The One With Santa

I've learned to cope with the fact that I'm a rare blogger. I go through spurts of activity and inactivity.

So now that I'm a new mom, the question that me and other moms are all asking each other is, "How are you going to deal with Santa? Are you doing Santa?"

Time out.
This can be a touchy subject with people. Let me preface that if you celebrate in a different way than I do, I will 100% not judge you in any way. I hope you will do the same.
Time in.

Here are some thoughts because I'm better at bullet points:

-We are teaching our kids about Santa. This is because he is unavoidable. I can't just shield their eyes at the mall and in every single store where his face is plastered every 5 feet.

-At the same time, Santa isn't our focus of Christmastime at all. Jesus is.

-My children won't be wearing any Santa clothing and I don't really have any Santa decorations or anything. I'm just not wanting to invest money into that. No big deal.

-I'm not anti-Santa, but I am pro truth. If my kids ask me if Santa is real, I will tell them that Saint Nicholas was a real person a long time ago, and sometimes people like to celebrate that man nowadays.

-I don't want my kids to be the ones that ruin Santa for the other kids at school. That's awful. Yet I'm not going to say "Johnny believes in Santa so don't spill the beans!" That is an invitation for your kid to spill the beans.  It will be more like "Some people believe in him, some people don't."

-If you teach your child all about the magic of Santa, and then later they find out it's a lie, what will they think about what you've taught them about God? I never want my girls to think "Oh man, Santa was a lie so that I would be a good girl and have something to believe in" and then in turn think, "Hmm, is God a lie so that I will be a good girl and have something to believe in?"

-Therefore, I don't want to give Santa any qualities that a deity would have. (He wants you to be good this year, he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows if you've been bad or good, etc).

-Also, I will not be doing Elf on the Shelf.  *SIGH.* I really want to do Elf on the Shelf because it's adorable and cute and fun. It's SO up my alley.  But I don't want the kids think that this stuffed animal is observing then reporting their behavior back to Santa.  (Ha, I might be kicking myself for this later!)
Note: I'm not against whimsical things like this, though. In fact, I might make my own version in which I read "The Gingerbread Man" and have a stuffed gingerbread man hide around the house in a similar manner (minus the reporting good behavior aspect).



Here is a different perspective from my teacher-mom-blog-crush:  www.icanteachmychild.com

"As parents striving to raise our children to love the Lord, we celebrate Christ (his life, death, and resurrection) each and every day of the year.  We talk about God throughout the day, we read Bible stories, we pray regularly with our children.  That’s not to say that we shouldn’t set aside special times to celebrate more intently as well (as God himself commanded His people Israel to do in the Old Testament), but our daily, lifelong focus is to be on Christ.

If Christmas is the only time that you celebrate the birth of Christ, I would conclude that there isn’t any room for Santa in that celebration.  25 days (the length that we typically end up “celebrating” Christmas) is way too short to focus on the whole story of Christ AND Santa.  But because we try to make Jesus the focus of every day of the year, having fun with Santa for a few days of the year won’t take away from Christ being the center of our lives or even our Christmas celebrations. "


^^^
A unique way to be pro-Santa and pro-Jesus, I think. 

Next blog? All about our family celebrating advent and Jesus! 

The One With the Placemats Winner

And the winner is..... (and don't laugh at my babies without pants!)

Congratulations, and thanks to everyone who entered! Love you guys!

The One With the Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Even if you don't have kids yourself, these would make great Christmas gifts!



The other weekend I went to Christmas in Cowtown in Fort Worth, which is basically my wildest dream come true. It is a mega giant Christmas craft show. I love, love, love craft shows. As in, to a point that is kind of embarrassing. I rarely ever buy anything from them, but it's kind of like looking at a real-life Pinterest. Bam. I rest my case.

Anyways, I found a booth there called "Tabletop Truths". I was immediately drawn to the cutesy pictures. They sell adorable kid's placemats. (You know you're a nerd mom when you are immediately drawn to colorful, thematic placemats.)  They had a table set out with 6 placemats, each with a different Nativity scene on it. The gal said, "Each placemat has a different scene, and tells a different part of the Nativity story."

Sold. How fun would it be to have these placemats around your table year after year? Your children could place the mats in order as a sequencing game. (First, the angel came to Mary, then they travelled to Bethlehem, etc). I love them.

Then I glanced around and saw their other themed placemats. They had Easter ones, birthday ones, Thanksgiving ones, and all sorts of other themed placemats. I wanted 2 of everything. I bought 2 of those Nativity placemats above.

(Thanksgiving placemat)

As a kid, my sister and I had placemats with maps of the United States, the continents, and even the presidents. We learned so much from these! My sister could identify tons of presidents by age 3.  Kids might as well learn while they are sitting at the table, right? Children are like little sponges, soaking up all sorts of different concepts. We should seize each teachable moment.

Now most Christian children's items basically say, "Jesus Loves Me!" and that's it. This is nice and all, but doesn't have much depth.  Why not dig deeper? Kids are capable of understanding more than that. Then I saw these additional placemats and was totally impressed.

(Clearly presents the gospel for kids to see and learn.  I love the pure hearts on the right!)

and this one:

(This teaches the different names/qualities of Jesus. Amazing!)

