Bringing Up Twins

Back to Preschool

2011-01-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

Peanut & Jelly Bean headed back to preschool today. They were off for two weeks during the Christmas break. There were some mixed emotions about going back, but once they walked into their classroom they were just fine.

I knew it was time for them to get back to their routine. While we planned several fun outings for them and enjoyed the time visiting family and friends during the holidays, they needed to hang out with their pals.

They really do love school. I am very happy with the preschool, teachers, and administrative staff where they go. It really is a great place and we are lucky to be there.

The girls have learned to pray before their meals and Jelly Bean insists on praying before dinner. I am glad for this. We should be doing it anyway and now the girls are reminding us so that we properly thank God for our meals.

Their preschool is held at our church, so the transition in the Fall into preschool was quite easy. They already attended Sunday School, so heading there during the week was easy for them.

Starting this month, they will also attend Wednesday night service where they will participate in the AWANA program. It is new to our church and it should be a great time for them filled with God's word and fellowship.

Twindada and I will also take a class at the same time as their class on Wednesday nights. I am hoping the time together will bring us even closer this year as we prepare for what the Lord has in store for us.

Coming Back

2010-12-30T21:46:00.000-08:00

After over a year off, I have decided to resurrect Bringing Up Twins. There are so many things going on in the world of raising twins, that I want to share what is going on in our lives. In addition, I have found there is a whole world of interesting products, good deals, coupons, and other ways we can save a few bucks. The cyber world can benefit all of us trying to take care of our families.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year's. Look for Bringing Up Twins to come back in 2011. Stay tuned. :)

New website announcement!!!

2009-10-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

I no longer maintain Bringing Up Twins (dot) com. Please find current blog posts at this address.

Perspective

2009-10-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

Since I went off to college, I have been trying to escape. I didn't want to live in my hometown forever. I wanted to see more. I wanted to do more. I wanted to explore and spread my wings. So, I decided that going away to college was for me the day of my Dad's funeral. I knew my life had to change and this was the direction that seemed right to me. I then set out to find a way to make this a reality though the odds were not in my favor. No one had gone away to school in my family and I was looked at in disbelief when I announced this was my plan.

I went away to college for the entire freshman year and had fun, shed tears and changed in some ways and possibly digressed in other ways. No one can prepare someone for the challenges of being a college student out on their own. One just has to experience it. I had to grab the bull by the horns and just do it. Some people thrive at it and find this is the way for them. I wanted to be one of these people. Desperately. However, what I didn't expect was to deal with the crushing blow of grief that I had put off for the year and a half since my Dad had died. I squashed those feelings of hurt, loss and bewilderment that one of the people who created me was gone out of my life forever. I did this by being someone that I think both the Lord and me know was not who I should have been and not who I was created to be.

After one year, I retreated back home. I found comfort in being back home around family and old friends. I enjoyed the ability to have a decent job that I didn't have to compete with hundreds of other students to get. Living at home afforded me the ability to have things that poor college students usually couldn't have. I was home. This felt right. Though I was still trying to escape.

So, I partied. Yep, this twinmama enjoyed herself one too many times at the lounge...Okay, we didn't call it the lounge, but you know what I mean. I am sure there were many people in my life that looked at ME in bewilderment thinking, "What are you doing??" I should have been one of them, but I was still numb.

At some point, I picked myself up and decided this wasn't the life for me anymore. I thought returning to college was the best thing for me. This time I would really grab the bull by the horns and get everything out of the college experience. This time was for me! So, I returned to college the following year and spent another year and a half there feeling even more aimless. I had no purpose being there. I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I didn't enjoy what I was learning. I had very few friends who all had their own lives going on. So, I worked. And worked. And worked. This did not fulfill me. It made me even more resentful.

Finally, I decided to leave, but in the midst of making this decision found myself in a relationship with someone from my past that I thought would make me happy. Sometimes we cannot be the person we used to be. I was at this point and realized that I had changed forever. This did not last.

So, I was back home and finished my degree at a local school. I worked while in college and that is where I met twindada. From the moment he asked me out, we have been inseparable ever since. This is hard to believe since we have been together for nine years and married for seven! Being with twindada was the first time that I felt home. I finally found what I was looking for in the midst of chaos and heartache. My world had spun out of control after my father died and for the first time, I found balance again.

At our wedding, we set out a bouquet of flowers for my Dad. I know he was there. Yet, I couldn't find sadness that day. It wasn't because I didn't miss my Dad walking me down the aisle or a father/daughter dance. (I can't stay in the room during this dance at anyone's wedding, it crushes me. What am I going to do when Peanut & Jelly Bean dance with twindada one day??) It was because that day I created a family with twindada and I felt a sense of peace that I had been looking for for years.

It's strange to think about my college years. Twindada and I went to the same college and even lived a street apart one year and yet we met 3 hours away at job. We could have passed each other on the street at any given moment. I could have brushed arms at a club with the father of my children.

Yet it took me going home to find him.

So, maybe that is the key. Home isn't so bad. Home isn't always a place. It is much more than that. I tried to escape my home yet I think that even though I have changed, I have found comfort in the familiarities of my upbringing. I have dear high school friends who I miss and some I am just reuniting with thanks to Facebook. I am not the same person. Never will be, but that is okay. I am a better version of myself because there is one other thing that I haven't mentioned.

I came back to Christ.

When Dad died, I ran like lightning away from God. I still had a reasonable fear of Him, but I was sooo angry. I put up my fist and let Him know this girl was carving her own path. Bad idea. You can see where that got me.

Twindada and I had a spiritual journey (that we are still on!) that changed the course of our lives forever. I believe this is the sole reason I was meant to marry him. I could have made many other choices in my life, but none of those would have glorified God. Him and I were meant to see the love, mercy and grace that the Lord provides. We have seen it every year that we have been together and this year is not any different.

2009 has been one of the most challenging years of our lives together yet we both have felt grateful for the outcome. Neither of us wanted to see twindada lose his job or for us to make the decision to put our house on the market. Stressful things have been happening and it has taken a toll on us! However, every time something challenging happens, it has given us the opportunity to ask the question, "Lord, what do you want to teach us with this adversity in our lives?" God is looking to shape our hearts and I think we are being molded with every challenge.

As I mentioned, we put our house on the market. We JUST moved in a year ago. We are very sad because it is a great house with lots of potential, some we have already taken advantage of with its hardwood floors and beautiful sunroom. Love the sunroom...I digress...

We have made another decision and that is to move back to my hometown. I pray this is the right decision for our family. I am excited about doing this and think the girls will benefit greatly for being closer to my mom. They LOVE their grandma and ask to see her all the time. Being able to see her regularly would be a treat for them. Having my Mom nearby would be a helpful for me as she is my biggest support system besides my husband.

Twindada was able to find a job closer to my Mom's home therefore this is a wise decision for everyone. I pray he is able to find peace in this decision since this is not where he is from. (We are currently living in his home town. It will be a switch for us.) I want everyone to be happy because my family is my first "home". Going back to my "hometown" is a bonus.

I pray we are able to sell our house quickly and move on with our lives. I pray we can find something in my hometown that will be suitable for us while we look for our permanent home. I pray that as we find our next home, we can find comfort in God's loving presence, our real home.

Sometimes writing it all out brings perspective. You know, maybe I will have come full circle in my journey to escape. That is okay. Is it that I am running back to my roots for comfort? Am I bailing on my hellbent attitude of going out on my own and never looking back? Maybe to some, but not to this twinmama. Check out my name. I am a twinmama now. It isn't about me, it is about my family. And my family is my home....are you with me?

Are You Going to Have Anymore?

2009-09-30T18:56:00.001-07:00

Recently, I have been asked the question, "Are you going to have anymore children?" It seems lately this has been asked of me more and more. I guess since the girls are almost three years old it is a good time for us to be thinking about it. Or at least everyone else thinks so.

I have several friends and family members who are having #3. This is the most children anyone in my life have. Three is a good number although I suspect several of my friends may go for more children. They are good, patient parents and if God blesses it, I am sure they will happily make room for more.

I grew up with two old brothers so I came from a family of three children. Three makes sense to me. Twindada grew up with one older brother, so two's company for him. Before our girls were born, we joked about how many we would have. When we were trying to get pregnant, we wanted a big family. Our version of big was possibly five kiddos. When we were finally carrying the twins, we joked that we would just get pregnant with another set of twins and have four kids. Once the girls were born, we said we would prefer NOT to have another set of twins and who knows what the future brings. (Translation: We were shell shocked and why in the world would we want to do this all over again? Fertility treatment, roller coaster pregnancy, hospitalization, bed rest, NICU time, first three months, next 9 months, next 1 1/2 years....)

Crazy!!

They are so much hard work! They take over your world! They are the reason I toss and turn, worrying about them, praying for them and obsessing over their well being! They have multiplied the number of gray hairs on my head by 50! They want me to pull my hair out!!

Guess what? I love it.

Guess what? I couldn't imagine it any other way.

Guess what? Maybe there is room for more.

Now, I am not making any announcements. Our world has been turned upside down this year with the loss of a job and other challenges. This is certainly not the right time for us, but maybe, just maybe that one day God will bless us with more.

I am over thinking about how hard the beginning was because frankly all that hard work is so worth it. When my girls smiled at me for the first time, it was amazing. When my girls started saying "Dada" it warmed my heart. When the girls started walking, I was proud (and scared).

Now the girls are absorbing everything. They are singing, playing pretend instruments, learning, wanting to do things for themselves. I am in awe how my 2 little preemies have turned into 2 amazing little independent girls who are happy and have a love of all things they come into contact with everyday.

When I eavesdrop on them having a conversation with each other, it is so sweet. I love to hear them giggling with each other and I love when they melt in my arms. I love how they want to do everything by themselves, "I want to do it myself!" and when they need me, they come sweetly saying, "Mommy, do it..."

All of this reminds me how wonderful it is to be a mother. And when I think about my beautiful little girls, I know that if God gave me enough love for two babies in a single moment, there may just be enough room for more.

Only time will tell.

Is It Really Double?

2009-09-26T18:50:00.001-07:00

I heard a lot when I was carrying twins that we were in for twice the work - twice the diapers, twice the bottles, twice the baths...well, twice the everything. People would say, "It is like having one baby, but double the work." This seemed logical to me because I was carrying two children and that made perfect sense.

Then I gave birth to twins and brought them home from the hospital.

It was during those first three months that I decided that all of these people had no idea what they were talking about. All those people who appropriately spaced out their children so they were able to enjoy each of them individually. Yeah, those people, you know who you are...:)

I remember the first three months were filled with various emotions. I was thrilled that both Peanut & Jelly Bean were healthy and doing great. That was the blessing. I was thrilled because I was the mother of two beautiful little girls which was a huge surprise the day they were born. I was thrilled because my dream of being a mother had finally come true and that God blessed my prayers. No complaints from this twinmama, I am blessed! However, the first three months were also the roughest three months of my life. I was sleep deprived beyond imagine. I was overwhelmed beyond imagine. I was hormonal beyond imagine. I was confused...well, beyond imagine.

The work involved with caring for twin infants is well beyond double the work. Yes, there are double the diapers, bottles and clothing, but it is more than that. No one speaks about the "third" child known as "inconvenience, logistical nightmare and do-overs". Let me explain...

I remember watching my friends who could easily transport their sweet little mobile baby wherever they went. Want to go to the store? No problem! Grab the baby and pack the diaper bag and off you go! Want ME, a mother of twins, to go to the store? Okay, let me grab both babies, hold on, they are getting heavy in their car seats and the diaper bag is crammed full, you know, at least 2 sets of clothes, diapers, 2 sippy cups...wait a minute, I can't carry both car seats and the diaper bag to the car, so I need to take each one to the door and then come back and oh no, Peanut just spit up on her outfit...wait a minute, let me change her, but wait Jelly Bean is already in the car. So I go back and get Jelly Bean because I am paranoid and don't want her alone for more than a minute and then I finally change Peanut and go to put her in the car, but wait! Jelly Bean just pooped in her diaper. Crap. Yeah, that's what's in there alright. Go back for Peanut to bring her back in the house. Change Jelly Bean. I am really tired now. You know, sleep deprivation, right? FORGET IT!! I will just call twindada and have him pick up a pizza for dinner...

It's is more than double the work. It takes some time to figure out how to manage all of the demands, the logistics and emotions that make up the twin life. Each new stage presents new challenges, but it is also amazing how twin parents (and other multiple parents) are able to overcome each hurdle. I figured out how to plan my time better. I learned to not sweat the spit ups and unexpected diaper changes. I learned to recognize that this is hard work and that it is okay to ask for help. I learned that "this too shall pass" and once it is over, I will miss it. And even as hard as those first three months were, I would love to hold my 4 lb twin preemies one more time.

Potty Training Lessons This Mama Has Learned the Hard Way

2009-09-17T13:04:00.001-07:00

We have been attempting to potty train for the past few months. I say "attempting" because some weeks I am ready to give it a go while other weeks I cower in the corner rocking back and forth. Two little girls are in charge of our financial, mental, physical and emotional well being. This twinfamily needs to free up some funds, know what I am saying? Time for two little bottoms to air out and proclaim "big girl status"! Time for this twinmama to get a break once in a while instead of being up to my elbows in dirty diapers! Time for our trash to only need emptied a couple times a week instead of everyday! Yet every time there is a massive puddle on the floor or I am dodging turds right and left on the carpet, I immediately retreat.

Danger! Danger! Toxic materials! Call in the HazMat team! We have a CODE RED, people!

And I think these brilliant little girls know that they hold the cards. They know they control how long this is going to go on. They know they have us by our throats and won't let go until we cry uncle.

I will win. I must win. They are very smart...good gene pool, what can I say? Heh, heh...But there is one thing they don't have...

GOOGLE! Yep, I am going to shameless scour the Internet for every single tidbit, advice and downright evil tactic to get these little girls to go running for the potty. I will keep you posted.

So, while I think of new ways to beat them at their own game, here are my lessons learned. (Notice I said, MY lessons learned. The girls' list would be much shorter.)

1. Never assume because you have done everything at the same time since your twins were born that this time will be the same. Peanut is interested in potty training. Jelly Bean is absolutely not.

2. Never send your child to time out when they are only wearing panties and are potty training. They have a secret weapon and they will use it. And you will spend more time cleaning up the mess than they did in time out.

3. Never assume that all "currency" works the same for all children. Some may like stickers, some may like M&M's.

4. Never assume that "currency" will keep its value indefinitely. Peanut has bored of stickers, so we switched to M&M's. I fear that she is boring of these, too...

5. Never switch to training pants such as Huggies Pull Ups if they are waaay cuter than their other diapers. Pretty pink Pull Ups with princesses on them will not make them want to wear panties any time soon. They will happily go pee and poo in these pretty training pants. No, they don't care about the blasted hearts or butterflies that disappear. They are smart enough to know when this happens, mommy is going to put a new Pull Up on them. Poof! There are more butterflies and hearts!

6. Never assume once your child tells you that she has to go potty for an entire day that she will keep this up.

7. Never assume that your child will care if you tell her she will be a "big girl" if she goes potty in the toilet. Some are completely happy being a baby and have no plans to change that. Why should they do all the work, when there is someone available to wipe their butt for them?

8. Never assume that children will be disgusted by poop and pee as you are. Puddles are puddles and all are fun to splash in.

9. Never assume because your child wakes up dry after nap time, tells you that she needs a diaper change, and if you don't get to her fast enough she strips, that she is ready for potty training. She is clearly messing with your head.

10. Never assume that just because most of your family and friends potty trained their children before the age of 2 that there is something wrong with your child. After all, that stubbornness had to come from somewhere...

The New Parents Guide

2009-09-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

Planning for a new baby or wanting new loot for your little one? Check out The New Parents Guide. The site is filled with baby and toddler products, family friendly resorts around the world, articles and much more!

New products, information and travel spots are added regularly, so check back in often!

Follow newparentsguide on Twitter!

Do you like to earn Paypal money?

2009-07-17T11:13:00.001-07:00

Hey folks! Long time, no posts. I have been working a lot to support my family during these tough times, so my free time is pretty much zilch. I am chained to my laptop when the girls are napping, but I don't get to do a lot of surfing or blogging. I am trying to peak in on everyone else's blogs as much as I can. Bare with me, I miss you all.

I recently came across some sites that are little ways to earn extra cash and they all pay into Paypal! For just a small amount of time daily, you can view ads and websites and get paid for it. These are called "Paid Per Click" or PPC sites if you would like to know the lingo. You will certainly not make enough money to pay the mortgage payment, but if you want to tuck away a few dollars here and there into your Paypal account in time for Christmas, well, it could help. I don't think of it as a "paycheck", but more like discounts or coupons next time you want to purchase something online. (It is cash, not actual coupons so you can use it on anything.)

For instance, if you decide to purchase a gift for your spouse and the gift costs $50, many sites will allow you to use your Paypal account to purchase. So, if over the last five months, you managed to tuck away $30, then that money could be applied to the purchase and then you will only owe the additional $20 (plus shipping, etc.) It can come in handy and all for very little time commitment. Here are some sites below and in full disclosure, Yes, I do get referral fees for everyone who signs up under me. (And if you sign up you can sign up others under you.)

http://www.trekadvertising.com/refer.asp?ref=14674

http://www.youdata.com/join/twinmama

There are others out there, but I want to do some more research on others before I pass them along. I do not ever want to recommend something that isn't worth it! Also, both of the above are just viewing websites, nothing else. The only recommendation that I have is to clear your cookies on your computer every night and have a good anti-virus. I haven't had a problem, but it is best to be as safe as possible.

Well, I hope this helps someone or someone you all know! Wishing you all the best!

Burt's Bees is giving away free lip balm!

2009-06-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

Through June 20, 2009, Burt's Bee's is giving away 1,000 lip balms every day! The merchant is giving away the free balm between 9AM and 12 noon (EST), but the time is random each day, so users have to check in regularly to catch the special give away. Good luck!!

Want more information? Go here!

Poor Little Peanut

2009-05-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

My Peanut really was born with the brunt of minor issues that seem to pop up every now and then. She is the baby that was born with the puffy, strawberry shaped hemangioma on her left cheek and the hairy nevus on the back of her arm.

Last year at a routine doctor's appointment, it was pointed out that her "girl parts" were fused together. This is known as labial adhesion. Basically, labial adhesion is when the labia sticks together and doesn't open up. Over time, mature skin cells can actually form over it. Because she is only two years old, her body is not manufacturing estrogen making her more like a post menopausal woman. (Interesting enough, this wasn't a problem when she was first born because she had estrogen in her body that came from me.)

We were prescribed to treat this problem with Premarin cream for two weeks. After the two weeks, I noticed a change, but it eventually fused back together. We did a second round several months later and the same thing happened. In January, our pediatrician decided it was time for Peanut to see a urologist.

When I called for the appointment, I was surprised to find out there was only one pediatric urologist in our entire area and it would take about 3+ months to get an initial appointment. (Talk about job security and a whole lot of money....)

We finally had our appointment today and I have to admit I was really apprehensive about it. Thankfully, a dear friend offered to take Jelly Bean so twindada and I could take Peanut together to the appointment. Jelly Bean had four other little friends to play with so she had an absolute blast. We dropped Jelly Bean off at our friend's house and this was the first time that Jelly Bean was alone without Peanut and us. I suspected that Jelly Bean would cry as I walked out, but she didn't seem to mind at all. I jumped back into our truck to find Peanut sobbing and yelling, "Peanut, too!" She wanted to go play with sissy.

We get to the hospital and find our doctor's office. After a wait in the waiting room, we were taken back to an exam room for another short wait. Peanut did great - there were plenty of toys in both areas to keep her occupied and it was such a piece of cake. Twindada and I both were kind of relaxed as she walked around and played with the toys. I mean, c'mon! One baby and two parents? That is nuts! I wanted to take a nap, but thought I would get some stares...

The first doctor came in and examined her. I explained to Peanut (though she is still young to really comprehend) that he is a doctor and mommy said it was okay for him to look at her down there. After his exam, the urologist came in and examined her as well. He quickly showed us that she was really fused together and that when she urinated, it was likely that urine was filling in her vagina and then leaking out.

At this point, we were given two options: 1) Schedule an appointment for the OR, have her put under general anesthesia and have it opened up or 2) Open it up right there in the doctor's office. Ugh....neither? Is that a choice?

Unfortunately, there are couple health concerns that rise if it is not treated. First, she is susceptible to urinary tract infections especially since she is so closed up. Another issue is that if it is left untreated, in time mature skin cells will grow over and then it would require literally cutting through skin.

We decided to get it done right there in the office. We knew it was going to hurt her and I was shakey and upset about that. But we also knew that it was going to be really quick procedure and putting her under general anesthesia for a 30 second process didn't seem like the appropriate measure.

Twindada distracted her with a toy while I tickled her foot. The doctor said that if she was concentrating on being tickled, it would help a little. The doctor used a large, sterile cotton swab to pull it open. I couldn't watch.

I have seen these girls go through hospitalization the first twelve days and getting poked and prodded. I have seen them get shots and go through some uncomfortable things, but that did it for me. I tickled her foot and turned my head. She wailed. I was wailing inside.

Fortunately, the doctor was really quick and it was done. Peanut stood up on the exam table and she immediately wanted me. I had the biggest lump in my throat as I held her. I couldn't imagine what she went through, but surprisingly after a couple minutes she was fine. The doctor warned us that it could happen again, but by the time she is ten years old or so, her body will start making estrogen as she goes into puberty and it won't be a problem anymore. Ugh, again. I don't want to think about her having to go through this again, but we also know if it happens when she is a little older, he will do the procedure in the OR since she will be old enough to understand her surroundings.

We received our instructions for caring for her (Bacitracin for 7-10 days and then Premarin for another 7 days). As we left, Peanut received a stuffed animal. This made her very happy and she is sleeping with it as we speak.

I have to back up for a second and tell you all a side note. The entire time we were gone, Peanut talked about sissy. She would say, "Where sissy go?" And I would have to respond, "Sissy is playing with friends." She would then pipe up, "Peanut, too!" And I would have to say, "After we see the doctor, we will go get sissy." So, on the way to pick up Jelly Bean, Peanut says from her car seat, "I go see sissy!"

We arrived to find Jelly Bean having so much fun and Peanut ran in looking for her. Without saying a word, the girls embraced. I was so touched. They really missed each other. They hugged each other a couple times saying, "ah, sissy".

Once we got home everyone was exhausted. It seemed like an emotional roller coaster today and we are all glad it is over. Peanut still is experiencing some pain when she wets, but I have her on pain medication to help with it and hoping she recovers quickly. It definitely didn't slow her down because she has been running around here like normal being her little rambunctious self.

We Heart Art!

2009-05-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

Three Bay B Chicks, Domestically Challenged, and I'm Living Proof that God Has a Sense of Humor are hosting We Heart Art this week and are looking for creative stuff from little kids and big kids alike.

For We Heart Art, I thought it would fun to show an activity that we did recently. I was desperate for a little glimpse of summer after so many cold, rainy days, so we decided to make Butterfly Masks.

Paper Plate Butterfly Masks

What you will need:

Cheap paper plates (ones without coating work best)
crayons/markers/paint
elastic string or ribbon
scissors
ruler

This is an excellent way to get your little ones involved. Mine are only 2 years old, so there aren't very many craft projects we can do together yet. I simply gave them each a paper plate and they colored all over paper plate with whatever colors they wanted. The more colors, the better!

After they were finished, I cut out butterfly shapes. I measured the distance between their eyes quickly with a ruler and then cut out eye holes. Lastly, I poked very small holes on each side. I didn't have elastic string, but ribbon worked well.

Here are some pictures of our activity! Enjoy!

Peanut showing off not a mask, but a new type of hat. I guess that is creative, too, right?

Jelly Bean decided that it was better as a hat, too.

I am just a kid at heart.

What's Your Mommy Uniform?

2009-05-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

Many professions require a specific type of dress whether it is professional attire, scrubs, fatigues, a bright polo shirt and visor or orange smock. Depending on the type of work that one does it may dictate that certain duds are worn to make the job easier or to look the part. So, I got to thinking...

