These TWO are THREE!

I love my job. I really do. When I was pregnant and on bed rest, my job kept the depression at bay. On the weekends when Larry would go fishing and my family was out playing, I would work and pretend it was a Monday so that I didn't have to think about all the activities I was missing. And when the boys were three months old and I returned to work after maternity leave, my job provided me a safe, quiet 8 hours of uninterrupted 'me' time. I truly learned to appreciate having a life that was all mine, outside of the house even if that just meant an office inside my house where I could go and lock the door.

But lately I've found myself saying "If I didn't work, I would...". I almost started this blog with "If I didn't work, would update this blog every week." There are more:

If I didn't work, I would write the six novels in my head.
If I didn't work, I would make the five crafts I saw on Pinterest.
If I didn't work, I would exercise more often.
If I didn't work, I would take the boys to all those cool activities other moms brag about on Facebook.
If I didn't work, I would have 40 extra hours a week to clean the house.
Etc., etc., etc.

But let's be honest: if I didn't work, I would probably go insane.

But anyway...

Happy Birthday, Ren and Gray!

The boys turned 3! 

I made that! "If I didn't work, I would make more cakes!"

They are in the "Construction Vehicle Obsession" stage.

Halloween

They finally understood "Trick-or-Treating" this year, and their Monkey See, Monkey Do costumes were a success, even if it was 80 degrees outside. We went to the houses around our circle with Gigi, SueSue, and the Campagnas. 
 

I'm guessing this is the last year I get to pick their costumes.

Worn out from handing out so much candy!

Afterwards, the boys handed out 1200 pieces of candy. When it ran out, Ren stood at the end of the driveway and waved the ghouls on. "We're all out!" he yelled. Shortly after, Grayden discovered his shadow in the street light. That was all fun and games until he realized it was permanent. He started to whine and then called, "Mama, I can't get rid of it!" I think it's time we watch Peter Pan.

Big Boy Milestones

Potty training is still in full swing. I thought Ren was ready last week and put some big boy pants on him. We were outside playing when four pre-teen girls stopped to play with the dog. Both boys were trying desperately to get their attention off the dog and onto them (Grayden's "I have a front-end loader!" fell on deaf ears) when Ren told them "I have big boy underwear on and I'm peeing down my leg!"

Grayden has zero interest in potty training. I'll ask him if he needs to use the potty and he says, "No, I'm going to put it in my diaper." Sigh.

But yesterday, they did reach one huge milestone. They have used pacifiers at bedtime since they were 6 months old. First, we used them for SIDS prevention and by the time the boys turned 1, their beloved "Bs" were incentive for nap time and night time. Each binky is attached to a "Silly Buddy," a small plush toy that helps them find the pacifiers at night. Ren has Rabbit B and Gray has Ducky B.

For the last few months, I've been telling them that when they are ready, they can leave their pacifiers out and the Binky Fairy will come get them. She'll exchange the binkies for a present, and then take the binkies to babies who need them. They thought they were ready last month, but at nap time decided that was a stupid idea. Then yesterday morning, before he was out of bed, Gray said "I'm want to give my B to the Binky Fairy." Ren agreed, but I didn't think they really meant it. They even made me take the binkies off the "B," which is a task because I had to sew them on since the velcro on the stuffed animal is so worn. But I obliged, broke the stitch, and took the binky.

They came back from SueSue's at lunch and said they were ready for a nap--without their binkies. When Gray was sleeping 30 minutes later, I was shocked. He was really attached to his, and I thought he'd be a problem. But those ladies online were right---when children are ready and they let the pacifiers go on their own, there is no fuss. (I'm sure the dozen or so holes I'd secretly poked in them helped, too).

When Ren and Grayden woke from their nap, the Binky Fairy had left them exactly what they asked for: shotguns!

Anyone else hear Blake Shelton singing "Red-red-red-red-red-red-red-red redneck!"?

The Dog (Tired) Days of Summer

When I run into friends as the store (because let's be honest: I don't have any time to actually visit friends these days), they always ask "What's new?"

I have come to that time in motherhood when the answer is quite startling: "Nothing."

The excitement of pregnancy and the whirlwind of infancy are behind me. I have entered new territory, in which I have enough time to think about the things I am missing but not enough time--or freedom--to go out and find them again. I am officially boring.