If you think all of this is bologna, then you should watch this YouTube video. An adorable little girl is learning all about Jesus, and it makes me want to cry. So sweet. When I bought my placemats at the craft show, the gal there slipped a paper in my bag. She said, "These are some activities to do with your family along with the placemat." Again, totally impressed. The sheet had applicable verses and different games/points to talk about regarding the placemat.  They are not just trying to sell a product. They really want to help you be successful parents and teachers. I love that this company is selling practical, educational, Biblically-based things that can help plant seeds of truth in your child's heart. 

I couldn't stop thinking about how awesome this company was, so I finally emailed the gals and asked if they would do a giveaway on my blog. They said yes! Here are the details:

All you have to do is look at their site and pick out 2 placemats that you would want to win. There are many more choices on their website than what I showed here. Comment below and say which 2 ones you would like to win. These could be great gifts if you don't have young kids. If you win, they will mail you those 2 placemats! Ta-da! 

You have until Friday to comment below and pick your placemats! Yay! Make sure you leave your name as well so I know who entered the contest! :)

Start Shopping Here!

www.tabletoptruths.com

The One With the Felt Pumpkin

Craft Time!

I've been seeing this super cute felt play Christmas tree on Pinterest. It's great for kids to play with independently. They can decorate and redecorate the tree over and over without messing with the real tree!

The tutorial online for the tree is here!

So I decided to make a big felt Jack-O-Lantern for the girls to decorate! I'm not hugely into Halloween, but I do love cutesy pumpkins. 

All you need is:

-1 yard of orange felt ($2.99)

-a few sheets of black felt  (25 cents a sheet)

-additional sheet colors of felt for optional "accessories" (brown for a stem, green for leaves, etc)

Total? Less than $5. Awesome.

All I did was cut the fabric into a pumpkin shape. (I just free-handed it.) 

To stick it to the wall, I tried a few different things. I read online to use command strips, but they didn't work very well.  I found that staples keep the pumpkin up there very well. 

Then I used black felt to make different shaped eyes, noses, and mouths. Wee! It took about 10 minutes for the entire project. 

Char decorating

Em decorating

(different piece options)

I really don't think that the girls understand the theory of decorating pumpkins, but they still are having fun. It gives them a new tactile experience. They love the way the felt feels.  We are also able to discuss the attributes of the pieces (oval, square, triangle) and body parts (eyes, nose, mouth) in order to gain new vocabulary!  I know that we will be able to pull this out again next year and they will really be able to understand and have a blast! You can't beat $5, either!

Hope you make one!

The One With the Minor Emergency

Let me tell you about what happened to me last Tuesday.
You see, I was trying to be superwoman (which always fails) during morning naptime. The girls were stirring in their beds, about to wake up, and I was trying to ridiculously multi-task while I had my hands free.

These are the things I was doing:
-laundry
-cooking a sauce for that night's crockpot meal
-watching the news
-spray painting picture frames in the garage

We have an attached garage right outside our kitchen. I stirred the sauce, then went into the garage to add another coat of spray paint. Back and forth, back and forth, adding a coat, then running back inside to stir the sauce. "Hmm, this butter isn't melting fast enough" I thought, as I turned the stove up to medium. I went into the garage and did another coat of paint. I turned the knob to go back inside the house, but the door was locked.

Yes. I locked myself outside of my house, with my babies inside of the house, with something now on the stove. I still don't know how the little lock button got pushed, but it did. Begin panic mode.

I didn't cry, which in retrospect is very surprising. I paced in my garage for a few seconds, then went into action. My only comforting thought was that the babies were safe inside their cribs, not getting into anything. (Which was partially negated by visions of my sauce exploding into flames.) My next door neighbor is a locksmith! Hooray! Easy fix. I ran over there and his mother answered the door. She was an older lady, full of southern sweetness.

"Is Johnny home?" I asked.
"No, he's not, I'm sorry."
Aw crap.
"Um, well, can you help me? I locked myself out of my house and my two babies are inside. I also have something on the stove. Can I please use your phone?"
"Oh Lord Jesus, Yes!!! Come in child!!!" she proclaimed.
I was beginning to like her already.
"The phone's right here. Please excuse all this mess."
The house was immaculate.

I had never been inside this neighbor's house before, so as I dialed my husband's number, I couldn't help but look around and take everything in. This woman was perfectly neat too, with manicured nails, a neat bun, and wearing a cute jean dress. At that point, I realized what a mess I looked like. I was wearing what I had slept in (sweats and a t-shirt), hadn't showered, and wasn't even wearing shoes. Then it hit me.
 "Omigosh I'm so sorry that I'm not wearing a bra!!!" I blurted out.
"Oh honey, ain't nobody lookin' at that."
Phew.

I really can't believe that I said that to a perfect stranger, but she had this grandma-esque quality to her that made me feel at ease. Plus, I was clearly not thinking rationally. Oh well. My husband works only a few minutes away, so he could come back and open the door for me in a jiffy. I thanked her for letting me use the phone, keeping my distance as I had also realized that I had not yet brushed my teeth that morning.

I ran back to my house and pressed my ear against the door to hear if the babies were crying/smell if my house was on fire. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a miracle! My keys, in the seat of my car! I had somehow left them in the seat of the car from a previous trip! Relief rushed over me. I grabbed the keys, unlocked the door, and found my sauce mildly bubbling. The babies were happily chattering in their beds to each other.