...although our "profession" is way more than just a silly 9-to-5 job and is a privilege, honor and right to bring up our own precious babies, I wondered....

What's Your Mommy Uniform?

I have found since I became a mom and especially a stay-at-home mom, that I tend to stick with a similar type of a dress because it is comfortable for caring for children and there is a lack of concern over the welfare of this clothing since it will come under fire with the forces of babyhood (a.k.a. spit up, pee, poo, snot, milk, any type of food imaginable, etc.)

My style has always been very casual and pretty plain. I like basics and don't get caught up in trendy fashions. Interesting, I like some trendy fashions that I see, I just don't wear them myself. Pretty plain. Plain Jane. Simple. Boring.

However, since Peanut & Jelly Bean were born, I have become a "sporty" dresser because it is flexible, comfortable (using that word again) and well, forgiving (some things stretch when necessary especially when you are breast feeding or recovering from a c-section scar).

When my girls were still in the hospital, I spent my days in track pants, nursing tank tops, zip up sweat jackets and gym shoes. The track pants were more comfortable on my tender belly and were easy to get on and off. If nursing, a nursing top or nursing tank provides easy access to your baby. I was able to get away with a nursing tank that worked like a bra. A zip up jacket kept me warm in the cold hospital while I would nurse the girls. (If you are doing "kangaroo" care, then a zip up jacket is easy to get on and off. Kangaroo care is when you hold your baby skin to skin while nursing or bottle feeding. It helps to stimulate a newborn especially preemies and keeps them warm by using your own body heat.)

Over the past 27 months, I have continued to have a sporty type of dress when caring for my girls. I typically wear jeans, a T-shirt and gym shoes. Everyday. Everyday of my life. With the exception of Sunday mornings when we go to church and then I wear dress pants, comfortable shirt and black dress shoes. Every Sunday. Every Sunday of my life.

I have cute clothes - dresses, heels and shirts that need to be ironed, but I just can't bring myself to go the extra mile to dress up for any particular event. Heels? Out of the question. What if one of the kiddos decide to take off down the church hallway. How on earth could I chase them quickly in a pair of those? Dresses? I have way too much bending and kneeling to do that would require too much concern over my modesty. Ironed clothes? Why would I spend all that time ironing something that will end up crumpled up after holding a baby, chasing them down to change diapers or get dressed?

Seriously, I think about all this stuff. I am sure this may seem like a silly irrational thought pattern. But that is where I go when I think about my own style. Be functional. Be kid-ready. Be ready for spit up on the shirt. (Maybe it isn't the shirt that is my uniform, but it's the spit up that is on the shirt that is my uniform! Hmmm...deep..)

Hopefully in time, I can become a more careful dresser. Maybe I can dust the ole heels off and give them a go when twindada and I can find someone to watch the girls and actually go on a date. Dare to dream. It could happen...

But for now, this is my Mommy Uniform.

2009-05-05T10:19:00.001-07:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Here we go again!
I am definitely out of practice putting up these challenges as I completely forgot about posting on Sunday. Go figure. Anyway, like I mentioned before, TLC challenges will now be monthly challenges and will be posted at the beginning (or sometime around the beginning) of each month. I am just going to blame my mommy brain. I am sure you understand.

May Challenge...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Personal

What?: Cut out the late night eating! I will not eat anything after a certain time each night.

Why?: Getting the munchies at night can be a detriment to our weight, finances and our energy. Salty or sugary snacks add loads of calories to our daily diet and are typically a temporary satisfaction. Unless protein is involved, there is no sense of fulfillment. In our house, the snack of choice can be ice cream. Quick runs to a ice cream shop or the store can be costly over a period of time. There is much debate over whether night time eating causes people to gain weight so here is twinmama's take on it: It is the amount of overall daily calories consumed that is important to control. Eating right before bed, may not cause weight increases if your overall calorie/fat intake for the day is within a normal range. However, if you are like me and eat plenty throughout the day to hit your target, late night eating will put you OVER your maximum number of calories/fat allowed causing weight increase. Also, many people choose poor snack choices in the evening (ice cream, chips, cookies, candy, etc.) and these are loaded with unnecessary sugar and salt. All of that extra sugar will deplete our energy. (And this twinmama's theory is we will suffer the very next day for it.)

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: I will pick a time that fits into my evening schedule and will not have anything to eat after at this time. For me, this time will be 7pm. I can have all the water that I want.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: Me

Resources to Help:

http://www.aolhealth.com/medical-myths/medical-myths-eating-before-bed

TLC Weekly Challenges start each month and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next month. Remember, you are invited to participate in my monthly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a monthly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

"Mom"

2009-04-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

Now, you all know me as "twinmama". This is something that I really enjoy. I just love being known by this - the mama of twins. Like most babies, my girls called me "mama" first.

I fell in love with it.

After all, "mama' is the sweet, innocent way babies call out for that woman who feeds them, changes them, loves them and plays with them. "Mama" is the first word used by our children to show they know who we are. That to me is very special and I wish that I could be called mama forever.

But nobody else seemed to go along with this. Everyone around me started referring to me as "mommy" so naturally the girls went from calling me "mama" to "mommy".

Okay. No big deal. "Mommy" is really sweet, too. Little ones usually say "mommy" so this is an accepted name for my occupation. I will embrace it because they will call me "mommy" for a long time and that is special...

A couple of days ago, Jelly Bean ran right by me and called me....."MOM". She has said it several times since.

What the? Uh, hello? Where in the world did that come from.....WHO'S BEEN CALLING ME MOM??

You may think, "Well, twinmama you are a mom, so what is the big deal?"

The big deal is that I call MY mom, MOM. I am 25.....fine....31 years old. (All of my family and friends are smirking as they read this..."You are going to be 32 in a couple weeks, twinmama, you could have rounded up." Well, this is my blog and it is acceptable here to round down when it comes to age.)

Anyway, I digress...

Where did this come from? Next week, am I going to be referred to as "Mother"? Perhaps by my first name or just a "Hey you, lady."

When my brother was 4 or 5 years old, he decided that he would start calling my Dad by his first name. Some people in my extended family thought it was downright offensive and thought he should have been punished. My Dad took it in stride and didn't make a big deal about it. No special attention was given to the matter and in less than one week, my brother started calling him "Dad" again.

So, I know what I need to do. I need to not make a big deal about it and continue referring to myself as "mommy" or "mama" and hope that she will come back around.

Otherwise, she is grown up enough to get a job. (And she's too short for a cash register and doesn't know enough words to work in customer service, so unless she goes into show business, she is better off to remember that she is only 2 years old and it is time for her to act like it!)

Whew...I'm not bitter. Really....But....

While I am on the subject and since our holiday is approaching soon (May 10th), how about we rename it to "Mommy's Day"? Or maybe we can personalize it to our own situation...mine will be called "Twinmama's Day".

"Mother's Day" seems so formal...so impersonal...so without hugs or kisses or being silly with our kids. It seems so "don't forget to wash behind your ears" or "just wait until your father comes home".

No matter what happens, I know that Jelly Bean will continue to need me for a long time. And I guess it is more important to be needed and wanted than it is to be addressed by a particular name. I know that deep down. I just need to tell my selfish self to get over it. I will still be there for them even when they don't want my help because that is just who I am.

And even though I call my mom, "Mom", I know deep down there will always be a time when I will need my "Mommy", too.

The State of TLC09

2009-04-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

So, after my post last week and how it is time to re-prioritize stuff around here, you might have been wondering what in the world happened to Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge. Never fear, it will return! In fact, it will be back this Sunday, but there is one major change to it. Instead of being a weekly challenge, it will now be monthly challenges.

I figure 52 new things to do in a year is pretty rough and the most realistic success rate for something like that is 5-10%. So, let's say we all were able to accomplish, say 10% of the tasks, then that would be about 5 of the challenges. Hmm...that just doesn't seem to be enough.

Instead, I will post a new challenge the first Sunday of every month and we will have a full month to practice it. This will make the challenges more do-able and help us to get into a "habit" of doing the new task. (I read somewhere that it takes 3 weeks to form a habit, so this schedule will fit right into it.)

So, sit tight and on Sunday, we will get back on that saddle! Can't wait!!

Dr. twinmama

2009-04-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

In my family, I wear a lot of hats, but today I added another talent to my growing list of impressive skills as Chief Officer of Nurturing Eternal Souls. I am now Head Stuffed Animal Surgeon.

Yesterday, I came across a strange little plastic ball that resembled a bead. I didn't recognize what it was for quite awhile, but then it dawned on me that one of the stuffed animals had sprung a leak and was pooping beads all over the floor. There were several possible culprits since we could probably set up our own stuffed animal exhibit and charge the public to go on the tour.

Throughout the day, our brood of stuff animals had gone from the bedroom to the sunroom windows. Yesterday was the first 80 degree weather here in over 200 hundred days and all the windows were open. The girls loved being able to line up their little furry friends inside the window sills. From other parts of the house, I could look out the window and see the little backsides of a dog, pig, tiger, bear, monkey, etc. They thought it was fun. I thought it was a good chance for those little furballs to air out.

Two of the stuffed animals - Pig & Tiger - in particular have recently risen up the ranks as being an important part of the girl's lives. Jelly Bean has Bear who can never be replaced (Bear probably deserves his own post.) Peanut is quite smitten with her Bear who looks just like Jelly Bean's Bear, but there are differences and the girls know them. There are other friends who are well loved like the two Curious Georges, baby dolls and few odd stuffed animals like a turtle, frog and fish. (Mostly Peanut's favorites. Seriously, nothing else compares to Bear when it comes to Jelly Bean.)

Pig is Peanut's new BFF and Tiger is Jelly Bean's. Tiger may be more of a pet for Bear since Jelly Bean kind of dotes on Bear. Regardless, she has fallen for that striped cat and he is part of the Jelly Bean posse.

With all this said, Pig & Tiger have been playing hard core around here lately and unfortunately neither one could handle it. They are losing their marbles literally. (I understand what they are going through.) So, this morning as the girls woke up and went to play with these toys, I noticed the awful truth that they were injured. I had to take the beloved toys away from my girls. Panic set in.

"My pig! My pig!"

"No, mommy! Jelly Bean's tiger."

This was an all out emergency. I quickly ran upstairs to look for my sewing kit while I reminded myself that it had been a long time since I had put a needle and thread to anything. Could I actually fix the poor creatures? There was only one way to find out.

"Girls, Pig & Tiger need surgery. Mommy needs to make them better. They are sick."

I waited for the protests, but instead I got two very understanding little girls. Huh. Didn't think that would work...

I went into the kitchen away from the girls and started on Pig. He had a rip down his back. I first decided to fish out all of those little beads just in case he was ever re-injured in the same spot. I switched up his back carefully making sure there were no holes left. It wasn't the best job - no sewing or craft blogger would have been impressed, but it solved the problem. I presented Pig to Peanut.

"He came through surgery okay. He's a little groggy, but he's going to make it."

Peanut happily accepted him and ran off to find a window to stick him in.

Next, I inspected Tiger. He was much worse off which is surprising because he has been played with the least. Nevertheless, I stitched up his back after a good bead liposuction. Jelly Bean & Bear were waiting anxiously for their little friend.

"Well, Jelly Bean, Tiger is going to have a scar, but otherwise he is doing fine. Lots of hugs and kisses and he should be back to his old self very soon."

Jelly Bean planted a kiss on Tiger's forehead and off she went.

As I packed up my sewing kit, I thought about when I was a kid and how much I enjoyed my stuffed animals and dolls. I had several much loved furry friends that saw a lot of play time as a young child. These are usually our first friends in life and a gateway into the world of the imagination. We take them everywhere, have them experience the same adventures as us and use them to practice things on. (Jelly Bean yelled at Curious George today for being up on top of the cabinet. "Get down, George!" Interesting, she was just reprimanded for the same thing.)

Since children learn by watching us, it only seems reasonable they would need someone or something to practice on. Since their twin sister is usually not very cooperative because she is trying to do the same thing, naturally their abiding little fur-friends do the trick.

What's the most important thing they could practice on these inanimate objects?

Well, I believe it is loving and caring for something other than themselves. They have so much done for them at this age and as two year olds are naturally selfish little people, it is refreshing to see them trying to put a diaper on Pig or wheel Bear around in the wagon. I want them to learn love and affection and be the best person a friend, sister or husband could ask for. I want them to be the type of people that other's could call on to help them in their time of need. Lovingly. Unconditional.

If only every problem could be fixed with a needle and thread! Maybe it seemed really insignificant, but to those little girls I brought their friends back to them. The problem was solved and they were happy.

Maybe the next major twinfamily dilemma won't be as easy to fix, but in any case I think as long as I remember what's at stake then I will be ready to give it my best shot.

After all, I'm the mom.

Plates & Priorities

2009-04-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I hit a wall. A very large, probably brick, no wait...CONCRETE WITH STEEL REINFORCEMENTS wall. It kind of hurt. After rubbing the bump on my head, I realized that I just couldn't do it all anymore and had to throw something overboard for a time to get my priorities realigned. Guess what that was? You got it...I ditched the bloggy world.

Okay, I'm sorry! I didn't break up with you all! I really do love you all very much, but this twinmama was spread pretty thin and I had to figure out my schedule. Just like most moms, I have God to glorify, daughters to raise, a husband to love, a house to clean, family and friends' relationships to nurture and a job to work. That doesn't leave much "me" time at all.

So, you can say, that my plate cracked. I loaded it and loaded it and finally it couldn't withstand anymore weight.

Blogging has become one of my favorite hobbies. I enjoy writing very much and being able to chronicle my twin girls' lives is something that I really cherish.

Recently, I learned about a young mother who lost her life after being sick for awhile. I did not know her, but a friend of mine did. I was made aware that she had a blog of her own. As I visited her blog to find out more about her. I discovered she wrote and photographed her little boy's life with enthusiasm and introspect. I looked at her pictures and the sweet captions she wrote about her precious son and I cried.

Her son has the most precious gift in the world. He will always know how his mother felt about him. He knows because he can read it for himself. She took the time to journal his experiences. Experiences that he won't remember since he is so young, but he can see with his own eyes and not rely on someone else to try to recall to him.

A mother remembers details that even a father could never begin to remember. Why? Simply put, women are more detailed and mothers study their children. We have this insatiable need to count every hair of our precious babies in amazement. We get it honestly. In Matthew 10:30, it says, "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." God knows every detail of each one of his children and I believe that He builds this desire in mothers, too.

As I wiped away my tears, it occurred to me that I really missed writing in my blog. I appreciate everyone who is reading my blog and I enjoy reading all of your blogs, too, but what I miss is writing about my favorite subject in the world! I want my children to know that I am watching them and taking notes on this fleeting thing called childhood. I want them to know, should anything ever happen to me, that I paid attention. They need to know that everything they do is of significance. And most important of all, they need to know how much I love them.

So, that old broken plate of mine? I threw it out. Time to re-prioritize.

2009-03-26T18:50:00.001-07:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week Eleven: How Did It Go?

Sorry, folks! The girls and I went to visit my mom this week and we are just getting back into the swing of things here at home. (Twingrandma does not have internet access so it was truly a vacation!)

Last week's challenge is very difficult! I will just need to keep working through limiting my sodium intake.

Week Twelve...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Personal

What?: Eliminate a stressor! It's that time again to pick another stressor for the list and take steps to tackle it!

Why?: Stress is a nasty little thing that corrodes our physical and mental well being as well as causes strife in our relationships.

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: Like most people, I have some things that just make me crazy. I will pick one and concentrate on fixing it. Instead of being on the defensive, I will go to the source of the problem. I will pick something that I have the ability to control or cause change.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: Me

Resources to Help:

http://www.stressbook.com/eliminating_stress.shtml

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

Ah, Dinosaur!

2009-03-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

There are a couple dinosaurs running around my house these days. No, they aren't the dogs. They are two cute, little two year olds who have discovered that imagination and play is really, really fun. I may be a little guilty for starting it, but Peanut and Jelly Bean have embraced it.

And it is so cute.

The girls have been pretending more and more. Of course, we have several toy phones the girls like to walk around with and pretend they are talking. Jelly Bean will have pretty in depth conversations with her pretend friend on the other end of the phone and I have heard mommy, dadda, sissy, grandma, papaw and nana mentioned on several occasions. She is talking about us and I sure hope it is all good stuff since I don't know everything she is saying. She is so good at mimicking that even her mannerisms sound like me when I am on the phone...scary.

Also, they really like to mimic everything that twindada and I do which is cute and unnerving all at the same time. Do we always want them to do what we want? (Well, that all depends on if we are doing good things of course.)

One day, it became clear to us that Peanut really had a thing for dinosaurs. I don't really understand why because we don't have any toy dinosaurs and we don't talk about them often. The only time she has seen dinosaurs is on cartoons and in her coloring books, but she has really taken to them. (I asked her the other day if she wanted to watch Jurassic Park and she nodded her head, but I will spare her. She doesn't know what she is agreeing to watch! That movie still scares me and I have seen it several times!)

As Peanut began to point to dinosaurs and say, "Si-saur", I would ask her what dinosaurs say. "Errr!" she would chime back. I thought it was cute. Now we know what dinosaurs say, along with cows and dogs and chickens, etc. Cool.

But then, the unimaginable happened. I was playing with the girls one day and I turned to Peanut who had transformed into an actual dinosaur. Her face was all scrunched up and with her laughing eyes twinkling, yet serious, she started "Err-ing" at me. I shook with fear and asked, "Are you a dinosaur?" She wouldn't let up and her growling got even worse. "Errrr!"

I ran. Jelly Bean ran. I shrieked, "Ah, dinosaur!" as Peanut chased me all over the house. I couldn't believe it. My sweet, beautiful baby was now a ferocious dinosaur...what was I going to do? She had me cornered when she spotted her sister and ran after Jelly Bean. Jelly Bean ran around yelling, "Ah, di-saur!"

This went on for a few moments until suddenly Peanut caught up with Jelly Bean and Peanut ceased being the dinosaur and was now running away from Jelly Bean yelling, "Ah, si-saur!" Jelly Bean's eyes showed all the dinosaur fury that Peanut once had and began chasing us around giving us her best growling dinosaur interpretation. She chased us all over.

Finally, Peanut and I were safely away from the dinosaur. However, things weren't quite over. Suddenly I felt myself transform into a Tyrannosaurus Rex and I started going "Errrrrr!!" while I walked around the house looking for someone to chase. And I found what I was looking for.

Two sweet, little girls were in my sights and as I chased them around the living room, they screamed, giggled and shouted, "Ah, si-saur!" Finally I caught up with them and grabbed them both and preceded to tickle them into a fit of belly giggles. As soon as I was holding my little duo in my arms, the dinosaur in me departed and the mom emerged once again.

Ah, I love being a mom.

2009-03-15T09:19:00.001-07:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week Ten: How Did It Go?

Wow, what a difference a couple weeks can make! Two weeks ago, I thought I was on my deathbed. Finally by this past Tuesday, I started feeling better. It was amazing to feel the combination of feeling better and not drinking caffeine not only made me feel better, but it lifted my mood and I was racing about this house getting stuff done. (Which was good since the house was looking a little rough.) What a difference. I have to admit, the caffeine withdrawal was super tough on me. I felt weak, irritable and sluggish, but once I got through it (it took a few days) and got rid of the cold and cough, too, I am a new woman!

So, what else can I tweak in my diet? Let's see...

Week Eleven...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Personal/Family

What?: Consider sodium. It is time to get serious about lowering my sodium intake. There are many complications that can occur by consuming so many salty foods on a daily basis and I need to be aware of what my family is consuming, too.

Why?: Sodium is tricky. There are so many types of food including so-called "diet" foods that have high levels of sodium in them. (You know, remove fat and well, taste, they have to add something to make it edible!) Frozen, diet meals are notorious for this! The USDA (see resource link below) recommends about 2300 mg or 1 teaspoon per day and suggest that most Americans consume an average of 5000 mg a day! Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure.

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: According to Mayoclinic.com (see resource link below), 77% of our sodium intake is estimated to come from processed or prepared foods. Um...do you want to start there? We will limit the amount of processed foods - sauces, pre-packaged "dinner kits", frozen meals and processed snacks (this includes "sweet" items, they have salt, too.) Also, we will consider doing some research about our favorite places to dine out and see if we can obtain nutrition guidelines. We will still allow the occasional treats out to those really yummy places, but by eating healthier at home and regularly, we can enjoy the occasional trip to our favorite Texas BBQ restaurant (it's sooo good) and not feel guilty for it.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: The whole twinfamily.

Resources to Help:

http://www.health.gov/DietaryGuidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter8.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

2009-03-08T20:03:00.001-07:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week Nine: How Did It Go?

This week was filled with lots of illness, so I didn't quite get this challenge off the ground completely. I did manage to drag myself out of bed most of the days to do at least one load of laundry since we would have been in trouble and twindada was much too busy doing everything else plus trying to manage his business. I say the laundry challenge is definitely a keeper though - I did one load a day and it is quite manageable. I also like how it eliminates some stress not seeing the laundry basket start to overflow and running out of essentials like wash clothes (we have a lot of dirty faces around here), shirts and pajamas.

Week Ten...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Personal

What?: Step away from the hard stuff! No, I am not talking about beer or liquor. I am talking about my nemesis - caffeine. Much to my dismay, I can't consume it. It is time to eliminate caffeine from my daily liquids.

Why?: Much like medicine, when taken daily our bodies start to crave it and need it to function. This not much different than alcohol, too. Caffeine makes me jittery and active for a few hours and then I crash from its affects and this slows me down throughout the day. When I crash, I will often look for ways to boost my energy level again and this includes more caffeine or eating sugary foods. Since sugary foods add unnecessary calories and fat, this can be a real problem, too.

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: I will not have any caffeinated beverages in the house whatsoever so that I am not tempted by them. Also, I will choose to order drinks that do not contain caffeine when we are out eating. I will also read labels before consuming certain food and medicine products that may contain caffeine. (For example, Midol contains enough caffeine to be the equivalent of one cup of coffee. That is how the drug fixes the fatigue symptom.)

*I am going to eliminate it completely from week one, but others who choose to follow this challenge may need to phase it out in baby steps. Also, keep in mind there is a withdrawal period for caffeine that usually lasts between 2-9 days and includes symptoms like fatigue/sluggishness, headaches and depressed mood.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: Me!

Resources to Help:

http://www.medicinenet.com/caffeine/article.htm

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

March Came in Like a Lion

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

And I do not mean the weather. Today it is a mild day here in the Midwest and the weather is supposed to be quite pleasant this weekend.

But inside Twinland, a storm started brewing last weekend and it came down upon us with all its fury and no remorse.

First Peanut's nose started running. No big deal, all I had to do was chase her around with tissues and wrestle her to the ground. Wash my hands like crazy, wash her hands like crazy and spray things down with disinfectant. All in a day's work. Then, by Sunday, she started going quite hoarse and my once, high pitched squeaky voiced Peanut (it's really a sweet little voice, if you ask me) was now ready to belt out some Nat King Cole number. Though it wasn't "A Wonderful World" when...

Monday, Jelly Bean's nose started running. Okay, now I have two little princesses to chase around with a box of royal tissues. I am at your beck and call, your highnesses. No sweat, we just went through this a couple of months ago and survived. It will be okay. But, wait! There is a twist this time...

Tuesday morning, I wake up and feel like I was hit by a car. I spent several hours in the wee hours coughing and congested. By the morning alarm, my throat was sore and swollen, coughing, congested and had a headache that made me want to pull my eyeballs out of their sockets. (Okay, I know you didn't need that visualization, but we try to be quite real here at Bringing Up Twins.) I could barely stand up from all the congestion and so I stumbled upstairs to twindada's office and said, "I am very sick. You have to watch the girls so I can go to bed."

I haven't laid in bed since I was on bedrest over two years ago. It was a very strange feeling.

Twindada did not grumble or try to argue with me which was awesome. He immediately filled in and took care of the girls the entire day so that I could rest. Peanut was doing better, but we decided to be on stand by as to whether she could go to the doctor to have her ears checked. Jelly Bean seemed to be doing fine with just a minor runny nose. I just thought that tomorrow would be a better day, but...

