Twinergy

A Day of Daycare

2012-02-04T17:41:00.054-05:00

Hi All,
P&M daycare has begun! We are off to a good start. The kids and I arrived at Jim's office just prior to 10:00 am (yes, we are slow movers in the morning). Jim met us at the parking ramp, the kids hopped out, and we were all off to our respective destinations. This is much different from past years, when I would take the kids into the building and reluctantly pry myself away from one or two clinging, crying children. Apparently, it was equally uneventful for Jim, who simply took them into the daycare area and delivered them to a table to draw.
To add further excitement, Bree has been potty training and went to daycare in her big girl underwear. With Jim's assistance, she went accident-free while there!
I was able to sneak off to East Lansing to enjoy a forever favorite lunch at El Azteco with a forever favorite friend. Then, it was back to GR to pick up Jim and kids. We were brave and doubled up on the daycare for the day by taking advantage of the "date night" program offered by the Y. But we had a couple of hours to kill before then. It was a nice day, so we stopped at the fish ladder and watched some fisherman in action on the river.

We then made our way to the public museum. We had our sights set on the carousel. But the famous (sort of) Meijer pony ride caught Drew's eye and needed to be indulged.

By chance, we happened to visit the museum on a free admission event day when many exhibitors were in attendance. So, we got to see a really cool drum corp perform and wander the museum a bit. And, of course, we rode the carousel twice, due to popular demand. All for free - what a treat!

Then, it was time for date night. The kids, with just a little hesitation from Bree, spent a few hours playing and doing arts and crafts at the Y.

Jim and I took to the mall, just the two of us (can't remember the last time that happened). After, we found a quick bite to eat. We arrived back at the Y to find the kids enjoying themselves and bearing nice valentines for Mom and Dad.

We've been slow to use any sort of daycare. But, all in all, I'd say our day was a success!

From The Mouths of Babes

2012-01-31T23:01:00.016-05:00

I've been attempting to capture some of the funny things I hear throughout the day. There are lots.

We have a herd of toy cows, and when Bree plays with them, she is usually having "cow contests". They go head to head in running and jumping competitions. But today, I watched as she played next to me. She had the baby cows asking for their mama cows. Once the mamas found the babies, they took them to a plastic container for a nap. When all the cows made it to the plastic container, Bree found an old birthday card and proceeded to read the cows a story. Her story went like this - "Once upon a time, there was a bear named Pumpkin Bear (which is a little Ty bear we have in a pumpkin outfit). He fell in the water. Then he got a fat tummy, because he ate a bunch of honey. That's the end." She told the story a few times over the course of the day, and it was interestingly consistent each time.

And Drew's comment of the day -
Drew reached up on the counter and starting spilling out the contents of a bag up there. When I caught him, I rushed over and said, "Drew, don't dump that out - geez, Louise!" Drew responded, "I'm not Weez!" You got me on that one, buddy!

Mario!

2012-01-29T23:15:00.045-05:00

My brother's school had their children's carnival this weekend. Darren had a Mario Kart game in his classroom, and asked D & B to help out.

Happy to do so, Baby Mario was in attendance. (He survived most the evening, his mustache, however, did not!)

And Princess Daisy made her appearance...

The Marios had to consult from time to time.

Balloons from Auntie and Uncle were are great perk!

Off to do some fishing.

Hoping for a big one!

And a few of their many catches...

While we did a little fishing and tried our luck at the cake walk, the craft table was, by far, D & B's favorite activity.

Uncle left the table with a few new "tattoos", courtesy of Drew.

We found Princess Peach back in the Mario Kart room.

Princess Daisy wasn't quite ready to leave, once she found a ball and someone to toss it to.

Crafty Kids

2012-01-12T21:16:00.046-05:00

The kiddos had a pre-school open house this week. Pre-school, can you believe it?!? Makes my heart shudder a bit. At any rate, when the time rolled around to head to the open house, Bree was fast asleep. These are the days the kids often opt out of taking an afternoon nap and instead pass out before or at dinner.
So, Drew and Jim checked it out and reported back. When I asked Drew about pre-school, he excitedly responded there was a big car there that he could sit in. I think he's hooked!
He came home with a couple of craft kits, and we sat down and did them today.

The result - snowflake crowns!

Quotes of the Day

2011-08-07T19:38:00.000-04:00

#1 - Drew, as he is standing on the tub, leaning over the bathroom cabinet: "I want Daddy's lipstick!" (referring to Jim's chapstick).

#2 - Drew at bedtime from his crib to Bree in her crib, as she is playing a musical toy. "Hey. What are you doing? I'm trying to sleep over here." Note: She quieted down immediately after that, while Drew went on to jump on the bed, jump out of bed, find a noisy toy, etc.....

Naptime Nuttiness

2011-06-29T21:21:00.002-04:00

Hi All,
Naps are getting a bit unpredictable around here. The new found freedom of Drew's toddler bed doesn't help. Some days, naps just don't happen. Other days, we end up with a heavenly three hour nap. Some days, it's just plain nutty! And here are Bree and Drew to prove it....

Drew was opposed to the whole idea of a nap. But given a bit of quiet time in his room, he did manage to pass out on the floor.

Bree, on the other hand, felt the need to stretch out on Mom and Dad's bed to get her into sleep mode.

But hey, who am I to complain - at least they are napping!

Opposing Forces

2011-06-24T21:17:00.001-04:00

Hi All,
Well, here she is again! My little queen of organization, hard at work on the jello boxes. Think I can get her to work on my cupboard space next? And, how is it so impossible to keep our house in order with this organizational angel at hand?

According to Newton - for every force, there is an equal and opposite force. In our case, that is Drew! Take a look at his handiwork, also from this evening.....

This is his idea of fun, so who am I to question it?

Papa's Day

2011-06-23T19:53:00.015-04:00

Hi All,
We have a tradition of picking a day to visit with Papa the week of Fathers Day. We enjoyed a fun day with Papa and Grandma today as our very own Papa's Day.

A few gifts for Papa

And a little bit of mischief to go along with it!

Just minding my own business, really!

Is this a winning smile or what?!?

An explanation as to why all breakables have been removed from the white dresser...

Not Again

2011-06-22T19:51:00.000-04:00

Hi All,
We have more sad news on our furry friend front. Blanca went to the vet two weeks ago, because she had dropped a few pounds. The vet said overall she looked thin, but was not dehydrated and otherwise in good shape. So, perhaps we just needed to feed her more. We asked to run some blood work to rule out other causes. What it showed was that Blanca has the same kidney failure issue that we went through with Cue a year ago. Blanca is nine years old and still on the young side for this (just like Cue). So, how is this happening again?!? Unlike Cue, the vet said it appeared from the numbers that we caught Blanca's issues closer to the onset. (Unfortunately, symptoms do not appear until 70% of the kidney function is gone.) That being said, she was probably looking at living another 1 - 3 years on a special diet. We started the diet immediately, and I was relieved that she liked her new food. But the relief was temporary. A few days ago, Blanca stopped eating and was drinking less. So it was back to the vet for her yesterday. This time we received more dire news. From a blood test, Blanca's numbers have skyrocketed in the past two weeks and the disease is progressing quickly. The vet said they could get her rehydrated and see if that gives her a boost to get back on track. But the vet really didn't have much in the way of encouraging words for us. We'll call today to check on her progress with her fluid therapy, and see what the vet thinks about moving forward.
On a separate but related note, we also found out recently that Riley has a torn ACL. We are in a waiting period to see if it can heal on it's own, with some decreased activity. If not, it will be surgery for her.
No more bad luck in the pet department please; we've had our share!

Meijer Gardens - Play Date!

2011-06-21T21:46:00.036-04:00

Hi All,
We joined some twin friends and their families for a Meijer Gardens play date.

What does it mean when all of the other kids there are in frame for this picture, sitting and listening quietly to the storyteller, while your kid is standing with her back to the reader? Meanwhile, the other is missing from the frame completely, off finding new adventures?

I'll choose to believe reading books just isn't their thing while enjoying the great outdoors. For instance, they could be getting down and dirty in the sand! This looks all too much like exactly what we do at home. But everyone was thoroughly enjoying it, so we'll allow it. :)

My girl dreaming up her next sandcastle

Brushing down the rock quarry

Nate and Brynn happy to be on sand duty

Big Shoes to Fill

2011-06-21T07:05:00.010-04:00

Hi All,
One of the kids' favorite activities is clomping around the house in our shoes. I don't really understand the fascination, but I guess that's part of the fun of being a kid!

Dad's Day

2011-06-20T22:03:00.023-04:00

Hi All,
We celebrated Fathers Day at home yesterday. Drew and Bree started the day with some gifts for Daddy.

Drew made a cool hand print to commemorate the day.

Bree was not in the mood to stick her hand in paint, but I think she promised to do one later. :)

Then, Jim had an exciting day on the lake. The fish were jumping and Jim caught one after another! Jim was pretty happy with his cooler of fish. Check out this haul! They made for an excellent dinner.

And for the last treat of the day, Dad gets to figure out how to get this monkey into bed.....

A Man of Many Hats

2011-06-17T21:49:00.003-04:00

Today's selection was a food strainer, clean of course!

