New Stage...part 2

I looked at my 3 kids and I fought back the tears.

Tyler was in a big bed for the first time. He was so proud with the covers up to his chin. And I stared in shock wondering how and when he grew up so fast.

Then I looked at my little girl in her own bed in her own room - all alone.

And my big boy without his best friend.

Having twins is an amazing and challenging experience. I want them to be close and I want them to be independent. I want them to have the perfect balance of the two. And I have no idea how to do that. There is sharing, comparing and the uniqueness that is almost baffling.

But like so many other milestones that the parents blow out of proportion, the kids sailed through without a hiccup. They are the teachers. Ella has already made a "Do Not Go in My Room" sign. Drew is asking Tyler if he wants to play in the "boy room." And they are happy.

Im telling myself that it isn't such a big deal and holding back the tears...until the next no big deal.

New Stage...part one

The day after they were born, Ella was whisked away by ambulance to another hospital. She stayed there for a week. I was a mess, to say the least, for so many reasons. But the one thought that summoned tears at all moments of the day was that my twins were separated. It wasn't acceptable. They needed each other.

They spent the next 6 months side by side, night and day - just as I thought they should be. Then one morning I fetched them from their crib to find one on top of the other. Uhmm, even I couldn't rationalize keeping them in the same crib any longer. So they were moved into cribs parked right next to each other. It was one of the hardest nights of my life. I mourned for them, wondering how they could handle suddenly being so alone. I was up all night, but, Ella and Drew - they slept, soundly all night long.

They moved into beds a few years later - sharing a room, late night chats, and stuffed animals.

Until last night.

Ella moved out to her own room and Tyler moved in with Drew.

And I fought back the tears.

to be continued...

Baywatch

She ran like this for about 10 min before I decided to grab my camera.

She loves the beach, even in late October when the wind is strong and the chill seeps under your sweatshirt.

It is as if it is in her blood.

Farm Day

Oh, how I love this farm! You can touch every animal and hold lots of their adorable babies from chicks to rabbits to piglets.

"Daddy, I squeezed the cow's beche until peepees came out." (Obviously we missed an important part of the lesson here)
All 3 little city slickers (and their friends) got right into every pen, asked great questions, and loved those animals all up. They remembered to respect the animals and they marveled at the hooves, the fur, the feathers.
I daydreamed about living on a little farm somewhere with open space to explore. The kids would experience the magic of animals everyday and we would take deep breaths of fresh air and spend quiet nights gazing at skies full of stars.

But then we hopped back on the parkway and returned to the shadow of the Big Apple, the people, the lights, and the congestion - where we remind ourselves that beauty and happiness can be found anywhere.

Traditions

For the 3rd year in a row we headed to our favorite zoo for trick or treating. Kids, costumes, candy and animals...does it get better?

I love the excitement. I love that Daddy is with us. I love looking at them all dressed up.


And it was even sweeter with our new little pumpkin.

Meet My Girl

This is my Ella and you would be so lucky to know her.
She is a crazy kid with crazy curls and a crazy laugh.
She does everything with spunk, vigor, and intensity.
She'll make you pull your hair out and make you laugh, all within 30 seconds.
She is awesome...can't you tell?

Daddy Knows Best

I would have vetoed 3 cotton candy's bigger than their heads - but Daddy splurged. And it was awesome and fun and delicious.

And I remembered that sometimes even Mom's should throw caution and cavities and money to the wind and just have fun.

Because we did and it was so worth it.

Raindrops on Roses...

A few of my favorite things...

::the way Colby smiles & coos at me when I change his diaper::

::Tyler's elbows & scrunched shoulders when he runs::

::dark chocolate caramel wedges from Trader Joes::

::weekend coffees from the bagel store::

::cuddly kids in fleece pjs::

::crunchy leaves underfoot, apple cider, pumpkin bread::

These are a few of my favorite things.

Middle Man

No longer the baby, Tyler finds himself smack in the middle between a set of preschooler twins and the cutest infant on Earth. Tyler was born with the expectation to fit into our family and he has fought it at every turn. Seems he was also born with an independent streak that will outlast the most stubborn of us.

As the baby of the family he regularly upset the roost with his demanding screams and refusal to participate in pretty much everything. We all rolled our eyes in frustration and accommodated him as best we could, because he was after all the baby.

Well, he isn't anymore. There is a new baby in town, and as great as Colby is, he still has pretty demanding needs. Tyler has adjusted amazingly well. He is loving, kind, and surprisingly causing fewer disruptions than before the new arrival.

