Twin Beds!

We are currently gearing up to convert the girls cribs to the toddler beds. At times I don't realize how different my life is having twins, but in this situation double means double $$$.

I've been looking for bedding for their new beds that will get them excited to sleep in them and make them feel like big girls! The prices are kind of crazy and then go and double it. OY!

So I was quite excited when a plan came together today. I went to Gabriel Brothers store and found a twin comforter that I liked for $15 (and it rang up for only $9)! I then got a queen sheet and a set of pillow cases. And to top it off, I found two large fleece blankets. All this for under $50.

When I got home, I cut and sewed the comforter into two toddler size blankets. The sheet became two flat sheets and two pillow cases. And we get to reuse their crib sheets with this set. So overall I'm quite happy with the outcome.

3+ Maybe Not

As the girls grow, I'm finding that I need to make more judgement calls on what they can play with. For example: Play dough says that it is for 3+ years. However, I know several people who started playing with play dough with one and two year olds.

This weekend I decided that the girls would enjoy trying it out. So Will and I both sat down to play with them. They had a blast, and actually didn't try to eat it. That's quite amazing!

There have been others toys that say 'Small Parts, Keep away from young children' and we've let them play with those toys, because the parts were not too small.

There have been other things that should be fine that I have withheld. Like a 'G' rated movie. Not all of them seem reasonable for every young child to watch. There are often scary moments. I for one don't want to be dealing with the nightmares from that.

To the Zoo

One of the best purchases I've made in the last year was a Zoo America Membership for myself. It was $30 for a year and the girls are free. It's normally a $10 per person per visit entrance fee. We've made good use of it, going at least once a month, but usually twice. Zoo America may seem small to some, but with twin two year olds, it's just right! Their attention span isn't terribly long, so we can make it through in about an hour, and they still find the animals pretty exciting each time we go. It's fun to see which animal they get most excited about on each visit. Sometimes it's the turtles, sometimes the wolves, and this last time it was a Maarten.

Great Expectations

Whenever I decide to try something new for the girls, I just imagine that they're going to get crazy excited and just love whatever I've come up with. And don't get me wrong, they do tend to enjoy the various brainstorms I have, but don't seem to react the way I think they will.

One example, last week I thought they could probably handle watching a movie, so I rented "Mary Poppins". We watched it in three separate pieces and times. And each time they were so enthralled that they were signing and asking for more, very adamantly. On the flip side, we took them to the actual movie theatre this weekend to see "Winnie the Pooh". I really thought the size of the screen and the other kids would get them going. They were however very mellow about it all. I'm sure they enjoyed it, but weren't asking for more.

I strikes me at times how independent in their thinking they have already become, developing likes and dislikes. It's amazing how we are all created differently and so intricately.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
~Psalm 139:14

To Stay or To Go

I feel like I'm always asking this question: "To Stay or To Go".
- To stay home or to go run errands
- To stay home or to go to the gym
- To stay home or to go to an event
and on and on...

Why such a laborious process and constant question, you ask? Motivation or stamina on my part, temperaments on the girls part. Their is also their health status, weather conditions, timing, and many other considerations. These are the tough decisions as a mom :) Indeed there are much harder, but this one feels tough in the moments when I make the wrong choice.

Since the girls were 9 months, I've found sanity in getting out of the house to run errands or go play somewhere with them on an almost daily basis. I've really needed to get creative to make outings free! One friend of mine has impressed me with her dedication to visiting parks this summer with her four and one year olds. Others are consistently setting playground playdates.

Another struggle is keeping the girls and myself occupied when we stay home for the day. It's not for lack of toys! The girls minds are growing and expanding so much that they prefer to be learning and trying new things.

Still deciding for today, how about you?