The Hungry Hungry Caterpillars…

Today Nancy went to help our cousin prepare centerpieces for her upcoming wedding and I got to watch the kids for the morning. It's been quite a while since I had the girls alone for the majority of the day, and man, can these girls eat.

For breakfast they had half a quart (not just a pint) of strawberries, breakfast cereal, and a bacon/egg toaster strudel.

After breakfast I thought we would kill some time by going to the local Farmer's market where the girls had a bag of popcorn and scone. Erin was very happy to see all of the fruit stands and tried to steal a peach. As Evelyn was sweet talking her way at another stand and getting a sample carrot, Erin crawled under a table at the fruit stand and grabbed a huge hand full of blueberries from the stockpile. She stuffed as many blueberries in her mouth as she could -- while I pulled her away -- she stored the rest in her mostly empty bag of popcorn.

Erin and I had a heart-to-heart talk about the reasons why we shouldn't steal from the Farmer's Market but I don't think her heart was in it. Perhaps she was listening but I think its difficult to listen to Dad when there is a table of crackers and sample jellies within reach. Go figure...

On the way out of the market heading back to the car we had to pass the fruit stand again and Erin ran back to the blueberries. Filled with berry-filled inspiration and giggling gleefully, she reached up for a full pint of blueberries and started digging in. Erin was clearly telling me that we were to buy this pint of blueberries and since her hands were all over it I figured we probably should. Back at the car, Evelyn with her carrot and Erin with her feedbag of popcorn and blueberries we headed off for the Kohl Children's Museum.

Evelyn enjoyed pretending to be a veterinarian while Erin banged away on the computer. After about an hours of playing in the kids grocery store and the pretend car wash we headed back home for lunch. After such a huge breakfast and all of the snacks at the market they could not possibly be hungry for lunch right?

Did you every read the Hungry Caterpillar?

They had quesadilla slices, a hot dog, half a jar of apple sauce and crackers ... and still asked for more. My better judgment told me that it was time to cut them off. They couldn't still be hungry at this point.

Time for naps (for all of us, phew). Nancy came home and I was happy to turn the reigns over to her. It's days like this that remind me how much I appreciate all she does for the family. If I had to do this five days a week... well let's just all be glad I don't.

Oral-Motor Exercises

Got this info from E's speech therapist...

A little mouth work every day will help a child learn about lips, teeth and the tongue and how they all work together to make sounds and words.

Keep this short and fun - a little each day and save some for later...

• Let's look at those beautiful clean teeth! Say cheese!!
• Can you make your teeth go bite-bite-bite??
• Open your mouth really wide. Say Ahhhhh
• Close your lips very tight. Say Mmmmm
• Make your lips a little circle. Say Ooooo
• Stick your tongue out. Say Blah
• Make your tongue "dance" all around.
• Can your tongue go to the corner of your mouth? Try the other corner.
• Pretend you have ice cream on your lips - lick the bottom and top.
• Bounce your lips and say pop-pop-pop
• Blow kisses in the mirror
• Kiss the mirror and look at lip prints
• Blow Raspberries
• Make funny faces with lots of mouth movement

Fun at the Pool

Today was another warm day - so we went to the local pool! We've got a terrific public pool just a few miles from home. They have a HUGE water slide, dive pool, large regular pool and a great kiddie pool with water troughs, a water slide and all kinds of cool things. Of course we went with a few friends and their moms - so, 6 kids and 3 moms - can you imagine the insanity. But, everyone was great and we had a lot of fun.


The kids really enjoyed moving buckets of water around and playing in the sprinklers. The pool is big enough that when they start to get bored you can just show them something else cool to do and that continues to entertain them. I also got all the kids to lay on their bellies and blow bubbles in the water - and do kicks, which was super cute.

