Science Alive

I narrowly avoided the waiting list for the most anticipated kids summer library event. I didn't really know what I signed them up for, just that it was the DON'T MISS event of the season. And seeing as how we'd already missed the alleged second-best event due to a waiting list, I was glad we got a spot. This morning, I prayed the boys would behave and that it was worth it. 

It was! For an hour, my kids sat (relatively) still, enraptured by a herpetologist teaching kids about animals. He got down on the floor and let each kid who wanted touch the animals. 

 Chi the Chinchilla was everyone's favorite because he was so soft. 

This is Sheldon the tortoise (N remembered his name-I could not!) who is 34 years old. The kids loved that Mr. Science could push his beak like a button to make him go inside his shell. 

This is a 3 banded armadillo, the only type that can roll itself into a ball, we learned. Also, it is the only one Ive ever seen alive; I've seen many road kill armadillos in TX, all of which were 3 times its size. 

Frogzilla, a Giant African Pixie Frog (no joke) is 14 years old and can grow twice its current size. Thought this would be N's favorite (he's a frog, he says) but Chi won out in the end. 

Here we are being hugged by a baby Burmese Python named Sunny. The kids jumped into my lap when he opened her container and refused to touch her. When I reached out to show them it was ok, Mr. Science offered a hug, so here we are. N was a wee bit uncomfortable, though...

It lived up to its hype, and I'm glad we went. Totally in love with our local library. 

Superpower Surprise

My sons have a superpower - they can command doors to open!  (And close) 

When we go shopping, they yell at the tops of their lungs, "OPEN DOOR!" as we approach the entrance.  Upon hearing their voices, the terrified automatic sliding doors slide open at Cub and Target.

When we prepare to leave the house, they shout at the garage door, "OPEN DOOR!" and it magically opens.  Sometimes one of them will remember to holler, "CLOSE DOOR!" and it obeys.

But the doors they like the best are located at our new town's library:

They don't seem to mind that the doors disobey until they press the button.  Hopefully the other patrons don't mind as my boys wait for the first door to close so they can press the second button to open the second of the double door entrance:

It takes much persuading to get them to cross the threshold:
Me: let's go return our books and get some new ones
Them: No Books!  No Books!  Door Open!
Me: you can open the door when it's time to leave.  Let's go play toys.
Them: Hmph!
They reluctantly take my hands - okay, I grabbed theirs - and I drag them into the library.

I allow them to return the books we brought back - they push them through a hole in the desk at their face-level, but stop them when they start taking books off nearby shelves to "return." 

They seem to forget the door once we get to where we're going: the play room, which is usually the story time room, but it was cancelled today, so they were allowed to just play with the toys.  Which is like allowing them to skip the veggies and eat only cookies, but I don't care.  It kept them busy for most of an hour and I got to chat with a few moms I'm getting to know.

Leaving, was, of course, the second-best part: "OPEN DOOR!" they shout as the big wooden door slowly eases open, much to the surprise of an elderly gentleman on the other side. 

Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?

I see a dozen toddlers looking at me!

With trepidation, I took the boys to Toddler Time at the library this morning.  Last week I hauled them out of there just 10 minutes into the program because they would. not. sit.  On anything - the floor, my lap, the kiddie chairs, the big chairs.  Nothing.  They knew they could "play play," as they call it, and wouldn't wait for one story, one song, one anything and were digging into the toys and running around the crowded room while the librarian read and all the other little kids, two sets of two-year-old-twins included, SAT THERE.  "Play-Play!  Play-play!  Whaaaa!" they whined as I dragged them out.  Determined to teach them a lesson, I told them we left because they were not obedient.  I had two unhappy campers in the van that morning. 

However, I am just as determined to teach them how to be good citizens as well as to love the library and reading, so off we went again, this Wednesday morning.  This time, I deliberately showed up late so that we only had to sit through one or two stories before playtime.  I told them exactly what to do - to sit in the chair or my lap and listen to the librarian and if they did, we could stay for "play-play."  I should tell you that playtime is just a couple of bins of toys set out on the floor for all the kids after the stories and songs.  They are all the same types of toys we already own, but since they are different, they are better.