Our Beach Just Got a Little Sandier

2011-06-16T18:06:00.014-04:00

Hi All,
We got a nice delivery today - a bunch of new sand to add to our beach! The kids loved watching the bulldozer in action as it dumped and smoothed the sand.

And it didn't take them long to get a closer look. Ahh! Nothing like the feeling of fresh sand on your toes!

Brush your..... BELLYBUTTON?

2011-06-16T08:02:00.002-04:00

Hi All,
We struggle with getting the kids to brush their teeth these days. They sure are happy to eat lots of toothpaste (which we try to minimize). But the interest in real "brushing" is quite lacking. Unless, of course, we are talking bellybuttons!

School's Out Forever

2011-06-15T07:13:00.045-04:00

Hi All,
School's out forever - for my mom, that is. We took the opportunity to celebrate over a few days time.

Party with co-workers: We attended mom's after hours send-off from her co-workers at a local establishment. There was good pizza, appetizers, and refreshments, and I think Drew polished off a bowl of chips on his own. We were the only party there, and the kids enjoyed exploring the place (a.k.a. chasing each other around the bar).

The whole gang

Drew and Bree took a break from their "exploring" for a few pictures.

Celebratory roses from Dad

Family Celebration: We also set aside a day to celebrate as a family and enjoyed a nice meal - Chinese takeout, so Mom wouldn't have to cook - LOL!

Drew and Bree helped out a little in the yard before dinner.

And family gatherings = family pictures!

Celebratory cake

And the celebratory cake server...

Congrats to Mom on retirement - relax and enjoy!

Double Dooty

2011-06-06T07:36:00.005-04:00

Hi All,
Potty training anyone??? We're not quite there yet. See below, the kids may be more ready than me. Haha!

Bree and Drew both on their potty seats - are they ready?!?

Anyway, we still have yet to do anything really serious in the potty training department. We've had the potty chairs for months and months now. And, on occasion, they get used. Drew has had some really fine streaks going, mostly for the fact that he's a dramatic pooper. That helps me direct him to the potty chair to do business. There have also been a few occasions where the kids ask to sit on the potty, but nothing too consistent.
I've also read a book on the topic (this too was months ago!). Surely, I will be re-reading it. It seems there has always been one reason or another to put off training. Plus, I recently read another parent's opinion of training was that it was overrated. After all, once they are trained it's trips to the bathroom every ten minutes. Otherwise, you have a mess to deal with. Multiply that by two. Do I have time for that?
I've been telling myself for a while that summer would be a good time to really give a try. With the official start to summer right around the corner, I suppose it's time to dust off that book and get back at it!

I thought this shot was particularly cute. Drew appears to be coaching and "consoling" Bree in her attempts.

"You can do it, sissy!"

I'm sure it will all work out fine in the end, but why do I have the feeling I will be the one in need of the coaching and consoling when we actually take the plunge? :)

Fishing Fanatics

2011-06-05T22:07:00.031-04:00

Hi All,

From what I can tell from the observation deck, we have had a fishing season that is nothing short of fantastic so far.

Jim picked up our nephew Cooper on Saturday afternoon, and they, along with Jim's dad, spent the evening fishing. The fish were jumping, and Cooper was one excited kid.

Jim made a bonfire Saturday evening, so Cooper got to enjoy some smores by the lake. Then, Sunday morning it was back out on the water for some more fishing.

And yes, more fish, more excitement!

Even Riley got in on the fishing craze....

Since Jim never tires of fishing, we called the Fergusons over for dinner, and yes, more fishing!

By the end of the weekend, I think the fishing fanatics had their fill. But look out fish, they will undoubtedly be back for more!

Art Festival

2011-06-04T22:37:00.009-04:00

Hi All,
We took the kids to the art festival downtown today, which incidentally we also refer to as the food festival. :) It was super hot and sunny, but the kids seemed to enjoy the sights and sounds of it all. We didn't stay long, as Drew and Bree were in need of a nap. But we were there long enough for some face painting (for the willing participants only - aka Bree).

Even the willing participant smeared her butterfly a bit...

And the kids loved the balloon animals (in this case, poodles)...

And, we couldn't leave without getting Jim a skewered souvlaki. (Sorry, no picture!) After mission accomplished, we were hot and the kids were tired. So we hightailed it to the car, where the kids promptly fell asleep in their seats. Sleeping two year olds can be a form of art, too!

Nap Dodgers

2011-06-03T22:25:00.000-04:00

Hi All,
Well, the sleep wars continue around here. I thought we had it all figured out the end of April with the play yard walls in place in the room during sleeping hours. However, the pushing and shoving on the play yard was really wreaking havoc on the bedroom walls - too many gauges for Jim to stomach. So, two weeks ago I picked up another gate (this one taller and easier to properly place than the last) at a garage sale, hoping it would work in the doorway. And it did - until today. After placing Bree in her crib and Drew in his bed, it was minutes later that I found this.....

One kid out of her crib and the other kid on the wrong side of the gate! Bree has crawled out before, once the end of April. But I had let her keep her shoes on and was sure that aided in her escape. Drew, the climber of all things, can now scale the new tall gate, repeatedly. By the end of the day, I even caught Bree trying to climb it, just like her brother.
So it appears we are right back to square one on the sleep front. Except now it's square one times two. The kids are at an age where they are not interested in sleeping when I say it's time. Being two years old, I suppose there is an element of control to it. Both kids have gone through phases where their sleep habits needed tweaking. At the moment, Drew is the one in need. I believe his antics often keep Bree awake longer than she would be on her own. Although, Bree can be the queen of stall techniques when she wants.

So instead of the prescribed mid-afternoon nap, Jim arrived home from work to this....

So let's see, I believe that makes the score -

Drew: 4

Me and the gates, play yards, doors: 0.

The battle continues...

Aspiring Artists

2011-06-03T21:33:00.000-04:00

Hi All,
We were invited to an art gallery showing of sorts. Another mom in my "moms of multiples" group hosted a gathering at her home and asked that we bring some current artwork for display.

Drew enjoyed the art display a little too much. I caught him eating a marshmallow off one of the art pieces!

We had a nice time playing with all the other artists. The sandbox was fun!

And we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the lawn.

Complete with popsicles!

Just Bead It

2011-06-02T22:03:00.001-04:00

Hi All,
We have a great resource available to us through a local program called Connections. They provide critical child developmental information to parents of children up to five years old. They distribute "Ages and Stages Questionnaires" every three months or so. Each is usually about four pages long and details certain skills that are appropriate for each age set, categorized by communication, fine motor, gross motor, problem solving, and personal-social. It's really a great tool for me to obtain a better understanding of the skills I should watch for and work on with the kids.
We are in the process of completing our 27 month questionnaire. One of the fine motor questions pertained to whether your child could string small items onto a string or shoelace. I had bought a lacing bead kit (Melissa and Doug, one of our favorite brands!) some time ago, but the age range indicated three - six years, so I stored it away. Well, I pulled it out to see what Drew and Bree thought of it.

Drew picked up a shoelace and immediately got the hang of it. He was unstoppable!

As for Bree, she quickly got frustrated and went back to stacking legos.

We waited a day and got the beads and strings out again. And again, Drew was the Master of the Beads.

Bree could get the string into the hole of the beads, but struggled with pulling the string through the other end. I know she'll get it with a bit more practice. In the meantime, Bree still enjoys her puzzles. We have about ten 24 piece puzzles (age range also 3+) that she likes to rotate . She is really good at putting them together, many of them entirely unaided. In fact, I pulled this one out for her and let her work on it alone. Just a few minutes later, I returned to find this...

Proud Puzzle Wiz!

So, I'm really not at all worried about either of their fine motor skills. Incidentally, they are also very good at making strawberries disappear!

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T22:29:00.015-04:00

Hi All,
Happy Memorial Day to one and all! And to all the men and women who have served our country, to ensure the safety and freedom of all of us - we thank you!
We celebrated on the lake. It was hot and beautiful. We had a mid-day grill, and everyone brought something to add to the spread. As usual, the fishermen were in full swing. And the pontoon and canoe rides added to the fun. My nephew Cooper turned eleven recently, so we celebrated that, too. All in all, it was a great end to beautiful holiday weekend!

Happy 11 Cooper!

Cooper and family

Drew is ready for a boat ride already

Bree is directing Papa to their next destination

The Fergusons enjoy some beach fishing

"Grab a paddle and we're outta here!"

My mom trying to talk the canoers into a picture

Best attempt at a family pic

Joe and Joyce, heading out for a paddle

Two worn out kids!

Here Fishie, Fishie

2011-05-28T22:19:00.032-04:00

Hi All,
Memorial Day weekend is here! We are out enjoying a beautiful start to the long weekend.

First, we got a lovely group of swans on the lake. There were eight in total. The picture I took of all eight was blurry. Not sure this one even does it justice. We are used to seeing only two or three together at a time.

Then, Bree and Drew got kayak rides this morning. They've now officially been kayaking more than me this year.

Bree at the ready

Drew showing his stuff

And last, Drew and Bree caught their first fish! And when I say caught, they truly reeled them in (see video below). I was very excited for them.

Drew's catch

Bree's catch

Even more fun than the pictures is the video of all the fishing and kayak action above - here you go....

It's shaping up to be a fun summer!

