Takin' It Easy

Our week started out on a rough note, with Ari suffering from some sort of virus that gave her a high fever for two days and left her somewhat cranky and clingy for a few more. So, we took it very easy this week, spending a lot of time indoors and just across the street at the tot lot. It meant taking a rain check on a few activities and playdates, but better safe than sorry- Mommy didn't want anyone else to catch what Ari had and also wanted to give Ari plenty of time to fully recover. The good news is that as of today, Ari seems to be back to 100%.

Since we didn't do much aside from play indoors and go to the tot lot this week (although we did meet up with pal Hayden and his mommy for a shopping trip at Target on Wednesday), here are a few pictures from the playground:

Poor Ari

Poor Ari is sick today...but let's start off with happier times this weekend:

Saturday was pretty much a "Daddy Day," as Mommy attended a baby shower for her friend Rachel who, along with her husband Joseph, will be bringing their baby girl home from China in a matter of weeks. Mommy was honored to be part of such a special celebration and we're all looking forward to meeting Jennifer Rose when the family comes home in August. Daddy took Alex and Ari out for a little shopping trip and even ended up coming home with replacement (special) batteries Alex's favorite toy.

To balance out the weekend, Sunday was "Mommy Day" since Daddy had to go to Richmond for the entire day on business (on a Sunday- boo!). Mommy, Ari and Alex kept busy with a visit to the tot lot and to the grocery store for our weekly shopping trip. We contemplated going to the pool, but it was a little too hot for that so we opted to play inside in the late afternoon.

Today started out well enough- although Ari was more clingy than normal and a bit cranky, as soon as we went out to the tot lot for our morning playtime, she was fine and in good spirits. So there was no reason to think we shouldn't head out to the weekly childrens' concert series hosted by our city, where we ended up meeting up with neighborhood friends Darby and Emma and their mom. This week's performer was actually a magician which was neat for the older kids but the concept was probably lost on Ari and Alex (although they did seem very intersted in what was going on up on stage).

A few minutes into the performance, it was clear that Ari wasn't herself- she wouldn't eat any snacks or drink her drink, and looked generally lethargic and sad. When Mommy noticed that Ari felt very warm, she decided to pack up and head home a little bit early. Good thing- as soon as we got home, Ari got very sick (we'll spare the details here, but let's just say that the Duke T-shirt she was wearing is now in the laundry...much to Daddy's delight). After a cool bath, some Motrin and Pedialyte, she was off for a three-hour nap. Luckily, when she woke up she was her old self again. Dr. Miri came by for a check-up and declared Ari to have a little virus (the same one Alex may have had this past weekend...although he was just cranky with a very slight fever) and prescribed lots of TLC. Her fever spiked again tonight but after another dose of Motrin, she seemed happy and even ate most of her dinner and enjoyed her bath before turning in for the night. We're hoping she will wake up healthy in the morning!

Mommy did manage a few pictures at the concert today before things headed downhill. It's pretty clear from the second picture that Ari wasn't her usual smiling self today...hopefully tomorrow that trademark grin will be back for good!

Outside Weather

The unbearable heat and humidity finally broke yesterday, so after being confined to air conditioned buildings for the past several days, we have taken advantage of every opportunity to spend time outside!

Yesterday, after a trip to the tot lot, we went to a nearby lake to feed the geese and ducks. Alex only ate about half of the crackers this time- he actually shared some with the geese!


This morning we visited the tot lot again and then had our friend Andrew and his mom over for a play date. The kids seemed more interested in eating snacks (crackers, fruit snacks, drink boxes) then playing with toys, but we still had a good time. After a nap and lunch, we headed out for a run (well, Mommy ran and the kids enjoyed riding in their double jogging stroller) and a visit to the neighborhood pool. The pool was actually very crowded today, probably because everyone was eager to get out in the more mild, somewhat cloudy (but safer) weather. We saw our twin friends Jake and Cole, as well as Mommy's friend Laura's younger sister, who was visiting the pool with her five month old son. On the way home from the pool, we stopped by the tot lot (yet again!) to spend a few minutes playing with Andrew (again!), his big brother Justin, and our other friends Mitchell and Jason. Needless to say, all of the time outdoors must have tired Alex and Ari, as they were pretty cranky through dinner time and crashed quickly after their baths.


Ari continues to progress on the walking front- she's taken about five or six steps at a time and is gaining more and more confidence in her ability to get from Point A to Point B on her own. Alex and Ari have a new favorite snack, too- smoothies made from yogurt, milk, strawberries and bananas. Thanks to our friends Alex and Sydney G. (or, more accurately, their mom) for the suggestion!

