Wednesday, May 31, 2006

A short (but full) visit at Grandpa and Mimi's

With Daddy's busy work schedule, we decided to hit the road with Mom to go visit Grandpa and Mimi. We didn't get to stay as long as we wanted, but we got to do SO many fun things! Mimi read us stories and sang to us, Grandpa made lots of silly faces and made us giggle all the time! We can't wait to visit again! (Jax with Grandpa, Dex with Mimi) Posted by Picasa
We just love an audience.... maybe you guys could come home with us? Posted by Picasa
"What do you want to do?" "I don't know. What do you want to do?" "We could just chill outside for awhile..." (Dex left, Jax right) Posted by Picasa
Woo-hoo! We love being outside!! Posted by Picasa
Seriously, Mama, can we do this at home, too? It's the best! Posted by Picasa
We got to go visit Mimi at school! She even fed us lunch in her classroom and let us play with alphabet letters! Unfortunately, she wouldn't let us eat the letters, as we had hoped. Maybe next time! Posted by Picasa
Cousin Sonja taught us new games!!! (Dex) Posted by Picasa
The best game was making paper hats... so stylin'! (Dex) Posted by Picasa
Great Aunt Lou gave Jax a music lesson on the hammer dulcimer (he preferred to use his fingers)! Posted by Picasa
We wanted to wear our baseball hats so we could be just like Great Grandpa... three peas in a pod! Posted by Picasa
Jax tried and tried to catch Marlys' fingers... but they were too fast for him! Posted by Picasa
Great Grandpa told us lots of funny stories in Norwegian! (Dex) Posted by Picasa
We got to wear the sweater's Mama made for us at church on Sunday. We were a big hit during the church service....especially when we decided to start singing during Grandpa's sermon! Hee-hee!! Posted by Picasa
We played with Uncle Seth a lot! Here, he's having a little man-to-man chat with Dex. Posted by Picasa
Wheeeeeee!!!!! Posted by Picasa
Yipee for Uncle Seth! He really knows how to push a swing!! (Jax) Posted by Picasa
He even pushed us around in our stroller! Posted by Picasa
We got to visit Grandpa at work, too! Now we understand why he's so busy all the time! He's Super Grandpa! (Dex left, Jax right) Posted by Picasa
The boys were thrilled to be able to see Katie again! Not only is she super fun to play with, but she's really strong, too! Posted by Picasa

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Playmates

Having twins has been such an adventure for me. I love it- don't get me wrong! But, there have been days when I've looked longingly at friends with a single baby to enjoy. I imagine the luscious moments of holding one baby, without worrying about the crying baby who's waiting for his turn to be held, or without trying to maneuver the two-baby-hold (yes, it can be done.... but holding one baby close to you just feels SO good!). I see parents at the grocery store with a baby in the grocery cart, giggling and talking away... then, I think of my own adventures running errands! My errands usually involve a grocery cart AND a double stroller. Again, it can be done (and is, quite frequently!), but how simple it must be to only have one cart to push around! The list goes on and on... (maybe a future blog post?)

Anyway, it occured to me, that I've suddenly got a HUGE advantage over those single-baby families... built in playmates! The boys have become so very much aware of each other recently. In fact, they adore one another. I get such a kick out of watching them chase after each other, giggling as they go! Favorite games include:

Holding hands. This game does not necessarily require two willing participants. As long as one brother is set on holding the other's hand, the game can be played. It most often occurs during mealtime (yes, they hold hands while sitting in their booster seats) and in the double stroller (it's a side-by-side). I love taking them for walks when I can look down and see them clutching each other's hand. LOVE IT.

Pulling hair/Yanking ears/Poking eyes/Sucking (or biting) fingers. This is a curiosity game. Again, it only requires one willing (and highly motivated) participant. My favorite is the sucking fingers version. Both boys get a kick out of this. For example, this morning Dex started sticking his fingers in Jax's mouth. Jax would suck on them and the two of them would giggle wildly. Hearing two babies giggling uncontrollably has got to be one of the best sounds in the world. Again, LOVE IT.

For some reason, when Jax shakes his head "no," Dex can't hold back the giggles. Of course, this encourages Jaxon to shake his head OVER AND OVER again. I'm amazed that the poor little guy hasn't been suffering sever headaches... but they both love it, so the head-shaking game will probably continue to be a big hit for quite some time.

Last, but not least, is the Let's-Not-Nap Game. The boys have separate cribs and have been star sleepers for the past five months (yipee!!). However, they've discovered that even though they can't see each other during naptime, they can certainly hear each other. They will often "talk" for a good 45 minutes before falling asleep. At first, I was worried that they weren't falling asleep instantly, like they used to... now, I'm just glad that can play happily in their cribs. They always fall asleep eventually and they just love their naptime conversations, so I'm happy!

So, there you have it. Next time you look at a parent of twin and think, "Boy, they must be SO exhausted!" Just remind yourself that there's a turning point. Yes, we run around like crazy all day long, but there's built-in entertainment for the babies, which means a few more minutes to rest between all the running around! :)

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Mother's Day #1!

A bit late, I know... here are a few photos of my first Mother's Day. My mom and brother, Seth, drove up for the week-end, which was fantastic! We enjoyed a nice meal together, along with my sis, hubby and the boys (of course!) and even took a trip to the zoo. Sarah got to enjoy her first Soon-to-be-Mother's Day, as she's expecting her first baby (babies?!) this fall. Yipee!! Posted by Picasa

First trip to the zoo

We celebrated our first Mother's Day week-end with a trip to the zoo. I assumed the boys would like the outing, but wasn't quite sure they would be completely aware of the animals. Boy, was I wrong! They LOVED the animals... particurly the primate house! I wish I could have recorded the giggles and squeals of delight the accompanied any movement the animals made! Here's Jax and Daddy, warming up from the rainy weather! Posted by Picasa
Dex and Uncle Seth check out the polar bear. Posted by Picasa

With Mom on Mother's Day

What a great way to spend Mother's Day week-end! Posted by Picasa

Twins?!

With Sarah's new do, people are starting to wonder if she and Seth are the twins in the family. Hmm.... Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Perfect Moment

Sometimes, when I'm holding the boys, I'll look down and whisper, "I love you." As if on cue, they'll reach up, taking my face in their hands, and reply, "Ba ba ba" ...

Monday, May 15, 2006

Jax's new magic trick

Where did I go? Watch in amazement as I make myself reappear! Posted by Picasa