Coming Home to Baby

Jon's C2-Greyhound

We got word that my cousin Jonathon will be coming home from Iraq to see his baby a day before he is due. He is set to come home next week and his very pregnant wife is very anxious (as is the rest of the family). Hurray!!

Along with this news came more photos from him. There were also some interesting photos from the air of the bland, sand-colored countryside - the buildings the same color as the land and everything else. A couple more of some sand storms and of them on the base with masks over their mouths to assist in keeping the sand out of lungs, I suppose.

Although it took him a month or more to get there, he's coming home in 2-days along with 2 other men of his squadron. All three men are coming home, early perhaps, to their very pregnant wives and/or brand new kidlets. Should make for a wonderful reunion!

Mommy, I Want a Pony....

Ava and little Sparky

She couldn't have said anything closer to my heart. Bettina likes ponies -- she likes to get on and then get off....get on, get off, etc. She likes to ride because we're at the barn. Ava, on the other hand, asks for a pony or to ride a pony even when there's not one around to be seen. It's on her mind all the time, like Peter Pan or the Kitty-Cat Movie (Aristocats). The only reason she came down from the saddle on this day was that Dean was at the barn also and he was playing with the goats and the piggies. Ava's got a thing for Dean and it's almost stronger than her thing for ponies. I'm not sure that Daddy is comforted by that for long....

Too bad that my camera ran out of batteries before Bettina's ride. Dean was more interested in the goat, bunnies and pigs too take time to ride the pony.

Oh, What a Night!

At the football game with many Class of 87'ers - we got whooped by the rivals, btw.
Thank goodness these things only come once every ten-years!

Our high school reunion - our 20th - was this last weekend. We had all sorts of activities to choose from: a football game, a bar, a golf tourney, a dinner, and a picnic, with other impromptu sideshows and specticles.

Somehow, I found myself on the planning committee. I swore I'd never do it again after the 10th-year, but eventually agreed assured that the financial responsibility was elsewhere. I'm really glad I did it. And, I think that planning now-a-days - with the help of cyberspace - really assisted 1) financially, 2) in tracking people down and 3) in promoting the hype and the inersia to get the party started with lots of icebreakers and opportunities to see what's in store.

The weekend was more than I could have imagined and still, over the course of 3-days, I didn't seem to catch up properly with everyone I hoped to. But, we had a lot of fun, sometimes acting as we did 20-years ago (but, isn't that part of the fun?). Boarders on cliques and pigeon-holes melted away and everyone had a smile on their face. It was a great opportunity to see people and I wish we could do it again -- just as soon as I can recover from this weekend!

Welcome, Mason David!

Two down, two to go....

So, did I mention that I'm the only cousin on my mother's side who ISN'T pregnant? Cousin Holly gave birth to Brody Roman this summer and yesterday afternoon, cousin Jenny gave birth to (formerly secretly named) Mason David (pictured here with my aunt and uncle, now grandparents for the 2nd time)!! I was beat out by half a day and 2-1/2 ounces in the baby pool!! Shucks!

Next month, cousin Jonathon should come home from Iraq to see his second, a son still unnamed, born. We get a month's rest before my sister Ainsley gives birth to baby Braxton. All boys - all this year. Five cousins - four pregnancies - four baby boys.

Congrats to the new parents, Jenny & Tim!! We can't wait to meet your new boy!

Happy Birthday, Emma & Chase

The girls really understand this birthday party thing now. When I told them that Emma and Chase, good playmate friends of theirs, were having a birthday party this week, they spent the rest of the day talking about birthday cake and ice cream. The next day, they sung the "happy birthday" song to them 8-different ways (sometimes to Emma & Chase, others to Chase & Emma, a couple just to Emma, etc., etc.). Then, they had to decide which dress to wear and took turns guarding the birthday presents (placed way out of reach on the mantle). How excited they were to jump out of the car, after seeing the balloons on Chase & Emma's house, and bring their presents to the front door. They have also learned to ring the doorbell and proceeded to ring it repeatedly until Mommy could catch up with them and usher them past the sign that said, "Door open, come on in!"
They get it: amid all the chaos of tons of toddlers (some pairs of twins and a set of triplet boys) climbing slides, pushing carts and strollers, going in and out of play houses and whining to parents about scratches, they question when is it time for cake? Is it time yet for ice cream? When the singing starts, they know just where to jump in and belt out their song enthusiastically. Four days later, they are still talking about the party and wondering when it's their turn for a party again. No wonder birthdays seem to come every 4-years when you're a kid!

Nice Day For Ducks

San Francisco is notorious for having cold, yucky weather in the summertime. Granted it wasn't raining, but it still made a nice day for ducks: cool, foggy, and our household had 3-loaves of leftover heels perfect for bringing to Stow Lake. The girls enjoyed watching the ducks and geese vie for their attention (and bread) and learned how to throw the bread crumbs into the water so their feathered friends could eat.

Change Orders

There's the Original Contract (the dinghy) and then the Change Order (the big yacht/speedboat).

Do you think that home improvement dreams can way out of control.... I girlfriend of mine sent me this photo to poke fun at Paul, who insists that without change orders, the construction industry just couldn't make any money.

You never realize how big the Change Order is while living in the dinghy until the two are side-by-side!

Jon's Deployment - A Traveling Soldier

Jon's been sending some photos home of where he's been since he was deployed 6-weeks ago. It seems that getting there really is half the fun!

He had a stop in France, Spain, Greece, Djibouti and Oman before he came to his "home" in Bahrain. There were some nice photos of Greece and it looks as if he spent some time in an Irish pub in Spain (weird). Djibouti looked very 3rd world and poor. The picture I've posted is of him in Omar. There are very few photos he can share online of the base/s, but promises that the curious can see the hard copies when he gets back. I guess with the internet, the photos could get in the wrong hands quite seemlessly.

He's got 7-more weeks left of his deployment and I'm looking forward to hearing more about his trip. Jon was really nice and sent us an email after hearing of Nonno's passing. Thanks, Jon!

Nonno Can Hear Us Singing Now

Along with the whole "twin speak" thing, my girls have created a few of their own rituals. Last winter, I realized that Ava kept singing the same tune with non-sense words. Pretty soon, Bettina caught on and then they both would sing this made up tune with made up words (since their vocabulary was quite small then, it made sense they just created these words). It seemed a lullaby of sorts that, typically, Ava would sing to her "Ee-aw", her favorite donkey-shaped lovie.

It was only natural that I'd want to participate in and recognize their unspoken world, so, soon, I also would start singing the song and learned to articulate their made up words as well as they did. They seemed pleased that I wanted to sing their song too, and allowed me sing with them about things that they valued: beloved Ee-aw and cherished Moo (Bettina's cow-shaped lovie).

