COLLIN GEOFFREY!

Yesterday we had a minor catastrophe. We allow the kids to watch one show in the morning and one show in the evening (when I am cooking dinner usually). We are not huge fans of them watching TV, but sometimes you need some time to get something, ANYTHING, done (again, refer back to a much older post - never say never until twins). They actually really like TV. Sad, but true, if we say the word "TV" in our house magic things happen: crying children stop crying, badly behaving children stop behaving badly, mischievous children tearing apart our house stop tearing apart our house... it's wondrous actually. Collin also loves the remote. So much so that we gave him an identical remote without batteries. But he still knows, he will find the real one wherever it is - it's his mission.

Yesterday morning, when it was time, I said "do you want to watch your TV show now?" The normal sound of thundering feet was heard as the kids all ran to the family room. Ethan shouted "Yes, I do!!" Oliver said "TV... TV!" and Collin said "GRAAAA." They plopped down starring at the TV and nothing happened. The cable was not working. Seriously? Did I mention how excited the kids were, do you know at this age they don't have a lot of reasoning, can you hear the crying (them and me)? I unplugged it and plugged it back in - much like a PC it usually seems to work. And it did... at least partially. We had picture but no sound. NO sound at all. ??? I called the cable company who restarted it remotely, but still no sound. At that point they gave me an all day service call - which means we'll come whenever we please. Now, I should say this, on top of the crying in my house during this time you need to also add to it my aggravation with Insight over the multitude of issues we have had since getting our new cable box and changing our phone to them as well last summer. MANY issues. I might have been a little upset on the phone with the service person... I was clear my frustration was with Insight and not her... but that Insight better fix this issue and pronto!

In the meantime, I put in a DVD and it worked fine... thankfully... and the kids were fine with watching that instead. Crying ceased, disaster averted for moment. While the twins were taking a nap the cable service man came (no call... just showed up). He was stumped at first but then asked for the remote. He pushed the mute button and I said "it can't be that, we watched a DVD with sound just fine this morning" and he said "no, the TV is not muted." He got into the cable part of the remote and discovered that the cable box had been muted. Um, did you even know that could be done?! As I was asking him how that could even be done and why the office would not have had me try that before calling him out, I was thinking in my head: "COLLIN GEOFFREY!" I have no idea how he managed to do that, but he loves to push those buttons. He can find and get the remote no matter where or how high it is. He has a built in homing device to it apparently (after all it's not like we actually LET him play with it). The cable service man was very nice and showed me how to fix it in the future, but it was really complicated (even he admitted that) - just as it's complicated to mute JUST your cable box!! Naturally I was REALLY embarrassed to have a service person come out because our cable was muted... by us... specifically our 20 month old son. And yes, I felt bad that I was so mad at Insight that morning. Sorry Insight - our bad. And again, "COLLIN GEOFFREY!!!!!"

Sleeping brothers

Normally my stance is never ever wake a sleeping child...especially if there are more than one. However yesterday, I had to since the twins speech therapist was coming (and they were still not awake). Since we normally don't wake them, and ANY movement or sound in their room wakes them - even from a deep sleep, I haven't gotten any sleeping toddler photos. Yesterday I did. What more, they were sleeping together in the same crib which was too cute!
Funny note. They never really play with each other during the day. But when they go to bed, they sit there and talk and laugh forever some nights. We sometimes go in, if they have been at it for a while after we put them to bed, to give them "it's time to go to sleep boys" speech and find them sitting side by side just talking. We can hear them on the monitor but seeing them in person, sitting there interacting with one another, is so much cuter! We just find it so funny that they bond in their cribs, but during the day they play separately (and even have tiny tussles and grammy Kathy would say).

Food with thought...

Ethan asked me, while eating, in a completely serious tone: "Mom is food afraid of teeth?"

Though I explained that food is not alive and does not have feelings or thoughts, I can't stop laughing to myself... thinking of what a carrot stick or a sandwich or whatever might be thinking as you bring it to your mouth...

Pantry raids...

The twins, much like any kids their age, like to get into everything. Everything! And they are smart enough to figure out most of our child proofing at this point. In the kitchen, they normally just empty whatever ever it is - the cabinets, the pantry, the drawers, whatever.

Though they still do this, Collin has now discovered that he can EAT some of what he is destructing. His latest thing is pantry raids of cereal boxes. He gets in there, pulls out different cereal boxes, plops himself on the floor and digs in. Oliver usually joins him - there is definitely a 'me too' factor in twins. And then there is the subsequent toddler tantrum that ensues when we take the boxes away... because it has normally been happening just prior to eating a meal.

