watching the boys so Jon and I can go to NY by ourselves for a 3 day weekend! (!!)
Crazy news: Nate is going off the diving boards with no floaties and swimming to the side on his own. Since the water is 9.5 feet deep, one of us stays in with him. Video evidence:
Bad news: my very good college friend Mike V's wife's breast cancer has come back. Suckity suck. I'm kinda pissed at the universe because I opened myself up and shared my Mondo list and it clearly said no cancer.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
In which I learn my internal thoughts become reality
Last week Joanna wrote a post about having to retrieve her son from a play area at Burger King. I read it and thought, "I'm so glad Nate and Alex now play together in those things and help each other out." So OF COURSE last night I had to climb into a play area at Chick-fil-A to retrieve a crying Nate (shortest parent = small space child retriever).
I even had the brilliant idea to get Alex to help me by pulling Nate down from the ledge where he was stuck. This only made Nate scream louder. Which, in turn, made Alex cry because it hurt his ears. Generally I am against anti-bacterial lotion but after climbing into anything that never gets cleaned and smells of urine, I slather myself in it.
The boys have been angels the last three days with Gigi, so it was a good dose of reality for Gigi to see (and hear!) some twin antics.
Indulge me in one more picture from the shoot on Sunday. LOVE!
I even had the brilliant idea to get Alex to help me by pulling Nate down from the ledge where he was stuck. This only made Nate scream louder. Which, in turn, made Alex cry because it hurt his ears. Generally I am against anti-bacterial lotion but after climbing into anything that never gets cleaned and smells of urine, I slather myself in it.
The boys have been angels the last three days with Gigi, so it was a good dose of reality for Gigi to see (and hear!) some twin antics.
Indulge me in one more picture from the shoot on Sunday. LOVE!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Packed packed packed
Remember way back in late April when I mentioned we had 10 weekends in a row where we were out of town or had visitors? This weekend Jon's grandma Marguerite (Gigi or GG or Greatgrandma) came into town from Fargo. She's here until Tuesday night. She came just in time for the hottest weekend of the year, four days of 95+ and humidity! So we spent a lot of time beating the heat at the pool and busting out the slip and slide in the backyard.
And no, I don't have any pictures of slip and sliding because I was on it, showing them how to do it with style.
We also beat the heat with Lindsay's margarita punch, which is like combining margaritas and radlers. Radlers (beer + sprite) are our previous favorite summer cocktail, so it's nice to have this variation. Try it, you'll like it! 1 can frozen limeade, 1 corona, juice from 1-2 limes, using limeade can pour in 1 can sprite, 1/2 tequila, and 1/4 can triple sec. DELISH!
And in my neverending quest to improve my photography, I've been taking pictures of friends. I am learning SO MUCH from taking pictures of people other than my family. This weekend I had four opportunities to take pictures of other people.
First up, baby J. I took her newborn pictures and she's almost 3 months old!
I took some quick family shots at Ben V's birthday party:
I'm SO GLAD the F family indulged me in this totem pole because they are the perfect heights for this. Hilarious (to me)!
And I got around 100 (!!!) good shots of the M family, including one of my all-time favorite pictures I've ever taken. I've been feeling less than confident lately when it comes to photography so I needed this!
And no, I don't have any pictures of slip and sliding because I was on it, showing them how to do it with style.
We also beat the heat with Lindsay's margarita punch, which is like combining margaritas and radlers. Radlers (beer + sprite) are our previous favorite summer cocktail, so it's nice to have this variation. Try it, you'll like it! 1 can frozen limeade, 1 corona, juice from 1-2 limes, using limeade can pour in 1 can sprite, 1/2 tequila, and 1/4 can triple sec. DELISH!
And in my neverending quest to improve my photography, I've been taking pictures of friends. I am learning SO MUCH from taking pictures of people other than my family. This weekend I had four opportunities to take pictures of other people.
First up, baby J. I took her newborn pictures and she's almost 3 months old!
I took some quick family shots at Ben V's birthday party:
I'm SO GLAD the F family indulged me in this totem pole because they are the perfect heights for this. Hilarious (to me)!
