A Look Back 8/21 - 8/27

Slow week...

Saturday, 8/22:

• Piper pulled herself up to stand for the first time!
• Went to a baby shower. It's funny how much your mindset changes after you already have kids and watch someone else open up shower gifts. It's not about how cute everything is anymore. Now it's all about practicality. I just kept saying to my mom, "She's not gonna need that." "That's useless." "Hope they gave her the gift receipt." 
• I bought this first-time mom something I know she will use. I was going to buy diapers and wipes, but then I thought about my three kiddies. I thought about the one thing that gets the most use. Something that even after 3-1/2 years of life, my daughter still uses. Something I used every single day and still do for my twins...  Circo® 4pk Flannel Receiving Blankets.
  Lily refuses to sleep with any other blanket. She usually will have all four blankets on her to sleep at night instead of her bed sheet and comforter.

Sunday, 8/23:

Monday, 8/24:

• Horrible day. Kept getting in my own way. Nothing was right, everything was a disaster. Ugh.
• Ok, so there was one good thing to come from this day. Got some great shots of Lily...

Thursday, 8/27:

• Took some pics of Lily. She wanted to be a bird fairy...

• Lily was playing with a ruler...

Lily: Holding the ruler up to my chest, "You're boobies are long. That's good."

Me: "What?"

Lily: "Mommy, check my boobies now. Lily have long boobies, too?"

Me: Trying not to laugh in her face.

A Look Back 7/24 - 7/30

Friday, 7/24:

• Killian fell asleep in his highchair after breakfast...

• Went to Stride Rite with the kids and my mom to get Killian and Piper their first pair of shoes. Yes, you heard right, their first pair at nine months old. Thanks, Mom. 

Saturday, 7/25:

• Killian started to crawl for the first time. Very exciting!
• Piper started clapping her hands for the first time. Also exciting!

Sunday, 7/26:

• In the morning when we were still in bed, Lily wanted Dan to get her something that was under Piper's crib. After many "get it for me" requests, Dan said, "No, not now." Lily responded with, "Awe, you serious?" 
• Went to the pool today. First time for Killian and Piper. They liked it.
• FYI: (Piper is 9 months old) That ladybug bathing suit Piper is wearing was Lily's bathing suit that she had when she was 14 months old.

• Had a, "My baby is getting so big" moment when Dan took Lily in the regular pool and she was able to stand in the shallow end.

• Lily wanted to watch Sesame Street but it was very close to bedtime...

Lily: "Put on Sesame Street, please."

Me: "Sesame Street isn't on until tomorrow."

Lily: "It's on Heplix." (Netflix)

Me: Yup. She's got me there!

Monday, 7/27:

•  Killian is definitely Lily's little mini-me - boy version!

Tuesday, 7/28:

• Lily's new thing...

Lily: "Mommy, want to play in my room?"

Me: "Umm.." taking a little too long to answer.

Lily: "Mommy. Listen. Yes or no?"

Me: Thinking - Oh boy. She's a little smart ass already! 

Wednesday, 7/29:

• Trying to sell some baby gear that we don't need anymore. It's hard to part with the things my three babies used, even if we will never need them again. I wish I could keep everything and make a little museum for when I want to feel nostalgic and for when my three babies are adults and maybe wanting to see and feel what they had/used when they were born.

Thursday, 7/30:

• Don't you hate it when you're laying in bed and you put your arm up over your head, then all of a sudden you feel something tickling/crawling on your arm so you throw your arm up and sit up; looking around to see if you can find a bug, you see nothing; then you can't lay back down because now you're freaked out by the possibility that there was a bug on you and if you lay back down it will inevitably end up crawling in your ear? Yeah... that happened.
• I finally got to do something I wasn't able to do in a few days...

Lily: "Can I smell you, Mommy? Mmm. You smell good. You took shower and now are clean."

Me: Didn't realize I smelled so bad before. Luckily the stars aligned and I was able to take a five minute shower. 

A Look Back 6/19 - 6/25

• Saturday, 6/20: Lily and I were looking at a picture of me when I was pregnant with Killian and Piper...

Lily- "When Lily big girl, me have Piper in my belly."

Me- "Well, you can have your own baby inside your belly."

Lily- "NO! ME HAVE PIPER IN MY BELLY!!"

Me- "OK. Calm down."

Lily- "Can Lily have Piper and killian in my belly?"

Me- "Sure, Lily. You can maybe have twins, too."

• Sunday, 6/21: Father's Day. It was a lovely day that consisted of breakfast in the morning, just the five of us. Lily gave Daddy her gift... Matching Mickey Mouse shirts. 
  

Then I took a pic of all of them...

Then I got the best father's Day gift of all... yeah, you heard that right. Dan took the kids to his parent's house and I got to spend some much needed alone time to get a few things done. After I danced and sang my heart out to a very loud mix of my favorite 90's girl bands, I cleaned a bit. It was a good time!

• Monday, 6/22: Lily is too funny...

Lily- "Piper is a brother."

