Archive for Featured Post
Birthday party weekend
Posted by: | CommentsWe just survived 3… yes, THREE birthday parties! And, alone without DH to help. He had to go to visit his mom who fractured her leg and is sick among other things. We are hoping Pnemonia isn’t also on the floor. But, we will wait and see after her visit tomorrow.
Anyway, the first was a dance party. The kids were adorable in all the little Tutu’s!!!!! Both Bree and Zane really got into the class and enjoyed having a ball with their friends. I never would have thought about a ballerina party, but it was a blast for all the little 3 year olds!
The second was a party at an indoor playground. It was the same place Bree and Zane had their 3rd birthday. Overall, they had fun, but Zane resumed his position as my cling-on. Therefor, I couldn’t step one inch away from him. I think it had to do with knowing only a few kids there, being worn out (as it ended at bedtime), and having Daddy away. They had a good time and Zane was super excited about the Tractor cake!
The 3rd one took place today. It was at a local museum, Marbles. The kids have only been to this museum a handful of times, because it is $5 a person (including for me). I never understand why they charge the parents. It’s not as though we would go there just for ourselves… and they won’t let us just drop them off! Oh well. Anyway, there was so much to explore and do! They especially had a blast at the water station, the art activities, and building little cars. They went FULL SPEED for the 2 1/2 hours we were there!
Unfortunately, I have no idea where my camera is. So, I didn’t really get any pictures. Just know, they had fun… I had fun… and we are all pooped. 
Getting your child to eat- The finger game
Posted by: | CommentsYes, I know it is hard to believe, but I am actually posting TWO DAYS in a row!!!!!
A friend of mine found one of my tips helpful and told me to post it on here. So, here it is… hope it helps.
My kids are different eaters. Bree will try just about everything with a little encouragement. The only thing she regularly dislikes is peanut butter. Zane, is like his father. He knows what he likes and sticks to those items. Sometimes, it is hard to get him to eat all together. He is so long and lean… and constantly on the go. So, I came up with a simple game that works really well with him.
I hold up my hand with 5 fingers. He only has to make sure he takes 5 bites. Each time he takes a bit, a finger goes down. Often, he will end up eating more than the 5 bites. However, it is a great visualization for him and he knows that is all that is required. It helps him to have some control, I think.
Anyway, my friend’s child has sensory issues, was a micro-preemie, and has had problems gaining weight. He LOVES this game!!!! She said when he says he is done, after only a couple bites, she asks if he wants to play the “finger game”. He always does… and he always eats at least 5 more bites.
Hope it helps with your picky eater!
Long overdue updates
Posted by: | CommentsCall it chaos… call it being a twin mom… whatever… I am a slacker. I said I would start doing more posts… and I didn’t. But, you can’t succeed if you don’t try. So, off I go again.
The twins are now 3. If you have twins, you will find that each age brings more joys. Some things get easier. And some things get more challenging. They can now play together, ride their trikes, and have a WONDERFUL imagination!!!!!
One of my favorite stories is of one day when we were at a mall play area. There was a little boat. The kids were in the boat acting like they were fishing. Bree was giving me the fish and I was pretending to eat them. Well, she passed, to me, what I thought was an imaginary fish. Bree started yelling, “NO MAMA NO!!!! Don’t eat the STICK!!!!!!” I laughed so hard!!!!!!
Zane is a little comedian. He loves to say things that make people laugh. One day he was making an annoying squealing sound. I asked him kindly to stop… numerous times. I tried ignoring. He just continued. I said, “Zane, you are being a little pest!” He said, “Na… I’m just a kid!”
The fits are less often. Now that they can speak well, they let you know what they want. They can also understand reason (most of the time). However, when they DO throw a fit… it seems they are louder and a little more aggressive. We have done quiet time in their rooms for moments like these. With the tot clock timing their 3 minutes, it gives them a time to separate themselves and cool down. Then, when they come back we talk about it and give hugs. So far, it seems to be working.