Wednesday came and I felt even worse. Peanut was doing okay, but had a meltdown in the afternoon. She is usually a very happy-go-lucky little girl, so for her to be so moody, made us concerned that she could have infected ears. We made an appointment for her to go the doctor the next day. Things would be definitely better tomorrow for all of us...right?

Thursday came and twindada took Peanut to her appointment. He came home saying that she was fine and just needed to ride out her cold. I continued to feel bad, but decided to ride this virus out, too. Okay, we would just have to suck it up and everyone would be better in a week or so. Just when I thought that all of our questions were answered, Jelly Bean woke up from her nap with watery, gooky green eyes and a dark welt under one of them.

I decided to call the phone nurse instead of making an appointment. After all, we had just been there that morning with Peanut. Here is the jist of the conversation...

"My daughter has green, gooky stuff on and around her eyes and was wondering at what point should we bring her in?" (twinmama)

"Is her eyes red?" (phone nurse)

"They are a little bloodshot, but not too bad. However, if looks like she was punched in one of her eyes. There is a dark spot under the eye." (twinmama)

"There's your answer, then. That sounds like conjunctivitis. We need to see her." (phone nurse)

Jelly Bean has pink eye in both eyes. The phone nurse connected me with the appointment desk and within twenty minutes twindada had Jelly Bean at the pediatrician's office and they saw the same doctor as him and Peanut. She was prescribed an antibiotic - they are eye drops that we have to put in her eyes three times a day for seven days. Ever put eye drops in a two year old? It is kind of like putting eye drops in an octopus. As I am holding her arms down at her sides and holding her head still, twindada has to pry open her tightly squeezed eye while quickly putting a tiny drop into the eye without missing all while trying to dodge the feet that are trying to kick him. It's a lot of fun. Really.

Now, a tired twindada came home and got the girls settled while I helped the little I could and then he made dinner. I managed to get the dishes washed while he took care of the girls and then I crashed and he put the girls to bed. I was exhausted and I could only imagine how exhausted he was. Friday we will all be on the mend, we just have to be...

Well, I am happy to report that the girls seem to be doing great today. Both of them have been running around playing like crazy on their toy cars, coloring and running around the house being active toddlers. Twindada has continued to do everything for them and they have learned to really rely on him like they do with me.

As for me? I woke up with a fever and have been dealing with a cold "breaking up" all day. It isn't pretty, but I hope it means I am on the mend, too, as I am tired of being away from my girls and my husband. I really miss them and I don't like lying in bed while my family is bustling around the house.

March has definitely come in like a lion here in Twinland! It has been a crazy week of illness, doctors appointments and hand washing, but there my hero came through for me and my creator made it all possible. Twindada has been an absolute rock this week and he is SuperMan & Mr. Mom all wrapped into one awesome package. The Lord sustained him and kept him healthy through all of this and we are so grateful! Twindada has never complained once about all the work he has been doing and he has been doing everything! I sent him an email from my bed thanking him for all of his hard work and he wrote back while the girls were napping. Here is a snippet...

"Thanks for being such a rock this week. I seriously don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been home. It was really a blessing." (twinmama)

"You're welcome. That's what I'm here for. A husband and a father. Signed up for the good and bad ;)" (twindada)

I think I married pretty well...

2009-03-03T16:43:00.001-08:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week Eight: How Did It Go?

It was interesting to see how long it really takes me to perform certain tasks and how just a little bit of a commitment on a daily basis really helped to reduce much longer weekly chores. I plan on continuing to time my daily and weekly chores and put them into a schedule so they can be done on a regular basis and not interfere with my time with the girls, twindada and my job.

Week Nine...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Family

What?: Tame the laundry beast! After timing my chores last week, it has come to my attention that one of my time wasters is laundry. I need to focus on doing a little bit every day so that it doesn't pile up causing me to spend a large amount of time on it later in the week.

Why?: Seeing laundry piled up in different spots is stressful! Plus, I am tired of going through a clean basket of clothes looking for something in particular. I have gotten myself into a bad habit of getting overwhelmed by the large amounts of laundry every week.

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: Every morning, I will wash one load of laundry. I will do the laundry as early in the day as possible so that I do not wait until the afternoon when things get busy. I will wash, dry, fold and put away that one load of laundry and will not be tempted to do more. Eventually, I will only have one load of laundry every day and will work in towels, sheets and bedding as appropriate. Also, I will be mindful of clothing that doesn't have to be washed right away and hang up anything that can be worn again before washing.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: Me! (And the washer and dryer.)

Resources to Help:

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/organized_forever/90326

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

The Grand Old Bookcase

2009-02-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

I have been sitting here looking over all the books propped up on the shelves. When we first walked through this house, the large built in bookcase that takes up an entire wall completely caught our eyes. You see, we love books. All different types of books. And to think that we could have a permanent, grand bookcase in our living room that we could fill up with all sorts of precious words really sealed the deal for us. We talked about filling it completely with books and adding to it every year as we collected more books so that in time it would turn into a family library.

The bookcase used to be a cream color and it matched all of the beautiful wood trim in our living room. But since we have remodeled the living room and bedrooms, all of the wood trim is now painted a bright snowy white and rests against walls of red wine and sandy beige. Now, this bookcase pops out like it is the showcase in the room. It says, "Come look at me!" (The poor fireplace is beautiful, too, but it just isn't as grand as the bookcase.)

By itself, the bookcase is something to see. There are three sections to it and each section contains 6 shelves and the middle shelf is staggered meaning that its shelves aren't level with the shelves on either side of it making it visually more interesting. The top is trimmed with what looks like crown moulding and it finishes the entire piece. Surely a previous homeowner created this permanent fixture and we will always keep it for as long as we own the home.

It didn't seem possible that anything could make the bookcase look better until my husband began unpacking our boxes of books and started setting them on the shelves. With every book that was placed on the shelf, the colors, size and textures of the books made the bookcase become something more than furniture but a showcase of information, knowledge and entertainment. I scanned the books as they were placed on the shelves getting excited when I would come across something that I hadn't seen in years or never finished reading once the girls were born. We have all sorts of paperback fiction books, books left over from college studies, various self help books, extra Bibles, small group books and some keepsake books.

It was amazing to look over all those pieces of literature and see how each represented a specific time in our lives. It describes far better than a picture or even one of our fleeting memories about what we were doing and more importantly, what was on our mind. I can look at some of those crazy self help books that we read while we were trying to lose weight, get in shape, figure out our finances or try to climb the corporate ladder. Just seeing some of those titles makes me remember it all because those words in between the cover influenced me in some way. I know that upon closing a book after reading the final word, I was forever changed.

Does that mean that I agree or take to heart everything that I read? No. But I can always appreciate someone's experiences and gain a deeper understanding why others may do what they do. Or I can close the book and inventory my own philosophy better because I have been introduced to another way of thinking. So, no matter what, reading a book can change a person by swaying them to agree with the author or by helping to make their own opinion more concrete by the introduction of other viewpoints.

Books can inspire, uplift or empower us to change the world. Books can also frighten, create caution or provide impending doom about our world. Words can change a person's mood and set in motion the "mind's eye" to dream about what characters really look like and what voice you imagine that person to really have. Ever been completely disappointed by a movie that was based on a book? No producer can ever come close to re-creating the amazing relationship that lives between the pages in our beloved book and the imagination that swirls in our mind.

Books bring back memories of life altering changes. Like, when I was in high school and questioned the Bible and was angry with God about the death of my father. My book choices reflected my interest in seeking more answers in the world and other religions trying to find some sort of sense. And then there is a newer section of books that shows how I fell back into His arms grateful to be home again. (There is one book that will never sit upon this shelf and that is my personal study Bible...its in use.)

All of the books on the shelf make sense. Every book shows our likes and dislikes. There are books about wine, travel, jazz music and Frank Sinatra along with books about buying a home, fly fishing, knitting and gardening in the Midwest. They show the transition of two, crazy twenty-something kids into somewhat older, (still crazy) thirty-somethings with...wait a minute...something is different...

I walk over to a whole new shelf of books that I don't recognize. None of these books are from my youth or my husband's youth. They are actually quite brand new looking. Stories about green eggs, alphabets, children's Bible storybooks and nursery rhymes.

Another transition.

Of course, I have seen all of these books before as they have been gifted to the girls at showers, birthdays and Christmases. To see them all lined up, having a place of their own ready for the girls to crack open the cover and get lost in their own imagination, makes me excited. These books represent a change in our lives and perspective, but also they represent a whole new beginning. The girls are starting a collection of their own and I can only pray that they fall in love with books, too. And in the years to come we will all add to our family library and continue to be forever changed by the thoughts of another.

There are many empty book shelves in this grand old bookcase. It will be a long time before we can fill it up completely. But those empty shelves are a promise. They are a promise there will be new stories, new ideas and new experiences waiting for us to find. What will we read ten years from now? What books will the girls curl up with when they are teenagers?

I can't even imagine but as I walk away, I hear the grand old bookcase say, "I will be ready. I will be ready."

2009-02-22T20:34:00.001-08:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week Seven: How Did It Go?

After discussing my schedule with twindada, we have decided that it would be best for me to work in my running schedule in the morning if possible. Of course this week it has been bitter cold again, so running in the wee hours with the coaches (my twin girls) is not a good idea. We got out a couple times when the temperature was a little warmer and it was a great time for all. I will continue to work on the best schedule so that I can spend time alone running and bringing along my coaches for moral support.

This week I was also given a specific person to pray for, so I have added this person to my prayer requests.

Week Eight...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Personal/Family

What?: Put chores in perspective. I will time how long it takes to perform certain tasks around the house so when I am dreading doing something, I can have an idea how long it will really take to get it done.

Why?: Procrastination is a big problem for me. I will put off doing certain chores and while the task stays unfinished, the stress builds around it. It is far easier to do many of the tasks around our house and just get them done than it is to pine over doing it. (15 minutes to fold the laundry or frustration trying to go through the basket to find that specific article of clothing I just have to wear and I can't find it and I have to leave in five minutes...)

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: I will think about the various chores I have on a daily or weekly basis and when I do them next, I will note the time and jot it down on a notepad. Next time I have to do this chore, I can look at the amount of time that it will take to perform this task and remind myself that it is a small piece of time in my day as opposed to the stress it could have on my entire day.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: Me!

Resources to Help:

http://www.suite101.com/blog/joni188/1505

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

Happy Birthday Peanut & Jelly Bean!

2009-02-18T11:14:00.001-08:00

My little duo are two years old today. I am amazed how quickly two years flies by. We never could have imagined the blessings these two little girls would bring to our lives and I am so happy they are my kids. I am a proud and grateful mama.

Wanna read our birth story? Go here and then here and finally here.

Now, a little gift for my babies...

There once was a time that I didn't know you
Didn't think there would ever be a day
That I would see two precious little girls
Smiling and giggling while they played

Two years ago you both came into our world
You were a mystery, even your names
When I was told that I had two daughters
I knew life would never be the same

You both have filled my heart with love and joy
and these past two years have taught me so much
How God's loving plan is always at work
With every hug, kiss, smile and touch

You both are special in your own way and
Blessed to come into this world with a friend
Remember your mama and dada are always here
In joy and when your hearts need to mend

Happy birthday my little duo
I wish a wonderful, blessed year you will see!
For the two little babies, who have stolen my heart
My little A and my little B.

Happy birthday girls. Wow, I can't believe it has been two years...

(I am going to go cry now.)

2009-02-16T11:22:00.001-08:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week Six: How Did It Go?

I decided to start this week off praying for our good friends who left for the mission field mid-January. I am a prayer partner for their ministry regularly, but I know they provided us recently with specific prayer requests as they start their work. (If you are interested in learning more about their mission, go here.)

Additionally, I have been able to read a lot more to the girls lately which has been really great. Jelly Bean, in particular, still loves to sit with a book and look at the pictures. Peanut enjoys looking at the book, but prefers to point at each thing on the page and say, "Dah?" In return, my job is to name the object or creature. (This can go on for a very long time.)

My water consumption has gotten MUCH better! I have been drinking a lot of water and it makes me feel so much better. Soda really weighs me down and makes me feel bloated, so water has definitely helped me a lot.

Week Seven...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Personal

What?: Time to hit the pavement! Since we moved, I have not kept a regular running schedule. It is now time to start!

Why?: Running is my way of keeping healthy - it is good cardiovascular exercise, burns fat and clears my head.

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: Set a schedule and ask for help from Twindada to watch the girls or keep me going. If I have a certain time/day that I am running, then it is already built into my schedule so there are no excuses. I have often thought I would just "fit things in", but I have learned that as a busy mother, it is impossible to fit things in because I am never the priority. So, I must make time.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: Me!

Resources to Help:

http://fitness.families.com/blog/setting-a-schedule-for-exercise-and-sticking-to-it

* Note: If you are just getting started with an exercise routine, consider talking to your doctor to make sure you are healthy to start. Also, start with something you enjoy doing and we will figure out all the nitty gritty stuff later. My challenge this week is to figure out a schedule and start running, that's it. I will build in other exercises, consider cardio versus fat burning, etc. at later times. Remember, little by little! Slow and steady wins the race! - Luv, twinmama

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

Helene is hosting a giveaway!

2009-02-14T11:42:00.001-08:00

Helene at I'm Living Proof that God has a Sense of Humor is hosting her very first review and giveaway. She reviewed the product called Sambucol Black Elderberry Immune System Dietary Supplement. This product has worked very well for her kids and everyone has kept well through cold and flu season, so go check it out! She is giving away to one lucky reader an "Immune Booster Gift set." Just follow the directions for entering the contest on the post and good luck!

A Friday Funny

2009-02-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

I came across this video late tonight and just had to share. As I watched this, I had visions of my little Peanut doing something like this. She is my fearless, ornery one who would probably get the biggest kick out getting stuck. Check it out to see what I mean...

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/tcnica-para-sacar-un-osito/2352140836

(Sorry, the descriptions are in Spanish. I think it means (loosely) "techniques to remove a teddy bear." All Spanish speaking folk can correct me on this one though.)

The Dirty Little "M" Word

2009-02-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

What? Moron? Menace? Micky Mouse?

No.

Mine!

I loath this word. I shudder every time anyone under three feet uses this word in any context. I have made serious effort to never use this word. We have always said, "This is Mama's." "Dada's shoes." If one of the girls is playing with a toy and her sister tries to take it, we have always said, "Sissy is playing with that toy right now. It is Sissy's toy." Things have been going so well that both girls will walk around and point out ownership to items around our house.

"Mama's cup." (Points to my drinking glass.)

"Mama's." (Points to my, uh, laptop...hee hee...anyway)

"Dada's cup." (Points to twindada's beer bottle. He LOVES this one! Ha ha!)

Anyway, the point is that I have gone through great pains to never say "mine" to the girls so they will not use this word.

Why would I do that?

For the very reason why this week, Jelly Bean ripped a toy out of her sister's hands yelling, "Mine!" Or the time when Peanut got hold of some fresh laundry and when I went to retrieve it, she yelled at me shouting, "Mine!" (For the record, the item was one of my socks. It did not belong to her at all.)

Where did they learn this?

I am blaming Noggin's Lazytown and Max & Ruby. Both shows this week showed children saying the word. Shouldn't the censors be on that? Don't they know that in the pre-school world, "mine" is as dirty a word as other more adult four letter words?

My critics will say, "well, who let them watch TV in the first place?"

And I say, "Well, me, but that isn't the point..."

Ultimately it all comes back on the mother, so whatever, I guess the fault is all...mine.

2009-02-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week Five: How Did It Go?

Like many people, I have a list of little things that urk me, however there is one that reigns supreme over all of them and that is dog hair. We have two shepherd mixes and they are an endless supply of hair. I spend a lot of time sweeping, vacuuming and picking hair off everyone and everything and I am tired of it. I decided since I am not allowed to get rid of them or shave them (twindada wouldn't let me...), I would go to the source of the problem and dedicate time to brush them with a really good undercoat rake to help reduce the amount that comes off in the house. This task requires some time and dedication on my part, but the amount of dog hair that I have been able to brush away has made me realize this is the best way for the hair to not end up on my couch. And that makes me happy.

Week Six...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Faith

What?: Ask someone how I can pray for them. I pray for my family and friends as things arise, but sometimes I don't know if someone is in need of prayer.

Why?: Often people won't ask for prayer because they don't want to burden others, come across selfish or just don't think they need it. By asking someone if I can pray for them, they will know that I am thinking about them and want go to God on their behalf to help them with anything.

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: Identify a person that doesn't necessarily ask for prayer often, someone who is in trying times or anyone.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: Me and the person I pick.

Resources to Help:

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should" —Colossians 4:2-4.

"I urge, then first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. … I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing" —1 Timothy 2:1-4, 8.

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

Commonly Heard Phrases in Twinland

2009-02-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

Toddlers learn to talk by imitating the words they hear from others. Whatever expressions parents, grandparents, other family and friends say, children will say, too. That is why I am convinced the following phrases are quick to become part of my girls' vocabulary.

"Close it."
"Drop it."
"Not for you."
"You may not ___."
"Quite touching that."
"Don't eat that."
"Eat your dinner."
"Sit still."
"Come on."
"Come here."
"Don't run away from me."
"Get your hand out of the toilet."
"Give sissy her bear back."
"Be nice to your sister."
"Be nice to me."
"Get your hand out of your diaper."
"Come back."
"Get down."
"Don't grab that."
"Leave the doggies alone."
"Don't throw that on the floor."

I could go on, but you probably get my point.

Making a Lemonade Stand

2009-02-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of January, my husband came home to tell me that he was laid off from his job. I wasn't shocked that this had happened because he prepared me a couple of months before that it could happen in 2009. However I was a little surprised because I don't think that I thought it was going to occur so soon.

We both went through a range of emotions. There was surprise that it had happened right after the first of the year. There was relief that he didn't have to make that 3+ hour round trip commute anymore. And there was concern about what we were going to do financially.

I think like most people we needed time to decompress and figure out our game plan. We knew we needed to sit down and discuss how we were going to provide for our family and stay in our house. Also, there was the question of what my husband was going to do now that he was unemployed. Was he going to look for another job closer to home? Was he going to be forced to look at jobs that would give him yet another considerable commute? Or was there something else that he should now do?

It usually takes some sort of drastic change (usually not by our doing) to initiate a complete perspective change. A decision, realization, loss or any other moment when our thought processes shift from thinking one way to having a whole new appreciation for something else forces us to consider that maybe there is another way. Maybe there is a way to be happier. Maybe there is a way to do what we have always wanted to do. Maybe that time is now.

He was at a crossroads.

We have been together for over eight years and the entire time that I have known him, he has wanted to start his own business. There are certain people that are just born with that entrepreneur heart and he is definitely one of them. Entrepreneurs can create, set in motion and manage something without the fear of failure. They can take a step out away from the pack to pursue their heart's desire without the security of a corporate backing or company health benefits. It's a risky world, but it is also the most fulfilling place for an entrepreneur.

Years ago when he approached me with this idea, I was completely against it. I didn't like the lack of security or feared it was too outside what "everyone else does". Despite this, he continued to dream about the opportunity while building his skillset as a corporate recruiter with several good companies.

Again, the topic was revisited and this time we both knew that it felt right. We have been praying a lot to God for direction, guidance and resources and I get a completely content feeling about him pursuing this. Should I be this content? Probably not - we have 2 children and a mortgage which we didn't have before, but I think that is why I am so supportive. I have spent eight years getting to know my husband and I have learned many things, but this one is the most important of all - I trust him and know that he will provide for us.

It's amazing how much things can change and how if we pray for guidance, God will give us not only direction, but the comfort in knowing we are making the right decision. I pray twindada's business thrives and it is able to provide for our family. I don't pray for anything beyond that, I just want God's provisions. Some may question starting a business in today's market, but I feel this is the best time to start! Having a presence in the market right now will set him up for the future when job growth picks up again. It is those who ran away at this time that will not come out on top when the economy turns upward.

So, if you find that your life has taken a change that you weren't expecting consider the old saying, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." It is so true that our reaction to something weighs far greater than the event itself. We must push on despite the economy, loss of jobs and trying to stretch money that doesn't seem to want to stretch. Life goes on and we have to be ready to accept God's blessings and learn from His guidance. Wow, do I know this lesson. I get "educated" in this several times a year. (You would think I would have learned by now?)

We are embracing the opportunity to change our lives forever. My husband gets his "shot" to see what he can do in the business ownership world and I get my family all under one roof. (Which for those who know me well understand that I am a homebody and like all my birds in the nest, so I am in heaven.)

Life took an unexpected turn and we are taking the chance to stop dreaming and start doing.

Time to start squeezing.

2009-02-02T19:06:00.001-08:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week Four: How Did It Go?

Yet another crazy week, but things are starting to get into a new routine. Twindada was laid off from his job early in January, so we are adjusting to everyone at home. It has been good to have him close because I was tired of the 3+ hours round trip commute he was making everyday. The girls have enjoyed having him at home, too. I worked this week on trying to identify the best times to get the girls' attention so we could read books. At almost two years old, they have a lot energy, a little stubborness and compete for my attention, so sitting quietly with one girl to read has proven to be a challenge. This week, I am going to start a routine of reading to them before naptime and bedtime and see how that works.

Week Five...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Personal/Family

What?: Eliminate a stressor! I will identify something that makes me feel stressed, overwhelmed or frustrated and work on ways to improve it in my life.

Why?: Stress is a nasty little thing that corrodes our physical and mental well being as well as causes strife in our relationships.

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: Like most people, I have some things that just make me crazy. I will pick one and concentrate on fixing it. Instead of being on the defensive, I will go to the source of the problem. I will pick something that I have the ability to control or cause change.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: Me.

Resources to Help:

http://www.stressbook.com/eliminating_stress.shtml

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

Oh My Gosh...

2009-02-02T14:53:00.000-08:00

I owe you all a TLC post this week along with more twinperspective stuff. I have been really stinking it up as a blogger lately and I promise that I will get back in the saddle very soon.

The new TLC will post later tonight as soon as I get my head out of the snow!

Thanks for sticking with me, Blogging Buddies!

Snowy Perspective

2009-01-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

The snow has been falling for the past twenty four hours. Periodically, there are breaks in the stormy winter clouds as they slowly move over the Ohio Valley. Sometimes when I look outside, I see a steady flow of flakes falling onto the already covered ground. Other times, it is still outside. Either way, it is amazing how beautiful snow can make anything look whether it is falling or settling into its place.

Snow is the blanket that covers the frozen grass, the leafless trees and the bushes that merely look like brush when they aren't covered in green. Snow makes everything pretty in a time when things really aren't that pretty. Everything that starts out vibrant and colorful in the spring turns lush and green in the summer and eventually fades to warm autumn hues. And then winter suddenly comes along and strips it all away. All of the leaves, the flowers and the colors are gone. Instead what is left is the bare nakedness of branches, vines and plants frozen in time.

Winter is not my favorite time of year. The festivities of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years is quite enjoyable, but these "cold" months leave me feeling a little blue and earning for the warmth and alive feeling that only can come in the spring.

Still when I see the snow fall, I know this is God's way of giving us some color in a generally colorless time of year. Sure, snow is white and white is typically not seen as a true "color", but white depicts purity, holiness and cleanliness. No matter where snow falls, it makes that place beautiful. It drapes over trees, buildings, cars and road signs like a blanket reminding us there is something far greater, far more important to consider than the chaos of our lives.

Have you ever been stuck in one place because of snow? Have you ever had to drive really slow to get through it? How many times during the warmer weather months does this happen to us other than some catastrophic event like a hurricane? No, in the winter, we are forced to slow down. We are forced to "freeze" just like the plants outside when a new layer of snow has covered our cars and streets. We have to be mindful of what we are doing out on the road in order to safely go from point A to point B.