Me- "No. Piper is a sister. Killian is a brother." 

Lily- "Killian is a son and Daddy is a son."

Me- "That's right! And what are you?"

Lily- "Lily a moon."

•  Also Monday, 6/22: This happened-

• Killian got his 2nd tooth this week. Now he has both bottom fronts. Piper already has four teeth. Is it wrong for me to tell Killian he's losing to his sister in the milestone department. Maybe I should stop that since, 1: it really isn't a competition. And 2: I really don't want them to feel like everything is a competition with the other.

A Look Back 6/12 - 6/18

• Killian and Piper turned 8 months old on Saturday, 6/13. 
• Took some great shots of the kids...

• Visited the Nassau County Museum of Art on Sunday, 6/14, where Dan and I were married back in September of 2009. After giving Killian and Piper lunch, we packed everybody in the van, picked up lunch for Dan, myself, and Lily, and headed to the museum to have lunch in the formal gardens at the very spot we said our I do's. Lily kept asking where the "real" park was and when we were going there. We told her that not all parks have slides and swings, but being three years old, she just didn't get it.

• On Tuesday, 6/16, it rained on and off. I let Lily put her bathing suit on and we went outside to feel the rain on us. It wasn't thundering or lightning out, so why not? It's natures sprinkler! Anyway, I decided to do some weeding in the rain. I should always do the weeding in the rain. It felt nice not having the hot sun beating down on me while working outside and the added bonus of the cool raindrops made it even better.
• Wednesday, 6/17, was Lily very last day of an early educational school we've been going to since she was 8 months old. We started out doing Mommy and Me classes then I started dropping Lily off there for a two hour session each week for the past year and a half or so. It's a bittersweet ending to this stage in her life. Come September, she will start pre-K and I will no longer be able to call Lily a toddler, she will be a pre-schooler. 

                         
                                                      Ms. Rhona                                                                           Ms. Denise

• On Thursday, 6/18, Lily said the strangest thing to me. It was one of those "kids say the darndest things" moments, but I thought about it too much and now I'm feeling weird, like she knows something I don't. Here's how it went down: We were going through a picture book of 100 first words and Lily was naming everything in the book. Something I was very proud of because of her speech issues she had last year. Anyway, there was a parrot in the book and she said she wanted one. Then I said I like birds and maybe one day we could get one. Then she looked over at a toy parrot she has and said...

"Mommy, Lily already has a parrot."

"OK, Lily. Maybe we can get a real one someday."

"Mommy, when you are a little girl again, like me, you can have one." 

Hmm? A little girl again? So, does she think we get reincarnated? Maybe she thinks I'm like Benjamin Button? Or, most likely, she's three years old and has no clue what she just said! 

Baby Food

When I decided to make my own baby food with my first child, I wanted The Baby Bullet. I heard nothing but good things about this small food blender. Initially I loved it. It was the perfect size to puree  the right amount of food for one baby. That was back in 2012. I used the Bullet for about nine months or so until it became difficult for me to bring around food that needed refrigeration. If I was going to be out and about all day, I would not necessarily have access to a fridge nor a means to heat up the food. Also, did I mention bringing a container of food and a spoon in a diaper bag takes up a lot of room and more times than not, there is no place to set it all out to feed your baby? And don't get me started on how messy it is!

So by that point I was buying the baby pureed food pouches such as Plum Organics and Earth's Best. These were/are fantastic because baby just eats directly from the pouch and the only thing that's in these purees is fruit and veggies and cereal. No added sugar or chemicals to keep you guessing what exactly you are feeding your baby.
Bonus: Your baby will most likely be feeding him/herself with ease after a few squeezing casualties!

Now, fast forward three years to 2015. I took out my Baby Bullet to use with my twins. I was all set to start making baby purees again and I am doing a great job at keeping up with it. The only problem was that after about three uses of my Baby Bullet, it broke. Not such a big deal, I have a regular blender. Luckily it works just as good, if not better since I have to make bigger batches of food to feed two babies. I still like the Baby Bullet, but mostly now because of the feeding booklet it came with. This book lets me know how to puree certain foods and also gives a feeding chart just in case I need some guidance.

Now that my twins are seven months old, I started buying the food pouches again. I will only use them for when we are not home, since I'm still not finding it hard to take the time to make my own purees, even with a three year old running me ragged. Once my twins are mobile though, that may change.


FYI: I am not getting paid to make any reviews. These are just the things I have used or do use and want to let more parents know about.

Sibling Fun

Yesterday, I was in the kitchen when I heard Lily call me to come see her. Uh oh. What was she doing this time? Then, as I came out of the kitchen, I saw this...

I love that Lily wants to play with her 6 month old brother and sister, but did I love the fact that she somehow climbed into the pack n play to do so? Uh... maybe not so much. I didn't here any screams of pain or crying, so I guess she made it in there without stepping or falling on one or both of them. That's a plus!

You Know You're A Parent of "3 under 4" When...

