One...Two...Nine...Ten!

Counting is the new thing, now. One of their favorite books is "Rainbow Fish Counting" - it was included in the free tote bags that CPMC gave out to all the babies born at their hospital. Attached to it was a flyer about reading early and often to your baby. The girls especially like it when Daddy reads this book because he likes to count and point to the sea-animals on the page really fast and loud - like it is a race. His erratic and exaggerated counting always gets them giggling.

Even when Daddy isn't home, the girls will pick up that book, open it and start counting like they were Daddy. You can tell they're counting because of their methodic, monotones and synchronized pointing. When they read, they're not in any race, but, like Daddy, they often count the same animal multiple times and miss other ones entirely!

We also count when we're waiting for the milk to warm in the microwave. Tina will stand at the foot of the microwave, her finger pointing and waving methodically up and down saying a combination of gibberish and numbers. I suppose this ritual gives her some comfort or distraction of how soon the milk will actually come to her. When the timer finally beeps, both girls throw their wiggling hands in the air and say, "Yea!" just like their sign language.

From their car seats, they have also starting counting. The more they practice, the better they get. They know that to start counting, they use the word "one." They also know that "two" comes after "one." However, after that, they get a bit lost and just make up a bunch of numbers. The funny thing is, though, that when they're getting done with their counting, they always end with "nine, ten!"

Christmas Morning

How many presents can one child (times 2) get for Christmas?? So many that we felt it would be best to open only a few a day...

Here's the beginning of the gifts on Christmas morning...the "big" gifts too big to wrap... their play kitchen, wagon and tricycles!! Watch them as they come out of their rooms Christmas morning.

Note how Bettina steals the phone from Ava straight away. Ava just stamps her feet in frustration and finds something else to play with. You can hear the sizzle sound when she puts the fry pan on the "stove." The pot makes a boiling water sound (so cool!).


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To view more pictures of the day and the following festivities, click here.

For Christmas, Why don't you Elf Yourself!

This is a pretty funny website...We sent our an email saying that these clips had unfortunately ended up on the floor of the editing room before "Elf," the movie was released, but these long-lost video clips are still pretty funny.....

Here's Tina's: click here

For Ava's, click here.

We even did one for Daddy!! (shh!) Look here.

Month 19 - Bettina Shows Real Preferance

Tina loves animals. She's quite clear about it. This little bunny was not allowed to leave Tina's lap without her screeching for it to return. Fortunately, this bunny is very special as he enjoys attention from people and was grateful for the opportunity to fall asleep on Tina's lap. She's in heaven as she watches him snuggle into her jacket while she ever-so-gently strokes his fluffy angora fur.


Tina and Ava both have also found new joy out of visiting the doctor as Dr. Maria has added a pot-bellied pig to the menagerie in her waiting room. Besides the pig, a chihuahua dog, a snake, guinea pig and fish populate the waiting room. My girls play with the animals more than they do the train table and toys. This week we visited the doctor and "Basil" the pig was running around the waiting room, not confined to his pen just now. Smiles spread across two little faces and 2 sets of feet go running down the hall toward the little pink snout and a new word, "pig," is exclaimed in stereo.

This is why I love this pediatrician - I'm not sure how I got to be so lucky to find her. Not only does she love animals and give kids an opportunity to forget their fears/hurts by touching and playing with them, but she also has twin children (B/G, now much older), gives out her home and cell phone numbers as well as excellent behavior advice. I'm usually discussing the later with her after we rule out any physical reason for powerful temper tantrums. The biting and low-frustration level and intense tantrums of Tina has us trying soy formula instead of milk (only thing we could point to was a grumbly tummy).

Month 18 Week 3 - Tots in Toyland

Today Tina, Ava and I hosted a holiday themed toddler party. Since we'd decided that regular ornaments (particularly glass ones) were out this year, we thought we'd make our own...and invited some friends who we thought might be in the same boat.

Here are some of the things we did:
Playing in the back yard: Tina and Ava teeter with Anna's tottering - Lauren & Will in the backround
















Gingerbread cookie decorating:
Matthew works on a couple of yummy masterpieces














Ornament Making, Stamping (with washable inks) and Crayons, and

Decorating Santa's Village (sort of like a less-strick version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey with contact paper and decorations):


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Just too cool!
So, does this mean that I've already got one of those kids who's got all "the" cool gadgets before she's 12 years old and has more people in her address book that I do? Will she insist on her Starbucks Grande hot chocolate before she is dropped off at school and prefer to get a Jamba Juice over a $1.25 scoop of ice cream?
Boy, we may be in trouble here soon....

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! 

18 Months, 1 Week - Vocabulary

The girls' vocabulary increases all the time. It seems that every week there's another couple of words and a sign or two. Here's what they're saying/signing now:

Signing:

1. Milk
2. Please
3. Thank you
4. Baby
5. Up
6. Help
7. Down
8. Dog
9. Horse
10. Cat
11. Hat
12. Cold
13. Hot
14. More
15. Done
16. Book
17. Hungry
18. Thirsty

Speaking:

1. Sister
2. Banana
3. Agua “water”
4. Kitty
5. Done
6. Hello
7. Mommy
8. Grandma
9. Grandpa
10. Nonna
11. Nonno
12. Daddy
13. Bye-bye
14. Night-night
15. Shoe
16. No
17. Yeah
18. Hot
19. Apple
20. Baby
21. Cracker
22. Moo
23. Quack
24. Neigh

18 Months - Thanksgiving

Let it Snow!

We traveled with Grandma and friends Scott & Nicole and their baby Victoria up to Tahoe for Thanksgiving this week. We rented a house just around the corner from my sister's house and spread out, letting the toddlers run. Little baby Victoria, 5 months old, just sat back and watched the girls run circles around her pointing and chanting, "Baby!"

It snowed 6-inches the first night we were there and the girls were fascinated by the change in topography. They stood on our bed that morning, pointing and chatting indistinguishably about the new blanket of snow.

Bundled up, we took them outside for short walks. They weren't very interested in walking far nor wearing the new mittens I'd purchased for them and they cried when their hands or feet got covered in the cold snow.

Inside, the girls enjoyed running circles around the living room, jumping on the giant "L"-shaped couch and singing The Wiggles songs they know. Soon, most of the family could sing along with them and grew very t ired of the tune. Tina also spent a lot of time cuddled up in Uncle Scott's lap captivated by the many books she'd brought him to read for her. Uncle Scott is also her God-father, so it was great bonding time.

