"I'm just the cleverest fellow 'twas ever my fortune to know..."

This seems to be a theme recently, as the boys are learning SO many new things and are SO very pleased with themselves each time they do! It's amazing for me to observe them figuring things out... seeing the little wheels turning...

Yesterday, for example, I gave them a mailing tube and a couple of balls. At first, they just used it to bonk each other over the head... hilarious. But, after a few minutes, and completely on their own, they sat themselves on either side of the tube and passed the balls back and forth, rolling them through one end of the tube to the other. Amazing!

They are big fans of the rocking horse (pictured at left, with Dex), and are able to rock quite steadily... until the other usurps the horse for himself!

Another new game involves the light switch at the foot of the stairs. They've discovered that by climbing two of the stairs, they can reach this mystical switch that makes the light go on and off. I find it most amusing when they're both grappling with little fingers to reach the light switch at the same time. :)

The VCR provides endless entertainment, as well, as they've learned that by pushing the "Eject" button, the tape inside will pop out. When this happens, they both giggle with delight and race to see who can push it make inside first. Then, the whole game begins again! THRILLING!

The funniest, however, is when Dex made the connection between the circle-shaped hole in their shape sorter and the circular top of my spice jars. He has been trying endlessly to fit my spice jars in the circular hole. Seriously, how could I describe our days as anything but exciting?

In other news, Jax is feeling MUCH better! Whew! Just in time to enjoy the week-end with Daddy!

Jax Jumps From His Crib... and Other Tales of Terror and Fright

It was a drizzly afternoon, exactly one week before Halloween. The sky was dark and the sun was nowhere to be found. The boys had been stirring for a few minutes, just as they normally do after a nap. Today, however, the stirring was followed by a loud thud. Silence. Then screams. Mom ran upstairs to find Jax smack dab in the middle of the floor and Dex crying from his crib.

You may think this is just a Halloween tale... but, believe me folks, it's a true story!

Hmm.. diving from a crib at nearly 15 months of age. Too young for a big boy bed? Too bold for a crib? What's a mom to do? Apparently, the boys have discovered that if they shake their cribs hard enough (yes, they have some serious muscles!), the side will come down, making their escape all the easier. This is not the only time my heart has stopped this week!

The boys are climbing EVERYWHERE! They can make it from chair to table to counter it nothing flat. Couch to arm rest to piano.... faster than a speeding bullet! Apparently, climbing the piano is their new (though, yet unattained, with Mommy playing defense) goal. They're learning to work together, too! If one climbs the piano and one climbs the kitchen table, it's as though they know that I can only reach one of them at a time! Their unselfish and coordinated timing means their each willing to sacrifice their own goal so that one of them can reach one of those of-so-desired summits. Aagh! It's exasperating! :) I'm simultaneously fascinating by their growing curiosity in the world that exists above their heads and terrified at the thought of what could happen if I'm ever not in my A-game and one of them out-climbs me!

To top our new climbing/diving-from-high-places adventures, I spent two long hours yesterday morning and another long hour this morning at the doctor's office with the boys. Imagine trying to juggle two energetic one-year-olds in a small doctor's office! Yesterday, was one of the scariest visits I've experienced, as Jax woke up with fast, labored breathing and a high fever. By the time the phone lines opened, he was grunting with every breath, his lungs were contracting and his little tummy popping. Do I even need to describe the fear I felt at that moment? When we got to the clinic, he received a nebulizer treatment, his breathing improved and we discovered that he has pneumonia and a double ear infection and a mom who needs no more frights for a LONG, LONG TIME! Seriously, I've had my fill of tricks and am SO in the mood for some treats!

Fall Break

See how happy we are to be enjoying a week together!! Dex is in Daddy's lap and Jax is with Mama.

Yesterday, as I was attempting to co-steer the double stroller and my shopping cart full of groceries through the aisles of the supermarket, it hit me... the vacation is over! D.R. had five glorious days of vacation last week that we filled with as much quality family time as we possibly could. There were lazy mornings in bed (well, as lazy as you can be with two rascals who like to jump around non-stop ALL DAY LONG! :)), many-a-wrestling match with Daddy, family walks and outings... even an afternoon out alone for Mom and Dad. Now, it's back to the everyday chaos (JOYOUS chaos), that is my life as a full-time, stay-at-home mom of one-year-old twin boys! :) (Yes, the vacation is over for D.R., too! Poor guy!)

