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.

Spring = the season for walks outside

One of the main reasons I love spring is that it is perfect weather to go out for a walk. The summer gets over 100 degrees here, so walks are either very early in the morning (it hits 80 at like, what 8 AM?) or in the evenings when the sun goes down. The fall is also very good for going out for a walk, but by that point you need jackets and such...

Anyway, we went out for our first spring walk of the season. We just went up the street to the park nearby. We talked about the birds that we heard, the garbage cans on the street (yes, someone here is still infatuated with garbage trucks) and the trees. We saw kids playing soccer and a lot of rocks. I got a work out because I have a double stroller and three kiddies which means I am pushing a stroller and wearing a baby at the same time. The babies loved being outside. They had just eaten lunch so they were very relaxed and happy soaking up the sun.

I know, I know, this picture is worthless without pics. Instead just imagine the prettiest sunny day with the babes you love. That should do it.

Simple moments to savor...

I <3 seeing my babes enjoying a good book.

Disneyland: best places to nurse your baby

Before I let you in on my top 5 favorite places to nurse at Disneyland, I need to state that because of Disneyland I was able to conquer my fear of N.I.P-- Nursing in Public. Let me Explain.

We took Goofy to Disneyland when he was 12 weeks old. Call us crazy but I think this was our way of celebrating the fact that we survived the fourth trimester. Up to that point anytime we went out we would time it so that it minimized the amount of public feedings I would have to do. This meant a) really short outings (have you seen how often a newborn eats???) or b) feeding in the car, fitting room or eeep even a public bathroom!

Well, all that changed when we were at the land of the mouse. You see, I was not about to spend our trip hiding somewhere trying to feed the baby. So, armed with my nursing cover, I decided to feed him whenever he was hungry, without going to great lengths to find a bathroom or some other dark corner. My fears and anxieties were further lifted when I observed a European mama (I could tell by her accent)  in line at Buzz light year  pick up her hungry baby and proceed to nurse, without a cover or blanket, or anything. I was astonished! I know, it is probably a European thing, but it just made me laugh at myself. At that point I decided my fears were silly and I vowed never to feed my baby in a bathroom ever again. I figured, as long as I was covered up, and my hubs didn't mind, then I would feed my baby wherever he wanted to eat.

So yes, back to the point of this post. I have nursed my oldest son when he was a baby and my 2 current babies, Chip and Dale, all over Disneyland. My Top 5 favorite places to nurse in Disneyland:

Mama Made It: Baby Ponchos for Disney

Our last trip to Disneyland was in January, in the middle of winter. Since we were expecting to see at least one night show during the trip I wanted the babies to be warm and did not want the hassle of falling blankets while walking (because you know that after a day in the stroller the last thing a baby wants is to be in the stroller at the end of the day!). I found a poncho tutorial from the Make and Takes blog and knew it would be perfect for our trip. I raided my fabric stash (thank you fleece that was on sale at Joann's during Black Friday 2011) and got to work. I preferred the no-fringe version for my boys and added the Mickey applique to give it some Disney magic. The project was so easy that I was able to complete both ponchos over the course of 2 nap times which is a huge accomplishment!

When the boys wore them around Disneyland they were bundles of cuteness and a hit with random folks. 

Dale, with his Mickey Poncho at Disneyland, complete with ears.

Twins and a Toddler: Shopping configurations

Someday when my boys are all grown we will go to the store and not need two carts. They will walk next to one cart and we can get in and out of the store relatively painlessly.

These days however we know that there is no such thing as popping into the store really quick with twin babies and a toddler.

As infants, it would take, oh almost an hour to do a Target run to grab some diapers and a few household items. Ideally we would try to keep the babies at home to minimize the chaos that is required in getting out of the house

 But even mama needs to get out of the house and see the light of day sometimes.

So what does it take to go shopping in the store? I know when my babies are grown up we will laugh at these days, but  we have settled onto various configurations for our shopping needs.

Simple moments to treasure...

