First Day of Preschool!

On Friday, September 26, Audrey and Nathan had their official first day of preschool!! They attended a Together Time class for parents and toddlers last fall and summer at Explorer Parent Participation Preschool in San Jose. We LOVED it so much, that they are now enrolled in the Friday 2s class. They adore Teacher Annie and have many friends in the class too.



Audrey & Nathan with friends Madison & Logan. They love wearing their backpacks!













Audrey sitting in Teacher Annie's lap during storytime.



Playing with birdseed.


The kids had a practice day at school the week before.

Nathan getting his Explorer T-shirt from the teacher.

Wine Tasting with Friends

Yes, every once in a while, even Todd and I are able to get out without the kids! We were invited by fellow twin parents, Kristi and Bill, to join them and two other couples (also parents of twins!) Jeff and Theresa, Marcel and Kathie, wine tasting at Savannah Chanelle Vineyards in Saratoga. Kristi and Bill bid on and won this wine tasting tour at the Gemini Crickets Parents of Multiples Club of Silicon Valley auction and fundraiser. The scenery was beautiful and the wine was very tasty. Kristi and Bill even had a limo come pick up each couple and take them home. I think they knew how much we all needed a glass (or two, or three!) of wine. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon but with good friends and good wine! Thank you Kristi and Bill!!!

The hosts!

Our Getaway in the Woods

It's no secret that our family hasn't done a lot of traveling yet (check out my blog post on Mad About Multiples). Having twins just makes things like plane rides and long car trips a little bit more difficult (stressful?) than your average family with one child. We've spent a few long weekends at my parents' condo at Pajaro Dunes but that's about all we can handle. So when the opportunity came to stay at a family friends' cabin in Arnold, CA, came we decided it was time to bite the bullet and go for it! It was about a three hour car drive and our thought (hope) was that we'd leave around 1 pm (naptime!) and the kids would sleep part of the way. Well, wouldn't you know, they stayed up the ENTIRE time until we were about half hour away from the cabin and they both zonked out. Which meant a late nap and some crankiness when they woke up. Once we got there and settled in, the kids had a blast! We stayed four nights and five days. The kids had to sleep in "big beds," upstairs and in the same room. Gulp! This was all very new to them (and us) so without going into the crazy details let's just say the first two nights could have been episodes on Supper Nanny. We must have chased them back into bed a bazillion times the first night until they finally passed out around 11 pm. The second night we got smart (so we thought) and I put them down at their regular bedtime and layed in bed with them hoping they'd fall asleep. That took about an hour, but we were making progress. As I lay there "pretending" to be asleep, I could hear Audrey whispering to Nathan, "Come on, Natey, let's go downstairs. You open the door." By the fourth night they were so exhausted that they were asleep by the time their little heads hit the pillow, and then it was time for us to leave the next day. At least we now know it's possible!



The cabin was so beautiful and we felt very lucky to be staying there! We took the kids swimming in a man-made lake, threw rocks in a creek and played at a nearby park. It was just nice to be away for a few days and I told Todd that this was MY version of camping! He he.



Packing up the car with Dad




We spent our first day at the park









This was the life-size bear that greeted us when we arrived at the cabin. Todd told the kids that the bear loved hugs.


Stairs are so much fun. "But we don't want to take a nap!"


Getting dirty and throwing rocks






An experienced camping mom would have brought water shoes. Whoops.......





Todd loves to torment me because he knows I'm not an "out-doorsy" kind of girl.



Enjoying some homemade waffles on the deck.





Life is good when you can watch "The Little Mermaid" in your diaper.




We came to this lake two days because the kids loved it so much. We had the place to ourselves.

A Day in the Life Of.......

Tuesday, September 2, 2008



6 am - Hear Audrey and Nathan crying in their cribs. They want to get up. I close my eyes and cover my head with the covers, praying they go back to sleep so I can get another hour of much needed rest. Remember that I have a Mom's Night Out tonight - close my eyes and smile.

7 am - They have been quiet for a while but now I hear Audrey saying, "Mommy, I have poo-poo." Then she preceeds to yell to Nathan that she has poo-poo. Nathan just cries.

I walk into her room only to find her naked waist down with her pajama bottoms, sleep sac and POOPY diaper on the floor. This is a first. Well, at least it wasn't a messy one. No signs of poop in the crib. Everything is laying neatly on the floor. I can handle this.

7:30 am - Nathan hears the garbage truck outside so we all run out to watch it. He is in heaven - very cute. We come back inside and Audrey demands to butter her own toast. She's becoming quite independent. Most of the butter makes it on the bread but there are a few chunks on the floor. Nathan puts one giant blob of butter on his waffle and everyone sits down to eat.

7:35 am - Both kids spill their cups of orange juice within seconds of each other (we are working on drinking out of a big cup). Nathan spills his all over his waffle, begins to cry. Audrey spills her all over her shorts and wants to get out of her chair. (Sigh.....)

7:45am - I finally sit down to eat my breakfast when both kids coming running over with dress up clothes in their hands. They need help putting them on - Audrey wears a purple ballerina dress with a Hawaiian ley and a "pink bone" (pink feather boa). Nathan wants me to help him put on a white lacy skirt and bunny ears. Go to take a picture, but the camera says "card locked" - not sure what that means but I've missed a really cute picture.

8:15 am - Kids are running around with umbrellas. Does not seems safe so I have to confiscate them immediately! Now they both want bananas. Nathan enjoys his. Audrey wants to peel it all by herself, takes one bite and then throws it in the garbage. Ummm, Mom is NOT happy. She pulls a stool up to the counter (her new favorite thing to do) and tries to lift a cantaloup down "all by herself."

