Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
It's Fair Time!
It is County Fair season in Maryland and our girls LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Last weekend we went to the Montgomery County Fair with our friends Rebecca and Casey, and their kids Kaleb (3) and Haley (1). All of the kids enjoyed the lights, sounds and the general chaos that is a fair. We rode rides and watched the demolition derby, and ate carnival food; the rides were definitely the best part! It is that feeling of summer you never want to forget. Here are few pictures of our very fun day together!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Unexpected choices
I love Halloween, I get excited for it every year. Now that I have kids I get even more excited thinking about all the things I can dress them up as; the costumes we can come up with having twins, the ensembles we might put together as a family of 4, oh it goes on and on. Earlier this year the girls said they wanted to be a tiger and a giraffe...again. I so disappointed because they were a tiger and giraffe when they were 2, I was hoping for funny or cute! I let a few months pass and asked them again this past weekend what they wanted to be for Halloween, and this time things went a little differently, but still ended in a way I didn't see coming:
Me: Isabel, Lexi, what do you girls want to be for Halloween?
Isabel: A crayon
Lexi: A BLUE crayon. I want to be a LIGHT BLUE crayon.
Isabel: Me too.
Ah the minds of almost 4 year old twins!!!
Me: Isabel, Lexi, what do you girls want to be for Halloween?
Isabel: A crayon
Lexi: A BLUE crayon. I want to be a LIGHT BLUE crayon.
Isabel: Me too.
Ah the minds of almost 4 year old twins!!!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
School, a learning experience
Some moms know from the beginning that they won't be stay at home moms, and others know they will not work at all once they have kids. Then there is me. I am somewhere in the middle. I like to get a way 2 or 3 times a week, but couldn't stand to work full time. So a month or two ago we decided to put the girls into "preschool". I wasn't aware of many things, and let's just say the facility I chose didn't work out for us. So now we are on to a new adventure and the girls will be starting Building Blocks of Faith Preschool in September. It is an actual Preschool, and they will be going for 2.5 hours, 3 days a week. I am excited about this new adventure and think our girls will be well nurtured in a great environment.
Speaking of the girls, they are still growing like weeds, always the tallest kids, their age, around no matter where we are! They are learning to write letters and numbers, and are working on sight words and lots of tracing. Crafts, and anything to do with patterns are a huge hit for them right now. They will create a pattern out of anything if they can. Pretend play is also very important to them right now. They enjoy pretending to be Mommy and baby, or to be owner and pet, it is very cute and makes me so happy they have each other.
Next month they will turn 4 and I am ready for it, but at the same time wondering how it came up so fast. It felt like 3 seemed to last for ever in the middle but these last 2 months have flown by. They are changing from the chubby toddler look to the lanky little girls I knew they would become, it just seems to be happening sooner than I expected. They are both assertive and brilliant in their own ways, picking up on different skills at different paces but equally intelligent. They both excel at sports, just in different ways. Isabel is very into balancing and hopping on one foot, spins and twirling. I think I could have a gymnast or cheerleader here, but Alexa seems to want to play soccer or T-ball mostly. After doing dance last year, we opted for Soccer this fall, and possibly in the spring, and will maybe pursue gymnastics in the spring or summer. For now it is soccer, and it starts next week, so look for pictures soon.
Speaking of the girls, they are still growing like weeds, always the tallest kids, their age, around no matter where we are! They are learning to write letters and numbers, and are working on sight words and lots of tracing. Crafts, and anything to do with patterns are a huge hit for them right now. They will create a pattern out of anything if they can. Pretend play is also very important to them right now. They enjoy pretending to be Mommy and baby, or to be owner and pet, it is very cute and makes me so happy they have each other.
Next month they will turn 4 and I am ready for it, but at the same time wondering how it came up so fast. It felt like 3 seemed to last for ever in the middle but these last 2 months have flown by. They are changing from the chubby toddler look to the lanky little girls I knew they would become, it just seems to be happening sooner than I expected. They are both assertive and brilliant in their own ways, picking up on different skills at different paces but equally intelligent. They both excel at sports, just in different ways. Isabel is very into balancing and hopping on one foot, spins and twirling. I think I could have a gymnast or cheerleader here, but Alexa seems to want to play soccer or T-ball mostly. After doing dance last year, we opted for Soccer this fall, and possibly in the spring, and will maybe pursue gymnastics in the spring or summer. For now it is soccer, and it starts next week, so look for pictures soon.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Another milestone...PRESCHOOL!
