Flashback Friday

February, 2009 - 21 Months Old

I had just begun the process of gathering all of Ella & Aidan's old summer clothes to take to the Charlotte Mothers of Multiples sale.  They both woke up from their naps earlier than expected and decided to help unpack for me.

This week I am doing the same thing, just with all of their old winter clothes - and have found that employing Mike, (despite the fact that he does not seem to get the same joy out of unpacking box after box of clothes) is much more effective!

The Maid

I have always said, and still believe, that there is no reason for a stay-at-home Mom to have a maid. The way I see it, cleaning the house is simply part of my job description. 

That being said, I am not opposed to a little unpaid maid assistance every once in a while - even if she is dressed funny and creates more mess than she actually cleans!

Wordless Wednesday

Flashback Friday

I just love my little loves and love how much they love each other!

Each day, more and more, I can see that Ella and Aidan have a bond that is unparalleled. And although they possess the ability to make me question my sanity, not a day passes where I don't thank my lucky stars for them. They are the best gifts I have ever received and more importantly, they are the best gifts to each other.

One of the simple wonders of having multiples is witnessing their bond - the type of bond that ONLY exists amongst multiples.  Despite what some may think, siblings close in age, even just a year apart, simply are not the same thing, nor are they "just like having twins".

Multiples share everything from the very moment of conception.  They grow and develop inside the womb in constant contact, entwined together sharing a fairly confined space.  They enter the world craving the closeness of their sibling and the familiarity of their touch.

 

Ella and Aidan are no exception. They are each others "other half" and have found joy and comfort in one another since Day 1. 

The End of the Stroller?

I cannot remember the last time that Ella and Aidan sat their sweet little tushes in the stroller.

Well, let me rephrase that.

I cannot remember the last time that Ella and Aidan sat their sweet little tushes in the stroller so that I could run an errand in a quicker and more efficient manner.  I guess I have just gotten so used to having them walk into any given store with me these days that I don't even bother trying anymore.

They despise the stroller - I know I have written about this before, but it is oh-so true. The screaming is ridiculous when I even try.  In fact, the mere mention of using the stroller is enough to generate copious amounts of tears.

Unless.....

The stroller is in the house. Then, and only then, in their eyes it becomes the most amazing thing ever invented.

They crawl up, strap themselves in and are perfectly content to sit and chat with each other for quite a long period of time.

In fact, they are so content that they ask to watch television in the darn thing. 

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Weekend Re-Cap

Mike had to work this past Saturday, and I was desperate to do something fun with the kids.  I was thrilled when Mike’s parents agreed to meet me at the YMCA splashpark with the kids.  Unfortunately, when we arrived it was closed.  So, we headed over to the Raintree Country Club pool instead.  I was a bit hesitant, as I know how much they love the splashpark.  The kids; however, were none the wiser and had an absolute blast playing in the kiddie pool – and we had it all to ourselves.  We eventually made our way to the big pool and played there for a while before having a nice lunch – poolside (does it get any better than that?).

It was a great morning and both Ella and Aidan were exhausted by the time we got home.  So much so that they both slept until nearly 4 PM!

That evening, they came by for a brief visit during dinner and helped to provide a little mealtime entertainment!

Mike was off on Sunday and we began our family day by heading into downtown Waxhaw to play on the new playground.  A sweet friend of mine (and fellow twin Mom!) had informed me that all of the equipment was brand new and completely toddler friendly.  Boy was it ever - I think it is the nicest playground I have ever been to!  At one point they were both inside this little play train “hut” and two other boys joined them. One of the boys introduced himself and his little brother, and Aidan stood up, put his hand on his chest and said “Aidan”, pointed to Ella and said “Ella”.  Mike and I practically had tears in our eyes as we watched our little two year olds introduce themselves to everyone.  What an amazing parental moment!

About an hour into playing, we noticed that several other families were talking about watching the train come through and were heading up to the parking lot.  So, despite Ella’s strong fear of trains, we decided to follow suit! 

Aidan absolutely LOVED being so close to a real train.  Mike said that he was literally shaking with excitement and shouted “Train, Loud!” over and over again. Unfortunately, I was a bit father away, desperately trying to take pictures with Ella screaming and clinging to me as if her life depended on it.  Her favorite part of the experience was saying ‘All Done, Bye-Bye Train!” as we watched the train vanish into the distance.

Watching the train come............................and go!