1. ... you hate laundry day because everyday is laundry day.
2. your 3 year old wants to march to the kitchen, bathroom, around the dining room table, or just about anywhere and you get tired after the first few steps.
3. ... before you feed the twins, you change one of their diapers and think "I can wait to change the other one's diaper until after they eat." Or you don't change both of their diapers until after they eat because, well, you'll just have to change them both again right after they eat anyway.
4. ... getting out of bed anytime in the night with twins is dreaded because you know as soon as you take care of one baby, you'll get all cozy in bed again and the other one will wake up.
5. ... you secretly jump for joy when someone, anyone, calls you up to take even just one child off your hands for a few hours - even if it's just to come over to play in his/her room.
6. ... it takes you two hours to get everyone ready and in their car seats to go out somewhere.
7. ... you have given up trying hard for your 3 year old not to put her snotty, coughy, grimy hands all over your 6 month old twins' faces. It's better for everyone to be sick at the same time anyway, right?
8. ... you realize you're sorta an expert when it comes to multitasking and laugh at parents of one who complain about not being able to get stuff done.
9. ... you fantasize about running away to a remote island or your car for a few hours.
10. ... you have all three kids hanging on you and you think, "I have an amazing life" then someone spits up all over your shirt.
11. ... someone spits up all over your shirt and you smile because you know you'll be doing another load of laundry that day anyway.

Britax Marathon Clicktight Car Seat

I changed my twins' car seats on Sunday (the 12th). They will no longer rest their wiggly bodies in the comfort of their infant carriers. Even though they are still able to fit in them, I do not wish to struggle with the weight of it all. Especially Killian, our boy, Mommy's mushmallow, such a big boy at six months old. No longer able to carry him in the infant carrier with one hand, I was having such a hard time getting the seat in and out of the van. Piper was still OK, but if I changed one seat, I wanted to change them both. Maybe I thought one would get jealous of the other? Possible.

Anyway, we have the Britax Marathon 70 for our three year old daughter, Lily, so we wanted the same seat for our twins. Because it has been three years, Britax has come out with newer versions of the Marathon seat. We opted to get the Marathon Clicktight. Awesome comes to mind with the ease of installation. Seriously. Just awesome!

Pros:

1. Installation. No more kneeling or sitting on the car seat and struggling to make the seat belt or latch belts tight enough for the it to be safe. All you do is lift open the seat, pull the seat belt through, then close the seat until you hear a click sound. Easy as 1-2-3!
2. All the safest safety stuff that's really important...
3. Did I mention the ease of installation?

Cons:

1. The seat itself is really heavy. Heavier than the regular Marathon seat. This is not really a con though, since you will most likely never take the seat out of your car until your kid outgrows it. But, for those of you who might be taking it in and out, then, yeah, it's heavy....but did I mention the ease of installation? So again, not really a con!

FYI: I am not getting paid to make any reviews. These are just the things I have used or do use and want to let more parents know about.

My Twins Are 6 Months Old

My twin babies are six months old. This time has gone by in a blink of one eye and even though I am sad that I will never again have a baby that fits the length of my torso, I am happy that they are growing healthy and strong.

At their six month checkup Monday (the 13th), Killian and Piper were weighed and measured. Here are their stats...

Killian: 21 pounds, 8 ounces, 27.5 inches
Wow. Killian more than tripled his 6 pounds, .05 ounce birth weight. He is in the 97.4 percentile with both height and weight for a six month old.

Piper: 18 pound, 1 ounce, 27 inches

Piper just almost tripled her 6 pound, 2.2 ounce birth weight. She is in the 67.9 percentile.

Why I Know It's OK To Cry At Any Milestone

It's a sad day indeed. My three year old said "Killian." Well, she really said "Killilan" but close enough. Killian is her baby brother. I should be happy that she said his name. She's been able to say her sister's name, Piper, for a while now, so why is it making me sad for her to say her brother's?

To answer this question we must go back a year. January 2014 to be exact. January of 2014, around the time of her second birthday, Lily was only saying one coherent word, "Daddy." She then had her own language for everything else, including her own version of sign language. Point was, she needed speech therapy. We went through all the channels to get her an in-home therapist twice a week. Within six months, Lily was putting words together and you could sorta follow what she was saying. Then, by her third birthday this past January, she was done with speech and talking up a storm. There are still some words that she just can't say, but she's three and it just makes her sound so darn cute.

Anyway, one of these words was her brother's name, Killian. She could never pronounce it and her version of his name was "Titi." Don't ask me how she got Titi from Killian, but she did and I liked it. It would be what she called him, forever. Her own nickname for him. Unfortunately, it would come to an end. Out of the blue, a couple of days ago, she pointed at her brother and said, "Killilan." I was very proud of her for saying his name correctly. It didn't quite hit me though until she started saying it all the time. I asked her if she will still call him Titi and she responded with, "No Mommy. He Killilan." I teared up. I wanted to full on cry, but then I thought that was silly of me, plus my husband was home from work and I didn't really want to explain why I was crying in fear I would cry even harder.

