2010

On New Years Eve we had a get together, we went to the movies, we played a game and we rang in the New Year.  The next morning I woke up and it was 2010. I felt the same.  A few more days past I began writing 2010 on everything.  I began thinking of goals. One night as I was falling asleep my mind began wandering…

  I became a mother in 1999. I have spent the last decade mothering babies.  Breastfeeding or pumping, changing diapers, Nap times, and play dates. At one point I had four children 5 yrs and under and three in diapers.

  As I begin 2010 I realized my twins will start kindergarten and I will have all school age children.  No more babies.

Suddenly it all felt so finite. It made me sad. I laid there thinking of ways to make my time count. I needed to find a way to enjoy it more.  I was blinking my eyes as the time was passing and it going to be over.

The next day I was determined to find more enjoyment in our time together but I had to do to orthodontist.  The girls were so bored they spend the entire time brushing their teeth at the sink.  I was okay with that.  Then we headed over to In and out.  Hailey asked me if was another girls night (the other night we had dinner together and declared it a girls night).  It was a good time.

Then I had stuff to return at Kohls.  It went bad there.  The girls ran amuck all over the store. They promised to be better over and over but were unsuccessful.  At one point they got a two person stroller.  With renewed energy I tried the store again only to discover they used their feet to push across the aisle and man handle all the goblets.  I left Kohl’s feeling frazzled and defeated. 

That same day I found my favorite beauty product broken and ruined.  Remember my Urban Decay?   Well its in a mushy plastic bag.

My goal to enjoy seeming failed.  I felt no enjoyment.

 

But when I look back at some of these pictures. I feel longing. 

 

Maybe I won’t ever enjoy running errands with them, having them break my make up or loose everything I own. But someday I know I will miss it.

So frazzled or not time is passing.  SO this new year one of my goals is to spend time enjoying them.  Picking something simple to do together.  Something I know they will like and will work.

 

Some of my other goals are…

BE more positive. Complain less.

Work out harder.

Stay on a schedule.

Read more books.

Be more frugal.

Spend more time with my Mom.

 

Happy New year!  I can’t wait for this new decade.  In ten more years my kids will be 20, 17, and 15 (x2).  So these years ahead might be the most important of all.

Life with twins..

Sydney and Hailey
Extra Extra Read all about it....

We officially made it through a full week where the girls did not take off their diapers! We did not use any duct tape or safety pins all week! It all began last Sunday when at nap time Sydney told me she did not need the tape she would not take off her diaper. I trusted her and she did indeed obey. Since then she inspired Hailey to join in the fun. So far so good!! I think potty training may indeed be on the horizon. I just have to decide when I ready... UGH!!

So life with the twins lately...

Fun stuff...
Love to feed each other their meals
Share everything, even already chewed gum. If one sister looses hers the other splits hers. You should see the small pieces of gum they end up chewing.
Lots of giggling
Game playing (they ride on each others backs)
Kisses and hugs
Learned all their colors... pink is a favorite.
Love baths
Love dresses
Love baby dolls
Love purses
Have to buckle the top buckle on the car seat
Have lots of opinions
Love Little Bear and Scooby Doo
Love to play night night (they each take turns being the baby).
Conversations all day talking talking talking. So fun to listen to.
Hugs
Parks
Special connection, always together, snuggling, thoughtful of one another, are not happy with something unless sister gets it.
Telling on each other (this isn't bad because its just too funny, especially since Hailey calls Sydney Hailey most of the time and is telling on herself).
Oh and they are SUPER CUTE which helps a lot!


Not so fun...
Tantrums times two
Screaming in Unison at stores
People giving me rude looks in stores
Scratching (even mommy at times)
Playing instead of napping
Lots of opinions
Falling asleep in the car = no nap time
Lots of opinions
Hates shopping
Wants everything/Doesn't want anything
Lots of opinions
Illness
Being Shy
Messes cereal on the floor, sugar on the floor, water on the floor etc...
Diaper changes
Collecting things like Ipods, money, and other things they are not allowed to have!
Only want mommy
Don't want sister to have mommy
words like Mine, NO, and NOT FAIR (I can't believe they already say not fair).
Doing errands (NIGHTMARE)
Riding in the stroller...