Mid-way through our Turkey Day, we received word from Paul's mother that our house in the City had been burglarized and almost all of Paul's and the contractor's tools had been stolen along with all my jewelry. This shocking news gets Paul into my sister's car to drive home to deal with the paperwork and figure out what to do next. The rest of us plan to go home as scheduled the following day.

I am terribly thankful that they didn't find my Grandma's silver nor find value in the china or other heirlooms that are priceless to me. And, although I would gladly trade some nicer jewerly (kept with me instead of at home) for a few of the missing sentimental pieces (like my Grandma's necklace, my mom's pearl cocktail ring or other unique pieces given as gifts), I strangely am OK with the loss. Family has become more important to me, it seems. Despite the bad news, I'm not figiting to get back home to tally our losses. The most important things to me - all my blessings - were gathered around that Thanksgiving table. The rest is background - decorations the insurance company can help me rebuild. And, I can deal with that another day. For now, I'll just reflect on this week's memories and photos, which you can see here.

The Early Birds - Twins Book Club Review (finally!)

It's been months since I've said that I would read and then comment on "The Early Birds" by Jenny Minton, a book that her PR rep sent me to create some viral publicity. I started the book in July and got really into it as Jenny describes the pregnancy part of her story. However, once her babies were born, she spends so much time in the tiniest details, she lost me...and lost me hard. I remember exactly when it happened...she was describing what her mother did or did not order for lunch and how the waiter was handling it..."Ack!! Who cares! What does this have to do with a 'story of motherhood??'" I thought. I got angry at silly side-details like this and put down the book. I read 2 others before the guilt of not finishing it and of see it stare down unappreciatedly at me finally got me to take it down and dust it off to finish it again.

I have a feeling that the reason I didn't bond with the book after her boys were born is just simply that I was blessed with an uncomplicated birth; my kids didn't have to spend anytime in the NICU and I never really became familiar with the workings of the hospital as she did. I didn't feel guilty about my birthing experience and completely unlike Jenny, I was allowed to sprint out the the hospital doors days after the girls were born. Within 2-weeks of my girls' birth, I was challenging myself to go outside and navigate the world as a new mother. Jenny never got that chance and was stuck mitigating other details much more acute than the great outdoors.

Thinking this difference may have been the factor causing an interest "slow-down," I asked a friend, who I was visiting for a few days and who is the mother of very preemie twin boys who also spent months in the NICU, to take a quick read and let me know what she thought. BINGO! She said the book had her in tears and she loved it.

So, I suppose that this book would be a great gift for someone who perhaps has had to spend time with preemies in the NICU; who has perhaps some feeling of guilt for somehow contributing to them being there to begin with; who's going through a tough time with sick babies but wants to have hope for the future, even though the future seems so far away.

One thing is certain, Jenny has done a lot of research on IVF (her method of conception and common for families with twins). It was interesting to note all the science and lack-thereof behind the IVF methods. If you are thinking of IVF, there is a lot of interesting information that may play a part in your decision. From her perspective, IVF may be at fault for many of the problems with preterm labor, preemies and lifelong illnesses. Those to me were great tidbits of information.

Worth reading? If you're not engrossed in IVF and NICU details, perhaps not. However, if either of these arenas have crossed into your life, perhaps so. I don't think it's for all mothers of twins, but for the ones that it is, it may feel like you're reading your very own diary of thoughts and feelings. And, it does give hope for the future - Jenny's kids (along with a third one she has later) are all fine, healthy and happy kids.

17 Months 3 Weeks - "Apple, Apple, Apple!"

First of all, you have to admire this new view...

View from"New Home" in the Oakland Hills

While working on our remodel, we're staying at our friends' recent purchase in a little tear-down on the most gorgeous acre and a half lot in the world. Unlike us, they plan to not live here during the planning, demolition and construction of their future house. The opportunity this affords us is fabulous!

This week, my Baby Center email told me all about possible benchmarks for vocabulary and words that the girls may have at this time developmentally. The poll shows that most kids, 75% of boys and 58% of girls only use one word at a time when "talking." Neither of my twin girls often speaks more than a word at a time, but one of them will use their sign language to augment their message: one spoken word with another or more signs to punctuate or add additional detail to her comment or story.

It seems that the girls learn a new word - either spoken or signed - everyday. While picking apples outside in the orchard of our current home, the girls got very excited and were showing a lot of enthusiasm about the picking and then the putting the apple in the bag part of the process. After 2 or 3 rounds each of this task, Ava shouted out "Apple!". An extended chorus of "apple" followed hereafter like she was the lead soprano in an opera recounting the trials and tribulations of apple picking - lasting far longer than necessary or needed to acknowledge this seemingly minor event. Tina echoed the "apple," but clearly, Ava was the diva of this production.

This is the apple orchard behind the house that started Ava's lyric opera of sorts


"Baby" has also popped up while reading through some books. I thought they were just echoing what was being talked about in the books, but this week, while finding a box of diaper wipes with a picture of a baby on the sides, Ava walked over to the box, pointed to the picture and said, "Baby!" "She's got it," I think. She continued to floor me when, as she squatted down by the box, she pointed to the eyes of the baby and said, "Eyes," followed quickly by "Shoes". As enthusiastically as I can, I applaud and encourage her: "That's right, Ava! There's a baby with shoes on that box!"

At the barn this week, Ava and Tina both got very excited to talk about the dogs there. They ran around chasing them slapping their thighs signing the word for "dog" and saying "woof, woof." When I mentioned that there were also horses and reminded them of the sign, Ava quickly did a modified version of "horse", pointing to where the ears would be instead of making her fingers into horsey ears on her head. Testing her memory and also showing off for Daddy later when we were home, she showed Daddy that they saw horses and dogs at the barn that day.

New words like "banana", "cracker," and "night-night" just seem to spill out of their mouths nearly every day. They prove that all they are understanding the words and are really trying to tell stories about their day or requests what they'd like to do. Nostalgia kicks in as, more and more every day, they are becoming more like little people and not so much babies.

5-Point Car Seats - Good for the Long-Haul

There are a lot of things to consider when deciding on which forward-facing car seat to get your kid/s. I solicited much advice from many of my friends who already had kids. Much of it heeds on brand and long-term comfort for the child and durability for the seat. Some of it is about the bulk - some of these monster car seats, especially if you have more than one kid, demand you purchase an SUV or minivan!