2 days ago we moved the kids into twin beds! This was a HUGE step for us!!!! They still fit in their beds, but Zane was getting a little long and DH and I were finding it harder and harder to lay down with them. OK, I’ll admit, the move to the big beds was more for our comfort, but they had to move sometime!
Anyway, Bree has done AWESOME!!!!! She LOVES her new bed and the new arrangement of her room. Zane. Not so much. He has a little more trouble with change.
2 nights ago it took a couple hours to get him to sleep. At 1 a.m. he came out of his room, hysterically crying. He said his room was “scared” (ie. scary). I couldn’t even get him back in his room, much less into the bed. So, he slept with DH in our bed while I slept in the living room.
Last night he was exhausted and fell asleep about 8:30… not to bad really. However, about 11:15 he woke up. I was just about to go to bed. I put him back in bed and laid down. He got up, I put him down. He got up… you can guess how this continued. About midnight I was falling asleep. He got back up and wouldn’t stop crying. Once again, he finally went to sleep in our bed.
I don’t want this to become a routine. I’m all about the family bed. However, he has been sleeping in his own bed for years. I don’t want to change things now. I know if I let this continue it will become the norm.
So, DH and I have agreed on the Super Nanny training. We’ll put him in bed. When he gets out I’ll remind him it is time to sleep in his own bed. After that, I’ll just put him back over and over. I’ll do tonight. DH will do tomorrow night. Wish us luck! lol
Update
Posted by: | CommentsMy dad had his surgery yesterday morning. It took about 1 1/2 hours from the time we walked in until the time we left. The surgery went smoothly. He left with a baseball sized patch over his left cheek. Everything went well though.
The hardest part is resting and taking it easy for the next couple of days. The crazy thing is, it is suppose to snow AGAIN here tonight! Good thing is, he can just take it easy.
Keep him in your thoughts. He has been through so much the last couple of years. He is a trooper though!!!!
Where is the silver lining
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve written about my dad before. He is one of my greatest role models and one of my best friends. He is one of the most up beat and optimistic people I know. I am constantly learning from him.
A few years ago I posted about him having prostate cancer. They removed the prostate, then discovered it had already spread to his lymphatic system. He changed his diet to a very strict diet, cutting out sugars and processed foods. It has done very well for him. For awhile, it looked like he was in remission. A few weeks ago he found out his PSA numbers have gone back up slightly. Not enough to be scared of, but making it so he isn’t really in remission.
Then, about a year ago he had a stroke. Scared the daylights out of all of us 6 kids and his wife, my stepmother. He has come back from that with flying colors. He still has a few problems with sentences, especially when he gets nervous. But overall, he is doing so much better than was even expected.
Last week, he went in to get some moles on his face checked out. He has worked outside all his life. Likely didn’t wear sunscreen 90% of the time. Yes, you can see where this is going… you are right. He has skin cancer. 
Monday we will go in to get it removed. He found out on Wednesday and the doctors wanted to get him in asap. The speed scares me a little. But you can’t dwell.
When will he catch a break? He is one of the nicest people in the world. I know many who are ugly inside… yet they remain unscathed. How is this fair?
Please, keep him in our thoughts. We will go forward. We will get past this, another chapter… another story. Hopefully, the sun will come out soon.
My little man in his new “mommy made” shirt
Posted by: | Comments
New Glasses
Posted by: | Comments
I have posted a bit about my little Angel’s glasses, but not about my own. I have had glasses since my first year of college. I am far sighted… but I rarely wore them. I hated having them slide down my nose and the way they made the grown look uneven to me. Each year I would wear them for a week or 2 when allergy season arrived. Other than that, they gathered dust unless we went to an occassional movie.
So, a few months ago my right eye started twitching. It did it constantly. Finally, I gave in and started wearing my glasses full time… and the twitch went away!!!! However, after a few weeks, I started getting headaches. I rubbed my eyes constantly. It was hard to take care of the kids as my patience would wear as my headaches grew during the passing of the day.