And I got around 100 (!!!) good shots of the M family, including one of my all-time favorite pictures I've ever taken. I've been feeling less than confident lately when it comes to photography so I needed this!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Things I love right now
* As much as the humidity is kicking my running butt, I love the summer heat. Nothing feels better than the pool and a cold drink on a hot day. We're looking for the perfect beach side drink for our family beach trip in August, any suggestions? We've tried pink lemonade margaritas (no), vodka lemonades (strong maybe, need a better recipe) and on deck to try this weekend is Nobu's Bahama Mama. I made a super deluxe trip to the ABC store for that drink.
* I made Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes with Toffee Sprinkles last night. BEST CUPCAKE EVER. Sounds fancy but everything came from a box, even the frosting. I made mine mini and used Baker's Joy spray instead of cupcake liners for easier eating. Mini cupcakes >> regular cupcakes because the frosting to cupcake ratio is perfect.
On her blog, Julie mentioned big chunks of toffee bar left over. I bought a bag of mini toffee bars and let the boys crush them with hammers. No big chunks left! Four year old boys are thorough. If you ever need 30 minutes of peace to work on cupcakes, give your kids hammers and candy and let them go to town.
* Bathtime is so freaking fun at our house. Still the best joy of the day. While it looks like they are kissing in this photo, Nate is actually spitting water into Alex's mouth. I'm SO HAPPY with this photo... happy with technical details, happy with B&W conversion, happy with the moment. When I click the shutter, THIS is what I hope to capture.
* Last night was probably the last night of catching lightning bugs because the bugs keep coming out later and later and the mosquitoes are getting worse and worse. Lindsay mentioned I rarely upload videos so I put together a little montage I like to call "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Lightning Bug Catching Ability." You will quickly understand the heartbreaking part:
* Irene made it to 38 weeks with twins and is getting induced tomorrow! As if Irene wasn't already my hero, she made it FULL TERM WITH TWINS.
* Seriously, make those cupcakes.
* PS - One True Media is down right now, OF COURSE. Come back later and watch the video.
* I made Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes with Toffee Sprinkles last night. BEST CUPCAKE EVER. Sounds fancy but everything came from a box, even the frosting. I made mine mini and used Baker's Joy spray instead of cupcake liners for easier eating. Mini cupcakes >> regular cupcakes because the frosting to cupcake ratio is perfect.
On her blog, Julie mentioned big chunks of toffee bar left over. I bought a bag of mini toffee bars and let the boys crush them with hammers. No big chunks left! Four year old boys are thorough. If you ever need 30 minutes of peace to work on cupcakes, give your kids hammers and candy and let them go to town.
* Bathtime is so freaking fun at our house. Still the best joy of the day. While it looks like they are kissing in this photo, Nate is actually spitting water into Alex's mouth. I'm SO HAPPY with this photo... happy with technical details, happy with B&W conversion, happy with the moment. When I click the shutter, THIS is what I hope to capture.
* Last night was probably the last night of catching lightning bugs because the bugs keep coming out later and later and the mosquitoes are getting worse and worse. Lindsay mentioned I rarely upload videos so I put together a little montage I like to call "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Lightning Bug Catching Ability." You will quickly understand the heartbreaking part:
* Irene made it to 38 weeks with twins and is getting induced tomorrow! As if Irene wasn't already my hero, she made it FULL TERM WITH TWINS.
* Seriously, make those cupcakes.
* PS - One True Media is down right now, OF COURSE. Come back later and watch the video.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Our laundry day just got longer
One of the VERY BEST things about having same gender same size twins is that you get double the kids with half the laundry. We do the adult laundry as we have always done - one basket for darks, one basket for lights/whites, towels and sheets separate. When the boys were born, we added an extra basket for the boys' clothes. Yes, we wash everything of theirs together on cold. No, nothing has ever gotten ruined. Whenever a basket is full, we do a load. The boys share everything so it all goes into one closet and one dresser. Laundry has never seemed like the daunting task I hear about from other parents.
It's pretty fun that Lindsay was here to witness the story I am about to tell!