I had one friend who told me there's no reason to get a car seat that allows for more than 40 lbs because, by the time they are that age, their self-awareness will demand that they get to sit in a booster "big kids' seat" like their older friends. So, why bother if they're just going to whine until you give up and move them to a booster.

We bought the seats that work up to 65 lbs. mostly to stave off having to buy another seat for another 25 lbs. After watching this, though, I think that after the girls are 65 lbs., we just may buy another 5-point harness car seat and leave the booster for someone else's choice.

If you have kids under 80 lbs., you should watch this very emotional, but educational video one family made to prove a point about safety and car seats:

17 Months 2 Weeks - Rain, Rain, Go Away

So, here's what the house looks like now:


October's House

It's been coming along nicely, although (as is par for the course), is about 2-weeks late.

The view from our room is divine: you see the whole Bay Bridge all the way down to Hunter's Point. Here's a view from the girls' room:


The View from the girls' room

However, it has started to rain - just small showers - and our place is getting flooded. The tarps the contractors have placed are suppossed to keep the rain out, but they aren't working properly yet. Much of Paul's work from before, mostly in the front living room, is being ruined and we'll have to re-do the front and back rooms now as well. So much for being able to move back in to the "finished" areas of the house.

I'm glad that we're not living there now. The kids would be falling all the time on the wet hard-wood floors. We get the windows delivered tomorrow and, hopefully, that will help them be able to further close up the front and back of the house and get a better seal on the place. The future grandeur is damped slightly by this step backwards, but we know it will all eventually will be a really nice place to live.

17 Months, 1 Week - Gone Without Girls

For the very first time in over 2-years, Paul and I went away for the weekend...by ourselves!!

My Aunt Kathy, who is actually a professional nanny/childcare provider, had offered her "expertise" when the girls were first born for such an occasion. 17-months later, we finally took her up on it.

This allowed Paul and I a chance to run up to the wine country for a modest but well-deserved birthday/anniversary celebration. Without the stresses of the house remodel or the girls, we got to take naps, watch 10-thousand movies in our room and hold hands while walking to dinner.

Most people warned me: "You'll be gone, but you'll be constantly worrying about the girls and will be calling home all the time." Didn't happen to us; we were talking about them often, but only once did we call to make sure everything was alright.

After an intimate Saturday, we woke up Sunday and visited Domaine Chandon, one of the more popular Champagne cellars in the area. We did a small reserve tasting, but most just took in the beautiful grounds. We got married just 10 miles up the road in St. Helena 4 years prior. I always love seeing the wine country decorated in reds and yellows.

After our tasting, we met up with some colleagues of Paul's from work for a "business" lunch; really just an excuse to entertain and treat themselves to a very fancy lunch. We met at The French Laundry in Yountville - very hoity-toity. People fly from all around the world to eat here - it's one of the most famous restaurants in the country and certainly the most famous in Northern California. Ridiculous prices, but an experience that you'll remember for the rest of your life. Too bad the image of the bill sears itself stronger into the memory than the 4-hours of luscious food and pampering waitstaff.

Anyhow, all was quiet and good as we pulled up Sunday night, proving that the girls can survive 36-hours with someone besides ourselves caring for all their needs. Good to remember for next year's anniversary!!

17 Months - What's the Buzz?

The Little Bug-gers ready for Treats

Ava and Bettina are now 17 months old! They shared the event with Mommy who had her birthday on the same day as their "month-day!"

So, what are they up to now? Here's a quick update:

Ava says, "Boo!"
Ava:

• Loves to play hide-and-seek mostly by curling herself into curtains or throwing a blanket over her head. When there are no props, she simply covers her eyes with her hands. When you say, "Where's Ava?" and walk around the room like you're trying to find her, she giggles and jumps out saying, "Boo!" You can distract her from nearly everything with this simple game.
• Is going through a tough bat of separation anxiety. Mommy is the focal point of her life right now.
• Measures in the upper levels of coordination, especially when it comes to dancing and jumping, which she takes with the upmost seriousness. You should see her face when she's concentrating on her feet to make sure they both leave the floor at the same time when she jumps.
• Loves to be tickled under her chin and on her belly.
• Uses "No" to answer most questions and to tell you what to do. She has other words such as "Mommy," "Boo," "bye, bye," but she prefers to use her sign language. She's up to about 10 signs including "hat," "up," "down," "milk," "please," "hungry," "thirsty" (although she incorrectly uses the same sign for hungry for this), and "help".
  
  
  Tina says, "Boo!"

Tina:

• Has been caught singing along with The Wiggles from her carseat to the song "Kneading Some Dough". She, of course, likes to sing the chorus: "Dough, dough, dough, dough, dough, dough....."
• Is much more aggressive than Ava, often pushing her completely out the way to play with a toy or go down the slide first.
• Has become more independant, but has also started her tantrums, which are difficult to distract her from.
• Hasn't embraced her sign language as much as Ava with the exception of the word "hat." She loves to wear the silly Ariel crown that came in the McDonald's Happy Meal. She will search for the hat and then come to me signing "hat" until I produce it. It's really cute!

Both are doing well and looking forward to Halloween! BOO!

Going on a Pumpkin Hunt...

The Pumpkin Patch

While Uncle Patrick and Aunt Ainsley were in town, we decided to go a visit the pumpkin patch. And, while we're at it, let's go to the biggest one around!

The Twins Club has had a lot of email traffic about the pumpkin patch out in Livermore called G & M Farms. It's a little far to drive, but is right off the freeway exit, so it's easy once you get there. G & M Farms boasts of everything that you'd look for in a pumpkin patch: farm animals, pony rides, pumpkins, a 6-acre corn maze and a little hay-bale maze for the tinier tots. There's a little bit of a haunted house - more like a display - and of course, little red wagons to help you carry all your loot!

We had a nice time and did just about everything there was to do (the corn maze didn't open until 4pm on weekdays and the ponies only come out on the weekends) and took lots of photos. It's a really nice thing to do for fun and to make memories. You should definitely take the time to try it for yourselves!

Here are the pictures: click here!

16 Months Week 3 - Fun at the Park

To The Moon!!

We're again in another new temporary housing location... while more family members enjoy some vacation time, we get to enjoy stable housing. We explored today another park nearby the house. It's really meant for older kids, but the girls found things to do. They particularly enjoyed this double wobble-ride.