Ah-la-lo-le (fill in the blank),
Ah-la-lo-le (fill in the blank),
Ah-la-lo-le (fill in the blank),
Ah-la-lo-le (fill in the blank).

That ritual morphed into an evening quiet-time song that marked the transition from bath/pajama time to bed time - a time when we would recount all that we'd done and all we'd seen during the day and acknowledge the blessings of having seen or done them:

Ah-la-lo-le swimming,
Ah-la-lo-le Daddy,
Ah-la-lo-le Ee-Aw,
Ah-la-lo-le Moo.

One by one, we'd recount all the loved things/ones and Mommy would pause between each stanza waiting for one of the girls to think of something/one for which to be thankful.

This week, we lost Daddy's daddy, Nonno, to cancer. We'd sung to Nonno in the past, almost nightly, but Tuesday night, I told the kids that this time, Nonno (who's been hard of hearing for a long time) could hear us singing; he was listening to us from heaven and for the first time, he could hear our nightly ritual and was smiling as he heard his name.

The girls did pretty well during the rosary and funeral, which were both, according the Italian Catholic tradition, open casket. During the rosary service, Ava walked over to him, climbed up on the kneeling chair and pointed to Nonno saying, "Nonno's sleeping in the bed." "Does he look cozy?" I asked. "Uh-huh,' she answered. Tina, clearly interested now, came over too. "Night, night, Nonno," she added and instantly started singing the Ah-la song: "Ah-la-lo-le Nonno...." I motioned to Paul who I think caught his breath and teared up as he looked lovingly to his little girls.

Night, night, Nonno. Love and memories last forever; we love you and will keep you in our memories.

We are Family

Last week, we traveled to our annual Family Reunion. We're a big and loyal group, clearing our calendars well in advance so that the 50+ of us can get together for a week's worth of activities.

On our way up, we stopped in Ashland to visit long-time friend Kathy. We've been friends with her whole family in fact for 20+ years. We caravaned up with Ains and Patrick and met the rest of Kathy's family for dinner at her house. Her brother Jim also has twins - boys Zach and Henry who are 4 years old. Her other brother John also has 2 little ones, so the girls had a blast running around the back yard with all the "older" kids. It was so much fun to see them blend into all the activity, and a special treat with the 7-hour car trip behind them!

We spent all night eating, drinking and catching up -- it's both Kathy and my 20th high school reunion this year, so we ended up looking through old yearbooks and talking about the impending activities. The next morning, a little groggy, while we were packing up to get back on the road, the girls gave us a little surprise. Needless to say, Kathy now refers to them as her little Picassos. They had somehow got a hold of Kathy's office supplies (she works from home) and colored the walls, the mattress, pillow and comforter with their highlighter and dry-erase marker.... any ideas how to get that out?? We did get it off the walls, but worry that the expensive trip to the dry cleaners won't get it all out.... shucks and very embarrassing!!!

At the reunion, we had lots of fun. Even though we've been to Sunriver 8+ times, it seems there's things that we still haven't done. This year, we added a softball game (organized by 10-year old cousin MacKenzie), a trip to the observatory (really great, btw), the hayride (nice for little ones and great for spotting deer), the concerts on the fairway, and for the first time, we didn't have time to shop at the mall or nearby Bend. The girls' naps do seem to chop the day in the useless brackets of time. Also, we ended up celebrating some great impromptu events: Jessica's baptism (in the hot tub by Uncle Gary, the preacher), Jack & Peg's 40th wedding anniversary and a surprise baby shower for Ains and Patrick.

Paul and I really enjoyed spending such a great amount of time together and with family. It was a fun-filled week and we were sad to go back home to "reality." To see the whole week's activities, click here.

Generations

Bettina poses with my Grandma - the oldest and the youngest (separated by 86 years) at the annual family reunion.

Every year we have a family reunion. We're in Sunriver this year - a tradition we'll likely continue for a number of years as there is no elevation issue for our aging grandmother and it's an easy drive for her as well.

The girls are having a ball with all the activity: second cousins, aged 15 to 6, rally around them and escort them from house to house. It actually makes life easier for me having so many pairs of eyes - most with far more energy than me - herding and entertaining the girls.

This year is the last year that Bettina will be the youngest to pose with Grandma, the oldest. Next year, Ainsley's little boy Braxton will take her spot and the generations continue.

You Are the Mother of a Devil-Child!

I put my kids down for a nap at Grandma's house.... Grandma agrees to watch them while I run a quick errand; "Be back in half-an-hour," I call behind me....

I get back and Tina, not surprisingly, is not asleep and chatting away in the other room. As I enter the front door, my mother tells me, "You are the mother of a devil-child." Oh, no... what's she done now?

Not only has she figured out how to disrobe and take off her diaper (we knew that part already), she's also found out how to unzip the crib-tents that are suppossed to keep her from climbing out and creating additional mischief. Appartently, when my mother found her, she had tried to release her sister (she got Ava's tent unzipped - she just wouldn't climb out like Tina does) and was sitting on the floor playing with the electric fan -- plugging it in to and out of the wall. Tina looked a Grandma, peed on the floor and ran out the open door, giggling. The devil child for sure!

"How long since you put her back in?" "Five-minutes." "Well, you know she's got to be out again." Crash!! I go in this time. Tina's out, diaper-less again. Her smile turns to a solemn face as she sees me over the electric fan she's tipped over onto the floor. Wordlessly, I put her back in, strap on another diaper and look for a safety pin and lock the zipper closed. "That will do it," I think.

Ten-minutes later, more footsteps can be heard in the room.... "Couldn't be Ava," I think. I open the door -- it's Tina again. She's found a hole between tie-downs and has somehow squeezed through them.

Nap-time isn't working today. So, we go outside to express some of this creative energy in another way. You think we got that accomplished??

Jon Leaves for His Deployment

My cousin, Jon, left for Iraq this weekend. He flies a C-2 (nicknamed the "Greyhound") airplane for the Navy. He will, fortunatley, have shorter deployments and will live off the ship, but still within what is considered a war zone. We're still hoping he will come home when scheduled so he can see the birth of his second child, a son this time. Above, Jon stands with his wife (far right and preggo) and daughter, the curly strawberry blonde directly under him in the wagon.

We saw his mother (my Aunt) Saturday, and she told us that he's outfitted his house, his mom's house and the laptop he will take to war with him with webcams and everything they would need to communicate with each other and see them as often as possible. She also said that his aircraft also has some communication systems that will allow extra opportunities to chat, gratis. I hope to keep in touch via email to hear about his adventures and views about life abroad and at war.

His wife sent this email out to friends and family:
"At least he has started his 2.5 month Detachment/deployment and now it's just a matter of time before it's OVER! I took him to base this morning at 5:30. Ella in her pjs and Rudder excited to go for a ride in the car but concerned because Daddy had suitcases and he knows what those mean.