I was rushing to complete laundry on Friday before getting Lindsay at the airport so I dumped the boys' clothes together with our darks. Jon switched the laundry to the dryer then took it out to fold it and found Alex had left a red crayon in his pocket. Red crayon all over the dryer, their clothes, and our clothes.
Through sheer dumb luck, the only things of ours that got red crayon on them were workout clothes and a pillowcase. Three things were learned from this experience:
1. We will never wash their clothes with our clothes again.
2. It's time to start checking pockets every time we do laundry. Boo because that will add more time.
3. I have the world's awesomest husband, who rewashed the clothes and pulled out the things that got crayon on them with no prompting from me. All of this, again, evidenced by Lindsay. Yay to gender equality!
It's pretty fun that Lindsay was here to witness the story I am about to tell!
I was rushing to complete laundry on Friday before getting Lindsay at the airport so I dumped the boys' clothes together with our darks. Jon switched the laundry to the dryer then took it out to fold it and found Alex had left a red crayon in his pocket. Red crayon all over the dryer, their clothes, and our clothes.
Through sheer dumb luck, the only things of ours that got red crayon on them were workout clothes and a pillowcase. Three things were learned from this experience:
1. We will never wash their clothes with our clothes again.
2. It's time to start checking pockets every time we do laundry. Boo because that will add more time.
3. I have the world's awesomest husband, who rewashed the clothes and pulled out the things that got crayon on them with no prompting from me. All of this, again, evidenced by Lindsay. Yay to gender equality!
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Wordless Wednesday
Right now our house is all about "pewww pewww" and shooting fake Spider-Man webs at people.
Totally unrelated, does anyone have a copy of "One and the Same" I can borrow? My library doesn't have it and I am not a big re-reader. I will pay for shipping and am very reliable, so I will return it to you!
Totally unrelated, does anyone have a copy of "One and the Same" I can borrow? My library doesn't have it and I am not a big re-reader. I will pay for shipping and am very reliable, so I will return it to you!
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Swimming dreams, dashed
Sunday afternoon was HOT (95, 100% humidity, no wind) so after Lindsay left, we hit the pool and stayed in for a couple of hours. As I showed the boys how I can do a somersault in the pool, there was sharp searing pain in Robo Ear that radiated down my face. After my ear surgery, I knew I could never scuba or use ear drops, but apparently the changing pressure of flipping under the water is enough to cause pain.
So, no flip turns for me. No more somersaults. And with how painful it was, I'm concerned about any jumps or flips off the diving board.
This is why I am donating my temporal bones for research when I die... so future mothers with otosclerosis might act like children in the pool.
Then we got information about the boys' upcoming swim team time trials and the guidelines they need to meet to continue on the team. The entire experience brought us right back to our breastfeeding Sophie's Choice. Alex's sucking reflex was too weak to successfully breastfeed but Nate's was fine. How do you breastfeed one twin and bottle feed the other twin? YOU DON'T. I switched to pumping and we bottle fed both.
Long story short, one boy was going to be cut from the team and one boy was not. I picked them up from school and told them they were done with swim team and we would do it again next year when they were better at swimming. They were fine with it, mostly because I put such a positive spin on the situation.
If they were different ages, it would have been a different decision. But how do you sign one twin up for a summer of something fun and make the other one go each day and not be allowed to participate? YOU DON'T.
So, no flip turns for me. No more somersaults. And with how painful it was, I'm concerned about any jumps or flips off the diving board.
This is why I am donating my temporal bones for research when I die... so future mothers with otosclerosis might act like children in the pool.
Then we got information about the boys' upcoming swim team time trials and the guidelines they need to meet to continue on the team. The entire experience brought us right back to our breastfeeding Sophie's Choice. Alex's sucking reflex was too weak to successfully breastfeed but Nate's was fine. How do you breastfeed one twin and bottle feed the other twin? YOU DON'T. I switched to pumping and we bottle fed both.
Long story short, one boy was going to be cut from the team and one boy was not. I picked them up from school and told them they were done with swim team and we would do it again next year when they were better at swimming. They were fine with it, mostly because I put such a positive spin on the situation.