I may earn for the warm sun hitting my face and letting my toes breath in my sandals, but I know there is a lesson to learn in the winter. Enjoy it. Slow down. See the weather disturbances not as just an annoyance for interfering in my day, but an opportunity to think about things in a different light. Maybe being "stuck" with people we enjoy being around is the perfect opportunity to get to know someone better. Perhaps driving slowly means that instead of being on auto-pilot and zipping home that we will be able to tune in to our favorite radio station to catch a sermon, talk show or listen to our favorite music.

Maybe we will learn something. Maybe we will walk away wishing we had more time to be stranded. And just maybe there will be another winter storm soon to cause us to freeze again before the thaw of spring brings the busy days ahead.

2009-01-25T17:30:00.001-08:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week Three: How Did It Go?

This was a crazy week! I spent a week with the girls at my mom's house while twindada refinished the hardwood floors, so my challenge was a little off this week. (And the reason for my lack of posts and visits to my fave blogs.) I did make more efforts to drink more water, but my mom's house is stocked with all sorts of yummy little goodies and soda, so I didn't stay as focused as I wanted. We are now back at our house (and the floors are done -hurray!), so I hope to work hard on this challenge this week as well.

Week Four...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Family

What?: Read to those kiddos! I will dedicate twenty minutes of my day to reading to my girls.

Why?: Reading to our children helps them to appreciate reading, helps them to learn, is an excellent way to have one on one time with our kids and helps them to establish a habit of reading on their own well into their adulthood.

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: Since my children are quite young, I will look for opportunities throughout the day to sit with them to read books. These opportunities would include times when they are sitting and quiet and also before naps and bedtime. It is important to note that I will read to them individually 20 minutes a day.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: It includes me and my twin girls. (Also twindada if he wants to participate.)

Resources to Help:

http://www.littleonesreadingresource.com/positive-effects-of-reading-aloud-to-children.html

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

2009-01-18T11:08:00.001-08:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week Two: How Did It Go?

I was able to get up early one day this week before the girls woke up to have quiet time with God and pray. Other times, I spent time in the evenings listening and reflecting on my day. It was very clear to me that the day that I woke up early and spent time with God, I was happier, more patient and more productive throughout the day. This is clearly the way that I need to start my mornings. I will continue to work on getting into a schedule where I can wake up early to devote time to God.

Week Three...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Health

What?: Time to get water-logged! I will start drinking more water throughout the day and ideally increase my water intake and decrease other liquids that I consume daily. I will not cut out any other liquid at this point, but add in more water before taking out anything else.

Why?: Water keeps us hydrated, helps us to lose weight and satisfies us so that we do not turn to calorie filled beverages like soda or fruit juice. Do you know that sometimes we confuse hunger with thirst? How many times have we gone for a cookie or some chips when we really need a tall glass of water? Try it sometime - it can work!

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: I have a large re-usable water bottle that I will keep filled with fresh, cold water.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: It includes me and my water bottle.

Resources to Help:

Need more reasons to drink water? http://www.betterwayhealth.com/drinking-water.html

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

Mamas Everywhere

2009-01-14T18:59:00.001-08:00

I have discovered that I am not the only mama living in the house. Sure, I may be the only one that actually has real live children to rear, but there are a couple other mamas around here practicing with their beloved stash of stuffed babies and critters.

Recently, I have been thinking about the differences between boys and girls. I have two nephews and have always seemed to be around boys more than girls until my little duo came along. Before I had the girls, I had ten family members or friends who gave birth within a year's time and eight of those little ones were boys! Needless to say, I was quite alarmed when the nurse told me that I just had two little pinkies. Life certainly was never the same.

I was always frightened by the concept of having girls. According to several women that I know, raising girls is supposedly much harder and more taxing on a mother than boys. Supposedly, we don't worry about our boys as much as we do our little girls. Now, I am no authority on boys since I don't have any and I really am not even an authority on girls either since mine are so little, so I can't answer this question right now. What I can tell you is that many little girls and many little boys have gender roles built right into them. I don't know why this is and why girls and boys pick up on different things even if they are exposed to the same environment, but I have seen it happen time and time again.

Now as my little girls are almost getting to the old age of two, these little personalities have shaped into what I can only believe is their God-given maternal instincts. Of course, those environmental behaviorists can argue that they see me caring for them and they want to imitate me. I totally buy that and from last week's post, you know that I am watching this very carefully. However, it is the sweet little gestures that I am amazed they will do for each other, for me and twindada and for their little brood of stuffed friends.

Peanut especially assumes the role of big sister (by one big whole minute!) quite well. I don't ever treat her like she is older of course, but she just seems to be a little more take charge and affectionate than Jelly Bean. Just today, when I stepped out of the playroom to answer the phone, I turned around and Peanut had found the box of baby wipes, pulled one out and was proceeding to wipe Jelly Bean's nose for her. (Something we have had to do a lot lately.) Jelly Bean giggled while Peanut rested her hand on Jelly Bean's shoulder and babbled something to her that I can only imagine went something like this, "I am going to wipe your nose. Please blow." (Well, this is what I say to her anyway!)

Another example was last night, twindada was laying on the couch and Peanut gathered up a pillow, blanket and some stuff animals and started laying them all over him. Once he was covered up, she looked at him and said, "Night. Night."

Jelly Bean loves to share her sippy cup with everyone around, but she has to hold it. She will walk up to me and stick out her sippy cup making the funniest expression with her face. All I can see is her top lip curled up and her teeth bucked while she sucks in air. I think she is trying to show me how to do it in case I have never used a sippy cup before. I will pretend like I am drinking from it and she gets the biggest laugh from it. I have also caught her feeding her best friend, "Bear", the once white, now unsightly grayish, squished, floppy head bear that is in a permanent headlock under her right arm. (That reminds me that I need to send in a reconnaissance team to take out Bear so that he can get a good washing...)

Many stuffed animals have been put down for naptime and covered up. If I try to ask them what they are doing, they will say, "Shh" while putting their finger to their mouth. What was I thinking? I could have woken up the monkey!

So it is really cool to see them acting out these maternal instinct skills. I have never considered myself very maternal at all really. Before kids, I enjoyed my niece and nephews and friend's kids, but I would say that I have always been more of a playmate than a mother to any of them. (Probably since I am still kind of a big kid myself.) Once I had children, it was amazing how much my perception changed and my confidence grew about raising children. Certainly not because I had all the answers suddenly, but because they were my children and it was up to me and twindada to decide how they were going to be raised and what was important for our family.

I like the fact that the girls are already exhibiting these personalities and I hope that it means they will be more maternal than me. I am so glad that I am teaching them about how to care for others and hope they grow up to be happy mothers of their own little ones.

2009-01-11T17:49:00.000-08:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week One: How Did It Go?

Twindada and I met this past week to discuss both of our goals.

My 2009 goals are:

* Faith - Strengthen my faith and walk with God; become more educated; become involved in helping others
* Family - Spend more time teaching, playing with girls; enjoy family more; spend more time with twindada
* Health - Live a healthful, active lifestyle
* Personal - Take a leap out of my comfort zone and do something that I have always wanted to do
* Finance - End the year with a healthier financial outlook

These are broad goals that I hope to achieve through smaller, thoughtful weekly adjustments. Twindada is going to hold me accountable to these and I am going to hold him accountable to his, too.

Week Two...cue Mission: Impossible music...

Category?: Faith/Personal

What?: Stop. I need to slow down. Things have been spiraling out of control lately. Our family has been dealt several blows lately and I feel like I don't know if I am coming or going. Secondly, I need to take several minutes a day to pray, think and listen. It's time for me to find a quiet place and just pray and listen for direction and guidance from God. I spend too much time with something or someone taking my attention away from myself and my relationship with Christ.

Why?: When we get so busy with the day-to-day chaos of life, it is easy to forget to take time to thank God for all that He has brought into our lives. Additionally, when tough decisions and times lay ahead for us it is important for us to reach out and give Him the controls.

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: I will take a few minutes each morning before the girls wake up and sit in a quiet place. I will not have the TV, radio, anyone around and I will just pray and then think or meditate on the things going on in my life. I will specifically ask God for direction and guidance on troubling matters and thank Him for the blessings.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: It includes me...and God.

Resources to Help:

Philippians 4:6 (NASB) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

James 1:19 (NASB) This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger...

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

Forget The Self Help Books

2009-01-07T13:46:00.001-08:00

It has come to my attention that as I think about my personal goals this week, I realize that one thing that won't be a weekly challenge as part of TLC is that I will never read a self help book. It isn't like there aren't good books out there to read, but all that I really need to know about myself, I can learn from my kids.

I was taken back recently at how much my girls are little sponges and literally imitate my words, mannerisms or actions. This is endearing and frightening all at the same time. It really isn't until we have children, do we really know ourselves. They are two little mirrors running around my house and every time I look at them, I realize how much they are learning from me. And by them learning from me, I am learning about myself.

There is this PBS public service announcement where a mom is frantically running around trying to get dinner cooked while the kids are hanging out. It is clear she is stressed out and gets involved in so many tasks that she ends up burning dinner. At that point, she has a decision to make on how she is going to respond to the stress of the moment. Does she scream with frustration? Does she throw something? Does she walk out of the room? She has a decision to make and she better make it a good one. Why? Because the kids are watching.

...gulp...

Ever make the wrong decision?

I know that have. I have gotten mad and stressed out and about ready to freak out and then see two little pairs of eyes watching me. How I deal with stress is really going to shape how they are going to deal with stress. If I don't teach them to take a breath, think through an issue and re-tackle it with a positive attitude, then they will only learn to stomp off, cry, scream or snap at others. If no one teaches them, how can they learn?

Also, I realize that some of the things that I do are quite annoying. Like for instance, if someone is getting into something they are not supposed to get into, I will lead them away from it and if they resist, I will tell them to, "Go!" Well, this seemed like the right thing to do until one day when Peanut approached me, nudged my knee and said, "Go, Go!" My reply was, "No, you go!" She came back with another, "Go, Go" along with a finger pointed at me. Sigh.

Now the girls are telling the dogs to hush all the time. It doesn't matter if the dogs are barking or not. The dogs get told to "Hush!" and I am sure that is quite annoying for them. Where did they learn that at? Me. When the dogs start barking, I will get after them. Again, it seemed like the right thing to do until Jelly Bean pointed her finger (again, the finger point, ugh!) and told Sydney to "Hush!" when the poor dog was just walking across the dining room.

Okay, so I clearly need to stop pointing my fingers. I don't like it when people point their fingers at me - why would I teach them that? Did I know I was teaching them that? No. But that is the point. I don't know what I am teaching them at any given minute. They are going to pick up the good and the bad.

So, while I am teaching them their numbers, colors and ABC's, this year I have to be more mindful of the little things they are learning as well. I want them to know how to handle a stressful situation. I want them to learn how to communicate effectively with others.

How I handle these things makes the difference as to whether the girls learn them or not. And if I am not getting something right, my girls will let me know.

2009-01-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

This post is part of a series titled "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge". For more information about how the challenge works, please visit related links here and here.

Week One...cue Mission: Impossible music...

What?: Make a Plan. I will write out my goals this week. I need to consider overall goals that I would like to accomplish this year. It is important that I not worry about the specifics in getting there, that is what the weekly challenges (going forward) are all about. For example, if a goal is to lose weight, then I will write it down. How I go about losing weight will be part of my weekly challenges. Secondly, tell someone else about it. I will find someone in my household or a close friend that I can buddy up with to encourage each other or simply find a person to help me stay accountable by encouragement and prayer.

Why?: Putting our goals down on paper helps to organize our thoughts and can serve as a daily reminder if posted somewhere for us to continue to review. Also, when we have a partner to encourage us with our goals, it is easier to stay accountable.

How Do We Go About Doing the Challenge?: I am going to sit down and write out my list of goals focusing on the categories that I previously posted: Health, Family, Faith, Finances, Personal. Once complete, I will show my list to twindada and ask for support. Finally, I will post my list in a place where I will see it often.

Who Does the Challenge Include?: It includes me and my support partner.

Resources to Help: Need help on writing personal goals? A good article to check out it right here.

TLC Weekly Challenges start on Mondays and continue indefinitely. I will post my results along with the following challenge next Sunday. Remember, you are invited to participate in my weekly challenge or create your own and tell me about it! Also, if you find better ways to accomplish a weekly challenge, please drop me a comment. Good luck, fellow TLC-ers!

TLC Begins This Sunday!

2009-01-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

I am so pumped to make some changes this year! I know that I cannot just magically convert my lifestyle and start doing everything at once that I want to do. Therefore, I am going to take it week by week and hopefully can adopt many new, healthful habits in 2009. I believe in the saying, "Slow and steady wins the race" and know that doing small changes will, little by little, make a big difference overall.

Wanna join? It's easy! Just check out my blog every Sunday for the week's new challenge. Here are some reminders on how it all works:

1. Every Sunday, I will post my one new challenge for the week. It will be a small thing that I am either giving up, a habit that I am trying to adopt or a modification to perhaps a previous challenge that needed tweaking (though I hope this is rare.)

2. Challenges will start officially on Monday and continue indefinitely. Even though there is a new challenge each week, the idea is to build on the challenges. Therefore, week 1 challenge continues even when week 2 challenge begins. I am trying to build habits and make small changes that will produce effective results for overall goals.

3. Bringing Up Twins readers are invited to participate in the challenges each week or follow their own challenge. I know my goals may not be the same as others, so if you would like to be a part of TLC, but don't like the challenges, by all means, create your own and go for it!

4. I will share my previous week's results with you all and invite you to do the same. When I post the new challenge on Sunday, I will share my results of the previous week's challenge and any other highlights to past challenges as appropriate. You are free to make any comments about the challenges. Also, if you create your own challenge, I would love to know what it was. It may become a future challenge for me, who knows!

Also, I wanted to give you some more information about how the post each week will look. I want to keep the post identifiable to my readers (you will know it is a TLC post so you can read or run away!) I want to keep it organized so not only do you know about the challenge, but also understand why it is one of my challenges. Therefore, every challenge will have the following criteria:

What is the challenge?
Why is it a challenge?
How do we go about doing the challenge?
Who does the challenge include?
Other important information to help (resources, guides, suggested books, etc.)

Also, since it is only one challenge per week, it can be a challenge relating to any of the below categories. I want to keep the challenges as organized as possible, so you will see a category identifier on each challenge, so you know what to expect. My categories will include:

Health
Finance
Family
Faith
Personal

Also, remember these are challenges, not goals. They are going to be things we can do to help with overall goals. Therefore, a challenge will never be "lose weight." That doesn't help me to actually lose weight, that is just me saying it out loud. Instead, I will modify my daily menu, incorporate activity into my week and make decisions for healthful living.

These are my challenges so you are invited to participate, but you can also create your own if these don't apply to you and still want to be part of making 2009 a year of exciting growth and development!

Lastly, I want to assure you all (in case any of you were pacing back and forth fuming about this whole project) that although TLC will continue to be a weekly post this year, I will also bring more exciting twin stuff for all of my readers. So don't fret, there will be something for everyone!

See you Sunday!

A Few Of My Favorite Things: My Favorite Posts Of 2008

2008-12-31T11:19:00.001-08:00

This week, I am wrapping up 2008 with some reviews and awards. Each post will contain information about twinmama's picks for the year, so stayed tuned for a new topic each time.

On this final day of 2008, I wanted to share with you all my favorite posts from this year. Some of them are mine, but some of them are yours, too! For everyone that reads my blog, I am truly appreciative and there is a big reason that I hang out at your place, too. I am addicted to all of your blogs and enjoy reading about what is going on in your neck of the woods. So please accept my humblest gratitude (grovel, grovel) for sharing in my little world here in twinland.

Now, let the Bringing Up Twins list begin!

1. Our Walk (8/15/08) I think this post was the first time that I finally got into the groove of writing on my blog. I loved the experience of strolling around taking in the sights of my present and reflecting on my past.

2. They Won't Stop Dripping! (9/3/2008) This was my funny little way of categorizing various forms of snot. If you missed it, you just have to go check it out. Next time you have a round of colds in your house, then you will be prepared.

3. Thanks, Dad (12/15/2008) I received my highest number of comments on this post and I have to admit that I cried all the way through writing it. Although it was a recent post, it was one that I really liked.

Now. I have received a few awards over the past few months and I am so thankful for those! I wanted to do something special and do a "Bringing Up Twins" award, but I didn't think that anyone would want a BUT award. Hmm...so instead, I am offering my favorite posts from some of my favorite blogs and at the end I will tell you what you all won. (Hee Hee, brace yourself.)

1.Me....pregnant again? This HAS to be a joke, right? (12/11/2008) Helene at I'm Living Proof That God Has a Sense of Humor is a mother of TWO sets of twins. (That is four kids to those that are mathematically challenged.) Her posts are amazing, so it was really hard to pick just one, but this post literally had me holding my breath and about as nervous as you can get. You just have to read it to understand what I mean.

2. Tales from the Shower (9/2/2008) Jen at Happily-Ever-After-Land is so creative and hilarious. Her take on what it is like to take a shower while your toddler is on the loose is so on the mark! She has a humorous style to her writing that makes every post an enjoyable read. This post made me laugh so hard that I just had to show it to twindada who got a kick out of it, too.

3. Barbie vs. Bratz (11/21/2008) I struggled with what post to pick of Kim's at The Mommy Machine. She has an amazing sense of humor and very witty. She has four daughters and the youngest are twin girls, so she lives in the world of pink, too. Her comparison of Barbie and Bratz dolls had me laughing out loud - check it out!

There you have it! It was hard for me to just pick three blogs because I have a ton of favorite blogs that I frequent. I am looking forward to more entertaining and informative posts from my blogosphere posse.

Now, do you want to know what you all above won? Well...if you stroll on over to Bringing Up Twins you will notice this page is not available. Well, that is because I own it now! Whoo Hoo! I am the proud owner of www.bringinguptwins.com. I couldn't believe that it was available, but alas (there is that word again), it was and I snatched it up before someone else got the chance.

I know you are thinking, "okay, twinmama, what does this have to do with me?" Well, here is the vision. Come mid-late February after I have wrestled twindada to the ground to get it all set up, I plan on going live with my new site and saying goodbye to ole blogger. With the new site will come the same old posts you have seen from me along with some other features that I will talk about down the road. So, winners, you will receive a placement on my website!

Okay, it is not as exciting as you thought, sorry. We run on a very low budget here, we have twins, what do you expect?

So that is my wrap up for the year. Thanks for checking it out and a very blessed New Year to all of you!

A Few Of My Favorite Things: 2008 Memorable Moments

2008-12-30T09:55:00.001-08:00

This week, I am wrapping up 2008 with some reviews and awards. Each post will contain information about twinmama's picks for the year, so stayed tuned for a new topic each time.

So now you know all about my favorite gear, let me stroll down memory lane and give you my favorite memories for 2008. These are times over the past year when the twinfamily experienced highs and lows - all of which make a year memorable.

1. The girls' first birthday. I don't know if it is a twin thing, but when Peanut and Jelly Bean turned one year old in February, I felt like this huge weight had been taken off my shoulders. I certainly knew that we have, oh, well, a lifetime of worry and challenge waiting for us as parents, but getting through the first twelve months was a blessed moment. I remember the first three months of the girls' lives were pure utter hell (sorry, I just can't sugarcoat it) and then life just got a little easier going forward. By six months, they were getting to be fun with their little personalities blooming. By twelve months, we saw tremendous change as their learning went into high gear. The girls' were retaining words, saying words and able to bring us things that we asked them to find. Going from helpless little blobs of spit up and poo (trust me, I do miss it sometimes) to active little sponges was wonderful.

2. My Little Coaches. Back in the spring, I obtained my one of my two favorite items of all time - my double jogging stroller. (What is my other favorite item? My Kitchenaid stand mixer. You know, one to make the cookies and other one to burn off the cookies. It's the circle of life, right?) The girls and I got out on the open, cough, sidewalk and started running. It was a great time and the girls really liked it. I think when I would slow down or walk, they would start kicking and getting fussy, so I would have to start running again. I was forced to workout. How wonderful is that? Our new home doesn't have sidewalks, but we do have a bike path nearby so once we get another car, I can get back out there will my little ones. Looking forward to it.

3. Slamming Of The Doors. At the end of 2007, twindada and I decided that I would start to look for full time work. We figured as the girls were coming up on their first birthday that it was time for them to go into daycare and for me to resume my career. I have to admit that I was not all for this, but also knew that we wanted to buy a home and felt this was the only way for us to make that happen. I was, of course, willing to do whatever it would take to provide for my family. I have a pretty good background so within a couple of week, I had two really good job leads. When January hit, I started having interviews at both companies and both would have been excellent opportunities. I went through several rounds of interviews at each and went in with full force telling them that I was ready to come back to work and that I was eager to advance my career. However my heart was heavy because I knew that I really wanted to be home with my girls. I didn't want anyone else to have the opportunity to be with them everyday because having spent a year at home with them I knew how wonderful it really was. I continued to pray that God would work out everything somehow, but it didn't seem like things would work out the way that I wanted. Both job leads took considerable amount of interviewing and both managers would give me positive feedback, so I just knew that I was going to get one of those opportunities. After several months into the process, I heard back from one of the places they were hiring someone else. I was surprised, but not upset at all. In fact, I was relieved. And then in a matter of 48 hours, I receive word the other job was frozen until the end of the year. My response should have been concern, but instead I thanked God and was so incredibly relieved again. I talked to twindada about what had happened and when he said these words, I just knew my prayers were answered, "I think someone is trying to tell us something. I haven't felt good about this either." So, sometimes when doors to opportunities are closed, we are sad about this and question why God would let that happen, but I truly believe these doors were not just closed, He slammed them shut! Both were leading to promising positions and for both to be stripped away so quickly and abruptly, I just knew that He was answering my prayers. I do work from home now part time, but I get to stay home with my girls and I thank God for that.

4. Our New Digs. I think that if I went back over my posts, there are probably a lot of instances where I have complained about all the moving and remodeling that is taking place at our new home. Putting that all aside, trust me, I love my new home and I am very thankful for it. I know that God was at work on making this all happen because the market is not so hot right now, but He is faithful and knew this was our goal, so again, thank you God. On the outside, our home looks tiny. When we first drove up to it, I thought there was no way we could all live in a shoebox, but looks can be deceiving. This house is like Snoopy's doghouse. Looks small on the outside, but inside has more room than we can possibly use right now. (Except the space we do want to use in being remodeled - but I am done ranting about that!) What I love about it is that it is a home for us to grow in. So many of the homes we looked at were very nice and move in ready (so-to-speak), but we would have already outgrown the space before we moved in. We are a six person/beast household after all. As the girls grow up they will have more room in this home and if we decide to have any more children, then we will have space for additional members, too. (No, I am not implying anything. No babies right now!)

5. My Entry to the Blogosphere. One day in July, I was cruising around on wahm.com and a forum thread caught my eye about blogging. I thought, "hmmm..I like to write. I wonder what that is all about." Next thing I know, I have created my blogger account and "Bringing Up Twins" was born. Within a couple of weeks, I attempted to start two other blogs, but then I got real and scrapped those and focused my efforts on this blog. Overtime, I found other blogs and made some connections, joined some clubs, learned what the heck "twitter" was and now I have a little posse of blogging buddies that I really admire. Yes, I am talking to all of you. You all rock! I talk about you all more than I do anything else in my life to my husband. I usually start my conversation with him like this, "One of the blogs I read, well, she does this and this and this and that really works for her so I think that I need to try that." or "You have got to read this and this, her blog is so funny!" or "I wish that I could meet some of my blogging buddies, I think we would have a lot of fun together." I love to say that I am a blogger and it has opened up so much creativity and joy in my life that I was missing.

6. Our Major Fault. Not everything can go perfect in a year, right? I think that is realistic to say that with joys comes challenges and we definitely experienced our fair share this year. We did some things right while we did other things way wrong. However there was one that twindada and I both feel that we failed at and it was this: Keeping God first. Sometimes we did okay at talking to Him about what was going on in our lives, but many times especially over the past six months, He has been sidelined quite a bit from our perspective. We stopped going to church and I stopped my daily devotionals. Although I do stay consistent with evening prayer, I didn't give Him my first everyday. Despite all of this, He continued to protect us and bless us, but I think back at how much easier it could have been if we would have given the controls to the Lord and rely on Him to make the decisions. After all, He knows best.