The boys thrilled us with so many new tricks! They are officially walking like crazy! It's been in the works for quite some time, as they've been honing their cruising skills, and now they're off! With the new walking ability, the boys seem to have aged YEARS! They're one going on twenty! Since their new mobility means they're upright much more than they used to be, they have realized that there is a world of new things (ie, drawers, cupboards, shelves, furniture) to explore/open/climb. What a treat that D.R. got to be home to witness all of these "firsts."

Anyway, here are a few photos of our incredible week of At-Home-Family-Vacation.

We spent a few days at D.R.'s folks' place and the boys had a blast! The riding lawn-mower was a huge hit... though, much more so when it wasn't turned on! Dex enjoyed picking stems of grass with Daddy and both boys liked looking at the changing leaves with Grandpa and Dad. Jax is in the lower left corner. The highlight of the visit was most likely the evening we spent at D.R.'s cousin's farm. Grandpa took the boys out into the middle of the sheep pen and 2,000 (yes, 2,000!) sheep gathered around to examine the boys. Needless to say, the boys LOVED it! I only wish I had remembered the camera!

One of the benefits of having D.R. home is getting together with friends. We were able to do this a couple of evenings, which was fantastic. It might not be the same as it was before the boys were born (evenings end a bit earlier and the entertainment is rarely a movie or uninterrupted conversation, but rather, tidbits from The Dex and Jax Show), but we love being able to be with friends and the boys love it, too. Here, the boys enjoy a good tumble with our friend, Doron.

Lastly, and most memorable, in my opinion, was our first family trip to the children's museum. We were cautiously optimistic, hoping for a good 10-30 minutes of fun, new experiences for the boys. Instead, we were treated to a solid 90 minutes of squeals and laughter. The boys were in seventh heaven! There is a fantastic room called, "Habitot," that is geared specifically for babies and toddlers. It's basically a giant obstacle course for crawlers and new walkers to safely explore new sights/sounds/textures. It was amazing and such a treat for us all to experience together.

There you have it!

Shades of Fall

My favorite colors on my favorite little boys, enjoying the sights and sounds of my favorite season.... what more could you ask for?

I have to giggle at the middle two photos. Dex was trying so desperately to take his hat off. When he wasn't successful, Jax thought he'd lend a hand. I find these small interactions so fascinating! In the bottom photo, the boys were completely focused on a squirrel chewing on an acorn. It sat a mere three feet away from the stroller for a good five minutes and the boys were so concentrated on what was happening, I just had to take a picture! They're learning about so many things these days... it makes life so interesting for all of us!

D.R. is home on vacation this week and we are having a blast. I'll have to post later on all of our many adventures! Honestly, I'm just not ready for the week to be over. It is going WAY too quickly!

The Non-Napper

The boys have been fantastic nappers for almost a year, now.... until... this afternoon! Normally, I can put them in their cribs, say good-night, close the door and expect them to play for a few minutes until they fall asleep. Today, however, Dex has thrown me for a loop!

After putting them in their cribs, about 45 minutes ago, I came downstairs and started tidying up from their escapades earlier in the day. After about 15 minutes, as is routine, I creeped back upstairs to tuck them under their blankets and ensure they were sleeping soundly. When I opened the door to their room, there was Dex, arms and legs stretched through the bars of his crib, reaching out as far as he possibly could. He had pulled the lamp off the nightstand and had pulled several storybooks from the top of the nightstand into his crib. I had to giggle, as this has never happened before! I removed the storybooks from his crib, laid him back down, said good-night and left the room. What a silly boy!

15 minutes later, I decided I should go see if he had nodded off. Not at all!!! SOMEHOW (don't ask me how!!), he had managed to remove ALL the books from the second shelf of the nightstand. I can only imagine this required rocking the nightstand until it was tipped on its side, then reaching for a book... what a determined little boy! He was surrounded by a good 6 or 7 storybooks and was there, arms and legs dangling through the bars of his crib, again!

