December 2015

December 2015

Our adventures continues as always.  Instead of sending out individual "what's been going on this year" letters, I thought I would finally just update my blog!  What a difference a year can make!!!  This time last year, the girls were about 13 months old and still only crawling.  They weren't quite aware of what Christmas meant...heck...they hadn't even started walking yet.
     This year is completely different!  They still may not fully understand what Christmas is or who Santa is but every morning Adelyn says, "purrretty trweee" as I bring her down the stairs and she can tell you that Santa brings presents!  Clara seems to be a little indifferent to all the holiday decorations but I think her mind is just working too fast and she just can't slow down and truly appreciate her surroundings.  It is definitely one of the most treasured experiences to see life through your children's eyes.  It is like I get to experience Christmas, snow, rain, puddle jumping all over again, for the first time.
      This was a big year for both girls, but Clara especially.  She spent a majority of 2015 in physical

 therapy.  We had some amazing people working with us to get her up and walking.  She was such an amazing trooper!  She excelled at each appointment and by 19 months she was up and running after her sister.  Since then there is no stopping those long legs of hers.  In addition no cabinet is safe from her exploring eyes.  It is quite comical to watch the girls work as a team (whether they think they are or not).  Clara goes first and opens every drawer, takes the contents out and displays them all over the floor and Miss Adelyn then comes through and "cleans up" all the mess left by her sister.  Besides learning to walk, her vocabulary has exceeded and it is fun to watch her turn into a little person!  At her 2 year check up she weighed 34 lbs (98%), and 37.5 in (100%)....which was 2 inches taller than her sister..but she has to be at least 4 inches taller than her now.
 
      Painting is one of her favorite activities and she treasures her "puppy" and "kitty." In the last couple months she has discovered The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse TV show and has become obsessed (in a 2 year old sense of the word).  She can't count to 10 but she can name off every single character she sees on the TV (and there is at least 10 of those).  It is fun to hear her laugh at an actual funny part in the show and seem to actually get what is going on.
         Adelyn has also had a big year.  She started walking at 16 months and nothing has slowed her down.  Reading is her passion and can spend hours with a book in her lap.  She doesn't particularly love listening to me read a story as much as exploring the pictures herself.  She is definitely Miss

Independent.  From putting on her shoes herself to helping me with the laundry, I can always count on her.  Showing off how she can count to 10 is another favorite activity and she loves playing any "matching" game.  A new favorite is showing her cards from a deck of cards. She can name off the number and is starting to put them in piles by suit.  Quite the little over achiever. At the 2 year check up, she weighed 30 lbs (87%) and was 35.5 inches tall.  It seems like I blinked and my tiny babies were gone!!!!
          The girls have enjoyed getting together with their "friends" throughout the year and it is fun to hear them call them by name now.  We live in a WONDERFUL neighborhood with kids near their age (7 yr old girl, two 6  year old boys, 5 yr old twin girls, 4 year old boy, and a new baby on the way).  Their faces light up when they see their friends playing in the street and they strut their little bodies down the road to join in.    We are so lucky to be living where we are!  The girls are going to have an awesome place to establish their roots, with kids they can grow up with.
           As for me, it's been busy as usual.  I am teaching 8th grade English this year and I have wonderful kids for the most part!  I drop the girls off at my mom's house at 5:50 am.  We all have breakfast together and I take off for work about 6:20.  Luckily the girls still go to bed at 5:30 pm so I have some time each night for grading
papers and getting stuff done around the house.  After school I pick up the girls and enjoy a cup of coffee with Mom and laugh about all the adventures the girls had that day. I enjoy my coffee time with my mom and it is fun to hear her experiences with the girls.  Besides being a former teacher, Mom loves keeping the girls engaged and providing amazing learning opportunities for them on a daily basis.  Most days she even takes them outside with her to feed the chickens, ducks, and geese. Even though the girls aren't much "help" they love spending that quality time with their gramma.  I appreciate all that she does for us and I don't know where I would be without her!
           I turned 40 this year!  What a milestone!  I was able to celebrate with some amazing friends.

