Where Did Our Weekend Go?

Somehow, the weekend always seems to go by too fast! Even though we didn't have anything major planned this weekend, we ended up packing lots of activity into two short days.

Yesterday we took care of a lot of chores and errands: gardening (OK, more like weeding...), cleaning, laundry, and assembling some toys for Alex and Ari. We also took a trip to Costco, where Alex and Ari enjoy sitting in the carts that have room for two kids and tasting the samples offered throughout the store (yesterday included key lime pie). After dinner and before bed we took advantage of the cooler evening weather to head over to the tot lot so the kids could work off the last of their energy for the day. Both Alex and Ari are getting very brave on the equipment- sometimes too brave for their own good!

This morning Alex and Ari babysat Daddy while Mommy went to film a running DVD for the Spinervals/Runervals special Iron Girl series. She was humbled to be amongst the Olympic-qualifying runners and Iron Man triathletes who also appeared in the video. Yes, she was also the only pregnant athlete in the bunch, although there were other (very inspiring) mothers! For those of you interested in a copy of the DVD (which is, in Mommy's opinion, a great interval treadmill workout) it will come out in October, and we think Mommy will get a special discount. One of the perks of appearing in the video was a large haul of Ryka (Iron Girl event sponsor) gear: running shoes, sports bras, running shirts, hats, socks, etc. Mommy loves free stuff, especially running stuff! Here are a couple of pictures, taken by another athlete at the filming- the first is of the segment that Mommy was in (although she's on the far right so she's not in the picture) and the second is of Mommy and her friend Christian, who came to watch the shoot:

Later this afternoon we all went to our neighbors' house for our monthly get-together with five other families we're close with in the neighborhood. The kids had a blast playing with their friends and Mommy and Daddy enjoyed catching up with the other parents in between refereeing the kids and running after wanderers. Alex and Ari are just reaching the age now where they can actually join in the action with the other kids:

Alex (far right) chasing bubbles with his friends:

Ari stealing Jeremy's food:

Ari likes the ratio: so many boys!

So here we are, at the end of the weekend. How did that happen? Guess time flies when you're having fun...

Old Friends Found Again, Take 2

You may remember that back in January, we had a play date with Mommy's high school friend Laura and her twins. Since then, Mommy has been happy to get back in touch with several friends from her high school, most of whom now have little ones around Alex and Ari's age.

One of these friends is Tara, who now lives out of state but who saw Mommy quoted in a recent issue of Parenting Magazine and got back in touch to see if it was, in fact, the same person she went to high school with. Mommy and Tara hadn't seen each other since their high school reunion, so it was fun to get back in touch and catch up on what had happened in the past five years. Turns out a lot has happened, namely Alex, Ari, and for Tara, her adorable 8-month old son.

Tara is back in town visiting family this weekend, so Mommy took Alex and Ari over for a play date. Despite having woken up WAY too early this morning (we'll have no more of that, please!), Alex and Ari did very well and were very good playmates while Mommy and Tara caught up on five years' worth of life:

The time went by way too quickly, but when little ones dictate your schedule there's not much to be done, so before we knew it, it was time to head home for a much-needed nap. We're hoping Tara and her family come back to visit soon, or that we can make a trip to see them, since we all had such a good time today!

Two Adults and Five Children

You'd think that a lunch date with two adults and five children would be pure chaos, but it was actually quite enjoyable and entirely civilized!

Today we met friends (big) Alex, Vivi, Zach, and their mom at a nearby shopping/entertainment complex that hosts a "Summer Fun Series" for kids. We tried to watch the exotic animal demonstration (if you can call a macaw, millipede, chinchilla, and possum "exotic") but with the large crowds, it was hard for the littlest kids like Ari and Alex to see the actual animals. But we did see our twin friends Ivy and Brooke, so Alex and Ari were happy about that!

After the show and a visit to the playground, all seven of us went to California Pizza Kitchen where the kids enjoyed a lunch of mac 'n cheese. Mommy is proud to report that everyone was on their best behavior. Here's a picture of "the crew" on our way to lunch:

Alex, Vivi and Zach are starting camp next week but we hope that we can manage some more lunch/play dates soon!

Stayin' Cool

With the recent heat spell, we've been limiting our outdoor activities to early morning and trying to find indoor activities to keep us busy later in the day.

This afternoon we went to the local mall that has an indoor train for our first ride since this past winter (when the cold weather confined us to indoor activities). Now that Alex is walking, and can board the train himself, it's a lot easier for Mommy to get both kids onto the train. [As an aside, Ari is getting closer to walking...she now "cruises" all over the house and will walk as long as she has at least one finger to hold onto.] After the ride, Mommy treated Alex and Ari to an ice cold strawberry smoothie, which they thoroughly enjoyed drinking through the big straws!

