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.

13 Months 2 weeks - Little Miss Independences

Ava & Bettina - Serene Lakes' Parade Queens

Well, we spent the last week up at my sister's house in Tahoe. It was a big week for them as Patrick (my brother-in-law) transitioned from being a Donner Summit fireman to Truckee. The merge has been an idea for years and means that Patrick (as well as the others absorbed) will have better benefits and pay. Patrick was elated to learn that he was reassigned to the "main" station in Truckee which means he'll have more "toys" to play with and a larger scale of call types. At Donner Summit, he got a lot of I-80 traffic accidents and ski calls from the 3 nearby ski resorts (Sugar Bowl, Donner, and Soda Springs). Now, he gets a ladder truck, a river rescue truck and boat and a Care Flight helicopter with whom he can work.

There was a grand pinning ceremony to mark the transition and firemen and representative came from miles and miles to attend. There must have been 40-something firetrucks out in the parking lot. Everyone from CDF (California Dept. of Fire), Reno, Truckee, Squaw Valley, Northstar, etc. were there. It was very touching and even Patrick got emotional.

That was followed by a giant celebration and reunion for all who ever worked for Donner Summit Fire before the station was retired and changed to Truckee Fire. Again, firemen both current and of yore gathered at Sugar Bowl Resort for a top-notch bar-b-que with memorabilia and toasts and stories that were told throughout the night.

Saturday was the big Serene Lakes neighborhood parade and the local firemen (Patrick and Dennis) brought up the fire trucks to make the scene all patriotic and complete. And, who but his only nieces, Ava and Bettina got to ride in the truck right up front with him!! They didn't seem to be bothered by the noise, which is actually much muted while inside the cab rather than standing out in front. They donned their most patriotic, star-studded dresses and leaned out the windows to watch all who were watching them. Definitely the queens of the parade.

Daddy came up on the train to visit over the weekend and joined us on the Homeowners' Beach and to do some more hiking. To see a whole mess of photos, click here. We had a lot of fun on our long trip and it gave me the practice of figuring out what to pack for our next long trip - a month up north in Oregon & Washington.

Posting to the blog may be difficult up there. I think most everyone I'm visiting is on dial up - not the easiest and I may just wait and save myself some frustration. We'll see...

Ava and Tina are teething again, I think. They are working on teeth numbers 7 and 8. Funny, they have the same number of teeth and they come in just about the same time. However, they aren't the same teeth. Ava's got more on top and Tina on the bottom! Funny...

13 Months 1 Week - Daddy Day Hike #6 - Rodeo Lagoon

Daddy Day Hike #6 - Rodeo Lagoon Loop Trail

This month, we hiked somewhat familiar terrain as we visited Rodeo Beach and the Lagoon just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Rodeo is a great beach that also allows dogs, so we have visited numerous times before with Hayden in tow. However, we have never hiked the Lagoon Trail, so, on this quasi-foggy day, we ventured out over the Bridge and found our way along the trail.

It was absolutely stunning with wildlife (mostly birds) and many blooming flowers. We ran across an old colleague of mine from my school-teaching days on the beach. She now lives in Santa Fe with her husband and little baby daughter of about 9 months. You can see some of the pictures, including some nice ones of the Golden Gate Bridge on our return trip, by clicking here.

13 Months - Toddler's Paradise!! Habitot

Ground Control to Major Tom!
Ava, Bettina and Dean play "Rocket Scientist"

My friend Tiffany and her son, while flipping through their "Babies By the Bay" book, came up with a great idea to visit this children's "museum" in Berkeley called "Habitot." Especially designed for kids 1 - 4 years (toddlers to pre-schoolers), it is a very popular place - rated 5 out of 5 stars both in "Babies By the Bay" and "The Lila Guide" (both exceptional books and "must-haves" for new-moms looking for outing ideas.

