Giggles Make Me Happy!

Ready? Go! from Two Kayaks on Vimeo.

Summer

As I worked up the courage to raise my body out of bed this morning, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't lift the twins so much today.  Within 20 seconds, I was lifting Pea out of his bed and carrying him down the stairs; my neck and back protesting the entire flight. My official diagnosis is Trapezius Myalgia - also known as "pain in the neck".  I have been given exercises to do and I'm hoping that these relieve some of the pain associated with the condition.  It doesn't help that I have 60 pounds of toddler in my arms at any given point in the day. 

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It's been unusually hot in the GTA as of late and the kids and I have been fairly cooped up in the house as a result.  Our kids do not do well being cooped up.  Today, it's 114˚F with humidity, so the twins and I are holed up in the house trying to find ways to occupy our minds and bodies.  The air mattress has already made an appearance today.

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Catherine and Hannah invited us to go for a swim at her parents' house last night and we quickly took her up on her offer.  Usually, it's Chick who is so excited to jump in the pool over and over again, but the pool water was a little too chilly and Chick just couldn't warm up enough to enjoy it. So, I sat on the ledge with her wrapped in a warm towel until her teeth stopped chattering.  Pea, on the other hand, spent the entire time jumping into J.'s arms from the ledge.  He had the BEST time and it was so great to see him have so much fun.  Typically, he is content to float around within a blow up ring, but last night he really wore himself out with all that jumping.  Catherine took this amazing shot of J. and Pea.

And here is Chick trying to tough it out in the chilly water.

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We are still enjoying our CSA and receive beautiful and tasty produce each week.  When we arrived at the farm to pick up our veggie bin this week, the twins were given some very yummy chocolate chip cookies. I think they enjoyed them.

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We are beginning to gather our thoughts for our upcoming cottage trip.  Since we have never been to a cottage overnight with the twins, we are a little overwhelmed with what we need to bring.  Besides the basics (like coffee, food, bug spray, swimsuits, PFDs, etc.) what are some recommendations on what to bring to make our time at the cottage super fun?

Bullet-y Goodness

• Thank you for all of your comments and emails on the last post.  It took a lot for me to hit publish on that one.

• We are getting very lazy when it comes to bringing the camera on our excursions.  Every time we leave the house I think about bringing the camera, but between the sunscreen, the hats, the snacks, the sippy cups, the sand toys and the kids, I run out of hands quickly.

• We are loving the CSA and are enjoying vegetables we've never eaten before.  Who knew that Bok Choy was so delicious?  When I eventually get brave enough to plant my own garden, this summer's adventure into Community Sustained Agriculture will allow me to plant those items we've loved the most.

• Our persistence and determination to teach Chick and Pea "Please, Thank You and Your Welcome" is paying off in spades.  Yesterday, I gave each of them a brand new sippy cup and as I did, Pea said, "Tank You, Mama" completely unsolicited.  Of course, then Chick said it, but I know it was only because Pea said it first. 

•  My babies are going to be TWO in just over a month.  Wow.

• Potty training is in our near future.  Not NEAR, near.  But near enough.  Does anyone have any advice for potty training multiples? 

•  My very generous Aunt and Uncle have offered us their cottage for a vacation this summer.  We are very, very excited!  Though we are weeks away from heading there, I've already started making lists.  Lists make me happy.  

• We would like to buy portable DVD players for the babies for the trip as it is a 5 hour drive.  We will be buying two (one for each of them) but have no idea what we should be looking for.  Any recommendations?

• I cut my hair a couple of weeks ago - short.  Shorter than I had anticipated.  Those of you who have been following along for a while know that I don't place a great deal of importance on the length of my hair.  It grows super fast, anyway. I am really loving the new shorter style.  

• The twins are repeating back to us the phrases we say most often.  It's quite hilarious to hear what we say without thinking.  Chick likes to say "Oh, Dear!" (my most oft said phrase) and Pea likes to say "Watch Out!" which is J.'s most oft said phrase. Their mimicking reminds us to watch our words carefully.

• I love discovering tiny, brand new birthmarks on Chick and Pea.  Pea has two - one in the exact same place I have one (on our wrists) and the other is on his lower back.  Chick has one on her thigh and it's the cutest little birthmark ever.

• Lastly, I will end the post with two pictures that I think are pretty darn sweet.  The first one shows Chick sitting in her chair holding a bunch of balloons that J. brought home from work.  She sat in that chair holding those balloons while she watched an entire episode of Waybuloo.  The second is a picture of Pea asleep in my arms.  He had woken up from a nap and by the time I brought him downstairs, he had fallen asleep again.