Tomorrow the girls start school. Ok, ok, ok...it's only preschool, but still it is emotional for me. I am excited for them, and a little for me too! :oP I am a little teary-eyed about how much they will grow up in the next few months; I am sure fast forward will be in full effect. They are brilliant, charming, precocious, and clever little girls and I have no doubt they will do just fine in all facets of schooling, so I am not worried, I am just emotional about this milestone. They are so excited. Yesterday they went with daddy to buy their lunch boxes/bags and their backpacks and they couldn't wait to get them home and fill them with "stuff"! I know I will be beaming with pride the first time they bring something home that they "made for me at school".
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
We are at your birthday Mommy
Since January we have been discussing the birth dates of the members of Doug and my family. First is was Pop Alex in January, then Aunt Kim, and Uncle Matt also in January, Meme in Feb, Uncles Chris and Rob in March, etc etc and we would tell the girls about who's birthday it was and try to call and get them to sing "the birthday song" as they call it. Sometimes it worked, others it didn't, but mostly they were interested in keeping track of when my birthday was. Talk about a perfect match, they are all about my birthday and so am I!!! But seriously they began to ask how much longer until my birthday about once a week. So yesterday, they were so excited to call me at work and sing happy birthday, and announce to me then "we made it to your birthday mommy!" It was a long time coming it seems.
So as the day when on we decided to keep it low key (my choice!) and do a simple dinner at Chipotle (again my pick!), and at some point Doug said that Lexi seemed upset and when he asked her what was wrong, she told him "I'm worried they won't have cake when we get to Mommy's birthday (at Chipotle)!". That kid is so much like her mom!
Doug loads them up in the car and they are all waiting for me to get to the restaurant but my bus is running late. They call me from the car and on the speaker phone in the car, I hear both of the girls screaming "Mommy Mommy, we are at your birthday! Hurry Mommy we are already here at your birthday!" Gotta love them girls.
So as the day when on we decided to keep it low key (my choice!) and do a simple dinner at Chipotle (again my pick!), and at some point Doug said that Lexi seemed upset and when he asked her what was wrong, she told him "I'm worried they won't have cake when we get to Mommy's birthday (at Chipotle)!". That kid is so much like her mom!
Doug loads them up in the car and they are all waiting for me to get to the restaurant but my bus is running late. They call me from the car and on the speaker phone in the car, I hear both of the girls screaming "Mommy Mommy, we are at your birthday! Hurry Mommy we are already here at your birthday!" Gotta love them girls.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
STREAKING!
The Easter bunny brought the girls some temporary hair color oils that make color streaks in their hair. They have been begging to try them since Easter morning. So today we woke up and broke out the hair oils! They LOVE them. Thinking about bringing some to TN!
Friday, April 06, 2012
Too Young
I had already made the decision that my girls were just too young to dye Easter eggs this year, but wanted them to get something more than plastic eggs in baskets. So I headed to the dollar store, purchased some glitter pen paints, and then ventured back home where I dug through the craft drawer for left over and tossed aside materials from previous projects and here is what we came up with! I hope the girls will enjoy hunting for them on Easter morning.
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Look What I Did!
For those of you that know me, you know I am not into gardening or landscaping. My daughter Isabel however wanted a "garden" this year; and lets face it my house needed some basic landscaping. So here is my first days results. (my body was sore for 2 days, and I am busy for 2 weeks so the rest will have to wait!)
Monday, March 12, 2012
The Big Girl(s) Bed
Some of you might know that last month Isabel fell and injured herself. She fell and hit her front teeth on the metal frame of her toddler bed, there was a lot of blood, and crying (mostly by me), a trip to a pediatric dentist, her first x-rays, and in the end NOTHING needed to be done. So it looks like she lost a tooth, but it is actually just pushed back into her gums. The dentist says there is nothing to do but wait and it should come back down on its own.