The days seem to melt together now. Awake, work, kids, house, TV, sleep. Awake, work, kids, house, TV, sleep. Sometimes I can only tell what day it is by what's on TV. And given that it's summer TV, it's not all that accurate. "What did I do yesterday? Hmm. Was Big Brother on? So that means today is Monday, Thursday, or Friday."

Some moms can wade into perilous waters at this stage. They create their own drama or meddle in someone else's. It's unlikely you'll find the mom of a two newborns talking about who said what to whom at the kids' baseball game last night. But the mom of two toddlers? She may very well live for that little bit of excitement at the ballpark. It's boredom, plain and simple.

I'm pretty sure I left drama behind when I convinced Larry to hang out with me, so you won't find me at the ballpark. Or on the soccer field. Or even at preschool (at least not until the boys are potty trained). Motherhood at (nearly) 40 and after infertility makes a difference, too. I look at the boredom and know that I asked for this, I wanted this, so I try to enjoy it. Just as when the boys were 6 weeks old and I had slept less then 20 minutes at a time for nights on end, I reminded myself that "This is wonderful. This is what I wanted so very desperately." I do that now, too, when reading "Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site" for the 200th time, or when watching Ruby yell at Max for the 300th time, or when singing "Pinkle Pinkle Little Star" for the 400th time. In a row. I remind myself that these times are perfect, that they are mine, and that they will not last. I cannot ever get them back, and thirty years from now, I will not be able to fully remember what it felt like to have two beautiful children use me as a jungle gym every single day.

And if I do start to feel bored or restless or trapped, one of my boys can usually break the spell. "Mama, you're my best friend," from Ren, or "Mama, thank you for singing with me," from Gray. I am graced with daily moments with them that make all the mundane, all the repetition, and all the difficulty worth every minute.


Summer 2013 Update in Pictures and Videos
 

Weekly trip to the grocery.

Twins: Alike but Different. 

Potty training times two.

Forth of July Chick Magnets. Or mini-Bruce Jenners.

Biggest goose egg to date! So proud!

 We celebrated Aunt Maria's birthday.

Gray's first saltwater fish: a puppy drum!

Ren's first saltwater fish: a baby flounder!

 We learned a lifelong skill (not sure who taught them this one).

Our first dinner at a restaurant, just the three of us. This was a major accomplishment.

Vacation in Gatlinburg.

A trip to the Cincinnati zoo.

Greatest day of Ren's life.

Introducing the boys to the finer points of Cincinnati.

Showing the twins where Mama used to go Christmas shopping.

Going to the chapel! (And Sara's going to get m-a-a-a-rried!)

They danced at their first wedding. As Grandpa says, "Fred Astaire and his brother Ka-boom!"

Car Trip Tips for Toddlers

When Larry said he wanted to accompany me to my cousin's out of state wedding, I was panic-stricken. Gone were the dreams of a short, relaxing plane ride (not to mention a night or two of kid-free fun), instead replaced by visions of two toddlers screaming for 10 straight hours in a car. My own personal idea of hell.

So like I do when faced with any problem, I went to the internet. I searched "Toddler Busy Bags," and "Toddler Car Trips" and "Toddler Games for Road Trips." I found a lot of ideas and thought I'd consolidate them here.

Cookie Sheet and Magnetic Cups

The best tip I found was to buy a cookie sheet at the Dollar Store to use as a tray and desk while on the trip. These small trays are the perfect size for car seat. I also bought some tupperware cups at the Dollar Store and put a magnet on the bottom so the boys could have a place to store the parts of their game or activity. The cookie sheets also made great lunch trays!

Alphabet Magnets

While I thought these were magnetized, they ended up not being so. But I found them in magnet form for $2 at Meijer--while on our trip. I miss Meijer....

Shape Magnets

These shapes from Target were okay (hard for a toddler to pick up), but I ended up finding even better wooden ones at the Dollar Store.

Discovery Bottle

I filled a clear plastic bottle with rice and small objects (many of which I got on the Michael's clearance rack) and used hot glue to secure the cap. I took a picture of the items before placing them in the bottle and printed a picture of them so the boys knew what they were looking for. 