Alex and Ari were in a particularly lovable mood today, especially towards each other. How cute is this picture?
Luckily, tonight thunderstorms ushered in what should be less oppressive temperatures- perfect for enjoying time outside the rest of this week!

Second Haircut and a Checkup for Mommy

Alex had his second haircut today, as his hair was growing over his ears and curling up in the back already! Mommy thought he might appreciate a shorter 'do in the hot weather, so off we went. Except for a brief "incident" with a spray bottle filled with cold water (hey, you wouldn't like it if you were sprayed from behind with cold water, either!), Alex was a perfect client. He and Arielle (who sat by and watched with keen interest) enjoyed the kid-friendly TV broadcasting Elmo and the free cookies.

A "before" shot:

Alex and Ari watch Elmo while Alex gets his haircut:

An "after" shot:

Later this afternoon, Aunt Lori came by to play with Alex and Ari while Mommy and Daddy went to the doctor's office for a 20-week ultrasound and checkup. We are quickly discovering the difference between a twin (considered somewhat high-risk) and singleton pregnancy. This was only the fourth ultrasound of the pregnancy; in comparison, at this point in Mommy's pregnancy with Alex and Ari, we had approximately 15 ultrasounds. Quite a different experience, to say the least! Good news is that everything looked "perfect" according to the doctor. While we could have found out the gender of this baby today, we're allowing ourselves to be surprised this time around. So everyone else will have to wait, too!

Fun in the Sun

Summer has definitely arrived...the temperatures this weekend reached the 90's, and tomorrow's forecast calls for a high of 94!

As if we needed reminding that summertime is upon us, we all went to a Jones Day summer associate event at the home of our friend Joey and his parents. Jones Day is the law firm where Mommy used to work before she took on the full-time job of "Mommy to Alex and Arielle (and the pending arrival)." It was hard for her to believe that it had been over a year since she saw many of her friends, and she was very excited to get to spend an evening catching up with everyone and introducing them to Alex and Ari. Alex and Ari were relieved to see some familiar faces: in addition to Joe, their younger twin friends Ellie and Thatch, who they hadn't seen since February, were also in attendance. We ended up having a late evening, as it was hard for Mommy to tear herself away from her old friends. Needless to say, Alex and Ari were pretty exhausted by the time we finally got home.

Today we celebrated Father's Day at the boat with Nana and Poppy Jack. Alex and Ari got to try out their new pool toys at the marina pool. During our last visit, Alex was eager to get into the pool, but Ari preferred to sit on the sidelines. This time, Ari jumped right in while it took Alex a few minutes to warm up to the idea of getting in the water:
All of the action today must have given Alex and Ari a huge appetite: when we got home, they devoured every bit of their dinner (veggie burgers, mushroom veggie bites, bananas, cereal, milk, and juice) plus still had room for a few bites of Mommy's ice cream. After dinner, they seemed to get a second wind, as they ended up laughing hysterically and running around until well after their normal bedtime. Finally they settled down enough for baths, and reluctantly turned in for the night. It was an active weekend- time to rest up and recharge for the week ahead!

Pool Time

As promised, we took advantage of the new, expanded hours at the neighborhood pool today despite the fact that the weather wasn't fully cooperating. It was a cool, cloudy day but our little fish weren't deterred and splashed around in the somewhat cold water for quite some time. You can tell that it wasn't an ideal pool day from the absence of other people in the pictures...but we had fun nonetheless!

New Hairdo

Ari's hair is finally getting long enough for Mommy to have some fun. Actually, it's Ari who loves new hairdos (and shoes, hats, etc....a true girlie girl!) Today we tried pigtails:
Monday Nana came home from her trip to Florida to visit GG bearing gifts from GG, including a puzzle for Alex (he loves eating the pieces) and a baby doll for Ari. Ari has been taking very good care of her new baby:

For the record, Alex also takes very good care of the new baby.

Tuesday we had our last music class- we were sad to say goodbye to our teacher and new friends, but we're already making plans with some of our friends from the class for a playdate in a few weeks. And we may take the class again in the fall if it fits into our schedule.

Wednesday we went to our neighborhood playgroup at fellow twin friends' Lilli and Gregory's house. Their mommy set up the pool and sprinklers in the back yard, and all of the kids had a blast splashing in the water. Even typically timid Ari got into the action, until the other kids got too close or splashed too much water in her face! Ari and neighbor Emily had on identical bathing suits, but of course Mommy forgot the camera so we don't have a picture. Next time!