Looking back over a year at accomplishments and challenges really helps to put to perspective what is working in our lives and what needs some adjustment. I know some things that I need to do next year, but I also know that it is impossible to predict how the new year will turn out. That may make it scary, but it also makes it pretty exciting.

One more day of 2008, people! Bring on the new year - we will be ready.

A Few Of My Favorite Things: The Gear That Kept Us Going

2008-12-29T18:49:00.000-08:00

This week, I am wrapping up 2008 with some reviews and awards. Each post will contain information about twinmama's picks for the year, so stayed tuned for a new topic each time.

So how exactly do we keep those babies washed, fed, clothed and entertained? I wish that I could say it was my amazing charm and talent that keeps Peanut and Jelly Bean in tip top shape, but alas I would be lying...did I just say 'alas'? Okay, so here are my top favorite items that got us through the year...

1. Keeping My Sanity - There are strollers and then there are jogging strollers or "joggers". And yet again there are double jogging strollers. Not all strollers are alike and certainly not all jogging strollers are meant for running. (That is kind of strange, isn't it?) But if you like to run and have two itie-bities to travel with, then the BOB Duallie Sport Utility stroller is for you. It has a 16 inch, stationary front wheel, serious off-roading tires, emergency hand brake, comfortable child straps and well, it just looks sweet. I chose red, but it also comes in blue. Buy one today.

2. Cleaning Up After the Little Ones. How many messes are you cleaning up? I clean up a ton of whatever on a regular basis. I started searching for a product that I felt comfortable using around the girls that would eliminate the mess, but also seem safer. That is when I discovered Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface Cleaner. It is awesome. I use it to clean their booster seats, toys, potty chairs, door handles, kitchen counters, anywhere. It eliminates germs, but it safe to use around children, pets and spaces where food is prepared.

3. Keeping Those Bottoms Healthy. There are a ton of diaper rash ointments on the market and they all do a pretty decent job at eliminating red tushes, however I was turned on to a product that few people that I know at least have heard about it. It is called Resinol. The active ingredients in the ointment are petrolatum (skin protectorant) and resorcinol (topical analgesic) and the inactive ingredients are lanolin, calamine, corn starch and zinc oxide. Most brands only contain one of these ingredients, but Resinol has them all. Since it contains calamine, it can only be applied four times a day, but healing begins quickly. No prescription is needed, but you may have to ask your pharmacist to order.

4. A Place For the Kiddos To Eat. Thank you, Fisher Price Space Saver High Chairs. I have recently retired these high chairs, but for over a year and a half they have been essential for our family. They fit directly onto an existing chair, so they do not take up any more room than necessary. I have two concerns about these chairs that I hope that someone at ole' F-P could address: Make the cover machine washable and also make the cover fit over the sides of the seat so food can't slip underneath. Other than that, a good alternative for the cramped kitchen.

5. Keeping Them Busy. When Peanut and Jelly Bean were 12 months old, I pulled out the Baby Einstein Alphabooks box and let them open it and explore. An hour later, yes, you heard right, they were still playing with all the books. This product is amazing! It is a cardboard box containing 26 individual alphabet books. In each book there are three pages with a word on each page and a picture or photograph of the word. To this day, the girls love to sit and look through these books and the fact they come in a box is a total bonus. God love the friend who bought them for the girls!

There you have it, folks! I could go on, but then my list wouldn't be very special now, would it? I hope that I have given you a little glimpse into our past year and I hope next year that I can tell you the Baby Bjorn potty chairs rock, too. (But we will see, we are still in testing mode here at the twinfamily house.)

Stay tuned for my next installment!

The Week In A Nutshell

2008-12-26T11:27:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful, healthy and safe Christmas! It is a blessed time to reflect on Jesus' birth and sacrifice with our loved ones.

I clearly fell off the face of the earth for the past week, which is like a month in the blogosphere. Where did the time go? Oh yeah, I was shopping, cooking and catching up on everything that I have been procrastinating on for the past month. This year was a little off for us over here in twinfamily land. With our new house still in the midst of a remodel, we didn't really have a lot of places to go with Christmas decorations which is kind of annoying because we have a decent size house now, but quite a bit of it is not live-able space until we finish up our projects. (I asked Santa to refinish the hardwood floors this week, but I guess he doesn't do that kind of thing. Oh well.)

In addition, some kind stranger gave us another present - a wrecked car. Twindada's car was hit from behind coming home on a busy interstate. Thank God, he was not hurt, however we can't say the same about his car. It is an efficient car for his very long commute, but it is very old, so we expect the insurance company will just total it. We weren't planning on buying another car right now, so we will be down to one. Joy!

The girls had a good time opening their gifts. They got a lot of stuff, so I bagged their old toys. I figure down the road, I can switch the toys out again and they won't get bored easily. We have Dora merchandise everywhere. One thing that I personally was excited about was the girls got potty chairs! Hurray! We have been using them for a couple days and Peanut has gone twice in the potty. I was pretty pumped about it. Jelly Bean patiently sits there, but she hasn't figured it out yet. I know she will. It's a whole new concept (for me, too), so we just have to keep working on it.

So, that is what has been going on in our world here. Sorry, this is probably my lamest post (rant) ever, but I wanted give you a reminder and announcements and let you all know that I am alive.

Next stop? New Year's! Bring on the appetizers, snack food and booze!

(Okay, this is my house, clearly we all celebrate differently!)

In the meantime, chew on this and I will be back next week with better quality material:

* Don't forget about Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge! I will kick things off on Sunday, January 4th, 2009. Also, next week I will give you some more information to help you prepare for what is to come.

* Next week, I will bring you some 2008 reviews and awards to wrap up the year.

* Next year, besides TLC, big things are on the move. I don't want to spill it all just yet, but let me give you one little hint: I need to find some blogo-sized cardboard boxes!

I'm A Mean Mom

2008-12-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

The other day I had a conversation with someone who was explaining to me that another mother was having a hard time with her child. After much frustration, she would just give in and give the child whatever he or she wanted. She said, "I just want to make my child happy."

My immediate response to this was, "You should never do that!" Immediately, we started laughing because of what I said. It sounded harsh and funny for me to even go there, but perhaps there is some truth to me saying this.

Now, I absolutely love to see my children happy. I can't wait for Santa Claus to swing by and to see their little faces as they open their presents. (We are having a Dora the Explorer Christmas - so much of what they are getting is Dora that they will probably not like Dora anymore!) And I love to watch twindada play with them and watch them giggle wildly as he gets on the floor with them and flies them through the air or they use him as a big play gym. I can't wait until this spring when we can go to the zoo and see all the baby animals. I know that will make them very happy and because of that, I will be very happy.

The type of "happy" that I don't like is when parents give in to their kids to the point where it is turning them into brats or putting them on a path to an unsafe or unhealthy life. I don't think that it is wise to always allow your child that extra cookie (for example) every time they ask for one. This type of indulgence is setting the child up for a) thinking they can have anything they want at anytime and b) creating unhealthy eating habits.

I am all for picking our battles. I know that as parents there are times when we just break and can't deal with the whining one more minute so sticking a cookie in the child's mouth is the best option at that moment. I get this. I have been there before and know that I will be there again...probably sooner than I would like.

However it's important to consider a question when it comes to parenting and it is this, "Who is running the show?" If a child makes one peep and every person over 5 feet tall jumps, then the answer is obvious. I have heard of parents who are almost afraid of their kids and don't want to see them cry or freak out. Just watch The Nanny on television. I sit there in amazement wondering how parents could let that child get that bad. I know that all families have struggles and kids go through stages where they are unruly and difficult to correct, but I also know that issues have to be dealt with and not ignored which seems to be the common thread for all of the families on this show.

Sweeping things under the rug and allowing a child to get away with anything won't make them happy for very long because they will get bored. If a child is always getting a cookie, then next time, they will know they can cry and get a candy bar or a car or whatever. Of course, it is okay to give our children things, but it needs to be justified or because we think they deserve it, not because they told us they want it and want it now. When we give a child something they don't deserve, not only do they not give anything in return, but they actually lack respect for their parents.

So, I am a mean mom, proudly speaking. My kids are quite young and already the testing of the waters has begun. Peanut asks me all day long for a cookie. She is very sweet about it and I could really indulge her and give her one each time she asks, but we wouldn't have any left for the rest of the week! So, instead, I tell her "no", but then at designated snack times, she is allowed the cookie she waited patiently for all day. Some parents are probably thinking, "Oh, c'mon! It is just a silly cookie! Give it to her!" Well, I say that withholding that silly cookie until it is time to enjoy it is far better and tastier than the 10 cookies she would possibly shovel into her mouth all day. And it is far better for me and twindada that she understands there are rules and we expect her to follow them.

It isn't a perfect science especially with very young children. They are by the very nature of being babies the most egocentric beings on this planet. They truly believe that the world revolves around them. No other child or adult comes close to importance in their eyes. That is why setting ground rules for what is tolerated and what is not is essential for a twin parent. I don't solely love Peanut. I also equally love Jelly Bean. What I do for one or don't do for one, I have to do for the other. I work really hard to be fair to the girls and treat them equally as this is an important part of my mission as a mother of twins. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fall short, but I keep a conscious effort to try.

Being a mean mom means loving my children enough to know the difference between the child that cries who needs something and the child that cries who wants something. I really don't let crying bother me too much. I have had many times over the past couple of months where one of my girls has flopped down on the floor for a good old fashion tantrum and I just walk over and make sure that toys are out of her way and she is safe and then I let her do what she has to do. I don't respond or even let her think she has an audience. In seconds, the tantrum is over and she goes back to normal play. No biggie. Life goes on. And she still didn't get what she wanted.

It's working now...will it work in the future? Hard telling...but one thing that I have learned over the past 22 months is stay consistent. If something is clearly not working, then of course I re-direct my efforts to better ways of dealing with the issue. I do consult moms that I respect and ask for advice, ask my doctor (she rocks) and then I remember who I am dealing with and tailor it around that personality type. However if I don't stay consistent enough, there is massive confusion. Children don't "magically" know the ground rules like you and I do. And we didn't "magically" know them when we were their age either. We were told what is expected of us and it became ingrained into our heads to the point that it is common knowledge for us, but to a little one this is whole new stuff. That is why children test and why when children are shown the boundaries respond better than those who are given a free-for-all.

So, again, I am a mean mom. I love my kids, I want them to be happy, but I won't compromise their development by giving into their every indulgence. When my girls are older and someone asks them to describe their mom, I would love to hear these 3 words - tough, fair and loving.

Tough - "Mom was strict sometimes, but she was reasonable, we respected her and know she did it for our advantage."

Fair - "We never had to worry that Mom loved someone more than the other. She gave her heart equally to us both."

Loving - "She loved us more than her own breath. She cuddled us, kissed us and made sure that we knew how special we were to her every day."

I love them enough to know that the proper placements of "Yes's" and "No's" will only help them to grow into healthy, well manner adults.

Isn't that what we are trying to do anyway?

Thanks, Dad

2008-12-15T06:12:00.000-08:00

In October, it had been 15 years since my Dad died. I typically tend to ignore the fact that my Dad died in October and get through the month without any sad recourse. However around this time of year, all of those emotions come flooding my heart and force me to consider the fact that he isn't here anymore.

I always thought that every year it would be easier to deal with - that if time heals all wounds then I should not be sad anymore. Life goes on. And I thought the sting of not having someone in my life anymore - even a person who gave me life - well, I would eventually just move on.

In some ways, I guess I have. I got through high school, graduated from college, found the love of my life, did well in my chosen profession and then had two very wonderful little girls who I now get to stay home and raise. I haven't let grief stop me from being the very best version of me because Dad didn't raise me like that.

Mom and Dad both always told me and my brothers that we could do anything that we set our minds to. I think this is very sound advice because it builds up a child to know he or she can be anything, but there is one condition: You must work hard for it and believe in it. Without this, it is impossible to really persevere at anything. I think this advice is so incredibly amazing because in everything that I have ever really wanted to do, I have succeeded. And I know it's because my parents taught me to not ask for hand outs or expect that I would be perfect at everything. (This is something that I am concerned younger generations don't quite grasp with the "give me, give me right now" attitudes.) Instead my parents have always lifted us up to believe that hard work produces good results and to strive for the very best versions of ourselves.

I asked my Mom last weekend what Dad would think of the fact that we named Peanut after him. Her real first name was my Dad's middle name. She said that he would have loved it. It was a bold move naming a child after someone that I miss dearly because I have a daily reminder of my Dad. I try to imagine what my Dad would be like with all of his grandchildren.

Dad was a hard working man. He worked his tail off to provide for us. We always had what we needed and a few things that we wanted. It was a modest upbringing, but one where I never felt like I was neglected in anything with the exception of one: My Dad's time. He worked so hard to make ends meet for us that he was literally spent by the time he got home from work. As a working adult, I now understand this. If he wasn't working, he was fixing something or helping someone else out. He was always on the go.

When he got sick and ended up in the hospital, he had a moment of realization where he told my mom that things were going to be different. He was going to spend less time working and more time with his family. I remember being so excited thinking this was huge for our family - we would actually go on vacations and he would be around. And then one day during a routine procedure, he passed away.

All of those hopes that this was merely a turning point in his life and not the end of his life were gone. He had realized the one thing that was the most important part of this thing called life, but it was too late. We were left devastated and broken. Something that I don't think any of us have ever really gotten over.

I remember at his funeral as we were driving to the cemetery, this little voice called out to me. It said, this is the end of the first chapter of your life. Tomorrow begins chapter two. It is time to make some decisions about how you are going to live YOUR life. And so at that moment, I knew what I was going to set my mind to. I was going to college.

Now, I didn't make the very best decisions in chapter two. I became quite the self destructive type because of my grief. I turned from God and I shook my fist at Him and decided that I would follow my own path. I would go my own way and it didn't matter if it hurt me or not. I was already hurting.

Luckily, God had other plans for me. He helped me to dodge a huge bullet in marrying the wrong person. He pulled me away from people who were out to hurt me and take advantage of me. He gave me direction on how to find my profession and make a good living. And then he gave me the gift of a lifetime...my husband and children.

My husband had pulled away from God, too. He was questioning the bible and it's legitimacy, but he grew up with God-loving family members as I had. We made a lot of of bad decisions together, but God never gave up on us. He worked on us until there was nothing left of our stubbornness and we humbly fell before Him.

Lately I have been thinking about the advice my Dad gave to me. When I was little, I used to think that it meant that if I want to be a doctor or a lawyer or any other profession, with hard work I could be. And perhaps that is what he meant, too. But now, as I sit here in my home with my little ones, I have a whole new appreciation for this advice. For it doesn't just fit how to approach a career, but how to approach life.

I am setting my mind to being the very best mother and wife possible. And I know it takes more than luck to accomplish this. I have to set my mind to being there for them, loving them, disciplining them constructively and most importantly, setting them on a path to make the best decisions for their lives. A path that is not all their own, like I stumbled down. But a path that God prepares and holding His hand,they are able to set their minds to do what may seem impossible for Him.

This time of year, I miss my Dad. I miss him because of the time we had and the time that we didn't have. But I remember this time of year is also a celebration for my other Father. My Lord, who came into this world as a sweet little baby only be hung on a wooden cross short years later to His death. My Father who I have never hugged in a physical sense, but lives forever and loves me enough to redeem me and never give up on me.

During chapter two, I felt fatherless. I felt cheated and alone. I had a father, but he was no more on this earth, but in heaven now. It was a dark time in my life, but thankfully, I was saved to move into the next chapter of my life. And in this life, I have a Father. He loves me and I love Him. He will never leave me.

Just as I am setting my mind to be the best mother and wife, I am going to be the best child of God, too.

That is the least I can do for my Dad.

Quit Your Whining!

2008-12-12T19:43:00.001-08:00

This week, I hereby designated our house a "NWZ". This stands for "No Whining Zone." Peanut and Jelly Bean have decided that even when there is nothing to be upset about, they will whine and fuss. They could be smiling and still whining at the same. It is getting under my skin...but thought I would give it a whirl once and see if it made me feel better. And since it isn't socially appropriate or legal for that matter for me to stand in the middle of the grocery store and have a tantrum, I am going to have a blog tantrum...

Wahh! I have to get out of bed because Peanut and Jelly Bean are up and are yelling, "Mommy!" I want to change my name! Wahh! I have to change two sets of diapers, change their clothes and carry them downstairs for breakfast. Booo-Hoooo!! They actually want to eat breakfast, why can't they fix it themselves? How hard is it to pour some milk and grab the cereal...why do I have to do it? I want to go back to bed....wahhhh....

Sniffle-sniffle...I just want to drink a cup of coffee and relax for a bit before I start my day...but instead I am re-filling sippy cups, making sure that little girls are playing nice and trying to teach them something constructive for the day....

Everyone is settled for now...I could relax now, but I should really do some work...wahhh!!!

I finally get to put in some work and then a poop cloud hits the room. Wahh!! I have to change a poopy diaper....

...WAHH! I just put away the diaper supplies and 5 minutes later, the other girl has a poopy diaper...

Booo-Hooo! Life is so unfair! I have to feed them lunch now...they have to eat again? Wahh!!

Nap time...my time...but wait, no it isn't my time. It is work if I can, then dishes, laundry, sweeping, moping, picking up to do. WAH!!

Give me two hours to get some stuff done...please...I need that time...but wait! Peanut wakes up only after an hour...I try to sneak out of the room with her, but then Jelly Bean wakes up immediately and gets mad because I am leaving her behind....sobbing...

More diaper changes, sippy cups, playing, watching Noggin....wahh! Why can't we ever watch what I want to watch on TV? WAAAAH!!

Now it is time to make dinner, there is nothing to fix....boo hooo...figure out something while girls are occupied by Noggin...the song on Wow Wow Wubzy drives me crazy! Wah!

Dinner is okay, but the girls won't touch it....sniffle sniffle...

While the girls are eating, I make myself a plate and eat wishing that twindada was already home and we were eating together, but he has an hour and a half commute, so that isn't going to happen...boo hooo...

Time to wash dishes, twindada arrives home safely, eats his own dinner and plays with the girls while I clean up the kitchen...once I am finished with the kitchen, I go to run bathwater for the girls. I have to give them baths now! WAH!!

The crazy little girls are splashing me with water. Wah!

Their clean sleepers are downstairs in the dryer...wah!

Finally get them to sleep...whew...

I can finally relax. No wait, I still have more work to do. I will be up late. And then I can sleep for a little bit and do it all over again the next day. WAHH!

Wow, I kind of feel better...maybe I should have that tantrum in the middle of the grocery store...

Wash Your Hands!

2008-12-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

This week, December 7th through December 13th is National Hand Washing Awareness week. Didn't know there was such a thing? Well, neither did I until recently. It is amazing to me that we have to have a week dedicated to teaching people to wash their grimy little paws, but if that is what it takes, then I am all for it.

There is an art to washing your hands. Some people think a little water trickled over their nubs will do the trick, but that just isn't so. Others think that applying strong anti-bacterial soap to their hands is essential to eliminating germs and this isn't true either. Multiple studies have found there is no difference between the amount of bacteria cleaned off hands from anti-bacterial soaps versus plain soaps. Yet, over 70% of all hand soaps are marketed as anti-bacterial. Avoid these because there is concern over-usage of anti-bacterial chemicals will build up a resistance to these types of products. Also, many people get extremely dry skin from anti-bacterial hand soap.

Here are the steps for washing hands correctly:

1. Have the following supplies available when you wash your hands: mild hand soap, paper towel, nail brush and water source. (Okay, this last one should be a no-brainer for us, but since some people don't wash their hands, I wanted to be a little more specific.)

2. Turn water on to a comfortable warm temperature.

3. Apply soap and rigorously rub hands under the water. It isn't the amount of soap you use that cleans your hands, but rather is the rigorous rubbing that will wash away the bacteria. Don't forget to do this step, it really works.

(Pay attention to between fingers, tops of hands, bottom of hands and WRISTS. Yep, wrists! You know that transitional part between your arm and your hand? They get dirty, too, and are a major source of germs for most people because few take time to actually wash them.)

4. Turn off water. (See, I am eco-friendly!) Take nail brush and focus on scrubbing your fingernails. Focus on the nail bed and underneath your nails. A lot of nastiness is left under fingernails and few consider cleaning them out. Don't believe me? Well, how many diapers have YOU changed today? How were those chips this afternoon? Ewwww....

5. Turn water back on to rinse and rigorously rub hands together again. Don't forget to rinse off those soapy wrists!

6. Grab paper towel and dry hands. Use paper towel to turn off water, too.

7. In a public restroom? Take another paper towel to open that germy door.

Just one word of caution to you anti-bacterial gel users: If you decide to carry anti-bacterial gel with you to use between diaper changes or after you shake someone's hand (yeah, I have seen this) remember to keep the product AWAY from your little ones. This gel contains enough alcohol in it to cause sickness if your child consumes it.

Easy, huh? Then why don't more people wash their hands?? What is the problem?

TLC Coming January 4th, 2009!

2008-12-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

As previously posted, in 2009 Bringing Up Twins is kicking off "Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge" on Sunday, January 4th, 2009. Here are the details once again:

1. Every Sunday, I will post my one new challenge for the week. It will be a small thing that I am either giving up, a habit that I am trying to adopt or a modification to perhaps a previous challenge that needed tweaking (though I hope this is rare.)

2. Challenges will start officially on Monday and continue indefinitely. Even though there is a new challenge each week, the idea is to build on the challenges. Therefore, week 1 challenge continues even when week 2 challenge begins. I am trying to build habits and make small changes that will produce effective results for overall goals.

3. Bringing Up Twins readers are invited to participate in the challenges each week or follow their own challenge. I know my goals may not be the same as others, so if you would like to be a part of TLC, but don't like the challenges, by all means, create your own and go for it!

4. I will share my previous week's results with you all and invite you to do the same. When I post the new challenge on Sunday, I will share my results of the previous week's challenge and any other highlights to past challenges as appropriate. You are free to make any comments about the challenges. Also, if you create your own challenge, I would love to know what it was. It may become a future challenge for me, who knows!

Have you thought about it? Are you in? So, for $19.95 a month, you can be part of this amazing program...Ha! Did I get you? There are NO fees, commitment cards, raising your right arm and promising your first born, nothing. Just join when you want to or read along while I try to make some positive lifestyle changes to get inspired (or laugh at me, it's okay, I am sure it will be humorous.)

So, get ready for 52 little ways to help make 2009 the best year ever! Remember, the challenge starts Sunday, January 4th, 2009! (Hmmm...wonder how many times I can say that....)

Work At Home Mafia Contest!

2008-12-05T06:48:00.001-08:00

This blog is not a work at home opportunity blog like some, but since I am a work at home mom I just had to mention the contest that started today at Work At Home Mafia. (Please note the actual address is this, but it is undergoing some site maintenance currently.)

Between today, December 5, 2008 through December 12, 2008, if registered members write 10 posts on the site, you are entered to win 1 of 12 prizes! There are some seriously good stuff over there and I know all of us would love a little something for ourselves or to help with Christmas shopping! If you are not a registered member, it is easy and free to become one.

Prizes are:
$100 Visa Gift Card
Ipod Shuffle
Brother - Fax/ Phone/ Copier
$50 Walmart Gift Card
SwissGear SA9367 Computer Backpack (Blue)
Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Gift Basket
LeapFrog® Tag Reading System
Iron Man DVD
Sex In the City DVD
$25 Amazon Gift Card
$50 Restaurant.com Gift Card
$25 Cash via paypal

Sounds good, huh? Well, after you have spent ample time reading my blog, then head over there to get yourself set up to win some good stuff.

And since we are on the subject, let me share my favorite work at home websites (beside the one linked above) for all of you out there that may be looking for some opportunities:

www.wahm.com
www.workplacelikehome.com
www.genuinejobs.com
Work At Home Mom Revolution

At all of these websites you can find legitimate work at home opportunities as well as some scammers, so please do your research before applying to a position. There are some great opportunities for those looking for a telecommute job, but like anything on the web there are always those out there wanting to spoil it.