I found it a phenomenal idea and one of those, "Why didn't I think of this,"-type places. Basically, they've created these fantastic and imaginative play spaces where everything is baby-proofed, but also exceptionally inviting to curious and imaginative toddlers. They have a number of different play spaces, each with it's own theme. There's the space shuttle and controller's tower built with every kind of button/lever/joystick imaginable, the stage and face-painting area, a crawling maze, a train table, a grocery store, the art studio with clay, paint and a structure project, a soft-mat crawling place (meant for little ones and pre-walkers), and of course, the water room, filled with ponds, rivers and pumps of water. Even though they provide the kids with laminated art and water aprons, they recommend you bring a change of clothes, just in case. Ava, of course, being the waterbug she is, was drenched and got cold after playing in the water room. We definitely were glad to have the extra clothes for her!

The best thing about this place: The kids can make a mess and YOU DON'T HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP!! :-)

The price is a little hefty: $6 for kids (infants under 1 are free) and adults $5. It will probably be the only time that the adults play for less than the kids! A year membership for the family is $110. Again, a bit pricey, but if you live nearby and you've got a lot of kids, it's probably the golden ticket to sanity! Bonus: you get reciprocity membership with the Discovery Museum (we have yet to visit) in Sausalito.

The photos of our visit are precious! You can see them here.

Family Photo on Father's Day

Just a cute photo for Father's Day. We hadn't done a family group shot since November...

Funny, But Real to Life, Twins Article

I came across this article from the New York Metro, passed from another MOM, and thought it was GREAT!

It was written by two new-ish parents to twins who live in New York. The whole article was waaaayy too long to post the entire thing, but here are a couple excerts to which I personally could relate:

"Living in New York, he [the dad] imagined they’d be the people arriving at rock shows with their kid in a sling. “But there was no way,” he says. “You know, I’d imagined what it would be like to be the president of the United States and to be an astronaut, but somehow it never came on my list to be a father of twins.”

“Oh, it was so beyond anything I’d imagined,” says Alice. “On the one hand, it’s unbelievable joy and it’s everything you wanted and you wanted so badly to have these kids. But I was just remembering those moments where it’s Saturday morning and you’ve each slept about half an hour a couple of times during the night and you’re each holding an upset baby and you say, ‘Can I give you both babies so I can brush my teeth?’ And your husband’s like, ‘No, I’ve been waiting for two hours to make the coffee,’ and you’re like, ‘Well, can I just take my puked-on shirt off?!’ And he’s like, ‘No! I have to pee!’ And you know that there’s, like, fifteen hours ahead of you before bedtime where nobody’s going to get sleep again.”

[Another excert from parents of triplets] "Fortunately, triplets tend to be well behaved. They have no choice. They understand early on that because the babies outnumber the parents, screaming in the crib won’t necessarily bring a response. So their sleeping schedule tends to stabilize quickly. A similar discipline takes hold for eating—if they don’t take whatever food is offered, their siblings surely will and they’ll go hungry. “We don’t have to mess around with ‘Open up for the flying airplane,’ ” says Jean-Marie. “It’s a total assembly line.”

If you're the parent of mulitples or are just trying to gain some insight into the mysterious life it dictates, I suggest you take the 15-minutes and read the whole article. There were a couple of truths that I wouldn't dare admit to parents of non-multiples.

One Year 3 Weeks - Climbing

We have been looking for more activities to do that take us outside the house as Paul officially broken ground in our basement. The pick-axe hit the concrete this last weekend and we've already filled up one concrete debris box. So, the kids, dog and I met up with friend Tiffany and her son Dean at the Lafayette Reservoir.

The girls go often to the Reservoir tot lot as their nanny, Rocio, usually takes them there when she comes twice a week. Rocio has told me how much they like the slide, so I decided to watch them. Just after Tina's feet hit the ground, she let out a giant grin and proceeded to toddle over to the play structure again and, to my amazement, started climbing the structure all the way to the top where she waited for me to help her slide down. She did this numerous times until I finally videoed so that Daddy could see this passion and talent himself.

Since then, I've found her at home standing on top of boxes and attempting to climb the crib and file cabinet. She's rather enjoying her new-found talent.