I would say this whole ordeal lasted 5-10 minutes, but it felt like an hour at the time. I feel as though locking yourself out of your house without your children is some sort of "mom rite of passage".  And if so, I would like my merit badge now.

Life lesson learned; always hide a spare key somewhere!

The One with Godly Parenting

Hope the title didn't scare you off already. Hang in there. If you've read my blog before, it's me in a nutshell. I don't try to fancy things up. I share my reality with you, which usually involves poop in some form. So I'll say right off the bat, I'm trying to be a Godly parent, but I'm falling short. 

(I found this awesome quote/pic on this blog. Love. Although I'm not sure I 100% agree. I believe it's very much my responsibility to teach my children the way of God, yet it's not my responsibility to change their heart.  Only God can truly change them inwardly.)

I want my children to have a tiny baby concept of God, even at this age. I believe it's important to plant seeds of truth in our kids early on. If you're not a Christian reading this, you may see this as some sort of early "brainwashing". It's not. It's just teaching my children early on about what's important to me. You might teach your kids at a young age about sports, manners, or whatever else is a priority to you. 

In the beginning of our lives, our parents are the only thing we know. The only concepts and beliefs we form are initially shaped by our parents. (Of course, once we are exposed to other people/truths/things, these concepts can change.) Ideally though, our children will learn the truth of the Gospel early on. 

So ironically, as I set goals and concepts for my children to understand and live out, I am actually working on myself. Trying to be a Godly parent. And what do I mean by Godly parent? Well, I guess I mean displaying the practical characteristics of God to my children. Here goes...

God is patient. 

If I'm impatient and harsh with my child, I'm teaching them the concept that God is impatient and harsh. 

This is something that I really internally struggle with. I try to put on a good face on the outside.  I might even be acting patient with my kids. Inside I may be flipping out. But in 1 Timothy the Bible says that God displays his unlimited patience to those who believe in Him. Wow. My patience is definitely limited. 

God is love.

If I don't love my child, they will have difficulty relating to God's love. 

This is a bit easier of a task to display. We all love our children. But I need to remember to show love to my children with my actions, not solely by saying, "I love you." We need to be generous with our children, connect with our children, bless them, comfort them, nurture them, provide them security, and so much more. 

God is Just, Merciful, and Full of Grace.

If I don't teach my children these things, they will have a hard time understanding that God is just, fair, and full of grace.  

Here are some practical definitions and examples in real life scenarios:

Justice-getting what we deserve (a punishment for drawing on the wall)

Mercy-not getting what we deserve (just a warning for drawing on the wall)

Grace-getting what we don't deserve (I deserve a punishment for drawing on the wall, but not only do I get a just warning, I get hugs and snuggles and ice cream)

There is a time and place for justice, mercy, and grace. I'm not always going to give them grace when they disobey, because in turn, they will never learn the concept of justice. It is a hard balance. This may involve me constantly disciplining my little ones in some form or another.  It's hard and tiring and always a judgement call.  

God is a Forgiver.

If I don't show ample and genuine forgiveness to my child, how will they grasp God's immense forgiveness of our sins through Jesus? 

This means moving on after punishments.  No holding things above their heads, no silent treatment, no bringing up old wounds, no anger or secret bitterness towards them. My kids aren't really at an age where this is an issue, but we also need to show this action towards our spouse in front of our kids as well. Watching your marriage is one of the biggest ways your children learn. 

One concept that I'm very intentionally working on with the girls right now is God is the Creator. I am not creating things in order to emulate God, but I try in every day conversation to bring Him up as they develop a concept of their world. "Oh look at that pretty butterfly God made!" or "I'm so glad God made strawberries! Don't they taste good, girls?" or "Wow! God made it rain a lot last night! Look at all those puddles!" This is a fun concept for me, and a good reminder to enjoy the little things. 

The ugly? It's hard to do all these things. I'm constantly failing. I repeat, I suck at this. 

But that's ok because God has grace upon me. As of now, I will work with all of my heart to plant seeds of truth in these tiny hearts early on. Want your kid to be kind? Then you be kind because God is kind to us. Want your kid to be slow to anger? Then you be slow to anger because God is slow to anger with us. It's the "remove the plank from your own eye in order to remove the speck from your brother's" concept. A simple concept, but hard to put into action.

What do you think? Any parenting ideas out there? Do you think I'm a crazy person now? I'm no theologian, just a mom who is trying to follow Jesus. 

The One With Older Baby Toys

Ok guys, in 6 days my babies will turn one. This is not acceptable. I'm really in denial. I thought I would do a post on some new toys that we have gotten for the girls as they get older. (9 months plus)

I'll have you know that I have stuck to my "toy guidelines" from a previous post, and that my girls still love their old toys as well! Hooray! I'm trying to get universal, gender-neutral classics that will last a long time. If you missed that post, it's here.  Here's hoping that these will get many more years of use!


