Home Improvement Weekend

We replaced the worn out welcome mat with a new one. Striker and his buddy ran electrical and hung two ceiling fans so that all of our upstairs rooms now have them. (This fun fan is in the boys' room.) I assembled the red wagon that Grandma got the boys. (Modeled by Tony.) Kolbowland was built and enjoyed by the boys. (Babies in, furries out). Backyard was also cleaned and prepped for summer. Now if I can just find a way to keep the birds away from our house...(We have a bird infestation in our neighborhood...bird poop is EVERYWHERE!)

First Solids

We started with rice cereal, like you're "supposed" to, but I was gagging while I was mixing it. When the boys just weren't into it, I pulled out plan B. The sweet potatoes were a much bigger hit. Yes, the video camera was rolling. Yes, we fed them simultaneously. Yes, they ended up wearing more than they ate. Yes, it was a fun, though short-lived experience. Tomorrow I get to try this by myself, wish me luck!

MIA: Green Thumb

Dear HOA Gardeners,
They're dead, or at least not growing. Put them out of their misery and plant something pretty by my front door. If I'd wanted dead plants/flowers, we wouldn't live in a HOA community with gardeners, I can do that myself.
Thanks!
Jenn Ann

First Trip to Elsinore

While Striker cleaned the boat (pretty much by himself, thanks babe!), Oma and I played with the boys in their pool for the first time. Tony LOVED the water and turned into a prune. Alex learned to like the water, but felt better when he was holding his brother's hand. So fun! I can't wait to spend lots of time in the water this summer.

Shopping with Twinfants

I have still managed to avoid the stroller push/cart pull http://multiplesandmore.blogspot.com/2010/05/picking-up-prescriptionmultiples-style.html, but am really starting to see the efficiency in doing so. Of course, that would also surely cause a spectacle. Alex is almost a good enough sitter that I'm considering trying plopping him in the seat in the cart and wearing Tony in my Moby Wrap. I think I'll try that for my next excursion.

In case you're wondering, I hung the pool on my thumbs while pushing the cart traditionally. Before checking out, all of the items in the bag were tossed underneath the boys. Tony fell asleep about halfway through our trip.

Grammar Police

A major pet peeve of mine is the incorrect usage of there/their/they're...

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1st Roll for Alex

Tony has been trying to roll from back to belly for a month now, but hasn't quite figured out how to get his bottom arm out from under him.

Alex has only been trying to roll for the last 2 weeks or so, but like everything, has been watching intently to see how Tony does things. Alex learns by watching (like me), Tony learns by doing (like Striker). Yesterday we went to a Meet and Greet with our Multiples Club, and Alex watched our neighbors (8 month old twin girls) rolling around for quite some time. Apparently, that's all he needed!

Today, Alex rolled from back to belly (to his right). It took him awhile to finally get that bottom arm out, but he did it! (Please note Tony watching intently in the bottom corner...it shouldn't be long for him now...he's very competitive. After Alex started standing all the time while being held, Tony decided he wanted to do that too.)

Tony has started working on his crab walk...essentially crawling on his back. He's been scooting around his crib, and now does so when we're playing on the floor. He hasn't quite figured out that it can take him from point A to point B yet, but I have a feeling that's coming soon. Good thing I planned on spending Memorial Day weekend preparing our house for mobile twinfants.

Bedtime @ the Kolbows

The ultimate in dysFUNction, with emphasis on fun. After baths, if the boys aren't over tired (read: crying/melting down), Striker reads them a bedtime story while I clean things up and prepare to feed them.

Tonight I finished up quickly and got to listen. Before I settled in bed, I heard Striker say "Tony look over here. Pay attention". I joined the chaos that was story time tonight:
Striker doing his best to capture and hold the interest of Alex and Tony, while reading.
Tony watching his ceiling fan and talking to it, distracted only by Mommy.
Alex very interested in repeating some new trick with his tongue and upper lip, but was quite interested in holding the book (pictured).
Oskar chewing his rawhide.
Me wondering why Striker and I were more tired than the boys, and could they PLEASE look sleepy already?!

Twinfants First Trip to Disneyland

Today was our pilot/test trip so that we'd have all the kinks worked out and I'd have a solid game plan for our next visit with Grandma and Oma.

