Archive for August, 2008
August 27, 2008 at 8:00 am
· Filed under Parent Stuff ·Tagged babies, Baby, boy, dining, dinner, eating, food, kids, multiples, restaurant, twins
The twins are almost 5 months old and my husband finally gave in to my repeated requests, demands and tantrums for a dinner out for all of us, the boys included, I had our anniversary to help in my scheming. Everyone with kids continues to tell me this is the time to venture out, that it just gets harder the older they get, especially once in a highchair with the realization that they can get out and run around or toss items of food or toys in any direction. I was confident that a Sunday dinner at a reasonable time and a huge bottle fill up (for the babies not us, although a quick drink might have helped with the nerves) before we left home would make the evening a breeze. Our plans were set, no where fancy, just simple.
So what if I panicked the day of the event. I asked another couple to join us, after all a few more hands could only help and they agreed to come along for our test night out. We arrived and luck was on our side, barely busy and a table in the back with plenty of room for the double stroller. I was on alert mode and ready at any moment to say pack it up. Ten minutes after our order was in the crying started. My husband immediately had the “I told you so” face, but I was calm and handed one boy to my friend and held one myself. I am now a professional one handed salad eater, able to balance a squirmy child and get the food in my mouth with no spills, if only there was a contest with prizes for my talent. While awaiting the next course the boys began to get tired, so one went to dad and one back in the stroller where I worked my magic, my plate arrived a few minutes into my “I will get you to sleep routine”, but when I turned to enjoy the main course it was all still warm….I soooo rock! My husband held our other son who was also sleeping at this point, afraid to put him down, so I did some cutting on his plate to make bite sized pieces ( I have a feeling this cutting thing is only beginning for all members of our household) and he had a nice dinner as well.
Guess what….we survived, had some laughs and we will be going out again. I may have to enlist some friends for support but someone once said, “strength in numbers” and I couldn’t agree more!
Note: I have found this very helpful since our first dinner: keep some small toys in the diaper bag and take them out slowly and one at a time to get your babies interested in the new items, this helps you and them enjoy the experience.
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August 20, 2008 at 6:30 pm
· Filed under Parent Stuff, Random Thoughts ·Tagged babies, family, Jeep, kids, Minivan, multiples, parent, SUV, transportation, Truck, twins, van
Just reading the title of this post makes me cringe. Okay, so I do have twin babies that require two of everything, but I am still fighting the idea of the minivan. I will say, before we get too far, that I acknowledge that there are benefits to owning one of these “my life is over” vehicles. I know the door clearance is great, you can tote about more crap, gas mileage and safety ratings, etc., it is just not me, I am still struggling with the fact that I am an adult and also a parent.
Now you are probably going to choke on this next line, but… we actually do own a minivan, however it was not I (the wannabe hip SUV mom) that settled into this vehicle it was my husband. The large and powerful quad truck is now but a memory to my wonderful husband who could not wait to be a dad. Many years ago I rented a minivan (during my rent-a-car disaster career choice) for a trip to the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan for those of you scratching your head) and ever since then my hubby has been singing the praises. I still never thought it would be me pleading with him on the show room floor to “Get out of that van right now!” as he joyfully sat in the “captain” chair. I am happy we have the van and even enjoy it on the weekend or on a trip but come the work week when I am taking the kids back and forth to daycare, I am all about the kick a** Jeep Commander I picked out for myself.
My husband went through an ”I love my van” phase and “we can not be parted”, it was during this time that a guys only camping trip was scheduled. I did not have my new vehicle during his trip and had no room for car seats in my old one, throw in a visiting mother-in-law and well you get the picture. The logical choice should have been for him to leave the van, especially since he was meeting everyone at the location and driving ALONE in a 7 seater…..I gently hinted, but as usual when dealing with a man preoccupied or using selective hearing, the hints (I am not that subtle) went unnoticed and the van pulled out of the driveway with me waving on the doorstep. I did survive the weekend even though we had horrible storms and my husband even ended up sleeping in his beloved van by setting up his cot (stow and go seats) and adding a portable (battery operated) fan for comfort because his tent was demolished during some of the storm produced high winds (he will say tornado).