Fisher Price Animal Sounds Farm

(pic courtesy of amazon.com)

My girls LOVE this farm. They can play with it together for like, 30 minutes at a time. At first, they just gnawed on the animals, but now they try to place the animals in the farm. They also love to drop the animals down the chute of the silo, then open the door and discover them at the bottom. The rooster slides horizontally and sings Old MacDonald (without lyrics, just music, so it's less annoying) and the girls bounce on their butts and dance along to the music.
Perks:
-It comes with 6 figurines (5 animals, one farmer, there is also a goat that isn't pictured above) that are wonderfully sized for a baby grip, yet are safe for munching.
-It makes animal sounds when you open the doors on the front. (It oinks when you open the pig pen, etc).
-It has a silo attached that holds all the pieces!! (Self-contained pieces? I'm sold.)
-It has batteries, but you can turn the sound off if you'd like.
-My friend has a 3 year old that still loves this toy! (We will get a few years out of this one!)

 (Emily putting the sheep in the barn loft, Charlotte examining the farmer.)

Leapfrog Fridge Farm
I guess I'm obsessed with farms? I didn't realize this until now. I really like this one. First of all, my kids are obsessed with the fridge and kitchen, so anything that keeps them occupied without mischief is a winner in my book. Leapfrog also makes a fridge phonics toy that tells you the letter sounds. I'm all about this as a teacher, but a) The girls aren't quite ready to grasp phonics yet, and b) I didn't want 26 little magnet pieces all over my kitchen floor. The girls love this toy.

 (All the animal options)

(See! Already pieces on the floor! So glad there aren't 26 letters.)

Perks:

-You can turn the sound on/off.
-Because the pieces are magnetic, the base kind of "sucks" them in more easily. The girls can actually put the pieces in the base with success!
-Sometimes my girls fight over the cool base, so I just let them play with the magnets on cookie sheets without the base. They still have fun attempting to match the animal head and butt.
-When you make a match, the toy sings, "You made a match! Look what you found! You made a match, hear a cow sound! Moo!" (or sheep or pig, etc) It also has fun facts about each animal, like "Did you know that pigs roll in the mud to stay cool?"
-If you don't make a match, the base sings, "You put a pig in the front, you put a horse behind, put them together, and what do you find? A pig-horse! That's silly!" I like that it still rewards them for placing the pieces in, yet gives feedback that they didn't make a real animal, just a silly one. I'm sure this will crack the girls up when they're 2-3 years old.



Little Tikes Activity Garden
Stop what you're doing and get this toy. It's amazing. Life-altering. Ok, maybe I'm being dramatic. This has been one of my favorite toys of all time. The kids I nannied had this toy. They had it in the baby room at Pine Cove. (Shout out to all my Creek Kids girls!)
It is everyone's favorite toy, and very highly coveted. The worst part? They don't make it anymore. The best part? I got it on Craigslist. If you get it on Craigslist, just make sure that it comes with all the pieces (3 pieces of mail, 3 vegetables). Or you can get replacement pieces on Ebay. When we bought ours, it was covered in crayon. Mr. Clean Magic eraser took it all off!

 Emily walks around the perimeter of the house.

Charlotte planting a carrot.

 They LOVE to play peek-a-boo through the mailbox! 

Super fun!

Perks:
-This can be an indoor/outdoor toy. It's made by Little Tikes, so it is durable enough for outside, yet cute enough for inside.
-Both babies can fit inside well.
-Cool features: It has a swinging door, a tunnel to crawl out of, a squeaky doorbell, a squeaky bird, spinning birds, floppy flowers to play with, a carrot, radish and onion that they can "plant" in the garden portion, and a mailbox with mail inside! The mailbox is BY FAR the highlight of the toy. It even has a little flag you can put up like a real mailbox.
-Even big kids that are 3-4 still love playing with this.

Melissa and Doug Jumbo Knob Puzzles
First of all, you cannot go wrong with anything Melissa and Doug. Ever. They just have the best stuff. I want to start working on the girls' fine motor skills, so puzzles are the way to go! I love their jumbo knob puzzles because they are easy for the babies to grasp the pieces.

-My sister got them this puzzle with the shapes and it is their favorite! I like the fact that you can put the shape in successfully, even if it is technically upside down. (The shapes are symmetrical.) The girls have already put pieces in correctly! Yay!

Instruments (any that are age appropriate)
Weee! We love instruments! (Me and my hubby were diehard band nerds! Drum major and drum captain? Nerdy musical destiny.) The girls love to make music. We have a musical tub that I get out once a day. It's full of loud and annoying (I mean fun?) toys that can help teach rhythm and give them a variety of auditory input. We shake our toys and sing our ABC's, jingle bells, or whatever cutesy song I can think of.  We usually play with this in the morning time and it magically gets cleaned up by the time daddy gets home from work. It helps the sanity over here.  I really want to get them a xylophone, but the thought of my 2 babies and mallets scares me. They are always somehow injuring each other. Plus, we have a bathtub xylophone and they would just gag themselves of on the mallets. Maybe when they are older?

(Sensory water bottles, jingle bells, maracas*, tambourine, rain stick, baby piano)

*Don't get cheap plastic maracas. If the plastic is thin, and your child hits it against something, it will shatter and you will have lots of tiny bead things everywhere. Mine are plastic, but it is very thick. (Lakeshore, $2.99)


FREE household things my girls love to play with:
-Blankets and pillows
-Tupperware
-Board Books (sometimes I sneak board books into their cribs once they are asleep. That way, when they wake up, there are fun books to look at in the morning!)
-Plastic Mixing Bowls
-An air mattress
-Diaper/Wipes Boxes (they love to climb on/push these around)
-Laundry in a laundry basket (emptying and filling over and over)

Ok, so there's my list of new fun toys. If you're not a mom, you probably just died of boredom. :)
Bye guys! Next post...birthday party post!!!

