Growing like weeds :)

I have always been told that children grow quickly, but my word mine are growing too fast for me.  It seems like just yesterday they were all just little babes, but when I take a good look I can see how much they have grown in so many ways. Aiden is off to pre-school and the girls are starting to pick up on more and more words as the days go by.  They are all continually developing their personalities as well and as different as they are from one another they are so similar too.



You will find more happiness growing down than up.  ~Author Unknown

Isabella has gotten over saying "no" to everything and has decided to start learning her alphabet.  We have an awesome learning tool that we got from our friends Dan and Tisha that not only sings the alphabet, but it also has a place that you can fit the letter magnets in and it recites the sounds they make.  Aiden pretty much knew his alphabet when we got it, but has loved to play with it and now competes with sisters to get his turn.  I am excited to see how long it will actually take Izzy to get her ABC's down. :)

Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.
~Author Unknown

Emma is such a ham when she wants to be, but she would rather be holding my phone than to be letting me capture her beauty any day.  EShe has chosen a pair of crocs 5 sizes too big and loves to model them and all the other shoes in her closet that she can figure out.   Emma also loves buttons and switches; cause and effect is very fascinating to her at the moment as well as pictures in books.

Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring - quite often the hard way.  ~Pamela Dugdale

Time to potty train or time for duct tape?

 

I remember going through a poop art stage with Aiden when he was about 1 1/2 years old.  He would fill his diaper and then pull it off and smear poop everywhere.  With the girls, I was hoping we would just skip over that stage, but Emma in all of her glory doesn't like to wait for us to take her diaper off, she would rather do it herself.  Now, so far she is just throwing the turds if there are any and not smearing them across everything, but still eeeewwwww!  Our solution?  Duct tape -- just kidding---  An outfit that she cannot get off ((and believe me these are few and far between).  We have started putting her in either one piece outfits or putting a oniesie shirt on her and pants with it.  I really don't feel like it is a god time to potty train them since they are still in their crib and they don't quite talk. 

 

 

 

Next Issue: Containment....hmmmm.....Well I counted and it would take like 43 screws to baby proof the kitchen... 43.... really that sounds a little excessive, so instead of doing that we had expanded the play yard so that it  gave the girls most of the living room.  Unfortunately, in order to get in and out of the living room the "big" people have to step or climb over the gate....needless to say Izzy figured that one out quick and started using the couch as a ladder to get out of the contained area to the area around the TV and fireplace.  ((Sorry GG - Izzy destroyed your favorite violet)) Once we convinced the girls that climbing over the end of the couch was not allowed Emma started moving the side table and recliner out from the wall so that they can create their own little escape route and walk right out.  So now, unless we have time to sit in the living room while they run around,  it has lost it's usefulness.  I still haven't finished with the girls room and I am trying to get it twin-proofed against a constant tornado effect.  Right now it is in a state of dis-array with a pile of blankets in the corner and socks mixed with toys and clothes scattered across the floor.  I am hoping to get a handle on their room while I am off work tomorrow or Friday, but we have such a busy day already that I am not sure we can fit one more thing in.

 

 

 

It's Fall 2012!!!

Once you become the mommy or daddy in your child's world, it is the only world in which you exist, no matter how much you fancy there is a separate world of your own.  ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

Yay for the beginning of fall!  Woke up to frost on the ground this morning with a cool crisp day to follow.  We are still getting used to having one in school and being able to enjoy getting to spend alone time  with the girls getting to know them. 

I was able to take a moment and sit with the girls while they ate their breakfast this morning.  It was interesting to see how nice they can be to one another when they are seated far enough apart that they cannot be mean.  Emma handed Izzy pieces of cereal that she didn't want and said "dere ou go" each time she would hand off another piece.   The first one even got a "tank ou" out of Izzy.  I really had absolutely no idea they could be so polite to one another. 

When I first had twins it was an emotional roller coaster between being in shock that there were two babies to grateful they are healthy, to overwhelmed because there are two of them.  There are times even now that I look at my girls and think "they really aren't much different to raise than their brother was" and other times I look at them and see how mean they can be to one another and I realize how much easier things are without sibling rivalry.  In the end I always see their pretty smiles flash across their precious faces and I know the bond between each of my children will overcome any rivalry and be an asset to them in their lives.