The last few weeks have been eye opening. Tyler and I (and Colby) have 3 mornings to ourselves while the big kids are in school. We go to a gym class together, story time, the grocery store and parks. Sometimes we just hang around and fold laundry together. I feel like Im getting to know a whole new Tyler. He is reserved (say, what?!), observant, and as always funny.

There are still some moments where I roll my eyes, or worse, but I have a new appreciation for the little boy my Tyler is becoming.

(And I am smitten with those lips!)

My Turn?

We went to a pony riding birthday party this past weekend. After bribing my city slickers, they enjoyed the ride and even went back a few times for more. My silly kids think an animal 4 times their size is a little scary!
I stood there watching them walk around and around - my senses on overload. I love the smell of horses and hay. My feet were in a dusty paddock, my hands tickled by little Hanks soft muzzle. If the kids weren't so cute I would have shoved them off and jumped on Hank myself (although my post-pregnancy body may very well have smooshed him, oh who am I kidding my pre-pregnancy body would squash him!). Just being near him brought back so many amazing pony filled memories. But more than the memories, I wanted to ride NOW. It has been way too long and probably even longer until I ride again.

But, I will. Everything I can think of to write here sounds so corny - so we will just leave it at I will ride again...someday.

In the meantime, at a few dollars a pop, Ill watch the kids take little rides and Ill settle for the smell and a quick pat here and there.

Wheels

We may or may not have caused a few traffic jams at the Bronx zoo. Hey, that's just how we roll!

Ella and Drew's stroller days are nearing the end. In fact, this zoo maybe the only place they ride in style - and give their parents a work out! The number of seats will be dwindling from here on out. And if Colby is anything like Tyler, we should be done with strollers all together in about 15 months.

Now, diapers are another story...

Dear Al Gore

Instead of doing this...

We did this...
Maybe Global Warming ain't so bad.

Magic

Every morning Im awoken to the sound of "Daddy! Daddy!" then I pounce from my bed, hoping to prevent the waking of others, and rush into Tyler's room.

"Good Morning special boy!" I whisper gently.

"Where's Daddy?" he answers bluntly. And that is repeated two more times as little bed heads patter down the stairs.

"Where's Daddy?"

Except on Saturdays and Sundays. When he answers the calls himself. I can only imagine the joy on their faces when they see him with their sleepy eyes. I come down a little later, with a bundle in my arms, to see a Daddy covered up with 3 little bodies all snuggled on the couch.

It seems as soon as those family days begin, they are over. And it is back to wishing he was here. We talk about him all day. Especially on our adventures as the kids imagine what Daddy would say when he saw this or what Daddy would do when we did that.

So you can only imagine the magic of sharing one of our favorite places with our Daddy. When the kids are the tour guides and Daddy plays along perfectly. Where they all hold his hand, all sit next to him, and he buckles all the buckles.

It's magic.

Seeing Red

We followed the red trail, fittingly clad in our new fall staples - matching red sweatshirts from Grandma.

We found bits of Fall in the leaves on the ground, the crisp air, and the sun that began setting too early.
We ran alongside the bubbling river which provided the perfect soundtrack - interrupted only by the crunch of leaves underfoot and little voices singing, "going on a hike. going on a hike."
We paused for pictures on fallen logs, explored uprooted trees, and traipsed across quaint wood bridges.
We introduced our baby to the outdoors that we love so much and I think he started to love it too.
I took pause to be thankful for my family, the beauty that surrounds us, the miracle of new life, and with almost every step I was thankful for my health - for the absence of pain. It had been too long since we ventured into the woods together, but -wow- Fall is the perfect time to start again.

Interrupt

We interrupt the normally scheduled post to bring you pictures of the. cutest. baby. ever.

Can you even stand it? Those cheeks. Those lips. Those eyes. Wowser!

It's Here

I saw this tree last week, when it was still warm enough that I was doubting the onset of Fall. But the last few days have been crisp. I've seen the bright hues more often. The little hoods have been pulled up.

Fall is here.

It seems every season has a list of activities that must be completed. It wouldn't be summer without the ice cream truck or winter without hot cocoa. Fall is one of the shortest seasons, before you know it the leaves are gone and it is too cold to venture out all day. There is an urgency to Autumn's adventures.

Our list includes:

::Hikes - and lots of them, Im hoping Colby really likes the carrier.

::Apple cider, apple cider donuts, apple crisp, apple sauce

::Apple and Pumpkin picking

::Bonus trips left over from summer - amusement park and beach

It doesn't seem like a lot, but I remember last year rushing to get pumpkins at the last minute. And with 2 weeks of rain, we might be in the same boat this year.

Now, off for a cup of hot tea. Let the season begin.