In response to this little mishap, I removed the toddler beds from their rooms immediately! After a couple of weeks of toddler mattresses on the floor with no coordinating bedding, no paint on the walls, and only a dress in the room, I decided it was time to give the girls an honest to goodness little girls room. I asked them what color they wanted in their room and Lexi said, I want blue walls; wait, I want DARK blue walls and LIGHT blue on the bed, with diamonds. Izzy said, I want yellow on the walls, and pink and green on my bed. It was difficult to explain to them that they would only have one bed to share, but they eventually got it. I did some research and decided on a "scheme". Last weekend I moved everything out of the room, headed over to Sherwin Williams, and got to work. I am about 90% finished and the girls are back in their room LOVING their big girls' room! I am not going to lie, it was a little emotional for me the first night I put them to bed in their "big girl bed", and when I took a look around and realized that for the first time in 3.5 years there were no cribs in their room.
I didn't expect to get emotional about something that seems so normal, but alas I did. I sat there thinking, as I am sure thousands of mothers before me have too, that they will never need cribs again. They will never be that small again. Flashes of pride for the little girls they have become, and pings of sadness as I realize time has gone by so quickly and we will never go back there again. I just want to be able to bottle a small piece of who they are at each of these stages in their lives so I can revisit them when I miss those days. I am thankful for digital photography, and modern technology that I can capture tiny moments like these it makes it somewhat easier.
They are still growing like weeds, over 42 inches already and both are just under 37 lbs. It will soon be time to transition them from the convertible car seats to the full back booster. They begin preschool two days a week in May and LOVE to sing. Where is the pause button on life?
In response to this little mishap, I removed the toddler beds from their rooms immediately! After a couple of weeks of toddler mattresses on the floor with no coordinating bedding, no paint on the walls, and only a dress in the room, I decided it was time to give the girls an honest to goodness little girls room. I asked them what color they wanted in their room and Lexi said, I want blue walls; wait, I want DARK blue walls and LIGHT blue on the bed, with diamonds. Izzy said, I want yellow on the walls, and pink and green on my bed. It was difficult to explain to them that they would only have one bed to share, but they eventually got it. I did some research and decided on a "scheme". Last weekend I moved everything out of the room, headed over to Sherwin Williams, and got to work. I am about 90% finished and the girls are back in their room LOVING their big girls' room! I am not going to lie, it was a little emotional for me the first night I put them to bed in their "big girl bed", and when I took a look around and realized that for the first time in 3.5 years there were no cribs in their room.
I didn't expect to get emotional about something that seems so normal, but alas I did. I sat there thinking, as I am sure thousands of mothers before me have too, that they will never need cribs again. They will never be that small again. Flashes of pride for the little girls they have become, and pings of sadness as I realize time has gone by so quickly and we will never go back there again. I just want to be able to bottle a small piece of who they are at each of these stages in their lives so I can revisit them when I miss those days. I am thankful for digital photography, and modern technology that I can capture tiny moments like these it makes it somewhat easier.
They are still growing like weeds, over 42 inches already and both are just under 37 lbs. It will soon be time to transition them from the convertible car seats to the full back booster. They begin preschool two days a week in May and LOVE to sing. Where is the pause button on life?
Monday, February 27, 2012
Ahhh the 3's!
Some days I have tears in my eyes from laughing so much, and others because they won't stop fighting. The ups and downs of having 2 three-year-olds has definitely moved into high speed! The girls always love each other, but I will be honest, the two most common phrases that I say these days are "be nice" and "stop fighting". People often asked me about having twins, and if it is harder. For the first two years, I always answered that is isn't twice as hard, just twice as long. This is the first time since they were born that I sometimes think it is twice as hard. I am reassured by my sisters and friends that 4 is much different that 3 and this too shall pass, boy am I counting the days sometimes!
When they aren't fighting, they make me laugh a lot too. Lexi, has me cracking up with her "I sure do love those kids" statements when she is talking about my Mom and Dad. Another one that both the girls say is "this is delicious Mommy" at dinner. Unexpected from 3 year olds, and I guess that is what makes it funny to me. Their conversations with each other, are sweet and caring, or just demanding! Depends on the day. Isabel is very much into being "the leader" and is barking orders all the time; unfortunately Alexa has perfected the art of ignoring anyone who is directing her (parents included), so this turns our commanding Izzy into a sobbing mess! Oh the highs and the lows. When Lexi plays along it is adorable. Isabel is still working on playing along when she isn't the leader, we are all a work in progress. I have to say that my most favorite thing right now though, is when they sing. Our girls LOVE to sing. We have a CD set of 123 kids songs that we listen to in the car ALL the time, and a few of the songs in particular are so fun to hear them sing. At night though, they put on impromptu performances after lights out. They are supposed to be sleeping, or trying to fall asleep but instead Doug and I will suddenly hear "The Farmer in the Dell" being SCREAMED through the monitor. The louder the better, and when it is all over they laugh and laugh, until one of them declares the next song to be shouted, um, I mean sung. Even after a difficult day, filled with fighting and time outs, this could make even the most exhausted parent laugh.