Shortly after this, Tina wandered off toward the play structure behind them and a very nice little girl (of about 4 years old) gave Tina her fushia colored Care Bear teddy. Tina looked up at the little girl with such appreciation and a giant smile. She immediately turned and hugged the bear like I've never seen her do to a stuffed toy. She didn't put it down for a good 15 minutes. When she did, the little girl came back, dusted the tanbark off the bear and lent it to Ava, who was equally thrilled by the generosity. When it was time for the little girl to leave, I thanked the her for her grace and thoughtfulness and told her she was the nicest friend to the girls in the whole park. She just looked at me like she does and hears this stuff every day, smiled and skipped away. I hope my girls can do that someday.

16 Months 2 Weeks - The "Boo" House

The "Boo" House

Paul had an opportunity to finish his work on the house a bit early this weekend. We decided it would be fun to go to what Ava and Tina call "the Boo House;" a festive pumpkin walk created by stacks of baled hay, a little red bridge covered in corn stalks and a web of neoprene curtains where the girls like to hide and then run out calling "Boo!" Grandma and I had so much fun earlier in the week watching them invent this game, we just had to bring Daddy there to experience it for himself.

After doing many laps of the "Boo House" and visiting the farm animals, we found another special treat: a tomato tasting. Tomatos are one of the girls' absolute favorites! Here's some video of Ava asking (with her sign language) for more tomato (this is like her 4th different variety - she seemed to like them all!).



Tina was asking earlier, but by the time Mommy got ready with her camera, she was tired of repeating herself.

16 Weeks 1 Week - A Quick Road Trip

Rub-A-Dub Dub - Three Kids in a Tub

Well, since our latest temporary housing fix doesn't allow dogs (didn't find that out until the night before), I decided to go up with the girls and dog to visit my long-time friend who recently moved to Reno, NV until our next temp housing (that is dog-friendly) is ready for us. My friend's husband was out of town on business, so we strangely thought that this would be a great opportunity for a girls' weekend: 2 of us; 4 of them! The "them" is all four of our daughters. The oldest just turned four, so that would be 4 kids aged 4 and under. Not to mention the 2 black Labradors!

We actually had a ball - rather intensely, but fun none-the-less. We visited a great pumpkin patch complete with pony rides, a corn maze, little wagons/cart big enough to pull all three toddlers, a hay ride behind a real tractor and lemonade sold by little kids. We also got to visit Virginia City which I thought was a sell-out to cheap figurines and t-shirts that cater to the Harley Davidson crowd.

We did manage an adult dinner at the neighbors and a nice lunch at Baja Fresh (only the best and most luxurient meals for busy moms).

Driving back down on the way home, the girls, having not yet napped that day, slept all the way to Davis (more than 2 hours!). When the did wake up, they were starving. We made a quick stop into McDonald's where in their Happy Meals they have apples instead of fries, milk instead of soda and yogurt and fruit parfaits that the girls just love. Each of the girls got different toys in their happy meals, but after Ava started a fight over Tina's Little Mermaid crown, we decided just to go and see if we could trade to get two. Surprisingly enough, days later they are still carrying them around the house and ask people to assist in coronating themselves. They love them - can't you tell?


Mermaid Queens, gratis a McDonald's

Playing House with Dean

Playing house
Well, at least it's not "doctor"...yet!

This is a cute photo that was actually taken a couple of weeks ago when we had a play date over at the girls' friend Dean's house. Everyone was in the "Storybook Cottage" playing with the pretend food. They had fun opening and closing all the doors and windows multiple times. Then, instead of throwing the food at them, Dean shows a "softer side" and offers Tina a bite of corn on the cob. Oh, yeah! He'll be a heartbreaker!

16 Months - Ode to Fearless Fathers

An Ode to Fearless Fathers...May they live to see Potty Training!


Via: VideoSift

Got Giggles?

This family of 6 (yes, they are quadruplets) is easy to please. Tina will often giggle like this for no apparent reason. Occasionally, I can get them both going. Watching the whole family is pretty hilarious!


Via: VideoSift

15 Months 3 Weeks - How To Find a Babysitter

The girls are almost 16 months old, and, believe it or not, we have yet to hire a babysitter so that the two of us parents could go out together. When the girls were younger and we were living at my mother's, she would tell us to go out for an hour or so after the girls were asleep, and we did that about once a week. And, this summer, while at the Family Reunion, we let their Grandpa take the girls to the pool for 3-hours so that we could go river rafting with the rest of the family. However, that was the longest time that we've allowed ourselves to be gone and we both looked at each other wide-eyed as we cautiously left the house. We weren't sure which was the scarier ride: leaving the girls or riding the Class III Deschutes River rapids.

We have, however, been inspired to find a reliable sitter by a no-kids party. All the "typical suspects" are taken: Nonno and Nonna have "date night" in North Beach on Saturdays and Grandma Gigi is out of town for the whole month. All the neighborhood kids have left for college except one who has decided that, with all her other extracurricular activities and sports,she is in more need of down time than a few extra bucks.

So, how to find a babysitter...

You might think it would be easy: just ask your friends who already have kids and regular sitters. You might be surprised, but most people are unwilling to share their regulars' names and numbers. There is an unspoken but firmly defended turf-war with great sitters. Childhood friends and girlfriends bound by bridal-party ties find each other jousting so that they can all go to the same evening party together. Best not to fish off the "company pier," persay. It leads to a very large hen-house!

I thought I would then ask a number of sort-of-strangers: my Twins Mommy Group. There are more than 400 families who have totally different social calendars than me in this group. They are so helpful with all other needs and quick to lend a hand...why not them? The only response I got from them was an exchange plan (you sit mine; I'll sit yours), but who wants to watch 4+ kids, even if it does mean one night of freedom?? You are more likely to get their Grandma's secret recipe - No one will give you their sitter's number!