Today's weather was cloudy and cooler (after a big thunderstorm last night that cut out our power for an hour!) but we managed to get out for a morning walk around the neighborhood with friends Tess and Sam and their mommies. Alex and Ari also got to see the school bus come pick up the kids (one of their favorite morning activities) one last time, as today is the last day of school for the summer. That also means that the pool will now be open earlier in the day, which is good news for our little fish. Guess what we'll be doing tomorrow?!

Multiple Multiples (and our 100th post!)

As of today, we officially have 100 entries to this blog...hard to believe we've gone from this to where we are today!

Speaking of today, we just got back from the annual picnic for our local Parents of Multiples club, where we were remarking with all of our friends at how far we've all come since last year's picnic. Last year, those of us with kids in the same age range (many of us members of the same playgroup) were preoccupied with pushing double strollers, nursing/feeding helpless infants, and watching the older kids enjoy the park, train, and carousel.

This year, our kids are (mostly) walking- or in Alex's case running- around, eating "real" food with the adults, and enjoying the amenities of the park. Alex and Ari hung out with lots of their friends, including Brooke and Ivy (who are also in our music class) and best pals Sydney and Alex G. They were also entertained by the "older" twins in attendance (who seemed to be equally entertained with the younger ones):

They also went on the carousel (with Mommy and Daddy of course!) and Ari in particular was very unhappy when the ride ended. Looks like we'll be heading back to the park for another ride some time soon!

Week in Review

Yes, Mommy has been lax in updating our blog. We've just had such a busy week that time to post has been rare! Let's see...

Sunday we celebrated with our friend Lauren and her family at her simchat bat, or naming ceremony. We were so honored to be part of this special celebration and enjoyed spending time with Lauren's extended family and friends.

Monday we had a playdate with our twin pals Sadie and Gabriel. Alex was in a grumpy mood for some reason, though, and his crying scared Sadie. Arielle, on the other hand, was very happy to play with her friends and hopes that her brother's behavior won't scare them off from future playdates!

Luckily Alex's bad mood passed quickly and Tuesday both kids had fun at their weekly music class, which is almost over now (boo, hoo!)

On tap Wednesday was a morning walk with pal Lauren and her mommy, followed by our weekly neighborhood playdate out at the tot lot. Alex and Ari are becoming quite the daredevils and are eager to climb all over the equipment. They especially love bouncing on the suspension bridge (otherwise known as the "bouncy," or in Alex's words, "bou, bou.")

Thursday we had to sit around waiting for our new washer and dryer to be delivered, so we didn't get to go outside an play in the morning, but after lunch Mommy took Alex and Ari to the lake with all the geese, where they got up close and personal with many a goose (looking to see if Alex and Ari had food for them!)

Today we met up with our friend Joe and his mommy for our second lunch date at Gordon Biersch. Joe is also anticipating a new sibling in the next six weeks or so! As you may recall, Joe is one of Ari's many crushes, and she continued her campaign to win his heart at lunch today, in part by showing him she could eat the biggest french fry on her plate:

Here are Mommy's various attempts to take a picture of Ari and Joe, and Ari's various responses to the request to "smile" (and for those of you wondering, the book in front of Ari does not belong to her...it was a gift to Joe from a family friend who is a nun...so Ari has not taken up religious readings!):

"Smile, Ari!"

"No, a nice smile please!"

"OK, let's try this one more time..."

And of course, the mommies had to take the mandatory picture of all three kids in front of one of Mommy's favorite candy stores:

Finally, tonight we wrapped up the week with Shabbat dinner at Miri and Opa's. Poppy joined us since he's on his own this weekend as Nana is in Florida with Ari and Alex's great-grandmother "GG."

This week we also discovered the likely reason Ari spiked a mysterous fever a week ago: she started cutting not one but FOUR molars! No wonder she refused to eat any solids for a couple of days...

All in all, a very busy, but very fun week filled with friends and adventures. This weekend we're looking forward to our big Parents of Multiples Club picnic...imagine hundreds of families with multiples of all ages all in one place. We'll be sure to post pictures!

New Toy

Mommy discovered a new toy tonight. One True Media. This is still a work in progress, so check back for the finished product. Let's see if this works:

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Merry Go Round

Alex and Ari took their first ride on a carousel this week! After lunch at Aunt Lori and Uncle Sam's house (where Alex and Ari had a chance to visit with both Ozzie and his "best pal" Quincey), Aunt Lori and Mommy took the kids down the street to a park with a big merry go round. We weren't sure how Alex and Ari would react to the big ride, but they seemed to enjoy it, so we're looking forward to going back again very soon.

