Twin Bed Update

The boys got their twin beds right when they turned two in August.   It has been the biggest challenge for me in getting them to stay in bed.    So much so that I wasn't able to write in my blog because it was to late when they finally went to sleep.    Not to mention I was so frustrated and wiped out that all I could do was collapse.    Well it's now October and I think all the hard work and determination has paid off.

Both boys go down at 7pm now and stay in bed.   Naps are hit and miss but lately it's been more of a hit.    They may get up once and then we put them back down and they nap for 1 1/2 hours.   Instead of taking one week like it did with Brooklyn, it took a few months.    I asked for advice from friends, family and a great site that hosts the Twin Magazine.    Another organization that I asked for help was Love and Logic for raising children.    The consistant variable was being consistant and don't engage with them in any way.   

We kept the same bedtime routine of baths, pajamas, milk, reading and singing a song as we put them to bed.   We told them firmly to stay in bed.    If they got up we put them right back down without looking at them in the eye or talking to them.   The key was always doing the same thing.   After a few months of having no evenings for ourselves (yes a few months), they finally gave up and starting sleeping.   For those of you who are curious, we sleep them in the same room.   I tried separating them and it only made it worse.   After consulting the Twin organization, the experts agreed it's best to keep them together at this age. 

It's so nice to have our evenings back and boys who are not sleep deprived anymore.   Every child is different so never give up hope.  It will eventually happen if you be consistant and firm.    Thanks to everyone who gave us great suggestions.   It finally worked!

Personality Differences at the Halloween Patch

Halloween time is here.   The Twins are 2 now and Brooklyn is 4 1/2.     It was time to take the twins to their first pumpkin patch where they can actually do some things with their big Sister.    We found this great patch right outside of Dundee and before McMinnville.   You can't miss it because it has an old school bus with a VW bus welded on the top of it.  It's Dorian's favorite thing in the whole world.  He told me if he wasn't married to me, he would make an offer on it.    It's a good thing this trip isn't about him but about the kids.  

We are really noticing differences between the Twins.  Tygh seems to be more adventuresome and not afraid of anything.   Cole wants to study everything first and will work on a task for quite some time on his own.    If Tygh can't figure it out quickly, he gets frustrated and is off to do something else.   This trip surprised me after watching them go down a big slide.    Daddy took them both up the stairs to the top of the slide.    He was getting ready to put them both in his lap to take them down and Tygh just went right on down without him.   He loved it and kept doing if over and over again.  Cole on the other hand, had a look of sheer terror on his face.   

Cole first time down the slide on his own.  

Then we decided to have them go down together to see how they would react to each other.    Tygh was the big man on these trips as Cole tightly squeezed his younger brother every time.   It was so cute!!!!

Thank god Cole has Tygh to lean on.    They were all laughs and had a blast doing this together.   Next up is Halloween.    I would like Brooklyn to be the Cat in the Hat with Tygh and Cole being Thing One and Thing Two.    However, Brooklyn is not going for it because there is no Princess costume.    I'll keep trying.

Hair cuts

Everywhere I was going with the twins, people would comment on how cute my girls are with their long locks and curls.   As much I absolutely loved their curls, it was getting time to cut their hair or they might actually start believing they are cute girls.    The first attempt was me cutting their bangs so they could see.    However, people still kept thinking they were girls so I decided it was time to take them in for their first hair cut.     I was wondering how anyone could possibly get two toddler twins to sit still long enough to even cut their hair.   We found this great place in Lake Oswego called Little Clippers that caters to small children and was up for the challenge.   

This was Cole before and after his haircut.   He loved this place especially getting to sit in a race car and watch Thomas the Train.  

This is Tygh before and after his hair cut.  He did great too.

 







Tygh and Cole checking each other out after haircut.



 Boy was I ever in shock after seeing their beautiful curls gone and had to wonder if I did the right thing. Almost in tears, I head to Costco with the boys. The first comment I hear is what beautiful twin boys I have. As hard as it was to do, I know we did the right thing. Now don't hate me because the curls are gone:)





Twins get Twin Beds

     The dreaded day has come for us parents where we have to take down the cribs.    The comfort of knowing your babies are safe, secure and sleeping peacefully are about to be the thing of the past.   The days of putting the twins down at 7pm and going outside to visit are about to end.   Right after turning two, both boys started climbing out of their cribs non-stop.    We didn't want them to get hurt so we took them both down right away.   We couldn't even do the transition phase into big beds like we did with Brooklyn because it was getting to dangerous having them up.     Down went the cribs and up went the twin beds.     The nightmare begins...
     Day one in the big beds went great - to great to believe it.    They went down at 7:30 and did not get out of their new beds once.   I thought to myself that this was way to easy especially with two at the same time.   Well I was right because the next day the nightmare began with them.   It took us 2 hours to get them to sleep.   We must have put them back to bed 500 times that night.    Then they both woke each other up an hour early the next day!   The start of getting way behind on sleep begins for the boys.   
     The next week is still taking us 2 hours a night to get them to stay in bed.  Nap time is a complete joke now.   They both are exhausted but as soon as the bedroom door closes, the party begins for them.   Last night, Cole pasted out in bed right away but Tygh was still awake.  As soon as I closed the door, Tygh started yelling out "Cole, Cole, Cole" and then went to his bed and started jumping on it.   I opened the door and now Cole was awake.   I put them both back down but now I had two of them going crazy again for another hour.   Needless to say, both Mommy and Daddy are wiped out!!!  
     It's been a week now and neither one of us are having any luck with naps or bedtime.   Brooklyn only took one week and she was trained.   Having two of them constantly feeding off of one another almost makes it impossible to get them to sleep.    I really don't know what to do.   If this continues much more, I am going to relinquish my Mom title and give it to someone else!     Dorian will have to find someone else because I am so close to throwing in the towel.   If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to give them to me.    It's a good thing they are so darn cute.   It's the only reason I keep coming back for more punishment.