Playgroup

Wednesdays are our day for our neighborhood playgroup, so today we met our neighborhood pals out at the tot lot for an outdoor play date. Despite the still-hot temperatures (it's been over 95 degrees with lots of humidity for the past three days!), we had some shade and a slight breeze that made it possible to stay outside for at least a little while. We were all relieved to get out of our houses for a bit.

Justin didn't make it to playgroup- he fell asleep en route, with his hand in his bag of cookies!

Our special guest at playgroup, Coach the doggie, was the center of attention

Darby shares her Cheerios with Ari

Tonight we went to the bris for our new friend Sammy. Alex looked relieved to find out he wasn't the center of attention this time. Actually, all of the boys (and men) in the room except for Sammy seemed glad to be "just guests". When one of the little boys in attendance asked his dad what was going on, his dad accurately explained, "they're going to cut baby Sammy's wee-wee." 'Nuff said.

And Then There Were Two...

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10, the long awaited moment arrived: Miss Arielle took her first official steps:

So, at almost 15 1/2 months, three months after her brother, Arielle has now truly earned the title "toddler."

Earlier in the day, we visited Aunt Lori, Uncle Sam, and Cousin Ozzie in their new apartment. Alex and Ari enjoyed a lunch primarily made up of cheese, Pirate Booty, and fruit (they turned their noses up at the turkey burger Aunt Lori so kindly prepared!) The kids had fun playing with their aunt, uncle and canine cousin in their new digs:

So all in all, a very productive, exciting day!

Pictures from Nana and Poppy

Yay-- Nana (with help from Poppy, we suspect) came through and sent us pictures from our day at the marina. Just for the record, Ari had plenty of dunks too...just not in these pictures.
Thanks, Nana and Poppy!

Friends and Family

We've been spending a lot of time with friends and family the past few days...

Thursday we met up with "auntie" Melissa (actually, Melissa and her husband Mark are Alex and Ari's kvatterin, loosely translated as "godparents" in Jewish tradition) for lunch. Melissa was on her own, without Alex and Ari's pals (big) Alex, Vivi, and Zach, as they are in summer camp until early afternoon. It was at lunch that Alex started exhibiting the same "Mommy Only" attitude as typically displayed by Ari. When Melissa went to get Alex out of the car (so that Mommy would have to carry only one child and wouldn't need to schlep the stroller into the restaurant), Alex threw a fit and cried for "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" until Mommy had both Alex and Ari (because of course, Ari won't go to anyone other than Mommy or Daddy) in her arms. Luckily once inside the restaurant, Ari was happy to wait with Melissa while Mommy and Alex went up to the counter to order lunch. At the end of lunch, Ari insisted she wanted a "cook, cook, cook" (translation: cookie) and, being a sucker, Mommy treated everyone to a big chocolate chip cookie. Ari is certainly her mother's daughter.

Friday we took an outing to the neighborhood pool and met up with fellow neighborhood twins Jake and Cole and their mom, grandma and aunt. There are actually three sets of young twins in our neighborhood and at least two sets of older twins that we know of- so lots of twin company for Alex and Ari. Between all of these twins and the twins from our multiples playgroups, we joke that Alex and Ari are going to ask everyone they meet, "where is your twin?"

Saturday we went to visit Nana and Poppy Jack at the boat. Alex and Ari took a while to get used to the idea of going in the big pool at the marina (as opposed to the kiddie pool like we have in the neighborhood) but once they discovered the basketball net on the side of the pool, and learned how to "dunk" a basketball (with Mommy and Daddy's help, of course), we couldn't get them out of the pool. When we did finally get out of the pool, Alex was intent on running around saying "hi" to all of the other pool guests. He's turning out to be quite the politician. Pictures of our budding basketball players will be forthcoming, if Nana ever figures out how to email the pictures she took on her new camera :)

Today we got a lot of chores done (mowed the lawn, did grocery shopping and laundry, etc.) during the day and then met up with friends for dinner at the very family-friendly Red Robin restaurant. These friends are actually "new friends found again," as the mommy of the family and Daddy graduated high school together and she's also the Director of Alex and Ari's new nursery school! While Mommy had met her when she toured the school a few months ago, Daddy hadn't seen his old friend since they graduated high school many, many (many, many) years ago. We enjoyed meeting her family, especially her two very sweet daughters, one of whom is only a little older than Alex and Ari. We're looking forward to spending more time with the entire family, especially since they live in the neighborhood just across the street from us. Alex and Ari (Alex in particular) really liked the restaurant- they devoured their cheese and chicken quesadilla and fries, and each got a balloon on their way out.