So, you've got to learn to navigate yourself and find someone by chance, luck and lots of pavement pounding. Here are some tips after finally finding some candidates of my own:

1. Visit your local college and see if they have a job-board. If you have multiple colleges in your area, see if any of them offer courses and/or majors in Childhood Development or Education. There are two in my area.
2. Check on-line: At least one of these colleges has their job-board on-line so that you may post your needs at any time of day. Now you don't have to pack the kids up and tend to them while to try to focus on your posting.
3. I've also heard great things about looking on www.Craigslist.com, but I had a heebie-jeebie factor with total strangers. At least I felt I had a little control targeting an audience with a strong likelihood of having a teaching career. (Probably just semantics...)
4. When people call, try to get them to talk about their experiences with children. I made sure that any candidates had experience with pre-talkers and experience handling more than one child at a time.
5. Get at least 2 references. One can be a personal reference - someone who's known them for a long time and can speak to their character rather than if they can follow directions.
6. Call all references. I loved to hear about candidates who were putting themselves through school, showed long-term interest in and dedication to a hobby or sport, could think outside of the box, and could handle pressure calmly rather than getting nervous or rattled. One I ended up choosing to interview was all of that, plus she'd been a regular sitter for 4-year old twins for 2 years. Another one is a local girl who spent 13 years earning the Gold Award (equivalent to Eagle Scout) in Girls Scouts, is putting herself through college after earning 2 scholarships and is taking sign language off-campus for her language requirement because she already took Spanish in high school. It takes extra effort to do this as the class is 13-miles away from campus, but her interest drives her to work harder.
7. I always ask if they would come by the house for a half-hour to an hour to get to know the kids and their routine about 3-days before. This will also help them become a familiar faces in the kids' memory (or so I hope!). They will usually do this for free.

Well, we'll see how it goes... Wednesday we do the introduction and we hope that this Saturday, we're assured enough to enjoy our evening out - even if it is just for a couple of hours. Who knows, I may have more bullet-points to contribute to the list next week!

Daddy Day Hike - "Downtown" Bolinas

Well, we drove up Highway 1 last weekend with the intention of doing the Bodega Bay Head Trail, but in my mind, I got my "B's" confused and navigated ourselves to Bolinas instead of Bodega. So, we decided that fate forced us a little detour from plans.

Bolinas is a quaint, very small, hyper-liberal town set on the corner where the Pacific Ocean meets a small bay dedicated as a bird sanctuary. The benefits are obvious with pelicans flying by the flock and small shore birds by the thousands. The houses, mostly old Victorians, are all in excellent pristine condition and are obviously the pride of their owners. Paul and I assumed then that this must not be a rental town even though the people seemed more transient than root-setting type. I fantasized that this is where all the hippie code-creating dot-comers came to retire once they sold off their share after going public. Houses here are not cheap - the local real estate office shows they average about $1.2M!!

Bolinas was celebrating the Labor Day weekend with a *big* bar-b-que downtown and were shutting off the main street to traffic so that the Reggae band could set up and locals could dance in the street. The *big* event only brought down a hundred people or so, which is probably most of the town. That didn't dampen, however, the opportunity for locals to display and sell their tie-dye t-shirts and jars of local honey.

We wondered the main street down toward the bay and along Wharf St. where houses were built on stilts to accommodate the ebb and flow of the tide which comes right up under their houses, many of which have docks off their back decks for small powerboats and kayaks. As we made out way west toward the beach, we came across many kayakers going out to ride the surf from the incoming tide. Many fisherpeople studded the beaches while Ava and Tina walked along picking up interesting rocks worn clean through the middle making a hole ideal for crude jewelry. If the girls were older, 5-years or more, this could have made a great moment for arts and crafts.

After making it to the ocean side of the beach at Brighton St., we wandered up the beach access road and back toward town, stopping at numerous blackberry bushes so that the girls could gorge. This whetted our appetite and we decided to sit down to eat at the Coast Cafe, naturally serve wholly organic meals, where they were still serving both breakfast and lunch. They have a nice patio out back and had more than one highchair (believe it or not, this is a usual problem) and we really enjoyed our time there.

After eating, we decided to drive north toward Point Reyes Station and out Sir Francis Drake Blvd back to Highway 101. Driving through Point Reyes is always a treat and going through towns like Olema and Fairfax just reminds us of how unique and picturesque our area is. We are blessed to be so close to it and should adventure out more often!

15 Months - Tour in Review

Well, we're finally made it back. The girls and I, after traveling another 600 miles, arrived home to a house full of dead houseplants, 4-week old moldy dishes in the dishwasher (how is it that men just don't have an awareness about these things?), and that looked like this on the outside:


Progr-mess?

Construction started 3 weeks ago and the foundation is being poured today after the inspector gave everything the "A-OK" yesterday. The side of the house and part of the roof is already removed in anticipation of the coming 3rd story. However hard it was to be on the road with 2 one-year olds and a 14-year old dog, it would have been nothing compared to trying to live around this mess. However, mess is progress and we are oh-so-thankful for that!

We muse over lessons learned on the road, creativity we didn't know we had, and friends we're really glad we got a chance to visit: my Aunt Carolyn hosted us for 3 nights in Seattle - they have 7 acres of lush garden and "wild" greenage where the girls loved to play; aging Grandma Dent (or G.G. for Great-Grandma) hosted us for 3 days in Salem, Oregon and we enjoyed hearing her stories as we perused over old heirloom photographs - I'm eager to learn as much as I can while her wealth of knowledge and history is sharp and around; my crazy friend Kathy and brother Jim hosted us for 3 days in Ashland, Oregon. Jim and his wife have 4-year old fraternal twin boys - it was fun to see what the future looks like with older twins and to see the 2 sets play together; my cousin Holly also hosted us for 2 nights in Sacramento where we got to ride a "real" train as well as visit the local zoo full of rescued animals.

All the while we kept in touch with home where we heard of progress with the house and I reported new ways of coping with a van full of dependents. I didn't realize how amusing some of these skills were until I relayed to my mother, after her questioning, how I refined the "art" of our bathroom stops along the road. Since most restaurants don't take dogs, the many rest areas along the way are a great alternative. Being by oneself, it's really a more complex process than having another person along to be with either the kids and/or the dog:

Steps to Stop (to eat/pee/etc) on the Road with 2 Kids and a Dog:
1. Pull into a nice rest area - in Washington and Oregon, there are nice ones every 40 miles or so.
2. Find a parking space in the shade and close to the "pet area."
3. Lay out large picnic blanket under the shade of a tree
4. Get out Superyard (6 panels) and open into a circle
5. Take kids out of carseats and plop them into Superyard center with a bucket full of toys (so much easier than running 2 different directions dragging an old dog!)
6. Get dog's leash and let doggie "take care of business" while keeping kids in sight so that onlookers don't think they are abandoned
7. Tie doggie to Superyard and get ice chest, dog's water bowl, and diaper bag out of car
8. Get lunch out of ice chest and feed girls as they teeter around the play yard
9. Get bottles out of ice chest and change diapers while they lay on their backs drinking
10. Return cooler and diaper bag to car and come back with double stroller
11. Put kids in stroller so you can take them with you to go to the bathroom (gotta let the mommies go as well!)
12. Tie dog to tree or car bumper in case a cat (or something "chasable") comes along and dog drags the Superyard across the parking lot ruining the paint job on 10 cars.
13. Let Mommy pee and wash her hands
14. Pack kids back into the car
15. Pack up the Superyard and blanket
16. Pack dog back into the car
17. Do a head-count to make sure you've got the same number of kids and that you're not pulling "Rover" around like National Lampoon's "Vacation"