He should be on the ship as I write this, where he will stay for 3 days. Not sure what time his plane left but the carrier was a 2-3 hour flight off the coast. I'm not expecting to hear from him until Monday or Tuesday when they get to Roda, Spain. The rest of July he will be traveling the Med. in places like Roda, Sicily, Italy, and Souda Bay, Greece.......yeah, google that one......
Also recently and "possibly" thrown into the mix is Cairo, Egypt. During the first couple days of Aug. they will arrive in Bahrain where he will stay until October 1st when his current orders say he'll be returning to me! As Jon's job does not usually require him to fly missions that put him the middle of warfare, his job flying much needed cargo (such as parts for other air crafts, and other equipment that breaks) as well as high ranking dignitaries of military branches around the world, he certainly doesn't leave him out of harms way all together. Not to mention Bahrain is considered a war zone and he will be living there for 2 months. With that said I ask you to please keep him along with the other 5 COD pilots and their 35 or so crew in your thoughts and prayers.

His leaving hit me a little harder today than I thought it would. I'm used to him working all the time and being gone on weekends but I can at least look forward to seeing him some. The house feels very empty today and I realized it's not going to be full again until he comes home in October. Other than that I'm perfectly fine, we've got fabulous neighbors and friends and Aunt Judy and Lee so close by. I am nervous about this baby wanting to come too early and him not being home in time. I do know that if I do start labor before October 1st the guys taking Jon's place will already have arrived in Bahrain and the skipper will likely get Jon on the first flight to the states to be with us. I can do labor without him, I just don't want him to miss it. "

Our prayers will always include him (and Emily, Ella and baby) and all our hopes of a quick return at the end of his deployment.

Ainsley & Patrick's Bundle News

In case you weren't convinced before by everyone's (Aunt Linda, Grandma Dent, our Mom, my, and Ainsley herself) premonition....

IT'S A BOY!!

Ainsley and Patrick should receive their little boy on or around December 4th. We're so excited and are already thinking of nicknames should they decide to name him Braxton, after our paternal grandfather. I say Jack, the same nickname our grandfather had. We'll see if they decide that the name they had in mind at the beginning of their pregnancy seems to fit him and them come December.

Be careful, though, Ainsley....the story we heard growing up is that Grandpa weighed 14-pounds at birth!! (as seen below)

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Montana Pictures & the 4th of July

We arrived back from Montana safe and sound (although there were a few times we almost lost our sanity!) and had a great trip. Here are some pictures to share: click here.

On our way home, we decided to meet Paul at my sister's house in Tahoe. Her husband is a fireman and it's always fun to stay for their Pancake Breakfast, tour of the firehouse and of course, the 4th of July parade. Ava and Bettina get the choice position sitting next to Uncle Patrick as he drives the Fire Engine to start the parade. This year, however, Ava decided she didn't want to go last minute. So, Grandma got to ride with Bettina who really loved this annual ride. She took her hostess job seriously and waved to the crowd from the fire engine with a beaming smile!! We took a chance with the kids' bedtime and brought them with us to see their first set of "real" fireworks at King's Beach. They watched with wonder, commenting on the colors as they exploded in the air and slept all the way home! The 4th of July photos can be seen here!

This is What It's All About

We've been taking turns watching kids so that two of us can go out kidlet-less for an extended activity. Liz and Lisa went out mountain biking a couple times and I watched the 7 kids (aged 9, 7, 5, 3, 2, 2, and 2). Yesterday, Lisa watched all the kids while Liz and I went on a horseback ride. We went out the dirt road and took a right at the last fence-post at the end of the road and, following a deer trail, climbed the hill up toward the mountain. Sagebrush, juniper trees and lupine dominate the rocky terrain and, from the hillside, we see the entire Ruby Valley from Virginia City all the way toward Twin Bridges with the pine-laden mountains growing from the drier hills. We pause at the top of our hill and take in the view amid our conversation. Snow-capped peaks can be seen and the well-irrigated grass field sway in the afternoon wind. I can see how Lizzie can spend her entire summers here without missing the Bay Area a bit.

We lead the kids double (and sometimes triple) on Jay and Woody around the driveway when we get home. Ava just comes running when she sees a saddled horse. She loves to put on Brynn's riding helmet and cries when it's time to share a horse or put him back. She knows the horses by name and always says goodnight to them (as well as the rabbits) individually when we walk from the main house to the guest house where we're staying. She likes her new routine and there's much hope on my end that she'll follow directly in her mother's footsteps.

With all the little kids asleep and the bigger kids watching a movie in the house, Liz, Lisa and I retreat to the back of the porch that overlooks the rushing creek and each of us plops down in a log rocking chair, cushioned, of course, with a Pendleton southwestern pillow and blanket, with a beer each and finish our easy conversation. We are amazed the week has just flown by and acknowledge with dread that tomorrow is our last day here together. We plan for next summer - this time with husbands. However, knowing it would be different with men, we also plan that we should arrive a few days in advance of our husbands so that we can get our "girl time" in.

So, today we will go to the swimming hole or try some fly-fishing (the rivers here are actually reknown for their fly-fishing). It's sort of a lazy day in which we will have to work out opportunities to clean out the car, repack our stuff and get organized for the 1,000-mile drive back home.

Road Trip - Old Faithful

We're on the road - a girls' weekend while the men stay home, impossibly embedded in "real life."

We traveled 4-hours Friday, after stopping by to visit newest cousin, Brody, in Sacramento for a couple hours and to visit Ainsley and Patrick in Tahoe, to Reno where we stayed with soon-to-be road-trippers, Lisa, Brooke and Brynn. The next day, we traveled 7-hours through Nevada to Twin Falls, Idaho. The kids did fairly well, considering, and we rewarded them with swimming in the indoor pool until all were justly exhausted. All feel asleep well (whew!). Sunday, we traveled 4-hours to West Yellowstone, Montana. Lisa and I have discovered that we'd created a bit of a groove finding that the 3rd row carseat, which we first thought would be a separation anxiety problem, is proving to be a great place for the little ones to rotate to take naps. Ava takes the morning shift as she can always fall asleep shortly after 9am. Brynn follows after lunch and, usually, Bettina gets the last afternoon shift. Today, however, there was no late afternoon shift with our shorter drive. So, when we arrived in West Yellowstone at around 1pm, we wandered the touristy streets a little bit to stretch all our legs until Bettina (who didn't get a chance to sleep during the day) convinced us it was time to do some more swimming. We are quickly realizing swimming pools have huge advantages for travelers with small kids.