My little girl is growing up. She's accomplished so much with her speech, but it hasn't really sunk in to what that really means until she said that one word, "Killilan." Lily is not my baby anymore. She's my toddler going on pre-schooler. She's picking out her own clothes to wear everyday and making other choices like what to eat and what color she likes - white. She's slowly becoming her own little person and it makes me so happy and so sad at the same time. I can only imagine that other moms and dads feel the same when their children reach a certain age or hit a certain milestone. It makes me wonder about my own parents and what was it that I did or said that made them think I wasn't their baby anymore? For that matter, what was it that my older brother did and my two younger sisters did to make them think that? Did it make them as happy and as sad as it's making me feel?

I don't even want to think about when my twins get to that point 'cause that will be it for me - no more babies. That part of my life will be over. I think that makes me feel the saddest. That's why I know it's OK that I cried over that one little word. That's why I know it's OK to cry at any milestone. My babies can't stay babies forever, except, maybe in my heart.

Dear Children,

This is your mother. You know, the one who sacrificed a lot to carry you inside of my womb? The one who painstakingly pushed you out into this world? You know me as Mommy? Anyway, I am writing to you today to let you know of a few fun facts about life right now. This is not to make you feel in any way, guilty or embarrassed. You should feel loved knowing that I am taking the time to write about you three and how you all make me feel. You should also feel honored that my love for you is now out there in cyberland for all to view. You are famous to those ten or so people who actually read my blog. Congratulations!

1. Please know that I love all three of you so deeply that it can make me cry at any point.
2. Lily, you are our first born, our rainbow baby, and continue to be our light after any dark storm. You alway want us to be happy and ever since you came into our lives, we truly are.
3. Killian, you are my little mushmallow, my cuddle monkey, and are just a sweet, little baby boy who can melt my heart with just a glance.
4. Piper, you are our last born, the baby of the family. You are always so happy with the most amazing blue eyes that shine as bright as sapphires. Your smile is intoxicating. 
5. I'm not too fond of your potty training or lack there of, Lily. I guess I have myself to blame, for the most part, but come on! You know when you have to go. You've kept yourself dry, always using the potty, for a whole week and then for a day here and there. Just do it all the time now. Contrary to what you may think, I do not like wiping your poopy butt.
6. Piper, it's not very nice to laugh at your twin brother when he cries. That goes for you too, Killian. Just stop laughing at each other when the other is having a hard time. It's not to say I don't find it a little funny, 'cause I do, but it's gotta stop.
7. Lily, farting on me and then saying, "Lily farted on Mommy" and laughing is kinda gross, not to mention rude. Please outgrow that soon.
8. Killian and Piper, I do have to say that I appreciate you not screaming your heads off when you have a dirty, poopy diaper, but a little heads up would be nice. I don't really like thinking that you have a clean diaper and then smelling, what I can only describe as toxic garbage, from across the room. Oh, and thank you for pooing at the same time almost always. The smell is doubled which makes me think that's where the term, "double trouble" came from.
9. Lily, can you please stop thinking that bedtime is nap time? You are three years old. You should be able to sleep through the night. And news flash: you used to sleep through the night before Killian and Piper came home. Just because you're a Big Sister now, doesn't mean that you should start acting like the baby. Killian and Piper will be six months old next week and they've been sleeping through the night for about four months now. I'm not telling you to be more like them, but please, be more like them and sleep through the night.
10. Killian, please stop spitting up three hours after you ate. It doesn't make sense and it's kinda annoying. I don't want you to have to constantly wear a bib, but if you're gonna be "Mr. Spit-up" then so be it.
11. Piper, I like that you are trying to sit up all on your own, but please know that you don't have to constantly try to do it. I mean, it's OK to relax every once in a while. Especially at feeding time or when you are already sitting up. Stop pushing your head forward and clenching your fists to your chest. We get it. You want to be a big girl, but it's really not a race here. Slow down.

There's a lot more I can discuss with you three, but I'll save some for later. Just please always remember that Mommy loves you, Lily, Killian, and Piper. Mommy loves you more than the beating of my own heart. 

I'll finish this post with a quote from Led Zeppelin's Thank You:

If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.

And The Samples' Nothing Lasts For Long:

Maybe nothing lasts for ever
Not the mountains or the sea
But the times we have together
They will always be with me

Love with all that I am and all I ever will be,

Mommy

Twins - Who's the Boss?

 "Hey, Killian, c'mon. Look at me."

 "Seriously, Killian. Look at me!"

 "I don't care if you're a whole 6 minutes older than me. I am the boss!"

"Mom! Piper's scaring me! Tell her to let me go."

Twins After A Singleton

When we found out I was carrying twins, my first thought was, "We need a minivan." My second thought was "How am I going to split up my heart to love all three of my children equally?" When you have one child, all of your love is meant for that one child. My husband goes to work everyday and I'm a stay at home mom so my days were filled with quality alone time with my daughter. It was just me and her throughout the day and I loved it. We had our morning routine, our afternoon routine, and once my husband came home, a night routine for the three of us. So when we found out there would not only be one baby breaking up the routine, but two, I was a little more than nervous about it.