Erin also enjoyed drinking from all the fountains - that was very cute. I think Ev also was drinking the water, but I didn't catch any shots :0(





Erin is pretty much afraid of new situations that might make you nervous. She likes the teeter-totter until it moves. She hates the swings - under any circumstance. She likes to be firmly planted on the ground. Well, she sure surprised me by going down the water slide. It also surprised her! But, she was a great sport and I think liked it. Although, she did not go down twice. Even Ev (the daredevil) did not try the slide...

Spray Park...

Today we ventured out to the local spray park. This is a super cool place that has sprinklers all over - and a great park near by. We went with 3 kiddie friends - and also saw a handful of friends there - which is always fun.

Overall, the kids had a good time. The time at the park before the spray area opened was a blast!! They also played in the water about an hour. Evelyn had a great time getting my feet wet with buckets of water - which felt very nice on such a hot day!

After a while, they all lost interest. So, we headed to Culvers for lunch. Imagine if you went to enjoy lunch and sat near 4 adults and 5 kids all under 3 feet. Our little lunch neighbors were pretty cool with it, but we had to bug out pretty quickly!!

We are so lucky to live in an area with so many fun adventures for the kids!!

What a weekend!

Wow - the weekend was busy!!! Friday night was pretty yucky in terms of weather, and I can't really even remember what we did, so it must not have been too fun ;-(.

But, Saturday we started the morning at swim class where both girls did very well. Erin has really warmed up to the water and is doing just terrific!! After class we had to get home and get ready for the 50+ people coming over for dinner. Yes, another party. My brother and his family is in town from Arizona, so I wanted to have the entire family and all 25 kids over. So, it was mass-chaos!! There was a fun game of baseball in our front yard where our neighbors car was 2nd base - and it got hit over and over - aren't you glad you're not my neighbor!!

On Sunday Dave and I had a retreat all day and that is always fun for us. We do retreats for engaged couples and it is always a good time for us to reconnect. That evening we had a "twins club" picnic. It was fun to see double all night.

So, that's it - a busy weekend!! When I have photos from the family party I'll post them - I think they'll be pretty crazy!

A day at the zoo

Earlier this week we hit the zoo and the girls had a blast!! Specifically, they loved the monkeys and lions - I think those exhibits have the easiest animals to see. They were too nervous to feed the cows - maybe next time.

We met up with my parents and brother's kids, so that made the day extra special. It is funny how my kids are even more grown up when bigger kids are around. No more stroller and much more independent. We had a blast - enjoy the photos! Lincoln Park Zoo is so amazing because of how big it is and how much green space there is - and then you look up and see skyscrapers - how cool!!

Quick Questions...

I am copying a friends blog on this one... the idea is to answer each question with just one word. I, of course, was unable to give one word answers - sorry! This made me realize I don't know all the answers and it might bode me well to focus on some goals and next steps. But, I really don't have time for that.

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? Dave
3. Your hair? Brownish Red
4. Your mother? Mom
5. Your father? Dad
6. Your favorite thing? family time with Dave, Erin & Evelyn
7. Your dream last night? can't remember...
8. Your favorite drink? iced tea with lemon
9. Your dream/goal? 2 happy, well balanced daughters
10. The room you’re in? family room watching Project Runway Season 5!!
11.Your hobby? no time for a hobby...
12. Your fear? can't think of any
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? hmmmmmmmmmm
14. What you’re not? thin :-(
15. Muffins? yum!
16. One of your wish list items? a new kitchen
17. Where you grew up? Northfield
18. The last thing you did? put the girls to bed :-)
19. What are you wearing? shorts
20. Favorite gadget? blackberry
21. Your pets? Buddy the dog
22. Your computer? Gateway laptop
23. Your mood? tired from schlepping the girls around town
24. Missing someone? Yes - Dave is out of town
25. Your car? jeep/acura
26. Something you’re not wearing? socks
27. Favorite store? I hit Target a lot, not my favorite, but there the most.
28. Like someone? Yes
29. Your favorite color? orange
30. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday at Erin's head freeze...
31. Last time you cried? unsure - it has been a while...

Head Freeze!