Today we accomplished:
-BOB and twinfants on the tram with the stupid doors (can only ride with a 1:1 adult:twinfant ratio)
-walked back to Mickey & Friends Structure (1/2 mile, but can do with a 1:2 adult:twinfant ratio)
-Annual Passport photos taken with zero wait (I like my photo, though I have no nose. Striker's? Not so much.)
- 1st Visit Buttons acquired...I need to Google all the various options to be sure we collect them all.
-Pictures taken in front of the castle and the "A"...the "A" will be our regular photo spot
-1st ride on Dumbo...learned we wanted front carriers/Moby Wraps for standing in line...20 pounds of baby gets heavy faster than the Dumbo line moves. Self portraits with 3 out of 4 Kolbows facing the camera are considered a success. (Sorry Alex). Despite the looks on their faces, they both seemed to enjoy Dumbo. Yippee!
-Visited the Baby Care Center (end of Main Street on the right by First Aid) and LOVED it. Nothing fancy, but it's quiet, dimly lit, and cool. If they had a foot rest and spa water in the Nursing area, I might never leave! So much easier changing diapers in there than in the fold down changing tables in the regular bathrooms.
-Striker and I will likely eat our way through Disneyland and California Adventure this year...the walking offsets the unhealthy food right?
-Felt like we were fish in an aquarium and heard "twins", "two", and "double" no less than 100 times. Usually these were heard behind us as people walked past. Standing in line, we felt like some sort of attraction as the line wound around us. We felt obligated to smile, acknowledge and answer the questions of those around us.

Overall, a fun and successful trip AND I'm in some pictures...YAY!

Mickey Mom

Ignore how dirty my car is...thanks!

This is one dedicated Mickey Mom from Nevada!
Personalized plate, check.
Mickey frame, check.
Mickey sticker, check.
Mickey antenna balls, check.

Farmers Market = New Addiction

This morning we met KFuj, Kyle and their friends "Iowa" and her daughter at the Chino Hills Farmers Market.

We sampled our way thru and I got: strawberries, green onions, asparagus (more on that later), cookies, and a mini lemon cake and a mini butter rum cake. I was bummed the Nut Guy wasn't there again this week, because I really wanted more cinnamon almonds. In his place was a Hummus Guy with some very interesting varieties. Red pepper, pomegranate and walnut was oddly good, and a few hours later, I find myself wanting more. Hmmm, maybe next time.

Anyhow, I took these pictures at 9:30. We were meeting at 10. Tony and I were ready to go. Alex wasn't quite done getting his beauty sleep.

All the babies did really well, and I was most impressed by KFuj and Iowa for venturing out with their 4 and 6 week olds! Great job girls!

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OCD Envy

I heard a leaf blower this morning and was confused because it wasn't Wednesday or Friday (our 2 HOA's gardener days). I looked out the window and saw our new neighbor cleaning their garage. Not only was everything organized on shelves, but they have the coating on the concrete floor.

My garage is close to this level of organization (minus one big pile that I need to sift through before tossing), but I am envious of the floor coating. Like really envious. It's one of the few upgrades we didn't get on this house. Had I known what would become of my garage (home to cats and the huge clouds of litter dust that coat everything in there on a daily basis), we'd definitely have got the coating to aid in litter/dust/fur clean up. Thank goodness we did get the cabinets!

Candidates for CA Governor

There are 8 candidates on our ballot: a businessman, a businesswoman, a retired business owner, an accountant/controller, (all "normal" or at least expected) and a railroad switchman, family broadcasting executive, psychologist/farmer, and a primary care physician.

How much would you like to see all of them in a room together?

Congratulations Striker!

Saturday, 5/15/10, Striker bowled his second highest series EVER, 803! That's 268, 246, and 289. (Yes, I made him wear this shirt and take this picture with his winnings. Please don't hold it against him.)

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Public Service Announcement - Neosporin

Apparently I am part of 20% of the population that is allergic to Neosporin. Of course it's taken me 19 years to self diagnose (love me some Google) and I've NEVER heard of anyone else being allergic until I posted it on my Facebook status. BTW, 10% of the population is allergic to penicillin.