I <3 babywearing my almost 3 year old 'baby'.

Mama Made It: felt food! chips and sandwich

Felt food has gotten popular around the internet lately and with an almost 3 year old who loves to pretend to cook I don't know why I did not jumped on the bandwagon earlier. Here is my first project. It only took one nap to finish.. I was inspired by the ever popular brown bag lunch tutorial on Skip to My Lou but scaled it down into a 1 nap project instead of a 2-3 nap project (yes, I think of my crafty time in terms of nap; one nap lasting approximately one hour). It would have been faster if I was brave enough to dust off my sewing machine but I did not.

So, I made a bag of tortilla chips (Goofy called them Doritos!) and a PB & J sandwich (with grey PB because I ran out of brown felt).  And just like his daddy, Goofy wanted to make a chip sandwich, because, you know that's the only way to eat a sandwich.

Twins and a Toddler- Getting into the Car

My twin boys are 9 months old and we have almost survived our first year as a family of five. Looking back its easy to take for granted how we have all adjusted and grown together as a family. Take for example the simple act of getting everyone ready and into the car to go somewhere, such as the Dr's office. As infants,  the process would typically be as follows:

Mama Made it: Crinkle ball for baby

During one of many diaper changes, I observed that my baby boys love to play with the plastic wipes pouch because of the crinkle sound that it makes. This got my mind rolling to make a crinkly toy for my babies. I grabbed a couple items lying around the house:

You know its Spring when...

• your babies go to sleep in their non fleece jammies
• you can't wait for all the warm weather fruit that is just around the corner
• you cant wait to get back to the rhythm of going outside everyday
• pedicures are back on the budget list--- time to break out the sandals!
• your mind is planning a vacation, somewhere. Anywhere. Like Disneyland ;) 

Oh, Spring, how I've missed you so!

Simple Moments to Savor

I <3 blocks. Good for playing and eating. Win win!

Twins and a toddler- Eating Out

"...Party of 5, 2 high chairs and 1 booster"


This is what I usually ask for on those occasions that we are able to take our family out for a meal at a restaurant. The hostess usually looks at my family with a look of surprise at seeing two babies and then examines the table chart of the restaurant. Occasionally, consultation is needed with another hostess or waiter to determine proper placement. Then, we are usually seated.

My husband and I are pretty easy to please in general. However, when we do go out to eat, we do have our requirements.

Keep the hands (and creativity) moving

For as long as I can remember I've always loved crafts. Anything that involved my hands and creativity was right up my alley. As a child it was fun to wander up and down the craft aisle in the local Pay Less Drugs (now, known as Rite Aid) and imagine the possibilities of what could be made.

 
When I was in 6th grade our class learned how to crochet and my mom once again helped me to figure it out. In terms of handicraft skills that are passed down the generations, my guess is that you are either a knitting family or a crochet family. Our family was definitely a crochet family. My great grandmother, so I am told, would crochet lace and all sorts of doilies and other things that can be found around the house.

Aside from 6th grade I haven't picked up a crochet hook in years. I think I did crochet a scarf in college, but that was it. So this winter I was inspired to crochet again when by chance I happened upon a ruffled scarf pattern online at the crochet spot.  A search through my sewing box, several You Tube videos later,  and I was back in action. It felt great. Just like an old friend, the familiar rhythm of creating something with your hands.  A scarf was perfect for a first item. It was good to practice the basic stitches and short enough to  give instant gratification and satisfaction. (Which is important when the only time to crochet is basically during naps and bedtime!)

Now my only problem is figuring out what to do next....

Simple moments to savor

I <3 staying in bed on cold mornings.

Mama, the blanket keeper

At night when my kids are asleep I find myself doing an extra check on my three just to make sure the blanket is still on them snugly. Yes, I'm sure that is totally the reason. Or maybe I just want to squeeze in secret snuggles and kisses at night. After all, they're only little for so long.

Who could resist extra snuggles with this cutie?