Regardless, it is pretty cute and funny to see. These were taken this morning... Notice Collin looking toward the pantry for other things to pull out.

Look at Oliver's tongue sticking out... such concentration.

Popsicles with a dirty little green secret

I made homemade Popsicles for the kids a few days ago, which is nothing new because I have been doing that for a couple years. I usually make them with fresh strawberries and yogurt, sometimes add a banana or blueberries or maybe some unsweetened applesauce. I keep changing it up. Ethan and Lauren have always liked them. They are actually "treats," though they are really just fruit and yogurt so they are very healthy.

This year I saw a recipe for Popsicles on one of they mommy blogs I follow. It was a departure than my normal, but I decided to give it a try and was anxious to see if the twins would like them too. The recipe was strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, juice from one orange, raw agave nectar and (drum roll please) fresh baby spinach. I KNOW! That's just wrong, isn't it?!! But she said you can't taste it. This lady actually has an entire recipe book of "Green Smoothies" (which you can make into Popsicles too) and guess what makes them all green? So, I tried it. They turned out a really nice reddish purple color. And I tasted them, you can't taste any spinach (and I used a lot). Really, you can't.
The twins did not like them, but that was really no surprise since they don't like ice cream either - it's got to be the cold factor since they like all that fruit fresh (yes, Steve and I wonder how kids of ours don't like ice cream - we're still pretty sure they are our kids though). Lauren was iffy (and she doesn't know the secret ingredient). She didn't like the seediness of them (I didn't either to be honest) - they are very seedy due to the berries. Ethan, however, liked them. I was worried at first... but he liked them. Tonight he requested one as a special treat after dinner - which was kind of my test. I know when he wants something twice in a row and eats it all, not missing a drop, that it's a winner. One out of four isn't bad I guess. I am going to experiment with some other fruits, probably ones with less little seeds and see if Lauren likes those. I am sure Ethan will. I'll let you all know if I come across any other gems!

Shhhhh... this is our little secret. Deal?

Conversation with a four year old teenager

Erin called me and said "What do you do when Ethan refuses to eat lunch? Do you make him something else to eat?" Heck no, we aren't short order cooks!

I told her to put him on the phone. So she called him over (he was in another room) and said that I wanted to talk to him. The conversation went like this:

Ethan: "What do you want mom?" (with much tone and 'tude)
Me: (surprised and trying not to laugh at the tone) "How are you?"
Ethan: "I have nothing to talk to you about mom."
Me: (more giggling) "Ethan I understand you are not eating lunch."
Ethan: "I don't like pasta anymore. I'm tired of it."
Me: "Ethan I need you to eat some of it and some of your broccoli."
Ethan: "No, sorry mom, I can't. I am not hungry."
Me: "Ethan, you need to eat four bites of each please."
Ethan: "No sorry mom, I'm not hungry."
Me: "Ethan you haven't eaten anything for lunch at all, you need to eat a few bites of each. That's all, just a few bites."
Ethan: no response...
Me: "Ethan? Ethan????"
Erin: "He put the phone on the kitchen table, covered his ears and walked away."
Me: "When did he become a teenager?!"

Seriously???!!!

First of all, he likes pasta and broccoli normally. Second, my normal greeting from him on the phone is "Hi mommy, how are you?" And other frequently said things are: "I love you mommy" and "When are you coming home?" He SO knew he had been ratted on and he had no intention of loosing. It was like talking to a teenager, complete with tone, 'tude and all.

Needless to say, score one for the four year old teenager... he ate nothing.

Vroooom!

Collin’s favorite thing is cars. Particularly these Playskool Wheel Pals, but he likes just about any car or vehicle - including non toddlerish ones like hot wheels. He has one in each hand most of the time and he likes to push them around while making car noises. It’s pretty cute!

He was mid-rendition of his vroom noise down when I snapped this photo.

Sand and water = hours of entertainment

I am not sure what it is, but sand and water are certainly a love for children of all ages. We have a sand and water table that has brought hours of entertainment to Ethan over the last few years. The neighbors, when they come over, all congregate around it as well. And now the twins are also taking joy in it. Though it’s about the messiest thing they could play with and they are covered from head to toe (really, I found tons of sand in Collin’s diaper when I changed it and his shirt was a onsie type thing ???), you can’t beat the constant entertainment and joy it brings.

These photos are actually from Saturday when it was so nice out.

Lauren's back!

Lauren spends spring break with her mom every year. And every year Ethan asks us a million times when she is coming home. This year he actually demanded she come home one day. Sissy is well loved by the boys.

