Heat Wave

Yes, the news is right. We are having a HEAT WAVE here on the east coast. It has been 99 and 100 degrees here for the past couple of days. The air conditioner has run non-stop, but it rarely gets below 78 degrees inside the house. David and I bought the twins a new slide on Saturday and put it to use that afternoon. We quickly realized it was too hot to be outside so David moved the slide inside after T and E went to bed last night. They were so happy and surprised to see it this morning and played on it most of the day.

And We're Off!!

Starting tomorrow the entire Hopkins family will be on the go for the month of June. David is headed to Seattle for a week while the twins and I are headed for Atlanta to visit Gramps and Grandmother Jane for the week. Following our Atlanta trip the twins and I will be flying to Arkansas for a week and a half to visit the Cullom side of the family. I am so anxious for everyone to see how much Thomas and Elizabeth have grown and how much they have learned. I am also anxious to see how the twins respond and interact with family members they haven't seen in quite a while.....months.



The truck is packed!

Storytime

This is how I spend so much of my day each and every day. Elizabeth and Thomas love books. They love to be read to and love to read to themselves. Elizabeth has memorized some of her favorite books including Uncle Gronkel's Busy Day, and Old MacDonald Had a Barn and reads them out loud over and over. We have books that have been taped and re-taped to keep them in one piece. So far Elizabeth and Thomas haven't torn up too many of their books, and we constantly try to teach them to be kind to their books. Whenever the twins are sick as they have been this past week I read certain books at least 20 times a day. I love to watch the twins' faces as they anticipate favorite phrases or events in each story.

I loved reading as a child and often read to my cat Coco. Grandaddy swears to this day that Coco could read. I read out loud and acted out the different characters parts and usually got embarrassed when a sibling walked in the room. I loved the world of "make believe" and imaginary characters and alternate universes. I still love to read though I don't have nearly as much time to do so. I miss getting lost in someone else's world....somone other than Mr. Gronkle or Humperdink, or Maisy. But oh how I love reading to my children and watching them as they learn and verbalize new words and ideas. I'm happy to see them share one of my passions and hope it continues as they grow.

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.

Springtime Fun

Elizabeth and Thomas had a great time with their Nana and Grandpa Jim recently. Neither was too clingy to me though Elizabeth had her moments when she had to have only "mama help." They were only here for a couple of days, but the morning after they returned to Florida E and T both woke up saying "Nana?" I told them Nana had gone bye-bye so then they would say, "Nana bye-bye." It was really cute.

The weather has been so beautiful here lately, and we have stayed really busy with trips to the park, trips to the zoo, and lots of badly needed yard work. Thomas and Elizabeth love to "work" in the yard with mama and dada. Thomas found a caterpillar the other day and watched it for the longest time. I told him it was just like his book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and it would eventually turn into a beautiful butterfly. The next day he looked for his caterpillar in the same spot, but it was gone.

This past Sunday we went on a family outing to the State House. It is breathtakingly beautiful....so old and lovely landscaping. Elizabeth loved the birds and was in constant search of them. She had a difficult time understanding why they flew away whenever she got close to them. Check out the photo gallery.....David got a great picture of the twins holding hands....definitely one I want to frame:)

We are welcoming my mom this evening for a week long visit. I have been telling T and E that "Mimi" is coming. I'm excited about spending some time with my mom as well as her getting to spend time with the twins.

Here's to a good week:)

Visitors!

After a pretty long visitor dry spell we have company coming. David's mom and stepdad are coming up Saturday to stay for a couple of days, and my mom will be here on Tuesday to stay for about a week. I'm looking forward to the company and to the twins' reactions to company. Elizabeth really bonded with my mom on our last visit to Arkansas. She would not hold my hand on a trip to the mall....she insisted on holding Mimi's finger. It was very cute, and my mom completely melted over the whole incident. I wonder if Elizabeth will remember Mimi.

Elizabeth, you can see!

