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!