Ava tries to mimic, but isn't yet willing to get on her knees and doesn't yet trust her balance with such a large step. She enjoys sliding, especially on her stomach when she can slide unaided.

Email Fun - The Crying/Manipulation Game

I'm sure many of you, especially if you have kids, have seen this one come across their email accounts....


If not, consider it insight of what may come, should you be looking forward to the pidder-patter of little feet sometime in your future.

This family has the right idea... take it with a grain of salt and a little bit of humor. It will make a great showcase as your little one is getting ready for their Prom date!

One Year 2 Weeks - Here We Go Around the Mulberry Bush

Well, Ava decided this weekend that she really didn't need to hold onto a finger to get herself around. She's running around like gangbusters and chasing Tina around the house. The two of them get a big kick out of seeing each other walk. Most of their playtime is spend following each other around the house like a parade - one with the MP3 player changing the music at whim. They giggle at each other as they sneak around the corner circling "the Mulberry Bush" that they imagine stands in our house. (Pay close attention to little Ava's shoulders and hips - she love to invent new dance steps!)

I swear, if you have toddlers, you have to look into getting one of these MP3 Players. My kids love it some much they fight over theirs. I've even beginning to think that for the first time I may need to get another one just to keep the peace.

The other exciting thing that happened just today: Bettina's god-father, Scott, welcomed with his wife their new daughter Victoria Charlotte. Mom and baby are doing fine after a tough birth. I got the call while the girls and I were in the library. And, what calls more attention to oneself than to have a cell phone ring in the library? The stream of tears that comes with the good news. Just like my last entry, my emotions are a mess - gesh!

Cha-Cha-Changes!

There is something about motherhood that changes you. I don't just mean in an "I'm more mature" kind of way. I am convinced that pregnancy and childbirth chemically change your body. My body doesn't look the same. Even though I'm the same size, my clothes don't fit the same way, I don't react the same way to similar situations any more; even my courses (sorry to be crass) don't happen the same way. I have completely changed. It's like the little aliens while moving around in my body re-programmed me and I will never be the same again. I need to figure out who I am all over again and get reacquainted.

Just an everyday example...

Since Devil's Slide took out Highway 1 just south of Pacifica, I have to drive down the 280 to the 92 and go through Half Moon Bay to get to the barn. Not a big deal - it just adds about 20 minutes, assuming I'm not hitting commute traffic when everyone from the Coastside merges onto the simple country one-laner for the 13 miles to the ocean. So, my view is a bit different taking the inland detour.

I noticed today, for example, a group of cyclists on the frontage road by San Bruno. "A pretty big club," I thought to myself as I continued down the freeway. I was surprised just how big... 3 miles down the road there was another group coming onto the freeway for a short distance. I then noticed the police escorts on the side of the road helping to deflect the traffic from them. "This must be a local charity ride," I thought. "Perhaps they're riding to San Jose." A sign on a chase/support van next to me on the freeway told me they were doing an AIDS LifeCycle ride. When I saw them at the north end of Crystal Springs, I thought they'd go under the freeway and head inland for the Camino Real and down to San Jose. However, at the 92 junction, they were snaking their way right instead of left. "They're going to Santa Cruz!" I thought. Winding my way up the narrow country road with them, I started thinking about them and wondering about their individual stories. Being that close, you can make out more details of them, see their muscles, some clearly trained for cycling and others just look like weekend warriors. Some of them rode in groups with jerseys all alike, clearly a team within a team. Others treated the ride with more humor and added tutus to their bike shorts or tiger masks to their helmets, reminding me of the Bay to Breakers crowd ("So San Francisco," I mused).

Along the climb up the mountain, small groups of people had pulled over to clap and cheer in support of the athletes. Some with boas on the head or sporting signs. One of the signs indicates that the group is cycling for Los Angeles. "That's impressive," I think. "It will take them a week to get there." I have been following this parade of sorts for about 20 miles now and have been amused, slightly intrigued, and, yes, impressed. I come up to another sign held up by a woman festively decorated and sitting in the bed of her pickup: "I was sick and you visited me - thanks for the support."........ I burst into tears! What happened?! I was just really enjoying myself - the beautiful weather, the curiosities along the road, the reward of seeing my horse... now I've been thrown into a mess of tears by a sentimental Hallmark-esque sign.