Good luck and happy Friday!

...now we will return you to the regular scheduled programming...a la...twins...

Nooooo!!

2008-12-02T11:55:00.000-08:00

Here are a series of scenarios for when to use the word, "No."

Mealtime:

twinmama: "Jelly Bean, eat your green beans."
Jelly Bean: "Nooooo!!"

Playtime:

twinmama: "Jelly Bean, please do not climb up on that shelf."
Jelly Bean: "Nooooo!!"

Naptime:

twinmama: "Jelly Bean, time to take a nap."
Jelly Bean: "No."

Discussing Aspirations:

twinmama: "Do you want to be a teacher when you grow up?"
Peanut: "No."
Jelly Bean: "Nooo..."
twinmama: "Do you want to be an astronaut?"
Both: "No!"
twinmama: "Do you want to be a lion tamer?"
Peanut: "(silence)" (...should I be worried?)
Jelly Bean: "...nooooo" (She had to think about it...)

Out of the Blue:

Jelly Bean: "NOOOO!!"

(Nothing happened. No one said a word to her...She just got really mad.)

Disciplining the Dogs:

Peanut: "No, no!" (As she shakes her finger at the dog...yeah...I really need to re-evaluate my discipline style....)

Twinmama sneezed:

twinmama: "Excuse me."
Jelly Bean: "No."

Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge (TLC)!

2008-11-30T18:42:00.000-08:00

Do you need a little "TLC" next year? Are you ready to make resolutions for 2009 and are hoping you can keep them? Are you optimistic that next year just HAS to be better than this year?

I think there are a lot of people that are going through tough times right now. Some people will attempt to make New Year's resolutions while others will say, "Why bother? I never keep them anyway!"

No matter what camp you fall into when it comes to New Year's resolutions, allow me to give you a third, intriguing option. For about two months, I have been pondering a way to kick 2009 off with smart, healthful decisions and making changes to my life that will help me to be the best version of myself. Then it occurred to me that if I chronicle this journey, I would put myself out there thus making it REALLY difficult to slough off. Well, I am all about a little self-inflicted pain.

Then I thought, "Wow, if I post my journey, maybe others will want to come along for the ride."

And that is where you come in.

I am not suggesting that my loyal readers NEED to make any changes, by all means, I already know you are all perfect because you have impeccable tastes seeing as you read my blog. (Tee Hee) I just know as mothers we are quite the busy folk and usually we are the last people that we tend to take care of between the husbands and the children. I have not taken care of myself the way that I need to do for a very long time and I am ready for a change.

I am also not suggesting we come up with a list of New Year's resolutions and all of us try to muddle through them until we fail about early February. Personally, I think that resolutions are a joke and usually people bite off way more than they can chew and are destined to fail. I know that I have purchased a many gym memberships in January and by February, I never take out my gym member card ever again. (But, I still am required to pay the monthly fee that I contracted myself into. Nice, huh?)

What I am suggesting is in making very small lifestyle changes that can benefit our health, emotional well-being, our finances, our families, our faith, our hobbies or professional endeavours. Tiny little "tweaks" if you will, that will help to adjust our lifestyles and help us reach our goals in a much less painful way.

So here is Twinmama's Lifestyle Challenge (TLC) plan:

1. Every Sunday, I will post my one new challenge for the week. It will be a small thing that I am either giving up, a habit that I am trying to adopt or a modification to perhaps a previous challenge that needed tweaking (though I hope this is rare.)

2. Challenges will start officially on Monday and continue indefinitely. Even though there is a new challenge each week, the idea is to build on the challenges. Therefore, week 1 challenge continues even when week 2 challenge begins. I am trying to build habits and make small changes that will produce effective results for overall goals.

3. Bringing Up Twins readers are invited to participate in the challenges each week or follow their own challenge. I know my goals may not be the same as others, so if you would like to be a part of TLC, but don't like the challenges, by all means, create your own and go for it!

4. I will share my previous week's results with you all and invite you to do the same. When I post the new challenge on Sunday, I will share my results of the previous week's challenge and any other highlights to past challenges as appropriate. You are free to make any comments about the challenges. Also, if you create your own challenge, I would love to know what it was. It may become a future challenge for me, who knows!

So, are you in? Okay, you don't have to decide right now. I will give you time to think about it. And you can jump in at any point next year, I am not going to make you sign a gym membership contract, I promise. Also, I will write multiple posts on this subject throughout the month of December to get everyone geared up. (So eat up those Christmas cookies now! Game over in January! Ha, just kidding it won't be that bad, I promise.)

I plan on starting the challenge on Sunday, January 4th, 2009. Mark your calendars!

MDA: Milk Drinkers Anonymous

2008-11-29T18:18:00.001-08:00

Back in August, our pediatrician asked me how many ounces of milk the girls were drinking daily. After a moment of calculating the sippy cups throughout the day, I came up with a number over 32 ounces. She politely asked me to lower the amount of whole milk they were drinking down to 24 ounces a day since whole milk is fortified with vitamin D. Excessive amounts of vitamin D can raise the level of iron in the blood and can be harmful. I agreed.

Well, we are still working on limiting their milk intake. I haven't been very diligent in making this happen. The last few months have been so stressful with the move and my jobs that I haven't been following doctor's orders. Unfortunately, my little duo love their milk. They could do a "Got Milk?" ad anytime of the day because they usually have a sippy cup in one hand and are getting into trouble with the other. I do mix water into the equation throughout the day, too, and they don't get to drink fruit juice or soda.

As a result of all the milk drinking has come two little ones who don't want to eat during meal times. I am not unwise to the fact that whole milk is the culprit. After all, whole milk is filled with a good source of protein and fat. One full sippy cup of that stuff and who really would want their dinner? I tried a little swig one time and oh my...I drink soy milk and skim milk if I have to drink cow's milk. That stuff may as well have been heavy cream to me...

Finally this week I decided that it was time to enroll my girls in twinmama's Milk Drinkers Anonymous (MDA) program. I am limiting their milk intake to around 24 ounces a day (3 or 4 - 6 ounce cups). The rest of the time they receive water as normal. The trick to it is they cannot have this milk at mealtime. If given a plate of food and a sippy cup of milk, they will down the milk and then pick at the food. Instead, the milk is staggered between meals and they are served water at mealtime. The only exception to this rule is they are allowed to have a cup or two of milk at breakfast along with their cereal and fruit. This is usually the only source of protein they have in the morning.

The first day there was a baby backlash. I started the day off with a 6 ounce cup of milk along with their breakfast. When they finished this cup, they were offered another cup of milk to drink. At lunchtime, they were given water. When I gave them their cups, they both immediately began drinking. As soon as they took a couple gulps, they realized what it was and sat it down. Peanut tried to hand the cup back to me giving me a look like, "I think you gave me the wrong cup, mom. Try again." Jelly Bean just got really ticked and tried to hand me the cup. When I refused to take either and walked away, sippy cups hit the floor. There were howls of disapproval and cries of frustration. I calmly got their food and laid it down before them. Some food was brushed away as they protested, but again, I calmly got my plate for lunch and my water and sat down at the table with them to eat.

At some point when they realized that twinmama wasn't going to give in, they both started picking at their lunch. After a moment or two, I calmly got up and picked up their sippy cups and placed them back on their trays. They both ate their lunches and had some water. I couldn't believe it. Peanut was always a good eater until lately, but Jelly Bean is horrible about eating and for her to eat her entire meal was proof that their milk drinking habits were getting in the way of them having other important food.

After lunch, they typically play and then settle in for an afternoon nap. After their nap, I allowed them their third cup of milk along with a little snack. They chugged their milk down. Once they finished, they both handed me their cup and said, "More?" while doing the sign language for the word, too. Instead, I got them some water. Again, there was a revolt. Water cups hit the floor and babies flopped on the floor next to the cups sobbing. You would have thought that I was starving these children.

A little while later it was dinner time and we got to experience the lunch stand off all over again. Again, they threw fits over the tasteless liquid that was presented to them, but both girls did decent jobs eating their meals. After dinner, they can have a sippy cup of milk as long as it isn't too late. I stop giving them liquids an hour before bedtime to avoid leaky diapers.

It has been almost a week since I began their "treatment" program and both girls are eating better at meal time. They are getting a healthful and fulfilling amount of whole milk to supplement their diet, but it is not their entire diet. I blame myself for allowing the girls to have too much milk. It was just too easy when one of them would cry. I knew that a sippy cup of milk would calm a crabby baby and I used that method way more than necessary.

I have been thinking a lot about this and I am glad that I am changing this habit. Knowing myself, this is something that I need to do, too. I have often used food as a crutch for a bad day or a sad moment. Sweets are my weakness, but they are also my nemesis because I know they are not healthy for me. I turn to them when I can't seem to cope with something. I have made whole milk into the girls' crutch when they are sad and can't communicate to me what they need.

This has to stop. For all of us.

So, last week, I set out to make my girls' diets healthier. This next week, I need to do the same for me. Time to drop the crutch and find healthful ways to deal with the blues. I want my girls to be healthy and make good decisions so they live enjoyable, long lives.

And it would be good if I do the same so I can see it all happen.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T06:08:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of uncertainties in the world right now. There are so many people out of work or close to lay offs. People are having money trouble and don't know how they are going to keep their homes. I know that we are concerned about our jobs and hope that we can continue to have the security of steady paychecks.

Despite all of this, this is a day to not dwell on the future or even lament on the past. Today is a day to count our blessings. Look around you. Look past all the worries and find the people that are with you on this very day. We have all made it to see another Thanksgiving Day. And in that, we should cherish this very moment.

No matter what the future holds for us, twindada and I are together and we have two very special little girls. Three Thanksgiving Days ago, they were merely a dream. A pipe dream to even think that I would get pregnant much less have twins. Two Thanksgiving Days ago, they were in my belly. I prayed for them to come into this world safely. One Thanksgiving Day ago, I prayed that we would survive the first year with twins and we did. This year, the girls are so much more fun and we look forward to spending time with family that we don't get to see very often. I am going to focus on today and enjoy it for what it is.

I hope you do the same.

The Case of The Lurking Poop Cloud

2008-11-23T20:42:00.000-08:00

It was a boring afternoon. No cases had come my way. I sat in front of my laptop, cruising around on my favorite blogs. Thank God for creative mothers out there to entertain, enlighten and inform me. You know who you are.

Being a detective takes considerable work. I have had to solve mysteries every day since becoming a mom. My most recent case was the missing sippy cup. It was clear that one was missing because twinmamas don't have odd numbers of anything. So, when I was washing sippy cups that had stacked up in the sink and realized there were five...well, that put me into my super sleuthing mode. I got my magnifying glass out and searched the house.

I scanned the playroom for the obvious spots, but my nemesis - the psyche of 21 month old babies - was making sure that I wouldn't discover it. I looked under the couches, the toy shelf and in the toy bins. No sippy cup. As it got late, this private eye called it quits. The case would be there for another day and it was. After breakfast the girls were playing in the room and as I tidied up the kitchen, I happened check in on the girls only to find the missing cup now in the hands of Peanut while she drank the day old who knows what that was still inside it. Never figured out where it was found, but it was promptly confiscated and taken in for questioning. It never confessed.

So, on this day while I was sitting around commenting on my favorite blogs, I was taken back by a cry from a damsel in distress. A moment later, it was followed by another damsel in distress crying. I got up and went upstairs to check on my little duo, but before I could hit the top step, the strongest, gaseous fume smacked me in the face.

It became quite evident the reason why the damsels were in distress. I was now in distress. No man or beast could breath in the presence of this bio hazard. The dogs wouldn't even come upstairs. I made my way to the girls to find them both hanging over the edge of their cribs. I stopped to check out the crime scene before I entered it. Nothing looked suspicious or out of ordinary, just some stuffed animals. Wait! They are all just stuffed animals, right? It does smell like something died in here.

I knew this was a hot case and it had to be resolved quickly for everyone's sake. I decided to inquire who the poop culprit was by asking, "Who poo-pooed?" Both girls stared at me with blank expressions until Peanut grabbed her diaper and said, "Poo Poo." Ah, ha! I have found the guilty party, this case is solved!

However during the diaper change, I discovered that she must have been a decoy because there was no poop to be seen. She was willing to take the fall for her sister, that was big of her, but now I could get her on accessory to releasing a lethal odor. That carried a harsh penalty of having to endure a diaper change while she wanted to play.

Next, I picked up Jelly Bean and decided to interrogate her. "Did you poopy?" I asked. She looked at me, but wouldn't answer. This is highly suspect because she knows more words than Peanut so she probably could answer. She was playing hardball with me. So, I inquired again and she looked at me and gave me her most maniacal laugh, "Heh, heh, heh!" It was at this point that I realized that I had the right lead to the source of this offensive odor.

I prepared myself for the changing of the toxic diaper, but I really should have called in a HazMat team. It was going to be big and a doozy. As I pulled the diaper off, I suddenly found absolutely nothing in the diaper...what?

The case was building now. If neither baby had pooped in their diaper, where did the poop cloud over the room come from? I knew that I would have to investigate further, but fortunately I didn't have to. As I began to wipe Jelly Bean clean, I see a little poop kernel fall from her bottom. It was tiny...but the deadly source of all the nastiness that was in the room.

"That's it?" I looked at Jelly Bean. She giggled as I wrapped up the diaper. I immediately removed it from the area and took the offensive diapers to the trash can outside. The case is solved and clean air fills the upstairs once again.

So another mystery is revealed. As a mother, I am often trying to figure out how to do something for my kids or how to make a situation or routine better. I think this does make me have to put on my detective's hat and solve the case. Often, I learn what works and what doesn't work and how to approach a certain situation.

And I have learned from this case...my kids really need to potty train...

The Images of Mother

2008-11-20T08:09:00.000-08:00

I received this forward email recently that contained little tidbits and quotes about moms. Something really got to me about the piece below. Take a look...

The Images of Mother

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She 's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

Could this stab me in the heart any more? It was interesting because when I read it, I didn't immediately think of my own children. I thought about my relationship with my own mom. I am blessed to still have her in my life and she has done so much for me and my family. I think about how I was when I was a child and I know that I went through a similar progression like above. Right now, I am definitely in the "35 Years Of Age" category. I call my mom when I need advice on the girls or if I need someone to cheer me up. She has always been my biggest cheerleader and I will forever be grateful for that.

I hope that I can do the same for my girls.

Tears & Irony

2008-11-19T05:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was one of the scariest days of my life. It started out as a pretty normal day, but around mid morning, Peanut went into complete hysterics. I thought she was just tired, so I put her and Jelly Bean down for a nap. Jelly Bean settled in for a snooze, but Peanut got even more upset. She turned bright red and cried so hard that she made the most horrible grinding noise in the back of her throat. Typically I will let them fuss if they are refusing a nap because they will usually settle down. However just after a few minutes, I picked her up and brought her back into the playroom. I took her temperature and it was completely normal, but went ahead and gave her some Tylenol in case she had any pain.

I tried rocking her to sleep, but she wouldn't settle down. I figured she just wanted to play, so I put her on the floor and turned on the TV. She would just walk around aimlessly bawling. Every once in a while, she would start cough and gagging. This went on for some time and finally I picked her up again. Even though I was holding her, she still couldn't calm down. She continued to cry really hard and at one point threw up white foam all over the both of us.

By this time, I was starting to go from concerned to worried. I stripped her out of her soiled clothes down to her diaper, wrapped her in a blanket and held her on my chest until she fell asleep. I figured at this point that she must have had a sick belly and would feel better after a snooze.

She seemed better after she slept for about twenty minutes, so I sat her down and got Jelly Bean up for lunch. As soon as I put her in her high chair, she completely lost it again. I quickly got her out and tried to give her something to eat while I held her. She pushed away the food which is completely unlike her.

Now I have gone from concerned to worried to scared. Her screams wrenched in the back of her throat and sounded like she had just had a shot at the doctor's office. I called the pediatrician and they immediately told me to bring her in, but I knew that I couldn't handle both kids with Peanut in such bad shape.

I called twindada. I broke down while telling him what was going on and begged him to come home. Of course, he hurried out of there, but he is working an hour and a half away right now, so now we just had to wait. Her appointment wasn't for a few hours. (I should mention we are in between pediatricians since we moved, so her old pediatrician is who we are using until we get one here. This pediatrician is an hour away.) By the time that twindada got home, Peanut was not better.

We decided to scrap the hour's drive to her pediatrician and just go to the emergency room at the nearby children's hospital. We arrived at the emergency room and after registering Peanut was taken back to have her vitals checked. Her temperature was 102 degrees and they gave her some medicine. Once we got back to a room, the doctor checked her ears, throat and chest. Everything checked out okay. He decided to order chest and abdominal X-rays and also put on a catheter bag to catch urine so they could check to make sure she didn't have a urinary tract infection.

The X-rays were not fun. Of course, it doesn't hurt, but it is simply torture for a 21 month old to have to lay still. If she wasn't mad before, then this certainly did it! I had to hold her arms and she kicked wildly to the point that the tech had to have someone else take the pictures and she had to hold her feet.

We returned back to the exam room and I started giving Peanut water and graham crackers. By this point, she started to return to the normal Peanut that we know. Now we were just waiting for her to pee and then we could leave. We were now in the emergency room black hole known as "waiting."

Meanwhile, twindada and Jelly Bean were there with us, of course. Twindada kept having to walk her around the hospital because she didn't like hanging out in the exam room with us. Hand in hand they would walk up and down the halls stopping to look at the fish aquariums, the Christmas tree (yes, they already had it up!) and all the toys and pictures that a children's hospital would have on hand. After we got home, twindada admitted to me that he enjoyed the one on one time with Jelly Bean and that she was really good and cute. This makes me feel good that even though he doesn't care for them all day long like I do (somebody has to be the bread winner around here), that he really cherishes the moments that he has with them and enjoys taking care of them. He's a good, involved twindada.

Finally, Peanut peed. They hurried off with the sample and came back to say that it was normal. I was happy that everything they checked came back fine, but of course now I was questioning why we were even there. As moms, I think it is so easy to feel foolish for some of the decisions that we make even if they weren't foolish. The doctor probably could sense my embarrassment and quickly told me that I did the right thing by bringing her in. He said after an hour of crying without the ability to sooth is usually a red flag that something may be wrong.

I know how Peanut was yesterday and it scared me. She is a pretty laid back kid and to have her inconsolable for almost 4 hours almost drove me to call an ambulance. Of course, many irrational thoughts can present when that level of stress takes over someone especially when they are caring for someone who can't tell them what is wrong. On the drive home, I thought about whether I would have done the same thing and the answer is, "yes." I did feel a little funny after all the tests came back normal and she seemed content after a couple of hours there at the hospital, but knowing how bad she was and not knowing if there was something wrong or not put me into action mode. I would have done the same thing because my possible embarrassment is nothing compared to a possible problem go unaddressed. My child's health is more important to me than people's perception of my decision making ability.

Have you ever stalled making a decision about your children because you were afraid what others would think? There are probably mixed responses to this question. It probably really depends on all of our personalities. I generally like the approval of others even though I think that I really despise this about myself. I shouldn't worry about others, but it just comes naturally for me to want this. However yesterday it was about Peanut and her only.

We were given our diagnosis - fever caused by viral infection. The reason for crying was unknown, but probably just a response to the fever. The doctor gave us some basic instructions and told us to call our pediatrician if she has any other symptoms. I am happy to report that this morning, she seems to be doing okay.

So, we are drinking lots of liquids and giving her...(cough)... Motrin.

Mama Mafia Strikes Again

2008-11-17T07:16:00.001-08:00

A word to all companies out there: Don't anger the womenfolk. If you want to sell a product, the best advice is to suck up to the person making the buying decisions. In most families, that person is dear ole Mom. And because of this, we have serious leveraging power to make or break any new or old product out there.

This weekend was a perfect example how the Internet is used in social marketing. The drug maker Motrin released a new ad targeting Moms who wear their babies in slings or carriers. It was supposed to be edgy and satirical in a sense, but they got the presentation way wrong. Instead, it made baby wearing a fashion statement instead of a well known way to comfort and bond with your little bambino. (And I might mention this is a global practice, not one limited to those who have access to Bjorn products.)

To even suggest that baby wearing is a fashion statement is completely sickening to me. My immediate thought was that Motrin was trying to compare baby wearing to those clueless, vain actresses on the red carpet who carry around a rat dog as an accessory.

Babies are NOT accessories!

Another serious flaw with their whole message besides the fact that it is offensive, is that slings and carriers are able to help parents physically. Instead of having to carrying a little one around in your arms all the time, these devices will allow the user to proportionately distribute the weight of their little one and provide LESS body strain. Thus making this argument that Moms out there need Motrin pretty much useless.

Didn't quite think that one through, huh, Motrin?

Over the weekend, there was a serious backlash from Moms around the Cyberworld including youtube videos like this. Twitter Moms went crazy over this and I know I am not the only blog out there writing about it. News and opinion travels fast in this day and age, so companies need to be more in tune with this form of advertising.

So, it begs the question - are Mamas more organized than we think? I mean, we are the largest organized gang in the world! If we don't like something, it will go down. If we find something that we absolutely love, it will probably be one of the best selling products on the market.

Companies beware - Mama Mafia is watching.

And one thing that you can be sure of - we will tell others.

Update on this post: Motrin.com has issued an apology and is pulling this advertisement. Check out their website for more information. But keep it short, we don't want to give them anymore attention. They need a time out!

Not Quite A Love Tap

2008-11-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

My little Jelly Bean is hitting me. This week she has been quite frustrated with me and has decided to whack me for everything that I do wrong in her eyes. I am apparently doing a lot wrong because I have been hit quite a bit.

We have been having minor issues with hitting for a little while, but it has mostly been a little hand swipe when a toy is fought over between sisters or a personal space invasion by the other twin. In both of these cases, although I do not condone hitting, I understand that it is a response to frustration with the situation. That is something that I can understand though I do not want my girls hitting each other of course.

This week, Jelly Bean decided to focus her 21 month old diva issues my way and every time I try to get her to do something that I want, I am reminded that she does not want to that by a swift swipe of both hands and a whine to accompany it. What do I want her to do? Oh, you know, let me change her diaper, wipe off her face after a meal, get dressed. You know, really mean things...

Today, as I was changing her after a nap, she freaked out and decided to bat her arms at me and kick her feet as hard as she can. The second before that she was perfectly fine and I didn't think we were having a rift. Apparently, I was quite wrong. She cried and batted her arms at me, arched her back and got pretty much ticked off. I was baffled because we weren't having any problems whatsoever the moment before that.

Later, I asked her to sit down on the couch and she took one look at me and continued to jump up and down. She purposefully disobeyed me because she kept watching to see my reaction. Well....my reaction wasn't too great. Inside I was upset, so I picked her up and put her in time out.

Now I really don't think that time out is effective for their age group, but I seriously don't know what else to do. She kept trying to get up and I kept sitting her back down. And she got really mad. She threw herself on the floor and went into a tantrum. I tried to ignore it until it went on for awhile and I didn't want Peanut stepping into the line of fire, so I picked Jelly Bean up and her and I sat on the steps until she calmed down.

Through tears and gasps for breath, she looked at me with complete anger and frustration and I lost it. I started to cry myself. I couldn't contain myself at all. I knew that she was upset and I was tired of all the drama. It really affects me to have my children angry with me to the point that she responds by hitting. Sure, I can make decisions that either child may not like and if they are the best choice for them, I can live with the fact that I may be unpopular. But to have my child hit me....it breaks my heart.

I know they are young and it is probably a phase. I don't like this phase. How about a phase where they won't eat broccoli? Or all they want is a certain toy? Or a phase where maybe they are not minding too well, but they are still fun loving?

No hitting. I hate hitting. And my child is hitting me. I love her and Peanut more than my own breath and all I want to do is care for them and protect them and my reward is a tiny hand pushing me away. It destroys me inside.

Certainly I would never do that to someone else. I would never repay someone who cares for me by turning my back on them. Or would I?

