Dating already?!

The boys had a chaperoned double playdate last week with the adorable twin girls that live next door. Seriously, how lucky are we to have a set of twins that live next door? The boys love having little playmates and I don't know what I'd do without their wonderful twin mommy! Who else could ever truly understand those twin moments that seem to fall straight out of the sky, right when you least expect them? You know, you're maneuvering two toddlers and four bags of groceries up the two flights of stairs to your apartment when, as if orchestrated to happen at exactly the same time:

- One twin starts to tumble down the stairs
- The bottom breaks in one of your groceries bags
- One twin catches the falling groceries, only to attempt to chew his/her way through a plastic produce bag
- You go to reach for the tumbling twin, when you run your hand against the old banister, getting the nastiest of splinters
- As you're rescuing the tumbling twin from a two-flight fall, squinching from the pain of the splinter and reaching your second arm back to stop the other twin from choking on plastic, you hear your car alarm going off and realize that, in all the chaos, somehow the alarm button got pressed on your car keys
- Then, as you are contemplating what to pick up first, your now crying twins (because one REALLY wants to chew through the produce bag and the other was scared out of his/her mind at the prospect of plummeting down the stairs) or your groceries, which have managed to scatter themselves throughout the entire apartment coreway, you smell the dreaded dirty diaper... and then, realize it's not one you smell, but TWO! AAGH!
- As you (FINALLY!) get through your front door, with two needing-to-be-changed toddlers and several arms-full of smashed groceries, you look at the clock and realize it's only 8:30 am and you still have nine hours to go until Daddy gets home! :)

My point is, it's great to have them as neighbors and we're loving the double playdates!

Dex goes down the slide

I took this short video several weeks ago. Today, both boys can climb up the stairs, walk over to the slide, get in position and slide down, all by themselves... all I have to do is wait at the bottom and cheer! I wish this showed Dex's face, because they just get so excited as they slide down!

Notice how he pushes his way down the slide, all by himself. They have never had any fear (except of the vacuum cleaner, but that's another story!). Of course, the landing is a little rocky... but adorable, nonetheless.

Seriously, last year at this time, they were little tiny bundles of baby, unable to even sit up! This year, they're tromping all over the place and going down slides! It just goes so quickly...

Gobble, Gobble

This is Jax, enjoying a morning snack. Yum-yum.

... and, sometimes, I just want to gobble them up! Can you blame me? I already can't get enough of these two little boys, and yet, they just keep growing on me! How does that happen? Is that just one of the little secrets of motherhood? Just when you think it's not humanly possibly to love someone more, you take one look at them, and BAM-- you love them more!

The boys are turning into two serious little cuddlers, which makes me oh-so-happy. This morning we played Tackle Mom/Tickle the Boys for ages... and ended in a giant ball of Mom and Boys, rolling around the living room. How did this become my life and how did I get this lucky?

Mama's Monkeys

Dex-left, Jax-right.

Yes, the chairs were on the kitchen table in the photo below. :) I have two little boys who can't seem to find enough furniture to climb! The kitchen chairs were becoming a bit of a safety issue, so they've been temporarily relocated. The boys were using them as stepping stones to higher and more dangerous locales, as well as standing on them backwards and rocking them. My goodness, imagine if the chair were to tip over! Yes, my heart has nearly stopped so many times I've lost count!

Now, you may be asking yourselves why I don't just teach the boys not to climb on chairs?

Try to imagine:

I'm working in the kitchen, when out of the corner of my eye, I see Jax climbing onto a kitchen chair. I race over to him, lift him off, look him squarely in the eye and firmly say, "No, Jax. No climbing on chairs."

By the time I've set him back down on the ground, I find Dex standing on another chair, rocking away to his heart's content. I scoop him up and repeat my firm rule. Before I can even set Dex down on the ground, I see Jax grappling to climb his chair again, anxiously trying to beat me to the punch. As I'm holding Dex in one arm, I reach out to grab Jax in the other. Arms full with two monkeys with one-track minds, I'm facing a quandry.... do I really want to spend the rest of my day (and believe me, I've done it) playing kitchen-chair defense or shall I remove the desired objects? Decisions, decisions.... :)

The Show Must Go On

Well, after four days of another family quarantine, we seem to be pulling through! I won't share the grisly details, but let's just say it was no fun. Lucky for us, the boys and I seemed to get sick all at once, with D.R. waiting a good day or two to join us. This means, we could take full advantage of Dr. Dad. Dr. Dad loves us SO much.... something we know quite well... but it is ever-so-evident in moments of sickness. True love is changing the crib sheets/jammies three times in one night, bathing sick babies, bringing mommy ice chips, soothing little guys in the middle of the night and providing all the moral support needed to make it through Family Sick Week-end (not something we want to make an annual... or umm.. repeated event).

