Cowboys, Ballerinas, and a New President!

The past few weeks have been filled with excitement. Halloween was a blast this year. The kids loved their costumes and are completely immersed with the fun of pretending. It is so magical to watch. Almost as magical was the thrill of watching the Presidential election. As you can see in the below video, we've been teaching the kids all about our newly elected leaders, Barack Obama and Joe "Vitamin". :)

Fall Fun

This year was our best trip to the Pumpkin Patch. Maybe it was Jack loving the train so much or Audrey testing her tractor driving skills. Or, perhaps, it was letting the kids run like wild maniacs and burn off some energy. Most of all, though, it was knowing how truly lucky we are that this was one of many fun days with the kids. Most people know that we tried for a long time to have children, a journey that was sometimes painful. Today was one of those days that reminded us that the rough road resulted in the most perfect ending.

That said, after returning home, Jack once again demonstrated his houdini skills by climbing out of his crib! So....we are ending our perfect day by putting together two new toddler beds (thank you Marion, Trevor, Evan, and Leo!). Now let's just hope that the kids will actually *sleep* in them!

Firsts.....

The kids went to their first circus...It was a scaled down version of Barnum & Bailey, but just as exciting. With a more amateur production, it's a bit thrilling not *really* knowing if the wild animals are tame or if the circus tent will last through the full show. Most importantly, J and A had fun. First time eating cotton candy. First time seeing tigers up close. First time seeing a trapeze artist. It's pretty cool seeing the world through their lens for a moment. So innocent and not jaded a bit (even in this tough election year!). I also added a few photos of A. in the back yard....She loves fairies and is a believer that formal wear is necessary, even on a muddy, rainy day.

Jack....Skeptical (and very serious) while getting his face painted

Best Friends

"You have twins? How DO you do it?". We are often asked about how exhausting and frustrating it can be having TWO two year olds. To those folks, I would say that having twins is GREAT, especially at this age. One of the best things to watch is the bond they have. As a parent, it is so heartwarming to see that your children have a best friend. Here are some photos of a few best friends.....

The Super Hero, The Princess, & Their Moms

Despite our best efforts to bypass gender role stereotypes, our two toddlers have other ideas. The kids have recently entered the fascinating world of their own imaginations. As we watch them "cook" in their play kitchen, feed invisible chickens, and "fly" through the air with their capes and fairy wings, we are reminded that their world is much more complex and intelligent than our adult existence will ever be. If adults only had such great creativity, we wouldn't get stuck in mundane routines at work, wouldn't get bored with our monotonous daily commute, and would always recognize the wonder of the world that is right in front of us. O.K., enough ramblings of a super hero's mother....Let's get to the pictures!

Batman...Never too macho to sit in Mama's lap!

Bob the Builder and Our Fairy Princess

Audrey

Jack

Mommy Spotting our Dare Devils

Fishing with Mommy

We went to Deanna Rose Farmstead today. We hadn't been since last Summer, and--needless to say--the kids are much different now. Unfortunately, they were both VERY tired today, so mainly hung out in their strollers. Hey, who wouldn't want to be pushed around on a hot day instead of walking? The highlight, though, was Lisa teaching Jack how to fish. Luckily, he was successful in his endeavors. The fish was a whopper, weighing in at approximately TWO inches long! We're expecting our fishing trophy and prize money to arrive any day now. :)

Lisa, Aunt Marion, and Jack

Mommy and Jack

Our Fishing Pro

Cool Guys.....Jack, Evan, and Leo

Good Times

Our Tired Girl

"I caught a fish THIS big!"....Geek alert! :)

Independence Weekend

Even if it weren't July 4th, this title would be appropriate, as the kids have become VERY independent! We are rapidly reading our "Love and Logic for Toddlers" book, trying to learn how to set gentle, yet firm, limits with our wild ones. Whew, twin toddlers are a real trip! We laugh daily at them, and--of course--ourselves, as we navigate this great stage of our life. This was a very busy weekend....We went to family friends for July 4th and the kids saw their first fireworks show. Audrey was fully entranced. Jack, however, caught a much needed nap and the noise didn't bother him at all. We also went to Loose Park with our good friends, C. and T., and the kids had a great time playing at the park and feeding the ducks. All of this was topped off by getting a new grill and enjoying some time on the deck. Bottom line, it was great to spend some much needed time together. Here are a few pics from the weekend.

Long overdue.....

O.K., so it's only been FOUR months since our last post. That is how life is these days. It comes and goes in a flash, then we find ourselves wondering where the time has gone. The kids are now talking in full sentences, including the popular phrase, "I do it myself". Here are a few new pics for now. Will give updates soon!

Young Artists in Training

We entered the fun (and, yes, messy) world of finger painting today, which the kids loved. Audrey seems to prefer the random, wild use of her paint (think Jackson Pollock), while Jack is a little more precise. :) Anyway, it was fun and there will be much more artwork to come!

A Glimpse of Spring

We took advantage of the great weather last weekend and took the kids to the park. We had a blast and were also secretly hoping they would burn off a little bit of energy! It worked (at least for a few hours) and we also managed to get some great pictures.