If they were different ages, it would have been a different decision. But how do you sign one twin up for a summer of something fun and make the other one go each day and not be allowed to participate? YOU DON'T.
Monday, June 07, 2010
LC & LC weekend
Lindsay, one of my BBFs (best blogfriends) came to visit this weekend and it was AWESOME. She saw swim team and swim team tears. She got to swim at the pool with the family. We had sushi and burgers and seafood and brunch and cookie dough pie. We got massages and shopped. We even went for a run. But mostly we talked and talked and talked. To me, that's the sign of a great friend - you never run out of things to talk about yet it's also safe to be quiet.
I had no idea when I started my blog I would make such amazing friends. It's one of the many many reasons I continue to write and share my life. The good (like Lindsay) outweighs the bad about a bazillion to one. It would just be so much more convenient if everyone lived closer!
I could go on and on about what a great weekend it was but the best part is I didn't even have to be sad when she left since I'll see her (and her husband Bryan) again in Asheville in September then again for a girls' weekend in Vegas in October. The only thing I would change is to make this picture of her with her boys instead of with my boys!
THANK YOU Lindsay for visiting! A simply fabulous weekend all around!
I had no idea when I started my blog I would make such amazing friends. It's one of the many many reasons I continue to write and share my life. The good (like Lindsay) outweighs the bad about a bazillion to one. It would just be so much more convenient if everyone lived closer!
I could go on and on about what a great weekend it was but the best part is I didn't even have to be sad when she left since I'll see her (and her husband Bryan) again in Asheville in September then again for a girls' weekend in Vegas in October. The only thing I would change is to make this picture of her with her boys instead of with my boys!
THANK YOU Lindsay for visiting! A simply fabulous weekend all around!
Friday, June 04, 2010
Friday (Crawford) gumbo!
* I thoroughly enjoyed all of the Star Wars comments yesterday. I wish I could respond publicly but having been a nerd for 36 years, I've learned to keep my public nerdiness to a particular level. As soon as I responded via email to Joanna with this gem "Ewoks : Return of the Jedi :: Jar Jar Binks : A New Hope" I knew I had to keep my mouth shut on the comments.
* In a fit of craziness, I told my hairdresser I was tired of my hair looking afro-y and wanted to do something very short. I am deeply regretting this decision today.
* How have some people not seen Star Wars???
* Three weeks into swim team and Alex has started to get in. They have started having Nate try to swim unassisted and he gets very upset. We are staying optimistic they will eventually swim.
* I am now day 9 into my TV detox. It sucks but, as my friend Gillian pointed out last night, it has given me a lot to think about in terms of my relationship with TV. After being "on" at either work or home for 13-14 hours in a row, I need a solid 30 minutes of quiet passive time to unwind. Unfortunately I am learning that reading or computer time is not helping me unwind, so I feel very cranky and unrelaxed.
* Fortunately I have LOTS of plans to relax this weekend as Lindsay is coming to visit!!!
* In a fit of craziness, I told my hairdresser I was tired of my hair looking afro-y and wanted to do something very short. I am deeply regretting this decision today.
* How have some people not seen Star Wars???
* Three weeks into swim team and Alex has started to get in. They have started having Nate try to swim unassisted and he gets very upset. We are staying optimistic they will eventually swim.
* I am now day 9 into my TV detox. It sucks but, as my friend Gillian pointed out last night, it has given me a lot to think about in terms of my relationship with TV. After being "on" at either work or home for 13-14 hours in a row, I need a solid 30 minutes of quiet passive time to unwind. Unfortunately I am learning that reading or computer time is not helping me unwind, so I feel very cranky and unrelaxed.
* Fortunately I have LOTS of plans to relax this weekend as Lindsay is coming to visit!!!
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Only nerds need to read this one
Alex is very sensitive when it comes to movies. He has cried at almost every Disney G rated movie, as well as any other movie that has bad guys in it. Jon's and my theory is the scary music is more upsetting to him than the actual scene. Our theory was confirmed a few months ago when Alex became obsessed with Spider-Man, despite us never mentioning Spider-Man at home. He loves the idea of good guys versus bad guys. If we watch sports, we tell him which ones are the good guys (Blackhawks) and which ones are the bad evil terrible guys (Flyers) and he will shout and yell at the tv.
