thetadpoles.com

Yesterday I was catching up on emails while the twins were playing. All of a sudden windows started popping up and characters I did not type appeared in my email. I was trying to figure out what was going on. Virus? Poltergeist? Then I heard the familiar sound of beeps and keys tapping in the other room. Derby had climbed up the couch and was typing on the wireless keyboard. Obviously you can override the laptop that way. The computer was possessed…..by a 2 year old.

You may wonder how did Derby got into the living room, since downstairs is usually a fortress of gates. The past 2 weeks both my mom and Tadd’s mom have been visiting so we pulled the gates down so they wouldn’t have to constantly hurdle them as we do (not to mention my mom is like 5′ 2″ and Tadd’s mom has had a knee replacement not a good combo when it comes to scaling a 3′ gate). The twins have had an all access pass and making messes to prove it. Now that it is just me and the twins the gates are back. And with it a little piece of my sanity.

We’re a little late getting on the Yo Gabba Gabba bandwagon. I downloaded some episodes now that tax season seems to be dragging on and I needed something new in my toddler containment arsenal. It was amazing how quickly they latched on to this show. Loen is already singing the songs, like “Im sorry” or “Don’t bite your friends” Derby was singing “run, run, run, fun, fun, fun”. This show reminds me of the New Zoo Revue or The Great Space Coaster that was on when I was little.

We don’t watch tv everyday but it definitely is nice to be able to put something on to get dinner finished.

Loen and the Brobee she got in her Easter basket. So far they have been inseparable.

I started this LAST YEAR but we know how lax I have become with posting. I am spending today finishing posts, updating pics etc. Enjoy going back in time.

December 13, 2009

This morning we had the twins baptized at El Montecito Presbyterian, a church we have recently begun to attend. The baptism was at the beginning of Sunday services then there was the sermon. Today’s sermon was so fitting for the day, for our life, for me. Growing up my side of the family was Jehovah’s Witnesses. I felt the upbringing while strict made a good impact on my life. As I got older I realized it was no longer for me though I don’t regret the years I spent in the Kingdom Hall. I never thought of going to another church. I thought it would be too strange, too foreign, a huge step I wasn’t ready to make. When the twins were born we were told of all of the prayer chains they were on; in Africa, Europe, Alaska and throughout the nation. At the time I was too scared to ask God for large things for the babies. I would just ask that we would get though the day. For Derby to come out of surgery okay, for Loen’s CO2 levels to come down, to successfully wean off the ventilator. When we were finally discharged people would tell us what miracles from God they were to have survived against such odds. The little signs we got from the crane or Matthew’s Saint Rocco card or Derby’s Guardian Angel pin mysteriously appearing on the hotel carpet after we thought it was gone forever. Proof there is a higher power watching over us.

The pastor wove T.S. Eliot into the sermon. Speaking of his life as an agnostic then while visiting a church in Germany during advent services he came to believe in God. He wrote that on his way back to the United States he was taking a different path home. Not to just his physical home but speaking of religion. It seemed fitting in my situation. I wanted the twins to have a Christian base in their life. To know of God but to learn in a way different than I was taught as a child. Merely a different path home.

The pictures are a little blurry. Andrew did a wonderful job considering we turned the flash off. (Click on the photo for a larger view)

I brought the video recorder but in the chaos of children climbing over pews, singing and refusing to wear their shoes I forgot to get it out of my bag. I wish we had the video because you could see how Derby thought it would be hilarious to fling himself backwards throughout the baptism and giggle hysterically. Loen mainly seemed concerned that Derby was getting his hair washed.

I have been trying (begging, pleading) to get Loen to leave barrettes, hair ties or hats on her head. She is fine for about 10-15 minutes then she pulls it out. She will come up to you with the rubber band and say “Mama fix it”. I will and she will pull whatever is in her hair out again, repeat…repeat…

I wouldn’t normally mind but as her hair has gotten longer I find food, snot, etc stuck in her hair. I explain that it keeps her hair clean. I don’t want to wash avocado out of her hair….again. Doesn’t matter, she has her own agenda. She had a runny nose for almost two weeks and I would find her hair stuck in the snot that she swipes across her face. D-I-S-G-U-S-T-I-N-G. I tried again to pull her hair back. It was then that I had a flashback of being a little girl and my Grandma Rose saying “Doesn’t your mom ever put barrettes in your hair?!” as she would attempt to bobby pin my long bangs back.

Perhaps it is genetic?

This morning the twins requested waffles for breakfast (again) and I thought that is a relatively mess free meal to try out at their new table. I don’t put anything on the waffle so we should be good.
With plates and sippy cups in front of them they sat quietly munching their food. They looked like such big kids. I took a picture then turned my back to get coffee. They reverted back to 2 year olds. Derby threw his waffle on the floor and was wearing the plate like a hat. Loen was walking around with waffle leaving a trail of crumbs. How do you make so many crumbs that a vacuum is required for their removal?? Just ask Loen.

This story of faking goes nicely with an incident yesterday morning. I was folding laundry in the guest room with Loen hanging on my legs. She was being ornery and whiny. Finally she flopped herself down on the floor because she wasn’t getting ALL of my attention. Derby picked that moment to walk by, I watched as she kicked him and knocked him over. Derby looked a little stunned and I asked if he was all right. That must have ruffled Loen’s feathers that I gave Derby some attention because she rolled over and banged her head against the leg of the bed. Then she starts fake crying.