This week we also had a visit from Alex and Ari's Great Aunt Betty and Uncle Juan Carlos, who were in town for just a few days after flying from Chile to New York to watch Cousins Denise and Jason graduate with their PhDs from Cornell. Congratulations, Denise and Jason! It was a quick visit, but we all enjoyed seeing Betty and Juan Carlos and hearing about graduation and the preparations for the arrival of Alex and Ari's newest cousin in late July/early August. Soon they will no longer be the "babies" in the family!

Fourteen Months

It seems like monthly "birthdays" are flying by much faster now that Alex and Ari have passed the one-year mark. They are officially fourteen months today...no longer infants, but full-fledged toddlers!

We marked their birthday with our first trip to our neighborhood pool. Mommy was a little apprehensive about taking two toddlers on her own, but luckily Ari isn't very interested in actually going IN the pool (she'd rather sit on the edge), so Mommy could stand in the water with Alex and still keep Ari within arm's reach. Both Ari and Alex love splashing in the water- Ari is happy to kick her feet, whereas Alex prefers to get his whole body in on the action:
We've given up trying to get official monthly pictures of both kids together, since getting both of them to sit still for long enough, look at the camera, and smile is like herding cats. Here is one picture of the two of them, though, and another of Alex doing his "happy birthday to me" dance:

Water, Water Everywhere

It's been a terrific start to our long holiday weekend, with somewhat of a "water" theme.

Backing up a bit, on Thursday Mommy took Alex and Ari to a nearby lake to feed the resident (very friendly) geese. Now that Alex is walking...or more accurately, running, he decided it would be fun to chase the geese:

Mommy brought along some stale bread to feed to the geese and birds. Arielle picked up on the game right away, throwing bread down to the geese and delighting in watching them gobble it up, as well as watching the birds come and grab the stray pieces that didn't quite make it into the water. Alex, on the other hand, consistent with his "I'll eat anything" motto, ate the stale bread.

Yesterday (Saturday) was a laid-back day, which started out by perusing the Memorial Day sales advertised in the newspaper over breakfast:

Later in the day, we took a trip to a baby goods store in an attempt to purchase a special, extra-long gate to once and for all block off Alex's entrance to the dining room. Currently, we have rigged a play yard in such a way as to block the entrance, but our clever son always figures out how to get around it and into the dining room. Unfortunately for us, the store was out of the model gate we needed, but we did end up picking up a potty training seat.

Now before anyone wonders why in the world we would buy a potty seat when Alex and Ari are barely 14 months old, don't worry...we aren't trying to potty train them yet. However, with a new arrival expected in a mere five months, Mommy figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to get Alex and Ari comfortable with sitting on the potty. And if by some miracle they make a habit of using it by November, then all the better. In any case, Alex and Ari seem to LOVE the new potty seat. Here are some pictures of Ari in action, including one of Mommy reading her some very potty-appropriate literature:

What could top the fun of sitting on the potty? Why, a trip to visit Nana and Poppy on their boat, of course! So today we set out for Alex and Ari's first trip to the marina since they visited last season when they were just four months old. Now that they are "big kids," they can enjoy the amenities of the marina, including the pool. First, a picture from one of their only visits to the boat from last year. Following, pictures from today's visit (notice Ari's wearing the same sunglasses, although they fit a lot better this year). Another reminder of what a difference a year makes:

Alex and Ari clearly love visiting Nana and Poppy at their boat. They ate lunch on the boat, explored the staterooms, lounged at the pool (Alex was happy to go for a dip, but the water was a bit too cold for Arielle, plus she was feeling a little out of sorts after having a slight fever last night and this morning), and enjoyed meeting lots of other kids around their age. It looks like they are going to be regulars at the marina this summer!

After our visit to the boat, Alex and Ari caught a quick cat nap in the car for the hour-long ride home before attending a BBQ at the Serber's home. Daddy and Mommy met Marc, the youngest of the Serbers, when they participated in the Pan Am Maccabi Games in Santiago, Chile in December 2003. Marc has stayed in close touch with Mommy and Daddy, and over the years we have been honored to get to know his wonderful family. Ironically, Marc has older twin sisters, putting his parents in the "twins plus one" category! Of course, his sisters are well out of diapers (one is in medical school, the other is entering business school this fall) but Mommy and Daddy still look up to his parents as role models. Not only did they do a great job raising three of the nicest "kids" we know, but their family is one of the most loving, funny, warm, caring, sincere families we have ever met. And better yet, the family celebrates everything with sheet cake, Mommy and Daddy's favorite dessert. Alex and Ari had so much fun meeting the entire family, especially Thor the doggie (again, one of the sweetest, most well-behaved dogs we have ever met- he's a therapy dog, so he was very patient and kind with Alex!) and the two kitty cats.