 

After the train excitement, we decided to head back into town for lunch.  The entire ride back we listened to a conversation in the back seat between Aidan and Ella. I am sure you can guess who was chanting “Ride Choo Choo Train!” and who was chanting "All Done, No More Train!".  We ended up at Rotelli for a nice pizza lunch, then headed to Marble Slab Creamery for some ice cream.

After naps we took the kids to the YMCA waterpark for the rest of the afternoon.

It was a wonderful day, and a great way to wrap up the weekend!

Stickers and Bubbles!

This past Thursday was an overall gloomy and yucky day - not one in which you really want to go outside.  

For our morning entertainment (before storytime at the library), I pulled out a sheet of stickers and let the kids have fun.  Ella immediately demanded to get "nakee"!  Although they both had a blast, Ella got a bit more "involved" with her sticker placement than Aidan did!

While they napped we had a brief thunderstorm which left the afternoon extra sticky.  So, we headed out onto the front porch to play with bubbles!

Flashback Friday

July 2008

Ella and Aidan have always had such fun together!!

They copy each other:

They share food:

They steal food:

They hold hands!

26 Months

I know I said that I would stop counting the months after Ella and Aidan turned two, but for some reason I cannot bring myself to do so just yet.  

Perhaps I am trying desperately to cling to some sort of vestige of babyhood.  

Or maybe it is simply that I have spent the last few years of my life counting out days, weeks and months - and has just become a part of the daily routine.

In the beginning, it was a way to keep count of injection and procedure schedules.  Then we graduated to the repeated "two week wait" time periods (I wont explain - anyone who has been in our shoes knows exactly what I mean).  After that was simple a daily mark on the calendar meaning we had made it through one more day and were that much closer to actually bringing home our babies. 

So, counting and marking off milestones is just what I do. It is familiar territory for me and just something I take great comfort in doing.

Anyway - on to what Ella and Aidan are up to these days.  

Ella

*  Still very much the boss and is definitely more assertive than Aidan. Her biggest vice is toy stealing and she finds herself in time-out quite a bit these days!

*  Hates to wear bows in her hair!

*  So very careful about trying new things or venturing too far from Mommy’s arms

Ella is my heart. She is all happiness and innocence, and I love her beyond words. She is my comfort in human form. She gives a bounty of love in the form of kisses and hugs, and blankets us with sweet baby chub.

Aidan

*  Has a strange fascination with carrying around DVD cases (i.e. “books”) – “Toy Story” in particular

*  Loves to run up and fly into your arms shouting “I Got You!”

*  Still just so darn sweet that it brings tears to your eyes 

Aidan is my laughter, and my smile. He makes a gray and gloomy day full of sunshine. He is my sweetness. When things seem dull and bitter, a piece of Aidan will always bring delight to your soul.

Together

*  Can count to 10, know all of their colors, shapes and the alphabet (including the sounds each letter makes)

*  Are little chatterboxes and speak in complete sentences

*  LOVE to sing and dance!  They are both really good at singing “Happy Birthday to You”, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”, “Old MacDonald”, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, “Ring Around the Rosie”, and “Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes”

*  Are very into possession – constantly telling me “Aidan’s XXX” or “Ella's XXX”

*  Love to be little helpers in any way possible – folding laundry, loading the dishwasher, drying dishes, cleaning up their toys, etc.

*  Going through a phase in which they want to be carried all of the time.  When they first started walking, it was such an insult to them to be carried – they wanted, demanded actually, to walk.  These days; however, being carried seems to be back in favor.

*  Abandoning the stroller - Our trip to the beach back in June was the first time we have not brought along a stroller.  That seems to have set the stage, and we rarely, if ever, use a stroller anymore.  I have gotten adventurous in my old age and we now venture into all sorts of stores on our own two feet – Target, Harris Teeter, bookstores, toy stores, etc – basically anywhere!

*  Know their first and last names (not middle names) and can properly identify all of their friends and family members in pictures

*  Love to take turns and announce “Aidan’s turn” or “Ella’s turn”

*  Are generally very well-behaved, kind, and well-mannered little toddlers who simply adore each other – they hug quite often!

Everyday they learn new things whether they are words, colors, letters, numbers, or objects. We have so much fun playing and running and cuddling. I am saddened and excited at the same time to see them grow and learn and turn into wonderful little children leaving babyhood far behind. 

Together they are my imagination brought to life.  When we question the world, and our various problems and struggles, we look at the miracles that are Ella and Aidan and smile and take comfort that dreams really do come true.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy 4th of July!