How was my daughter going to react when it wasn't just her and me anymore? Having twins would take up a lot more of my time than if it was just one. How was I going to manage it? How was I going to love these two new babies as much as I love my daughter? Would I be able to still have quality alone time with my daughter and quality alone time with the two other babies?

I was scared. Scared until our twins came home from the NICU. Our beautiful, sweet, and caring toddler was all about the babies. She was and is like a little mommy. She's nurturing and loving towards them. It's an amazing thing to see. I think about some stories I've heard about older siblings reacting badly towards the new baby and we've definitely lucked out with not having to worry about that. She is the Big Sister and loving every second of it.

Funny thing is that my heart did get split up equally for all three of my children. I don't know how, but it did. All the worrying should've been geared towards another concern. A concern that I had no clue about until our twins were home with us. "Am I spending enough time with our twins?"

Yes, I spend everyday, all day with our twins, but our bonding time is somewhat limited. They share my attention with not only each other, but with a three year old who still remembers what it was like before they got here. A time when she had all of my attention. It's so difficult to just sit and hold my twins individually for a period of time before I have to pay attention to the other one or my toddler. I used to hold my toddler for hours. Just staring at her, caressing her face, memorizing every little fold in her chubby little arms and legs. Studying the curve of her mouth and just breathing her sweet baby scent in. I'm lucky if I get five minutes to do that with my twins. My three year old is a three year old. She wants to play all the time and wants all the attention on her. It's hard when I tell her I can't play because I have to not only take the time to feed one baby, but two. Then it's time to change, not one diaper, but two. Then it's time to calm down, not one baby, but two. Put, not one baby down for a nap, but two. Check in on, not one baby, but two. And so on, and so on, and so on. What might take a half hour with a singleton is now taking an hour or more with twins. That is my biggest concern now. How does this affect my toddler? The constant, "No, I'm sorry. I can't right now I have to ___ with the babies."

Luckily, my three year old is patient (as patient as a three year old can be). She will wait for me to be done with the babies, for now, but will her patience run thin? I just feel guilty sometimes. Guilty for always having to say to my toddler, "One more second." and "I'll be right there after I ____ with the babies." Guilty for not being able to hold my twins for hours like I did when my toddler was their age. Guilty for feeling guilty. I'm sure most moms go through this, especially moms of twins after a singleton. I guess we just have to keep reminding ourselves that we are doing the best we can with what we were given - one body, two arms, two hands, and only twenty-four hours in the day.

A Visit With the Easter Bunny

It was a typical Sunday. 7 am wake up call from my three year old leaning in close to my face and breathing heavily on me, laughing. My five month old twins making noises in their cribs while kicking their tiny legs a mile a minute. My husband covering his head with the blankets in hopes to not having to get out of bed any time soon. Yes, a typical Sunday morning except this particular Sunday was going to be a little different, we were going to be leaving the house.

Leaving the house is not a big deal. Not a big deal if you don't have kids. Not a big deal if you don't have a toddler and five month old twins to get ready. On this day, this sunny, mild March day, my husband and I decided we would all go to the mall to get a picture with the Easter Bunny. We do it every year since our daughter was born. The Easter Bunny and Santa pictures at the mall. This would be the first picture with the Easter Bunny for our twins. How exciting, but was it worth it? (of course it was!)

We planned on leaving the house around three o'clock. This meant I had to start getting my toddler dressed and hair brushed at twelve o'clock. Yes, getting a three year old ready to leave the house really does take that long, at least for my three year old. It's a struggle. A struggle to go potty. A struggle to find the perfect pair of socks, no... tights, no... socks, yes... socks. A struggle to pick out what bow to put in her hair. A struggle to eat something before we leave. Can you see where I'm at? It's a three year old's world and I am just the mother.

I also had to get our twins dressed. This meant having the very delicate decision to either dress them before or after they ate. I opted before for our son and after for our daughter. Of course it didn't much matter. Our son spit up before he ate, while he ate, and after he ate. He even spit up in the car on our way to the mall.

We then had to get everyone in the minivan. My husband put our toddler and one of the twins in first. Then I brought out the diaper bag and the other twin. I sat in the driver's seat. "Did you remember the receipt for the Easter Bunny?" (we paid online). Shit. I have to go back inside. "My friend, Mommy! And my baby." OK, so I go back into the house and get the Bunny receipt and my daughter's friend, which happens to be one of those toy poppers (the toy with the handle that pops balls around inside a plastic bubble when you walk with it). I also pick out a random baby from her bed in hopes that she will just except the fact I didn't know which baby she was talking about. I get back to the car and success! She decided not to have a breakdown over the "wrong" baby I picked out.

With all that we made it to the mall. We were walking through the parking lot, I look down and notice our daughter had her shoes on the wrong feet. How is she not complaining? She complains about her shoes, sneakers, boots, all the time because she would rather be barefoot, yet she thinks having her shoes on the wrong feet is comfortable? Ugh. We get inside and I help her switch them around. Luckily that was a smooth process.