8:15-9 am - While I'm changing Audrey's bedding she continues to hit Nathan over the head with a blanket. He starts screaming. (Try to stay calm, remember Mom's Night Out tonight!) Throw Audrey's bedding in the washing machine, snuggle with Nathan on the couch and read some books, put together a puzzle with both kids (25 pieces!). Now, can I sneak away to actually brush my teeth and put my clothes on?? Quick email check to see if any of my playgroup moms are meeting today. Not sure what I'm going to do with the kids yet.

9 am - Brush teeth, wash face, attempt some make up and change clothes. Both kids come into the bathroom and start to get into stuff. Audrey takes my facial toner and starts to squeeze it out all over the counter. Take it out of her hands before she does too much damage. She loves to play in my make up bag.

Try to redirect kids so I can pack up their snacks and lunch and get out the door. Quickly unload dishwasher while kids get back in their seats to finish their uneaten breakfast from earlier. No juice spills this time - hooray! Call my friend Vanessa to see if she wants to meet us at the park in an hour. Clean up breakfast dishes and start to pack up for the park. Notice cheerios spilled all over the carpet. Vacuum that up. Turn off the vacuum and notice how quiet it is. Kids have figured out how to unlock the front door and are outside - YIKES! Nathan is crying because Audrey is in his car. Corral them back in, lock the door and hurry up to leave.

Todd calls to see how my morning is going. I tell him about the poopy diaper on the floor and admit that the kids escaped while I was vacuuming. He reminds me to set the chime feature on our house alarm so I know when a door is opened. Great idea! He also says he will take the kids to my parents' house to swim when he gets home from work so I can run errands or just have some quiet time. I love my husband.

10 am - Everyone is loaded up in the car and we head to my favorite drive-thru coffee - Caffino. Coffee always fixes everything :) Sing along to the Wiggles in the car.

10:15 am - Arrive at park. Looks pretty empty because school is back in session. Lather the kids in sunscreen, load up the stroller with drinks, lunch, sand toys, diapers and wipes. Oh, don't forget the coffee! Kids run toward the park. Ahhh, we made it.

10:30-12:45 - Kids have a blast playing. Vanessa and Jaeden come shortly after and it's nice to have friends there. Nathan and Audrey scoot and crawl over the netted bridge for the first time! Nathan is more confident on the big play structure and goes down the big slide. They spend a lot of time in the sand where it's shaded - digging, playing with trucks, making "muffins" and chatting with new friends. One child wants to take Audrey's shovel out of her hands and Audrey gets upset. I come over to help out. As the kids' preschool teacher would say, "They are learning compromise and negotiation skills." I love her. Vanessa and I push the kids in the swings while we catch up with each other. In between all the playing the kids snack on their lunch. The weather is perfect.

Toward the end of the afternoon, I notice Audrey is in a lot of pain. She tells me her bottom hurts. Uh oh. I change her diaper and she has a really red bottom. Poor thing is very upset. I feel terrible that I don't have any diaper cream with me, so we quickly pack up and head home. I wonder if that's why she took off her diaper this morning?

1 pm - Change kids' diapers, wash their hands with soap and water and put them down for naps! They both go down without a sound - the park really wore them out. Now I have to use this time to clean up the kitchen and rest of the house. We left this morning in such a hurry - it was a disaster. First, I need to check email and Facebook (my new addiction).

I put away toys, clean up the kitchen, sweep and mop the floors (sticky from the juice spills). It's the least I can do to leave Todd with a nice, clean house when he comes home. Need to call my mom and wish them a Happy Anniversary (and check to make sure it's OK Todd brings the kids over to swim later). Check email, eat an orange.

2:45 pm - Nathan wakes up first (he always does). Get him some milk and we start to read a few books. Audrey wakes up shortly after. The three of us snuggle on the couch and watch Dora the Explorer. Kids start getting restless and it's very warm outside. Try to keep them entertained in the house for as long as I can.

3:30 pm - We go in the backyard and eat popsicles. Kids play and I start watching the clock, waiting for Todd to come home. Kids don't last long in the backyard so we head out to the front yard. I suddenly remember that I have to bring a treat to my mom's night out and don't think I have enough time (or energy) to run to the store beforehand. I'm hoping Todd comes home soon!


4 pm - Kids play in the front yard. We take a short walk around the neighborhood. Stop and talk to Mr. Hamill down the street. Need to start thinking about getting ready for my night out. Audrey pulls Nathan is a small wagon, then they switch. Very sweet. Kids ride their bikes.

5 pm - Start to get dinner ready. Todd calls to say he'll be late (boo hoo!). Kids don't eat very much of their dinner. I throw some cookies in the oven to bring tonight. We head back outside to wait for Daddy.

6 pm - Todd is home! I run inside to try and get ready (i.e. change my clothes, touch up my make up and brush my teeth) before heading out. I'm already exhausted from the day but will muster up some energy.

6:30 pm - Kiss everyone good bye and head out! Several moms from my playgroup get together at one of the mom's home for appetizers, dessert and wine. Ahhh, it's nice to sit outside and chat with them without being interrupted by kids. We eat too much, drink too much and of course talk too much.

11 pm - 11 pm already?? What a great evening and I definitely needed it. Head home and go to sleep. Afterall, there's no sleeping in for me! Kids will be up at 7 am on the dot and ready to begin another fun and exhausting day!