Way Back Whenesday

This week was the season opener for the Patriots.  As is the tradition since we had the twins we took pictures with our game gear on.  Boy have things changed since we just had Michael!

Not exactly opening day but Michael is in his game gear 12/2008

9/14/2009

Our family in game gear 1 week after opening day

Our family Opening Day 9/13/2010

Boy have things changed!  The kids are so much bigger on such a short time!

Amy

Last Day of Summer with Daddy

Tom went back to School on Tuesday, so we decided to make Monday a special day!  All weekend we had talked about going into Boston with the kiddos and bike ride along the Charles.  We finally had  day where things went well and we were able to get out earlier enough to make a day of it.  We decided to get some food at the store and have a picnic.  The kids didn't eat a ton, but they had fun!

Michael is checking out the tires on the bike stroller

The twins in their chariot

Thomas is checking out the bike tires

Eva Rose is enjoying the loaf of bread that we had for lunch

Michael tried out the big boy swing

Eva Rose decided that she wanted to be on the big girl swing

Trying out a different position

Checking out the view from the slide

getting ready to slide

Thomas loves steering wheels

After spending time in Boston, we decided to get ice creams.  We thought that we would be good and give the twins a chance to experience eating an ice cream cone on their own.  What a mistake!  They were a mess, but it was so much fun to watch them and another customer had a good laugh too.

Thomas eating his first ice cream cone on his own (likes like he's doing a great job, then a mess)

Eva Rose enjoying her ice cream cone on her own.  As you can see, she has made a mess.

This is not Michael's first time with an ice cream cone, but he was just as messy.  I think it's a requirement of childhood!

We had a great day and miss daddy being back in school, but are so happy that the weather has been so nice.  I am so happy to have the weather be the right temperature to take the kids outside more, than in the sun and heat throughout the summer.  My kids don't deal well with the heat and neither do I!  Hopefully, we'll get out and see more friends!

Amy

Muffin Tin Meals

For someone who likes to be creative, I certainly am not having much creative spark lately.  I can't figure out simple creative craft projects for my kids to do.  I asked my twins group and got a good amount of suggestions on things to do with the kids (thankfully).  Then, I was reading another twin mom's blog at http://www.reanbean.com/ and got the idea for muffin tin meals.  I certainly can use any ideas when it comes to getting my kids to eat their meals better and this seems like it is worth a try.  Maybe my kids are too young, maybe it won't make a difference, or maybe just maybe they'll find it fun and they will eat better.  Maybe they won't throw their plate on the floor after dumping their food on their high chair tray.  I'm not sure anything will help, but this looks like a fun way to try even snacks.  I will be checking out fun muffin tins and silicone miffin cups.  I may try the muffin cups first and see how that goes over.

With regards to getting the kids involved in crafts, I got a few great ideas from some other twin moms.  I have some what of a plan on attempting to get the kids involved in doing things that will be creative and help to work on their motor skills.  Maybe it will keep them busy so that I can also do something creative along with them.

What I find to be the toughest part about finding creative things to do with the kids, other than actually coming up with the ideas, is figuring out how to get all 3 kids involved.  I think some of the ideas that I have in mind will work well and I can do an adult version of what they are doing.  I do need to get a few supplies for some of the ideas, but I also have some supplies that will work in the interim.  Maybe, I can even tie the craft projects into their EI work/goals?!

Look for future pictures of the kids creative craft projects!

Amy

Fall

With Tom back in school, we are trying to get back to our routine.  We had a fun and crazy summer, but now we need to get back to a little routine.  This summer I started a new part time job, that seems to be working out well.  It will be interesting to see how things go now that Tom is back in school.  I think that things are going to go fine, we just need to get into our routine of both of us working.

As I wrote in prior posts, the 3 kiddos got accepted into early intervention for a speech delay.  I also found out today that they are going to be in a group on Fridays which means more socialization for them.  I am really looking forward to having EI involved.  I am even more looking forward to going to group.  This week we start group and start the 3 kids' IFSP (their service plan).  It will be nice to know that we definitely have specific things scheduled for certain days and I still want to try to get them into other things like the library, art class, play groups, etc.

I am also the co-chair of my twin's grouop COPE meetings.  This should be interesting since I will be working til 7:30 and they start at 7:30.  Tom is going to have to get the kids in bed by himself 1 night a month.  I'm sure he'll do fine, it's just a lot of work for 1 person.