Elizabeth got her glasses today. We talked about her glasses all the way to the optical shop but when it came time to put them on her sweet face E was not happy. The nice lady that helped us was very patient and got the glasses adjusted pretty quickly. She put a pair on me as well while E and I looked in the mirror. This seemed to help E decide to keep the glasses on long enough to see her reflection. I put her down to see what she would do. She was very deliberate with each step she took....extremely weird to watch. As soon as we got home I sat down to read with the twins. I wanted to show Elizabeth how much her glasses would help her read. I was also anxious to see her reaction. From that moment she decided she liked her glasses. She wore them for the rest of the day with no problem. She ran around the house, read books, played outside, went for a stroll...all with her glasses on her precious face.

I took some pics, but it will be a few days before I can post them. David is out of town, and I STILL don't know how to post pics on our blog.

Cute Factor

Elizabeth now makes her babies cry. She says, "waaa......waaaaa.......waaaa" and responds appropriately by loving them. It sounds and looks so cute!


On Tuesday night I took Thomas and Elizabeth to the Moms of Twins Club meeting because David was out of town. I unloaded them from the truck and realized I only had one hand for them to hold (I was holding food in the other hand). I grabbed Thomas' hand and told him to hold his sister's hand. They each grinned and held hands for about a second. I tried to tell him again and got the same response. Finally, I said, "Hold Elizabeth's hand like you hold Mommy's hand." It worked! They walked and held hands all the way to the church steps. It was just precious watching them! I wish I had it on video.


Elizabeth's glasses are in however we can't go get them. Both T and E have the flu. No cute pics with her new glasses for a while.

I'm an aunt.....again!

Karlee Malone was born at 1:05 Central Standard Time . She weighs 6lbs. 4oz. and is 19 inches long. She is beautiful! I can't believe my brother is a father. Congratulations, Sumner and Angie. You have just started a wonderful yet humbling journey. I love you and can't believe we aren't there to give Karlee a kiss.

Eye Appointment

David and I took Elizabeth and Thomas to a pediatric opthamologist this past Monday because I have a family history of amblyopia. In the brochure given to me by the doctor, amblyopia is defined as "poor vision in an eye that does not develop normal sight during early childhood." It is caused by any condition that affects normal use of the eyes and visual development, and in most cases is inherited. The best time to correct amblyopia is during infancy or early childhood. My sister has this condition and was not diagnosed until around age seven (I think) and is blind in one eye as a result. She was told by her opthamologist that all of our children should be tested around 18 months of age.

Anyway, we took the kids in to be tested. Both Thomas and Elizabeth behaved really well. Thomas wasn't crazy about the eye drops used to dilate his pupils, but we got through it. The doctor was wonderful....so soft spoken, patient, and laid back. Luckily, neither Thomas nor Elizabeth has amblyopia. However, Elizabeth is extremely farsighted and will have to wear glasses. The doctor put a lens up to both mine and David's eyes to give us an idea of what Elizabeth sees, and I was shocked. It was so blurry I couldn't make out anything. He asked had we ever suspected she might have trouble seeing, but neither one of us had. She loves to run and play and loves, loves, loves to "read" books. The doctor prescribed glasses but only for half the strength she needs so that her eyes will learn to focus. We will go back in July so he can check her vision again.

Elizabeth was really cute while trying on glasses. She kept saying "glasses" and "Dada".....she wanted to show him each pair. Once she got tired of trying them on she would say," uh-uh" and shake her head. Now I just watch her amazed at the things she can do while not being able to see very well. I guess she doesn't know any better.....it is how the world has always looked to her. I am anxious to see how she responds to her glasses. My guess would be the glasses will reinforce themselves.....being able to see with them on will make her want to wear them. In my experience as a speech pathologist that has been the case with students wearing hearing aids for the first time. We will see what happens.

Happy Birthday!

Thomas and Elizabeth are 20 months old now. They are at such a fun stage and seem so big and grown up. They eat from their own plates and are getting better at using utensils. They play and talk non-stop. Of course, most of their talking is their own language, but they are attempting more words each day. E and T keep David and I laughing constantly. E has suddenly become very attached to her pink monkey given to her by Gramps and Grandmother. She holds it smiling and says "Nini" which is how she says monkey. It is quite cute. Thomas uses the biggest question hands right now and is so deliberate when saying words. His eyes get really big and he looks so intently in our eyes making sure we are hearing him. I can't believe how fast they are growing.