Since we don't have many pictures from this weekend (until Nana sends us some...hint, hint!) here are some pictures of Alex and Ari mastering their new skill- using forks! It seems to make them more excited to eat their food- Alex actually ate all of his sweet potato fries at lunch. As long as it's on a fork, it's yummy!

Happy Birthday, America! (and 15-month stats!)

Before we get to a recap of today's festivities, here is the scoop from Alex and Ari's 15-month appointment with their pediatrician:

Ari measured in at 32 1/8 inches (92nd percentile) and 19 pounds, 12 ounces (24th percentile), so she's continuing her reputation for being tall and thin! Alex weighed 24 pounds, 7 ounces (50th percentile) and measured 33 inches (95th percentile). Looks like we might have two basketball players on our hands...luckily, Mommy and Daddy picked up a toddler basketball net today from another member of our multiples club, so they can start practicing right away.

The pediatrician was very impressed with their development, noting that a lot of their skills, such as naming the parts of their bodies and and making the appropriate animal sounds (moo for cow, quack for duck, baa for sheep, etc.) are all skills not typically mastered until 18 months old. So we guess they will be smart basketball players!

We were a little worried that the kids may have had strep throat (their aunt, uncle and cousins had it this past weekend and Mommy was under the weather on Monday), but a culture led to a clean bill of health and much relief for Mommy. Since everyone was perfectly healthy, Alex and Ari had the pleasure of getting one vaccination this time. They were true champs- Ari cried for just a second and Alex didn't even cry at all. Some goldfish crackers, stickers, and dinosaur toys later, we were all on the way out of the doctor's office with smiles on our faces.

Today we celebrated Independence Day the neighborhood "parade" on Miri and Opa's street. The parade consists of all of the neighborhood children (including grandchildren of current residents/children of the kids who grew up on the street) rolling down the street by bicycle, tricycle, stroller, wagon, etc. It's quite a sight and fun to see the changes from year to year. Last year Alex and Ari were half asleep in a double stroller that was too big for them. This year they eagerly participated in their Radio Flyer wagon. Nana and Poppy Jack came to join in the festivities this year, and after the parade we all went to the neighborhood pot luck lunch:

Ari in her patriotic outfit

Alex in his red, white and blue
Alex meets a puppy along the parade route
All of the kids lined up at the start of the parade
Nana and Poppy Jack with Ari and Alex

After Alex got out of the wagon, he was a bundle of energy...running all over the place, challenging Mommy and Daddy to keep up with him. He enjoyed running around to all of the neighbors and guests, waving "hi" and stealing food (of course he wouldn't eat the food on his own plate...typical!)

One last cute picture for the day...Ari and her furry friends:

Barbecue!

With the weather turning a bit more bearable in the last few days, today was a perfect day to enjoy a barbecue with friends. Our friends Emma and Camryn (and their mommy and au pair) invited us, along with pals Sydney and Alex (and their parents) over to their house for some great food, fun, and catching up with friends. We missed Emma and Camryn's daddy today, but he was away playing golf, so no one felt too badly for him.

Emma and Camryn's mommy is a mean cook, as evidenced by the clean plates produced by Alex and Ari. They devoured at least a half of a cheeseburger each, in addition to chips, fruit, and (of course) cookies. We were all so impressed with how polite and well-behaved all six kids were as they sat around the table eating lunch. There was no screaming, no flinging food, and no spilling, although there were a few crumbs on the ground, sure to be appreciated by Emma and Camryn's doggie!

Alex and Ari had fun playing in Emma and Camryn's play room (lots of new toys!) and with all of their buddies on the swing set:

Camryn and Ari

Emma and Camryn (can you tell they're identical twins?!)

Ari and Alex enjoy the swings

Ari and Sydney

We really enjoyed spending time with our friends and can't wait to get together again!

15 Months (or Alex & Ari, Version 1.25)

Happy 15-month birthday to Alex and Ari! To celebrate, we went to visit Daddy at work and had a family lunch at a yummy Japanese restaurant. Unfortunately, Alex and Ari weren't enamored by sushi; Alex did manage to eat rice and tofu, but Ari stuck to the cheese and pretzel crackers Mommy brought in her bag. They both devoured the animal crackers in Daddy's office, though...figures. That's OK- they'll surely make up for any deficiencies at dinner tonight.