Walking through the mall with a running, skipping, just plain excited toddler and a double stroller with twins in tow is an interesting experience. We get comments like, "Oh, they must be twins." "Wow, they have their hands full." "You must be the big sister?" "What are they?" "Are they identical?" "Are they twins?" We also get smiling faces, chuckles, sometimes looks of sympathy. It's definitely different from just going out with one baby/kid. Having twins almost gives you a bright, blinking sign that says, "Hey everybody! Come check me and my family out. Look at my three under four mommy life. Look, I have twins and a toddler. Look, look, look!"

Anyway, we finally get to where the Easter Bunny is. We always do the "Fast Pass" (order online beforehand) so we don't have to wait on line. This saves us a lot of time and also helps deter a possible toddler and baby melt down. I had to prep my daughter beforehand, telling her that she would not be able to sit on the Easter Bunny's lap because her baby brother and sister would have to be held by him. She seemed OK with it. Once she saw the bunny, she didn't really seem to care where she was as long as it was near him anyway. She was so star struck. It was adorable, at least to me and my husband.

The photo went off without a hitch. No crying babies, everyone was awake, toddler was smiling and looking at the camera. It was great. But the best part of the day: my husband and I didn't have to be in the picture like we did when we saw Santa this past Christmas due to toddler not wanting me to let her go. I don't want to be in these pictures so, yes, that was the best part of the day!

Blatz Beer Ad

I didn't realize all I needed was a case of Blatz Beer in the house. Geez, it means so much to me as a young mother who is so tired of listening to my baby cry. I need that case of beer to act as a stimulating tonic and don't get me started on how healthy it is for me and my baby. Isn't it so obvious by the dazed look on my baby's face that he is enjoying it, too? I mean, really. Drinking beer at 3 month of age is nothing. He certainly won't grow up to be an alcoholic. This is Blatz Beer for goodness sake!

Britax B-Agile Double Stroller

Oh boy! It's here. Our new Britax B-Agile Double Stroller. I absolutely love this stroller even though I just got it and haven't used it outside of the house yet. With all of the great reviews it has gotten, how could I not have bought this side by side stroller?

Yes, I opted for the side by side for our twins. A tandem stroller just seems so cruel. Someone is always going to be stuck in the crappy front seat that doesn't lean back enough to take a decent nap or get stuck in the crappy back seat where all you can see in front of you is another seat. The side by side has no issues like that.

The B-Agile also has a lot of really nice features. My favorites include:

1. The canopies are H-U-G-E huge! Definitely no concern about the sun getting in anyone's eyes.
2. The seats recline practically the whole way which makes this a good stroller for babies and napping.
3. The basket can actually fit my, over stuffed because I have twins, diaper bag. And I'll have access to it through the back, sides, and front of the stroller. Yes, I did say front. The leg area of both seats has a zipper opening which leads to the basket. How cool is that?
4. The adjustable handle is awesome! I can even lower it enough where my three year old can push the stroller without having her arms straining to reach the bar. That is very important because like many three year olds, mine wants to do it herself.
5. What a ride. Not only are the seats nicely padded, but the suspension seems really good which makes for a smooth ride.

Now I need to find a stroller standing board that will fit this stroller. Obviously when I'm out with my husband or someone else, my toddler can use her umbrella stroller if she needs it, but what about when I'm alone? My concern is that I will be walking my three year old to pre-school come September when weather permits. I will have this B-Agile stroller for the twins, but what if my toddler gets tired from walking and wants or needs to sit? The school is a mile away so it is possible for her little legs to get really overworked. Britax does make a stroller standing board for older kids, but they say it's not compatible with the double stroller. Then I read a blog post review for the Joovy Bumprider Universal Stroller Board. The reviewer had attached it to her Britax B-Agile double stroller and said it fit perfectly. So that's something to think about. 

Bottom line is this: If you are in the market for a double stroller, you cannot go wrong with the Britax B-Agile Double Stroller. You will fall in love with it the moment you take it out of the box, I promise!

  

FYI: I am not getting paid to make any reviews. These are just the things I have used or do use and want to let more parents know about.

My Top 4 (Fictional) Parenting Role Models

There are a few television shows we watch at my house that have the best parenting role models. I know they are fictional and nobody can truly be all calm and collective by a rambunctious and/or destructive toddler, but I want to be that way most of the time. Here are a few parents or caregivers from shows that we as parents need to take note of so we don't end up stressing over all the things toddlers and older children do:

Mommy and Daddy Pig (Peppa Pig). They do get frustrated at Peppa and her younger brother, George, but they always talk in a calm voice and explain why something was wrong or bad. They don't yell or talk at Peppa as most parents do, myself included. It's really hard to keep a calming tone in your voice when all you want to do is scream as loud as you can at the fact your toddler has deliberately tossed her entire cereal on the floor all the while looking at you with a devilish look in her eyes as if to say, "Hey, Mom. Look what I'm doing. Whatcha gonna do 'bout it? Yell? I still won't clean it up, sucka."