I have registered Thomas and Elizabeth in a Methodist preschool for next year. They will go two days a week until noon. I am so excited about the whole experience for them. They will make friends, learn how to socialize with other adults....all without mama being there.


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David is out of town for a few days. He is actually in my "old stomping grounds."......Northwest Arkansas. How I would have loved to go on this trip with him though I know the area has changed SO much since I lived there. It has been seven years since I lived there....so hard to believe how quickly time passes and life changes. I am currently feeling very "middle aged". I look like hell when I wake up in the morning with puffy, saggy eyes. When did this happen? All of the sudden?

Amanda and I had an interesting conversation the other day about how different we are now compared to when we were 25ish. She recently went shopping with some twenty-somethings and was brought face to face with such differences.

Her trip went like this:
Amanda went straight to the sale racks.......twenty-somethings bought $160 jeans
Amanda buys black, tan, white.........twenty-somethings bought pinks, yellows, etc.


When exactly does it happen? At what age do we become so practical? I guess what is important to us changes. When I was 25 I was single and on my own spending money only on myself. Now I don't care as much about clothes and appearance but instead find delight in watching my children grow and learn.

HOME SWEET HOME

We are finally home from our adventures in Seattle. We flew out late Saturday night, and Thomas screamed hysterically the entire 5 1/2 hour flight. It was awful! At one point I wanted to ask the pilot to just land....it didn't matter where...just land the @#$$#@! plane. We survived without any of the other passengers throwing us off the plane and landed in Atlanta around 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Gramps was waiting for us outside and took us to his house. He fed us, and the four of us took a four hour nap. We woke up for an outstanding home cooked lunch with collard greens, rutabaga, Lima beans, field peas, and corn bread and then began the drive home. It was absolutely the LONGEST drive home EVER! We have been recouping all week with David working, me doing 20 loads of laundry, grocery shopping, and playing with babies....haven't had time to touch the cleaning. T and E haven't been feeling well, but the weather has been spring like. I have taken them outside as much as possible...David told me going outside always makes him feel better when he has a cold. I think it has worked for the twins.


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Thomas and Elizabeth had their 18-month Well Visit on Monday...I know it was almost two months late. Anyway, they had a great checkup in spite of being sick. Elizabeth is now 31 inches tall, weighs 21 pounds, and has a head circumference of 18 1/2 cm ( not really sure if it is measured in cm or in.) She is in the 25th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for head circumference! Thomas is 32 inches tall, weighs 24.2 pounds, and has a head circumference of 19 (cm or in). He is in the 50th percentile in terms of weight which is a HUGE jump for him. The pediatrician had no concerns about their physical or cognitive development. She did put E on antibiotics for a double ear infection :( Thomas' ears were clear though he shares the same snotty nose and cough as his sister. They both got two vaccinations each -- HEP A and DTAP.



Thomas and Elizabeth have grown leaps and bounds since their 15 month well visit especially in the area of expressive language. All of the sudden they have started talking. Elizabeth imitates almost everything we say (unfortunately she has already said her first cuss word) and is starting to put two words together (ie. "thank you", "doctor bye-bye") Thomas has fewer words than Elizabeth and is just beginning to imitate some words. His newest word is "bubbles" which he spotted in the washing machine today. He also said "baby" for the first time today as he lifted a baby doll out of the toy box. Thomas and Elizabeth both shake their heads for "NO" and nod their heads for "yes".



One of my concerns has been the limited variety of foods in the twins' diets. It seems to be worse at supper time, and I usually go through the pantry and five or six different foods before they will eat anything. I asked the pediatrician "at what point do I say this is what mama cooked, and this is what we are eating?" The doctor said, "Now." So, as of Monday night we have all been eating supper together.....same time, and same foods give or take a variation. It was quite a milestone. I remember about a year ago wondering when we would really eat as a family rather than the twins' meal....clean up....the grown ups' meal.....clean up. Now we have arrived. David and I just watched Thomas and Elizabeth who each had their own plates and eating utensils. They looked so big! Monday night they ate well though I had fixed one of their favorite dishes -- whole wheat tortellini with red sauce, carrots (they didn't touch), and strawberries. Monday was a good start....they haven't eaten very well since Monday night with the exception of breakfast each morning. Oddly enough I haven't been all that worried. I figure some of it could be due to them being sick or them not feeling well from their shots. Surely they will come around especially if they want dessert to come back....no pudding in several nights.