Alex asks, "what in the world are you feeding me?"

Ari and Daddy engage in animated lunchtime conversation

Daddy and "Mini Me"

Daddy puts Ari to work at his computer

Back at home, Ari gives her brother a birthday hug

So what are Alex and Ari up to at 15 months?

Alex has expanded his vocabulary at an impressive rate. He now says words like bib, milk, up, down and cookie. This week he learned to sign the words "please" and "thank you" (he already knew the sign for "more," which he uses quite often!) He understands so much of what is said to him, and can follow directions very well. He likes to help Mommy by pressing the garage door opener button to open and close the garage. He will also put things back where he found them (on Daddy's dresser, in the trash can, etc.) when asked...but that's not to say he won't take them again in an instant. He cleans up his toys by putting them away in the toy box when we sing the "clean up" song. He can help push the stroller and often will walk places holding Mommy or Daddy's hand vs. riding in the stroller. This week he learned to climb- so now he climbs up onto the couch, the coffee table, chairs...we're trying to teach him proper etiquette, i.e., we sit on couches and we don't stand on coffee tables, but he needs plenty of reminding. Alex continues to LOVE to dance (he was boogieing to the background music in his high chair today at the restaurant) and especially likes to "get jiggy with it."

Ari's big accomplishment this month has been her progression on the walking front. She cruises all over the place and stands on her own; she's even taken a few steps by herself (see above). We are guessing it will only be a matter of weeks before she's running after her brother. Ari's vocabulary has also expanded. Her favorite word is "cookie." She can smell a cookie from a mile away, and will let you know in no uncertain terms that she wants a cookie. She also says Alex, Ari, share (as in "give me your toy") and that (as in "I want that," or "what is that"). Ari is pure sweetness: she loves giving hugs and kisses and smiles as soon as she sees a camera. But don't steal a toy from her...that's when her inner drama queen comes out. Ari's a true Mommy/Daddy's girl- she is leery of anyone else (even grandparents sometimes!) and is hesitant to go to anyone other than Mommy or Daddy. Today Ari followed her brother's lead and climbed up on the couch. This is the problem with twins: when one gets into mischief, the other usually follows.

We'll have official 15-month measurements (weights, heights, etc.) after their appointment with their pediatrician next week.

So, the fun continues...and we continue to be amazed at how much Alex and Ari change every day.

Play Date

Today was our turn to host our weekly neighborhood play date. Mommy had planned to blow up the new kiddie pool she bought for the backyard and put out some "outdoor" toys, but with the weather this morning described as "hazy, hot, and humid" (by 9:00 am) and "extremely poor" air quality, we decided it would be best to stay cool in the basement.

We ended up having great turnout (about a dozen kids in all!), including a few new faces. Alex and Ari had a lot of fun playing with all of their friends and snacking on the goodies that Mommy put out for our guests. Given genetics, it's not surprising that Ari and Alex have mastered saying the word "cookie" and the sign for "more," which they use together quite often. Here are some pictures from this morning:

Alex and Ryan try to figure out this toy:

Ari and Greg share the learning table:

Greg stops to ask Alex for directions:

Lilli and Ari share a snack:
Our weekly playgroup reminds us just how much we love our neighborhood and how much we're looking forward to having Alex and Ari grow up with all of their neighborhood friends!

Almost Recess

This morning we took advantage of the free weekly concerts offered by our city especially for kids. We hadn't been to one of the concerts yet this summer, but many of our friends had been and told us it was a great activity. So, we packed up a picnic snack and met (five-day older) twin friends Brenden and Neve, along with their mommy and grandma, at the concert pavilion.

Today's performance was by the a cappella group Almost Recess. Mommy and Daddy are big fans of a cappella groups, so Mommy was especially excited and thought that the group was one of the better ones she's heard. They did a great job getting the kids involved, and before long there was a huge crowd dancing in front of the stage. Alex and Ari had a great time clapping and dancing to the music, watching the other kids, and snacking on grapes and cheese:

Alex got a little tired towards the end (we skipped the morning nap to go to the concert), but all in all, they seemed to enjoy themselves. We saw a lot of familiar faces, including neighborhood friends Allison and Ryan. Alex and Ari went down for their long overdue nap when we got home at 11:30, and now, two hours later, there's no sign of them waking. Looks like their exciting morning wore them out!

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...