As I'm typing this, I'm wondering what I will find when I go up to check on him again. This raises so many questions for me... Is Dex outgrowing his afternoon nap before Jax? What if he falls asleep and wants to sleep long after Jax wakes up? (They normally keep the same schedule.) Does this mean they're going to have different bedtimes? Different wake-up times? Is there anything I can do to prevent similar nap-time games tomorrow?

Hmm... Perhaps I'll start by making sure everything is far out of reach and take it from there. Oh, the adventure never ends!!

...but why would I want it to? :)

The Big Backyard

Can you believe this is your backyard? Now that the boys are getting bigger, we are LOVING all of this great playground equipment! Again, let me pose the question, what are we going to do when winter comes?! The boys just learned how to go down the big slide by themselves... and daredevils that they are, keep trying to convince me that they need to go down head first, rather than feet first!! I think Mama is going to keep winning on that debate, for awhile!

I just had to post a photo of Jax's first black eye, poor little guy. We had professional photos taken of the boys on Saturday and I tried desperately to hide it with a bit of make-up (Jax's first official make-over... hee hee), so we'll see... It's Tuesday, already, and still no injuries this week! Will it last?

Jax shows off his first "shiner" and Dex hides gleefully under the picnic table.

Gearing up for hibernation...

Jax (left) and Dex (right), learning that inside play can be fun, too!

Oh, what are we going to do when the cold weather hits?!! The boys and I have enjoyed (and savored) the LOVELIEST of springs/summers/falls. Yes, I know fall isn't over yet... but I feel it slipping through our fingers much too quickly. As much as I love to admire the bright, falling leaves outside, it seems that everytime I look, there are fewer and fewer on the trees! What are we going to do?

The boys and I share a common trait: we cannot stand to sit still. :) Now, as an adult, this means having many hobbies, projects, to-do lists, interests, etc... As a toddler, however, this means needing to move around and see new things approximately every 3-4 minutes. Going outside was such an easy way of handling two highly energetic little boys who are constantly on the move and who love exploring, touching, squealing, playing.. with every ounce of their being! What will we do when we're faced with sub-zero temperatures?

Brace yourselves, because I fear we all three may go a little crazy. Or, maybe we'll find remarkably creative ways of passing our days inside our little home. I'll keep you posted... For now, I'm going to go bundle up two little cutie-pies and head to the great outdoors!

Watching the world go by...

Best new toy in the living room?.... THE WINDOW! The boys have been having so much fun cuddling on the couch and watching the world from their own little porthole. Leaves, trees and wind seem to be entertaining enough, but when a squirrel or two jumps into view... forget about it! They're in seventh heaven. :) Now, if I could just keep them from diving off the couch when they're done...

The Temerarious Twosome..otherwise known as The Dauntless Duo!

They scale to the highest of heights!
They leap from the tallest of trees (or boxes/pianos/couches/etc.)!
They fly like the wind!
They crawl as fast as a speeding bullet!
And they fear.... NOTHING!

I remember a game we played at my baby shower. It was sort of a mad-lib, predicting the future personalities/careers of the boys. If I remember correctly, one was going to be a skydiver and the other a stunt pilot. Hmmm.... this is starting to feel a bit closer to reality than I would like!

Dex and Jax fear absolutely nothing. Our house has been transformed from a peaceful place of domicile to a giant daredevil obstacle course! In the past week, we've experienced three bloody lips, two black eyes, one bloody nose and more scrapes and bruises than I can keep up with! IS this the beginning of a new era or a small stepping-stone on the way to a milder version of playtime? Is my daredevil duo destined to be bruise-ridden forever or is there some way of preventing these daily visits with Dr. Dad? (I seem to recall a toilet paper commercial from my childhood involving boys playing football and a small boy, fully padded with arms, legs and torso stuffed with toilet paper... hmmm...)

Whatever the case may be, please make no judgements when you see me with my two bandaged boys. Much to my own dismay, this Super Mom has gotten there a split-second too late on numerous occasions. At least I'm learning to pick up the pieces fairly well, drying wet eyes and mending wounded pride, as well as sqeezing in a few extra kisses and cuddles before the day is through. (And, of course, I'm learning the advantage of a pillow-covered floor!)