Dave is out of town for business so I am busy making plans every moment with the girls to keep them busy. Last night we went to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner. They were just wonderful girls while we had dinner - the enjoyed pizza, noodles, salad and were just terrific. It was an awesome evening. I gave them a little ice cream for dessert which they of course loved!!! Erin had a blast taking HUGE bites!!! Then, all of a sudden her eyes bugged out and she started swinging her head back and forth and hitting the side of her head and made a low moan -- she had a head freeze!! It lasted about 20 seconds. Then she said "whew" and went right back to her ice cream. It was just hilarious...

One of my favorite times of day...

Every morning Dave wakes first and gets ready for work. We then both head downstairs and start our days. Dave takes out Buddy while I might get his lunch ready or surf the net. Dave heads out to work and I do my own thing. I turn on the TV and around 7:30 or so the girls wake. We purchased a video monitor about a year ago.

One of my favorite things to do is watch the girls wake from their nights rest.

Inevitably one will wake first and call out "YaYa" or "Sissy" until the other wakes. Then, they hug their bunnies and babies, jump around in the crib and chat to each other. Sometimes they just chant our family names - Mommy - Daddy - Sissy - Bubby - ME!!! Depending on how long I let them chat and play by themselves, their room might get destroyed in the process - sometimes every book, pillow and animal is strewn about by the time I get there. It is so sweet to watch this process - although I am sure it is somewhat of a violation of privacy...

So, this is annoying...

Erin and Evelyn have hijacked our glider. From the day we brought them home, we sat in that chair and rocked the girls while feeding them, held them until they fell asleep, or needed extra love because they went "boom". Well recently, they have gotten it in their brains freshly growing with seeds of independence, defiance, and obstinance that its their chair and we are not allowed to sit in it.

When we get the girls ready for bed Nancy and I have been banished to read their "twinkle" book to them from the ottoman while they sit comfy cozy in our glider.

The importance of sharing...

We teach our children to share. We remind friends, family members and even ourselves that sharing is the right thing to do - the golden rule should always apply, right?

Dave and I have enjoyed a new little event with the kids of taking them out for ice cream. We might go on a bike ride or just end a nice summer evening with a little dessert. Normally we get the kids a really small dish of ice cream and Dave and I either share with them or get our own thing - and usually end up sharing that with the kids. Somehow I always end up "sharing" with Evelyn.

The problem is that Evelyn might be good at sharing a toy or carrots, but she does not share ice cream. She eats the entire bowl and does not let you get your spoon in the bowl. If, by chance, you do get a bite she squawks and makes a fuss. Now, you might just say to have Dave share with Ev and have me share with Erin. Well, that would not work. Erin would be more than happy to share with me (or anyone), but Ev will only "share" her dessert with me - perhaps I should say she will only steal my dessert. She has no interest in sharing with Dave. Possibly this is because I am a better orderer or perhaps she is trying to drive me crazy -- or maybe this is a hint to go on a diet...

Life is too short...

Recently I have decided life is too short for fake lemonade. I have found out that I really enjoy making fresh, homemade lemonade and limeade. Not sure how long I'll be on this kick, but it is tasty while it lasts!!

Lemonaid
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3-4 cups water

- Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.

- While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.

- Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.

- Serve with ice, sliced lemons.

Some recipes also recommend the following...
- a capful of lemon extract
- a pinch of salt

We really enjoy freezing the juice with a few fresh berries - raspberries or blueberries. It makes a great sweet evening snack that lasts a long time.

Photo Day....

For the first year of the girls life we went and had monthly photos and it was a fun experience. It has not been fun since they hit 1. We had photos taken Saturday and some turned out nice, some okay and most were not good at all... But, I wanted to share with you the highlights of our photo session.

We have a First Year photo frame that captures every month of their first year. And, we have a school bus frame for once they are in school. Dave was asking what we do with the photos in between. My theory is that they won't take nice photos during that stretch... I think I am right.

4th of July....