Bottoms Up

2011-05-26T22:13:00.003-04:00

Hi All,
The kids sometimes find their way out of their bedroom for naps these days. Bree crashed on the floor today. I just love the "bottom's in the air" look. Sure wish I could nap that well!

School Day

2011-05-21T21:24:00.006-04:00

Hi All,
Drew and Bree were off to school today. Not really, but we did go and visit the school where my mom works. The twins were actually shy and a bit scared of all the people - unfamiliar territory for them. But they were fans of the playground.

GraGra's school and playground

Tether ball - one of my all time favorites!

And, we were in for a treat when a duckling walked up between Papa's feet while they were swinging. Drew and Bree named him Quack Quack.

Quack Quack stayed with my parents for a few days, until my dad was able to find someone with other ducks to raise him. Cute little guy!

Wake Up Call

2011-05-17T15:43:00.010-04:00

Hi All,
This video is really nothing to look at. Unfortunately, we try to keep the door shut when the kids are sleeping. So, you could say it's more of an "audio". I caught Bree in her crib this morning trying to wake Drew up, which is very common when she wakes up first.

"Wake up, brother." Repeat, repeat, repeat. How would you like that for an alarm clock?!?

Boating Season

2011-05-16T21:39:00.004-04:00

Hi All,
We got the boat delivered and dropped in the water. (Incidentally, it went much smoother than last year.) Of course, we did an inaugural ride for the year. It was still pretty nippy,even though we are two weeks later than last year. So it was a quick ride, but I think it's going to be even more fun for the kids this year.

Drew wasted no time making his way to the captain's chair

As you can see, it was a "hair blowing in the breeze" kind of ride

Day with the Grandparents

2011-05-14T20:17:00.001-04:00

Hi All,
Jim and I took a quick trip to Chicago to join our good friends at the Cubs game. Drew and Bree hung at home with Papa and GraGra. It appears they enjoyed their usual antics....

Strolls around the neighborhood

A little hugging (or is that wrestling???)

Smiling pretty

For Jim and I, it was a bone chilling day at the ballpark. (The temperature dropped twenty or so degrees by the time we arrived there, and we were woefully unprepared.) But, we persevered until the seventh inning stretch before leaving to find dinner. On a good note, it was a win for the Cubs!

I Miss That Boy

2011-05-12T17:05:00.003-04:00

Hi All,
It's been over five weeks now that our cat Sampson went missing. I have pretty much lost all hope of him returning to us. Still, I have been reading craigslist for local lost and found pets and watching the petfinder website for any signs that he may have shown up in a shelter nearby. (I sent an email to someone who posted they found a siamese that was sort of close to us. Their pictures of the found cat did not look like Sampson to me, but I thought it couldn't hurt to inquire a bit more. But, unfortunately, I did not get a response back.)
I also wouldn't feel right if we did not make a trip to the local animal shelter to investigate, just in case. So I packed up the kids today, and we did just that. The kids enjoyed looking at the cats being held there. I explained to them that we were looking for Sampson. We looked at all the cats being held, reviewed the log of strays found since his missing date, and filed a lost cat report. After taking one last look at the kitties, I told the kids, "C'mon, Sampson is not here. We will have to keep looking. " Bree replied, "Yeah, I miss that boy." I said, "Me too, Bree!"

Tub Art

2011-05-12T16:32:00.002-04:00

Hi All,
The kids went crazy with the tub crayon today. Drew was done by the time I got the camera, but I captured Bree in action.

Hard at work

Sophisticated tub art requires some standing

Proud artist posing with her masterpiece

Kicked Out

2011-05-12T07:34:00.010-04:00

Hi All -
We had our first really hot night last night, following a big thunderstorm. Not sure if it was the heat the woke the kids or just Drew's usual wake up call. But they both ended up in our bed sometime between 2 an 3 am. All the body heat was too much for me, and I bolted to the couch! Not sure how long Jim toughed it out with the extra bedtime companions, or even how he managed to find a spot among these two!

Swingers

2011-05-10T14:59:00.011-04:00

Hi All,
I've mentioned before how much the kids love their swings. But I don't think I've posted video of it. (This one is from a few weeks back.) While the swinging sillies are quite humorous, Riley wins the humor award for relieving herself in the background while taping....

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T22:41:00.032-04:00

Hi All,
Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there! Hope you enjoyed your day. We enjoyed ours. We started out at my parents' house for visiting and lunch. Then, we moved on to visit Jim's parents. It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed all the time we got to spend outside. I couldn't ask for a better way to spend the day, than with all these very special people!
The pictures I got for the day are compliments of my mom...

Drew and Bree got to help Papa plant some flowers in honor of the special day

Love the blossoms on this tree!

Another pretty shot of the tree in bloom - oh, and my mom and her kids!

Me and my pumpkins

And a happy grandma

Darren, Melissa, and her parents - visiting all the way from Panama

Mustang Man

2011-05-06T22:40:00.024-04:00

Hi All,
I let Drew check out Jim's Mustang today. He was a little kid in a candy shop.

Can you see the excitement here?!?

Figuring out all the controls - no problem!

Seriously, he could not stop smiling.

Amazingly, he even let me snap him in the seat belt - but not for long!

I can already starting to imagine this boy at sixteen and behind the wheel. Wonder if his daddy's Mustang will still be around???

Play Date

2011-05-06T22:03:00.000-04:00

Hi All,
We had fun this morning playing with our new pals, Reese and Rae. I know their mom through our local mothers of multiples group. The kiddos are about the same age and got along very well. Oh, and they are fellow Spartan fans - gotta love that!
We had a perfect day to hang out at one of our favorite parks. We rode the swings, hit all the slides, and fed the ducks. Oh, and the highlight of our morning - we found a little frog (technically, I think it was a toad)! He was great fun to watch, until he jumped towards Bree and sent her into a crying fit. All in all, we enjoyed our morning in the park!

Feeding some very lucky ducks

Drew and Bree - now experts on this slide

Sharing some snacks

Drew petting our new friend "frog"

The whole gang coming in for a closer look

Smileworthy

2011-05-04T21:01:00.003-04:00

Hi All,
These images gave me a smile today - thought they might do the same for you....

Bree feeding the babies

Fresh picked dandelions, compliments of Drew and Bree

Happy Anniversary To Me

2011-05-03T23:28:00.002-04:00

Hi All,
What a way to spend my wedding anniversary! Jim is out of town for business; we'll celebrate another day. AND, Drew decided to inflict bodily harm on Bree this evening - ugh!
We are still working on the transitioning of Drew to his toddler bed. Well, this evening when the kids went to bed, Drew wanted to be in sissy's bed and Bree was agreeable to go into Drew's bed. Since it really makes no difference to me where they sleep, as long as they sleep, I complied. Unfortunately, they did not have sleep in mind when I put them to bed. Just a few minutes later, Bree let out a not-so-normal cry, and I ran in to see what was going on. I found her standing and crying in front of her crib (which Drew was standing up in) with a blood all around her mouth. I don't do well with blood (or any bodily injuries for that matter), so of course I freaked out. Thankfully, Bree actually did not cry long after I picked her up and consoled her. Jim couldn't be reached, but I called my parents who were able to calm me down and give me some assurance it wasn't too serious, given the details. She didn't like me messing with her mouth, but I was able to determine there was a small cut on her chin and it also seemed her gum line was bleeding. Bree let me clean her up and seemed to get comfort from sucking on an ice cube wrapped in a washcloth.
Chalk up another mishap for Bree - poor kid! From the evidence I found, I am led to believe that Drew threw his Thomas flashlight in Bree's face with a good deal of force. He has a strong arm, and the flashlight does not have sharp edges per se, but it is heavy enough with hard edges.
At any rate, the bedroom has been cleared of threatening objects with high throw potential, and everyone was placed back in their own bed for the evening. Hope we can remain accident free now at least till Jim gets home.

Bubble Guppies

2011-05-01T22:38:00.031-04:00

Hi All,
The kids and I have this thing we like to do while they are in the tub. They often like to lay on their tummies and kick around which I like to call "bubble guppies". (Yes, this is in honor of the new cartoon with the same name.) So now, when I say "do the bubble guppies", they start it up. I'll then sing the theme song for them - "Bubble, bubble, bubble, guppy, guppy, guppies, *clap, clap*, BUBBLE GUPPIES!" Silly I know, but we all thoroughly enjoy it. And, it's a lot more fun that washing their hair (which they happen to hate)! :)

Bree doing the "bubble guppy"

And double bubble guppies!

Doodle Pad

2011-05-01T16:29:00.003-04:00

Hi All,
This is to show our good friend Tracy how much Bree likes the doodle pad that she kindly ordered for us. Can't go to bed without it!

My Concert Pianists

2011-04-29T22:32:00.005-04:00

Little sidenote: Bree picked out this outfit today!

Full of It

2011-04-27T17:22:00.012-04:00

An excerpt from an email to a friend that I recently sent - thought some of you may enjoy it, too....