Do I do it every day of my life when I don't pray and thank God for all that He has given me in my life? Do I symbolically swipe my hand at my Creator when I choose to not live the life that He wants for me? Am I shaking my fist at Him every time I give in to the world and let outside influences - worry, greed, stress, anger take over who I am?

My Creator loves me. He loves all of His children. He cares for us. He wants to see the best for us. Sometimes He steps in and sometimes He doesn't. But He was willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be close to Him by giving up His son. And there are days where I fail to the be best Christian that I can be by batting my hands at the only One that can see me through these days.

How does God respond? Does He throw up His hands and walk away? Does He leave me to fend for myself? Does He stop loving me?

No.

So I need to respond to my Jelly Bean the way that our Lord responds to us when we aren't making the best decisions. Although I may feel pain when she exerts this independent behavior, I need to stay strong in one thing: I will never leave her. I will always love her. When she feels anger or frustration, I will be strong for her. When she needs to be independent, I will pray for the best choices for her. And when she needs me, I will scoop her up and say, "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Question Meme

2008-11-13T20:40:00.001-08:00

It Is Nap Time tagged me for the below question meme. It looks interesting, so I thought I would give it a whirl.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No, the name is all mine. My birth certificate says so.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? On Saturday because I thought that I was losing my mind and then twindada reminded me that I have a lot on my plate right now and therefore I am losing my mind.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Just recently I have accepted the chicken scratch that my left hand produces, but typing is way faster.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Boar's Head Sausalito Turkey Breast. I am a lunch meat snob - only Boar's Head. Otherwise, it is peanut butter.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes, twin girls Peanut & Jelly Bean!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think so, but that would be weird because we would be so much alike. I mean, how exciting is that really?

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? No, not me...

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yep

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No...me and heights don't really get along. So jumping from a high place to my death doesn't sound too appealing...

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? The grown up me says Total. The child trapped in me says Honey Nut Cheerios.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yes, it is important to take good care of your shoes as a runner. (My shoes look quite exceptional right now seeing as I don't have time to do this activity.)

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? During certain situations I think that I am very strong, but not all the time.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Hands down the very best ice cream in the world is Haagen Daz Strawberry. Don't try to challenge me on this. I will not agree.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their smile. I like friendly people.

15. RED OR PINK? Red.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I am a worry wart.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My Dad - I wish he could have met my husband and daughters. My grandma - she taught me how to be a good Christian. My friend, Niki - she was one of my oldest friends and while I grow old, I will always remember the fun, special 20 year old that she was.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? I think this started as an e-mail.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? None - naked pigs, baby!

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Dinner

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW ? Classical music online

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Black (I know, weird, but read my other meme online and you will understand why.)

23. FAVORITE SMELLS ? The smell of my girls after a bath, new puppy smell and the smell of a good glass of wine after uncorking.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My brother.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes, she seems like a very nice person. I wish that I could have a cup of coffee and chat with all my readers!

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Football (College)

27. Hair Color? Brunette

28. EYE COLOR? Green

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes

30. FAVORITE FOOD ? Seafood, but I really like Italian, Thai, Greek and Indian

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED ? uh...what are movies?

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? blue

34. Summer or winter? Summer

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Both

36. FAVORITE DESSERT ? This is tough...I love ice cream, chocolate cake with white icing, sugar cookies and cherry pie, but not all mixed together. Can I say a sampler platter?

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Back to the e-mail thing.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND. see above

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW ? I read my bible. That is all I have time for right now.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Don't have one

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Nothing, I worked. However twindada watched House re-runs and I could hear it in the other room.

42. FAVORITE SOUND? Belly giggles from the girls.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles!

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME??? Miami, Florida

45. Do you have a special talent? Who knows, maybe I haven't discovered it yet!

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? OH

Okay, so there you have it. A little more about me. Now, I am going to be a party pooper and not assign anyone else this meme, but if you would like to post it to your own site, let me know and I would love to read your answers.

Okay, breaaathe!

2008-11-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

I have officially stopped holding my breath. I am breathing regularly again though it is still too soon to know if it is safe to do so. But I am optimistic that we have turned a corner on all of this "newness" and we are finally coming into our routine.

Back in September, I wrote a sad, almost desperate post that I was not looking forward to the transition for us out of my family's house and into our own house. I don't mind the change so much, it is just all the stress of packing, moving and new routines. And though there are many things that we still need to do, it just feels like we are getting into our groove. I can't believe we have been here for two months.

We have accomplished quite a bit since we have moved into our new house. From a remodel standpoint, we have pulled all the old carpeting out of most of the main floor exposing wonderful hardwood floors that just need a good sanding and sealing. Twindada laid new flooring in the dining room (which is a new addition so it doesn't have hardwood). The dining room, girls' room and our bedroom are painted. The playroom is filled with toys and gets heavy use by my little duo and their friend.

The girls are doing good. They have figured out their schedule here and enjoy the playroom because it has lots of space for them to run and trash with all their toys.

On a personal note, I have started three jobs that keep me very busy, but I enjoy it all the same. It is a good supplemental income for my family and I am proud that I get to stay home with Peanut and Jelly Bean plus support our finances, too.

So, life is going. Our life. Not our new life, just our life. There is something so common, so ordinary, so, well routine about just saying our life. And I love it. I don't want to move anymore. I am tired of packing up and starting over. Instead of running toward something like we have done over the past seven years, I am ready to stand still and enjoy what is in front of me.

Do you know what is in front of me? My God. My babies. My husband. My home.

What a great life, it is.

Peanut's Beauty Marks

2008-11-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a day that I had been dreading for over a month now. We had a dermatologist appointment for Peanut after a recommendation by her pediatrician. One of her birthmarks had sprouted hair over the summer and it was looking a little suspicious. I had noticed it, too, changing colors slightly and an odd looking dark spot in the middle of it.

Of course as a freaked out, crazy mother I start panicking internally (especially when anyone throws any "-ologist" and my precious baby in the same sentence), but I have played it pretty cool waiting for the appointment to arrive. Inside my mind wanders down a million different paths of irrational thoughts that are horrible suggestions while my rational self is saying, "Whoa, nelly! It is JUST a consult. It isn't that bad!"

After some mulling over whether I should take Jelly Bean with us or drive the additional one hour's drive out of my way to have her stay with twingrandma, I opted to be brave and take them both.

We arrived at the doctor's office and I loaded them up in the stroller with snacks, sippy cups and books on hand. They usually know the routine once we are in there - they have to sit in the stroller until we get into a room and then I will let them out to run around and wreak havoc. Once I let the wild animals out of their stroller, I am usually saying, "Peanut, get your hands out of that. Jelly Bean, leave that alone. Girls, stay away from the door. Don't eat that!" It is truly a fun time, really.

By the time the doctor entered, I was slightly out of breath, extremely hot and ready to leave, but oh, right, we haven't had the actual appointment yet. Fortunately, the kind doctor entered the room and immediately put me at ease by saying, "I have twins, too." (Yes! Another member of the stressed out posse!) She tore off a little piece of paper and gave it to Jelly Bean along with a pen to draw on while we looked at Peanut.

Peanut has 2 birthmarks that came about after she was already born. (I always thought they were present at the time of birth, but that is not always true. Plus, my girls were born six weeks early.) The most obvious birthmark is her "strawberry" or hemangioma (if you want to get all technical.) It is smack dab on the side of her cheek and it is actually shaped like a strawberry. (My new banner picture displays it quite well.) The second birth mark is the hairy nevus on the back of her arm and the reason why we were at the doctor's office.

The strawberry showed up the weekend that we brought them home from the hospital, so they were roughly about two weeks old. It grew with her face and got puffy and bright red, but over time it is now flat and fading with patches of white. The dermatologist explained this one will be gone completely by age 10. The rule is that by age three, 30% of it will disappear. By the age of 5, 50% of it will be gone and then by age 10, it should have faded completely. There will probably be a silvery white mark left in its place somewhat resembling a stretch mark.

The birth mark on the back of her arm showed up while at the hospital (within her first week) and of course was much tinier than it is now. It grows while she grows and up until recently has been quite innocent looking. I am sure many people have some sort of birth mark that just looks like darker pigment than the rest of their skin. Usually these are completely harmless. When Peanut's birth mark became dark, splotchy and growing hair, this set off alerts in my mind.

The doctor measured it and checked it out and was completely unimpressed by it. It wasn't large enough to be considered a higher risk of skin cancer and it was doing exactly what these type of birth marks do. Because the mark is deeply rooted in the skin, it is able to produce more pigment and dark, course hair. She explained that it will get bigger as she grows and the hair will be thicker, too, but there is no reason to do anything about it.

We left with our instructions: Take a picture of it every year on her birthday and keep them to show her pediatrician. Come back to the dermatologist only if the pediatrician feels it is needed in the future. Peanut can decide in the future if she wants it removed, but there is no guarantee that it won't leave a scar anyway.

So, there we have it. My worst fears have dissipated. I feel better that we have had it looked at and know what we should do to be responsible about keeping track of it, but we aren't going to pine over it anymore. If in the future Peanut pines over it, then we will discuss options.

I know that it could be a challenge in the future when she wants to go to the pool or wear that strapless prom dress, but I can so handle that. I figure the worst part of the birthmark is the hair -we can take care of that pretty easily. The actual existence of it will just make her different and since it is behind the arm, I don't think it will be too bad.

I am a little concerned about her strawberry because that one is right on her cheek. While she has no concept that it really is there and Jelly Bean doesn't think anything of it, it will take some little punk to make her feel bad about it. I know it will happen - so I need to be prepared for that.

It is strange though, I can't imagine Peanut without it. And that is how I am going to help her with it, should I ever need to help. It is so part of her. It is her strawberry. She came with a little stamp displaying how special she is. My little cabbage patch doll, if you will. Except our Maker left His seal of approval on her instead of that ole Xavier Roberts guy.

And over time it will fade. She may be happy to see it go. Or maybe she will accept it like I have and embrace its beauty for the time she has it. All I know, the day that I can no longer see the little strawberry, I will feel sadness because it can only mean one thing: my baby is growing up.

They Really Are Listening

2008-11-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how often I feel frustrated that the girls aren't getting something. I work with them regularly on learning about animals and their different sounds, modes of transportation, shapes, opposites, colors and general vocabulary. I am not a teacher and do not have a background in education of any sort, but before I became a parent I liked the idea that I could teach and mold my children. I wanted them to learn things because we worked on it through play, association and experience. Just when I think that I am talking to brick walls, they start repeating something or perform a task for the first time. It is so rewarding.

From day one, I would talk out loud about what we were doing. Whether I was changing a diaper or dressing them, I would say exactly what I was doing each time I performed a task. With a little Peanut in my arms, I would say, "Now I am going to put on your onesie. Left arm through the left hole. Right arm through through the right hole." I certainly never expected them to pick up their left and their right at 3 months of age and they haven't mastered that this day, but I try to be as descriptive as possible so they can learn many words. Also, I would talk about other things that we couldn't see like, "Where was Daddy?" Sometimes he was there, sometimes he wasn't. I always told them and still do that during the weekdays, "Daddy is working."

We read lots of books, too. Peanut loves a book about animals and will point to each picture and I am supposed to say the name of the animal and will provide the sound (if I know it - do you know what sound a guinea pig makes?) Jelly Bean will "read" books all the time and sometimes I get to read them to her. Both girls point to all types of things throughout the day expecting me to tell them what they are and I know this is building their mental vocabulary databases.

We have mini "lessons" as the atmosphere invites. I wait for moments when the kids are quiet or engaged in something that I can tie to a learning opportunity. For example, if Jelly Bean is playing with the shapes and the shape sorter, I will get a hand held dry erase board or a piece of paper and draw the shapes out and name them as we look at the drawings and feel the plastic shapes. Having several examples made entirely different I think provides them a well rounded understanding about what they are learning.

Also, we do what I like to call "cross reference." Peanut really started this, but now it just makes sense. If we talk about something whether it is an animal or any object, we will look in the room for something else just like it. We have alphabet books that contain many words and pictures and usually we can find a toy or stuffed animal that is the same thing. An example of this is when we found a penguin in Peanut's animals book. She pointed to it, "Dah!" I repeated back, "Penguin." Suddenly her eyes lit up and took off for the toy shelf coming back a few seconds later with a plastic penguin that squeaks.

Jelly Bean has mastered the shape sorter now. She puts them through the correct hole like she is racing. She is starting to point to the appropriate shapes when I ask, too. I have noticed that she does well when given a job, so I will give her a basket and ask her to pick up the shapes. This is not work to her - she loves the hunt. In addition, quiet activities suit her very well, so I will always try to incorporate puzzles, legos, etc. into her learning because she finds great enjoyment in building and figuring out how to solve something.

Peanut learning style is to stay active and engaged. When she is ready to learn, I have to jump on the opportunity because she doesn't always sit still for very long. I have learned however that she is one of those type of people that used to urk me to no end. She doesn't look like she is listening, but she really is paying attention. She has the gift to run around and get into everything while still listening to the lesson and pretty much retaining everything. While Jelly Bean is sitting in front of me concentrating really hard (this is so me), Peanut is goofing off, but probably able to retain more (this is so twindada).

So, we are learning. Just when I think they aren't getting something, then, bam! We have a break through. What was impossible last month is easy this month. Jelly Bean repeats new words regularly. Peanut is picking up more words now more than ever. And just when I think that nothing new has happened, they surprise me.

No matter what, I will always be engaged in their learning. We will always encourage them and be actively involved in their education. (Hey, we will have 2 in college at the same time, we need all the scholarships we can get!) I hope the girls will be ahead in things as we get ready for pre-school and elementary, but if they are just cruising along for their age group, then we will be blessed.

Guess what happened on Friday? I was changing Peanut first thing in the morning and she said, "DaDa". So, I asked her,"Where is Dada?" She replied, "Working."

Wow, they really are listening.

Kissy Faces

2008-11-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it is a little girl thing - I figure it has to be because my twin girls are really into kissing right now. No, they aren't kissing each other a great deal and twindada and I are not especially smothered in affectionate pecks though we do get our fair share from our little duo. Rather it is the budding romances of all their toys that has me raising an eyebrow.

Last week, I noticed there was something going on between the Fisher Price Little People garbage man and the My First Baby Baby Doll. Jelly Bean had them in a lip lock that lasted, uncomfortably, at least 15 seconds. I watched as these two inanimate objects had their faces smashed together while Jelly Bean gave them their sound, "Moooahh." I asked her if they were in a relationship (they could at least be exclusive, for crying out loud!), but I didn't get a response that I could translate. I figure it was best left alone.

Later on, I noticed the two lovebirds rendezvousing upstairs in the girls' bedroom while they continued their courtship according to the world of Jelly Bean. Hmmm...we may have to have the talk with garbage man and baby doll, this apparently is getting serious. It would be rather weird, too, she is like at least 6 inches taller than him and is mostly made out of cloth. He is a piece of plastic that is no more than 2 inches tall. I guess he likes tall, soft women.

I thought perhaps this was Jelly Bean's fascination, but what one does, the other does too. Today our little friend who comes to visit came with his special Pig in hand. At one point when he dropped it, Peanut scooped it up and it began a passionate smooch with her baby doll. NOT, the same baby doll as garbage man's woman. No love triangles here.

Now it begs the question: WHERE ON EARTH IS THIS COMING FROM? They are not allowed to watch grown up TV and twindada and I do kiss each other, but it is like a peck here or there, not this long lasting lovin' that these scandalous toys are partaking in!

Well, the apples don't fall too far from the tree. I recall (and have been reminded) of me sitting on my dad's lap when I was probably 3 or 4 trying to teach him how to kiss. He would hold me and peck me on the lips. I would get frustrated and tell him that he wasn't doing it right. Why? Because I picked up on the fact that the people on TV (soap operas) kissed for a very long time. Clearly, my dad did not get the message. I would say, "Dad! You need to kiss longer!" He would laugh at me getting the biggest kick out of the fact that I felt it was necessary to teach my father how to kiss. So, I guess Peanut and Jelly Bean do get it quite honestly.

But I don't let them watch soap operas. In fact, I don't even like them. Sure, I knew more about what was going on with Roman and Marlena when I was little rather than who was on Sesame Street (a sad fact, but true.) However I have broken that trend and the girls watch Noggin and I have never seen make out sessions on Dora or Blue's Clues.

So, my logical deduction is that they are just affectionate. Period. They obviously have no clue that "long" kissing is more intimate than short kissing. (Or we would probably have less PDA from the action figures...) They have just found how to express love and now want to watch others express love, too. I think this is how God probably feels when He sees His children expressing love toward each other. He wants to see us happy, He wants to see us love and be loved and He wants us to reach out to others with this compassion.

Maybe we all won't go around kissing each other. That would be really weird. But maybe expressing compassion for each other is the best way to show our children how to be loving, charitable and giving people in this world. Maybe a symbolic "kiss" is the olive branch that we can bestow upon one another that will lift each other up.

Perhaps twindada and I should do more kissing in front of the girls. You know the short, appropriate ones. I have heard that children feel secure when their parents' relationship is solid and one way to show this is by affection toward each other. Just maybe if our children always know they can count on us to keep it together, then they stand a chance of growing up into healthy relationships of their own.

So, what will happen next? Who will hook up with who?

Who knows, but I hope garbage man and baby doll make it for the girls' sake.

What To Do While You Stand In Line To Vote

2008-11-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

Hopefully everyone out there is heading out to vote today. No matter who you are voting for today, one thing may happen to many voters - waiting in line. So I have thought up some things to do while you are waiting to partake in your civil duties!

1. Catch Up On Your Reading! What a great way to finish that book that has been sitting on your nightstand.

2. Bring Your Ipod and listen to something other than nursery rhymes and Disney songs. Wow, some time to listen to grown up music? Dare to dream, huh?

3. Write out your grocery list. Just a pad of paper and a pen and you can have your shopping trip planned out.

4. Consider your choices in the election. Are you voting for the person who matches your views? Are you sure?

5. Make friends with others in line. You might find some interesting people to talk to. Heck, you might catch up with old friends and neighbors in line, too!

6. Wrangle your children. If you have to take your kids to the polls, then really don't need this list. Sorry.

7. Look up the internet on your cell phone and read Bringing Up Twins!

8. Call your friends and family and remind them to vote! And catch up on all those phone calls that you need to return. (Just don't talk so loudly that people down the street the hear you. This will annoy the people standing in line with you, thus making #5 hard to do.)

9. Write out your Christmas gift lift or start filling out those Christmas cards.

10. Figure out a good enough excuse to take the rest of the day off from work.

PSA: This is meant for humor and enjoyment. Please note that at Bringing Up Twins we respect everyone's opinion, but since my blog is not a politically focused blog, we will not participate in any type of endorsement conversation.

The Meme Game

2008-11-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

Lip Zip tagged me for a meme several moons ago and I am finally getting around to posting mine. (Things get done slowly around here...)

The rules:

1- Link to the person who tagged you
2- Post the rules on your blog
3- Write 6 random things about yourself
4- Tag 6 more people
5- Let the taggees know they have been tagged
6- Let your tagger know when you have completed your meme

It look me a while to come up with 6 random things, but here you go...

1. I am green eyed and am left handed. Some researchers say that green eyes are the result of mutations that change the melanin structure of the eye. (Melanin is the pigment of the eye.) Though percentages differ depending on study, about 13% of the population is left handed.

This makes me a genetically rare mutant. How did I even spawn children?

2. My dream since I was a little girl was to be a writer. In elementary school, I attended young author's conferences several years in a row and also one in high school. I loved to write when I was younger and did so regularly. Finding the art of blogging only recently brought some of this childhood passion back to life for me. We will see where it goes.

3. My favorite color is black. Doesn't that sound so depressing?? Well, it's not really. I think of black as style, sophistication, sleek and simple. Think the little black dress or that sharp brand new black sports car. Black sports cars show classiness with a wild edge. (I should also mention that I don't own one of these.) Black is a slimming color. Enough said.

4. I secretly wish that I could live in the wine country of California. Twindada and I went to Napa Valley for our honeymoon and I have loved it ever since. Yeah, while I would be writing that great American novel (see #2), I would be sitting outside looking out over my vineyard, drinking a glass of wine (made from the grapes of my vineyard), laptop in front of me (okay, I like technology a little bit!) and chronicle about my life in such a gorgeous place. (Don't ask me who would be doing the work on the vineyard, I haven't figured that out yet. Twindada, I have a new job for you!)

5. My philosophy in life is that good always results from bad. I mean this one with all my heart though I pray that I am not tested on it again anytime soon. However, I truly think that no matter what bad things happen in our internal world or outside world, good will emerge from it. Sometimes it takes weeks, months, even years for us to find the good that resulted when life throws us a tragedy, but it will happen. Sometimes we may not be the ones that even see it, but rather our loved ones will reap the blessings. I truly know that God takes care of His children no matter what.

6. One book changed my course of thinking about frugality - Your Money Or Your Life. When Twindada and I first married, we were constantly running after the big dollar. We wanted to make as much as we could, have the brand new house, brand new cars and all the latest, greatest stuff. And then one day, we were tired, realized the hole we had dug ourselves into and then I was turned on to reading this book. It helped us to prioritize our life and what we really wanted. It was after this that I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up - a stay at home mom. That was a turning point for my family and we have continued to learn more about living simply and being financially wise. And in this day in age that is going to be the key to surviving our current economic state.

Whew! I did it! Okay, now I am supposed to pass this along to others. Now, this is part of my obligations for completing the meme, so if you lucky folks I picked don't want to participate, no problem.

1. Lip Zip - Sorry to tag you back, but there has to be 6 more random things that you can share with your readers!

2. The Mommy Machine

3. I'm Living Proof That God Has A Sense of Humor

4. It's Just the Everyday Humdrum That People Make It Out To Be

5. And So We Laugh

6. It Is Naptime

Trial Run Babies

2008-10-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

This post will make sense to some and may infuriate others. I have tried to deny how two different species can be so similar because I truly believe that we are far, far superior to any mangy mutt that crosses my path. But truth be told, those beloved pets, you know the first pets you get with your hubby when you first get married are more useful than you might think. Sure, after the potty training, feeding, walking, brushing and sweeping of massive amounts of pet hair off your floor and couch, they do actually hold some sort of value. Let me explain.

My husband and I got two dogs early on in our relationship - Sydney & Blayney. The story goes that we wanted a dog, so we went to a shelter and got Sydney. After a night of hearing a puppy cry the entire time, we thought it would be a good idea to go back for her only remaining littermate - her runt sister, Blayney. You know, to give her a playmate. The following night, we had two puppies crying the entire time. Plan backfired, but both dogs stayed and we have them to this day.

When the babies were born, there were things about babyhood that reminded us about puppyhood. Let me stop right here to reiterate that there is no comparison between a human being and a canine. What I am suggesting is there are similarities to how we have to parent our real babies versus our fur babies. Below are some observations:

1. Babies cry all night long because they need milk, changed or cuddled. New puppies cry all night because they need water, their dog bed cleaned because they have piddled in it or they are about to piddle in it, they want to sleep in your bed with you or they have just pooped all over their crate and they are covered in yuckiness and want you to come check it out.

2. Babies are highly entertained with fun, interesting toys. Puppies love to sink their teeth into any overpriced toy that you put in front of them. But here is the kicker! They chew it up in like, 2 minutes, and you are left with a pile of scraps. Good times!

3. Babies like to try on mama and dada's shoes and walk around in them. Puppies like to locate your favorite pair of shoe and chew them to shreds.

4. Babies need to go to a babysitter when you are not able to take them with you. Sure, puppies can last a little while without a sitter, but if you plan on being gone overnight, the dog needs a sitter, too. One overnight trip with Fido on his own and the carpet is hosed. (Cat owners, my understanding is your feline can last several days without a sitter, but once that litter box gets too full, your whiskered friend is ticked and will revolt.)

5. Babies thrive best on a consistent schedule. This is a big one for puppies, too. Put them on a potty/feeding schedule and they will adjust better and have less accidents.

6. Babies have messes if they are not wearing a diaper. If only you can put a diaper on a dog (and they would keep it on)! I would have done it a long time ago...