Park Pictures

I'm working on a post that is making my brain hurt.  So, while I take some more time to hammer that one out, here are a few pictures from our romp in the park this weekend.

Car Coming!

Like many other parents, we model the behavior that is expected of the kids.  Our modeling sometimes involves dolls, teddy bears and our very own Bear.  We use dolls in the bathtub to show the kids how to wash and rinse We've used teddy bears to demonstrate how to sit properly in chairs, how to slide down slides, and how to climb and descend stairs. We've used Bear to teach "gentle" touches and hugs.

Today, as the kids and I came home from the library, I saw a seagull standing in the middle of our street. I used the opportunity to teach the twins about road safety.  Currently, we either carry them across the street or they hold our hands.  They know that the boundary in our driveway is the sidewalk and not to cross it to the apron and, subsequently, the road. Still, it's always a good idea to reinforce the behaviors we wish to see from our children and the seagull provided the perfect opportunity.

This conversation happened during dinner (at least seven hours after our modeling lesson from the morning).  They remembered what they learned and made me laugh out loud in the process.

I love that, despite the silliness between Chick and me, Pea was still focused on the safety of the bird.


Car Coming! from Two Kayaks on Vimeo.

Creeks and Puddles

 Creeks and Puddles from Two Kayaks on Vimeo.

Climby McFearless and Playful Pea

Mom, you may want to sit down before you watch this. This 21 month old is fearless and determined. I wonder who she gets this from?


Climby McFearless from Two Kayaks on Vimeo.

What Pea was up to while Chick was climbing. He is a BIG flirt.

Untitled from Two Kayaks on Vimeo.

Week's End

Since Blogger has been funky all week, I'm going to amalgamate some of the posts I've had in my head, yet couldn't write because every time I tried to log on (which wasn't often, I admit) Blogger was down.


Mother's Day 2011

I had a lovely Mother's Day. Sure, I got up early, made everyone French toast, did two loads of laundry, played in the park with the twins and made dinner for everyone, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. This is my life and I love it.
J. helped the babies make a craft for me and there were beautiful flowers waiting for me when I got home from my Gramma's funeral on Saturday. I am blessed.

Pea's little chubby hands are on the left and Chick's slender fingered hands are on the right.  The little note says, "Here's a happy hug-a-bunch.  Wrap it around and feel the crunch.  May smiles and kisses come your way with lots of love on Mother's Day"

Dear God The Fighting

Chick and Pea have been *ahem* squabbling over every. little. thing this week. I made a vow very early on in their little lives that I wouldn't be a referee and that I would let them sort out their own stuff. Well, it's not working for me as well as I had though it would. Also, I'm quite certain that whomever invented wine was a mother of twin toddlers. Just sayin'.

Big Boy Bed

After almost 21 months of hating his crib and letting everyone in the neighbourhood know it at all hours of the night, we finally decided to dismantle it and move a double bed (thanks to Gramma and Grampa) into Pea's room.  As soon as we get the appropriate safety wares for him, we will start transitioning him to his big boy bed.  To be completely honest, I think I may have a more difficult time than he will in the transition.  I have loved co-sleeping with Pea all these months and will miss being able to reach across and rub his back in the co-sleeper we made for him.  *sniff*

Baby Girl Crib

Chick loves her crib.  LOVES it.  She sometimes just sits in it and reads the books she has in there.  There is no way on this planet that she is ready for a big girl bed.  She sleeps 12-13 hours a night in that crib and we are not about to mess with that kind of shut-eye.

Smoothie Deliciousness

I have been making delicious and nutritious smoothies for the babies (yes, they are still babies in my eyes) for a while now.  It's a great way to get fruit and veggies into them and a tasty treat, too! I usually make them with Greek yogurt to improve the protein count.  Yummy!

Blueberry Smoothie, anyone?

Spoon-licking good!

No hands!

Happy face!

Outdoor Fun

There is nothing we love more as a family than spending time outdoors in the sunlight.  The weather this past week was glorious and we were outside from sunrise to sunset every day.  The twins discovered dandelions and think that they are the most beautiful "flowers" or "wowas"  in the world.  How can you deny their beauty when a toddler carefully picks one out for you and presents it to you with a wide grin?  You simply cannot.  Here are a few pictures of our fun in the sun.

Sidewalk chalk is very fun!  All they want us to draw are balls and moons.

Our friend A. usually comes over to play with us when we are in front of the house.

Chick's first (of many, I'm confident) skinned knee.

Fun at the park.  How cute is this boy?