Monday morning, we packed up and drove into Yellowstone park. Not 10 miles into the park, and we had already seen a herd of elk grazing 150-yards off the road, a young moose who crossed the street just in front of us and a herd of 150+ bison (buffalo) lazily enjoying the sunshine right next to the street. We made it to Old Faithful around noon-ish and watched the amazing natural geysers. Again, we ended up timing everything just right, before a sleep-depraved tantrum from Bettina. As we headed out of Yellowstone and Montana, Lisa and I peered through the read-view mirror to the most amazing site of all: four children all fast asleep at the same time! This was a first in our 1,100 mile excursion! We enjoyed our grown-up-girl time during the rest of the 2-hour drive to Aunt Lizzie's.

As we were coasting down Aunt Lizzie's driveway Lizzie was coming up, leading Blake and Katherine on Jay for a quick ride around their 14-acre property. After some visiting, dinner, and a few beers for the moms, we settled the kids down for the night. We look forward to showing you more of the house nestled in a grassy valley between two mountain ranges later on in the week.

Raising Cain & Cowgirls

The girls and I went to see Misty this week. The intention was to meet a friend who was going to watch them as I got in a quick ride, but she'd forgotten to tell me she couldn't make it. Well, let's take Misty out for a nice brushing...

The intention was to see if Ava was nervous in the saddle by herself or if Mommy could get a cute picture before she wanted down....she never did want down.

The intention was to see if both girls could share a saddle and take a cute picture before one of them wanted to get down....neither wanted to get down.

We ended up walking around the barn for 1/2-hour and the girls singing, laughing and chatting excitedly about the whole thing. Seems we've got ourselves some confident little riders who need some riding helmets now. Was that my intention?? Perhaps...(wink, wink).

Oh, Give Me a Home!

One week and counting...

In one week, the girls and I will pack our bags, and the minivan, and head out in search of buffalo. We're taking a quick stop in Reno to pick up my long-time friend Lisa and her 2 girls. Six of us, four five-and-under, making our way across the buffalo plains to Yellowstone (with plenty of DVDs and VHS's!). A cowgirl trip with kidlets!

After Yellowstone, we drive north a couple hours to our other friend's "ranch" in Sheridan, MT (most locals don't call a patch of land a "ranch" unless its 5,000 acres+. Us Californians, however, like to call their 14-acre spread a "ranch" - they must mock us so!) . She'll be there with her rabbits, horses and her 3 kids.

We're so excited to sit our bandana'ed little bodies down on the river bank with our feet hanging in the water, watching the horses graze and making all kinds of wonderful western summer fun. Montana, here we come!!

Ainsley adds #11

Great-Grandma Dent came down for a visit last week and gave us an opportunity to take some pictures with her two youngest great-grandchildren. Ava & Tina are the youngest by about 6 years, which is one of the largest gaps in the geneology. The same day we went to take this picture, we got a call from my sister, Ainsley, who was just back from the doctor and finally confident enough to make the *big* announcement (which I forced her to do over speaker-phone while we were all sitting down for lunch)....

AINSLEY'S PREGNANT!!

She and her husband, Patrick, should expect little newborn sounds sometime around December 4th (which puts her at a little over 12 weeks now). And, yes, she made sure there was only one baby in the sonogram (this will be Great-Grandma's 11th great-grandchild). This is great timing for me as I now have an excuse to have her store all my little baby things while Paul and I still scramble to figure out where to store everything during our house transition.

Funny story -- I'd bought her some maternity clothes at the last twins sale I went to and sent them up as pre-mother's day presents. Her comment [paraphrased]: "Thanks, but I'm never going to get that big. Those clothes must be made for mothers expecting twins. Besides, they're short-sleeved and it will be too cold to use them."

Didn't we all think that we weren't ever going to get "that big" when trying on clothes (and as much as we might have liked, they don't make maternity clothes in 'twin' sizes -- you will get that big!)? How long will it take Ainsley to figure out that pregnant women never get cold! In fact, they're always too hot, forever suffering from hot flashes! Layering works well with soon-to-be Moms. Well, she still "doesn't feel pregnant," but don't worry, Ainsley, the ride, and learning curb, is only beginning! Congrats!!

Two Turn Two! Butterflies & Bees

Yesterday was the girls' second birthday party. Today is the actual day. Here's montage of all the fun and festivities... (now to write some thank yous!)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ramping up and Practicing for the "Big Day"...

The girls are really getting ready.... Here's Ava practicing her singing, accompanied by her musical Birthday Bear....Bettina's decided to be like her Mom and capture it all on her toy stuffed camera. "Cheese!" Two more days until the big day!

Bettina Also Goes Pee-Pee in the Pee-Pee Chair

Pee-pee in the Potty

We've had a couple of the Bijoin training potties for the girls around for awhile. They know what they're for. They call them "pee-pee chairs."

The girls have been very interested in Mommy's pee-pee for awhile: "Mommy pee-pee?" as they spread my legs to watch it fall. (It never ceases to amaze me how little they understand about privacy and personal space!) They like to say bye-bye to the pee-pee before I flush as well. I just need to make sure that the public restrooms I use are singles and don't have stalls in them...could cause some public embarrassment!! Up until today, we've used the pee-pee chair as a toy of sorts. I've always been under the impression that toilet training doesn't start until they are 2-1/2 or 3 years old.

This morning, however, Ava was wandering around outside diaperless (a bit of rash we're trying to let breathe). She started talking about the pee-pee chair. I just changed her diaper 5 minutes ago and don't think she needs it, but, what the heck, I think. Let's bring it out for kicks.

I warn her, "Your pee-pee may not be ready to come out yet, but that's OK. You can wait or try again later." She sits down, repeating "pee-pee," then stands up and runs away. It wasn't until 2-3 minutes had gone by that I bothered to stand up from my chair where I watched her "practice" her potty. "My God," I think, "There's pee-pee in there! She actually did it!"

I'm so excited I call both girls, and Grandma, over to see the pee-pee sitting in the potty chair. All sorts of pomp and circumstance follow as well as Ava being able to call Daddy on the cell-phone to tell him herself that she went pee-pee on the potty. We call Grandpa too, just for good measure.

After our celebration around the pee-pee chair, we take the pee-pee to the toilet and tell it "bye-bye." The ritual is complete. Ava has gone pee-pee in the potty, and just before she's turned 2! Could it be that they'll be trained before the end of the summer? How ideal would that be! I'm thinking again that May babies are the way to go. Potty training during summer is just another benefit.

Yee-haw! Cowgirl up!

I've been looking forward to this weekend for 2 years....