And they quietly walked in, each holding my hand.  One sat on the last remaining kiddie chair, the other sat on my lap, patiently waiting for the librarian.  At that very second, when I thought success was within reach, she started handing out FELT animals for the kids to stick on the felt board as she prepared to read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear."  The whole thing fell apart, but not just for my kids - ALL 12 or so kids were two years old!  There weren't enough animals, the kids were sticking them to board out of order, ripping them down, putting them back up, taking them from each other, and my kids were looking at me wondering what they were supposed to do - for just a split second - then they jumped in the fray.

Sigh.  We were so close!  They barely tolerated singing "I'm a little teapot" and "Shake your sillies out," before the toy bins were loosed.  The second those toys appeared, they were good as gold, though, and even HELPED CLEAN UP!

Library storytime.  Sounds so relaxing, doesn't it?  Not for us.

Autie L's Snapshots

Going out for lunch...no, not to the VFW!  To a local pizza place!

N played hidey-hole for a half hour last night

The fellas LOVE reading picture books to us

N left "circle time" at school and hid - he LOVES to hide and be found!

N and a little girl in the library boat

Me and M reading books at the library

Big boy juice boxes!  (Never mind they got them because all the sippy cups were dirty.)

M tossed his snack wrapper all by himself

Auntie L and M singing at school

Bookworms

Cousin S, Aunt M, our little M, Grandma and Grandpa K with N, and cousin E on the floor at the Grace A Dow Memorial Library in Midland this weekend.  What a FANTASTIC kid's section they have!  Midland Mommy friends, you should know that you are blessed with a state-of-the-art children's library.  I haven't seen anything like it around here!  I remember studying there from time to time in college, but I never spent much time perusing the kids' section - wow.  The boy cousins had a lot of fun reading, playing puppets, trains, toys, and roaming the aisles.  I even taught my nephew how to use the "card catalog" (it's the little sign taped to the screen of the computer!) to find his Scaredy Squirrel books.  Project Bookworm appears to be working. 

Peek A Boo, I see you!

 This morning we visited the library for some Saturday fun with Auntie L - and scored the Minnesota Children's Museum pass again, so that's our adventure for tomorrow!  The boys, N especially, have been playing lots of peek a boo with their auntie - check out these pics!

Bonus Pics:

Thanks to Auntie L who babysat, a truthful friend who said my roots ARE getting darker as I age, and my great hairdresser, yesterday I went from this....

N loves "Goodnight Gorilla"

to this!

Mommy's new hair and M's new bucket (why buy toys?)

What's Up, Doc?

My boys are officially toddlers now.  They had their 18 month appointment yesterday.  (I learned that it becomes official at 18 months from my cousin Kristi at ...and Baby Makes Three!)

When it comes to doctor's appointments where they have to get shots, I call in the reinforcements, aka, Aunt L. This is what she was doing with one boy while I sat with the other and the doctor discussing developmental milestones and health issues:

That's my boot and N's leg on the left as I talk to the doctor.  He squirmed out of my arms and under the chair to retrieve a bulldozer.  Aunt L. was zooming the trucks into the opposite wall (see the red and yellow trucks behind him?) to keep M occupied.  They were happy as clams all naked and crawling on the tile with their trucks while we waited for her to show up - but don't worry, grandmas, I think the heat was set at 80 degrees - Aunt L and I were sweating by the end of this!

N weighed in at 25 lbs, 4oz, putting him in the 42nd percentile while my featherweight M made it up to 22 lbs, 12 oz, in the 12th percentile.  Watching his figure, I guess.  Doc says it's okay, though.  Whew!  They are a little on the short side right now: both are 31 inches, in the 15th percentile.  I think they'll sprout, though.  You won't be short forever, guys.

Best Buds

After receiving a clean bill of health, aside from run-of-the-mill colds, the fellas were ready for their shots.  Okay, they weren't all that ready, even though I did warn them they would be getting them on the drive there, reassuring them that, while it would hurt, it wouldn't hurt long, and they'd get treats for being good.

They were good as gold!  Okay, M didn't cooperate with the physical exam and needed to be bribed with a pre-shot treat, but it paid off because N saw that his brother got one afterward and he complied with ease to get a dum-dum  He's no dum-dum.  He'll do anything for a treat!