7. Babies become the center of our universe. That adorable puppy used to be, but once the little bundle of precious human life came through the door, the dog took a back seat.

8. Twin babies can fight over the same toy. So can twin dogs (mine were from the same litter, remember!) Two exact bones and one is by far more valuable.

So, knowledge can be learned from getting that first fur baby and can be somewhat applied to parenting children. Pets are a good "trial run" for couples and for some people this is the only type of baby they will ever have. But for those of us who go on to experience the joy of bringing a little one or two of our own flesh and blood in the world, we know there is nothing that can come close. No amount of preparation can truly prepare you for parenthood until you are smack dab in the middle of it. But those little lessons we learn when we become responsible for something other than ourselves can be beneficial.

Angelina's Unique Baby Things

2008-10-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

Angelina's Unique Baby Things is going out of business! I have bought several things from this site that I have found quite handy and I am sad to see them close their virtual doors.

Need anything for your little one? I received this email from Angelina's and wanted to pass along to you:

We are closing on October 31, 2008. So HURRY now if you would like to save up to 80% off our great remaining products! Also we have reduced most prices even more! And now you save an extra 10% on all orders or 20% with $30 or more. Use coupon codes Extra10 or Extra20 at checkout. SALE will be over October 31, 2008 so HURRY to get our GREAT products today.

I highly recommend this site: they have unique, interesting products, ship quickly and have good customer service. Take advantage one last time!

Being A Good Steward

2008-10-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had had it. Jelly Bean had walked around the playroom with the most whiny, annoying cry. She wouldn't stop. Even the brief moment of silence while she munched on a graham cracker would be quickly interrupted by shriek of disapproval as she walked around the room making sure that I knew that she was not happy.

When Jelly Bean ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

She wanted a frog. No, she wanted a turtle. No, she wanted every single toy that Peanut got her hands on. At one point, I begged Peanut to give Jelly Bean the toy in her hand to be nice. Not because it was fair or that Jelly Bean deserved it, but I just wanted her to STOP CRYING. Peanut, so happy to see me not freak out, handed over the frog which in today's market is worth like a whole box of graham crackers. I was taken back by Peanut's loving moment of sharing and thought, "Wow, we are doing something right here!"

Then I look at Jelly Bean. She lets me know that I haven't been Mommy of the Year or anything. Apparently something is going on and I am missing the boat. Regardless of what her problem was, it didn't matter. I got frustrated and yelled at her.

"Quit your whining or you will go to bed!"

Yelling at a baby does not make them stop crying. It makes it much worse. I know this. Yet I still yelled at her? Why would I think that being mad at someone who is obviously upset and can't communicate to me their problems would somehow turn them around? I felt so bad after I yelled at her.

Last night after the girls and twindada were long off to bed, I sat on the couch watching TV and thinking about our day. And somehow I was reminded about something I had said a long time ago before my girls were ever born.

When we found out we were having twins, I knew they were truly not mine. Sure, I was carrying them and biologically they were even mine and twindada's, but really I am merely their steward. I am a careprovider for them as they grow and enter this world. Just as I belong to God, so do they. So, for me to say they are mine is not entirely correct. They are children of God and I am just the lucky person who gets to claim to have brought them into the world. I am the lucky person who gets to watch them grow up and see them accomplish more in their life than I could ever have dreamt of doing myself.

I am the responsible person who is looked at to make sure they know that Jesus Christ died for them and is not only their Savior, but also their Lord. That is my responsibility and my joy, but I don't get to claim their existence. God brought them to me just as anyone would hand over their child and said, "Take good care of them. I love them with all my heart. Love them as I would and treasure them as they are worth more than anything in this entire world."

Yesterday I yelled at one of my girls. I mean, God's girls. Sure, there will be times that raising my voice is going to happen, but I have to keep this perspective in mind. There will be times when it may be a moment when it is absolutely warranted like if they are unsafe or making someone else unsafe.

So I pray that next time we have one of these days, I can remember who's kids I am talking to. I pray that I can be given more patience to scoop them up and tell them, "I love you. I treasure you. I will take good care of you." Because that is what a good steward does, after all.

Shoe Shopping & Mayhem

2008-10-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what a long day, no nap, two tired babies and a crowded mall can cause? Well, let me tell you. Over the weekend, I decided to take the girls down to see my Mom and made plans that we would all go over to the local mall to find gym shoes for the girls. As the warmer months have faded away, it has occurred to me that sandals won't cut it anymore. (The sandals with socks look is cool, you know?) Especially sandals that are too small.

So after a long morning of trying to get all of us out the door, we finally got down to the Mom's who lives over an hour away. By now it was afternoon and normally the girls take an afternoon nap, but because I was on a mission to find gym shoes, I decided to give them a reprieve from taking their nap and we would just go without one.

Before we were able to leave Mom's for the mall, my brother stopped by and so we all caught up which was really nice and the girls were acting cute for him, so it was an enjoyable time. When he headed out, we realized it was dinner time, so Mom, the girls and me went to a restaurant at the mall.

Let me stop the play-by-play of our Saturday to put a point to all of this. I had a specific mission to accomplish on Saturday - Operation: Get shoes. There were many things that came up that could have prevented this from happening, but I was determined. I failed to see the glazed look in my girls' eyes that they had had enough and that shoe shopping really needed to be done another day. But the whole point of venturing out was for this purpose! It had to be done, right?

Right?

Back to our Saturday: Well, we finished our dinner. (The girls guzzled their milk and ate very little of their dinner. This is another sign my babies are tired. Lack of appetite.) Did it discourage me? Nope.

We ventured into the mall and ran into a store to return something and had to wait in line there. (Could this have been done another day? Yes, but it was right by the restaurant! C'mon, people, give me a break!) As we waited, the girls got squirmy in their stroller and cried to be taken out. So, Mom & I caved because they were getting louder and louder and the other people waiting in line didn't need tired, ticked off babies in stereo.

Finally, we were on our way to Children's Place to find shoes. I had gift certificates, so this was going to be a cheap transaction. After getting lost trying to find the store (still holding Jelly Bean as I push an empty stroller while Mom and Peanut were trailing behind us because Peanut wanted to walk and she is so slow. I mean, how dare her and her short legs, why can't she walk FASTER??) We walk into the store to find no shoes.

...they only sell shoes online, PEOPLE!

I calmly load the babies back into the stroller because my arms are quivering from holding Jelly Bean so long and Mom looks tired, when the girls stage a revolt in the middle of The Place. We leave as quickly as possible and now I am gone from determined to obsessed.

What would a good mother do at this point? She would have said sweetly, "We will do this another day. It is getting late and the girls need to go to bed."

What does a psychotic twinmama say? "I spent hours getting the girls and myself ready to come to the mall, we have rare help with us (Thanks, Mom!), we are already here and who knows when I will have the nerve to do this again, we are getting SHOES!"

We make a beeline for the Stride Rite store (which I realize would have been many people's first choice if you are at the mall, but remember I had gift certificates to The Place.)

Two associates greeted us and one of the ladies started measuring feet which apparently is very painful to babies. Having to stand on a foot measuring device and hold still is simply torture for 20 month olds. But after some coaxing, (yeah, coaxing, that's it!), we had our shoe sizes and the associate brought out different selection of shoes.

First we fit Jelly Bean. We let her walk around to make sure they fit and they looked good. Mom was holding Peanut, so I took Peanut and we put another pair of shoes on her. In the meantime, Jelly Bean had climbed back into my lap. I put Peanut on the floor so she could walk around and she looked down and pointed, "Shoes." Then she walked over to the floor mirror inspecting them. I thought this was cute. Then she decided to turn around and run out of the store. I didn't think this was cute.

My Mom took off after Peanut as I was still holding Jelly Bean. I got up to run after them, too, until I realized my Mom had stumbled. I thought at one point, she was going to catch herself, but then across the aisles of shoes, I see my Mom do a slow motion fall right out into the middle of the mall. Next thing I heard was Peanut screaming. Feeling helpless, I thrust Jelly Bean in the sales associates arms, so I could go help and ran to find my Mom and Peanut both laying on the mall floor. I called to my Mom as I picked up screaming Peanut. She started to get up and I helped her up while inspecting Peanut for bumps and cuts. Mom had hit her mouth on the way down, but fortunately was okay. Peanut had a bump on the forehead, but was physically okay.

We all walked back into the store and I see Jelly Bean wide eyed, but relaxed playing with the sales associate's name badge. I look at the lady and say, "We will take them."

So, to wrap up the point on this post is this: In the twin world, there are a lot of inconveniences. It is much more logistically involved to get your babies from point A to point B and it can ware on us twinmamas and twindadas. When things need to get done, keep them simple and do one or two a day. Don't become obsessive about it because who knows what will happen. Twingrandmas will fall, babies will have nervous break downs and twinmamas will spend $80 on two pairs of shoes.

Potty Training S.O.S.

2008-10-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

Ha! I hope that I don't have too many of these in the coming months (years), but I do have a question for all those mamas who have potty trained or know people who have potty trained their twins (or singular tots, too.) We are going to be embarking on a whole new journey - how to use the potty and stop wearing diapers because mama is sick of spending $100+ a month in something that somebody poops in and then we throw away. Seriously, isn't that awful?

I have slight suspicions that at least one of my twin girls is interested in the potty. Don't worry, I don't have too high of expectations because they are still quite young at 20 months. However I figured that if I didn't have a potty chair even available for them, then how would they know this was an option?

So, now it is time to suck your brain:

1. What potty chair would you recommend for girls who are a tad on the short side?

2. Should I get 2 potty chairs since I would (ideally) be training both girls?

3. What advice can you share so that I don't learn the hard way on something? (See my previous post below.)

Thanks, mamas! I couldn't do this without you! (And the girls, too, of course since it is up to them.) Wow, our family budget lies in the hands of my girls...now that is some serious power.

Learning Things The Hard Way

2008-10-21T06:14:00.001-07:00

If only I was a perfect parent and have made all the right decisions. Life would have been so much easier for the past 20 months. Seriously. I probably would have more time and less frustration. I would have done things right the first time and the series of trial and error that has occurred throughout these first months of parenthood would have been unnecessary. I would have known exactly what my babies needed. I would have known how to fix a dilemma or maybe it wouldn't have occurred at all. Dare to dream, huh?

But as we all know, there is no such thing as a perfect parent. I have met people who have extensive experience with children who once become parents couldn't believe how unprepared they really were for the life change. If only those little babies came with a handbook, right? If only it was required that all people get a degree in child development before they have one. Well, since that doesn't happen and I am not even convinced the most educated person would still make the best decisions when they are sleep deprived and overwhelmed, trial and error it is!

So, what things have I learned the hard way? Let me provide you with a list of "Doh!" moments.

1. Do not assume that applesauce with cinnamon or ranch dressing is harmless. It will burn their skin.

2. Do not assume the mobile child who is only in a diaper won't take it off. Learned this one the hard way and the carpet paid the price.

3. Do not assume if you like something that your children will like it too. Hello, chocolate chip cookies?? They must have been switched birth!

4. Do not assume just because you give in and give your child something that they really shouldn't be playing with that they will understand that now you must take it away because it is a bad idea. (Plastic water bottles are very entertaining, but mine BIT through it. Wild animals!)

5. Do not assume that laughing at a bad behavior isn't going keep that behavior coming back again and again. If it ain't cute at 5, it ain't cute now!

6. Do not assume that two toys that are exactly the same have the same value. Your twins will let you know which one is worth more.

7. Do not assume that your children will eat all their meal especially if you give them a huge sippy cup of whole milk ahead of time. Enough said.

8. Do not assume that your children could possibly be too full from drinking all that milk and not eating their meal to have a cookie. There is a special compartment in the stomach just for cookies. Just not the chocolate chip kind.

9. Do not assume just because your children can't say a word doesn't mean they don't know what you are talking about.

10. Do not assume one of your twins won't run off with the dirty diaper that you just took off from the other twin and try to do who knows what with it. (ewww....)

Smelling the Flowers

2008-10-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ever bit off more than you can chew? Does it ever feel like life is flying by because you are too busy doing the laundry and washing dishes to notice? Well, I am officially here to say that I have apparently blacked out recently because I cannot believe it is mid-October and we have been living in our house now for over a month. Where did this chunk of my life go?

This is really concerning for me because if I didn't blog, I don't think I would know what day it was. (The kind blogspot people put the date on each of my posts.) Sometimes I will freak out and run to my dear husband and go, "What is the day??" He will usually reply with some specific calendar date and then I shake my head furiously and say, "No, I don't care about the date, just tell me the day! Is it Monday or Wednesday or Saturday?" He will raise his eyebrows and go, "It's Thursday..." in his slow, what-is-your-problem type voice.

See what I mean? I am blacking out! And I think I know what the culprits are that are causing me to lose sections of my life.

First and foremost, the moment I conceived my sweet twin girls, a huge portion of my brain cells died instantly. I might have been known as a "scatterbrain" in the past by some, but let me tell you, it got significantly worse. Now I don't notice my mommybrain because I have adapted to it, but my husband points out things from time to time.

After the girls were born, life completely turned upside down and the endless diaper changes, feedings, soothings, bathings, clothing changes and every other little thing that you have to do to prepare for all these things (bottle washing, formula preparation, laundry, etc.) made the time fly by. (I would have to say there were times in the first few months that I probably wouldn't have been able to say if it was morning or night.)

Fast forward a bit and as chief operating officer of my household, I am responsible for everything that goes on inside of it with the exception of the remodeling projects, snow removal and trash. (A twinmama has the draw a line in the sand somewhere...) However the remaining responsibilities are enough for a team of ten much less one person who also has to still do quite a lot for 20 month old twins.

Oh, did I tell you I work, too? Yep, once the girls go to bed, I am up working two telecommute positions. And three days a week I babysit. Sooooooo.....

Okay, so there are a ton of us out there that have more on our plates than we can handle right now. This post is not a sob story of my life and I am not asking for sympathy. My situation is the way it is because I have had to make these sacrifices so I can stay home with my kids and I wouldn't change it for anything. I love the time I am spending with them. And it took a children's show for me to find this perspective.

The other day the girls were watching "It's a Big Big World". Okay, fine! I was watching Snook and the girls were playing and occasionally looking up when he started singing. After all, the sloth cracks me up because he is a little too mellow if you catch my drift. But anywhoo...

One of the characters was busy running around trying to get a list of chores done and Snook tells her to stop and smell the flowers. If only she would slow down and take a break here and there, then she would be able to handle everything that was on her plate.

Ha! I shook my head in disgust. That monkey doesn't KNOW what a full plate is all about. And Snook! Well, Snook doesn't know what he is talking about because he is a sloth and they are lazy and is this really helpful to children? Shouldn't we be more honest and tell them that life is full of responsibility and sacrifice and they better enjoy playing because the party is over when you grow up and become a parent! (Cynical, huh?)

After my mental rant, I looked down at the girls and watched them playing. Jelly Bean was pushing buttons on a toy to make it play music while she danced along. Peanut was sitting studying her favorite book - a board book of colored pictures of animals. They were happy and content, doing what they loved.

Then it finally occurred to me. I am doing what I love, too. Every time I wash a dish, do a load of laundry, log in an hour of work, change a diaper, I am doing what I love. It isn't the actual activity that makes me jump for joy, but why I am doing that activity. Everything I do is for my family. My plate is full, but it is full of purpose.

So, I slid off the couch and sat next to Peanut and hugged her. I motioned for Jelly Bean to come to me and she ran into my lap giggling. I cuddled both of my daughters and kissed the tops of their heads catching the fragrance of shampoo in their hair. Finally I got it. Sometimes you really do have to stop and smell the flowers.

I Get It

2008-10-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like being surrounded by peers who have similar interests, ideals and goals. People who share a certain perspective on life tend to engage in wonderful relationships and genuine esteem for one another. If you belong to any support group, bible study or common interest club, you know what I mean.

There are many wonderful organizations that provide support to mothers including local mother's groups, multiple mother's groups and MOPS. I have been thinking strongly about joining the local chapter of the National Organization of Mothers of Twins group.

I intended on joining when my girls were first born, but the craziness of the times and then a move changed my plans. Looking back, I think that it would have made a world of difference for me to have been part of this group of mothers who truly understand what it is like to parent and parent twins.

It is amazing when I run across families that have twins. I didn't realize how many twins are out there in the world and it seems when you have your own set, you find twins everywhere. There is a secret code amongst mothers of twins that isn't said out loud, but still exists. When we meet each other, we cautiously ask if the other person's children are twins. We don't want to be one of those crazy people out there who ask a whole bunch of stupid questions, but it is good to not assume everything. Then, we study the other set to see if they are fraternal or identical, but we rarely ask. Usually this information is offered by the parent to avoid the question. Finally, we compare notes. If the children are different ages, there is a lot of "Oh, mine did that!" or "How do you do this?"

Knowledge. We try to suck knowledge out of each other's brains. We want to know things that can help us figure out why our babies aren't sharing or have suddenly developed their own crazy language. We want to secretly compare our set of twins with the other person's twins to see developmentally how ours are measuring up.

All of this exchange can happen in mere seconds.

And why does it happen? There is probably different answers to this questions, but for me it is just that moment in time where I can connect with someone who can understand what I am going through. Possibly someone who isn't going to look at my ratty T-shirt and tired eyes and judge me for "letting myself go." Someone who may be thinking, "I Get It. I am right there with you. I am tired, too. I have more on my plate than I can handle. I don't have many escapes. I don't get enough breaks and when I do, I am busy doing housework, working one of my jobs or trying to organize our family budget, shopping list or calendar."

The other day, the girls had an appointment at the pediatrician's office. I sat across from a nurse practitioner who was checking Jelly Bean's ears while Peanut stood by my lap sobbing because I couldn't hold her. I made the apologetic comment, "Usually I have someone help me when we come for their well visits, but on sick visits, I have to come alone." I felt bad that we all had to stand there and listen to Peanut scream. It wasn't very pleasant. The nurse practitioner sweetly said, "I remember those days. It was never fun taking my twin girls to the doctor either."

At that moment, my tenseness melted. We were in good hands. She was part of "the club." She wasn't going to walk out of there and tell the rest of the staff, "Those kids are horrible. That mother should get more control!" I just knew that she did understand and found out that her twins were in high school now. Wow, that seems so far away, yet the days will fly by.

After our visit, we were leaving the office and out in the waiting room I ran into more members of our elite group of stressed out posse. A mother and father sat each holding a little boy. The mother sat up seeing my girls, "Twins?" she cautiously inquired. "Yes, 20 month old twin girls," I replied (I try to give out the basic information so people don't have to ask a million questions.) "Ours are almost 12 months! Are yours sick? They both have colds and so do we," said the mom pointing to her and her husband. I told her that we did, too. And we shared a laugh about how everything gets passed around in the household. (Although we both know that it really isn't funny and we loath when we see running noses, of course.) We said goodbye to our new friends and left.

On the drive home, it hit me. I cling to mothers who have older twins because they have "the goods." They have so much experience, remember different situations and stages and have the ability to look back and give an amazing perspective that those of us living in the "little ones" years cannot muster up right now. On the other hand, I love running into mothers of twins who are younger than mine because I would love to be a sympathetic ear, a loving hug and give them any piece of knowledge they asked for in helping them get through those first 20 months. (Cause that's all I know.)

But most importantly, I think the biggest help to any mother whether they are a mommy of one, two or ten is the simple fact that we have all been in crazy moments with our kids and that none of us are perfect. We love our children, we do our best and with God's provisions, they are well provided for. I just want you all to know, "I get it."

Jelly Bean-ese and Misunderstandings

2008-10-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

It is difficult living with people who don't speak the same language as me and twindada. The communication break down happens on a daily, if not hourly, basis at our house. At 20 months of age, Peanut and Jelly Bean are very active and their level of comprehension and communication is increasing regularly. However, there are times that I scratch my head because I have no clue what they are talking about or I laugh because there has been a misunderstanding.

Jelly Bean is my little communicator. She was the first to say Dada and the number of words she says increases weekly. Her very first word besides Dada and Mama was "door." She is constantly gabbing and sometimes there are a few English words dropped into her conversation, but other times she is definitely speaking her own language.

Her new thing is "reading" the books herself. She has decided that she is a big girl and wants to read to me and Peanut and is quite expressive. (I am quite expressive when I read to them.)

Here are a few Jelly Bean words that I hear regularly, but honestly have not been able to translate:

1. Shaboy-ya
2. Trac-ta
3. A-wu-da-ba

If anyone speaks this language, please let me know what my child is saying. She may be telling me how the nation should get out of our financial crisis and I am unable to decode. Maybe I should call the CIA...

Then there is Peanut. Her level of comprehension is astounding, but her communication isn't as strong as Jelly Bean right now. She is definitely a smart little whipper-snapper though! If I mention a certain animal in one book, she can locate another book or toy that has that same exact animal. We call that cross-referencing.

However sometimes we have misunderstandings because she is retaining so much. Here are some examples:

1. Peanut knows most of her body parts and one of those is elbow. We don't watch Sesame Street, but received a Elmo toy recently. When I told her who he was, she pointed to her elbow. "No, that is elbow. This is ELMO." I try to explain. Forget it. She is determined to show me that she knows what she is talking about. She also did it when we watched Dora dance the mambo on Dora the Explorer. Babies.

2. Like I said, she knows her body parts. When we got a book of farm animals, I pointed to the baby chicks and told her, "Chicks." "Dah!" Peanut points to her CHEEKS (The ones on her face. C'mon, this a g-rated blog!)

So, it is never a dull moment here at our house. There is lots of learning and clarifying and re-stating and head scratching and what the heck did she just say? Life is grand.

Finding Peaks In the Valley

2008-10-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

Guest Post by Twindada who was "inspired to write today." Gotta love that!

Walking in the valley is never a pleasant experience, you would think. However, I truly believe it can be very rewarding. It is a constant reminder of where you have been and where you are going. My family and I have seen plenty of "valleys" in our lives. The ups have been wonderful experiences and the downs have been pretty rough.

Now we find ourselves currently living in the valley, literally. Our new house is in southwest Ohio in an area known as the Miami Valley and we are truly settled for the first time in our lives. I find it somewhat ironic when thinking about it, that after moving so many times over the years to places we thought we would be happy,that we would be led to the valley.

I grew up in the same area that we are now living. All I wanted to do was get out of there as fast as I could. I did just that. I went to college after high school across the state and never looked back. Sure, I came "home" every now and then to see my family and friends, but I never truly considered it my home. I wanted to truly experience life. Life to me was so much more than what my hometown could offer me. My dream was to move to Florida or even Tennessee (where my Dad's side of the family is from and a majority still live). Well, after finding the love of my life and marrying her (twinmama of course!), we made the leap. We moved to Florida. We lasted one year and felt a true calling (which neither one of us had experienced before) to move back to Ohio. At the time we had no idea why, but we had to get back.

We ended up in the valley. The same area we are in now. But this move was only temporary of course, until we found our true home. We talked about Florida again (who knows why, we like the torture, I guess), North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and on and on. Flash forward a couple years and we were blessed with wonderful twin girls. Life as we knew it was over. Talk about a change in things you took advantage of before! Everything was a whirlwind. We pressed a pause button on life and our #1 priority become our new family with Jelly Bean and Peanut.

Our freethinking ways pretty much ceased when it came to moving away. All of the sudden family and friends became a huge priority in life. After all, we needed the help! So much so, we made the decision to move in with my Mother-in-Law, who lives about an hour south of the valley, temporarily until we found a place to settle down - not back up in the valley of course! Fast forward another year, and an extraordinary thing happened. We were being led to the valley once again. No real explanation as to why, it was just that "feeling" rearing it's head once again.

So, here we are, with the valley being our true home. Yeah, it's tough beyond comprehension right now. But we find solace in knowing for certain that this is exactly where we are supposed to be. It wasn't easy getting here, there were a lot of obstacles in our way and we fought through all of them (with the help from the Man upstairs of course). The most amazing thing to me is that even though we may be living in a literal valley and going through struggles in the theoretical valley, it is comforting to know that our little piece of land that we own sits atop a peak where we can look out and clearly see where our true priorities lie.