Those that are allergic break out in a NASTY red rash on the area covered by the Neosporin. (I won't post the picture of my wrist, but just ask KT, it's NASTY). Now, I've had several of these rashes before...the earliest I can recall dating back to my appendectomy when I was 10...and always thought it was a reaction to all the moisture being covered and festering. There is one brief mention on the tube about a potential allergic reaction/rash that is standard on most medications...you'd think with a 20% allergy rate it might be a little more prominent? I guess since it is "just" a pesky rash and not life threatening it's not a big deal. (Please note, the rash doesn't become nasty unless you repeatedly coat your skin in the stuff for DAYS because you are trying to avoid infection as a result of popping the blisters carrying/caring for your twinfants. And no, I'm not going to the doctor..
.no infection and I know the rash will go away soon.)

Polysporin is fine. It's also cheaper...winner?

Vegas Vacation

What? Don't you read in the tub fully clothed? ;)

Citizens Arrest

No explanation required.

Conquering My Fears

What crazy individual takes 5 month old twinfants to their 4 month Well Baby appointment by herself? Me. (Yes. We were 4 weeks late...Tony had surgery. No shots 2 weeks before or after.)

The good news? It couldn't have gone much more smoothly. The stars aligned and the boys were awesome. (I mean, they're always awesome, but we avoided meltdowns completely.)

I took this picture of the 3 of us in the waiting room in the event that the rest of our visit fell apart. Yes, that is a look of sheer terror on my face...I'll need to work on my "everything is fine" calm face.

We were the first appointment after lunch (no waiting!) and got to go straight back. The boys were weighed (Alex 20 lbs and Tony 18 lbs) and measured (yeah, totally forgot these measurements). We waited for the doctor to come in, everyone was happy, even Alex who was only in his diaper...good thing for him that it had to have been 80 in there...I was already sweating, the heat just made it worse!

Tony fell asleep while Alex was being checked out, I looked over and saw him fast asleep cuddling his giraffe. Alex got to go first for his shots as a result. He did really well, calmed down quickly after a little crying, and then I switched babies. Tony woke up during his shots, but also calmed down quickly. I looked over at Alex and he was asleep! Tony stayed awake and flirted with everyone, while Alex stayed asleep.

I decided to stop by Target and make our first trip there as well (no picture though) since everything was going so smoothly and quietly. That also went well, despite the fact that I couldn't find a basket anywhere and needed more things than I could carry while pushing the snap-n-go, but not so many that I'd want to transfer the boys to a cart and return the stroller to my car. I ended up getting half of what I'd wanted to get, but didn't care because the outing was such a success.

Alright, I'm done patting myself on the back now, but I did cross 2 things off my "Things that Scare Me" list.

Mother's Day Gifts

My "gift" to myself was a burn from an iron, which will likely leave a decent scar on my right wrist. Especially since I didn't take care of it for almost 36 hours and accidentally popped the 2 parts that blistered before I got around cleaning and covering it. Do you have any idea how many times you bump/rub the outer and under sides of the wrist of your dominate hand on any given day? At least the scar will always remind me of my first Mother's Day.

Better gifts included Disneyland Annual Passes for me, Striker, Grandma Barbie, and Oma (the boys are free), and an Olive Garden gift card for me. Yes, Striker's pass was part of my gift ;)

I also "won" the Newest Mother prize at church...Bianka won 2 years ago and her plant is still alive and well. I hope to do the same. Maybe I should take a "before" photo just in case...

Happy Mothers Day!

Coasting Devices?

Just seems like an odd description...

Happy 5 Month Birthday!

Since last month, we:

-had play dates with Alexa and Sadie

-took lots of naps, especially with Daddy

-watched playoff hockey...sadly the Canucks beat the Kings

-watched less TV and read more books

-graduated to 9 month clothes (and some 12 month pants for Alex's thighs)

-continued working on rolling over (Tony) - close but no cigar...now he rolls both ways instead of just to the left

-continued sticking everything into our mouths...particularly our left (Tony) and right (Alex) hands

-took lots of walks with BOB, and used every single stroller we have

-introduced "lovies" - Ellie the Elephant and Jerry the Giraffe

-celebrated Pickle's, Lil Dahl's, and Kyle's birthdays/birth day

-found the fun in shredding paper napkins (Alex)

-increased our production of drool...seriously, out of control!