I was discussing this with my friend Deborah just yesterday. There was something on TV (neither of us could remember what) and the story line involved an unexpected event - like a fire or earthquake or something - and a small child was trapped inside. Deborah and I (although we were watching it separately) had the exact same reaction: unbridled panic. It was bad TV, obviously fake, but we couldn't help having physiological reactions to it. I happened to be watching it with my husband. I literally stood up, said "Get the baby!" aloud with tears in my eyes, and paced the floor for the 15 seconds as the drama unfolded. My husband, clearly confused by my actions, states the obvious: "It's only a movie. It's fake!" Of course, I know this. It unfortunately can't change my now natural and physical reaction.

I guess I didn't realize that in birthing my babies, I'd be rebirthing myself as well. Whether I like it or not, it seems, this additionally emotional and protective person is now me. I'm not sure how it happened, but it seems (thankfully) that I'm not the only mom that's found herself changed. I guess it's time to come to terms with it. So, I'll "turn and face the strange" and learn how to with these post-pregnancy cha-cha-changes!!

Daddy Day Hike #5 - Angel Island

Daddy Day Hike #5 - Angel Island

For Memorial Day Weekend, we chose a very memorial hike among the ghosts of long-ago troops. One of the centerpieces of the San Francisco Bay, once an army fort, a missile base and an immigration detention center, Angel Island, dubbed "The Jewel of the Bay," is one of the more beautiful places to capture a full 360 degree view of the area. As natives, it's rare that we fight the tourist mayhem down at Fishermen's Wharf or Tiburon to catch a ferry out to the old island. So, it had been many years (13 for me and more for Paul) since either of us visited. Grandma, who very much liked the idea of going to Angel Island (it had been 5 1/2 years since her last visit) joined us this time. Fortunately for her, we only had 2 packbacks and 2 kids to carry. She got to enjoy the hike without carrying anything but her camera and water.

We took the 11:30 ferry from Pier 41 and arrived after first stopping by Alcatraz and Tiburon for additional passengers. The Ayala Cove was lively with many picnickers, many with older kidlets who ran straight for the beach with their sand toys. After a short picnic, we started our hike around the 5-mile Perimeter Road. We paused to take in many sites and did take in a lot of photos. We were a bit late coming back and we missed the targeted 3pm return ferry, but caught the next one an hour and a half later. By then, the girls were incredibly tired and, thankfully, there were people with a sense of humor sitting next to us. As Tina literally threw herself on the ground in a sleep-deprived temper-tantrum, I'm sure everyone was glad they weren't on the red-eye to the East Coast! Beside that, it was an excellent day!

For all the pictures of our picturesque hike, click here.

One Year - Stats and Habits

"A Day in the Life of a 12-Month Old"

The above video was taken yesterday morning just before their nap and is pretty much how we spend our time. They wake up anytime between 6:15 and 6:30 (but I let them stay in bed playing until about 6:45). We eat breakfast at 7am after getting dressed and then play until 8:30 when we start getting cranky. Naptime! When they wake up from their morning nap (right around 10am), we try to get out of the house and do something. This day, we went to the Ferry Building to watch seagull and pigeons and meet up with friend Mary for lunch (pictures here). After eating parts of a roast beef sandwich, running after pigeons, watching ferries come in and out, and eating a few bites of gelatto (Mary's treat), it's back home for another nap (2pm). Then, after about an hour - sometimes 2, it's walking around the neighborhood (today to get a key cut) and going on a "flower hunt" where we visit, smell and learn about all the flowers' names around our house. You'd be surprised how many varieties there actually are in a 3-block radius in the middle of the City! Dinner's at 5:00 followed by their bath. By 6pm, they're playing with toys again in their sleep clothes waiting for Dad to come home. They are usually back in bed by 7pm.