The One With the Matchy Matchy

Ok, so a few people have asked me about my girls consistently wearing matching clothes.  You see, when I was pregnant with the girls, I SWORE they would never match. EVER. People asked me if they should get me matching clothes, and I was basically offended. How could anyone be that cheesy? How could people strip the identity away from their children by dressing them as one unit? The horror.

That lasted about 5 seconds.

You see, after I had the babies I turned...how you say...neurotic about certain things.  Suddenly, after they were born, they HAD to match. I have no idea why. It literally stressed me out when they didn't match. I think it was because I was trying so hard to get them on the same schedule as each other that I was just dying for them to do something the same. They always had to be in the same room, too. (Which even typing that sounds weird now.)  I just needed this peace of mind seeing my unit of babies together, alive, doing the same thing. I needed some consistency.

Here are my thoughts about twin matching:

-My original plan was for my children to wear perfectly coordinating, yet not exactly matching outfits. As in, the same adorable dress: one pink, one purple. Ha. (I still think this is an adorable, yet unattainable goal.) They don't really make clothes like this very often. You really have to hunt them down. Then you have to hope and pray that these coordinating clothes come in the right sizes. Hunting for cute, coordinating outfits involves extra time and extra money. I lack both.

-When the girls wore non-matching outfits in the beginning, EVERY SINGLE PERSON in public would say, "Oh, a boy and a girl?" Clearly one of those babies in those non-matching dresses is a boy.  It was so awkward. I eventually decided to just agree with whatever conclusion people came up with. It was easier that way.  "Yup! Totally a boy right there! Well....see ya!"

-When putting on 2 non-matching outfits, I always felt secretly guilty that one girl got to wear the cuter outfit. (Let's be real, some clothes are just cuter than others.) I didn't want to have "favorite baby in cute outfit" and "deprived baby in a potato sack."
P.S. I know how dumb and shallow this sounds, but come on! Everybody has that shirt in their closet that you're like, "Sigh, I guess this is the only thing clean."  Now imagine deciding which of your 2 adorable babies has to wear the blah outfit. I felt so guilty. I rest my case.

-IT IS JUST SO MUCH EASIER.
Instead of thinking about 20 different, yet coordinating individual outfits, I just think about 10 identical sets of outfits. Amazing. The end.

-If my girls were identical, then I might not have them match. It would be super hard to distinguish them from one another. With mine, I can easily say, "Emily has hair." If they were identical though, it might be easier on friends/family if they didn't match.

-My girls won't always match. (Unless they want to.) When they are a little older, I will give them the choice in what they want to wear. I'm assuming some days they will want to match, and some days they won't. At that point, I won't care.
Side story: I hope they don't match forever. I was an R.A. in college, and some of my residents were twins and STILL MATCHED AT AGE 19. Same shoes, same purse, everything. Gross. It was a little much at that point.

-Neurotic confession:
I group the babies' matching outfits together in big, gallon-sized zipper bags. Then I clip the bags to a pants hanger in the closet. I do this because:
a) I'm psycho.
b) We don't have a dresser.
c) I loathe hanging things on actual hangers.
d) It's easy for my hubby to just grab a bag of clothes with all the coordinating pants/jackets/onesies inside.

   (Neurotic hanging bags. Hanging clothes on the right are unworn yet. I don't do hangers.)

-My girls look so different from each other that now people in the store say, "Oh, they are so cute! Wait... are they twins? Wow! They don't look anything alike!"  It makes me kind of glad that they are matching.  Maybe otherwise, people would just think they are just buds or something.

So for now, I'm just treasuring the times that my children can match.
It's a phase in life where matching is publicly accepted, endearing, and non-creepy.
Plus, it's freakin' cute.

The One With The Cheerios

A Tribute to "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"

If you give a twin a Cheerio, their sister will also want a Cheerio.

So you will load them up into their high chairs for breakfast.

If you give them just Cheerios, they will probably scream on the top of their lungs for more food.

So you will frantically make some scrambled eggs, pacing back and forth from the stove to the high chairs, scattering Cheerio refills on their trays like birdseed.

If you set the scrambled eggs on a plate on the table, they will probably scream and point because they want the magma-hot eggs RIGHT NOW RIGHT NOW RIGHT NOW.

So you will frantically blow on the eggs so that they can eat sooner.

If you blow on scrambled eggs, the twins will think its hilarious, and in turn, try to blow on their already-cooled eggs as well.

So then you will all have a giggle fit at the table.

If your twins are having a giggle fit at the table while blowing on scrambled eggs, they will probably blow so hard that a chunk of scrambled egg will shoot straight into your eye.

So you will frantically run to the bathroom to dig out the egg chunk.

If you leave your twins at the table for 5 seconds to remove egg chunks from your eye, 

they will probably think you have abandoned them forever. 

So you will hastily remove the egg chunk and run back to console your babies. 

If your babies have finished their egg-fest, they will want to get out of their high chairs. 