It seems we are full of it around here. My two year old son's latest fascination is reaching back and digging in his diaper once he's dropped a load. (Perhaps he gets that from his father's side.) The other day when I was on the phone, he ran up to me excitedly saying "poop, poop!", and I thought surely he was telling me he needed to use his potty chair. But then I realized he really just wanted to show me what he managed to extract from his diaper. The next day, I got my hopes up once again when he actually asked to get out of the tub to use his potty. But the celebration was cut short when, less than an hour later, he presented me with yet another brown finger. Having twins only complicates matters. When my nose senses someone in need of a diaper change, I ask the kids straight up "Did you poop?" Without hesitation my daughter will say, "No, brother did!" This is her standard response regardless of who the perpetrator is. So then I have to resort to other measures. Never in my life did I envision uttering "Let me smell your butt" on a regular basis!

Border Patrol

2011-04-26T22:32:00.049-04:00

Hi All,
Let's just say border patrol is now in effect. It's been a week since Drew got his "big boy bed". Sure, things started out on a good note (kids settled in to sleep for nap and bedtime with no problem on day one). But, from there, we quickly moved to "bad" and maybe even a little ugly. Keeping Drew corralled quickly became an issue. He figured out pretty immediately that getting out of his new bed was even easier than the crib. I tried the pressure mounted gate we use for our laundry room in the doorway - he knocked it over on his first attempt. I spent time holding the door closed while he tried over and over again to open it. That got old in a hurry. I tried returning him to bed time after time of him getting up. That was pretty exhausting. Sunday evening, after a long line of antics, the kids got to sleep sometime after midnight. After some hair-pulling, I came up with the latest weapon in the bedtime war.

The play yard fence meets the bedroom.....

It ain't pretty, and I hate the hurdles I am forced to do to get over it while border patrol is in effect. But, it's doing the job at the moment. Sure, Drew still shakes and rattles on it, but he can't climb it, and it keeps him form opening and shutting the door. And, witness the sleeping child in this picture. For that reason, I snapped this picture of my boy with a larger than usual amount of delight. Hopefully, we'll continue to keep things in line south (or technically "west") of the border.

Happy Easter, Happy Birthday!

2011-04-24T23:57:00.011-04:00

Hi All,
We held a dual celebration today, for Easter and my Grandma's birthday (plus all the other family birthdays on or around this time).
So, I guess that makes my first official Easter hosting experience, although we got a lot of help from family members. (Everyone brought food, including my parents' huge and delicious ham.) So, I can't take all the credit. :) All in all, I think it went well. Most importantly, my gram (our guest of honor) said it was perfect and really enjoyed being surrounded by family.

Drew and Bree enjoyed some outside time with the grandparents and some Easter eggs. Thank goodness for the nice day!

Bree, Papa, and the eggs - Papa tossed, Bree retrieved, and they repeated again and again.

And Drew enjoyed some reading time with Aunt Diane.

When it came time for cake, my amazingly talented cousin-in-law Hillary had us covered once again. The cake was beautiful, and tasted incredible (Bavarian creme = delicious!)

The birthday line-up! Once we started looking, we found lots of April/May birthday people in the crowd to join in on the fun.

Our family shot for the day; many of us were pretty worn out by the time we took this picture.

And the last picture of the day; yes, the kids were officially done at this point. At least my parents are still smiling!

Thank You Easter Bunny

2011-04-24T23:27:00.000-04:00

Hi All,
The Easter bunny made his annual stop at our home. Here's the spread....

Drew wasn't sure what to check out first. The golf clubs ended up being fun, but a little dangerous. The fishing poles were the big winners.

Here is a little video footage. You can see the "boss lady" directing her brother to his basket. :)

The Hunt is On!

2011-04-23T23:31:00.001-04:00

Hi All,
We started our Easter celebrations a day early with dinner and festivities at Jim's parents' house.

First, there were a few more eggs to be colored. I love the "moment" that Cooper and Bree are sharing here. (Cooper claims Bree was giving him the evil eye!)

Before long, it was time for the egg hunt.

And here is the video coverage of the egg hunt. I laugh every time I watch this and hear Drew and Bree frantically shouting "Eggs, eggs, eggs!" And then I see Conner in a mad dash after a very sought after egg - too funny!

And, we also had a birthday celebration to make the day extra special. Happy 8th birthday Carter!

The Eggs of Easter - Round 2

2011-04-23T21:32:00.021-04:00

Hi All,
Just in time for Easter Eve, Drew got his chance at some egg coloring.

But first, Bree had to show him the ropes. I think everyone's expressions speak for themselves here.

Here's Drew dropping some eggs into the coloring. Nice form, buddy!

Video cut of the egg masters...

Welcome Logan!

2011-04-22T22:27:00.004-04:00

Hi All,
My cousin Lisa and hubby Eric had their son Logan Michael on March 31! We got to meet the little guy today. Drew and Bree didn't have much of an opinion (perhaps a little case of jealousy from all the attention I was giving him). But I think he is just wonderful!

Lisa and Logan

Waking Up is Hard to Do

2011-04-22T15:59:00.002-04:00

Hi All,
I happened to get a wake up video this morning. My twosome ended up in the same bed last night after some middle of the night "fun" with their dad. Drew is a bit more bright eyed and bushy tailed here than Bree. But hey, waking up is hard to do, wouldn't you agree?!?

The Eggs of Easter - Round 1

2011-04-21T22:13:00.001-04:00

Hi All,
Bree got a special treat tonight and got to color some Easter eggs all by herself. Okay, Dad helped a little bit! Drew wasn't up for the challenge and headed off for bed early. But my girlie was so excited about dipping those eggs and seeing them come out a different color - it was a joy to watch!

Here is a video clip of the action.

Children's Garden

2011-04-21T21:18:00.015-04:00

Hi All,
We had a fun time with our friends at Meijer Gardens today. After a quick run through the butterfly exhibit, we headed outside to explore the children's garden.

Let the fun begin!

As usual, Drew and Bree were enamored with the wettest exhibits!

Not sure what there is to see in here, but Colin had to find out.

Checking out "the tongue". Claire, we are loving that tutu, girl!

A giant sandbox - oh boy!

The moms got to sit and chat while the kids moved dirt.

Bye for today - we'll be back!

Goodbye Crib!

2011-04-20T07:37:00.003-04:00

Hi All,
Here is Drew showing off his crib scaling capabilities....

Up and over

"And I'm out - easy as pie!"

So, we did it. We made to move from crib to toddler bed for Drew, due to his climbing abilities. Once he started up again, he pretty much didn't stop. He was climbing out of the crib repeatedly at will. So the crib was only serving as a safety hazard at this point.
We decided to transition the crib to a toddler bed, which is a feature that the crib came with. (There is a bed rail that replaces one of the crib rails, and it's a very simple installation.) Jim happened to take the day off, and the kids and I watched as he switched out the rails.

Both Drew and Bree wasted no time getting a few jumps in on the new bed, but were still more comfortable jumping on the old.

We asked Bree if she wanted her crib to look like Drew's did, and she said no. I was pretty surprised by that. But I was more than happy to oblige in keeping her crib intact for a while longer, as she is not at risk of climbing out yet.

Inspecting the big boy bed

So far, so good!

To my amazement, both nap time and bed time went off, pretty much without a hitch! Right on schedule, Drew announced he wanted to go "night, night" at nap time and ran off to lay in his new bed. We got Bree into her crib, and that was it! At bed time, we got a very late start for a few reasons. But, once we all got serious about it, the kids both piled in to Drew's bed for story time and then it was time for bed. Bree claimed she wanted to stay in Drew's bed with him, but also got up out of his bed a couple times. So, I cut her off at the pass and quickly moved her to her crib. The only protesting I got was they wanted the big light on in their room, which I kept on for them. We ended up having a pretty big rain storm as the kids were going to bed. I was a little surprised the lightning and loud rain did not bother them, but they made it through the night without a peep! They are still sleeping as I type.
I'm sure we'll have our hiccups along the way, but "Day One of the Toddler Bed" was a success!

Water Park! AKA Avalanche Bay

2011-04-18T14:27:00.128-04:00

Hi All,
Tax season is finally over! As a little celebration for all of us for surviving yet another one, we headed up to Avalanche Bay, which is the indoor water park attached to Boyne Mountain. The kids had a blast. Apparently, you can't go wrong with a water park at this age. On our last day, Bree was yelling "water park, water park!" as we left the park area for home, in an all out attempt to summon us back.
Now that I've been to two indoor water parks in the past few months, surely I'm an expert! Maybe not, but I do have some critiques and comparisons of Great Wolf in Traverse City and Avalanche Bay at Boyne.

First, since we have two year olds, we spent almost all our time in the kiddie area. Avalanche had a "splash area" which opened up to a wading type pool with a few basketball hoops. The kiddie area seemed smaller to me at Avalanche that Great Wolf. There was only one slide for kids this age (vs. I think three or four at GW). The wading pool was nice, but we didn't spend much time there, as there were too many four to six"ish" year olds pelting basketballs all over the place. This brings me to another issue, which was purely circumstantial. We went to AB on a Saturday, and it was insanely busy. On a less busy day, we may have been more comfortable exploring the wading pool. Since we didn't, I felt a little confined to the splash area. It didn't help matters that Drew and Bree did not take a liking to the one slide that was available there. Nonetheless, Drew and Bree loved it.