Tuesday night, swim team was a disaster. They were cranky from the shots and overtired from our weekend trip. We left early with two crying boys and needed something to turn the night around. Having read Erin's recent post on her son's fascination with Star Wars, I was inspired to see if the boys would like Star Wars.
Then came one of the nerdiest conversations of my relationship with Jon - which Star Wars movie to show them first? We don't own 1-3 for obvious reasons. Star Wars has a pretty scary opening, but starting with Empire means having to explain a lot of characters. And you certainly can't start with the Rancor (scary!) and Ewoks (although the boys would enjoy, we would not).
(Did you know I was in choir in middle school and we sang the Ewok song from the end of the Return of the Jedi?! So not only am I a HORRIBLE singer, I can sing the entire Ewok song. Oh snap!)
We chose Empire for the fight scene on Hoth, because we thought the boys would love seeing the At At fall down after it is wrapped with the tow cable.
See.... NERDS!
But the nerds were correct. The boys LOVED it.
Alex loved it so much he woke up the next morning talking about the At At falling down. And explaining to us that Darth Vader is a bad guy when he has his helmet on but underneath there is a good guy (we didn't tell him this!). When he got home from school, he continued to tell me about it all in detail again.
So we watched the Hoth fight scene again and he cheered and shouted at the tv every time an At At got destroyed.
Now this is an obsession I can get behind. As long as it doesn't go too far.
Tuesday night, swim team was a disaster. They were cranky from the shots and overtired from our weekend trip. We left early with two crying boys and needed something to turn the night around. Having read Erin's recent post on her son's fascination with Star Wars, I was inspired to see if the boys would like Star Wars.
Then came one of the nerdiest conversations of my relationship with Jon - which Star Wars movie to show them first? We don't own 1-3 for obvious reasons. Star Wars has a pretty scary opening, but starting with Empire means having to explain a lot of characters. And you certainly can't start with the Rancor (scary!) and Ewoks (although the boys would enjoy, we would not).
(Did you know I was in choir in middle school and we sang the Ewok song from the end of the Return of the Jedi?! So not only am I a HORRIBLE singer, I can sing the entire Ewok song. Oh snap!)
We chose Empire for the fight scene on Hoth, because we thought the boys would love seeing the At At fall down after it is wrapped with the tow cable.
See.... NERDS!
But the nerds were correct. The boys LOVED it.
Alex loved it so much he woke up the next morning talking about the At At falling down. And explaining to us that Darth Vader is a bad guy when he has his helmet on but underneath there is a good guy (we didn't tell him this!). When he got home from school, he continued to tell me about it all in detail again.
So we watched the Hoth fight scene again and he cheered and shouted at the tv every time an At At got destroyed.
Now this is an obsession I can get behind. As long as it doesn't go too far.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Four year check up
Yesterday morning we had the boys' four year checkup. First the stats:
Alex: 35.2 lbs (45th %), 39.5 inches (30th %)
Nate: 35 lbs (45th%), 39.75 inches (40th %)
Plugging this into a height calculator, they are both predicted to be between 5'10" and 5'11", a vast improvement from previous calculations of shorty mcshortersons.
This checkup was chock full of good news. Kids on awesomest behavior. Everyone is potty trained. Everyone is sleeping well. Everyone is eating balanced diets. Everyone is growing well. No more speech worries for Alex. No illnesses in the last year (!!!!). With these shots, they are done with all the vaccinations needed for school.
With preemie twins' checkups, you start in such a crazy place things can only go up. During their early check ups, we had a full list of questions and concerns about delays, medical problems, and worries (helmet, PT, ear infections, tubes, sick sick sick), and we tried to listen to the doctor over the sound of two babies crying. I remember those appointments as sweaty, frantic, and overwhelming.
Four year check up was a freaking breeze compared to the early days. They even stopped crying about their shots as soon as they saw the bucket of lollipops.
And the doctor said we looked remarkably well rested for having four year old twin boys. If that's not a compliment, I don't know what one is.
