It's meant to be

My twins will be 2 tomorrow. I can't hardly believe it. They are the age Goofy was when I had them. Thats amazing to me.

I often look at them and think, wow I have twins. It's hard work definitely but such a joy. Watching both of them play my heart soars.

I think back to when we found out we were having twins. I was surprised for sure and texted the hubs ( who was in the car because Goofy had fallen asleep). The first thing I thought of was "man, she was right!!" You see, when I found out I was pregnant my mom (who has a very strong instinct) was sure I was having twins. She even told me so before I found out for myself.

What came to my mind with the discovery that twins were on the way was that truly He gives and takes away. My very first pregnancy was a missed miscarriage. It was a hard time. Finding out twins were on the way I felt like I had come full circle. He had given us so much more; doubled what we had lost I know my two boys were absolutely meant for our family.

Twins series: at the store

Oh I remember the configurations we needed just to go to target. Carseat or baby carrier? Stroller or cart? One cart or two? Juggling them all was maddening. Equally maddening though are two two year olds who refuse to sit in the cart and prefer to run off.

On a good day it is simple as buckling the kids into "the bus"--that big cart that fits 3 children that I'm sure was designed to be a lifesaver for families like mine. If I'm on it I have a snack or something to keep them busy and were in and out.

Other times though we can't be in and out (because clearance end cap shopping takes time) and the boys get antsy in the cart. So hubs takes 2 of the kids to go wild in the toy section while I finish up grabbing what we need with another one.

We still love Costco because of the carts. However there's something about a warehouse now that just screams : RUN WILD to the kids. They never stay in the cart anymore. And chasing them is not on my list of things to do. So hubs and I each use a baby carrier (yes, we have ones not just for infants) and we strap them in. We can do our shopping and know exactly where the kids are. This works even better when the kids are sleepy. Once they zonk out you can shop in peace. In fact if you go to pak & save on a Sunday afternoon you'll find us with kids strapped to us. This is the typically how we do grocery shopping. We are used to the looks because it looks like we are hiking around the grocery store.

Twins series: eating out

Now that the boys are almost 2 eating out can be more difficult since they're not just infants that watch us eat.

We usually ask for 2 high chairs. Depending on the height of the table or goofy's mood we may or may not need a booster. Sometimes we don't even need a high chair, especially if we are seated in a big booth.

The hardest part is entertaining them while we wait for the food to come. Crayons only last for so long. They usually start in our lap and only get seated in the high chair when the food comes. Once the food is there just keep shoveling it on everyones plates. That is the best way to keep them happy.

After they've eaten hubs and I take turns entertaining (ie walking children to see fish tank or keeping them from tripping servers.) We do get comments on how well behaved our children are so we seem to be on the right track.

Ever since Red Robin changed their image our pick for most kid friendly is CPK.

Though Pho is fast its a tricky one. We usually go when us parents aren't super starving because your food is guaranteed to get cold while you feed the babies first. They really love their soup and we can't feed it to them fast enough.

Twins series: getting out of the house

The biggest change between last year having 9 month old roly poly babies and a 3 year old and this year is: walking! Or running.

Now to get out of the house and get out of the door is simple as opening the door. Almost.

Before leaving we would assume the backpack is ready with diapers, the cooler is filled with milk or water and cups, and goofy's little backpack of entertaining toys is ready. Oh and anything else we might need like reusable bags, etc.

Usually I call out to the boys something like "socks and shoes let's Go!". And on a good day I will hear the pitter patter of running across the hardwood floor making their way to the bottom step where they will sit waiting for shoes. Usually Goofy puts on his own shoes ( unless time is a factor at which point mama takes over). And ideally chip and dale will stick our their feet and wait for socks and shoes to be put on. Sometimes though putting socks and shoes require feet chasing after giggly running boys.

So once shoes are on we grab our jackets by "the box" by the door. The kids know jackets are in here and belong here and not anywhere else. When we get home I usually remind them about the box and they'll put their jackets in there. Once I open the door get ready to run because that's what the kids do. It's like letting lose a bunch of wild animals. They run and chase each other to the car. Every. Single. Time. Eventually I catch up with my kids and buckle them in the car one by one. The last child I usually find running around the car since his brothers are no longer there.

Anyway so that's what it's like now. A big change from when they were very little that's for sure. I know I'll miss their chaotic running and laughing when they are like 16 and 18 and getting out of the house requires arguing over who gets to practice driving with me. Oh fun times.

Countdown to Chip & Dale's 2nd Birthday: Twins series 2013

My twin boys are going to be 2 in like, 5 days. I was thinking back to how it was when they were smaller and remember I wrote some stuff about them somewhere. Then I remembered it was in this very neglected blog. So, I decided to dust off the blog and write an update of sorts. So this week during nap time or very late at night when I get a burst of writing inspiration I hope to compile several posts about what its like with toddler twins and a preschooler.