In constant motion

From the time they wake up in the morning until the time they go to bed at night Aaron and Andrew are moving NONstop ALL day.  This explains why it's so difficult to get a decent picture of them.  Most pictures turn out blurry, one is grabbing for the camera &  screaming, or one is looking away.  This was my attempt at getting a sweet, smily picture of them in their new pajamas:

Unless they had toys in their hands (or nearby) sitting would not even happen.

First Aaron had the police car (Andrew had thrown his toy on the floor)...

Then Andrew grabbed it and Aaron tries to get it back...

After they quickly gave up on sitting Andrew 

decided he MUST have the camera.  

Toys these days are really cheap and user friendly.  This afternoon Steve blew up some surgical gloves we had on hand to make a couple of balloons with 5 nipples on them.  You would've thought the boys had died and gone to heaven.  The cost: nothing.  One of the favorite items to play with lately are empty Dr. Pepper bottles.  I'll gladly drink one if it will make them happy. And the other day after returning from Costco we kept this box for a few days and watched them have all kinds of fun.

Aaron LOVED climbing inside the box!  Notice the bowl in the background- purchased

 at the dollar store for spinning, throwing, filling with toys, putting on heads, etc.  It never ends.

Ever since Aaron finally got the hang of walking about 3 weeks ago Aaron and Andrew are playing together and interacting a lot more.  One of Aaron's favorite things is to get Andrew to chase him.  He'll run up to him, giggle, and walk away.  Aaron will keep doing this until Andrew starts to chase him.  Then they both scream and laugh hysterically as they run all around the room.  Every time we've attempted to get this on video they stop immediately and stare up at the camera.  Andrew loves to wrestle and rough house while Aaron tends to be a little more gentle and cautious. Andrew likes to walk up to Aaron, grab him from behind and tickle him or knock him down.  Aaron doesn't think it's so funny but he'll usually let Andrew have his fun.  Perhaps we could get some of these on camera if they didn't move so dang fast.  I wish we could just keep our video camera on all day in order to capture these unforgettable moments. 

Both Aaron & Andrew LOVE the telephone and will use most anything that looks (or doesn't look) remotely close to one and hold it up to their ear. Here you see Aaron speaking to his girlfriend.

Andrew has some big shoes to fill.  He LOVES Daddy's shoes (or anything for that matter)but gets frustrated really easily when he can't figure out how to get his feet in them. 

Andrew inside the basket he just emptied of all the toys.

One of our most difficult days is Sunday.  They get a much later nap than usual, their daily routine is different, and they have to sit the first 70 min. on our lap or near us.  But I thought Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest.  This afternoon, despite being extremely tired, neither of them slept longer than 45 minutes.  After an hour or two of dealing with two fussy, cranky, jumpy, and moody little guys I finally threw Aaron and Andrew in the car and went for a short ride.  It helped for a little while and broke up a very long afternoon that was seeming to be dragging on.  Aaron was experimenting a lot today with a skill he's learned recently: screaming. It's the most piercing scream that will come out of the blue when we least expect it. He's not upset or trying to get our attention. In fact, he's usually having fun and is very happy when doing it.  Hopefully Andrew won't copycat (another current favorite they're really into) and begin doing it too.

I'm not going to lie: having twins is busy and very tiring.  But I love it and wouldn't have it any other way.  

The Best Man and more

No, I am not talking about the best man in a wedding.  I am referring to my wonderful husband Steve.  He truly is the best!!  For the first time since the twins were born I had a break, and not just a break while they were napping.  Our ward had our annual overnight Women's Retreat in St. George this last Friday/Saturday.  But I got to leave Thursday evening and spend all day Friday and most of Saturday to myself.  After Steve's work schedule change in July to four ten-hour days each week he suggested I go up Thursday evening instead of Friday.  Okay, if you're going to make me!  Let me just say what a well needed rest that was! (Note:  I didn't exactly get sleeping rest.) Friday I slept in a little, read in bed, went to the temple, did some shopping, had lunch with Sharon, read some more, had dinner with friends, and then had some fun with the sisters in our ward.  I NEVER get a full day like that to myself.  It was wonderful!  And then there was (most of) Saturday too.