As a re-cap, I created a montage of the highlights of the whole 4-week+ trip. Ava and Tina learned all kinds of vocabulary and also figured out safe ways of climbing and descending stairs (whew!). Nine-minute recap below:

Edit video online at onetruemedia.com

14 Months 4 Weeks - The Island Tour by Car

Aunt Ainsley, a tag along pseudo-nanny for 3 weeks, with me and the girls
Roche Harbor, San Juan Island, WA

We just pulled in from dropping off the Grandma and the Aunt at the SEA-TAC airport after a week of touring San Juan and Orcas Islands by car. Not without a couple good stories to tell:

First of all, we didn't even make it off the ferry dock in Anacortes before our first *disaster.* My sister and I were to meet my mom, just recently dropped off by the airporter shuttle, in the ferry line at Anacortes. Although we saw her shuttle fly by us, we contacted each other via cell phone (what did we ever do before these?!) and met up at the ticket shop. Grandma, who hadn't seen her grandkids in 2 weeks, was eager to hold one while walking back to the car, already in line for the 3:10pm ferry. I carried the other kid and my sister wheeled Grandma's luggage. I was second in the single-file line walking in between the columns of cars when I suddenly saw 19 different car doors open and people starting to run behind me. I hear, "My baby! My baby!" being yelled. Curious about what happened to someone's baby, I turn to see my mother on the ground and Ava screaming at the top of her lungs. Grandma's maternal instincts seems to have skipped her back a generation. Grandma has tripped and unintentionally used Ava as an air-bag. I hand Tina to Ainsley and run down to stop my baby's cries. There's some blood, but not as bad as I think...I'm trying to recreate what happened to her little head so I can figure out what to do.

Well, if something horrible is going to happen to you, you might as well pick the Anacortes Ferry Landing to be the place. So many helpful people! Within seconds I have baby wipes to clean up the mess and figure out what's damaged, gauze (which Ava refuses to have on her head), and infant Tylinol for her pain. A nurse 3 cars back has her EMT suitcase unzipped and is handing me a bit of everything. Another woman has already called the clinic in Friday Harbor to see if they're open and can take me. I look at the wound and I know that she'll need between 2-3 stitches. My sister, a nurse as well, has called my Dad, who lives minutes up the hill, to come be an ambulance to take us to the Anacortes Hospital. I quickly weight the merits between missing the ferry (the next one will be at 8:20pm) and getting care at a hospital rather than a clinic. My husband's presumed concern, the scar, and my sister's stanch lobbying lead me to jump in the passenger seat of my dad's truck and ride toward the Anacortes hospital. His wife, a nurse there, has already been called and will be waiting in the Emergency Room. And, what do I worry about? The fact I have no car seat and have to pull a Brittany Spears riding with her on my lap.

Ava turns out to be a champ and, within 2-hours, she bears 3 stitches and has her hospital souvenir, a 12" Minnie Mouse toy, in tow, and another confirmation of the nickname her Nonna gave her: "Pepper." However, the nurses and doctor at the hospital have upgraded her to "Habanero" status. She does have strong and spicy opinions!

The rest of the trip is flawless: 2 days in the Great Gatsby-seque town of Roche Harbor - a charming harbor basically woven into both our and our mother's childhood memories of summertime boat trips. We visited the lavender farm, the Westcott Bay Reserve outdoor sculpture museum, the chapel where Paul and I were engaged, and my Great-Uncle Warren's cabin on the Straits of Juan de Fuca. It belongs to my Great-Aunt Mary now and her brother was visiting with his family. They were gracious enough to great us warmly, take pictures for us and let us snoop through the rooms to strenghten our memories of this one often-visited family get-away.

We then took the inter-island ferry to Orcas Island, staying in Eastsound where we visited with Ainsley's friends Amy and Jeff who recently moved there from Lake Tahoe. There we enjoyed lots of their homemade cooking and fresh crab caught hours before by Jeff, we lunched at the Rosario Resort, saw bald eagles fishing at the beach, and visited Moran State Park, which boasts of the best views of the islands (at 2,500', it's the highest thing between the Canadian Rockies and the Olympic Mountains).

After dropping off my sister (who's been acting as pseudo-nanny for the last 2-weeks) and mom at the airport, I'm flying solo with two 1-year old kids 16 hours away from home. It is for this reason that I've mapped out all family members between here and there and will be strategically visiting them so that I won't have to drive more than 3 hours without a stop at a friendly house with another set of arms. I plan to stay a couple of days at each place so that I'm not constantly packing and unpacking the car (that takes a lot of energy!).

We talk to Daddy every night before the girls go to bed. We excited that the City has finally given out the permits, the contractor started his work last Wednesday on fortifying the foundations and Paul and his "crew" have replaced the sewer line and moved the washing machines and hot water heater (he hopes to have it turned back on by this weekend). Then he will finally have water and the sewer again. This is why I've fled and created this grand oydessy. I pray that great progress will be made in our absence; that they work 11-hour days and that the place is as livable as it can be when we get home. I was also happy to hear Paul's suggestion that we house-sit my mom's while she's in France for the month of September. It was my plan all along, but the idea coming from his mouth means that he understands the challenge of living in construction especially since the contractor will have to practically live there to get the 3rd story done by October's rain. (A big heavy sigh of relief from me!)

14 Months 3 Weeks - Getting Back Our Land-Legs

Kairos - Our aquafied home

"Dingy on out! - Coming back from exploring the hiking trails of Reid Harbor, Stuart Island, WA
Grandpa, Bettina, Mommy & Ava

Well, although we have some great pictures and some lovely memories, Grandpa's 36' Selene troller isn't the best place for babies. They had a difficult time sleeping aboard the boat and getting enough exercise took a couple of days of trial and error before we finally got a little routine.