The Man With the Yellow Hat (Curious George). This guy is so understanding it sometimes makes me angry. Then I realize George doesn't know any better because he is a monkey and I assume that's the reason for the yellow hat man's nonchalant approach to "parenting." Then I think that a toddler really doesn't know any better either and I should have the same attitude as well. Why get so aggravated by the fact my three year old turns getting her pajamas on into a game of run around naked and show off my butt? Is it really that important to be all serious with her about it being bedtime and not playtime. Why can't I take two minutes to laugh and giggle with her to show that I find her spirit and playfulness to be exactly how it should be at her age? Why do I have to make it difficult for her to enjoy life, which is basically what I'm doing when I yell at her for playing? I know there's a time to play and a time to be serious and get things done, but at three years old? How is taking two minutes to say, "yes, that's so funny and you are so funny, now let's get those p.j.'s on" gonna hurt? It actually takes longer to get mad than it does to go along with it. By yelling and getting mad in turn gets her mad and then a temper tantrum is on the rise. Just take a tip from The Man With the Yellow Hat and go with the flow every now and then.

Ruby (Max and Ruby). First of all, where are Max and Ruby's parents? They leave a seven year old to take care of a, what? Two to three year old? That's a different subject all together though. OK, big sis Ruby. She never gets truly aggravated by the annoyance that is her little brother. She explains her reasonings for things and calmly leads Max to do "the right thing." Of course, sometimes Max was right all along or he has happy accidents to seem like he was actually helping Ruby out. Nevertheless, Max is annoying and Ruby knows it but she also knows that he is a toddler and toddlers do play and get into trouble and they, for the most part, don't realize anything is wrong by what they do. Ruby, herself, is also annoying and bossy, but who's disciplining her? Not her parents.

All the adults (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood). Not only do these adults have really catchy jingles to explain the reasonings about stuff, they always kneel down or try to get at eye level with the kids. This is a tactic I have noticed works a lot with my toddler - talking to her eye to eye. It must be intimidating to have a much larger person talk down at you in a stern voice. By taking a knee or sitting, you are making the situation a little less stressful for your little one. They may listen better to what you have to say rather than have a total melt down and scream at every little sound that comes out of your mouth. When I get down to talk calmly eye to eye with my three year old, she usually will comply with what I'm trying to get across and then wants to hug. It doesn't always go smoothly but when it does, it feels so nice.

So, the next time you feel like you want to strangle your toddler for whining and screaming for the fifteen-thousandth time to get what she wants, remember these parents and ask yourself, "What would Mommy Pig do?" Then take a breath, relax your mind, and try to calm the devil in your toddler.

8 Fun "Games" for Toddlers and Adults

Nope. It includes hours of internet exploring, blogging, facebook, and twitter updates all while the kiddies watch their favorite television shows and eat snacks. Duh.

Seriously though, I write my blog posts at night while everyone is tucked all nice and cozy in their beds. I take about 20-25 minutes every morning to get on the computer and post the blogs and update anything I need to. I don't have to do this, I want to. It gives me a bit of a break at 9:00 in the morning when I've been up for a few hours with already two screaming babies and one whining toddler. It's not my job, but I tell my toddler "Mommy needs to work on the computer while you watch one show. When your show is over, it's time to play."

Play. You would think playing all day would be fun or something that you might enjoy. I have a three year old. Playtime is one part boring and two parts exhausting. So when I actually do need to get things done in the house, playtime consists of some really fun games:

1. Throw the socks, shirt, pants, etc. in the washing machine. Kinda like basketball, but with dirty laundry. My toddler's favorite part is smelling the laundry detergent and pressing the start button.
2. Throw the socks, shirt, pants, etc. in the dryer.
3. Find the socks and undies. Just hope you finish folding the laundry before all the socks and undies are found.
4. Grab a dishwasher soap pod thingy and put it in the detergent compartment. Then press the start button. Really fun for three year olds.
5. Get all the clean spoons and forks out of the dishwasher and put them away. Just be mindful of the knives.
6. Sweep up the dirt and put it in a neat pile. This one takes some time to perfect. In the beginning, my toddler was sweeping the dirty floor randomly and just moving the dirt around but not actually cleaning up. Now she's a pro and loves to make a neat pile of dirt. Her reward is getting to vacuum up the dirt pile with the hose extension.
7. Use the magic Swiffer wand and make the dust disappear. 
8. Erase the fingerprints. I don't know about you, but I have a full glass front storm door and my toddler loves putting her grubby little fingers all over it. She also enjoys putting her mouth on it and licking it. Toddlers are silly like that. Some Windex and paper towels give you at least 10-15 minutes of playtime.