 My mom and Lloyd were able to babysit while I met a couple friends out at a local sports bar.  Pathetically I was ready to come home by 10.. I don't know if that had to do with the fact that I am "older" now or just because I am an exhausted mom of 2 year old twins...both probably.
         The following weekend I did have the amazing opportunity to celebrate my birthday by spending the night BY MYSELF at the Salish Lodge at Snoqualmie Falls.  For anyone that hasn't stayed there, I highly recommend it.  The spa facilities were spectacular and the room itself was so relaxing.  It was such a birthday treat to be able to have no responsibilities for one night.  I was able to leave my "house" after 5:30 pm (girls' bedtime) without getting a babysitter and I slept in!  Heaven!
        I look forward to what 2016 will bring!  Reflecting back on 2015, I have to say that being a single mom is hard, but not as hard as it would be if I didn't have my girls!  Being their mom just gets better and better!  I remember when I was in Rome in 2010. I visited the most famous wishing well in the world, Trevi Fountain.  I threw my change in the well and wished for true love.  I didn't realize until two years ago that my wish had come true.  I found it!  The truest of loves anyone can have, times two!  Adelyn and Clara are my true loves and I am beyond blessed to be their mother!  What an honor!
     

18 Month Check Up

18 Month Check Up 4-17-15

As I have always stated, life is an adventure, especially with twins.  At the girls' 15 month check up we went to a new doctor.  There was nothing particularly wrong with the old doctor; we just changed insurances and this new doctor was closer to home...a major plus when you are trying to cart two youngsters around.
      This new doctor is VERY knowledgeable and I trust her medical opinions, I just didn't feel a personal connection with her.  Our first appointment I explained that I was a single parent and that my mom is my support, blah blah blah.  Towards the end of the appointment, she expressed concern and asked me if they ever saw their father...um...well...there is no father...I explained that already...strike one.  Then she made a comment about how other twin moms that see her bring their twins in separately...really??  Who has the time...well I do apparently.  I decided to schedule the girls their own 18 month check up appointment.  I figured I would use it as one on one time and it would be a bonding time...not so much.
         Clara was first on Tuesday.  They scheduled us two days early for her immunizations so in the
end I had to bring her back on Friday when I took Adelyn...so much for individual bonding time.  Strike two.  Strike three came when I asked her about Clara's lack of cuddling interest.  She said that it was just her temperament and hopefully her husband won't mind...um...what??  How about, hopefully her MOM won't mind....what if Clara doesn't want to get married? or turns out gay?  I just got a major feeling that this doctor had very traditional views (and there is NOTHING wrong with that) but we aren't a traditional family.  Our next appointment is at 2 years old so hopefully I will have found another doctor and we can start this process over again.  Needless to say, I will NOT be scheduling separate appointments...one and done.
           Both girls are doing AMAZING.  So far 18 months is MY FAVORITE!!  The girls' brains are developing at warp speed and they are noticing everything around them.  My life is filled with, "WOWs" and "ooohhhh" and "where did it go??"
 

 

   Adelyn started walking at 17 months.  I was wondering when she would give it a go.  Our PT said that one day her mind would just click and off she would go...and that she did.  She started off slow but nothing is stopping her now.  I rarely see her crawl.  She prefers to walk EVERYWHERE.  She particularly loves playing "can I get by you" with my mom.  Adelyn will have a location she is determined to get to and my mom will block her path.  Trying to outsmart my mom, Adelyn will play a virtual soccer game and end up losing.  
           Hammering has become a passion of hers.  She loves grabbing the toy hammer and pounding the balls into their holes.  She gets such a serious look on her face too. It is VERY hard not to crack up while watching her.
         Clara has just started walking this week!!! THANK GOD!!!  She has