One of the only drawbacks about getting pregnant was that I'd have to miss out on my favorite annual event for a couple of years. A number of my close girlfriends - girls I've grown up with - and I have been going horse camping with a group of women on different California ranches, and it's my absolute favorite thing. Playing with horses, cows, and girls friends with gourmet meals, open bar, commemorative gift, riding on guided trails, Calcutta, team penning, barrel racing timed events, live and silent auctions...even massages and facials -- everything a sophisticated cowgirl could ever want. Las Estrellas del Valle is a 3-day event benefiting the Salinas Valley Medical Hospital's Level III NICU (a cause close to any twin-mom's heart).

My dad - a saint among saints - gives this to me as a Christmas gift, but being pregnant and a new mom, I couldn't go the last 2 years. This year, I got it again and he flew down from Seattle to watch the girls to ensure I had a really great time.

You always meet more fabulous, funny and exciting people and it always renews my love for cow-chasing and country living. We have yet to see (and buy) the professional photos, but here are a couple snapshots and rough videos taken on my camera.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Mommy and the Terrible, Horrible, No good, Very Bad Weekend

Alexander had it easy. His day only lasted a day.

Mine started Friday after I packed up all the things for the Twin Valley Mothers of Twins Consignment Sale and the girls into the minivan bound for Grandma's house. We were in a rush... I still needed to tag all the toys at Grandma's house that the girls have outgrown/ignored as well as feed them and have them ready for a nap by 12:30pm. Cruising at 65mph, I all the sudden heard a "POP!" As the minivan started to float a little, I heard a different sound like I was driving on the outside of the lane - the sound that's intended to wake up drivers who may be sleepy and wandered off the road a bit. "I bet I've got a flat," I think, merging right while neither using the brake or the accelerator. "Great!" I'm only a mile and a half to Grandma's, but with two kids - feisty ones at that - in the car with me, walking to the nearest exit - less than 1 mile - isn't an option in my book.

Thank goodness for cell phones! I call my husband first, who is unfortunately in a meeting for the next 3 hours and won't hear my pleas. I call Grandma next who is supposed to be at a class rather than her house. Cell phone's off. Already in class. Hummm... Insurance agent (Paul had me cancel AAA since the roadside assistance was cheaper through our car insurance) is next....apparently I'm not covered....Paul told them to cancel it since I had AAA. Miscommunication #1,452. Nearer to tears, they assure me they'll send someone out for an additional $50. A bargain. I'm told to wait an hour. I'm no woozy, but it's really scary being on the side of the road --- each time a big car or truck comes by, it shakes the whole car. I pray that they girls don't find it intimidating.

Time passes - thank goodness I packed a lunch for these two. They are relatively calm and finally, 15 minutes late, help arrives. I look in my rear-view mirror and know that doom is short-coming. It's not a tow-truck. It's a locksmith who does tire changes on the side. He tells me to open the middle trap door so he can get my spare out. I know it's not there - that's where we store extra toys and my Ergo carrier. After looking for 10 minutes, my help tells me that I have no spare and that he can't help me. I sense stupidity in his face and I scan the owner's manual to prove him wrong. However, they don't tell me where to find the spare, just that it's there and how to change it. The girls are starting to act up. Every time I leave the car, they panic and scream. We've been on the side of the freeway now for 2 hours. I'm pissed my "savior" is unqualified and I call my insurance hotline to tell them so. They will send out a proper tow truck, but it will take another hour. Unacceptable. A CHP car drives up behind me and quickly my locksmith guy is driving away. The CHP tell me 3 options: hitch a ride with them and abandon the car, they're call for a tow truck will come within 15-minutes (and will cost an arm and a leg), or they will follow me low-speed to the exit and ensure I'm safe. Screw the alloy rim -- it will cost as much as the tow truck anyways! I am flustered and an emotional mess for the rest of the night. Yuck! However, lessons learned: 1) the spare is in the back side-compartment, shaped like a wheel, on the drivers' side. Had my van not been full of stuff for the sale, I may have seen it in my rear-view mirror. 2) always check your insurance policy for coverage even though someone says they've already done it.

Saturday: Paul leaves to work saying he'll be home early so that we can go to this wedding. "Good," I answer. "I need to take a shower before we go." Girls wake up on the wrong side of the bed and I load the screaming pair into the car after breakfast to pick up Paul's pants from the tailor. The challenging part is that I have to get there using backroads as you're not supposed to travel more than 50 mph with a spare. I don't know these backroads of inner-Oakland, but actually navigate them relatively well even though there are some tough neighborhoods. I get there and they don't have Paul's pants. Could it be that he actually remembered to pick them up himself? Nah - look again, please. I realize I left my cell phone at home and go home empty handed after their second and third look. Now I realize I'm going to be late getting back for my very important date with the shower!! But, as I come home, I find Paul not there, but his pants in the closet. I wait 2-more hours with still-cranky kids who won't let me put them down without crying. I'm stuck on the sofa one on each knee. One-half hour before we need to leave, Paul comes in late for his own shower. I throw on a dress, fuming that I don't have the time to clean the kids' snot out of my hair or eat something myself.

Sunday: Bettina's been up since 11:30 last night. She can't sleep and won't let me either. Finally at 4:30am, she starts to drift off. Ava wakes up, I enter and see that she's covered in puke. I change her sheets and draw a bath and clean both kids when Tina wakes. I think I know why Ava got sick - I'm starting to feel it too and it explains why everyone was in such a foul mood yesterday. With all these distractions, there's no time for church. Neither is there food or milk in the fridge, so I put the kids in the car again and drudge out to the store. I have to start the laundry before we go otherwise Ava will have nothing to sleep on or with (both "moos" got hit with puke). They're both shrieking by the time we get back and I throw on the clean sheets and put the kids on top of them. "Night-night," I say, looking heaven-bound, praying they will sleep even though it's an hour before their regular nap time. It's quiet. I head for my own bed after putting in earplugs (just in case) and we all sleep for 3 hours. I just have to endure 4 more hours of "playtime" with a bad headache, a stomach that is about ready to hurl and a sore throat until I get to put the kids in bed again. I watch with contempt as my husband comes in to shower and then out again, after asking if I'm feeling OK and hearing "no", so he can watch the basketball playoffs in a box seat with free food and beer. Can you tell I'm still fuming?

Well, that's my rant. Mommy and her Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad weekend. Lord be praised that tomorrow is Monday and blessed Rocio will be here at 9am. All I'll have to worry about for 5-hours is myself and my work.

23 Months

I was just reviewing the last couple of months and found this entry about the girls' vocabulary 5 months ago. Wow! A lot has changed since then! Back then, they could say 25 words. I made a list the other day and stopped when I got to 200!! I also stopped counting animal noises as words as well (the list is obviously too long to list here, but I've kept an electronic copy as a keep-sake). They have also added to their sign language vocabulary as well; they've outgrown what I know. I contemplated going to Barnes and Noble to buy a sign language picture dictionary so all of us could learn more. Ava in particular is more interested in it than Bettina. Waffling on the "why now that they can talk" argument, I've found there still is some use for it as sometimes a number of words, especially if I'm not right next to them, sound similar in their not-yet-precise diction. Often, when I can't make out what they're saying, they will also sign the word and I understand immediately. It helps a lot.