Cole snuck into Tygh's bed when we were not looking. 

      

Twins Turn Two!

Tygh and Cole at the Steam-up tractor show

It's hard to believe but the twins turned two on August 6th.   It was a beautiful weekend to celebrate their Birthday's and boy did they get into it this year.   Last year they fell asleep but this year,despite not taking a nap, managed to stay awake and open presents.    We cooked their favorite spaghetti dinner and had a Beaverton Bakery cake.  Daddy took the boys in the morning to the steam-up tractor show.   They absolutely love tractors and had a great time at this show.   Then it was back to the house for their Birthday party with family.

Cole and Tygh with the John Deer's.

After dinner, the boys climbed up on the table to open presents.  It was so cute watching them. They got so excited when they saw what was under the wrapping.   Cole would carefully open all the wrapping paper before looking at the gift.  Tygh would tear open the gift and shreak in delight at the gift.  Then Cole would have to look at Tygh's present before realizing he had the same. 



Cole opening carefully and Tygh tearing fast.



Cole has to check out all of Tygh's presents.

We ended the fun day with Thomas the Train cake and singing Happy Birthday.  Both boys joined in on the song as they know the words pretty well.   Then it was time to tackle the cake.  Cole forked the entire piece and ate it in a few minutes.  Tygh took small bites and never did finish it.   I wonder if this goes back to my pregnancy with them where Cole was getting all the food and leaving Tygh very little.   It is so fascinating to watch the growing differences in personalities between them.   We are looking forward to seeing how the terrible two's plays out with them.

Cole all done and Tygh barely getting started.



Tygh taking little bites





Cole all done



Lazy Days of Summer

Summertime is finally here and the kids are loving it.   Parks, camping, car rides through the county, swimming and playing with cousins.    The kids are all playing so hard and sleeping great.    

Tygh loves his books!



One of the twins favorite passtimes is reading books.    If you give them each a book in the car, they will look at it for 1/2 hour quietly and usually fall asleep with it.    All of this reading is paying off because both of them are talking really good.   

The boys are getting much better at playing with each other without fighting and love to play with other people.   They are getting better at playing with different things and waiting until the other person is done to take it.    I hope this lasts through the terrible two's that are approaching in two days.    This picture is the twins with Brooklyn and cousin Riley in her pool.   Where's the water????

Brook, Tygh, Cole, Riley

Tygh and Cole with Daddy in pool

Typical day

Before I continue on with this blog, I thought I would share what a typical day looks like for me.   To me it is just another day of my life, to others they always wonder how I do it.    Everyone has busy lives and when it becomes an every day routine, you learn how to get through it successfully.   If you don't figure it out, you will end up getting in your car all alone, driving a million miles away, all while crying your eyes out wondering how you got yourself in this mess.   But that's not me.   I love the challenge of trying to live my life, staying in shape, working, being a wife and raising 5 wonderful kids.  

During the school year, I start my day at 5:45am.   This is the only time for me to get ready before the twins wake up.    At 7am, I leave to run Kylie to school , go to work, run Ryan to school at 9am.  Then it's back to work.   Lunchtime is always spent at the gym working out and if things work out correctly, I squeeze in a run around 4pm before heading home.   At 3:30, I pick up kids from school and run them to their sporting events.    Then it's home by 4:45, cook dinner, bathe the three little kids, read books, put twins to bed at 7pm.    After twins go to bed, I do my chores - laundry, clean house, pick up toys.   At 8pm, I put the 4 year-old to bed.  Normally I have to run back to Lake Oswego to pick up older kids from their sport events and grocery shop which is usually every day!   Back to home with them and then help with homework and feed them dinner.   By 10 or 11pm, I finally get to say hello to my husband before passing out in bed only to start it all over again the next day. 

Now our 4 year-old will be going to preschool in the Fall 3 days a week, gymnastics on Saturday and dance on Wednesday so that will get thrown into my mix as well.    Ryan starts football and Kylie starts soccer.  I also volunteer at a local Credit Union and have monthly meetings and audits to attend.    I cannot wait for the boys to start doing extra-curricular activities!!!    Oh yea, Kylie is now taking driver's education classes so I get to run her to/from those classes.   The good news about that is she can help take Ryan to his events once she gets her license.    Finally I get to run back to Lake Oswego on Friday nights for my softball games.

How do I do it?    Lot's of drinking.   Just kidding.   The only way to do all of this and be a good person to them is to take care of yourself first.   I always try to squeeze a workout or personal time for me each day.  It is a necessity to feel good about yourself and what you are doing.   Everything you do and feel reflects back on your kids.   I feel it when I don't work out and my stress level gets to high.   Even if it's taking 20 minutes to go on a motorcycle ride or a walk alone, do it!   

Then second tip that has made this all possible is to find really good help.    We have a wonderful Nanny that comes while I work and takes care of the Twins and Brooklyn on Friday's.   She is the reason the boys are so good natured and always smiling.   She is one of the best decisions we have made since the birth of our twins.  She takes them to fun places every day, teaches them new things all the time, has a loving family herself that has also taken in the twins.   She is always willing to stay late if necessary and watch them for us overnight if we want to go out of town alone.   If I get in a jam, she picks up my older kids too and shuttles them around for me.    My kids all love her and it's such a huge relief to find someone like her.   She has become part of our family and I could not do what I do without her.   



Madisen with one of the twins



Madisen at beach with twins