Finally, I decided I couldn’t wait any longer. It had been about 4-5 years since my last exam. (Yes, if you calculate, you will realize in that time I got married, changed jobs, went through fertility treatments, went through an infant loss, and had twins! lol) Low and behold, my prescription had changed. My left eye had gotten much worse, my right slightly better, and I had developed an astigmatism.
So, I tried on about 100 pairs of glasses and came up with this pair. A little bold and hip, but not too crazy. The price, however, was crazy. I did get them to bring the price down some (never hurts to ask). However, they were 6 times what I would have spent on zennioptical.com (a favorite place to get glasses!!!). I justified it… because after putting them on I felt immediately better!!!!!
WHAT?!!!! You chose to take care of yourself? Am I reading this correctly?!
Yep. Don’t do it very often. In addition, I nearly backed down and took them back!!!!! However, DH really wanted me to keep them. He said they look great and could be my Valentine gift. I’m thinking they should be my Birthday gift too! lol (I admit, it’s hard to spend money on myself).
Anyway, I bought something for me. Something I needed… but for me. One step for wondertwinsmom… one giant leap for women everywhere! lol
A tissue… and tea for two! (or more)
Posted by: | CommentsI was recently talking to a mom who’s little girl has a sore throat with her upper respiratory infection. She has not been drinking because her throat hurts. She asked for ideas. So, I passed along these thoughts.
When we, as adults, get sick with a cold or something where are throat hurts, we find a warm drink will often help soothe. That with some honey to coat the throat does wonders!
So, if you are in this situation, have a tea party!!!! Warm peppermint or chamomile tea is tasty. Add some honey to sweeten it up. If your child likes lemon, add some of that too. Your child will feel better and will enjoy having an old fashioned tea party with his/her parent!
(By the way, we don’t have tea cups. So, we just use coffee mugs. That in ITSELF is a novelty for them! lol We also dress up, if they are up to it.)
Up-cycle
Posted by: | CommentsUp-cycle, recycle, and down-cycle are all ways of making old materials into new ones. Up-cycle means turning something into something better. With money being tight, I’m trying to focus on making things we can use out of old things around the house or things I find at Goodwill or similar used item stores.
So, my first one I’m going to share are Bree’s new curtains!!!!! I found some fairly bright curtains at goodwill. I think I paid about $2 for the pair. I used some fabric paint and some stencils to turn them into something FABULOUS!!!!!! She loves her new curtains! And they really add some “girly” decor to her room!
Nursing cover/bracelet/reusable breast pads for only $5 + shipping!!!!
Posted by: | CommentsI got this e-mail today and wanted to pass it on! I have gotten a few nursing covers from them as gifts. They are cute, compact, and easy to use/see your LO. This is such an awesome deal… I just HAD to pass it on!!!!!
Promo code ($45 nursing gift sets for $5!)
I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year and give you a promo code for 90% off on our 3 piece gift sets which include the Udder Cover™ nursing cover of your choice, a matching Milk Bands™ breastfeeding bracelet and 2 pairs of 5 ply washable 100% cotton breast pads!
If you’re not currently nursing, you probably know someone who is or shortly will be! They make great baby shower gifts! We are running a promotion where you can get any of our 3 piece gift sets (regular price $46) for only $5 + S&H.
The code is “thanks”.
Go to www.uddercovers.com , click on “Shop Now”, scroll down to the gift sets, select the one you would like and you will automatically be repositioned to the center of the page where you can enter in the promo code! Type in thanks and it will bring your product total to $5! We are not sure how long this promotion can last. You can use the code more than once - you just have to open a new browser/window to do so.
This promotion gives you 1 giftset for $5 + S&H! This promotion code is valid once per transaction, so you can order as many times as you would like! Thanks again for your earlier purchase and have a Happy New Year!
Jenny Pierce
Owner UdderCovers.com
Udder Covers.com