Did you say treat?

But then I had to follow through with the shot treats, so Aunt L pulled a second stash out of her monster purse. And guess what? N was so good, that HE DIDN'T EVEN CRY!  Even though he got poked TWICE! What a good boy! 

M did cry, but just for a minute because Aunt L's fruity juice gummy treats magically appeared and suddenly all was forgiven.  The fellas were so good (and we had time to spare before dinner) that we rewarded them with a trip to the library.  See, even though I bribe them with candy, I do provide healthy rewards: the library!  Do I seriously have the best kids in the world or what?  What kids think the library is a reward?  Mine, I'll tell you.  Mine.  Because there they have.....

CARTS!

Which sounds just like "cars" to M, his favorite thing in the world!  This suckers are the best invention ever, just ask my boys:

We should do ads for the library or something.  Guess what book M picked out?  Thomas the Train!  I actually think he loves trains more than cars right now.

Choo-choo!

All of that took place after we got up at 5am EST, flew from MI to MN, drove all over the Metro return E to her home and getting us home by 9am CST.  Whew!  And we still had to do dinner and baths afterward.  Just a day in the life of our little twin engines.

Just Checking In...

I know you haven't heard from me lately...I was flying solo with the boys this week and wrapped up in all things toddler, then I had to make Hubs come home from work because I was so sick yesterday! 

I'm back in the land of the living today, and the four of us visited the library to "read" to a therapy dog!  Which was quite a hoot!  M was so excited, making his "wooh! wooh!" sound, hardly able to wait his turn to attack pet the dog!  Everyone in earshot was laughing, except the little girl who really was trying to read to the dog!  Either way, it was a fun way to spend a chilly Saturday morning.  We're off to have another adventure this evening before the freezing rain keeps us in all day tomorrow.  I'll have pictures soon!

Oh, and I'm making progress on my first crochet project - a scarf that only its mother could love!

"I did it!"

That's Matthew's phrase lately. He loves to make the "D" sound: Da-da-da-da, Heidi, I did it. It's so sweet, especially when he whispers under his breath, "I did it, dada, I did it." MAYBE I'm hearing things, but of course I think my sons are absolutely brilliant in every way! Especially Nathan, who's been saying "Mama." It melts my heart.

Here's a snapshot of something they both DID this morning while I was cleaning up their breakfast trays. They're on the bottom step,

Matthew is on the second step and Nathan follows suit. I tried recording it with the digital camera but am currently failing to upload it. They both got to the second step and Nathan to the third before I carried them back down. I'm getting pretty busy here these days.

Today was storytime at the library. Our librarian, Miss J, knows them by name now! I guess me and the limo stroller filled with these little darlings ARE quite memorable. They LOVE to listen to her tell stories! When I read to them at home, I get mobbed, the book gets ripped out of my hands and eaten. Perhaps 20 or so feet would be a better distance for reading! We always have a good time at the library, but today was extra special because each family went home with a new book:

It's a bit out of our league right now, but we'll put it away and read it later. In the meantime, we checked out some new board books to read at home.

AND I just have brag a little on myself because "I did it!" I put up the room-darkening blind ALL BY MYSELF. My wonderful hubby would have done it, but after the SECOND trip to Ace to get the blind cut - and it STILL wasn't cut right - it became personal.

Kim vs. The Blind.

Matthew, Nathan, The Blind and I made yet another trip to Ace yesterday to get the blind cut for the THIRD time. Fortunately, the Ace Hardware guys were happy to see my fellas again, and even joked that they would get the boys little red vests, putting them to work. My blood pressure started falling upon hearing that, as well as upon watching The Blind be hacked in the saw again.

While daddy took over dinner duties last night, I attacked the window treatments yet again. And this time, I won! It ain't the purtiest window blind ya ever did see (hence, no photo), but it'll do the trick. The boys slept till a blissful 7 am this morning, thanks to The Blind.

And Mama's handiwork.
I did it.

Baby Storytime Again!

Is it still baby storytime if you get there so late that you missed the story?  I guess so, because I don't know what else to call it.  The fellas still enjoyed themselves because I let them play with the other free range chickens - I mean, babies. 