While I was enjoying myself Steve was dressing the boys, feeding them, changing diapers, cleaning up, putting them down for naps, going on a bike rides, playing at the park with them, bathing them, putting them to bed, plus all the stuff in between.  And he did it all over again the next day.  He has accumulated about a year's worth of Man Points in just two days.  Although he has always appreciated what I do each day I think he has a new level of understanding and appreciation.  When I returned home Saturday evening he was exhausted!!  Steve told me he now understands why I am so wiped out when he gets home from work around 6:45 (and the boys are fed, bathed, and sometimes in bed).  He was still so exhausted this afternoon that he crashed sitting up on the couch.

At the Park

We have three great parks within walking distance of our house.  Lately we have been spending time there almost daily.  Most days after my walk I stop at the park with my walking friend and her little boy.  And most Fridays and Saturdays Steve and I go fora  bike ride with the boys and then stop at the park before returning home.  Until recently going to the park alone was not fun for me.  Only Andrew walked, Aaron was more clingy, and they had no concept of heights.  Now it is much easier.  Both boys walk, Aaron doesn't want to be held all the time, and they LOVE going down the slide alone.  After sliding down they'll walk over to the steps, climb up, walk across the bridge, climb a few steps to the slide and go down again.  They'll do this routine probably a dozen times before tiring of it.

Andrew LOVES dogs!  Whenever he sees one he says, "Doggie, doggie..." and begins walking to it.  Most of the time the owners are willing to let he pet the dog. He has no fear of dogs whatsoever.  However, we have no plans to get one anytime soon.

Aaron loves going down the slide and always turns himself around backwards before sliding down.

One day Andrew would not let go of my helmet the entire time we were at the park, 

even while climbing up the steps and going down the slide.

They love going down the slide together.  Andrew watches while Aaron goes down...

and Aaron watches while Andrew goes down.

Aaron and Andrew are now 17 months. Within each passing day they they interact more and are more and more fun.  They love chasing each other, making faces at one another, and laughing and screaming.  A month ago we moved Aaron's crib back into Andrew's room after being in his own room for 8 months.  Until that point Aaron would usually fall asleep almost immediately due his regularly shorter naps. Andrew would jump, walk, move around, and make noises for almost an hour before crashing.  However, after joining them together it got worse.  Despite Aaron being wiped out he'd manage to stay up talking to Andrew and copying whatever he was doing.  Gradually he became more fussy, cranky, and more tired.  He still wakes up just as early and still only takes an hour and a half nap.  Andrew usually naps at least an hour longer than Aaron and awake and ready to go until late in the night.  So with some regret we moved Aaron back into his old bedroom again.  It was fun to see them together and I liked having my sewing and computer room back.  But I'd rather have a more rested and cheerful baby.  We'll see if it makes much of a difference.

Total Opposites- Almost

Aaron loves the sand box...

Andrew prefers to explore the yard and eat rocks.

When I am out with the twins it's not uncommon for people to ask me if they're identical or fraternal.  To me they look nothing alike (except the red hair) but it's not just in their looks. Aaron and Andrew are opposite in about every way imaginable.  So before they change yet again I thought I'd write down just some of them.

ANDREW is fearless; AARON is cautious.

ANDREW is very unafraid to approach people, even big kids; AARON gets imtimated when many are around, especially at the playground.

ANDREW is a daddy's boy; AARON is a mama's boy.

ANDREW eats most anything & will put everything he can in his mouth; AARON is a picky eater and puts almost nothing (including food) in his mouth.

ANDREW prefers to drink water; AARON would rather drink diluted juice.

ANDREW loves to drink from a water bottle; AARON prefers sippy cups.

ANDREW usually takes good, lengthy naps; AARON is lucky to sleep 1 1/2 hrs and once in a while takes no nap.

ANDREW is chubby; AARON is very skinny.

ANDREW will let pretty much anyone hold him; AARON cries when held by anyone, at least when Mom or Dad are around.

ANDREW has a short attention span (what little one doesn't?!) and is ALL over the place; AARON can play with something, especially stackable cups, for about 15 minutes before changing activities.  Sometimes he'll keep them in his hand ALL day.

ANDREW is very cuddly & lays on our shoulder when tired; AARON practically jumps out of our arms and into his crib (so he can walk & jump all over!).