It does bother me how much twins do seem to fight at this age, though it seems to be commonplace in twin households around this age and beyond.  I have seen Emma grab Izzy by two fistfuls of hair and then by the shirt to finish taking her down, she has kicked her sister off the couch, taken things from her and pushed her down.  Now Izzy, tough she is usually on the receiving end of things, can also dish it out., she just seems to be more subtle and not as easy to catch.

J and I were talking about taking the girls out of their cribs and how we will transition them to their next bed, for Aiden we did this around 16 mos old if I remember right, because he was climbing out of his crib.  Luckily the girls have not done that yet, but just incase it happens soon we have been tossing around different ideas.  Since Izzy likes to jump off anything she can get on top of (just like her brother) we were thinking of just putting their crib mattresses on the floor until we could get them each a twin bed.  Then I read another story about a mother of twins that tried that and her twins found it to be too much like a total play area and they had to play till they fell or be separated before they would go to sleep.  Sooooo, then we started discussing putting them into a toddler bed next to give them something that reinforces bed time.  I think I will also head the advice of another mother that chose a dim nightlight so that it is, hopefully, too dark to play.  I like the idea of a constellation nightlight, but I am still thinking on the best way to accomplish a calming darkness that is not too dark and not too light (maybe I should call Goldilocks LoL).  When we do get there I will be sure to share our strategies and how effective that they are or aren't with our twin situation.  If any of my readers have gone through this I would love to know what worked for you and what didn't. 

The trouble with having a stubbornness contest with your kids is that they have your stubbornness gene.  ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

 

Blanket Forts are the best!!! The twins are outgrowing our efforts to contain them !!!

Aiden and I were up to our old antics again and built a TV tent that he could watch "his" TV shows in. He loves it when we put our imaginations to work and make things into something new.  Sometimes I swear I could just get a bunch of boxes in different sizes for my children instead of real gifts and they would enjoy them just as much as the things they do get.  I am proud that they can enjoy simple things in life.

We have been having trouble getting the girls to sit down on the couch, not climb over or go around the gate so we decided to start prepping their room to be a playroom and a bedroom in one, since we can contain them there. The best way to baby-proof a space in my opinion, is to put the baby in that space and keep moving things around until they can only get to the safe things...

...this creates a ginormous multi day task and mess...

As much as we try to convince the babies that they are going to smash their fingers, they still think the closet is a great place to play.... and Emma thinks all clothes should be able to go over her head--- here she is featured wearing a NB onsie as a scarf.  LoL. 

Izzy is a jumper like her brother was when he was little, poor kid looks like we beat her, but she does it all to herself.  This is the worst I have seen her do to her face, it is the result of jumping out of the toy box.  What can you do, but let them learn and grow. 

Art is essential to growth :)

I have made art a big part of Aiden's childhood.  He has been painting and coloring and creating masterpieces with all sorts of 3D materials (pom poms, wacky eyes, popsicle sticks, glitter, foam stickers, etc).  We have been decorating his room with his art projects he has made throughout the years.   Recently we added some art that he brought home from pre-school and the first  

pictures his sisters drew.  

Aunt Barbara bought the girls some neat crayola crayons that have holders that are the right size for little hands.  Izzy got the hang out it pretty quick and enjoyed adding lines to her paper.  Emma wanted to hold the crayon holder upside down and to rip the paper off the table.  LoL

 

Activities don't tend to last long with toddlers (the girls are almost 18 mos. old).  I would say our art project lasted about 5 minutes at most, but the girls loved it and Aiden was very excited to see their "pictures" and immediately wanted them displayed on his wall with his favorite things.

 Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.  ~Pablo Picasso

Pictures must not be too picturesque.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

An artist is someone who produces things that people don't need to have but that he - for some reason - thinks it would be a good idea to give them.  ~Andy Warhol

Art doesn't have to matter to a lot of people to matter a lot.  ~Jeb Dickerson, www.howtomatter.com
 

I love this video. It captures laughter, sisterly love, baby talk, more laughter and even Aiden being a good Big Brother.  I never get tired of capturing my babies in motion (it is easier to get a clear shot that way) and I hope you never tire of seeing them in action.