been diagnosed as developmentally delayed in her gross motor skills.  We have qualified for Birth to Three program so an OT comes to my mom's house every other week and works with Clara on her walking skills.  Most children are what's called, "bow legged".  Their legs bow out like a cowboy riding a horse.  As they get older the legs start to straighten and viola...straight legs.  Clara is "knocked kneed".  Her thighs go in at the knee and then bow out.  It looks like an upside down V.  She has very limited muscle tone in her legs and hips so walking has been a major struggle for her.  The great news is that all the therapies that we are doing is working!  She sees Sarah, our amazing OT every other week and she goes to a pediatric chiropractor 1-2 times a week.  My mom and I work extensively on her walking exercises and she is making huge progress.  Her confidence is building and she isn't letting it slow her down!

           The twins are such polar opposites at this point in their lives as well.  Adelyn is my affectionate, cuddler.  She loves giving me kisses and hugs and one of her favorite things is to snuggle with me in the morning before we all get up.  Clara is more independent.   She doesn't like to be held and she is very selective with her kisses.   When the girls eat, Clara becomes her food.  She loves to become ONE with the food whereas Adelyn is a delicate eater and freaks out if there is "something on her finger."  Usually Adelyn's pinky finger is sticking out while she is eating...such the lady.  Clara is going to be my trouble maker.  She loves to explore anything she can open or get her hands on.  My mom made a comment the other day, which is just so true.  You could trust Adelyn to explore the whole house and

she wouldn't do anything she isn't suppose to do.  Clara, on the other hand, would have every content of every cabinet out on the floor.  Adelyn loves jewelry and being girly girly whereas Clara is my tom boy and is hiking up her pants and getting her hands dirty.  Adelyn loves walking around with her hat on and Clara yanks it off as soon as you put it on.  They are only 18 months old and already two completely different individuals.  Both are such characters and I couldn't love them more.  I am the luckiest mom in the world.  I have the best two girls who spend their days smiling and laughing.

Adelyn:  weight:  28 lbs 6.4 oz (96%)
               height  33.27 (89%)
               head:  47.6 cm (83%)

Clara:   weight:  31 lbs 6.4 oz (99%)
             height:  35.5 inches (100%)
             head:  48.3 cm (93%)

Adelyn and Gramma

Clara and Mama

Clara and her OT Sarah

Gramma Day Care March 2015

March 2015,


As always, I am super blessed to have my mom watch the girls while I work.  This was an email that I got from her the other day.   It is always an adventure and this just made me laugh :)

Hello Lloyd & Emily,

 

Girls took a 2 hour morning nap...Yeah!! Now that they are up and playing in the living room, Clara is being Miss Drama today and fake crying over everything (which I enjoyed sitting in with their play time and being there for her when she faked cry and needed a hug).

Finally time to make them some lunch and of course her fake crying stopped and she and Adelyn played well together. Darn Gramma. I bought into her game so poo poo on me. 

Speaking of poo poo, Daisy had urinated and pooped right in the middle of the puppy pad and since I was going to cook, I was thankful it was a quick fix and put down a clean new pad. As I'm walking around getting things cooked up, I step on something and look down and there is ANOTHER large pile of poo (Lucy?) NOT ON THE PAD (of course none of the dogs would fess up) and I had stepped smack dab in the middle of it with my ONE and only perforated bottom boots and it was now being tracked all over the kitchen...OH YUCK! 

Ran it under hot water and got it OUT of my boot and picked up the mess on the kitchen floor however YUCK YUCK YUCK. Oh sure, now back to my cooking....Oh, the chicken in the refrigerator Lloyd was ripe...bad bad bad! Oh the smell was NASTY....

 

I labeled it CRAB BAIT and took it out of the house. It is now wrapped and in the garage for you to deal with as you see fit tonight...Oh, don't forget to bury the dead rat in the chicken yard WAITING for YOU.

 

Guess it's a TV dinner lunch  :(

 

Love and hugs. Now, have a good day XOXOXO

 

Sharon*