The kiddie area, where we spent 99% of our time

Waterworks at the kiddie pool

One happy girl

Next issue at AB, associated with the "crazy busy" issue, all the crazy, impolite kids seemed to be out and looking to steal balls from toddlers. I know kids will be kids, and it's awhile before they really know any better. But where are the parents? It was unbelievable how many times Jim and I had to step in to make sure D and B didn't get their balls stolen.

A little game of catch

A few more issues with AB, which again may be associated with the level of activity. One, where were the lifeguards? At GW, they were everywhere. There were always a few in view from any vantage point. At AB, you had to search a bit to pick one out. Maybe not a big deal if you have bigger kids, but the lifeguard coverage at GW was more comforting for me.
And lastly, the lazy river at AB was more of a crazy river on Saturday. There was so much bumping of tubes and other action that it truly scared D and B.
With all that said, I did like some aspects of AB. They had a surf simulator and a climbing wall, all cool things for older kids. Aside from the water park, Boyne also had an indoor resort pool that opened up to an outside pool which was heated year round, kind of a cool concept.

Furthermore, we liked the nightlife at Boyne.

Bree and Daddy admiring the fish on our way to dinner

They had pre-packaged smores kits fireside in the lobby. What's not to like?!? We grabbed a few (or more than a few) packages to snack on before dinner. Not sure if it's legal to eat raw smores, but we did it!

Unpackaging the smores

Enjoying the smores "raw"

We grabbed dinner at the onsite pizzeria - pizza of course! It didn't exactly cater to children, but we made it work.

That's a cheesy grin if I ever saw one!

And I think Bree is literally in the middle of saying "cheese" here

As we left, the waitress told us there was another set of twins about the same age on the other side of the restaurant. When we made our way back to the lobby to cook smores and enjoy storytime, we ran into them. Interestingly, we already knew them from my multiples group back home!

We got pack n plays for the kids brought to our room by the hotel. However, Drew had no intentions of sleeping in his. Instead, he crawled in bed with me and spent most the evening wiggling around and sleeping sideways. Jim relegated himself to the couch, rather than be subjected to that. This is how Jim found us in the morning.

Drew, all snug as a bug

And Bree slept like a champ in the pack n play.

The view from above

We awoke to this in the morning - snow falling and a good deal of snow on the ground. Not all that exciting when it's the middle of April! There were still people skiing the slopes. The resort offered some sort of golf AND ski package deal for the weekend. Umm, I think we'll stick to the indoor water park, thank you very much!

Missing

2011-04-17T07:26:00.064-04:00

Hi All,
Well, it's been close to two weeks now that our Sampson has been missing. Of course, I feel horribly responsible. At the height of frustration, I put him outside after he had peed for what seemed like the millionth time on our clothing and carpet. There was presumably a medical reason for this (crystals), and he got plenty of medical attention and special treatment around here. He had been on medication (3rd round) which helped him temporarily in the past and a special diet that was supposed to cure him. Still, it didn't stop.
Anyway, I didn't want him to run away, or wander off and get lost, or simply not come back. I didn't expect any of that to happen. Blanca and Cue didn't have issues coming and going outside as they pleased. Why would he? He stayed outside at my parents' farm for months. He even had jaunts of days away and returned. He had a collar with our phone number on it. So, I spent the first week waiting and fully expecting a call, telling us to come pick up our cat.
What's kind of weird is I have literally taken no pictures of him (the few I have are from my mom). It's like somehow I knew he would be a short-timer with us. The kids thought he was barrels of fun, and he was a real cuddly guy, which I enjoyed. But he really rubbed Blanca the wrong way, and he seriously got in Riley's face too (nothing she couldn't handle). And I won't mention how many times he "disregarded" Riley's bed (a favorite target!) And maybe this sounds silly, but I hate the fact that the last time I saw him I was angry with him.
I don't know; maybe we just weren't a fit. I still look whenever I am walking and driving out around the neighborhood. I'm hoping the fact that he hasn't come home means he found a nice place to settle in. Perhaps he wandered and someone else took an immediate liking to him, so much so, that they did not want to return him. Perhaps he is living in one of the barns nearby and enjoying an outdoor life again. There is one very close by that I highly suspect. Maybe "missing" to me is simply "relocated" to Sampson.

Open Wide

2011-04-16T14:59:00.003-04:00

NOW THIS IS SERVICE!

The Return of the Escape Artist

2011-04-14T22:27:00.000-04:00

Hi All,
Well Drew is up to his old tricks. Back in the beginning of February, he was climbing out of his crib. It happened on several occasions, and just as I was thinking it was time to make a change in the bedroom setup because of it, he simply stopped.
Today, I knew he had no interest in sleeping when I left him and Bree in their cribs for nap time. Not too long afterwards, I heard some louder than normal noises in their bedroom. Sure enough, I entered to find him out of his crib and putting toys into Bree's crib. The rocking chair was up next to his crib (NOT where I left it), so it must've been close enough for him to reach and grab, then perhaps step down into it after getting his leg over the crib bar. So, I put him back to bed and moved the rocking chair out of reaching distance. Sure enough, he made his way out again. Nap time was officially over at that point.
Bed time rolled around, and about forty five minutes after I put them to bed, Bree started crying loudly and uncharacteristically. I opened the door to find Drew standing in front of me on the other side. (Surely, he had woken up Bree with his antics.) I sat down and had a talk with Drew, which may have been more for my benefit than his. I said "Drew, when I put you to bed, it means you are supposed to lay down, shut your eyes and go to sleep. That way we can all be well rested and have energy to play tomorrow, okay?!?" I expected no response, but instead, he looked right at me and said in his sweetest voice, "Okay, mommy!"
The sucker that I am, I spent the next half hour reading books to them before insisting it was time to head back to bed.
So we are back to "wait and see". But I have a feeling this time change is going to be necessary to get it resolved.

At the Car Wash

2011-04-12T21:15:00.011-04:00

Hi All,
Drew had fun hanging out at the car wash, also known as our driveway! The sponge and bucket were simply fascinating.

And with a nice warm up in the weather, it's only appropriate to break out some yogurt pops.

Complete with yogurt pop beards!

And why stop at beards - how about throwing some wolf ears into the mix? Howling good fun around here!

Two Year Molars for my Two Year Old

2011-04-12T09:10:00.002-04:00

Hi All,
Well, it didn't take long for Drew to work on his two year molars. He's been drooling and chewing on his hand for a week. I convinced him to let me reach my hand in his mouth, and I found top and bottom two year molars on the left side.

Children's Museum

2011-03-28T06:30:00.003-04:00

Hi All,
We spent the afternoon at the GR Children's Museum yesterday. It was our first time, and we were so impressed with all it had to offer! Bree and Drew could have spent the entire day at our first stop - the model car. It took a lot of coaxing to lure Drew out of the driver's seat. There was so much to see and do, we could have spent all day and night there. Too many activities to list, but a few other favorites for our crew were the gigantic bubble station and the mini town, with a very expansive grocery store.

THE car! Notice I am the only one posing for the picture. :)

Drew takes the wheel, and Bree is amazed at all the freedom she has without a car seat.

Bouncing golf balls off obstructions was right up Jim's alley - hehe.

Drew wants to go fishing!

This was another display that Bree really liked. Not sure what to call it - a slot board I guess. She probably would have moved the slots over and over again all day if I didn't divert her interest.

Shopping cart from the biggest and best play store ever!

Miller Time

2011-03-27T22:20:00.044-04:00

Hi All,
We were lucky enough to have our good friends the Millers pay us a visit this weekend. We scrapped all potential outings, but enjoyed each other's company in-house. With two sets of twins within six months in age and plenty of toys, no one had an issue keeping entertained.

Tracy's Ipad was enthralling and kept the kids' attention for a long time.

The kids played really well together.

And so did the adults :)

D and B showing off their brotherly/sisterly love.

Evan and a new set of wheels.

Aspiring Bike Model #1

And #2, I think they have potential!

Rind Around The Rosie - falling down on the bed is more fun than the floor!

Can't wait till our next "Miller Time"!

Two Year Well Visit

2011-03-25T07:52:00.003-04:00

Hi All,
We visited the doctor today for the kids' two year well visit, and all in all, indeed all is "well"! The kiddos got their weigh in and height check. Then, we were off to talk to the doctor. We covered our questions regarding milk and vitamins. Regarding Bree, we discussed her finger sucking and got another potential solution to try when we are ready.
Drew and Bree are doing great with language, as they both know well over a hundred words. (I made a list and stopped when I got over a hundred.) The doctor said they are supposed to have about twenty words at two years, and the only problem with knowing more is it may induce several disagreements with our independent two year olds! :) We also talked about the fact that Bree especially is beginning to put together two and three word phrases. Her latest phrase: "No way!" and "No way, Momma (or Brother, Daddy, Papa)". She started saying it this morning and hasn't stopped!
We talked about scribbling and the fact that both kids are still using both hands to color, which the doctor said is normal. Probably in the next year, we will begin to see more favoring of a particular hand.
We also discussed potty training a bit, and the fact that Bree is not too interested. He said language is a big component of it, and many kids will not be ready until two and a half to three.
Lastly, we got a Hep A immunization, and we are now done with immunization shots until kindergarten. Woohoo!