Stats: (based on the Doctor's office visit, which Paul thinks is completely wrong!)
Ava: Ava is 29 inches tall and 19.5 pounds which puts her in the 50% for height and the 25% for weight.

Bettina: is 29 1/2 inches tall and 20 pounds which puts her in the 75% for height and the 25% in weight. Neither Paul nor Nonna are convinced there is only half-pound between the two girls. "It has to be at least a pound and a half," they theorize (their own experiment with the in-house scale doesn't do them any favors to disprove the doctor!).

Favorites: For toys, anything that has wheels and that can be pushed around like their ride-on car and push-toy. Tina has just started getting on her ride-on car all by herself. She doesn't push it yet with her feet; she just waits for Ava to push it for her. Tina has started to try to get on her rocking horse by herself which makes Mommy very nervous. It's much taller than her car and she could hit her head very easily.

Ava loves music and carries her new MP3 player around with her. They both LOVE the cell phones that Aunt Kathy and Cousin Holly sent for their birthday.

Somedays, they will be very assertive about their independence. Tina will refuse to eat off the spoon; she'd like to feed herself instead. Ava doesn't want Mommy to carry her; she'd rather toddle around herself. In the same breath, I've discovered that their stranger and separation anxiety has reared it's head again. So, it seems that, even though they're longing for independence, it's still so new, that Mommy needs to stick around in case they get a pang of fright.

With food, we've stopped buying the formula and are with cow's milk now. I'm not sure if it's my imgination, but it seems that they spill more if it in bed, so I'm thinking about going back to a slower nipple - a 3 or 2 - to see if that makes a difference. Another adjustment: I didn't realize how much milk we'd go through. Definatley need the Costco sizes of whole milk for the kids, and lots of it! We go through a gallon every day and a half.

One Year Old!! - The Party

The Family on the girls' first birthday (with lots of icing!!)

Well, we finally made it! The girls are now one-year old. Now we can officially give them whatever we want to eat (minus honey and peanut butter), including real cows milk. Gone are the days of buying formula at Costco(at least for now) and really short are they days their carseats face backwards (Ava still has another pound to gain).

The party was lots of fun with 24 little kidlets (only 4 of them over the age of 4). We had a jump house in the front of the house and a kiddie corral in the back where parents could watch them well. We also had the water table, a present from their Aunt Ainsley and Uncle Patrick, out and the girls with their cousin Antonio just couldn't leave it alone.

Everyone's favorite part of watching the girls' first taste of real sugar and icing proved hard to forget. Here's a video clip post birthday-song and deep into the icing enjoyment:


Video Hosting - Upload Video - Video Sharing
There are also lots of pictures of the fun. You can find them here.

I had to start my day at 6am and just barely made it ready by 11:30 am after going to Costco and Walgreens and handing off the Safeway trip to my brother-in-law. But, after 18 balloons, 3 cakes (Safeway gives one free round cake to each kid celebrating their first birthday), tons of drinks, sandwich setups and 2 different salads, I felt ready enough to greet the first guests. I couldn't believe that it took as long as it did. I never would have been able to be ready if it weren't for the help from my mother, sister and her husband (a million thanks, guys!).

I'm really glad that I made in advance a couple of mementos: little hand-painted ceramic plates for each of them to use every year on their birthday as well as a framed "official" birthday photo where each of the guests had an opportunity to sign their name and a short greeting onto the matte. We had also stamped their feet with water-based ink on the matte before people signed to make it that much more memorable. I actually forgot to lay the matte out until near the end, so I'm going to try to chase everyone down so that it is complete. I would recommend these little touches; I think we will really appreciate them later down the line.

11 Months 3 Weeks - Our First Mother's Day

Mother's Day

Saturday, the day before Mother's Day, was the local radio station, KFOG's, annual "KABOOM" (aka SkyConcert) free concert and fireworks show. They take over an entire Pier near the Bay Bridge and literally tens of thousands of people congregate for the festivities. The Dodgers were also in town, playing the Giants just a quarter-mile down the road. As I came over the bridge back from and East Bay visit and noticed all the commotion (i.e. traffic), I was reminded of what I was doing just one-year ago. Actually, it was one-year and a week - KFOG must have hosted this year's party a week earlier than last year.