Chick enjoys playing with everyone's sand toys but her own.

Pea still loves the baby swing!

Chick contemplating the slide.

Juice break!

A hike along a fun path.

Watching the storm water pond's flow.

Searching for pinecones (py-cohs).

What's a hike without a stick?

My boys.

On Risk

When the twins first began walking, we took them to a park nearby.  A little girl was playing on one of the structures near us and when she began walking toward a small rock-climbing wall, her caregiver said, "You can't climb that, can you?"  The little girl looked sheepish, shook her head and walked toward a small slide instead.  I remember feeling so sad for her. 

I've written about Chick's adventurous spirit before and I suspect it will be a recurring theme as we navigate her childhood together.  While I am a staunch proponent of setting certain limits, I am also supportive of a child's natural curiosity for adventure.  These two ideas are not mutually exclusive.  Far from it.  In fact, I would argue that one lends itself beautifully to the other.  Allowing children to take risks empowers them to know their capabilities and therefore, know how to manage their bodies in a safe way.  Furthermore, we have found that when Chick and Pea have been given the freedom to gauge their capabilities, each discovers what they either can or cannot yet do.  In turn, this freedom empowers them to identify risk zone for themselves.  You would be amazed at how self-disciplined little ones can be when given the opportunity.

Chick no longer swings in the baby swing at the park.  She chooses the swing without the safety enclosure and does extremely well in it.  Pea has tried the swing without the safety enclosure, had a fall, and now chooses the baby swing more often than not.  If he shows interest in the "big kid" swing, we will encourage him, but if not, we will happily push him in the other.  Chick chooses to climb the rungs in order to get to the top of any play structure.  She has had her share of falls, has regrouped, figured out new strategies and tries again.  Pea prefers the stairs.  It's all good. 

This video will likely give my poor mother a heart attack.  Chick's adventurous spirit at 20 months old.



Miss Independent from Two Kayaks on Vimeo.

Because I Don't Want To Forget These Moments

Tonight, I was cuddling with Pea in bed (we co-sleep)and lying face to face with him as he was drifting off to sleep. We had read three stories, had retraced our day from start to finish and I then shared my favorite moment of the day with him. Not long after he turned out the light and snuggled back into our face to face position in the dark, did his body quiet down and his breathing become rhythmic. I was about to get up to come back downstairs when from the darkness came a little voice. What he said made my heart swell and made me stay and hold him longer than I typically do.

His words:  "Happy, Mama."

Magical Moon

We spend a great deal of time outside (even in the cold winter months) but haven't spent a lot of time outside at dusk.  We have several books in which the moon is present and discussed, but tonight was the first time that Chick actually made the connection between what she has learned through books and what appears in the night sky.  Seeing the moon through her eyes tonight was magical. I can only imagine the awe she must have felt.

Magical Moon from Two Kayaks on Vimeo.

Twinbiguity

When the twins were first born and up until a few months ago, we could rarely go out in public without being stopped several times by curious (sometimes intrusive) people.  The ogling and the questions we could stomach (most of the time) but the touching of our children by strangers drove us insane.  I clearly remember the huffy reaction I received after telling one woman in a consignment shop not to touch Chick.  Her hands were moving in to rub Chick's cheek and I had had it with the intrusion on her personal space.

Lately I have noticed that we encounter these intrusions with much less frequency than before.  We have reached the blessed ambiguity of twindom (reserved only for fraternal twins, no doubt - sorry identicals!).  People can no longer assume that Chick and Pea are twins (Pea easily has four pounds on our petite Chick) and so we are stopped less often. Now when we are stopped it is only to ask if the kids are twins, followed by the ever-so-popular "You have your hands full".

I love twinbiguity.

Our little twinlets playing on the deck yesterday morning after breakfast.  

It was 0˚C (32˚F) and they were still wearing their sleepers, but by geez if they were going to let those two issues prevent them from having fun.

Maple Syrup Festival

Nothing screams "Canadian" more than a Maple Syrup Festival and yesterday we took part in a fun one with great friends.


Maple Syrup Festival from Two Kayaks on Vimeo.

Thank you, Catherine and Hannah, for allowing us to spend this beautiful day with you!

Bed Time Hugs

Pea had a pre-operative appointment this afternoon - right in the middle of what would have been his nap time.  So, needless to say, he did not have a nap today.  As a result, his head hit the pillow much earlier tonight than what is normal for him.

This turn of events made Chick very happy as it meant she could pretend to be an only child for an hour and a half before it was her turn to hit the sack. Having her two parents' undivided attention is priceless to Chick, I imagine.