Here are stats from our 2 Year well child visit - March 24, 2011 Appointment:

Drew Weight: 29 1/2 lbs. (Unadjusted percentile = 70%)

Bree Weight: 25 lbs. 6 oz. (Unadjusted percentile = 30%)

Drew Height: 34 inches (Unadjusted percentile = 30%)

Bree Height: 33 inches (Unadjusted percentile = 25%)

Story Time

2011-03-21T22:31:00.003-04:00

Hi All,
Drew and Bree enjoy their books any time of day.

Here is Drew displaying a new book that doubles as a purse (and a pretty pink one at that!)

And an update to the story "Bree Drops Kitchen Pot on her Big Toe". Bree is going to survive, but her toenail is not. It's all black and blue, and Daddy is nursing it here. She specifically asks for Jim to clip the top of the nail, because she knows Mama is a great big wimp in the injury department.

Story time is a MUST at bed time! Try to skip it, and you will pay with some very irate two year olds!

Here is Bree doing a little light reading of her own before bed. As an added bonus, Drew threw in some commentary (sorry about that!)

Butterflies are Bloomin'

2011-03-20T20:54:00.032-04:00

Hi All,
We got to see all the butterflies in action today at Meijer Gardens. Oma accompanied us, and we all enjoyed checking out what the butterflies were up to. Drew and Bree kept us on the go and didn't allow for much reading, but Meijer Gardens has a very impressive display with a lot of information about the life cycle of a butterfly. And they also displayed live butterflies in all stages of the life cycle. Some of the neatest ones were the ones about to hatch!

Drew taking it all in

These mini pots had something enticing in them!

Posing in the butterfly chair

And the car ride home

Butterfly watching can sure wear you out!

The Lake is Back!

2011-03-19T22:03:00.009-04:00

Hi All,
It appears spring has sprung! After a couple of days of thawing ice, yesterday we woke to an ice free lake. Today, we have all sorts of wildlife abounds - ducks, geese, birds, and even our swans are back! (I know you can't identify them in the picture, but there are two swans on the far shore, which I always find exciting.) It sure is lovely to see signs of spring. We are ready!

A Walk (and Swing and Slide) in the Park

2011-03-16T20:41:00.012-04:00

Hi All,
We have a favorite park around here, and we were lucky enough to get a nice day to enjoy it today. (Winter has been way too cold and long.) And better yet, Gra Gra and Papa came along! I just love seeing the smiles that all the park fun brings!

Drew and Bree's Barnyard Birthday Bash

2011-03-13T08:34:00.049-04:00

Hi All,

WARNING - this is going to be lengthy picture post! I drew up a list of pics that I wanted to share from the kiddos second birthday party, and it is more than I've ever included in one post before. But, I put a lot of thought and hard work into all the party details, so I want to share them with you (and keep it for Drew and Bree to enjoy someday).

Drew and Bree's second birthday party was a few weeks after their birthday. This worked out well, as Bree was sick on the actual day. With a lingering cold that passed from Bree to Drew, I don't think they were quite at 100% yet on party day. Drew took a nap in the middle. But they still enjoyed the festivities along with the rest of the crowd.
So, without further adieu, I will present to you the party in pictures....

The Birthday Tutu
Bree was not at all happy to wear her birthday tutu. This is one of the few shots I have of it, because it didn't last long. Oh well, how many tutus do you see on the farm anyway?!?

Down on the Farm Crafts

Here is Conner working on a model at the crafts table. We had tractors and other vehicles, along with farm animal refrigerator magnets to assemble.

Jim's Feeding Stable

Here's our very own stable, complete with hay bales and all! Tables were brought in for the convenience of our human stable dwellers.

Wholesome Garden and Farmyard Grub

We served up garden fresh grapes, berries, and veggies, along with pigs in a blanket, pulled pork, veggie pizza, potato salad, deviled eggs, corn and baked beans.

Barnyard Balloons
The kids loved the barnyard balloons - decked out in cow, pig and chicken decals.

Tractor Pull

Okay, we didn't actually hold a tractor pull, but our kid size model did get a fair amount of pushing and pulling throughout the day.

A Few of our Farm Animals

Our nephews were transformed into farm animals with these nifty visors....

The Cake
Need I say more? Our cake lady did a fabulous job on our cake! Not sure how long I can get away with it, but I will from here on out be a fan of cupcakes because they don't need to be cut to be served. :)

And Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
I vowed never to endeavor to make these again, because they were a serious amount of work. (A failed batch of cookies for the sandwich top and bottom did not help.) But, they received such rave reviews that I fear it is inevitable they make another showing!

Partaking in the Cake
We sang two rounds of "Happy Birthday" - one for each birthday kid. Then we all dug in!

Presents!
Drew and Bree got some really cool gifts and they immediately had a great time playing with all the toys. And, as expected, it was pretty impossible to convince them to pose for any pictures at this point!

Guests of Honor Photo Opps

Out to Pasture
Not sure if it was the meal, the cake, or all the fun and excitement that did them in, but not everyone made it through the day without a snooze. One of the Joes gets a break for being up all night the previous evening with an energetic bunch of Boy Scouts!

Feed Bags for the Parting Guests
As we bid our guests farewell, we sent them away with an assortment of feed bags to enjoy later....

Post Party Fun
Drew had some fun after the party with some of the extra stickers. He thought they looked good on Jim's face.

We had a very nice day, and I wouldn't change any of it. I take that back. I did plenty of party prep, but I would start everything sooner, so that I could get more than two hours of sleep the night before the party! :)

Have a Seat

2011-03-09T18:24:00.016-05:00

Hi All,
In case anyone wonders where the animal crackers went, Bree has them formally seated!

The girl is really into arranging things. I would classify it more as an interest than an obsession at this point, which is good.

And Drew has picked up one of my questionable habits - drinking milk straight from the bowl. I would tell him that is bad table manners, but that would be hypocritical on my part now, wouldn't it? :)

Happy Birthday To You, and You, and You

2011-03-06T21:43:00.012-05:00

Hi All,

We had yet another multiple family member birthday celebration this weekend. This time, it was for Darren, Sarah and Jim. Darren and Sarah are lucky? enough to share the same birthday (same day, different year) like two other kids we know. And Jim is just six days before them.

Here's to the whole birthday bunch!

Always Fun at the Grandparents' House

2011-03-01T21:33:00.009-05:00

Hi All,
Drew and Bree visited Grandma and Papa while I took a trip to the dentist. As great as my dentist is, I guarantee the kids had more fun than me!

"Is it dinner time yet?"

"We don't pose this nicely together for Mom, but for Grandma we'll allow it!"

Tickle me Papa

All bundled up for a winter wagon ride...

Cuspids for Bree

2011-02-28T16:53:00.006-05:00

Hi All,
Just thought I'd note for the record that Bree now has both lower cuspids. I reported back in December that one might be peeking through. It seemed to take forever, but they are both finally in. That makes fourteen teeth in total for Bree right now - just a couple more cuspids and all the two year molars to go for a full set!

Two Two Twins

2011-02-27T22:39:00.019-05:00

Hi All,

Happy birthday Drew and Bree! My babies are two today!

Poor Bree was not feeling her best today, but we still made the most of the day. Our planned trip to the children's museum will have to wait, but we kept both busy and comfortable around home.

Starting the day with cartoon time

The opening of the gifts...

Looks like fun!

Loving our new Lego table!

All smiles for new balls too!

Sometimes it's the simple things....

No birthday is complete without cake

Lip smackin' good!

And finally getting a little messy!

Bree is such a refined cake eater, now that she is two.

And lastly, here are some birthday festivities in video:

We did perform the unofficial weigh in. Bree was 25 pounds and Drew was thirty.

Another year under our parental belts, and I can only imagine what's to come!

All Ducked Out

2011-02-26T21:21:00.005-05:00

Hi All,

We held a baby shower for my cousin Lisa and couldn't resist the duck theme once again. Everything turned out awesome, and we had lots of good food, fun, and guests to make it a success! The only downer was that Bree was supposed to attend, but woke up feeling very ill. Her first baby shower will have to wait!

Congrats to Lisa and Eric. We can't wait to meet your little one!

Tasty duck cookies!

Hillary's awesome duck cake

And my "ducks on a pond" punch

And the happy parents-to-be!

Yogi Pops

2011-02-24T20:42:00.005-05:00

Hi All,
I recently experimented with making my own popsicles. I made them with low fat yogurt and frozen blueberries. They are known as yogi pops around here, as yogi is Bree's word for yogurt. The result = two thumbs up! Drew and Bree devour them. I must make another batch soon.

Mutual Admiration

2011-02-22T21:09:00.001-05:00

Hi All,

I see

Lots of

Mutual admiration

And it makes me smile

Snowballs, Chair Naps, and Haircuts

2011-02-20T20:36:00.008-05:00

Hi All,
Today we took some time to get outdoors and enjoy what's left of the snow. (And there's not much - yay!)

I guess the fresh air wore somebody out. Bree couldn't make it through lunch without a nap. Oh wait, she couldn't even make it to lunch. It was lights out once she got in her chair.

And, it was another haircut day for Drew. We've had very mixed results here! Our stylist was so nice. She was very patient and got Drew a balloon. But Drew resisted from the start. Despite all our efforts, he was an unhappy customer! It was way late in the game when we realized a sucker was a bit of magic. Note to me for next cut - bring the suckers early!

