New Peeps

2 thumbs up from Striker and I. Adding them to my seasonal candy must have list.

Another Bowling Alley...

...More bowling alley carpet. This one is more on the boring end of the spectrum, but could be fun after a few adult beverages!

Page from the Sydney Thomas Playbook

How I found Alex's feet yesterday...

Bowling and Your Census

Who'd have guessed that the Census would provide so much blog material?!

Today I went bowling with the boys, the big ones (Striker and Mr KFuj) and the little ones (Alex and Tony). Apparently Bowlium in Montclair is an Authorized Census Questionnaire Assistance Center. Um what?!

Dear Federal Government, I want to know how much the 2010 Census is costing us. I will then volunteer my services to cut costs. First, just mail the Census out. No pre-letter, no post-post card. 2nd, the toll-free question phone line is MORE than sufficient. I'll need to have a report of call volume and how many of those calls were related to curious citizens inquiring as to how Octomom should complete her questionnaire. There better not be a bunch of people sitting around in a call center somewhere because there CANNOT be that many people calling at one time. Have you heard of Call Forwarding? I'm just getting warmed up!

For Lois

Yes, that is a tangerine colored sofa and loveseat used as outdoor/front yard funiture. Yes, I drove around the block again to get a picture.

Robert M. Groves I'm Still Mad at You

As if the pre-Census letter and actual Census form weren't enough notification, today we received the post-Census postcard. At least it was a postcard and not a letter this time. Slight savings on postage. (Insert eye roll here)

Do Not Feed the Animals

While at the park with the boys on Saturday the ducks may or may not have been fed french fries from Jack in the Box...

Please note: the ducks do not discriminate between fries from JITB or In-N-Out. Why someone would feed In-N-Out fries to ducks is beyond me!

Bonus parenting tip: do not let your 2 year old hand feed a Canadian goose as tall as the child. The goose nipping said child's fingers to swallow In-N-Out fries WILL traumatize the child.

Electric...Blue

My toes are no longer naked. My sister suggested this color and had it been a little bit darker, I'd have thought she was sneaking Dodger Blue on my toes.

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Park Day!

Today the boys and I went to our first Park Day with our Parents of Multiples Club. I've gone to a few events already, but this was the first one that I brought the boys to, and their first time to a park that isn't the one across the street from our house. They did really well and had a good time looking around, enjoying the fresh air, and getting passed around from MoM to MoM.

I busted out our cadillac stroller for the outing and I really do love it! I'll need something lighter and a little quicker to open/close, throw in the back of the Pilot, when the boys out grow their infant carriers and the Snap-n-go, but for longer outings, it rocks!

The MoM that hosted was a super overachiever and served pizza and drinks to the 8 MoMs and roughly 18 kids that were there. Quite the turnout!

Please note that I give photo credit to the picture of me and the boys (such a rarity!) to the lovely MoM in the picture with us. Thank you! I give credit for my "child in front of the belly" pose to Andrea Braun...it really is brilliant!

I no longer have an urge to refer to the boys by the number of weeks. That ended once they hit 3 months. We'll see how long I refer to them in months...I'm anticipating that will end sometime between a year and a year and a half.

Fun day!

Gotta Get That on Video

Ever since we got the new video camera this has become a frequently used phrase in our house. It's regularly followed closely by...gotta get that uploaded (please note: that hasn't actually happened yet).

This morning I said GGToV after Alex woke up in his usual fashion. It goes something like this:
Fidget
Calm
Fidget
Wiggle
Calm
(Me to Striker: "Wait for it...")
Fidget
Wiggle
Eyes open
Smile
Frown
WAAAAAAAAA (translation: "I'm STARVING. Why aren't you feeding me?! I'm DYING!!!)

The fidget portion can last several minutes. The amount of time from eyes open to WAAAAAAA is only a few seconds. Without fail, the moment he tastes food, he's silent.

GGToV

Facebook First Responders

So an earthquake occurs at 4:04 AM. I wake up and am mid-leap to grab the boys when it stops. Both Oskar and Striker are still sleeping...I start to wonder if I'd imagined it. I turn on the news stations and grab my phone. Within seconds Facebook statuses start popping up...I'm not crazy! Then the news reports that it's a 4.4 in Whittier which is roughly 20 miles away. Striker rolls over and goes back to sleep...I spend the next 45 minutes commenting on Facebook and laughing at the yahoos calling into the news stations and their standard line of earthquake tips. BTW, I will always call my mom after an earthquake...even if I'm not supposed to jam the phone lines. ;) I did have the revelation that though he once would have been the first thing I'd grab in an earthquake, Oskar must now fend for himself. Poor guy!

Guess the Baby Answer

Tony was in blue stripes. And yes, I have to confess to needing to double check ;)

Diaper Critic

One of the greatest gifts my sister coordinated for my baby shower was asking guests to bring a pack of diapers in various sizes. We received a TON! In fact, Striker and I have not had to buy a single pack of diapers yet, and only in the last week or two, had to buy wipes for the first time.