It is hard to believe they are 3 1/2. I signed them up for preschool today; they are scheduled to start 2 days a week in May. I know it will be good for them, and they will love the other children and a structured environment, but I am still finding it hard to let go. I know that one day soon, they will be going to school 5 days a week, until 330 in the afternoon; I just want to spend as much time with them as I can before that happens. Just wish I could slow things down a bit!
This spring we are taking on projects that are centered around our girls. First we are moving the girls from their toddler beds to a big girl bed. We decided to go with one bed because they truly do love to sleep next to each other. The bedding has large multicolored flowers and two walls are going to be turquoisey blue and two walls are going to be daffodil yellow, with the dresser and shelving in pinks and greens. It is a colorful, fun, room design fit for two very energetic and dynamic girls. Hoping to post pictures in a few weeks when its all done. Our second project is at the request of Isabel. She told me she wanted to make a garden. So we are going to start small in the front of the house with some bushes and shrubs and maybe a few annuals, and if we are really motivated maybe even a few flowers of the girls choosing. I think she is mostly looking forward to playing in the dirt, but who cares, help is help!! Hopefully I will get a few shots of this project and hope to post them along the way! Wish us luck because gardening is not my thing!! :)
When they aren't fighting, they make me laugh a lot too. Lexi, has me cracking up with her "I sure do love those kids" statements when she is talking about my Mom and Dad. Another one that both the girls say is "this is delicious Mommy" at dinner. Unexpected from 3 year olds, and I guess that is what makes it funny to me. Their conversations with each other, are sweet and caring, or just demanding! Depends on the day. Isabel is very much into being "the leader" and is barking orders all the time; unfortunately Alexa has perfected the art of ignoring anyone who is directing her (parents included), so this turns our commanding Izzy into a sobbing mess! Oh the highs and the lows. When Lexi plays along it is adorable. Isabel is still working on playing along when she isn't the leader, we are all a work in progress. I have to say that my most favorite thing right now though, is when they sing. Our girls LOVE to sing. We have a CD set of 123 kids songs that we listen to in the car ALL the time, and a few of the songs in particular are so fun to hear them sing. At night though, they put on impromptu performances after lights out. They are supposed to be sleeping, or trying to fall asleep but instead Doug and I will suddenly hear "The Farmer in the Dell" being SCREAMED through the monitor. The louder the better, and when it is all over they laugh and laugh, until one of them declares the next song to be shouted, um, I mean sung. Even after a difficult day, filled with fighting and time outs, this could make even the most exhausted parent laugh.
It is hard to believe they are 3 1/2. I signed them up for preschool today; they are scheduled to start 2 days a week in May. I know it will be good for them, and they will love the other children and a structured environment, but I am still finding it hard to let go. I know that one day soon, they will be going to school 5 days a week, until 330 in the afternoon; I just want to spend as much time with them as I can before that happens. Just wish I could slow things down a bit!
This spring we are taking on projects that are centered around our girls. First we are moving the girls from their toddler beds to a big girl bed. We decided to go with one bed because they truly do love to sleep next to each other. The bedding has large multicolored flowers and two walls are going to be turquoisey blue and two walls are going to be daffodil yellow, with the dresser and shelving in pinks and greens. It is a colorful, fun, room design fit for two very energetic and dynamic girls. Hoping to post pictures in a few weeks when its all done. Our second project is at the request of Isabel. She told me she wanted to make a garden. So we are going to start small in the front of the house with some bushes and shrubs and maybe a few annuals, and if we are really motivated maybe even a few flowers of the girls choosing. I think she is mostly looking forward to playing in the dirt, but who cares, help is help!! Hopefully I will get a few shots of this project and hope to post them along the way! Wish us luck because gardening is not my thing!! :)
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