I finally learned how to post pics today!!

Elizabeth has strep.....needless to say she is not feeling very well.





This picture was taken a week or so ago when the twins were feeling like themselves. This represents a favorite new game....climbing on the loveseat to play with the light switches.





Thomas got this maraca for his first birthday from Aunt JoJo, and it has become one of his favorite toys. We rarely see him without a maraca in his hand. In spite of having strep he was a very happy boy today.

Size Does Matter

I took Elizabeth and Thomas to Daylight Donuts this morning for a MOMS club outing. Who doesn't love donuts and what woman doesn't enjoy coffee with company? I decided to let the twins pick out their own donut. Elizabeth picked a regular size donut with pink icing and sprinkles.....a very girly choice. Thomas picked a cinnamon twist that was probably the biggest pastry in the entire case! I must say it looked delicious, and was definitely something I would have chosen for myself. Due to the size of Thomas' choice I decided I would just share with him. I figured there was no way my little boy could eat even half of what he chose. I was wrong....Thomas ate his ENTIRE half of the cinnamon twist and was covered from head to toe in sugar and cinnamon. There is no doubt he belongs to me:)

Charleston

We took the twins on their first trip to Charleston, SC over the weekend. It was a business/vacation trip for David, and we got to tag along. I must admit I was skeptical about going to Charleston with kids. We have been several times, and it is definitely an adult town with lots of nice restaurants, bars, and historical tours. Not to mention that it is an extremely old city with sidewalks that are not always stroller friendly...ahem...double-stroller friendly. With all that being said it was a wonderful trip. The weather was beautiful so we lathered Thomas and Elizabeth in sunscreen and walked all over the city with the twins each in his/her own umbrella stroller. David got some good pics of Thomas and Elizabeth chasing birds and squirrels and playing on cannon balls at the park at the Battery. I should mention that we went with a couple from Seattle, Greg and Kim and their two year old son Reese as well as a business associate named Itsuko. The twins had a blast playing with Reese. He is actually the first child I have ever seen T and E interact with. They watched his every move and tried to do whatever he did. They also asked for him whenever he wasn't around and are still asking about Reese. David and I have decided that it such an easy drive to Charleston we could just go for the day.....that we should go more often.



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Elizabeth went "tee tee" in the potty today! I bought a potty several weeks ago but haven't been very diligent in the potty training arena. Elizabeth is the only one of the two who has shown any interest and will sometimes tell me "tee tee" after she has already gone in her diaper. It is a start...I know. Last night before bed time we put T and E on the potty but nothing happened really....T sits for about one second and is then off to open/close a door....E usually sits for quite awhile but doesn't actually go. E did go tee tee in the floor and I quickly sat her on the potty where she finished...Yay! Today they each got a turn on the potty after their nap, and E went tee tee in the potty! I was so amazed, and so was she! T sat longer than one second --- maybe three seconds. I know we are far from being diaper free, but it is a start.

22 Months Old!

Thomas and Elizabeth are 22-months old today! They are so full of themselves these days saying new words, loving on each other, fighting with each other. They are most definitely wearing me out:) and filling my heart.

Thomas' obsession with doors continues though now he says, "doughaaa" as he spots one. He can spot a door anywhere....in books, on passing buildings, in grocery stores, at the zoo, etc. He also says, "no, no, no" whenever he touches something he is not supposed to (we can thank Mimi for teaching him that one). The CUTEST new word of his is "Wibeh".....his version of Elizabeth. I love to hear Thomas say his sister's name.

Elizabeth has started saying "no, no, no" as well....I guess she learned it from her brother. Her newest word she learned at lunch today...."wowor"....translation...yogurt.

We took E to the pediatric opthamologist yesterday because her eyes have started crossing with and without her glasses on. The doctor decided to increase her prescription since she is obviously trying really hard to focus.

They are growing by leaps and bounds!!

Thomas' First Broken Heart

We took Thomas and Elizabeth to the park today after eating out for lunch. They love, love the park. After swinging we went in search of "wa-wa." There is a winding creek with water falls and bridges throughout the park, and T and E will request finding the "wa-wa." As we journeyed to the first bridge Thomas spotted some balloons. Both T and E love balloons and can spot them from their car seats while traveling down the road. We headed toward the balloons and found a nice young woman decorating for her daughter's first birthday party. She was very generous and gave Thomas and Elizabeth each a balloon to play with. David wisely predicted the future at this point. We continued our journey as Thomas and Elizabeth played with their balloons. As predicted, Thomas' balloon popped.....gone....just like that. He looked around for it and burst into tears when he realized it was gone. His heart was clearly broken. He cried all the way back to the car. There was no consoling him...all attempts at redirection were futile. Elizabeth still had her balloon which only made things worse for Thomas. He cried most of the way home.

What a hard lesson for a toddler to learn. His balloon was gone. He didn't really understand why it happened......where it had gone. Thomas had a broken heart. There was nothing Mama or Dada could do to fix it. This was the first of many, I'm sure. Wish I could stop them all from happening, but that would be denying him the opportunity to develop character and strength...to learn how to deal with hardship and disappointment. Life is full of both.

I have said it before and will say it again. Parenting is the most humbling experience thus far.

My Mama

I have been crabby and a little homesick this week. My mama was here last week, and we had such a wonderful time. It was the first time mom had ever come for a visit by herself. She got lots of time with Thomas and Elizabeth and lots of "giving time." She is so generous....she would give me the shirt off her back if I said I liked it. I guess most mamas would do as such for their children. We had so much fun buying flowers for the yard, taking the twins to the zoo, playing outside. Thomas and Elizabeth had such a good time with their Mimi and sounded precious saying "Mimi, Mimi." They got her all to themselves on Friday. I went to an all day continuing education class in Columbia while Mama kept the twins. It felt extremely good to use my brain and be around other professionals. It felt good for my mom to get to spend the day with the twins. She was so funny....she got everything prepared and downstairs so she wouldn't have to take the twins back and forth until nap time. She had their toothbrushes and toothpaste in the guest bathroom, their clothes out on the couch, etc. I saw Thomas and Elizabeth as they woke up and told them "bye-bye" and "mama always comes back." They never missed a beat....no crying...I was SO glad.

Mama and David left on the same day. Mama back to Arkansas and David to Vegas for a few days. For several days now T and E have been saying, "Mimi, bye-bye." Poor David had to come home to a crabby, homesick wife.

It is time to plan a trip to the Delta.