ANDREW can't stay in the sandbox longer than 5 minutes before getting out to walk around & explore; AARON loves the sandbox and could play in it forever.

ANDREW is not ticklish at all; AARON  has been very ticklish almost since birth.

ANDREW has a high pain tolerance and hardly cries when hurt; AARON is very sensitive.

BOTH love to play at the park, especially the slide; have red hair & blue eyes (but are NOT identical); are very happy boys and smile and laugh a lot; and are loved and adored by their mom and dad.  

Lake Tahoe Pictures, Part 2

One of my favorite memories from Lake Tahoe when I was younger was jumping off the dock near the mansion at the Sugar Pine State Park only a few minutes away from the condo.  The water of colder than cold and I opted not to jump off while we were there.  But we had fun watching others do it.

The water has been receding for several years and is not nearly as deep as it was when I was younger.  Even though there's a sign warning people not to jump many don't follow it.

A group of us went down to the dock to watch some of the family jump off.

A group jump with Sara, Josh, Eric & Lauren...

...with Josh, Eric, & Lauren.  Sara changed her mind last minute.

My brother, Eric, doing an upside down jump.

BRRRR, it's cold!

Andrew loves my sunglasses and finds any opportunity to try snatching them off my face.

On the last full day hiked up to Eagle Lake with almost everyone.  We only took Aaron because Andrew was totally worn out from the busy week so we left him with my parents.  I would've loved to take him too but he slept for 3.5 hours . 

View of Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe from Eagle Lake

Eagle Lake

Steve and I with Aaron

My brother, Steven, and his cute family

Aaron with my aunt Nancy

 We all had pizza for lunch one day in Tahoe City.

Andrew wants the camera...now.

Andrew bites the table out of anger after not getting his way.

Lake Tahoe Pictures (Finally!) Part 1

For over a week now I've been planning to add some pictures and a little about what we did on our trip to Tahoe.  It's hard coming back from a wonderful trip and facing reality again.  There's too many wonderful things to tell my family's reunion at Lake Tahoe so I'll let the pictures give a lot of the detail.

My family's condo is perfectly located on the west side of Lake Tahoe near a variety of things, but in a quiet area at the same time.  Only a mile away is a little market, Tahoe City is only 9 miles away, South Lake Tahoe is about 20 miles.  A state park with camping, a historic turn-of-the-century mansion, boathouse, an old mid-1800's cabin, a beach, and a dock can be reached by bike in less than 15 minutes. One of our favorites is spending the day at Meeks Bay (only about 15 min away) playing & swimming in the water, playing in the sand, riding inflatable rafts & boats, and just sitting around talking, reading, and eating on the beach. .  We spent two days at Meeks Bay.  Unfortunately, we forgot to take our camera the second time so we didn't get as many pics as we'd like.

Our family at Meeks

Andrew (L) isn't so sure about the water.  I don't blame him- Lake Tahoe is COLD!!  Aaron (R), on the other hand, loves the water and did not want me holding his hand.  He was ready to jump right in.  

The sand was their favorite.  They both tried eating sand more than once but I had to watch Andrew close to keep him inhaling it.

My four siblings and I took turns cooking dinner for everyone, which included 16 kids (ages 16 mos. to 14 yrs., most between 3 and 7) and 12 adults. After dinner we'd usually do some kind of activity or just talk. One night we laid on the tennis court and watched the spectacular meteor shower in the sky.  After most of the kids were in bed we'd meet at one of the condos and play games or talk.  Here are two of my brothers playing a game with some of the kids.

Two of my darling nieces- Lexie (10) and Sara (8 1/2).  They were great helpers and loved holding, playing, and caring for the twins.  Aaron, of course, only wanted Mom or Dad to hold him.

My older nieces were terrified of bears the entire week and wouldn't walk alone outside after dark.  One of them even claimed to have seen a bear while walking to her condo.  Until the end of the week I blew them off as just being paranoid.  In the middle of the day my sister's car window was shattered and the inside was a wreck (of course, if may have already been like that!) in an attempt to get a bag of pretzels left in the car.  At first they thought someone had broken into their car but after closer observation saw paw prints on the door.

Later that day two of my nephews are hard at work building a bear trap.