So you will get them out, one at a time, and put them down in front of the bookshelf.

If you put a twin in front of a bookshelf, they will want you to read them a book.

So you will put them in your lap and start to read a Dr. Seuss book. 

If you read one twin a book, the other sister will want you to magically and simultaneously read them a different book as their sister.

So they will both be crying and fighting over who sits in your lap, 

while flailing their arms and legs and  books.

If they are flailing their arms and legs and books, they will probably jab you in your SAME EGG INJURED EYE with the corner of a board book.

So you will get both flailing babies off your your lap to check if your eye is gushing blood yet. 

If you go check on your eye for the second time, 

your twins will definitely think they are orphans by now.

So you will come back and snuggle them, and somehow successfully read a book without crying or injury. You will play, giggle, sing songs, and then put them down for a morning nap.

If you put them down for a morning nap, you will get a few minutes to blog, sit in silence without injury, take a shower, and do some chores.

So that in 1.5 hours, your babies will wake up, and want some more Cheerios. 

The One With Baby Food

So...I'm kind of obsessed with baby food. I love trying to give my babies a wide variety of foods. It is adorable when you see the look on their face when they love the food. It's hilarious seeing the look on their face when they hate the food.

I think the source of my baby food obsession came from working with Emily. For a few months, Emily couldn't eat solid food, even though Charlotte was able.  Emily turned bright red, choked, gasped for air, and threw up every time. Even with just thicker purees and dissolvable puffs there would be a choking fit. Her physical therapist recommended her to see an occupational therapist, to make sure the anatomy of her mouth was correct and functioning properly. The therapist discovered that Emily was barely able to move her tongue, and therefore, she couldn't manipulate the food in her mouth to eat. Long story.
(With continued therapy she gained the strength to move her mouth correctly and she is all better now!)

Anyways, during the months of Emily's choking fiascos I was trying so hard to find food that she could actually eat and not choke and die on. Each time I found a new food, I was thrilled. Hence, the baby food addiction.

I recently have been taking pics of my baby food plates to show some fun ideas for those of you looking to spice up your menu. I'm a visual person, so this helps me remember better than a list. Oh, and yes, I'm obsessed with Skip Hop plates and bowls.

Breakfast Ideas:

                                         

Bananas*, Waffles with jelly, Yo Baby Yogurt

*banana tip my twin mom friend told me: Roll the bananas in Cheerio dust so for a better grip!                         

Egg Muffin (recipe in a previous post), Yogurt, Buttered Toast, Grapes (in mesh teethers)

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (adult), peaches

Lunch/Dinner Ideas:

     

Peas (frozen steam bag), Northern beans (no shell to choke on) Cheese Ravioli, cut up (Annie's Organic) 

Colby Jack cheese, Veggie Burger Pieces (yay protein and secret veggies!), Watermelon, Graham Sticks

Turkey (shaved thin at the deli), cheddar cheese, applesauce

Drained Chicken Noodle Soup (natural, low sodium!, cut up chicken chunks VERY small), Pear Chunks 

Adult Casserole (this had brown rice, cheese, black beans, corn, and zucchini), mandarin oranges, blueberry apple sauce

Chicken (shredded thin at deli), grapes (cut very small, seedless), canned green beans (steamed/fresh are too firm), mashed potatoes 

Those are just some ideas of foods my girls like. If you think those are mega portions, don't judge. Remember, those are for 2 babies. And they are chubby. I'm usually not a fan of canned food, but when looking for canned veggies I always hunt for low sodium. As for fruit, I look for ones canned in 100% juice or water, rather than syrup. I'm so excited, because I haven't bought jarred baby food for the girls in probably about 2 months! Freeeeedom!

If you have other finger food ideas, please leave tips in the comments section! I would love to have an awesome, giant, collaborative list here! :)

The One With My Hands Full

My babies are 11 months old, and therefore, are into everything. You know when those crazy ladies at the grocery store said, "You've got your hands full!" when the girls were like, 6 months old? False. At the time, they were nicely strapped into their stroller. Wonderfully packaged and contained in 2 little seats. Nice and still. I will wholeheartedly agree that now I have my hands full.

 I guess one redeeming aspect of being a twin mom is that you feel like you are constantly saving 2 lives all day long. So I guess I feel like a superhero. (A superhero in panic mode.)

Here are things that my babies do/have done/attempt to do in which I have to sprint across the house to save them hourly.

-Clobber each other all the time.
-Take off their own diapers.
-Take off each others' diapers.
-Open up the diaper pail and have a dirty diaper party.
-Pull all the toilet paper off the roll.
-Poke each other in the eye.
-Pull each other's hair.
-Take off the plug covers in the outlets.  (I thought they were babyproof?)

They crawl and pull up and are trying to walk, and therefore....
-Open all the cabinets in the kitchen.
-Open all the drawers in the kitchen.
-Play in the toilet.
-Climb in the dishwasher.
-Climb on everything.
-Stand up in the bathtub.
-Knock each other down as they are pulling up onto furniture.

Sometimes I feel like I'm in a bad sitcom or some cheesey Three Stooges episode. If one baby is where they shouldn't be, I'll pick them up and bring them into the living room. By then, 2nd baby has crawled into the room where original baby was. This cycle can last up to 5 minutes and always ends with 2 crying babies.