Butterfly Town, USA

Last year, we went to Sea Ranch. This year, our all-women's retreat (Grandma, my sister Ainsley, my girls and me) was at Asilomar in Pacific Grove (aka Butterfly Town, USA for their flocks of migrating monarchs). We had a fantastic time, visiting the monarch butterflies, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the ocean.

The girls are picking up so many words, now... just over the weekend, Ava added squirrel, blue jay, waves, ocean, otter, and jellyfish, among others. While being approached by some pretty aggressive begging-squirrels on 17-Mile Drive, Ava, after finding that just backing away wouldn't deter the fiesty squirrel, shook her finger and said, "Out, squirrel!"

The girls were very excited to see all the waterlife at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Word to the wise: they have a 2-day pass that can be purchased from hotels for the same price as a normal ticket at the door. Not only do you get twice the opportunity to visit, but you can beat the line at the counter and walk right in. Tickets are now $25/per person. Kids under 3 are free!

We rented the Director's Cottage, one of the cottages on the Asilomar property. It, like many of the buildings here, was designed and built by the infamous Julia Morgan. Asilomar was the stereo-typical UC Berkeley brain-child. Crunchy, functional, and geared toward connecting with nature. The rooms, on top of it, are very reasonably priced! We enjoyed it so much, we looked into having a Dent reunion and at least another all-women's retreat here sometime next year. Leisure guests (most rooms are occupied by various groups and conferences) can make reservations 6-months in advance. You have to be in-the-know to get a cottage. They don't do reservations for them online; you need to call and ask.

All the groovey photographs of the whole 3-day trip can be seen here.

Home Updates

Hurray! Look at the front of our house!!

It looks finished - the scaffolding's gone, the plywood's gone from the windows, it's painted, new windows installed, the gargage floor is poured and, hey, a new low-profile carriage-style garage door is attached.

Inside, we're still down to studs. Paul's passed the electrical rough inspection and still working on the plumbing. We need to install the water heater, HVAC, floors and handrails on the stairs, pass the plumbing inspection, and hang and tape the 150+ sheets of sheetrock before we move in, but it should start moving faster, especially since we're hiring a sheetrocker and a floor guy.

After we move in, there will still be a lot of work to do: finishing the 2 new bathrooms, building the stairs outside between the decks and putting the balcony railings, painting the interior. Plus other things that I'm sure aren't even on my radar yet but will surely rear their heads.

Family Reunion

We had a really nice opportunity to celebrate lots with my mom's family this weekend: birthdays, pregnancies and impending births. Lots of food and sets of little footsteps abound. The fun photos can be found here. It was particularly special because my cousin Jonathan and his wife Emily flew in from Norfolk, VA with their daughter. Emily's also one of the expecting. It's rare we get to see them because Jon's work schedule is so demanding and his time off so last-minute (he's a pilot in the Navy).

While chit-chatting, we discovered the new news that Jonathan will be deployed for Behrain, near Iraq, in July. It's only a 3-month tour, they say, and I'm hoping it stays that way. Otherwise he will miss the birth of his second child in October.

Jon is piloting a *bus* of sorts called the C-2 Greyhound. He's with the Det 4,VRC 40 Rawhides (this is like reading Greek for me right now - don't understand most of it, but hope to become fluent by July, with the help of his wife Emily). He ferries supplies back and forth from the main land to the carriers. Although he'll be stationed on the USS Enterprise, as I understand it, most of his time will be spent away from the ship since his plane is way too large for them to want to keep it there. He graduated near the top of his class and thus had many choices as to which type of plane he wanted to fly. I'm proud to say that he put his testosterone-dreams of flying fighter jets aside for an "out-of-the-way", less hazardous assignments and shorter deployments, knowing he wanted to be a family man and to be there for his family. Serving his country and still able to look beyond personal dreams - that's a real man for you.

Anyhow, my uncle Dave, Jon's dad, just sent out this YouTube video to all of us (he's the biggest Navy cheerleader you can find). It is not of Jon's bragade; but they are currently out there doing what Jon will be doing from July to October. It can give you an idea of what he'll be doing out there - besides making YouTube videos :-)

Diaper Discipline

It's too bad that the microphone on our video machine is on the back and not close enough to pick up Ava's conversation.

So, Daddy comes home and in an attempt be helpful, starts to change Bettina's diaper to get her ready for bed. Bettina, however, is slow to acknowledge Daddy as an authority and refuses to allow the new diaper to be put on. He tells her to come over here to put on the diaper and she giggles and runs away, evading his every request. They continue this 'game' of sorts until Mommy comes in from cooking Daddy's dinner trying to figure out what's so complicated with this process.

Ava decides that she's going to straighten out the whole process. She grabs a diaper, unfolds in on the ground and demands, "Be-tti-na, sit! Be-tti-na, sit here." It works and Bettina sits very easily next to Ava until she realizes that the next step involves wearing a diaper. Then she takes off again.

Quick on her feet, Ava attempts to tempt her back with the extra reward of getting some diaper medicine (for some reason, 'medicine' makes everything more appealing in this house).

Bettina is also manipulative and a quick thinker... she reaches for a toy which makes music and very soon, Ava is also distracted and dancing with her shoulders. Too cute!

Our Entry Into Fit Modeling

So, we got a call from one of the more well-known Talent Agencies in the area asking if I could bring the girls in. They believe the girls are the perfect sizes to become fit models. What is a fit model? Well, here in the Bay Area, we are home to many children's clothing companies (Gymboree, Janie and Jack, Gap, and Old Navy, to name a few). While these companies are designing their clothes, they want to see them on actual children before they are mass-produced. Is the brim of the hat too long - the kid can't see from under it; are the thumbs in mittens too small - the kid can't get their thumb in; etc., etc. You'd hate to find this was the case after purchasing something, wouldn't you? They're smart - they "baby-test" them before they market them. So, fit modeling has nothing to do with marketing or photographs; only production. If you're kid has the "right" measurements, they could become fit models, visit corporate headquarters, and get paid to try things on. They don't have to have stunning looks, just be very co-operative. Having a curious and easy-going personality, as well as being somewhat of a ham, works well in this niche.

So, in we went. Bettina had this by the horns. "You want me to stand here against the tape measure? No problem. You want to put a tape measure around my tummy? Whatever. Stick out my arms like an airplane? That's silly, but I'll humor you."
"She's a natural!" the talent agent says as Tina laughs and proceeds to sit in the stranger's lap playing with the tape measure. "She also has the perfect measurements for a Gymboree model."