Good ideas:

rowing ashore every morning for some beachcombing and general hiking around.

man-to-man coverage; "zone" doesn't work for very long - they just end up fighting over who gets Mommy and they are getting too big for Mommy to hold them both at the same time for very long.

separation with one on the flying bridge and the other down below on the main deck while under-way is best. Aunt Ainsley and I took turns, she up on the flying bridge with one child just watching the sea go by and me doing laps around the first deck with the other one, like a hampster on a wheel, getting in our exercise and waving to other mariners and practicing new vocabulary like "Bye, boat." (BTW, new words this week are "Nonna" - Italian for 'Grandma', "Grandpa," and "boat.")

Bad ideas:

1. crossing the Strait of De Fuca across the tide (very choppy!)
2. spending more than 3 hours on the boat without a stop into a harbor and jaunt along the docks/shore.

We did come across another pair of twins while in Friday Harbor. They were just 10 days younger than our girls and not walking yet. Their parents, a German dad and American mom, were visiting from Indonesia and boating as well. They weren't having the same issues we were simply because their girls didn't insist on walking and climbing everywhere. Out on Spencer Spit on Lopez Island, we met another family with 3 kids: 6 years, 3 years and 14 months (2 weeks younger than ours) who were traveling on a sailboat. I chatted with the dad and exchanged a couple of great ideas for baby-proofing a boat, strapping the kid into a carseat, for example, that may have helped us out. However, trying to figure out where to place 2 sets of carseats seems daunting in its own right.

We survived the 5-day trip and visited some of our childhood favorite harbors: Deer Harbor on Orcas Island the first night, Friday Harbor on San Juan the next 2 nights, Reid Harbor on Stuart Island the 4th night and Spencer Spit on Lopez the last. We are glad the trip is in the past, but will always look back with fondness and nostalgia - the 3rd generation to take on the aquatic tradition.

Tomorrow, we go back to the Islands, but this time to explore on foot. The girls' Grandma is our companion this time. It was her family that started the tradition anyhow sometime in the 1950's. I have brought part of Grandma Betty (my mom's mom and the person for whom Bettina is named) along with me in the vial in which I received part of her after her death. I think we will release her into the San Juan waters since it is such a dear place to us, as it was to her.

14 Months 1 Week - Who is "Bob" Anyway?

Mt. Shasta on the drive up to Oregon

This week, we started our overland tour of the Pacific Northwest. Paul and I left for the Upper Klammath Lake, Oregon, a 6 and a half-hour drive, last week. The girls did well, with a couple stops at vista points and rest stops. All the while, we giggled at their entertaining noises: gibberish, what we call "speaking Hawaiian (lots of vowels in their language) punctuated with thoughts and stories about some friend of theirs named "Bob" (example: "Duhba, duhba yeah deka munna Bob.") We arrived at our destination, still wondering about who was "Bob," at Rocky Pointe Resort, in time to unpack and give the girls a little walking tour before our 6pm dinner reservation.

Dinner was fine, but not served quickly enough for the girls who were tired. Squirmy and then finally in melt-down mode, we left the restaurant with the rest of our dinner in doggie bags and tried to put the girls down for the night. We played cards outside the motel room in the hopes that they would fall asleep and then we could again re-enter and sleep ourselves without disturbing them. However, the mosquitoes chased us back inside. We attempted to hide in the nook of the bathroom to avoid being seen, but Tina decided that it was more fun to try to seduce us into playing with her than to sleep. A sleepless night for us and our neighbors (we made our apologies in the morning), but they proved to be much better sleepers during the rest of our week at the Family Reunion in Sunriver.

Now we're up at Grandpa's house in Washington, after dropping Daddy at the airport so he can go back to work. It's overcast and cloudy, and not ideal boating weather, but we hope that, as the sun creeps out sometime tomorrow, we will make our way out into the islands for a week aboard Kairos, my dad's troller, with Grandpa and Aunt Ainsley.

13 Months 3 Weeks - Teething, Sleep or Sibling Rivalry?

OK - I don't know what happened the last week, but my kids are totally off. Sleeping's an issue, food is issue, Tina's been dealing with a fever and they've begun a shoving match when it comes to who gets to be closer to Mommy.

The sleeping issues: Tina's started to protest her naps, especially with the nanny, and Ava has started using bed-time as a 3rd nap, awaking an hour later and shrieking to get out. Twice, we've relented and she's stayed up an additional 4 hours until she gets tired again. Is teething pain causing this?

The food issues: They will usually eat whatever's on their plate, but take excessive joy in fruits and zucchini. For some reason - heat or overstimulation - they are not as accepting. Nearly half of their food ends up being chucked unappreciatively to the ground (which reminds me, we need to either move their highchairs so they are directly above a composting pile, or start allowing our dog into the kitchen! I'm even getting tired of cleaning the splat mats I bought just for this "issue"). Especially soft, squishy things are flung first, so, again, I think... perhaps they're teething?

This is the kicker (no pun intended): They have both started pushing the other if they get "too close" to Mommy. This leads the pushed one to shriek. When I pick up the one in tears, the other one bursts into tears as well, melting into the floor like the Wicked Witch of the West. So, now I have them both on my lap, both in tears, and both continue to try to push the other off so they can get "the Mommy." I've spent 30 minutes trying to resolve their issues, proving that Mommy loves them both. However, I've found that the only solution is to leave them both in their huddled melt-down and get the stroller ready amid their screams. Getting out of the house and distracted by a play ground or a busy street is my best fix so far.

Lo and behold: the SFMOM's next group meeting (last night) is focused on sleep issues with the Bay Area's reknown expert, Noelle Cochran, presenting. Another great time for review and ask her opinion about these changes (nothing like free advice, right?). Just to share, here are some notes I took from the presentation:

• at 3-4 months kids can self-soothe - start "teaching them to sleep" and establish good sleeping patterns
• the body produces melotonin (muscle relaxer) during sleep and cortisol, a stress hormone, when they need sleep. Cortisol makes people wired, giddy and clumsy - need to put babies down before the cortisol hits their bodies or it's a struggle
• Babies should have a consistent bedtime (within a 1/2 hour everyday) between 6-8pm.
• 7-11pm non-REM sleep then they transition into REM, which is necessary for life
• kids 0-6mo should sleep every 2 hours after their last waking (not according to a clock, but their last waking)
• kids 6mo or older should sleep on a schedule according to clock
• first 2 years, babies need at least 11 hours at night (not including naps)
• 12-18 mos. Separation anxiety changes their sleep habits
• play hide-and-seek to help/practice with separation anxiety
• it takes 1-2 weeks for a sleep issues to become a bad/good habit
• The need to suck (non-nutritional like with a pacifier) ends at 6mo. You should take away pacifiers by then or it can become a sleep issue
• Night terrors - babies still asleep even if standing up with eyes open - don't interfere or wake them

Of course, there is so much more than this, but, this is my 3rd time seeing her speak and some of it I don't need to take down anymore. It seems that Noelle thinks that separation anxiety is playing into this and she's not convinced that Ava is actually awake at her 10-11pm protest. It may be night terrors - I'll have to be a better observer to confirm. It is something I never considered before!