Wheelbarrow Wars

2011-02-18T21:24:00.006-05:00

Hi All,
I am picking up supplies today for the kids' birthday party. It's a farm theme, and I was excited to find a wheelbarrow that I could put to use. Turns out, everyone thought the wheelbarrow was great fun from the moment I walked through the door with it....

Drew

Bree

Even Santa!

There were wars

And peace offerings

And happy siblings again

Oh, and Grandma snuggles too!

Now, it's time to hide the wheelbarrow until the party! :)

Treats

2011-02-17T20:10:00.029-05:00

Hi All,
My climber wasted no time put his skills to good use this week. You see the step stool to the right of him? He carried that over to the bar stool, which allows him to reach the seat. This, in turn, allows him access to untouchables on top of the counter (in this case, their Valentines candy boxes). At least he was courteous enough to snag Bree's treats too!

"What's wrong with a little morning snack, Mom?"

And Bree has also turned into a courteous little Mamma of sorts. She laid out treats, complete with tableware, for Blanca as she sat on the bar stool.

"Pets need treats too!"

And a visit from Papa is always a treat. Here's the bunch relaxing and prepping for a much needed nap....

The Aspiring Photographer

2011-02-15T03:50:00.020-05:00

Hi All,
Lately, Drew has taken a huge interest in our camera. He only gets supervised time with the cameras, so as not to ruin them. But he just loves clicking photos. Of course, he gets lots of pictures of "nothing". But here are a few that surprised me.

Here is Drew's self portrait! Not right on, but he's in the ballpark.

And a shot of Bree at play - I don't think I could have done any better!

And even one of me. I'm mostly laughing because I don't think he's even going to get me in frame.

We'll have to get him a camera of his own. I'm just not sure right now if it should be a children's camera or a cheap adult one. If it's a child's camera, it has to be pretty convincing. He likes to think he has the real deal!

Will You Be My Valentine?

2011-02-14T22:06:00.016-05:00

Hi All,
We had lots of Valentines fun.
First, Grandma and Papa came over a day early with Valentines goodies for Drew and Bree, and the big kids too.

Drew got a new monkey.

And an elephant for Bree.

And Jim and I got the biggest bag of bite size Snickers that I've ever seen! We had a nice dinner at a local sports bar. Drew and Bree were happy to see that balloons were available at the restaurant. We lost several in the rafters, and the wait staff kindly replenished them. About 10 or more balloons later, we were finished with our meal!

Back at home, we devoured a yummy ice cream cake supplied by my parents.

We actually got a nice family shot! Drew's cheek is red from some outdoors time earlier in the day.

And a big hug from one of my little valentines.

Drew and Bree had a blast trying to get their shoes to fit on Papa's feet. They finally got them over his toes, but he decided to wear his own shoes home anyway. :)

A nice shot with Grandma and Papa.

And the big valentines news - Marc and Sarah celebrated with an engagement! It's going to be a busy year! Cheers to the beautiful couple! We are so very happy for them.

And the fun continues! On Valentines Day, we opened gifts from Oma and Opa when Jim got home.

Diving in to all the goodies!

More food for our kitchen....

Fun with the talking puzzle board!

Oh, and I can't forget the Valentines cards and stickers that came in the mail from Auntie Sarah - what fun!

A happy Valentines Day to all!

Let It Snow!

2011-02-13T22:21:00.022-05:00

Hi All,
The bad parents that we are, we haven't gotten around to getting sleds for the kids yet. Luckily, Papa and Grandma keep some on hand and didn't mind bringing one over. Drew got a treat today, as Daddy and Papa took him out for some time in the snow. (Bree was too busy napping to partake.)

Can't go wrong with a wagon ride!

Drew's descent down the hill next to the house - notice big grin on face.

"Let's do that again!"

News from the Bathroom

2011-02-13T21:22:00.007-05:00

Hi All,
I thought I'd mention a quick update on potty training. We recently received a small potty ring for the big toilet from friends, and we store it in our half bath. Drew has taken some interest in it. He even has sat on the big toilet long enough to pee a couple of times. But the biggest draw to sitting on the toilet for him is unraveling toilet paper and flushing the toilet. Bree has no interest in using any of the pottys. When I ask her about using it, she always points to Drew and says "brother!", as if to say he should do it. Since Drew is quite dramatic about his bowel movements, I almost always get him to his little potty in time to do his business. He loves to empty the bowl into the big toilet and flush. And he also likes getting M & Ms as a reward. Bree cheers him on, and for that she also gets an M & M (for now). In all fairness, we haven't taken a true dive into potty training as of yet. We have been in the "introduction and evaluation" phase for quite some time. We'll get more serious about potty training sometime after the kids turn two. And I prefer that all of us are clearly ready when we take that dive.

As for other bathroom news, my girl sure loves the tub! Here's the little mermaid in action.....

Happy Pancakes

2011-02-13T20:20:00.000-05:00

Hi All,
I got this new pancake pan for Christmas this year - love it! I usually cut the pancakes before they get to the kids, but someday they will be able to enjoy the smiley faces too. The size it reminiscent of baby pancakes my Grandma Casari used to make for us as kids. She cooked them on a griddle she's had since her wedding. And you know what, she still has that griddle sixty plus years later - amazing! Wonder how long my pan will last?

Anyway, here are my little pancake lovers.....

This smiley face is ready for some pancakes!

Bree carefully choosing her favorites

The Great Outdoors

2011-02-12T20:19:00.007-05:00

Hi All,
We had a quick jaunt outside today. Riley got some exercise chasing balls on the lake, and Drew couldn't resist the opportunity to tag along. Well, it wasn't too long before Bree was tired of watching through the window and wanted to go out too. We didn't stay long, but the bit of fresh air did us good!

All in a Day's Work

2011-02-11T19:09:00.014-05:00

Hi All,
The kiddos have been busy lately. I thought I'd highlight a little of their recent activity.

Morning Wake Up Drill: When we go to fetch Bree, she often needs to bring along some comfort items from her crib. She will stand up in the crib and hand over everything she wants to have. On this particular day, like many days, she wanted about ten blankets, three books, a sippy cup, and of course, Santa.

The Organizer: I found Bree in the jump house, organizing all of her miniature books by placing them on the seam of the floor. She had a set of twenty six (for all the letters in the alphabet) plus another ten or so. She didn't stop until they were all neatly arranged!

The Climber: Drew has quickly found a new use for his new chairs! He loves the added height he gets from standing on them. Here, he discovered he can reach the light switches and also get a better look at the lock on the sliding glass door. He can open dead bolts, but I have yet to see him master this lock.

The Puzzle Solver: The kids are really liking puzzles these days, especially Bree. Here she is in action. She can get it back together with all the pieces dumped out too, but chose not too on this day....

The ummm, clown?!? I had to laugh when I caught Drew doing this, surely making his Dad proud!

Table and Chairs

2011-02-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

Hi All,
I FINALLY got Drew and Bree's table and chair set out that they received for Christmas. (I was having a hard time adding to the already huge toy collection in the living room area.) Anyway, it's a nice addition to the kitchen and grill, so they can sit down and enjoy the meals they cook. :) Drew and Bree played with it all morning.

They sat down and had some Cheerios (without milk) and of course had to explore their limits and do some climbing up onto the tabletop. The real fun begins!

Now, Bree has decided to seat Santa and feed him some lunch. I asked her what she made for him, and she said "toast". (Is this a reflection on my cooking skills?!?)

Accidents will Happen

2011-02-08T20:50:00.027-05:00

Hi All,
It was a bit of a rough day for Miss Bree. I was in the kitchen trying out some new recipes. Note: I rarely make any requiring a cookbook, let alone when the kids are up. Well, sure enough, Bree headed for the pots and pans drawer and started moving some things around. We normally keep a child latch on it, but I didn't see too much harm in letting her play there with my direct supervision. In fact, I thought it would be a good diversion from her usual spot on my hip. Then, she dropped a pot, square on her big toe. She screamed in pain, and I immediately grabbed her to comfort her. I figured "no big deal", I would hold her until she stopped crying. Then I spotted the blood on the foot of her sleeper and got a little queasy myself. (I don't do well with blood, or injuries of any sort, really.) It took a while to calm her down. She let me put her in the tub just long enough to wash away some of the blood. It is black and blue, and she won't let me touch it or hold ice on it. Now we are watching and waiting to see what develops. Guess we are back to keeping the cabinets locked 24/7!

Cube A Kid and Share A Crib

2011-02-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

Hi All,
I have found Drew curled up in a toy cube on more than one occasion. In the past few days -

Occasion #1

Occasion #2

And on some occasions, he even has company

And here's our crib sharing experiment that we won't be revisiting! Drew and Bree decided it was a good idea to go "night, night" in the same crib. They both seem to prefer Bree's crib these days, and Bree is typically the one to concede. They lasted about two minutes together (longer than expected) before we had to relocate one.

And for the record, Bree likes blueberries

What to Do With an Escape Artist ?