So, we're all on the mend and the boys are rehearsing CONSTANTLY for new adaptations of their ever-popular, "The Dex and Jax Show." Above, Jax has discovered how much easier it is to reach the piano keys when there's a lovely couch cushion to stand on. Why didn't we think of that earlier?

Percussionists on the Prowl

Jax- left; Dex-right.

We've been savoring a string of unexpectedly beautiful fall days. Every night I fall asleep convinced I'll be awaking to a world covered in glistening frost. Instead, I've been waking up to lovely weather reports and 70 degree (yes, that's right folks... we pulled out the T-shirts today) weather! So, until winter decides to start freezing our beloved outdoors, the boys and I will continue to spend as much time as possible exploring, discovering and enjoying...

These photos were taken last week-end. Dex and Jax get such delight out of the sounds items make. In the top photo, they're gleefully patting the swing-set pole. It makes a ringing sound that absolutely thrills them. When do we stop taking pleasure in such simple things? :) We also have an outdoor "piano" that the munchkins can play. Of course the boys can never seem to get enough of this, as they can bang away to their hearts content. See how fast Jax's hands are moving in the photo at left? Hee hee. Do we have two little percussionists? Absolutely!

I had to post these photo of Dex. He looks like he's on the the prowl. What a goof-ball! Both boys walk with their hands and arms in the air, at times. It must have something to do with improving/maintaining their sense of balance... and it's absolutely adorable.

Bed-Head

One of the great advantages of having D.R. home more this year is the opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with each of the boys. Jax and I ran errands together last week-end, just the two of us, and it was so special! Forget the double stroller! I had the luxury of getting to hold one little guy in my arms while we leisurely looked for some new yarn for next year's sweaters. Please don't misunderstand me... I LOVE being a twin mommy. But there was just something so remarkable about being able to devote ALL of my attention to one child. Meanwhile, Daddy and Dex got to watch a little football together back home, which was equally meaningful for them.

These photos are of Dex... with a little bed-head. While Daddy and Jax played in the other room, Dex got his own personal photo-shoot with Mommy. What fun!

Daddy's Pair-of-Aces

The boys thoroughly enjoyed their second Halloween last night! We had to cancel our open house, as the boys had both had high fevers the night before. They seemed fine yesterday, but I just didn't want to risk having a house full of toddlers... you know, the whole sticking everything in your mouth toddler craze makes it SO easy for germs to spread! Anyway, the boys loved watching with excitement each time we opened the door to hand out candy. They especially loved trying to escape through the front door each time! Lucky for us, they only managed to wiggle through once... and it was so cute, we just had to let them run around our outdoor hallway for a few minutes. The delightful squeals were just too adorable...

Dex was the ace of hearts (except in the above photo... somehow they switched costumes mid-evening!) and Jax was the ace of diamonds. They were pretty proud of themselves in their little costumes! I discovered that using foam, as opposed to cardboard, meant the boys could squish and bend the costumes all they wanted, without the risk of damaging them!


To wear or not to wear... that is the question!

Yes, we are definitely hot stuff!

Just one more dance before we settle down!

"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!)

Brotherly Love

The boys love to nuzzle up next to one another. I love this. Of course, the one time I have my camera ready to capture it, the battery dies! I have only a few seconds, but I still find it completely adorable. This is something they do several times a day... getting as close as possible and rubbing heads. It just cracks me up! Of course, they're still big on eye-poking and hair-pulling, but cuddling and nuzzling are also two of their favorite activities. At least it balances out!!

Fall Splendour

We both love this ball so much!! Let's hug it together!


Who would have thought a picnic table could be so entertaining? The boys were completely enthralled with the grain of the wood, not to mention the fact that the table made the perfect fort!


It's unanimous, Mom! We love it out here!

Yes, we do!


If you don't mind, I think I'll just camp out here tonight.

Peek-a-boo!!


The boys and I have been able to spend some glorious afternoons outside recently. This fall weather is so amazing! On this particular afternoon, I was able to fulfill so many of my romantic notions of motherhood. It was true frolicking in the grass, complete with cozy sweaters, sunshine, leaves, giggles, sticks & twigs and a perfect breeze. We explored tree trunks, blades of grass... we traced the grain of the wood on the picnic table... everything was fascinating to the boys. I felt like we were living one of those postcard moments that you never want to forget... and luckily, I had my camera along (imagine that!). Dex is in the green sweater and Jax is in the brown. I remember knitting these sweaters when the boys were just weeks old. Now, they can barely squeeze into them!