 

Like this, bro.  Press the blue one!

Baby storytime is just once a month at our library and I love it because only a few people show up.  It's held in a big room where the chickens can roam free but not escape.  We read a couple of board books, sing songs (enter me, pushing the fellas in giganto-stroller), then the best part - PLAY WITH TOYS.

 

Hello?  This baby Nathan is taking my toy!

 

Mommy's camera!  It's better than any toy I've seen today!

 

Look, Mom, I dove headfirst into the toy basket and our nice librarian saved me!

That's nice, Nathan.  Now let's go return our books and get some new ones.

Then go home and take a nap because you guys wipe me out.

Oh,and read a book, since we obviously didn't do that at the library.

 

Baby Storytime

Our local library has a wonderful children's program and we are fortunate to live just a few blocks away. I can't wait until it's warm enough to plop the boys in the stroller or wagon and walk over!

Once a month, they have a special storytime just for babies, so Steve and I packed them up for a special family outing to the library.

That day's theme was TRAINS! Grandpa A took Steve and his brothers to watch trains all the time when they were little and even watched train videos with our boys at Christmastime, so it was a great choice. They LOVED watching the librarian read the stories, giggled when we sang and danced to a train song, and enjoyed turning the pages of the train board books.The boys are watching all the older babies in this photo. I think they were a bit intimidated by the big kids playing with a mass of noisy toys after the stories were finished!

We taught them how to check out books and can't wait to go back soon for another storytime!

Cabin Fever

Whew!  It's finally getting 'warm' here in Minnesota, meaning above zero, so I feel like I can take the boys out.

Last week, I just about cracked, not leaving the house.  Seriously, we went to church on Sunday, and Wednesday night, I told hubby, "I'm going grocery shopping after they go to bed!"  We didn't even need groceries!  I bought them anyway, so we're stocked up pretty well. 

I had a one-hour reprieve on Thursday to meet two dear friends but didn't leave again until Saturday afternoon.  During naptimes, I had some time to think.  Here's what I thought:

I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE!

Don't get me wrong, I love my house.  Really, I do, and I'm so happy to own a warm, cozy house.  And I love staying home with my sons in it.  That's the honest-to-goodness truth, too.  I couldn't imagine getting up, dressing in work clothes, drinking coffee during the commute....wait a minute, that's exactly what I'm imagining!  Except not work clothes, just clothes that are not sweats, and not commuting, just actually pulling out of the driveway.  And I've decided that I'm back on the wagon - thank you, God, for creating coffee!

So, the boys and I have crafted a plan to get all of us out of the house.  It will benefit them because they will have other people to look at besides me during the day, and as an added bonus, I'll wear makeup and comb my hair on those days!  It will benefit me because there is only so much I can do to entertain them in our living room/playground, and as an added bonus, there will be big people to talk to!

We're signing up for Thursday morning E.C.F.E. (Early Childhood Family Education) classes which will start in February.  On Saturday, we visited the "ECFE welcomes your baby" event and got to check out their teacher and classroom.  Nathan was laughing and giggling all the way through singing time, and Curious Matthew was checking out the baby girl next to us, patting her head.  What a flirt!

Tomorrow we're going to River Valley Church to be a part of the Tuesday morning mom's group.  It will be their first time in the nursery, so we'll see how that goes.  We've decided that it's time to take them to the nursery, since Saturday night service was the Nathan and Matthew Show in the back row.  They didn't cry - they just flirted, laughed and played with everyone around us.  Sheesh.

Today we visited our local library for storytime, and I couldn't believe my eyes, but the boys actually PAID ATTENTION to the reader!  Okay, it wasn't the whole time, but both boys watched the ladies reading aloud at the front of the room for several moments.  I was pretty excited about that, especially because we stayed in the back (partly because of the GIGANTIC stroller I had with me, and partly for a quick-haha-escape if necessary)!

And, I'm still getting together with my friend E and her twin boys every week that we can, so that should keep us busy this winter.  I'll post some pictures of our events when I get some.  In the meantime, here's a cute pic of the guys you haven't seen yet:

Nathan, Daddy and Matthew playing with Christmas toys.