Since she didn't get home until late last night, the boys didn't see her until today. She also had a doctor's appointment after school so they didn't see her until dinnertime when she and Steve got home. After dinner, they ran around her in the family room squealing and laughing. I think she enjoys being the "superstar" as well, being missed so much.
I know the photo isn't that good (one of the many reasons Lauren does not like to be on the blog), but it was so cute the way they were acting. BTW, Collin is shirtless because it was pasta night and he had a white shirt on.

Whirley popping!

As many of your know, I am on a slow but steady mission to go green and clean. The latest victim: microwave popcorn. Enter: the Whirley Pop. No kidding, that’s the name. It’s basically the old fashioned way of making popcorn, but you crank a handle which keeps the popcorn moving (rather than just shaking the pan like many from my generation - BTW, I tried that recently and it did NOT go well). To be honest, it makes pretty darn good popcorn.

It was just the boys and I today so Ethan and I decided to watch a movie while the twins napped. And how can watch a movie without popcorn? Here’s Ethan making our whirley popcorn.

Ahhh… this is the life...

He actually ate the entire bowl himself... and then asked for more (which I decided best not to give him - look at what he already ate!).

The local toddler exhibit?

Erin brought the kids out to enjoy the weather Friday. They all wanted to play with the sidewalk chalk which means they needed to go out front and the issue with that is it is darn near impossible for one person to watch the three of them - when they are loose. So, Erin got out the play yard and put the twins in it. She sent a couple photos to my phone… seriously… they look like an exhibit in the zoo for all to look at. Ha!

It ended up being a temporary fix since Oliver refused to stay in. That child is not afraid of anything. You set him down and he is gone. G-O-N-E…GONE! But Collin was perfectly content staying in and coloring with his chalk. When I got home he had purple teeth… do you think he ate some too? Maybe we need to post a sign next time "Please don't feed the toddlers on exhibit."

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice cream!

Ice cream is a favorite special treat in this house. However, early last fall I realized I was deficient in the ice cream area, that is for Ethan at least. The neighbor had all the kids over for ice cream cones. Here’s the thing I didn’t realize, in all the excitement and the sheer number of kids present (noise and commotion), Ethan didn’t realize you could actually EAT the ice cream cone. He was also not listening to me because he wanted to play. So, picture him trying to suck the ice cream out of the cone… without eating the cone... he had ice cream dripping off his entire face (because he loves him some ice cream). Yes, mom of the year here… my kid did not know what an ice cream cone was. Ice cream – yes (though a little secret… he thought the Yo Kids Squeezers yogurt tubes that I would freeze were ice cream too until last summer) – but not the cone part.

It was so nice last week that I decided to buy some cones and show Ethan the joy of eating the cone. He actually remembered last fall when he had one at the neighbor’s. When I explained that you can actually eat the cone part, he was excited but a little confused, until he tried it. This time, he had no problem eating it - cone and all! We are now prepared for the next ice cream get together... whew!

Easter!

Easter morning was quite fun at our house. The twins actually were old enough to take part in finding the eggs and gifts this year. Though they were quite content finding one or two and leaving it at that.

All three received a container of sidewalk chalk (a favorite among them). Oliver loved this – carrying it around asking us to open it – ALL day!

Collin’s favorite thing were the little boxes of raisins I put in some of the plastic Easter eggs. I let him have two boxes, which he happily just kept digging his little fingers in to get more while walking around eating them. When I took a shower, Steve let him have two more boxes. Um… four boxes of raisins within one hour… any idea what that means? Steve said “I just couldn't say no, he was so happy.” I made him change the diaper later that day.

Ethan of course is well experienced with Easter and the fun of the morning. He happily gathered all the eggs and gifts the Easter bunny brought for everyone. His favorite being some super heroes he didn’t yet have, one being very hard to find in stores (Thank you Easter Bunny Grammy Dee).

No, not one single piece of candy… I don’t care what anyone says… they are fine and didn’t even know (though Lauren has a six pack of snicker eggs in her basket… she’s old enough to know better...and those are her favorite...I'm not heartless you know).

Princess Ethan Leia

p.s. I added a Shutterfly album of all the Easter morning photos on the left of the page in the Shutterfly album area.

Oliver loves his carrots...

Not so much! Oliver decided when the first carrot hit his tongue at dinner that he wanted nothing to do with it (mind you he used to like carrots). Of course after we all laughed at his face and action that first time (I know, I know... we aren't supposed to but sometimes you just can't help yourself!), he continued... and continued and...

the video is of continued portion of course...
and I apologize for my commentary... I sometimes
forget I am taping.