Last year, I was sitting in the same traffic which was compounded by 2 factors: 1) we didn't have a FastTrak pass which helps speed you through the toll plaza and 2) the traffic was worse as the Giants were playing the A's. So, half of the East Bay was trying to get over the bridge to go to either event.

I, on the other hand, had no interest in attending either event. I'm a Giants fan and love the KABOOM concerts, but I was in labor and trying desparately to get to the hospital to have my babies! Last year was a Mothers-To-Be Day (see my blog posting here).... This year got to be our first "real" Mother's Day!!

Our first Mother's Day was spend, naturally, with both our mothers and Paul's sisters, who are also mothers in celebration. We traveled down to a great park in Palo Alto called Mitchell Park. The park includes shuffleboard courts, checkerboard/chess tables, seven tennis courts, two paddle tennis courts, four handball courts, jogging trails, picnic areas with barbecues, multi-use concrete bowl, toddler playgrounds, children's water park, large dog run and restrooms (the restroom by the toddler water park has toddler-sized toilets and sinks - great for kids; a real challenge for their accompaning adults!). Since you need to reserve the picnic tables in advance, we made a giant layout on blankets and tablecloths on the grass under a huge tree, which actually gave us more shade than under the reservation-only arbor and tables. The kids had a great time running between the water park and the sand box (bad combination!), challenged Paul to a water-balloon duel, and played with grandparents and toys under the shade of the tree. Enjoy our pictures here.

God Bless America (or Eat Your Vegetables)!

It all came together for me while sitting in a circle at a newly-formed book club that the local chapter of my college sorority organized. I'd always wanted to join a book club and, since this one allowed me to meet new people of a variety of ages and agreed to meet after my children went to sleep, I hunkered down and ordered the book 4 weeks in advance (and hoped I'd find the time to read between naps, etc.).

The book was "The Handmaid's Tale," one I'd read in college, but enjoyed enough for a re-read. Start the sorority book club off with a book on women's issues! The group was mostly younger women - women about 2-5 years out of school and maybe another one out perhaps a year or two later. I was, however, the oldest of the group, which didn't bother me much at all. I'm sort of used to it with all the volunteer work I do for the local collegiate chapter at UC Berkeley. It was among this group of young women and their irate comments about how dare this society act the way it does that I realized that I, too, had the same reaction when I read the novel some 15 years ago. And, after remembering that, I also realize that my way of thinking within that 15 years has deepened and matured to understand beyond the demand for "rights." With rights, comes responsibilities.

Moira is the only character that many of the women in this book club conversation could relate to. She's the extreme feminist that fights the system as much as she can, with very limited success, I might add. She is constantly demanding rights but never stands up to claim her responsibilities. People try to help her escape, and disappear or are killed in doing so. They help her because they feel a responsibility to do so. I never found it strange that Moira could not relate to her faceless helpers; it just proved my point that she didn't care to take on the responsibilities - she just wanted the rights.

Environmental issues, abortion and dating (the main topics of the book) have a much different meaning after you're established in a family or after you are no longer concerned that you'll "never meet the right guy." You always know the "right thing," but having those roots and allows you to clear up your moral vision and understand why those rights also require added responsibilities just too burdensome for a single, non-married person. Perhaps as we "grow up," we take our responsibilities more seriously and appreciate our rights a little bit more. As I make this point, a completely different tack than they'd read, in the small circle of women, I also see the parallel with immigration.

How is it that someone can demand rights without owning their fair part of responsibility? It's like a child who demands to have their chocolate-covered brownie before they eat their vegetables. My view is that people never grow up and accept their responsibilities if they are just given all their rights and bonuses up-front. Are illegal immigrants valuable people who provide valuable services? Absolutely, yes! However, unless we want a bunch of temper-tantrum children with chocolate-sauce smeared across their faces, they need to step up to the plate, take some responsible measures to become documented, learn English, and eat their vegetables! (just my 2-cents!)