All diapers are definitely not created equal, and I received quite a few comments on my Facebook status when I posted my disdain for Target diapers, so here is my opinion on the various brands of diapers we've used. Given the quantity we've changed in the last 3+ months, I feel qualified to review ;)

Listed in order of preference:
Huggies - Cream of the crop and everything that is right about a diaper...but you pay for it. Appreciate that they use Disney characters on them - love Mickey!
Kirkland - a close second to Huggies, and what we will be buying when we start purchasing them soon...sigh.
Pampers - this is what we used in the hospital, they're cheaper than Huggies, and what we received the most of. They put Sesame Street characters on them. Only downside is that they don't have the same coating on the outside that Huggies and Kirkland have so when full, you can feel moisture on the outside- not a fan of moisture.
Luvs - really thin, put Blues Clues on them, would not buy! Only use these during the day
Target - same as Luvs, but instead of Blues Clues they put blue and green polka dots ALL over them. Have an odd tissue paper quality about the edges and sides
Earth's Best-we used these very early on and we're not fans, though I don't remember exactly why.
WalMart-not a terrible diaper, buy it's thin and has really weird long stretchy tabs...and they're from Walmart, which means you'd have to go there

Wipes:
Huggies- perfect pop up dispensing, nice thick wipe, and they have a chemical/fragrance free variety
Kirkland- the only suitable alternative to Huggies and WAY cheaper this month with a coupon! Come wrapped in 100 wipe travel packs. Also chemical free.
Pampers- the THINNEST wipe on the planet! Otherwise, they're fine.
WalMart- they do NOT pop up. Deal breaker. I have 700 that we'll never use. Free to anyone that wants them, but I won't even regift them.

Is it odd that Striker has even stronger opinions on this subject? I didn't want to waste the substandard products, but he was quick to want to toss them immediately.

Sorry if you're reading this and purchased an "offender". I had no clue which I'd prefer and appreciated having the opportunity to try them all out!

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Whoa Baby!

Twins make a GREAT weight loss and fitness plan. Weight loss for the mommy feeding them (breastmilk exclusively), and great strength training for those picking them up and carrying them all day (combined weight is almost 30 pounds!).

Grandma quit the gym. She'd rather play with and help take care of her Lil Dudes every afternoon. My arms have NEVER been so toned!

Let's play another round of guess the baby. Which one is which?

Meet Chilly Willy

I decided at 4 AM that our new cool mist humidifier needed a name. Striker named him ;)

My 2 sickies and I all slept better with him in the room. Available at Target...on sale now for $30. They also have a frog that mists thru the top of its eyes (odd!) and an elephant which was cute, except that its ears were flat against the side of its head.

Might Start a New Collection

1/24/10

Question: What was significant about this date?

Answer: It was the last time I had a pedicure.

NOT suitable for public viewing:

Robert M. Groves I Dislike You

I'm super excited to receive and complete our Census form, not only because it's my first time completing it, but because I also get to include the boys! I thought for sure that it had finally arrived tonight. Nope! It was a letter telling me that I'd receive it in about a week. Federal deficit?

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Happy Birthday to ME! (2010)

Also known as the start of the last year of my 20s...not so worried about turning 30, it's 40 that scares me (sorry to everyone that is knocking on 40's door this year).

When your birthday is on Wednesday, you get to celebrate for a week!

To recap this year:
-Best Gift EVER was spending the entire day with my 2 handsome little men!
-Ann Taylor LOFT gift card from Striker's parents
-Ate lunch at Red Robin with the old crew from work (and Alex and Tony)...Target gift card and Glen Ivy Gift Certificate and SUPER yummy cupcakes
-Ate dinner with my mom and the boys at Chili's (Striker was at bowling trying to win enough money to pay for league next year...I support his absence for this reason)
-Video Camera from Striker (which is really "our" gift since he used gift cards from his birthday towards the purchase)
-Birthday $$$ from Art and Helga
-Birthday posts from KFuj and Queen B
-BELATED birthday card from Queen B (snicker)
-Super awesome sweatshirt from my Sistor
-Salad "spinner" from Shades (this is a whole separate post)
-Gift card to JC Penney from my aunt and uncle
-Gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond and a salad spinner (which I specifically requested) from my mom
-Yummy family birthday dinner and Mint n Chip Ice Cream Cake
-Oodles of birthday wishes on Facebook and via text/BBM

Thank you everyone for a super great birthday!!!

Happy 3 Month Birthday!

My little babies are starting to look like little boys...and yes, I realize that sounds ridiculous. I CANNOT believe how much they grew in a month!!! They are in 3-6 month clothes now and are in size 2 diapers. I again spent a good part of the weekend pulling out all of their "little" clothes and diapers and putting out all of their "big" stuff.