I guess having twins is very similar to having 2 singleton siblings, with one major exception:
Neither child understands what you are saying, nor the concept of danger.
For example, if I had a 2 year old along with one 11 month old baby, I could say, "No, stop that, you are about to murder your sister with that blunt object." Not with twins. They gleefully beat each other over the head with maracas; crying and laughing the along the way.

Honestly, I really do LOVE having twins though! Because of their constant clobbering and antics, they are very resilient babies! Falling over or bumping their heads doesn't really phase them. They are less sensitive when the other baby steals their toy. Hopefully that social skill will translate into playing with other children.  And my favorite part? They are so independent from me! I'm blogging right now on the couch as they sit, playing with some shape sorting toys together. They are giggling and babbling to each other. Oh wait, Emily just ripped Charlotte's bow off.  Eh, Charlotte was unphased. I will probably have to do a few mild, life-saving interventions here and there, but overall, they can play by themselves! It's wonderful! I have the greatest life.

Reading books happily together.

Yes, my hands are full, but so is my heart! 

The One With Egg Muffins

Sorry I haven't blogged in forever. It's been basically a month.

You know that feeling when you have so much to do, yet you don't know where to start? So rather than being productive, you just sit? The thought of sorting through things and prioritizing is overwhelming?
That's me and my blog.

Logically, I'll post about egg muffins. 

Let me first start off by saying that carbs are my mortal enemy. I literally have no self-control in this department of life. Hmm...bored? I better eat 12 slices of bread for no reason!
Ok, partially kidding, but I'm excited about this recipe because it is super low carb. 

Awesome things about egg muffins:
1. They will last in the fridge for over a week. (I allow them to cool fully, then throw them all in a big, gallon-sized zipper bag). 
2. You can quickly pop 1 or 2 in the microwave for like, 30 seconds, and literally eat them in the car on the run. I throw them at my husband on the way out the door and feel like an awesome wife or something because it's not cereal. 
3. It's a hearty, hot breakfast that isn't super sweet. I love that I don't have to get out my pan daily to eat eggs every day of the week! 
4. My babies LOVE THESE!!!!  (I make theirs without sausage since they can't chew that well.) I am already tricking them into eating vegetables. They each can eat a whole muffin; I just cut it up into finger-food size. 


Now that I have made something like "egg-muffins" sound possibly appealing... 
Here's what I use:
-12 eggs (beaten in a big bowl with a pouring spout)
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/2 cup shredded cheese 
-a handful or two of fresh spinach
-1/4 onion, diced
-1 tube (14oz?) of ground sausage (like Jimmy dean or something)
Feel free to vary the cheese/veggies/meat to your liking. 

1. Preheat oven to to 375.
2. Brown sausage in pan, then add the onions. Then throw in some spinach. 
3. Line the muffin tin with muffin cups. USE 2 CUPS per muffin (24 total). Then spray those suckers with Pam.
4. Scoop out your awesome sausage/onion/spinach yum-yums into the bottom of the muffin cups. 
5. Sprinkle some cheese on top.
6. Pour eggs (slowly, they come out fast) into the cups. I filled them up until they were about 80% full I guess. They don't rise a ton. 
7. Salt and pepper the top of your egg muffins to taste. 

Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until the eggs have set and browned slightly. Ta-da! 
I found this recipe on Pinterest, and varied it to my liking. Here's the link if you want to see another version:

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2006/10/egg-muffins-revisited-again.html

Hope you try them! I make them every week or so for a quick family breakfast! They are super kid friendly, and I totally eat them with ketchup. Don't judge.

The One With Sensory Water Bottles

So in a moment of desperation the other day I just let the babies with my half-empty (I mean half-full) water bottle. Favorite. Toy. Ever. I love that kids love cheap random stuff that isn't meant to be a toy. They loved to slosh it around and crinkle it and gnaw on it all over. So I decided to fill other water bottles full of random household crap and give it a fancy name, "Sensory Water Bottles".  Works for me!

Here's what you need:
1. Empty water bottles (any size, even 2 liter bottles would work!)
2. Hot glue
3. Random household crap (not literally)
4. Electrical Tape
5. Food Coloring

The hardest part of this project was waiting. I'm the kind of person that once I get the "craft bug" I must create RIGHT THEN. If I'm feeling creative I will paint or re-arrange a room at midnight. But sadly, I needed to wait until my water bottles were COMPLETELY dry.  This took over 24 hours. Boo. I even tried to speed up the process with a hair dryer on the cool setting. Nope. If you don't wait until they are completely dry, would will have a cloudy and possibly moldy bottle.

Once the bottles were dry, I filled them up! I used:
-red food coloring in water
-green food coloring in water
-uncooked spaghetti noodles
-some random jingle bells I found
-colorful fuzzy pom pom balls
-uncooked beans

I tightened the bottles as tight as I could, then hot glued them to seal them closed.  Then I got paranoid and used electrical tape to super seal the lid on.  I'm still paranoid of them somehow choking on a bean or jingle bell, but I'll watch them. I really don't think that they can open them at this age. *

*please don't sue me if you make these and your Houdini baby somehow opens these up unsupervised

My babies LOVE these.  

