Odds & ends

I was reading along on a friend of a friend's blog, I don't know her at all but she's obviously a sweetie, and it was such a shock when this post about cancer followed this one, about a perfect day... I wanted to share to give everyone a chance to pray for this beautiful little girl and her family.

Makes one a little humbled by how well life is going, as long as we have our health and our loved ones around us. And very thankful, and content. And a little scared to post about one's own perfect days.

I was chatting with a Mom the other night whose baby is a month old. "You've made it through the hardest part - it gets better from here," assured the other moms at the table. I agree - it just gets better and better and better - and it was pretty amazing before. Curious little bundles of loud joy and shy cuddles, we love hanging out with you.

Vanh read his first words, other than "Vanh" and "Max". I brought home a new book he'd never seen before and he read the title "Mighty Machines". He recognized the words because he's seen them approximately 30,000 times - if you know the series you know they show the machines in a series of short clips, all of which are prefaced and concluded by the letters M-I-G-H-T-Y M-A-C-H-I-N-E-S dancing across the screen, so in 30 minutes of watching they see those words more than they see any actual vehicles. Still - he can read them, wherever they are written, in whatever font, without picture cues. I think that's pretty cool... for him. Kind of embarrassing for us. You remember, we were the new parents that gave our playroom TV away because our kids were never going to use it?

Max has given his brother the nickname Vanny. We think it's cute, although it may not last as he only allows Max to use it. Vanh occasionally calls Max Maxy, but we try to ignore/ discourage that, for obvious reasons.

People comment more often now how different the boys look from each other. We mix them up at least once a day if they are dressed the same (or in the bath). A few evenings ago I couldn't understand why Vanh wasn't letting me brush his teeth (he was Max and didn't want Vanh's toothbrush in his mouth). Then when we were putting them to bed, Daddy plopped Max into bed with a firm, "You're Max, and this is Max's bed," an indication of how often he gets one or the other mixed up. Trouble is he had Vanh. Do other parents of twins do this?

Finally... there is something else but I'll finish later...

Potty progress - one month later

So, that went well. Here we are exactly one month later, and both boys are "toilet learned" to the point where they will independently go and use the potty when playing at home, and they will ask when we are out. They were pretty much trained right from the first week. They still wear pull-ups for nap (often dry) and diapers at night (not nearly as full as they used to be, no more accidents or leaks). I would definitely recommend our strategies!

At the fair

(The fair last year - click here)

First ride

34 months old

3rd birthday presents - two months early.
(It's only fair - they got their 2nd birthday presents two months late)

Happy Bike-day baby boys!

Haircuts

Max wanted his "with triangles" and "a little more off in the back please mommy" (his exact words) while Vanh requested "not (no cutting) over my ears" and went for more of a bowl cut.

I don't cut their "bangs"; that's just the way their hair has grown in in the front.

I keep telling myself that next time I will take them to a real kid's hairdresser, but I've stopped believing myself. There's just no way they would dare sit in the chair, or the airplane, or the little car, or whatever. They won't even touch the little mechanical tractor at the mall - let alone sit in it - although they are obviously entranced by it. TV and candy would entice them, but not enough to overcome their suspicions.

Maybe next time - but for now I think they look beautiful!

Home Unheard

7:12PM Max and Vanh are tucked in for the night. Daddy heads out to pick up coffees. Mommy retires to the TV room; chats with Dave.

7:50PM Mommy remembers Daddy also doing some shopping. Coffees will be late.

8:22PM Mommy needs to use facilities. She opens door and is confused by the sound of running water, as sounds are generally magnified through the baby monitor. She glances at the monitor and flashes back to...

4:15PM Mommy is home alone when Shadow starts barking in response to some dogs he can hear through the baby monitor. She turns it off.

8:23PM Mommy navigates stairs to find Max and Vanh vigorously washing a giant candle, never seen previously. Correction: Vanh is washing the candle; Max is eating the styrafoam it apparently came in. Mommy asks where did the candle come from? Vanh responds from the shelf Mommy. No-one has any idea what shelf.

8:24PM Boys dressed in tops only. Night-time diapers discovered on upstairs bathroom floor, dry. Pants and beds also dry. Mommy comments on these observations and is informed the poop and pee went in the potty - flush! Mommy wonders what else may be gone flush.

8:25PM Mommy re-diapers Max and Vanh and tucks them back in. Excess candle-washing water is cleaned off floor. Candle remains puzzling.

8:28PM Mommy finally gets to use the facilities. She is ready for coffee now. She returns to tell Dave how nice it is to find just a small puddle of clean water after the kids have successfully used the toilet on their own. Monitor is on and kids are sleeping. Mommy wonders if Dave knows anything about a candle?

8:37PM Daddy returns home. Clean laundry is discovered all over first floor. Daddy wonders if Mommy was looking for something? Or the dog jumping around? He shrugs and brings in shopping.

8:39PM Shards of styrofoam are observed covering floor, couch; torn up box discovered.

8:41PM Daddy needs to use facilities. He enters downstairs bathroom and turns on light. Floor is wet with small brown lump.* Potties have been disassembled.

8:42PM Daddy proceeds to playroom. Every bin of toys has been dumped. Daddy is not happy. Daddy cleans first floor. Coffees get cold.

8:53PM Daddy recounts story of the first floor to Mommy and Dave. Mommy cannot stop laughing, even with cold coffee. Candle recognized as purloined from gift closet.

The end (we HOPE!)

* Upon analysis substances were determined likely to be water (75%) and cat food (55%)

I thought we settled this...

Stylin' Saturday #24