So there you go. Stay at home moms and dads really need to be creative when it comes to getting household chores done. Including your toddler in these activities and calling them games is just pure genius. These tasks may take twice as long to get accomplished, but your toddler will keep out of trouble while you two are doing them. They are too young at this point to realize it is actually work. Sure, sometimes my toddler gets bored by these games and I don't blame her. That's when I say, OK. Time to play kitchen or hide and seek or run around the table fifty times (she really enjoys that one) or scream "peek-a-boo" really loud and scary at your baby brother and sister and make them cry ('cause twins crying at the same time is totally funny and awesome) or whatever this little imaginative three year old can come up with. Then when all that is done, I will sit on my ass and enjoy my bon-bons (but of course, that never happens).

Photography Skills Help When You Are A Parent

My family thinks I'm weird when it comes to taking photographs of my kids. Hey, I'm an artist and photographer (Janet E Gorman Photography). Of course I'm weird and a bit of a perfectionist. This is what I do with my photography skills as a mother...

1. I take monthly shots to show the growth of my kids. I tried going to Sears Photo Studio when my toddler was three months old. HORRIBLE! Just horrible. Luckily I'm a photographer, 'cause I will never have to endure the disasters they call portraits, again.

2. I don't always take great photos of my kids. Sometimes I just want to be a mom taking pictures. With three kids to run me wild, I sometimes have to grab the camera quickly and just point, shoot, and hope for the best. Most of the time, those are the best photos anyway. Random and in the moment.

4. But when I want a good photograph, I take a lot to get it just right.

5. Sometimes I have to do a little finagling to get everyone to look the way I want.

Yup. I take different parts, in the case above, my son's and my toddler's heads, and re-do them. I don't do it all the time. In fact, I rarely have to do it, but this is one shot that called for it.
FYI - I only re-did my son's head because my husband didn't like the tilt of the head our son had. So I guess I'm not the only weird one.

I Need Mommy Friends

Sad, but true

I need mommy friends. Friends with a similar lifestyle. I'm in my, dare I say it, late 30's, and I need friends who can relate to me and who I can relate to. Married with children, home-owners, mom of twins would also be nice. It's hard to get together with my old friends. It's hard because of scheduling conflicts (theirs, not mine). It's hard because, as much as I love my old friends, we have nothing in common anymore. I am a sahm of one toddler and baby twins. I am a wife. I am a home-owner. I drive a mini-van for Pete's sake! My friends are still single. No children. Work full time. Even though we may have things to talk about, most of the time it's about the past. The past is OK, but, with a husband and three kids, I'm living in the present and looking to my future.

Is it wrong for me to want to move on? Is it wrong for me to want to keep these friendships even though we never see or talk to each other? Is it wrong to want more compatible friends? Is it wrong to get frustrated by all the cancelled plans (not by me). Is it wrong? Why am I made to feel guilty about wanting more? Wanting to hang out with someone who can get where I'm coming from. I can still get where my friends are coming from because I've been there, done that. But my friends have never been there, done that in respect to what my life is like now. I can't talk to them about the hardships of raising a toddler. About how annoying potty training is. About having been pregnant with twins and what it was like to go home from the hospital without them. About how hard it is trying to make it through the day without crumbling to the floor sobbing because you're so stressed out by all the crying and whining and screaming and all the times you have to say "No." About how awesome it is to have three children. About how awesome it is to have such a supportive husband. I can't talk about any of that. I can't have a conversation about the things that matter most in my life because it would be a one way conversation.

So I need mommy friends. This is a dilemma in itself because I am so bad at meeting new people. I suck at small talk. Sure, I can write pretty well, and I may seem outgoing in my writings, but I am an introvert when it comes to face to face contact. I'm a bit shy. It took me almost two years to have a play date/get together with another mommy from my daughter's play group. Two years! We saw each other once a week for two years, talked during the class, and I still couldn't get up the nerve to say, "Hey. Let's get together with the kids and enjoy some adult conversation." It took me two whole fuckin' years! I suck at small talk. That's my issue. Yeah, that's it. That's gotta be it.

Ya wanna know the stupid thing? We bought a house a little over a year and a half ago and our next door neighbor has four children. Their youngest are boy/girl twins who will be in the same grade as my toddler when they start school. The stupid thing? Well, the stupid thing is that we say "Hi" when we see each other and sometimes will have a five minute conversation, but have I once said, "Hey. Why don't you come over for some coffee/tea and the kids can play with each other?" Nope. Not once. Why? We are probably the same age and we have a lot, it seems, in common. Uck. I'm just a coward. What am I so afraid of. The worst she can say is, "No thanks. Not interested."  And I know she wouldn't say that, so what's stopping me? We'll be neighbors for a very long time (most likely), so why not be friends, too?

The weather is getting warmer. I am not pregnant or trying to get pregnant anymore. My twins are getting into a steady routine. My toddler is a bit more independent. I think it's about time to start making plans with other moms. Moms from my daughter's play group. Moms on my block. It's gotta be done or I'll go more crazy than I am now. I have to have other moms to talk to about day to day life with kids and husbands and houses. It's way overdue. Now, let me go to practice some small talk in my mirror while I try not to be embarrassed that I'm actually doing that.