Well here we are several months along and the “honeymoon” is over, every now and then a story is told involving his truck and he looks wistfully into the distance, or he sees his old mode of transportation joyfully passing us by on the highway and says “I miss my truck”. I just have to smile after all I asked him not to get the minivan, I can enjoy all the comforts now and still keep my rough and tumble “Jeep” girl attitude (I am not really this cool). We do have a vacation coming up and I am sure once he is in full packing and organizing mode he will be patting himself on the back for his smart vehicle choice. I do not however, think we will be seeing a van again in the driveway after the lease is up, unless the stars and universe come together again at that exact moment when we are forced to make a purchase decision, after all you never can tell.
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August 17, 2008 at 9:56 pm
· Filed under Book Review, Random Thoughts ·Tagged aroma, books, hardcover, language, reading, store, television
How do I explain my love of books? I will start by saying that a book should always be hardcover. I am not talking about trivia, humor, or travel, simply any book that you are going to curl up with should be hardcover, it is the idea and the romance of the novel that has instilled this trait. Any book I am going to keep for all time must be hardcover all paperbacks are for a quick read and a pass along. I love the book smell and it is magnified by hundred when you enter any book chain as I did this weekend. A book store to me is like the best clothing store, except I don’t have to squeeze into something and torture myself with mirrors. I have never sat on a couch in a bookstore but I have flipped and read a few pages while standing in the aisle. I do not really understand the couch and cafe aspect but I did indulge in a coffee as I was heading out with my purchase. When I read I prefer it to be absolutely silent so I can forget everything and let my imagination run wild, how awkward in a busy store with bystanders. I will say that coffee and books produces a fantastic aroma. I can purchase books anywhere, an out of the way store, a mega chain or online, especially online. When my order arrives I like to view the cover, check the print size and smell the book. The smell may be hard to understand but think, fresh bread, pies in the oven, coffee brewing and a new book, for a first read, waiting to be discovered. I do not lend out books to just anyone, if you are a snacker or a page bender you are off my list of accepted borrowers, you mine as well slap my face the injury is the same. I have read many books through the years and believe if you are not a reader you have not found the correct book. I love language and believe mine has improved through the knowledge I have gained for simply enjoying my habit. Television is good for some mindless escape but a book is like a friend and you can never have to many.
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August 12, 2008 at 5:01 pm
· Filed under Parent Stuff ·Tagged babies, Baby, camera, cannon, child, dad, digital, husband, kodak, love, morning, multiples, parent, picture, pictures, sleep, twins
When you have kids you should just keep a camera in your pocket. This morning as I removed one of my 4 month old sons from his crib so he did not wake up his twin (same room, seperate cribs) I crept back to my bedroom and placed him in bed beside my husband who was almost awake and would keep a watchful eye. I was after all only jumping in the shower and then down the stairs to grab my caffeine fix while feeding and letting the dog out. As I returned upstairs to do our usual routine of “Who do you want this morning?” with my hubby in regards to feeding and clothing the boys, I had a heart leaping to throat, full of joy moment when I returned to find my husband and son cuddling in bed, heads slightly touching, eyes closed, small fingers curled around a larger protective hand, the image of fatherhood repeated the world over I am sure, still this was MY son and MY husband. Immediately I thought… I need the camera, and then I thought about the flash, getting through the stairway child/dog gate, the dog jumping nosily around; excited for my early arrival back downstairs and the probability of the moment gone when I returned. Instead I paused my usual morning rush to stand silently, to take it in, I will have to store this vision away for my memory only, to cherish as time goes by.