Having fun and getting organized :)

It was such a beautiful day on Saturday that we took the kids outside to play for a little while.  Emma was having tons of fun on the trampoline until she figured out that we had shut the door behind her.

I got in with the girls hoping that Emma would be happier if I were there to join them.  She stayed and played for a little while and then shortly after Aiden joined us she decided it was time to go.  Aiden still gets a little wound up, but Izzy is tough and for the most part just laughs and has fun with it.

I did finally get a picture of each girl with minimal motion blur. Izzy was taking a break on the trampoline and this morning Emma was using a cloth eggshell for a hat.  Interestingly enough the eggshell zips around a little chick that makes noise when you shake it that I have had since I was a young child.  I remember seeing the chick in Aiden's room when I was cleaning it out today and he has also enjoyed playing with the set for a few years now too.

It took a little over an hour to get Aiden's room under control today.  We took all sorts of toys out of his room to move to the basement until I can sort them out.  Several of them will become hand-me-downs for the girls, and I am hoping that at some point the rest can find a good home at someone else's house.  It was really nice to be able to get Aiden's room emptied out a little so that he as room to play in there.

Tomorrow we are going to get the rest of the supplies to finish the kitchen door installation and we are hoping that we can also fiinish the front door this week too.  Then we can get back to collecting firewood for the winter and getting it to Mom's house so that we can get it split before it gets too cold outside.

Bribery may not be the best plan :)

Ok, ok, ok.... I have learned why it can be a bad idea to bribe a kid to behave, lol.  Aiden was having a lot of trouble adjusting to school, and we have been working on a lot of positive re-enforcement including rewards for accomplishing certain milestones.  He got a transformer after he rode the bus to school for an entire week, then he started wanting one each day he was good. He would even get off the bus and ask "Mommy did you get me a transformer today? I was good all day at school to earn one." It was sad to see him go to his room and pout in his bed, he realy felt like he had done all of the right things to "earn" a new toy and I was proud that he had not ended up in the pricipal's office (he has been there quite a bit) or seperated during activities. 

Now Transformers are not cheap ever, but at least I have been able to find some good deals at Ollie's and Big Lots. Still I am not made of money and definitely cannot get him one a day,  or one a week for that matter. On top of that I think he has the ones available at both stores and I need to find another place that I can get them at a good deal since Aiden has decided that Transformers are the best thing in the world.  He has gotten fairly good at transforming the ones that he already has, but they have all been listed as level 2 or 3 and he does have trouble.  J and I on the other hand are pros at them and Aiden takes full advantage of that.  This time I decided to go with a level 1 intermediate and it is harder to work than the other ones are, go figure.  If anyone knows where I can get some more at a good price please let me know, if nothing else I am gonna need to buy more for Christmas.

I am very proud of Aiden and the progress he has made so I think our next step will be a chore/behavior chart that he can complete to earn an allowance and purchase his own toys.  Hopefully this will also help to teach him the value of money, so he will understand why he can't have one of everything.  I love him enough to give him the world, I just can't afford it.  :)

On a different note, I also wanted to mention that Aiden is picking up on math.  I have been quizzing him and I am amazed at how he uses his fingers to decide what the answer should be.  For example, Aiden asked for 6 strawberries, after I had 3 on his plate I asked how many more I should add and without missing a beat he answered "3."  Since then I have asked him similar questions and have seen him figure out the problem correctly each time.  My little man amazes me time and time again.

Mommy loves you Aiden, you will always be my baby boy and I am so proud of you!

My little Monkeys!!!

Since we stopped using our pack-n-play it has become a glorified toy box.  This was no callenge for Emma though...

... she just climbs right in, finds a new toy and climbs out again....

...and enjoys her new-found treasure..... Sissy is not quite the monkey that she is and unfortunately gets pretty upset when she gets stuck in the pack-n-play and cannot get out again.  I solved that problem today by getting some large red bucket totes for the living room and finally taking out the pack-n-play.... It was so nice to get some of that space back.

We are so bogged down with day-to-day life we still have yet to finish the project of replacing two of the doors in the house.  Mom came over last Wednesday and helped watch ids while J and I shimmed and secured the door, added some insulation around it and then figured out we needed new trim boards since the new door is taller that the old one was.