The best place on earth

Lake Tahoe has been a favorite family vacation spot since I was a young girl.  Now that I live in a hot, barren desert I love it even  more.  In the early 80's my grandparents purchased a condo on the west side of the lake and every other year all my extended family gathered for a week's vacation.  Last week was the first time my siblings and their families, along with my parents & aunt Nancy, held a similar reunion.  We had a blast!!

When it comes to pretty much everything I am big into lists.  Prior to leaving on our trip I had an Errand List, To Do List, Things to Pack List, Groceries to Buy in Tahoe List.  Big on my To Do list was clean my house prior to leaving.  After my experience mopping the floor I don't think I'll clean before leaving.  While mopping the tile floor I slipped and fell flat on my coccyx/back right so fast and hard I began seeing stars. The first thought I had was about not being able to ride a bike at Tahoe.  Even though it still hurts (picking up 20+ lb. twins numerous times/daily doesn't help) I was able to ride a bike but running was (and still is) out of the question.

Driving for 9+ hours with 16 mos. old twins is not highly recommended.  Most of our drive is through barren , ugly desert.  We pass through some of the sorriest looking towns (if you can call them that), especially on the Nevada side. The drive is pretty much along the CA/NV border the entire way on an undivided, two-lane, 55 mph road.   My favorite part of the drive is between Mono Lake & Benton, CA.  I'm sure this section of highway has a name (or number) but Roller coaster Road is the best description. Believe me, it is a Roller coaster!  I wish I had a picture to show you but even Aaron & Andrew could tell there was something different about this road. They giggled and laughed as we went up and down so many big curves. Of course, we go as fast as we can get away with and there were times I felt like our wheels were off the ground for a second or two. 

We were the last to arrive at about 8:30 pm. Saturday night. After a LONG day with tired and cranky babies I was so happy to be at my destination.

I'm not sure how many parts there's going to be but I think this is enough for now.  We had such a great time, Lake Tahoe is beautiful, and spending time with family was a little like heaven.

Cuddly babies to stubborn toddlers

Is there a specific age when babies officially become toddlers? I don't know if there is or not but after last weekend I'm feeling like I no longer have babies.  Now they're walking, talking (starting to say words, anyway), eating solids, way done with pacifiers, and now they are done with the bottle. Last Saturday we stopped giving them the bottle and it's been a LOT harder than I had anticipated- probably harder for us than it is for Aaron and Andrew.

One reason I'm wishing we hadn't done it yet is because this Saturday we're leaving for a week-long vacation.  I had not expected the transition to so difficult and I didn't realize until now that they were as attached to the bottle as they were (especially Aaron).  I assumed they sucked that bottle up because of the milk, not because of the container it was in. They now REFUSE to drink milk from a sippy cup.  Yes, they know how to drink from a sippy cup and will drink water and juice from them no problem.  But forget it when milk is put in it.  It's frustrating enough when one baby refuses but two stubborn babies/toddlers is even harder.

Another reason I'm having a hard time with this change is I feel like I no longer have babies. I imagine it's how a nursing mother feels when the baby no longer breast feeds and begins drinking from a bottle and/or sippy cup.  It's almost as though a part of me is gone.  Just when I get comfortable with one stage they move on to the next.  At least it keeps me on my toes at all times.  I also got a little too excited about not having to wash all these bottles and parts every day but I guess it didn't dawn on me that now I'll be washing sippy cups and parts instead. Duh. What did I think they'd be drinking from?  

I'm trying everything.  Sippy cups with nipple-like end on them, regular sippy cups, straw cups, regular cups, chocolate milk, strawberry milk.  So far the best (the only) thing that's worked is chocolate milk in a cup with a nipple-like end.  Even with that they look at it suspiciously and hesitate drinking it.  The most they've drunk so far is about 5 oz. total as compared to the roughly 18 oz. (per day) with the bottle.  I'm not sure they'll ever suck the cups dry like they did with the bottle.  

Part of me wants to go back to the bottle and deal with this after our vacation.  But that would be STUPID and do worse damage.  If I did that they'd probably be attached to the bottle until starting kindergarten.  So I will NOT given in, the bottles are GONE forever, but I really miss my little babies.