The Yak is Coming!

Totally off-topic and a throw-back to my "old life."

OK - if there were keywords for this entry, they would be "philanthropy lover," "ex-corporate worlder," "education-lover," "consumer of books," and "follower of Allison's old philanthropy drum."

Seems my old grassroots literacy group, Room to Read, is growing by leaps and bounds (is it a coincidence that it happened as I left to start a family?). The idea started in Nepal with one vacationing book-lover and a school in need. The yak makes an appearance a few trips later filled on both sides with books coming from all over the world; the result of one plea and one email. John Wood, who started the whole fire by being an interested traveler who penned the email, is coming out with a book. I haven't read it either, but I followed his directions to get a "free" exert and a strike at trying to create a wave of interest from the outside world. John, always aiming high, hopes to create a best-seller. We will help bring the world, right??

Here's the deal straight from my friend John Wood, the founder of the Non-Profit:

"We are hoping to enlist an army of over 5,000 "buzz agents" who will spread the word about the book and book-related events during my 20-city, 3-month tour. There are 500 of you on this mailing list, so we're 10% there! I'm asking for your help in getting the other 4,500 ... ideally by the end of next week!
Here's how it works. I'm asking each of you to email or talk live with 10 friends whom you think might be impressed with Room to Read's mission and who might enjoy hearing more about our story. All they have to agree to do is to receive a FREE electronic copy of Chapter 1, which chronicles my first visit to a rural Nepali school that had 450 students, but less than 20 books. It was here that the vision of Room to Read was born.
To receive a copy, all you, or they, have to do us reply to this email with the words "Chapter 1" in the Subject line. (Or email book@roomtoread.org). We'll then email you and each of your friends Chapter 1, along with a request that they become "buzz agents" themselves.The power to create a best-seller, and to raise millions for Room to Read, is in our hands. It's no longer the major media who turn books into best sellers - it's the average person, and the power of their networks.

Go ahead...get a free copy! It's really a phenominal story when you hear him tell it - and his writing is probably pretty good, too!

One True Media - What a Beautiful Thing!

Create your own video at One True Media

This is amazing! I saw one that one of my fellow twin-mom bloggers did in honor of her husband on Father's Day and had to do one of my own. No special reason, just a test and a tribute to the last 13 months....warning: give yourself about 10 mins to see the whole thing...I got a little carried away.

Parenting Book Club - "The Early Birds" by Jenny Minton

Sometimes I'm stunned (and flattered) to realize that others besides my family and friends read this blog with some interest. I was recently contacted by a media PR publicists who's representing a book. She represents author Jenny Minton who writes of her first years as a new twin mom. And, since her baby boys came early (as they usually do), she's named her book "The Early Birds."

This PR rep sent me a complimentary copy to read and it arrived by UPS today. I'm actually really excited to read it. I'm tempted to put my "regular" book club book (currently "The Time Traveler's Wife") back in the book shelf - especially since I'll be out of town when we meet to discuss it - so I can start earlier on "The Early Birds." What I'll probably end up doing is keeping one at home and the other in the car for when the kids fall asleep in route to "wherever" so I can have something to do while I wait for them to awaken from their slumber.

I'm flattered to be sent a copy and was excited to hear that the author herself would like to chat so that I could better understand it and pass on my opinions and thoughts (not hard to give) of her book. I'm so excited about that opportunity and will keep you all updated when significant thoughts are formed (I know there are a few twin moms who read with regularity). Additionally, if anyone wants to join me in my new book-club-of-one, please do. I'll be happy to collect questions to field to the author as we explore. The book can be purchased here at the Amazon website.

Walk A Mile In Their Shoes and Help Their Child To Walk

Taylor Frederiksen

Old friends sometimes have the funniest way of reappearing. It's always wonderful to reconnect with people who used to be a regular part of your life and see what they've accomplished or how they've grown since the "time before."

While in my mid- to late-20's, I used to spend a lot of time with a group of friends who included Poul Frederiksen (who also used to go by the nickname "T. P." or "Tall Poul"). I had since heard that he'd moved to Sacramento, was getting married and having a baby. I'd also heard that he was moving to Colorado, but didn't really know why or hear much more details than that.

Again through the grapevine, I heard that he was doing a fundraiser of some sorts and got the email chain-letter with the web-link to the site. I was amazed to find out the fundraiser was for his beautiful daughter, Taylor, the one I heard he was expecting, who is three years old now and has a form of Cerebral Palsy (CP). The CP has made it difficult for her to learn to walk and Poul and his wife, Andi, have been working hard and proactively to ensure her eventual success.

Taylor's Peak Climb is the fundraising event Poul and Andi have planned to help Taylor through her proactive, yet expensive, treatment (much of the treatment they have found effective is not covered by health insurance). They have invited people to come, participate, and hike along with them in an effort to participate in their challenges, see life through their eyes and support their hope for their child's mobility. Along with their supporters, they plan to tackle two of the local 14,000' high mountains, Gray's and Torrey's peaks, the following weekend beginning July 14th. Of course, I was personally touched by their story and their willingness to include and inspire people to challenge themselves with them during their climb. With my girls, I could not venture out on such an ambitious hike with them, but of course, sent what money I could. As I told Poul, it's not much, but I hope with other contributions, it will work to create dreams and miracles. If you're equally inspired, perhaps you will also contribute, which you can do here.

Before I met Poul, I used to live in Colorado and challenged some of their famous "14-ers" myself. I know how difficult and unpredictable, but beautiful and rewarding those climbs can be. I've also learned that the mountains of parenthood require much more stamina than Colorado's 14-ers, especially when your child has extra hurdles to negotiate and learn. Kudos to you, Poul and Andi, for tackling them both! We hope that Taylor lives her dreams and is able to hike with you on her own one day. God bless everyone this next weekend who will join you, willing to walk a couple miles with you and live as close as they can to "your shoes."
To read more about Taylor and/or CP, visit the Frederiksen's family website.