Due to a lack of hands it is rare that they girls get to come outside and play on the outdoor toys.  While mom was visiting Emma refused to take her nap as usual so Grandma let her play instead.

When Aiden wasn't looking she stole his "motorcycle" and made him very sad... she knew that with the smallest chance Bubby would take back his prized big wheel so she did everything she could to stay on it at all costs.

Aiden was very happy to see her take his bike as a trade so that he could reclaim his bigwheel....

....and try to sneakily run over his sisters toes for the satisfaction of it without getting caught, but Grandma was watching and scolded him until he gave up.

Emma found a friend in Tiger Butt and surprisingly he let her walk up to him and pet him without running away.

I finally got my video of Aiden to upload!!!

This video was recorded on grandparents day this year.  I have been having trouble getting it to upload, but this is for all of Aiden's grandmas (GG I am sorry that he left you out).

I took some new pictures of Aiden's terrarium pets.  WE have found all of them around the house and he is constantly finding new things to make friends with, just today he found a "wooly bear" caterpillar and took it on adventures all afternoon.  He also added a salamander to the aquarium today and there used to be two blue tails in there, but the lizards are very good at hiding so I was not able to capture all of our pets.

Ribbert always looks grumpy, but I have never seen more beautiful eyes.

Ribbert 2 will not sing, but is becoming more and more tame over time.

Baby Blue Tail

The lizard is a timid thing

That cannot dance or fly or sing;

He hunts for bugs beneath the floor

And longs to be a dinosaur.

Author unknown

Little Ribbert

Little Ribbert 2

Just checkin' in :)

The Girls were sitting in their chairs the other day finishing up their lunch one minute and playing with a box of Cheerio's the next.  This could have ended much worse, but they really had a lot to say to their daddy when he caught them in the act. :)

The reflection on the water makes it hard to see all the fish, but none-the-less, what an amazing catch. Mom is working on a hydro-ponic system for her vegetable garden.  She has been trying to raise fish and then recycling the water into her garden. I have been trapping whatever I can in my minnow trap.  This time I brought in a mixture of shad and red-eye bass, but 15+ fish in a minnow trap was an amazing haul.

Yeah, yeah, yeah....I still had the flash on when I started taking pictures again today, and I need to get better at lining up pig tails so that they are even, but here is a shot of Emma's first double pony tail hair do.

Izzy didn't want to sit still for her picture, She wanted to be playing with the phone instead.

I love that I can aim my camera in at least one direction to capture the beauty of wide-open spaces and avoid catching any poer lines.  Today was really a beautiful day.

I know it is sad, but I have come to the end of yet another post. I hope you have enjoyed the pictures and videos and look forward to bringing you even more tomorrow.

The seasons are changing :)

Fall is definitely on its way. It is cool in the morning and evening, but cold at night and hot during the day (when it isn't raining, lol).   School has started, Football season is in full swing and there are enough leaves on the ground to pile up and jump in.

 

 

 

I mowed part of the yard before work today and was able to make our first leaf pile of the year.

 

 

 

It felt so nice to ride around the yard under the bright blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds and feel the cool breeze blow across my sun baked skin.

 

 

Aiden was racing me with his big wheel as I took each turn to create our leaf pile.

 

 

 

Once I moved on to the front yard, he would ride down the driveway and meet me at the bottom each time I came back that direction.

 

 

 

Aiden and Gus both decided that the leaf pile was theirs.....

 

 

 

....and even though Gus was willing to share......

 

 

 

....Aiden was not.  He even went so far as to move his pile.

 

 

At first he was just going to kick the pile to a different spot in the yard....

 

 

... after trying that he realized he would need a rake.  Aiden got his own rake (a garden rake none-the-less) out of the shed and set to work doing his "job" of moving the leaf pile.

 

 

 

Once the pile was moved to his satisfaction we put away our rakes and  he proceeded to fully enjoy his new pile of leaves.

I have some new videos that I will try to post mid-day tomorrow, my phone is dead at the moment so I am not able to upload them at this time, but look for those to come in a mid-day post tomorrow.  Happy Grandparents Day to all those out there, I hope you had a wonderful Sunday!