Alex: 35.2 lbs (45th %), 39.5 inches (30th %)
Nate: 35 lbs (45th%), 39.75 inches (40th %)
Plugging this into a height calculator, they are both predicted to be between 5'10" and 5'11", a vast improvement from previous calculations of shorty mcshortersons.
This checkup was chock full of good news. Kids on awesomest behavior. Everyone is potty trained. Everyone is sleeping well. Everyone is eating balanced diets. Everyone is growing well. No more speech worries for Alex. No illnesses in the last year (!!!!). With these shots, they are done with all the vaccinations needed for school.
With preemie twins' checkups, you start in such a crazy place things can only go up. During their early check ups, we had a full list of questions and concerns about delays, medical problems, and worries (helmet, PT, ear infections, tubes, sick sick sick), and we tried to listen to the doctor over the sound of two babies crying. I remember those appointments as sweaty, frantic, and overwhelming.
Four year check up was a freaking breeze compared to the early days. They even stopped crying about their shots as soon as they saw the bucket of lollipops.
And the doctor said we looked remarkably well rested for having four year old twin boys. If that's not a compliment, I don't know what one is.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
A twin graduation
This weekend we flew to Ohio to see my first cousins (twins!) Kyle and Kara graduate from high school. I didn't mention it before because hello, we were leaving our house empty for three days.
(I'm sure they think that photo is cheesy so here's a normal graduation picture)
Jon and I talk quite a bit about our long term financial plan for dealing with two kids starting college at the same time. At graduation, both Kyle and Kara learned they won scholarships. I said to Jon - DUDE! we totally forgot about scholarships in the plan! Seeing my aunt Rose's and uncle Brian's faces when they learned about the scholarships, I TOTALLY understood the excitement because seriously, twins are expensive. No reusing stuff, no hand me downs, two in diapers, two in formula, two in day care. It was great to see the light at the end of the very long financial tunnel.
We got to see oodles and oodles of family. My grandma, dad, uncle, aunts, cousins. Here's a four generation picture of my grandma, my dad, me, and the boys. That's the best face we got out of Alex.
My grandma and aunts worked their butts off to pull off a successful family weekend and graduation party. I love hearing the sisters give each other crap as they work, makes me wish Jamie and I lived closer.
Overall we had a great easy trip. The kids were awesome travelers. We spent a lot of time hanging out with family. And we had lots and lots of amazing desserts (I think a sweet tooth is in the Verhoff genes).
Our hotel was right next to wetlands with these huge plants. I had grand plans to take pictures of the boys in front of it, but the attempts turned into a fun wrestling game where there might have been some crying involved. Instead I'll have to give a shout out to Jon for being my model and endlessly watching the kids all weekend so I could chat with family.
(I'm sure they think that photo is cheesy so here's a normal graduation picture)
Jon and I talk quite a bit about our long term financial plan for dealing with two kids starting college at the same time. At graduation, both Kyle and Kara learned they won scholarships. I said to Jon - DUDE! we totally forgot about scholarships in the plan! Seeing my aunt Rose's and uncle Brian's faces when they learned about the scholarships, I TOTALLY understood the excitement because seriously, twins are expensive. No reusing stuff, no hand me downs, two in diapers, two in formula, two in day care. It was great to see the light at the end of the very long financial tunnel.
We got to see oodles and oodles of family. My grandma, dad, uncle, aunts, cousins. Here's a four generation picture of my grandma, my dad, me, and the boys. That's the best face we got out of Alex.
My grandma and aunts worked their butts off to pull off a successful family weekend and graduation party. I love hearing the sisters give each other crap as they work, makes me wish Jamie and I lived closer.
Overall we had a great easy trip. The kids were awesome travelers. We spent a lot of time hanging out with family. And we had lots and lots of amazing desserts (I think a sweet tooth is in the Verhoff genes).
Our hotel was right next to wetlands with these huge plants. I had grand plans to take pictures of the boys in front of it, but the attempts turned into a fun wrestling game where there might have been some crying involved. Instead I'll have to give a shout out to Jon for being my model and endlessly watching the kids all weekend so I could chat with family.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)