Thomas and Elizabeth are currently on one waiting list for a two day a week preschool next year. I have one more school to visit and will probably put them on that waiting list as well. They need the socialization and the exposure to other adults besides me. Elizabeth has a hard time separating right now. I know it's my fault....I rarely leave them....not because I don't want to....it is just more complicated with two and with no family close by. Hopefully, eventually, with David's new job we will move closer to family. He has an upcoming business trip to Northwest Arkansas....oh how I would love to make that trip with him.....or move there! (Don't think that will happen, but it sure would be nice!)

Date Night

Last night David and I went out on a date with Kim (his coworker) and Greg. We left Thomas and Elizabeth at Kim and Greg's house with Kim's mom, nanny, and their son Reese and went to this wonderful restaurant called Wild Ginger http://www.wildginger.net/ We had such a great time. The restaurant was beautiful, the food was divine, and the adult company was excellent. It has been so long since David and I went out on a date.....I guess the last time was a Christmas party this past December. Anyway, it was perfect.

Of course, those that babysat might not agree with my description of the night. Elizabeth cried (ahem, screamed) off and on until David and I returned. The nanny had to hide our backpack in an effort to keep E from crying. At one point during the night E laid down by the front door and cried. Thomas, on the other hand, did not miss a beat. He and Reese played all night.

Needless to say, David and I need to get out more both for us and our children.

Tonight we are meeting up with a guy from my hometown in Arkansas along with his wife and six month old boy/girl twins. I haven't seen Jonathan since 1992 and look forward to our visit.

Toddlerhood Socialization

Today I took Thomas and Elizabeth to the Science Center to play in the Toddler Area. We had a great time. T and E slid down the slide a million times, splashed in the water area and popped lots of bubbles at the bubble table. There was much less crying and fit throwing this time around in the toddler area. There were fewer children and more time for interactions with other kids. I enjoy watching and teaching the twins how to share and take turns, and they did a much better job at both skills this time versus our last visit. These skills are so hard for toddlers to learn. Thomas and Elizabeth met a little girl who was having a hard time with socializing. I shouldn't say a hard time....she was trying to say hello but did it with pulling hair and hitting. She got Elizabeth first, but it was over quickly and didn't seem to bother E much. However, when the little girl got Thomas she got two handfuls of hair and held on for dear life. The mom was begging her to let go while Thomas was screaming. Once she let go Thomas looked at me like, "What the @#$#@ just happened?" The poor mom apologized and quickly disappeared. I felt sorry for her. I wasn't upset in the least. The little girl was just being a toddler. Toddlerhood is all about socialization and figuring out the world. T and E have gone through the same thing, and I'm sure will go through it again. The mom was so embarrassed and apologetic, but I assured her I wasn't upset.....that my kids do the same things.

After the Toddler Area we went to the tropical butterfly room, and it was amazing. There were butterflies everywhere....big ones, small ones.....flying everywhere. They were really beautiful. E kept saying "pretty, pretty". Thomas wasn't into the butterfly room. He didn't like them flying close to him.

Today was another adventurous day for the twins and mom. I delight in watching their reactions to the world around them.....and the people.

Centers of Attention

Today the twins and I were invited to have lunch at David's workplace. Actually, I was informed the twins would be the "Guests of Honor." Greg (from the aquarium) came to the hotel so we could follow him to the office. Remember....I have no sense of direction and no internal compass. Anyway, we arrived and met everybody. Thomas and Elizabeth are usually very shy and a little clingy when in a crowd, but today they were like little starlets. They were friendly and independent exploring every room, every crevice of the office. They charmed everyone and were really cute (I'm biased, I know). Nikki (from the cabin) came to my rescue by bringing foods she knew T and E would eat. Also, they both ate BBQ pork....I was shocked and happily so. We arrived back at the hotel in time for their nap. All is well in Seattle.

I saw the first raindrop in Seattle this morning. I should point out that the sun is now shining, and it is warmer here than back in South Carolina.