-became bigger fans of both the Exersaucer and Jumper

-survived surgery (Tony)

-officially became Bumbo sitters

-went on our first vacation/road trip to Lake Tahoe/Reno with Grandma, Oma and Opa

-became really good at sitting and standing with little assistance (Alex)...and decided that if Alex could do it, he could too (Tony)

-laugh, a lot. It makes everyone happy.

-learned a new activity - picking our legs up in the crib and then dropping them to make a noise (Alex). Striker loves when Alex does this at 2 AM.

-got really good at snuggling with Mommy. The best part of this month!

This is definitely my favorite age so far...they do stuff, but still stay where I put them ;)

Lake Tahoe Vacation - Day 7

On the road again...We left at 3:45 AM and got home at 1:15 PM. We stopped in Mammoth, Inyokern, Kramer Junction, and Adelanto. It was freezing (or below freezing in places) when we started our drive, and I was wearing flip flops. When we got home, it was 80 something :)

I highly recommend leaving that early when driving with infants. They slept most of the way which saved us all from hours of my singing. They even took turns driving ;)

We were all very happy to be home lying on our bed watching the ceiling fan. Even more happy to be sleeping in our own bed/crib.

Lake Tahoe Vacation - Day 6

Thursday, for some reason, the boys were dressed alike all day.

Take-out breakfast from IHOP...mmmm mmmm good! Striker had Chocolate Chip Pancakes which disturb me because the texture is all wrong. My mom and I split Strawberry and Banana Pancakes, only it wasn't until after we were done that I realized we'd ordered Strawberry and Banana French Toast. Clearly that change didn't bother us.

Our outing for the day was lunch at Fire & Ice. This place has become a Lake Tahoe tradition for us, though we learned that there is one that opened in Anaheim late last year. Highly recommend this place!

I spent the afternoon repacking the Pilot for our ride home. After the boys were asleep, Grandma stayed with them so Striker and I could go to the hot tub one more time.

Our planned departure time was set for 2 AM.

Lake Tahoe Vacation - Day 5

After a night of very little sleep for me (and only slightly more for Striker and Grandma), I declared Wednesday a do nothing day.

I am so in love with this picture of the double tongues! One of very few pictures taken today, and it's one of my favorites.

We sent Striker off to the ER to make sure he had bronchitis and not pneumonia, and to get some meds to clear him up. He was in and out in 45 minutes! Aside from his really annoying cough, he'll live. ;)

Lake Tahoe Vacation - Day 4

After a good night's sleep (thank you Alex and Tony) we hung out and did a load of laundry while Striker bowled and drove back from Reno.

We walked to a little row of shops next to our resort and had lunch. The weather was much warmer today - just a t-shirt, jeans and flip flops for me. Yay!

We stopped at the Tot Lot on the way back and Alex and Tony got to go down their first slide with Grandma and Opa.

We hung out the rest of the afternoon and I got to watch last night's episode of 24 with some ice cream, while the boys played with Striker and Grandma.

I find I am spending far too much time on controlling the room temperature. I need to add the person that invented the thermostats with climate control to my list of great inventors (the guys that invented infant swings, the Snoopy mobile, and the ceiling fan are already on there).

Unfamiliar Activity?

Logging in from a computer in the United States. Could this be more general? Is this a sign that I am mobiley 95% of the time? Why does Facebook monitor the IP address that I log in from? Has anyone else had this message pop up?

Lake Tahoe Vacation - Day 3

So yeah, Grandma Barbie and I didn't get much sleep. But we still made it down to Reno to watch Striker bowl at the National Bowling Stadium.

Striker bowled ok in the team event and stayed over night in Reno for Doubles and Singles Tuesday morning. The stadium is pretty impressive and had decent snack bar food...which I promptly inhaled after feeding, changing and settling the boys in with Oma and Opa to watch Striker bowl. I vaguely recall eating a hamburger and cheese fries...I think.

Grandma drove Oma, Opa, the boys and I back just in time for bedtime. Grandma and I passed out shortly thereafter by 9:15 or so.