Here are some fun aspects about sensory water bottles:
-They make all sorts of different noises (sensory input)
-They are different weights (the bean bottle is not full and heavy, yet the pom pom bottle is full and very light)
-They are super sealed and can float in the bathtub
-The girls love looking at the world through the colored water
-They can fit in the cup holders of their carseats/stroller for entertainment
-They were basically free to make

Hope you guys make some! They are fun! :)


***Also: You can also do this with 2 liters for older kids. Fill it up with mostly rice and add extra random things inside and ask them to find them. "Can you find the yellow button? Or the silver screw?" etc It's like a fun treasure hunt!

The One Where I Choose Joy

As you have probably gathered, my days are pretty hectic. There are poopy days, sleepless days, barfy days, booger days, days where I'm a circus sideshow at the store yet nobody will help me. I always heard it was lonely being a stay at home mom. It's true. And you'll never really understand it until you've been there. Some days I have little adult interaction.  I talk in my mommy voice all day. I've developed embarrassing habits like watching The Today Show and wearing pajamas until almost noon.

Sometimes I have a pity party for myself when I see people with their big houses and big cars and nannies and housekeepers. I'm extremely jealous of friends that have their family live nearby.  It's an 8 hour round trip to see grandma here.  Our families can't pop over and be a part of my children's lives. We have to get friends to help watch the girls if we need a break. We've only gotten out of the house 4 times by ourselves since they were born. But there's something that keeps running through my mind that helps me get through the day. It was a big motto at the camp I worked at.

Comparison is the thief of joy. 

It really is. That statement can be applied to all stages of life. (I think teenage girls probably need to hear it the most!) Comparison is the thief of joy. You know what? I might live in this 1,000 square foot house for the next 5 years. I might drive a 4 door sedan till it breaks down. I will never afford to have a housekeeper or nanny or other fancy things.  And I'm finally genuinely okay with that.

What a refreshing feeling! Today I was sweeping the thousandth Cheerio off of the floor and I couldn't stop smiling. I love my life.

What an absolute joy my children are!  How thankful should I be that I am able to stay at home and raise them? I get to see them grow and develop and change into beautiful little girls. They are already nearing a year old. It has been the hardest year of my life, but it is truly rewarding. I have the tendency to get mopey and emo sometimes, but now I choose joy. I choose to smile while sweeping the thousandth Cheerio. I choose to laugh when I'm covered in barf. I choose to rock my baby back to sleep and sing her hymns when she wakes up in the middle of the night. I don't ever want my children to grow up with a distant mother, or especially to think that they were the cause of my emotional distress. They only get one mother.  I now consider it my greatest honor to raise these girls, and I want to be as much a blessing to them as they are to me.

Today I scrounged up some coins in my car and had an iced tea during happy hour at Sonic. The girls were in the backseat munching on some graham crackers. Simplicity. Then we got home rolled around on the ground playing with hand puppets and reading books. Yes, there was a poop explosion and some crying, but it was a perfect afternoon. I'm so thankful for this season in my life.


Some great verses I lean on:

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.   Hebrews 6:10


Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

So whether you eat or drink or [change 50 poopy diapers!] whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

The One With the No Sew Birthday Banner

 This year I wanted to make a birthday banner for my hubby. I also want to use this banner for all the birthdays in our family. I think it will be a fun tradition for the girls to wake up on their birthday and see the fun banner and have a  yummy birthday breakfast.

I love banners/garlands on the fireplace. I think they are a good way to decorate for an event/holiday without having to decorate the whole house. These are the supplies I used:

1. Ribbon. I wanted something wide and colorful. I also made sure it had boy and girl colors in it, without being too girly or boyish. Colorful polka dots worked for me!

2. Felt. I love felt! I brought my ribbon over to the felt section of Hobby Lobby and picked out some coordinating colors. I also got white felt for the letters.

3. For extra fun, I got pom pom trim. (As in, the stuff that dangles off of sombreros!)  I don't know why, but I think this stuff is adorable. 

4. Hot glue.  I can technically kinda sew, but it's not pretty. Hot glue is my friend.

First, I hot glued the pom pom trim to the front of the ribbon for a fun textured look. 

Then I cut out a bunch of triangles out of the felt, and glued those to the back of the ribbon, making a pattern with the colors.

To make the letters, I typed the words "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" in all caps in a cute font. I made sure that the font had a lot of straight lines, because they would be easier to cut later on. I used size 150 font, but I forget the name of it. It wasn't fancy.  I printed the letters and cut them out.  Once they are cut out, I traced them backwards on the white felt with just a regular skinny Crayola marker. That way, you didn't see the yucky ink when you flip it over. 

Then I cut the letters out an hot glued them onto the triangles. Voila!

And here is my hubs with his birthday banner! I can't wait to take a picture with it every year!

My inspiration to make a family birthday banner is from a website called www.Icanteachmychild.com  Its my FAVORITE blog. It's from a Christian mom that used to be a reading teacher and now stays at home with her 2 boys. She has a lot of fun themed ideas, and sorts her arts/crafts/learning games/book activities by age! Love it! She has 2 boys, so a lot of her things are boy-themed, (but not all of them). All of her ideas are cheap too, like "match your pots and pans with their correct lid" etc. A lot of good rainy day activities are there as well. You should check her out!