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August 12, 2008 at 2:41 pm
· Filed under Parent Stuff ·Tagged grandma, grandpa, multiples, sleep, twins, weekend
I am a born sleeper, I love to sleep. I always looked forward to the weekends to sleep, early bird gets the worm you say, so what, worms are dirty! Now I have twins and am trying to function on roughly five hours a night. It is not that they sleep only five hours it is that I can not end my day when they do, every little thing I have ever thought of to do suddenly becomes extremely important at midnight. I instantly become a staircase marathon champion as I go about my tasks. Finally it dawns on me that I better get some sleep and I go to bed convincing myself that I only need a nap, this is my way of tricking myself (this really does work) into not falling dead asleep because my body will fight harder at my 6:15 am alarm if it was planning on longer downtime. I have been NAPPING for 4 months now! I have also been sending subliminal messages to my own parental units about how nice it would be if I could get a full nights sleep and then pick up the twins the next day. Well I am seeing a been there done that response and a let’s wait until they are older mentality. I know two can make you panic, double feeding, double changing, double bathing, double crying, but….double the smiles and double the love grandma and grandpa…hint, hint! Oh well, at least I get to enjoy sunset and sunrise, always a positive spin!
Note: I have had huge help from all the grandparents for a few hours at a time, whenever needed, god bless them!
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August 4, 2008 at 11:36 am
· Filed under Random Thoughts ·Tagged ambition, job, work
Where did my ambitions go about changing the world, writing a novel or traveling to someplace exotic and starting anew? As far as a job goes, do we ever really end up where we thought we would? The real work world is a harsh reality to my hopes of becoming an Elephant Trainer in kindergarten or a Magician in first grade. Okay so maybe I wouldn’t have followed those career paths anyways, but (smiling at the memory) I was crafty with my $10.00 magic kit and put on a few (clearing throat) magnificent shows. I think the point I am trying to make is life moves along so fast and then you are suddenly half way there and wonder what happened, yet…you can recall each step that brought you to your present state. I have never had a job that I wasn’t afraid to leave although, I would miss the people I work with and to clarify this point… family first always. I have always had jobs that were fun, well not so true, first job was horrible, think rent a car, management trainee bu** sh**, after that the improvement was considerable!. I just wonder…..what do I really want to be when I grow up?
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August 1, 2008 at 9:43 am
· Filed under Book Review ·Tagged book, Edward, Twilight
My humble opinion -
This is how it started, I heard a rumble about the success of this series, I read some reviews and thought…maybe not for me. I kept thinking about it, after all I love Anne Rice and Harry Potter, basically I love to read. So I ordered the first book and decided to test the waters. The book was fantastic, did it change my life, no, but it was great fun to read and I feel slightly swept up in the excitment for everything Twilight. I was in a fog and let my husband feel neglected so I could finish the book. I am in my early thirties and at first was put off because highschool is mentioned and well I am not there anymore, hmmmm not for a while, but I remember highschool (for me it was fun most of the time) and luckily it is just the backdrop and not really that important to the story. Are we ever to old to not enjoy a good story of youth? I really hope not ever.
Three questions:
Who wouldn’t want to live forever, young and beautiful?
Who dosen’t love sexual tension and romance?
Who dosen’t love a good vampire story and Edward is really over 100 so highschool student, not really?
I have to work like a normal (boring) person so I read it in two days not straight through, I did however order the rest of the books in the series so I am now a fan. Will I rush out to see the movie? Maybe yes, maybe no, but I will watch it eventually. I prefer my imagination most of the time. To those critics that say Bella isn’t a good role model for young girls, get over it, I thought she was great and besides this is a story and for entertainment only.
So in the end….I liked it, well honestly…I loved it.
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The twins are almost 5 months old and my husband finally gave in to my repeated requests, demands and tantrums for a dinner out for all of us, the boys included, I had our anniversary to help in my scheming. Everyone with kids continues to tell me this is the time to venture out, that it just gets harder the older they get, especially once in a highchair with the realization that they can get out and run around or toss items of food or toys in any direction. I was confident that a Sunday dinner at a reasonable time and a huge bottle fill up (for the babies not us, although a quick drink might have helped with the nerves) before we left home would make the evening a breeze. Our plans were set, no where fancy, just simple.