Ava, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with that funny looking tape measure. "No!" she protested as she ran away from the agent and hid behind Mommy. That was the end of her fit-modeling career. At least for now.

We went the following day to Gymboree for a "Look/See" - basically, the client (Gymboree) wants to see the model in advance and make sure that the measurements, and the temperament, of the model is just right. Our agent wanted to give Ava one-last-try and said that she could go to the job (normally, siblings aren't allowed) to see if she'd warm up to the industry with a little experience.

The girls really enjoyed meeting our contact, Lilly, who's name the girls will always remember since they have a doll they adore (Lilly the Leapfrog doll) with the same name at home. With Ava in a backpack and thus out of the way, Bettina walked into the giant double glass doors of Gymboree Headquarters like she owned the place. Out the elevator she strode and followed Lilly into a room decorated like "Where the Wild Things Are." Lilly showed Tina what the real fitting would be like - got her familiar with the hats and gloves that needed testing and in turn, tested Bettina and her tolerance to trying on clothes. Not a one problem. "Well, we'll see you tomorrow for the real thing!"

Twenty-minutes later, we're getting back into the car and are signing a 2-year contract with the talent agency for Bettina to be a fit model. (Now, that's not to say that we'll be doing this that long, or working for this client for that long, but, the agency looks to find work for Bettina for that long. Should her size change so that she's no longer appropriate for fit modeling, if they can't find her work for over 3 months, or something else, we can agree to break the contract.)

Bettina's first day on the job:
It goes just like yesterday's rehearsal, only there is a full audience of designers and seamstresses talking about logistics and what/how they want to change, if anything at all. She tries on one hat and 4 sets of mittens. Bettina likes the hat (a little pumpkin beanie) so much, that she insists on wearing it the whole time. Even though they take it off her head, she walked over and put it on again. The mittens (2 of which just have to be Janie and Jack, they are so cute!) are a new concept for her and she doesn't understand that her thumb is supposed to go in the little pocket. She quickly learns (sort of) and they decide the bunny paws need shorter pile material, the raccoons need bigger thumbs, the bull dogs are perfect and the basic knit is good, too. Seventeen-minutes later, we're walking out the door and Bettina's nearly $90 richer.

Things to remember:
For now, I've learned that it's good to pack a couple key things when going to a fit model session. I think it's wise to bring a couple of their favorite toys. Sunglasses and books, for example. Bring a sippy cup, but make sure it's only water. Don't want to mess up the client's project with cranberry juice!! Bring extra diapers, wipes and diaper disposable bags. The one embarrassing thing that did happen is that Tina took a giant dump in the beginning of the session. I was glad to have the baby-powder scented disposal bags!

So, this is new ground for us and so far an interesting path with insight to a whole new industry. We'll see where this takes us and what sort of amusing and interesting stories it brings.

Pre-Easter Photos

Little angels show off their Easter dresses a bit early for their 22-Month photo.

Let the Birthday Season Begin!

Well, the season has started... Ava and Tina's friends have started having their 2nd birthday parties. One of their closest friends, Dean, started it all off this year. Dean's parents were smart enough to host their party outside the home at a children's play place called Habitot (one of our favorite spots). Hilarious to watch a room full of little people run around and get high on sugar while Moms and Dads kick back with awe wondering how the time has flown. Here's a little montage that I put together for the Birthday Boy...

Photo and video editing at onetruemedia.com

22 Months

Wow! Twenty-two months. Actually, it happened two days ago and I only just noticed now. That's good - we're finally getting ready to transition from counting their age by months and start with just years.

Here the girls are with their friends Brynn (2 yrs) and Brooke (almost 4 yrs and wearing the other fuzzy crown - also one of my god-daughters) who were visiting from Reno the other day.

So, what are the girls like now?
They love to put on (and take off) shoes. Those trendy Crocs shoes and rain boots are their favorites because they are so easy to do on their own. They know how to take off nearly every shoe, but they can put on the Crocs and rain boots by themselves as well. They also love to wear other people's shoes. Daddy's are the funniest to watch them wear since they look about as long as they are tall.

They love to feed themselves - give them the bowl of applesauce or yogert container and a spoon - they want to do it themselves. It's a big mess a lot of the time, but with the warm weather, just take off those clothes and put their toddler table outside. Not to worry - all you have to do is hose them off afterwards.

They still love their Wiggles - either VHS, DVD or CD. They dance, do the hand motions and sing along. Bettina is starting to be able to jump. Ava's way beyond that and has taken to skipping as well. They get a number of the words and phrases right. They have also started to import some of the Wiggles hand motions into their sign language vocabulary. Recently, they have shown interest in Little People videos as well.

They have started to put personality and stories into their play things. Graduating from just simply dumping out all the food/food utensils from the bins in their kitchen, they will pass out cups then come around with a tea pot to "fill them up." They get a kick out of hearing you slurping up the pretend tea. They will pick up play food and make eating noises to indicate they are pretending to eat it. Their bath tub animals and the animals from their Little People Farm move with hops and a "boing" or "clip-clop" sound. They will "stop" and make their animal noise (moo, neigh, ribbit, etc.). Their frog loves to "go night-night," hiding between the shower curtain and it's liner.

They love to name things - living at the ridge of the hills overlooking Oakland International Airport, we see a lot of airplanes as they run their landing patterns over the Bay. Everytime we go outside or into the car it's, "Airplane, airplane, airplane, car, car, birdie, birdie, neigh-neigh," etc. Today as we left the Nordstrom Rack parking lot, past all the new car dealerships, toward home, both of them excitedly exclaimed, "boo-dah, boo-dah (balloon)" for a whole 3 minutes straight.

They have taken a keen interest in gardening and bug-watching. They know what ants, bees and butterflies (called just plain "flies") are, but everything else is considered a bug. They love squatting down to watch ants move and get very excited when they find larger bugs. Tina has even gotten into the habit of looking under rocks for sow-bugs and beetles. Their idea of gardening is pulling off the flowers, which is probably what they think I'm going as I thin out the dead daffodils and prune other greenery so that the next set of bulbs (currently bearded irises and lilies) can come out. I bought a couple little windowsill vases for all the tiny flowers they bring me so we can enjoy them in the kitchen a bit longer than watching them wither on the ground. I don't worry too much about this bad habit of plucking flowers. I figure the garden will only get demo-ed in a couple months anyhow and by next year, I can teach them a more refined definition of helping in the garden.

Bettina surprized me when, at the doctor's, she weighed in at nearly 28 pounds! I though she was nearer to 26, which is probably more where Ava is. We have started to put away the 18-24 month clothes and most of their 2T dresses and shirts are unpacked and ready for wear. They have nearly all of their teeth, now. Ava's last set are coming through now. Bettina's got another set that need to break through, but both have very toothy smiles.