Yesterday was a hectic day!! We started out early with speech therapy which flew by and we were then off to the girls 2 year doctor appointment. It was a very different experience than the past. The girls used a real scale - which they did not want to stand on - stickers bribed them to it. And, they got measured against the wall - what big girls. Erin is 32.5 lbs and 36 inches tall - 95% all around. Ev is 29.5 lbs and 33.5 inches tall - 70% all around, except her head is big big big!!

The evening was perfection! After looooong naps we went to a friends for a 3rd of July party. She has a great yard with all kinds of fun toys and plenty to keep the kids occupied. The food was excellent, there were lots of friends and the weather could not have been better. The girls are now at an age where they can play on their own and we can actually have a conversation with our friends. It was a perfect evening!

We got home and the girls hit the sack... we were all exhausted!

Today again started out early getting ready for the town parade. We rode our bikes with seats for the girls - and they had so much fun on the ride. The sirens were a little scary, but they had fun. We went to the town festival complete with races, bbq, moon jumps and tons of people. It was fun to see all the other kiddies decked out in red, white and blue and enjoy our town. During naps I visited a friend in the hospital who just had a baby - so cute and tiny. It was fun to hear her stories and relive the "baby" experience. After naps we had friends over for dinner and enjoyed fat steaks, tasty potatoes and everything else that was yummy. For dessert Dave made brownies - which the kids loved. About 10 minutes after dessert Erin just went nuts. She just stared yelling and running in circles. She was so hopped up on sugar - it was the funniest thing ever to watch.

Eclair Cake Recipe....

This is the cake I made for the girls birthday party - it was a huge hit!!!
Keep in mind, Erin had 3 servings...

1 (1 lb.) box graham crackers
2 sm. pkg. instant French vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
8 ounces Cool Whip
1 container chocolate frosting

Line the bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan with graham crackers.

Mix pudding with milk. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Blend in Cool Whip.

Pour half the pudding mix over graham crackers. Place a second layer of crackers over pudding. Pour remaining pudding mixture. Cover with final layer of graham crackers.

Refrigerate for 2 hours, then frost. I usually microwave the frosting so it is easy to frost. Refrigerate overnight or at least several hours.

The Final Birthday Party...

The girls had their final birthday party this past weekend. On Sunday we had Dave's family over to celebrate the big TWO. The girls had so much fun with their grandpas and grandma - and Dave's aunt/uncle and cousins. It is so cute to see how much the girls love everyone - and to see the love right back at them.

Dinner started out with chips and guacamole - and Ev ate most of it. It was even a pretty hot batch, but that did not stop her. We had to give her a bowl of her own, as she is a big time double dipper. Erin got jealous pretty quick, so she got a bowl for her chex mix - a new favorite.

Erin's favorite part of dinner was the baked beans. Ev did not experiment too much, and seemed to only want to eat cheese - whatever...
Of course there was cake! And, man did they (especially Erin) love it!! Erin actually had 3 pieces (really small pieces). Ev liked the chocolate - so that was her focus. Erin did a great job blowing out her candle!! She did it right on cue. Evelyn blew hers out a bit early. We re-lit the candle and then she was not interested in blowing it out - so Erin tried to help from her booster - it was very cute.

After dinner, we were fortunate enough to have Erin clean up from the party. She is a little neat freak and started picking up plates and throwing them away. She also wiped the glass table that was covered in chocolate. Not sure where she got this from...
When we took the girls to bed, their fairy godmother had struck and there were beautifully wrapped gifts in their cribs. Each package had a pretty silver snow globes that play music. The girls thought they were just amazing!! Even the morning after that was the first thing they wanted to see - and before bed on Monday they wanted to play with them again.

We ended the night with a Wii tournament. Dave's uncle just loves it!! He gets crazy when he plays - it is the most entertaining thing ever. He was racing cows in one of the games and really almost fell out of his chair laughing. It was a laugh I have never heard from him - just pure glee.

I can't believe the 4th of July hits this week - this summer is just flying by!!!!!!