As she was heading up to bed, I played the "Hugging Game" that she loves so much. Daddy doesn't like it because it prolongs her bed time, but Mommy and Chick love the cuddles and our two votes always trump his one.

Bed Time With Chick from Two Kayaks on Vimeo.

Vote For Chick and Pea!

I entered a photo of Chick and Pea in a "bragging rights only" contest over at Multiples and More and would LOVE it if you would head on over and vote for Chick and Pea.  If there is another photo that you find more adorable (and believe me, there are MANY adorable photos over there) then go ahead and vote for the others.  I won't be mad...for long.

Kidding. 

Kinda.

Okay, GO VOTE!!!  We're lucky number 13.

Fresh Air and Daddy Time

The kids and I spent almost the entire day outside today. Seriously, when they weren't eating or napping, they were splashing in puddles, running down the sidewalks, playing at the park and soaking up all the fun this beautiful winter day offered.

The temperature hovered around 8ºC (46F) all day and the sun peeked through the clouds every now and then to give us some precious vitamin D. Each time I asked Chick and Pea if they wanted to go inside, they fervently shook their heads and said, "No". At one point, I brought snacks outside for them to eat because I knew they needed food, but didn't have the heart to make them come inside. So, we sat at the patio table on the deck and quickly devoured our snacks with our toques on, then went right back to playing.

I truly think that Chick and Pea need the space of the outdoors to feel like they have space from each other. That said, they were never more than a foot apart at any given time today, but maybe they just felt better having more space if they wanted to be apart. In any case, they were incredibly happy all day and I don't think that Chick cried ONE time. Those of you who know us away from the blog know what a feat that is. She expresses her frustrations (every.single.one.) with tears. So, the fact that she didn't cry today is huge.

Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of the fun we had today. In lieu of those photos, I will post some I took of our trip to visit J. at work earlier this week.

I think that this was the only time Pea stood still in the gym.

Chick wasn't too keen on this big ball.  She still mustered up all her courage for a good photo op.

You can imagine how THRILLED Pea was to play with this ball.

Chick loved being able to hug Daddy in the middle of a work day.

When Pea saw this "twackto" I thought he might lose his mind with elation. 

A Message From Chick

Hi!  Look how cute I am.

Wanna be as cute as me? Well, do ya?

Of course you do.  Just go to my Auntie Dolores' Etsy Shop called Las Palomas and order some of these totally adorable marabou puff clips.  You won't regret it!

Auntie Dolores makes all kinds of beautiful lovelies for your shopping pleasure.  Head on over and take a look for yourself!

Fancy Schmancy

Our weekend was jam-packed with events to celebrate our wonderful friends and family.  As such, the twins dressed in their fanciest of duds.  Almost every piece of clothing the twins own have been pre-owned by other children in our circle of friends and/or family (these particular outfits are courtesy of our niece Heidi and Chick and Pea's friend Ben).  How lucky are we? Recycling and not being a slave to consumerism rocks.

Saturday:

 

Sunday:

Sadly, every party animal loses steam at some point. Case in point:

Our Favorite Playgroup

Twice a week, the twins and I attend a very fun play group put on by Ontario Early Years. It's a free program sponsored by the government and a great way to spend our tax dollars.We take advantage of several other programs, but this one is our favorite by far.

This ball makes Pea incredibly happy. It's a popular ball among the kids, so he was lucky to have a chance to play with it this morning.

Chick loves to climb this thing. She extends her hands for me to help her down the second half of the rungs. I love that her little tongue is out and to the side in this picture.

Chick and Pea were the only children to go down the slide on their tummies. A little skill they picked up from their slide at home.

Chick was so happy to play with this basketball.

Pea stood under this basketball net holding a basketball for the longest time.  It was so cute. I eventually went over and hoisted him into the air so that he could dunk the ball.  He was so proud.

Chick and Pea's little friend Jack is in the background. He is adorable and I really like his mom. That's saying a lot. I don't like people.

Pea used to be petrified of the ball pit. Honestly, who wouldn't be? It's likely completely germ-infested. He's come a long way.

Cheeky Chick peeking out at me from inside a play tunnel.

A Canadian play group wouldn't be complete without hockey sticks. I hope he doesn't get any ideas. This boy will not be playing hockey on our watch.

Perhaps my favorite picture of the morning. Chick, much like her mom, sometimes gets overwhelmed by crowds and noise. I catch her, at times, finding a quiet spot to sit and take a breath before charging back out again. She sat here for a good while this morning watching the other children play.