Loen you banged your own head, stop the whining.

Derby hit head

No you hit your head on purpose Derby didn’t hit you

Derby hit waaaaaaaaaa

This leads me to wonder about all the times she has told me that Derby has hit or pushed her. Was she faking??

Remember back when you were younger and certain alcoholic beverages were held in higher esteem then they are now? I’m fairly certain in my younger years I could have muttered the following:

What is this fine and refreshing beverage? So crisp and sparkling, yet only $2.19. It is joy in a solo cup!

Ummm Boones Farm Strawberry Hill

Now that we are older our taste has become more refined. We had a $10 cap at Costco or Trader Joes when it came to purchasing wine. There are definitely deals out there and some of the $10 wines were great. But we were slowly becoming aware of the wine that Santa Barbara had to offer. Our previous choices weren’t bad for everyday but we realized there were occasions when you would want to celebrate with a nice bottle of vino from our Golden coast or the French countryside.

Then we came across Kunin Pape Star (a California take on Châteauneuf-du-Pape), Consilience or when we were introduced to Curtis wines (which we were able to purchase two cases at a special deal of $6 a bottle versus $25.) Now we’re screwed. I went to an event that had cheap wine and I almost spit mine back into the glass but realized how awful that would look. Gone are the days when Mickeys big mouth was a hit.

Damn you Curtis, DAMN YOU!

(Dont even get me started on the fabu wines that Papa Andy serves at his house….)

Smooth sailing my foot. We don’t do no stinkin smooth sailing in this family! Today is Derby’s 2 year anniversary of coming home from the NICU.

Quick recap: here we are 2 years ago. Lord they were tiny!

The night before Loen was running a temp of 102. Then this morning they both were feverish and had runny noses. My kids know how to celebrate milestones! I don’t know if it was the fevers or what but they were super cuddly with each other and me this morning.

We were trying to start a tradition of recreating the day we brought them home. Since that is impossible we opted for whatever meal we had that first day. Loen = pizza = done. Derby = breakfast = well since it is tax season Tadd cant really skip out of work to go to breakfast. Then you throw into the mix the twins are sick. We made do with going to the bagel/donut place across from his office. Believe me the twins didn’t mind because they got a donut (yes it is looking like we load the twins up with sugar to celebrate. True, but it is a rare treat)

I realized later that Derby is checking out the college girl

As the day wore on they were being grouchy, yet still had lots of energy. I moved the art table that Oma handed down to us into the kid area. I busted out with all of the stuff we never do in the house: crayons, stickers and play doh. That kept them busy for about 10 minutes.

Derby was more excited that I gave him a knife rather than play with the dough

Loen continued to play while Derby crawled through the table

Then everything changed. Derby started crying and his fever spiked to 104 F. He just wanted to lay on my lap. After he got motrin he tried to climb back into his crib and was crying “nigh-night”. It was very pathetic. He took 3 naps and was my sad little guy. Loen thought Derby was getting extra attention so whenever I was trying to rock him she would climb on top of us and laugh. I could see why Derby wanted the sanctity of his crib.

I am seriously hating Flickr at the moment. I have had numerous problems with uploading, syncing, embedding, you name it. I believe I am done with that site. While going back over the web site I found numerous posts where the pictures were gone, mysteriously unlinked from Flickr. Im debating wether to try and fix the 100′s of photos that are missing from posts.

I’ve decided to try something new. While the pictures may look small on the website you may now click them and it will open the photo up full size. Let me know what you think. In the meantime I’m going to go kick a kitty I’m so frustrated. (Oh calm down you animal rights activists, it’s stuffed!)

I’m sure it seems silly to celebrate all these little milestones, but they are so dear to our heart. The day Loen came home (2/11/08), their original due date (2/12/08 which they were NO WHERE close to making) and Derby’s homecoming (2/17/08).

This year we went back to the beginning and ordered pizza and watched Lost to commemorate Loen’s homecoming. Though we most definitely didn’t do that with the twins awake because there would be no eating or watching of the tv if they had their way. It would play out where they would climb all over us, climb on the coffee table, request to watch “veggies”, etc. So we put them to bed and celebrated the peacefulness!

For their due date we weren’t terribly prepared and I never got to Crushcakes to pick up cupcakes. The twins had some friends over and were having too much fun playing to make a pitstop, even if it did involve their favorite carb. So we gave them their prize instead, new metal harmonicas like the daddy’s. Loud times to be had by all. While Derby LOVES the harmonica he refuses to have his picture taken with one. Go figure.

The next day we were downtown and right by the bakery so we picked up some cupcakes for after lunch. Last year Derby didn’t eat a cupcake and Loen was tentative with her first bites. This year there was no hesitation when it came to inhaling a chocolate cupcake.

They are best buddies. I love to hear all of the laughs and giggles as they chase each other around the house. Keeping each other up by talking instead of napping. I found them playing peek-a-boo in the bouncer and trying to kiss each other through the mesh sides. They were laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world. Of course 2 minutes later there was hair pulling and screaming over a drumstick. That’s life when you’re two.

Today marks Loens 2 year anniversary of leaving the NICU and coming home. It went by so fast!