After a very LONG day, we headed home in the sudden rain storm for baths and bed time. Ari seems to be feeling better after her little bout with the mystery fever, and they're both sacked out for the night. Luckily we have an extra day this weekend to recover!

While Daddy's Away...

...the kiddies will play! Daddy had a business trip the first part of this week to sunny San Antonio (poor Daddy!) so Alex, Ari, and Mommy have been keeping busy with fun activities.

Monday Aunt Lori came to visit with Cousin Ozzie while Mommy had a doctor's appointment. Alex and Ari had a great time with Aunt Lori and didn't even notice when Mommy slipped out the door. Mommy was very impressed when she got home and found Aunt Lori outside with both kids in their Radio Flyer and Ozzie on a leash following along side the wagon. Getting the wagon outside, both kids safely into it, and a dog on a leash is not an easy feat, but Aunt Lori made it look easy!

Tuesday we had our weekly music class and this week we had special visitors- best buds Alex and Sydney G. came to our class to make up a class they had missed earlier in the season (they take the same class, but at a different location on a different day of the week). Alex and Ari were happy to have a chance to make music with their friends:

This morning we went for a walk with Alex and Ari's friends Lauren and Riley (and their mommies, of course). Along the way, we were joined by friends Allison and Ryan, and Gillian and Emily, and their mommies too. We looked like the baby brigade! Alex and Ari managed to stay awake long enough to make it to the first half of our neighborhood playgroup, which was at the tot lot in front of our house. Alex ran all over the playground, climbing the equipment and exploring every corner. He's an amazing ball of energy- it seems like he never sits still (gee, wonder where he got that from?) Ari took advantage of her ability to drink from a straw (Alex still hasn't quite mastered this skill) to have her first juice box, and liked it so much she drank almost the entire box herself. The playground obviously tired them out, as they've been napping for the past hour and half and are showing no signs of waking up for their lunch.

We're looking forward to having Daddy home this afternoon...even though he was at a spa in sunny San Antonio, Mommy thinks playing with Alex and Ari is a lot more fun!

New Year Resolutions

For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you might remember that one of the things Mommy resolved to accomplish in 2007 was to compete in a triathlon. Mommy was well into her training for an Iron Girl (sprint distance) triathlon this coming August, but those plans were obviously deferred to 2008 once we learned we are expecting a new arrival in November (riding a bicycle at high speeds is generally not recommended when 6+ months pregnant!)

Mommy's hopes of achieving her goal were renewed, however, when she learned that our gym would be hosting a "mini-sprint triathlon" (400 meter swim, 10K stationary bicycle ride, 5K run around the lake outside of our gym). The triathlon was early enough in the season (today), and Mommy is still sufficiently trained to make it feasible- and safe- to actually accomplish her goal of competing in a triathlon. So, she did exactly that. And won (overall- out of men AND women). Official times: 9:01 for the swim (rather slow, but time was made up in the other two events); 13:55 for the bike; 21:11 for the run (total time of 44:07). So anyone who thinks that an almost four-month pregnant woman can't get out there and kick some tushie, Mommy would like to have a word with you.

OK, enough about Mommy. More importantly, what are Alex and Ari up to these days? This week we attended music class, met the Director of Alex and Ari's new school (where Alex refused to sit still, instead running up and down the halls, poking his head into every different office up and down the hallway while Mommy ran after him), spent lots of time at the playground, and visited with Aunt Lori. Last night before Shabbat dinner at Miri and Opa's, Nana and Poppy came by for a visit so that Poppy and Daddy could go pick up a new toy for the backyard:

Alex and Ari are changing and growing so much every day. Alex is a ball of energy, running in every direction and getting his little hands on anything within reach. He enjoys sneaking into places he shouldn't be (the dining room, mud room, behind the couch) and has become quite the dancer (we'll have to get some video up on the blog). Both Alex an Ari are imitating many more sounds and words, and this week even said "mailman," "car," "buckle," and other random words. Ari is becoming the total charmer, giving lots of hugs and smiles when asked (and even unsolicited). She LOVES Elmo (how she developed such an affinity we're not sure, because she only has two books featuring Elmo...no toys or dolls of the red furry creature). For a former baldy, her (curly!) hair is now growing very fast...she has enough now that Mommy can pin it back with a barrette:

Ari also knows what to do when we say "Night, Night!"Life is certainly a lot of fun these days.