Busy Boppy

I'd been struggling with what to do with our two Boppy pillows. This idea came to me when I saw "Dress Me" boards and pillows. I went to the local thrift store and bought a belt, a small child's fleece (zipper), and a pair of paints (black buttons). Then I found at home an old bib (velcro) and a pair of shorts (snaps). Finally, I ordered two types of buckles on Amazon, which I sewed onto ribbon. All of this I sewed onto old Boppy covers. I ended up leaving these at home because they didn't fit in the car, but they are a good idea for shorter trips. 

Stickers and Notebooks

You should only consider the stickers if your toddler has mastered the art of peeling them off the paper! Otherwise, it can be a lengthy endeavor.

 Lace Ups

I purchased all the materials at Michael's to make Lace Ups on my own, when I found these for $5.99 at Ross next store. I returned all the materials to Michael's!

Bead Lacing

The boys enjoyed this one. The vacuum cleaner at the Car Wash did not.

Felt Fishing

I found felt animal shapes online and then made my own versions using a bag of scrap felt I had. I cut out both a front and a back, gluing a magnet between the two pieces of felt. My dad cut a wooden dowel and drilled a hole in the end, which I threaded with twine tied to a more powerful magnet ring, which I found on Amazon or Ebay.  

Measuring Cups

My twins love measuring cups. I got these at the Dollar Store and then gave them a bag of pom poms.

Duplo Towers

Sasha Claus, the very best donor of toys, books, and clothes, gave me a box of Duplos just before the trip, so this activity was perfect. I printed the cards of the internet and then made sure I had enough of each color block to make each pattern.

 Popsicle Color Matching

I cut two Popsicle shapes per color from felt, gluing just the outer edges of the arc together (leaving the bottom of the shape unglued). Then I colored Popsicle sticks with matching colors. The boys complete the Popsicle by matching the correct color stick with the same color felt.

Finger Puppets

 

Again, two pieces of felt glued just along the outsides, and open at the bottom. I found the animal puppets online, making my own versions. The eyes are done with a fine point Sharpie. If you are intimidated by the animals, you cannot mess up monster puppets! I used googly eyes on those.

Dry Erase Boards and Crayons

I didn't even know they made dry erase crayons! The twins loved these. The boards came from the Dollar Store. For an eraser, I dried out a couple wet wipes.

Road Map

 

I looked everywhere for a place mat with a road system on it. When I couldn't find it, I decided to make my own, and give the boys a new Matchbox car with it. A place mat would have been much better.

 Felt Scenes

I really wanted to make a quiet book with felt scenes, but I ran out of time. Found these at Michael's on clearance. Might be good for older kids, but for my boys, the felt just didn't stick enough. We hadpieces all over the car.

Puzzles

As long as you have a cookie sheet, small puzzles are do-able in the car.

Coloring Books

 The cookie sheets made great desks. It was harder to manage the crayons.

Dress Up Dolls

 I got the Melissa and Doug Joey figure after reading great reviews on Amazon. 

Wooly Willy

I would have been lost without the Dollar Store.

Magna Doodle Boards

I found these in the Target Bargain Bins ($3). One was completely missing the magnet in the wand, so Wooly Willy stepped up to help.  

Egg Carton Count

This one came to me a couple of days before the trip. Fill an egg carton with buttons and have the boys count the number of buttons in each cup.

Color Match Wheel

 

 

Colored a paper plate on the edges and then colored clothespins to match. Grayden loved this one. I gave them this project and the egg carton project early in the trip, because I was quite confident the Styrofoam would not make it there and back. I was right.

Presents

I also bought items at the Dollar Store to give as gifts throughout the trip. Calculators, harmonicas, doctor kits, stuffed animals, and more. I wrapped most of them, to add to the surprise and to add to the amount of time it would entertain them. I saved half of the games and activities for the trip home, but stored everything we were using one-way in a basket in the backseat.

How did they work? I really have no idea. I drove 16 hours of the 20 hour round trip, and times I wasn't driving I was soothing our overly tired boys on the way home. The games seemed to entertain Grayden quite a bit on the trip north, and he constantly asked for them during the vacation. I think the activities would have been even more helpful if I had been able to ride in the backseat with them and guide them through the instructions. If only I could do it all.

I must say the MVP of the trip was the DVD player that my brother-in-law, Bryan, gave me two Christmases ago. It has a screen for each seat, and played non-stop on our journey. I found some $5 videos of Dora, Backyardagins, Blues Clues, and more, and the DVDs were enjoyed far more than all the crafts combined. I have no problem with a little TV on a long road trip!