Things I Learned at the Doctors This Week

Just a cute picture of Tina wearing my 3-inch espadrille shoes. There are another 4-frames or so after this picture in various states of falling forward and out of the shoes, swiftly followed by her putting them on and attempting to walk in them again.

Last week was tough - the girls (and I) were sick and had fevers. We decided to take them to "The Wiggles" concert anyhow and still they had fun. They spent the first half swaying, dancing and wiggling in the aisles to the music. The second half, they were worn out and just watched from our laps. They were cold-asleep by the time we left the parking lot. They clearly had fun, but I'm sure would have had much more fun had they been feeling their best.

Two days later, Tina hadn't shaken her fever, so I took her in to the doctor. I told the doctor about Tina's fever (Ava's only lasted 2 days) and learned something new: when you take a kid's temperature under the arm, you are really suppossed to adjust the result up a degree. I was floored that I had allowed Tina to have a temperature of 103 for 2 days (I thought it was really only 101.9). I was embarrassed and shamed still to find that on top of that, she'd been suffering from painful ear infection as well. "She hasn't been complaining about any pain?" the doctor asks. (Now, we're talking about a girl who will run straight into the wall without blinking and only adjust her angle to go off again.) "No," I responded, "but her sister has been saying her ear hurts." Two prescriptions of antibiotics later, we're heading to the pharmacy. While there, I looked into getting a vaporizor to help the girls sleep. They had some vaporizers, but not any that had the matching medicine buckets. So, I decided to buy these vapor-scented inserts that fit into a nightlight. A much cheeper solution, even if they only last one night. They worked wonders and I'm glad we tried them.

Spring Fever

Three girls on a horse... we won't be able to fit well for much longer. We may have to start using Lolly's (the barn manager's) two little ponies sometime next year -- perhaps Lolly's girls will have outgrown them by then?

Our house is next to a couple of barns. We drive by them and everyday, the girls ask to see "neigh-neighs." They want to stop, pet and feed them "flowers." Grass does much better.

Today we went down to our barn to visit and ride Misty. Lolly watches the girls while I get to saddle up and ride. While I got to wander the Pacifica hills, florecent yellow with sour grass, and feel the breezes staight off the ocean water, the girls got to spend time with the brand new litter of rabbits and some goat-kids only 2-weeks old. After Mommy's ride, each girl gets to take a stroll down the lane riding Misty-mare with Mommy . They love it (and so I!!) click here to see more barnyard photos, including the baby bunnies and goats

With the weather warming up, and the girls interested enough in the barnyard animals, we will start to make these regular "therapy" sessions for mommy and play dates for the girls.

Not Even A Nice Day for Ducks

Can you believe it? Yep, this is snow in our backyard. Today we watched as storms rolled up the hill toward our house like sand storms. They came with gusts of very cold air and, for at least 2 minutes, left snow behind. Ordinarily, I don't mind rain - equipt with rainboots and warm sweaters, bad weather can be fun. Not today! Just too miserable!

First Haircut

Now, if this isn't the ultimate in a baby day-spa, I don't know what else you need!

Miss Karen's Place in Lafayette does the whole dog-and-pony show for first haircuts. They get to sit in a yellow car while watching their favorite video (you got it, The Wiggles for these girls) so they sit nice and straight for Miss Karen. The kids left with personalized "First Haircut" certificates with a keepsake baggie of their lovely locks for Mom's memory book, a beautiful hair do with pixie dust and ribbons, a balloon and a sucker.

The perfect place to visit for their first official haircuts and later as we continue to curb Tina's (much less noticeable) mullet.

21 Months Old - Where has the time gone?

Reflecting on 21 months, here's a photo/video montage to account for all that time....

Make video montages at onetruemedia.com

Who's Watching Who?

A lovely photo from this weekend's trip to the zoo with our friends the Fluegels. You can see a couple other photos by clicking here.

Going to the Zoo

The girls were so excited to see the animals at the zoo. Because of the bad winter weather, we haven't been putting our zoo memberships to good use and the last time we went, the girls were only 16 months old or so. Now, with their vocabulary as well as their curiosity exploding, they get excited each time they make a connection between theory and reality. They've been avidly *studying* animals in theory for some time now - their favorite book right now is a picture dictionary of sorts and they love to play the "find it" game; you tell them the animal, and they will find and point to it. When the animal is live and so close to them, the game takes a whole other dimension.

Take for example the bears:


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This of course makes it really fun for moms. With the weather improving, many more trips to the zoo will certainly be forthcoming.

Flower! Spring is Springing in Winter

So, Grouper won't allow me - now that I've *upgraded* to Blogger-beta - to post individual movies. They haven't figured out how to communicate with the beta version yet. They say they're working on it - great! Anyhow, I wanted to post this little video proving that spring has sprung in our backyard. Daffodils and narcissus are in full bloom and the irises are on the rise.

Like the endearing baby Bambi as he explores the *wild* in springtime, the girls have started to call everything "flower." They are learning to enjoy smelling the flowers and, so far, have been very gentle with the delicate things. Likely, they'll start eating them when I'm not looking...all the more reason to make sure you've got nothing poisonous in the backyard as this time of year arrives.

Little Angels?

Getting ready for Valentine's Day...the obligatory photos for grandparents and god-parents. Bettina was a champ and wore her wings with no problems. Ava, however, say "no" to just about everything. No to people looking at her, no to wings, no to sitting next to her sister, no to the barrette for her hair, no to staying out of the picture. Reverse psychology was what finally worked in getting both the girls in the same frame.. we "ohh-ed" and "awe-d" over Bettina by herself until Ava wriggled out of my arms and in front of the camera again. Geeze! This is changing my mind again about getting them back into modeling. It's been a year since their last photo shoot. I thought Ava would be the better one with her cute little ringlets and head of hair. She looks feminine and not as androgonistic as Bettina with her mullet hair-do. Paul still won't let me cut her hair, but perhaps if we trim it over time she'll look a little more girl-ish without offending Daddy.

Ava's still having a hard time adjusting back to her normal sleep routine after our visit to Grandpa. Still panicky and a bit of a cling-on. She's only slept though the night twice in 3 weeks. Mommy's getting tired and loosing patience with her. I keep thinking that she'll grow out of it - especially if I succumb to her whims for a short while and we share the bed in the spare room. After 2 weeks, though, I get worried about it creating a new routine. I've put a call into my friend Karen Pollak who's a sleep trainer to hear what advice she can give. With Noelle Conchran taking a leave of absence, Karen's been getting a lot of business from San Francisco, so I hope she can fit me in.