Obviously the good always outweighs the bad! These little girls are the joy of all our days. Watching them develop personalities, likes and dislikes and play together is the best! The park, pool, library will all be a lot different for our family this summer. They truly are a pair and they make our family perfect.

Potty training Day 1.5

I started potty training last night. It's well past time. The girls will be three on Saturday. I am a big believer in waiting till closer to three for an easier time. I do believe you can potty train earlier but when I did that with Lindsey we spent 6 months on the process. I trained Jacob late because I had 8 month old twins and he learned in one day and never looked back. Sydney and Hailey have been ready for this all summer, I have not! I selfishly wanted to wait till the end of the summer till we were done being out and about (not around potty seats). Anyway, they turn three saturday and I just could not wait anymore. It's late already, LOL!

Day one:
So I started last night. Sydney immediately went on the potty and was thrilled. Hailey was heartbroken she could not do it too. A half hour later Sydney ran across the kitchen and told me she needed to go and did it again. Hailey kept looking in her potty upset. So sad. She sat on the potty seat dutifully all night, still no results.

Day two:
Hailey went on her own and was totally amazed and thrilled. Both have now gone twice this morning. Still no accidents. I know they will come but none of my children have been this successfully this fast. I know they were VERY ready. It really is a lot easier to wait till they get to this point.

Big girls in our house today. After nearly 8.5 yrs of diapers without a break, it will be quite different to not have them around. Good different I am sure.

Gone are the lazy days...

Of summer! Lindsey started school monday and its been busy.

Not so much that she started school either. Wasn't sure I should share this, too many twin moms who read still have to embark on potty training. Potty training any child is a grueling process and potty training two is torture. After we dropped Lindsey to school we went to the mall. I took them straight to the baby potties. Hailey went with success. Sydney tried and it flushed (love that auto flush) while she was sitting which scared her and she fell in, UGH! She was never going to sit on that toilet or go anywhere near it again. So... I knew we had to go because she was on borrowed time. As we leave Hailey has an accident, which was really shocking since she just went. SO we headed home. They are doing about average and as long as I stay home they mostly have success but if I leave forget it. So we are stuck home doing nothing else but watching them. Diapers are underated. I would recommend waiting and enjoying them as long as possible. Right now it feels like life will never be the same. I know it will get better, right?
Oh and if you put a piece of toilet paper over the sensor it won't auto flush! Next time (not sure there will be a next time) I will have the potty seat in the car. Live and learn.

Jacob starts school next Tuesday. This week is kindergarten testing. Good thing too, since he threw up last night!

Finding Joy or Finding some joy?

Ok- so I have a secret goal, day one was today... find joy in everyday! Be more postitive blah blah.

I didn't share it fully because I wasn't sure I could do it. Things overwhelm me around here!

So today begins with screaming and I don't make it out of the house to do errands till 11am and even then both twins are hysterical in the car. I am pretty calm about this because its not all that out of the ordinary. I managed to complete my errands fairly painlessly with help from my mom who had one baby at the same store for me, and waited in the car with the girls at Costco. Other than our detour to buy bananas at the self check out since Sydney and Hailey were crazy for them, we made it out and home fine! Afternoon was normal and as well. Then four o' clock rolls around. I give in and decide I better get my Christmas mess out. After undecorating the tree, many trips up and down to the basement and a even huger mess than when I began I retreat to get the twins up from their naps. Oh my only to discover they had undressed and taken off their diapers! They destroyed their clean beds, both wet and stinky UGH!! Start dinner, kids all screaming, mess all around, bed time... more craziness. Take them all to bed and realized I forgot to change those sheets. After all my detours and some real challenges to my patience, they are all in bed and I am wiped out. Alan is sick with the cold we have all had.

So... to I am changing my goal to find some joy in everyday, not joy in everyday.

1- Grateful for Grandparents (my mom at the store and Jacob who spent a lot of the day with his other Grandparents).
2- Lindsey who put herself to bed when I yelled desperately for her to do it.
3-That I made it through tonight alive and can still see humor in my life.

I wonder if I still have the energy to go to the Gym, today was day one on that goal too, LOL!