I had to take Tony to the doctor on Thursday and found out that he weighed 13 pounds 4 ounces, so I had to stop on the way home and get a baby scale. Alex weighs over 15 pounds!!! They were both just 8-9 pounds a month ago...can we say growth spurt? Tony also grew 3/4"!

Updates from their 2 Month Birthday post:

-We did take family photos on 2/12...while some of the prints have made it into their frames, none have made it on the wall yet, and I still need to buy a frame for the 10x13 print of the picture in the side bar. Goal is to get all of my recently purchased frames hung within the month. It's a planning thing so I don't put holes all over my walls.

-Changing table has been used several times and we're spending more time playing in their room. They are still sharing a crib in my bedroom as they got sick the weekend of the planned move which threw that idea out the window really quickly. Goal for this month is for them to start napping during the day in their room to get used to the change of scenery so it's an easier transition. Now that I've had 2 nights where they slept for 8 hours straight, I'm not really into disrupting what works. Other MoMs have assured me that letting them sleep diagonally and continue sharing the crib is normal ;)

-We celebrated our birthdays together today...the grandparents and aunts and uncles came over and we played Wii and ate and ate and ate. More on my birthday in a separate post.

Tony LOVES watching hockey on TV. It's the cutest thing to watch him enjoying a Kings game with his daddy. He also got into a little trash talking, with a certain Canadian Great Aunt of his, over the Olympic Hockey Games ;) He also enjoys walking up and down the upstairs hallway with his grandma and sitting on the "seat" she makes for him with her arm so that he is facing outward. His favorite pictures on the wall are the ones of Mommy and Daddy when we got engaged. I'm holding onto my belief that he's going to be the very independent child that never stops running around and playing until he just passes out mid-action. Just wait for the pictures of him asleep on his toys. He's pretty much quit his pacifier on his own already...this may change when he starts teething in a few months.

Alex LOVES his friends on the Snoopy mobile on their crib. He can lay there watching them, babbling, and kicking his legs for a VERY long time. He now watches me wherever I go...he's the total Mommy's Boy. He's also become extremely patient (possibly helped by his love of the Snoopy mobile) and will usually let me take care of his brother first without having a total meltdown - such a good big brother! Unfortunately he's also learned to project his spit up (sorry Grandma, he usually practices on you) and has mastered the art of spitting up as soon as I've changed him into a going out outfit, but before I put on a protective bib. Seriously. It never fails.

They have both started playing or at least being amused by toys. Both have pretty good head control now and flirt with Mommy in the morning. We've settled into a pretty regular routine which has helped keep us all happy. Neither of them really ever cry unless they're hungry or if they're bored. They are really good babies and we are EXTREMELY lucky!

Solo outings aren't a big deal, as we've made several. Planning and routine are key. In fact on the two occasions that Tony and I have gone to the doctor without Alex, I feel like I'm forgetting something the whole time. We're going to make more scheduled trips and playdates this month. We went to Chick-fil-A with Uncle Mr. KFuj (almost used his real name there!) on Friday and have decided to make it a regular date this month since it's green receipt month. We're bringing Striker with us this week and meeting up with one of the other MoMs and her girls that are also obsessed with Chick-fil-A. We'll be visiting Bianka and family on Wednesday and will be taking an updated Triple A picture (which reminds me that I need to bring ABBA's quilt). It's my goal to also be able to leave the house more spontaneously...in other words, I'll find ways to test myself to see how quickly I can get out of here without forgetting anything important.

I finally caught a good picture of Alex flirting this morning...will work on getting one of Tony. Check out Tony's lashes though!

I love being Alex and Tony's Mom!

Dear Costco...

How I love thee! Let me count reason 4,852:
Twin pack of 23oz jars of Salsa con Queso for $6.39
MMmmmmmmmmm

For Once in My Life

Growing up, I always envied other kids that looked like their parents and siblings...I don't really look anything like anyone in my family unless you try really hard to find something.

There's a picture of Will as an infant that's a dead ringer for Tony. I'll scan it eventually, but it's downstairs on the fridge (where we show everyone when they come over).

The more I looked at the chunkster (Alex) the more I kept thinking that he reminded me of a few of my baby pictures from around 3 months, so I asked my mom to snag one for me...the result? Here, you decide. (Thankfully both Alex and Tony got Daddy's blue eyes and not my boring brown ones).

Killer Heels

Almost 2 weeks ago ABBA and Lois requested a picture of the shoes that I have fallen on my butt in twice. Here they are. They are actually really comfortable, just maybe not made to polka in...

Chunk Muffin

Once upon a time, an evil nurse told me that I wasn't feeding my son enough. I think we've solved that problem ;)

One Man's Gas Guzzler...

Perhaps the well meaning eco-friendly Best Buy should provide more clarification on "fuel efficient"...

Guess the Baby?

Just ignore that it's a terrible picture of me!