2011-02-04T16:16:00.000-05:00

Hi All,
It seems we have reached a bit of a crossroads with our crib situation. Jim and I were just talking the other day about how long we could keep the kids in cribs and in the same bedroom. We decided cribs until three and same bedroom until four sounded good. Well, sure enough, the kids had to find a way to have their opinion heard! For the past three days, I have heard loud noises coming from the nursery during nap time, only to find Drew playing outside of his crib! The crazy thing is I am not completely sure how he is escaping. Apparently he doesn't make too much noise "in the act". Today, I put him and Bree down for nap around 3:30 because they refused to go any sooner. (I know from experience they can not go the whole day without nap without extreme grumpiness, so they get one at 3:30 regardless of whether they think it's a good idea or not.) Well, I then proceeded to go outside and shovel the end of the drive where the snowplow pushed a good deal of snow so that Jim could get the car through. I was out all of 15 minutes, and I return to the telltale loud noises in the nursery. AND, this time the little shyster locked the door! I got him to open it back up, put him back in the crib and asked him to show me how he gets out. He wasn't game for that. So I left the room, but kept the door more than half open and watched from a peeking position for 15 or so minutes. Sure as a watched pot doesn't boil, he did not make his move. So I left my post and here I write.
I was with a group of twin moms this morning, and we discussed this very topic. Everyone was in agreement that almost two is a difficult age to make a move out of cribs. They are too young to understand all the trouble they can get in to.
If Drew is using the dresser or anything else close by to help escape, we can remedy that. But I also would hate to move something that helps him get safely out, and then have him fall and hurt himself. I'm tossing around lots of options, but for the moment I am determined to catch the escapee in action and go from there.
So, we will see what tomorrow brings!

Papa Play

2011-02-03T23:07:00.007-05:00

Hi All,
Drew and Bree have so much fun playing with Papa. Actually, they have lots of fun with Grandma too. She just happens to be behind the camera here! Drew and Bree got a double dose of fun today, because Papa and Grandma were both able to visit due to Grandma's snow day.

Blizzard

2011-02-02T20:45:00.000-05:00

Hi All,
Blizzard 2011 has arrived! 17 plus inches of snow fell here. The kids and I chose to wait it out inside. Jim however was determined to make his way into the office. Drew and Bree are peering out the window to watch as Jim plows a path with the snow blower.

Everybody Say Jump, Jump!

2011-02-01T22:19:00.046-05:00

Hi All,
We got Drew and Bree an inflatable jumper for Christmas, and it's definitely a "go to" activity this winter. It helps burn some energy when we are stuck inside. But mostly, we do it because it's just plain fun!

"Oh yeah!"

"Check us out!"

Bounce break

"Whew - thought I lost my head in there! Back for more!"

Bouncing books

We have been engaging in some non-bounce related activities, too.

Here is Bree looking more grown up than I think I've ever seen!

Just hanging with my kiddos!

Grandma getting a laugh out of Drew.

Stuck on You

2011-01-31T22:33:00.003-05:00

Hi All,
We've been getting out the stickers lately, and the kids love them. Bree likes to put them on her clothing, as well as other people's clothing, and apparently also the chair!

Drew, on the other hand, likes to have them on bare skin. He often asks for them to be stuck to his hands. I walked up to him yesterday and found him like this. I guess he couldn't resist all that skin just asking for it!

23 Months

2011-01-27T21:46:00.021-05:00

Hi All,
23 months and counting! How is it possible that these kids are almost two?!? It was dinner time before I even pulled out the camera. Locked in their high chairs is probably our best chance at a side by side pose anyway, haha! We have funny kids that LOVE olives. They absolutely devour them. But, as you can see, they also think they are very fun to play with. I suppose you're not really supposed to play with your food, but what's the harm in a few olives on your fingertips?

In our unofficial weigh in, Drew weighs 28.5 pounds, and Bree weighs 24.5 pounds. They are each down a half a pound from last month. They must have taken off the holiday weight. :)

Sleepyheads

2011-01-24T21:40:00.021-05:00

Hi All,
Drew as of late has been especially good about taking naps and going to bed. In fact, he sometimes even tells us "night, night" and heads into the nursery and stands at the crib. But yesterday, he curled up on the chair with Blanca and passed out while watching TV. I'm not sure how he found it comfortable to sleep with his legs stuck through the opening of the chair arm. And I am a bit amazed that Blanca didn't mind the company. Apparently she was too tired to care!

Night, night!

P&M Daycare is Here!

2011-01-23T23:05:00.003-05:00

Hi All,
The much anticipated day has arrived. Jim's work hosts daycare on Saturdays during tax season, and yesterday was the official start of daycare season (as I like to call it). The day went like clockwork (for me anyway). The kids were off with Jim around 8 am and returned around 3:15 pm. This is already a big improvement over last year, when I picked up the kids at lunch, because they were accustomed to two naps a day then. Turns out Drew has no problem sleeping at daycare. I didn't get a detailed report from Jim, but I think the picture says it all!

Daddy and Daughter

2011-01-14T22:59:00.002-05:00

Hi All,

Just a quick daddy/daughter self portrait. Not bad!

Great Wolf!

2011-01-10T16:33:00.026-05:00

Hi All,
We had such a great time at Great Wolf Lodge up in Traverse City. We could not have been more impressed with the place! We checked in and were able to have two pack n plays delivered to our room. (We typically have to take our own when traveling overnight.) We stayed just one evening which allowed us access to the water park for two days. The water park had lots of fun slides and other water stations. Of course, Drew and Bree could not do all of them, but there was plenty for kids their size. They enjoyed the mini slides and the water works pipes. They also liked the water spouts shooting up from the floor and the "lazy river" where we were able to float along on inner tubes. We had a nice meal at the on site restaurant, and the kids received free wolf ears. Then, we capped off the evening with story time in the main lobby. We heard a fun story and got to meet Wiley the wolf mascot, and it even "snowed" inside!
Other entertainment for older kids included an arcade and a kids salon/spa. It's really a great spot for kids of all ages.
As far as sleeping in the hotel, we did just okay. Drew did not have any problem sleeping in the pack n play. However, Bree was not happy with the arrangement. She started crying 45 minutes in, and I retrieved her. We had two double beds, so she and I took one for the rest of the evening. I've decided sleeping with Bree is not all that pleasant. She wanted to sleep sideways and kick me. All.night.long! Of course, as I type this, she is curled up on my lap and sleeping like an angel.
On day two, we made a breakfast of leftover pizza and headed back to the water park. We enjoyed it for a few more hours before heading out for lunch and the trip home.
We got our new DVD screens out for the trip (the kind that attach to the headrests). We figured out too late that one screen did not work. So, we went with the working one, which was better than nothing. It definitely kept the kids occupied for the long ride. No regrets with that purchase!
All in all, four thumbs up for Great Wolf Lodge!!!

Suiting up

Splish, splash on deck!

Drew manning the waterworks station and Bree catching the spray

Loving the water spouts!

All of us in the midst of it all

My Kitchen is for Climbing

2011-01-06T22:35:00.013-05:00

Hi All,
Drew has decided that the new kitchen is for ~~cooking~~ climbing. He likes to scale the cabinets, stand in the sink, and flip the light switch off and on. He's quick at it, so I don't always catch him in time to stop him. I don't want him to fall, but he's really quite proficient at it now. :) I only hope our real kitchen cabinets are not next!

And this was a sweet moment between Drew and Riley (or should I say the best pillow ever!)

New Years on the Homefront

2011-01-04T06:08:00.018-05:00

Hi All,
My parents came and watched Drew and Bree during our Florida trip. We know they undoubtedly had some fun filled days!

It was nice enough for a wagon ride on New Years Eve - not a bad way to end the year.

Bree is happy about something here - I'm pretty sure it's not the MSU game!

While talking to my parents from Florida, my dad asked if we were saving the box that the kids' kitchen came in. We came home to find the kids have a new playhouse!

So it IS possible to exercise with the kids around, and even on top of you.

And lastly, we noticed when we got home, Bree had added a new word to her vocabulary - rock. This is as in, "I want to rock before I go to bed". And, believe me, this is a demand rather than a request. Oh brother! I asked Bree who taught her to say that, and she said "Papa". But I think we all know the real culprit is Grandma. :)

New Years Bowling

2011-01-04T05:32:00.019-05:00

Happy New Year!
We hope everyone rang in the new year in a fun and safe fashion. As for us, Jim and I traveled to Florida on New Years Eve to attend Michigan State's bowl game. We spent New Years Eve at a Japanese restaurant in Orlando with my friend Michelle and her boys, who were also in town for the game. It was a quick trip and a brutal loss for the Spartans, but still well worth it.

Here we are outside the game for our makeshift tailgate. We met up with some fellow Spartan tailgaters while there. I finally got a shot of Brian's famous cigar!

Here is the home of the Capitol One Bowl in Florida, where we played Alabama.

We ended up losing 49-7. It was never close! On a good note, we got awesome seats on the 30 yard line about 10 rows up. We have our friend Jerry to thank for that. Oh, and did I mention the weather could not have been better. Bowl game recap: The national anthem still gets me teary eyed, the flyover still gives me chills, and win or lose, I still love my Spartans!

And on another good note, we had just enough time to day trip over to Clearwater beach and have dinner with my good friend Nancy and her husband Gene on the way back. We shared some good stories and laughs. With them being in Florida, any chance to see them is a treat!

Thanks to Jim for planning and taking care of all the little details for our New Years getaway!