My newest fall goal is to get the kids started on some arts and crafts projects.  Maybe, if I can get them started on something, I can do something too.  There is just not enough time in the day to do the things that need to be done as well as the things that I want to do.

I am really looking forward to the fall weather.  Hopefully we'll get out to the park more.  This summer we spent a lot of time in our back yard or our neighbor's.  I hope that the twin's group starts up more playground dates or even playdates at peoples houses.

Sleep, which is always in issue, has been good and bad.  Michael is doing better at sleeping through the night, but is going to bed later than I would like.  I am hoping that with our schedule getting back to normal, he'll get back to his normal bedtime.  Overall, I can't complain about the sleep patterns the last couple of weeks.  Now if only they would remain good!

Amy

Twin Group Get Together

This past Saturday, we went to Bedford Springs Park with the twins group that I belong to.  We weren't sure if we were going to go since we had a ration of 2 adults to 3 kids (my older son being almost 2 1/2 and my twins 19 months), but another twin mom asked if we were going and it made me really want to go.  I'm really glad that we were able to go since the kids had a fabulous time and Michael amazed me at how far into the water he wanted to go!

Eva Rose playing with the sprinklers

Michael playing with the sprinklers

Thomas thinking about playing with the sprinklers

Michael in the water

Thomas and Eva Rose in the water

Thomas and Eva Rose this year

Eva Rose and Thomas last year

Michael this year

Michael last year

We had a great time and look forward to next year!

Amy

Making Friends

Why is it that making friends is so much harder when you get older?  Or is it just me?  I still have a few friends from high school and college, but different life changes in each of our lives has made it more difficult to remain close.  I have never been one to have many friends.  I was always more likely to have a couple of really good close friends, that I could confide everything in.  As I got older and our lives started to change, some of these friendships grew apart.  Some of these friendships really needed to grow apart and some I really wish hadn't.  Now that I have 3 kids, I am finding it even harder to make friends vs aquaintences.  I have a number of aquaintences, but no real close new friends.  I had hoped that being a part of the twins group, would make this task much easier, but it really hasn't.  I think a big part of it is me.  I tend to be on the quiet side, even thought there are some people in my life who would disagree.  I tend to feel so awkward around new people and hope that they will invite me in to their circle with out me having to do much work (not that I don't want to, it just the fear that I will still be rejected even after I have made a huge effort).  Maybe it's just me.  Maybe I haven't put enough effort into making friends.  Maybe I'm assuming that people don't want to be friends with me, when the truth is that I have never given them the chance.  Here I am at 37 and I feel more I like I am in junior high or high school when it comes to making friends!  I would love to have friends that have kids around my kids ages, husbands or significant others that will get along with my husband, and someone that I could have a close strong friendship with.  Maybe, I just haven't given the aquaintences that I have met enough of a chance or maybe I just haven't found the right people yet.  So, I am going to try to be more outgoing.  I have become a COPE co-chair for my twins group in hopes that I would become more a part of the group, instead of just being on the sidelines.  I am also going to give some of these aquaitences more of a chance to grow before I say that they are not friends.  I have to get over the fact that it really has seemed like in the past, when I have gotten together with people, we never seem to get together again.  I think maybe I need to make more of an effort in this area (getting together with people again after a playdate).  I think I also need to realize that most of the moms that I know have twins (at least and maybe more) and that they are busy too.  I also need to stop thinking that I am the total problem and start realizing that people may want to be more friends with me than I think!

Early Intervention Update

Today we had the twins evaluated for EI and like I expected, they qualified for due to a speech delay.  Now all 3 kids are accepted into EI for speech.  I am actually glad that all 3 are involved as I think it will make life easier overall.  We are trying to get them into a group, which I think is beneficial for all of them.  Personally, I think all 3 kids could use some interaction with other people than just me and my husband.  I think they need to be around kids their own age other than each other.  I am hoping that with the fall coming and the weather getting cooler, we'll be back at the park more often.  I plan to look more into other groups, hopefully that are free or really low cost.  I'm really looking forward to getting out IFSP (plan) in place so that we can start working with the kids.  They have already given us a bunch of good suggestions that we have actually started to incorporate into the schedule.  The best part about EI is I am supposed to incorporate thigns into our daily lives not try to find a special time to set aside to work with them. Since I  have 3 under 3,  this makes so much sense.  The thought of trying to remember to set aside time to work specifically on speech is kind of terrifying.  On the other hand, the thought of incorporating it into our daily lives is so freeing.  I am looking forward to getting things started and moving forward with their speech!

Amy