Archive for Twins
10 quick, healthy snacks for toddlers
Posted by: | CommentsHere is a list of some of our favorite snacks. I pack snacks in the morning, before heading out for the day. I put them in small reusable containers… each with a serving for each child.
1. Little sweet pickles (My kids LOVE these)
2. Pretzel sticks with peanut butter to dip (you can also use other butters like almond, sunflower, etc)
3. Apple slices (Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning)
4. Frozen edamame beans (My friend, Kimberly, showed me this… the gobble them up frozen, and won’t eat them raw!)
5. Edible Play-Dough (This is a FAVORITE of ours!)
6. Cut up grapes
7. Mini boxes of raisin (This is a perfect for a snack AND building fine motor skills!)
8. Cheese sticks (I buy a large block and just cut off sticks of the desired size)
9. Cut veggies (Our favorites are green bell peppers, carrot sticks, and peas)
10. Freeze dried veggies (We discovered these at Whole Foods. My kids ESPECIALLY like the green beans and corn)
The thing is, you don’t HAVE to use the prepackaged snacks. Though, we have used some small packs of crackers in a pinch, you can give your kids a healthy alternative. You are helping them build a base to continue their life of making healthy choices. You are giving them the best for their body and growth!
New toy… and how to clean stuffed animals without chemicals
Posted by: | CommentsDH found this Melissa and Doug, giant, stuffed lion . Since it was used, I cleaned it, using natural products. First I used white vinegar (I used my steam cleaner, but you could just use a mist sprayer and wash cloth). Then, I went over it with water (just wipe, don’t submerse). I put it out in the sun to dry. For extra precautions, I dusted it with baking soda. I let it sit over night. Then I used a dry towel to get the dust off. I was AMAZED at how much dirt the baking soda actually picked up!
Since I dusted it in my tub… I then used vinegar with the baking soda all over my tub, to scrub my tub clean! lol
Anyway, here is the lion… and the wondertwins. Everyone is happy!
A contest AND a chance to show the latest style!
Posted by: | CommentsI found another opportunity to show off some pictures of my twins… what me? NEVER! lol
Anyway, I was informed about a contest on twittermoms.com for a gift certificate from Children’s Place. Your task, is to show off and write about your kids sense of style. My thought, “I can DEFINITELY do that!”
So, here are some pictures of Bree and Zane. Bree currently LOVES to wear dresses! Every morning when asked what she will wear today she replies, “Pretty Princess dress!” She also loves shoes, necklaces, bracelets, and HATS! She will put just about anything on her head and claim it to be a hat! She cracks me up!
Zane is pretty easy. Though, he does love to dress up in random hats, boots, and glasses. The latest is a shark hat! He isn’t quite the fashion diva his sister is… but he DOES have some pretty radical outfits at times! lol
Both kids continue to ask for hats on a daily basis… sometimes, they have been known to wear a WINTER hat on a 70 degree day. Who am I to argue with their budding style. They both like to wear shoes… Daddy’s, each others, boxes on their feet… whatever. They will put on a different pair every chance they get.
The last thing that is OFTEN part of their outfit is their Baby Legs
Anyway, here are some pics of MY stylish little ones. 
Join the contest! It just takes a little time… AND you get to show off your kids! Post a comment here with your link and I can check yours out too! More chances to show off your kids!
Toddlers can scare the crap out of ya!
Posted by: | CommentsSunday we took the kids to a park. There is a little lake (more like a big pond). We went on a walk around it, sporting the ERGOs if the kids got tired. Bree was running a few feet ahead of me. I watched her run, right over the tale of a SNAKE! Her foot stepped right on it!
I screamed and started shaking, running around the snake to get to her. DH thought it might be a copperhead. It scared me so bad! She didn’t even notice.
Later we found a sign showing the pond was a protected water snake habitat. I have no idea if it was poisonous. Luckily, it didn’t even move.
We immediately put the kids in the ERGOs and they rode the rest of the walk.
Then, yesterday the kids were playing with Easter Eggs. They like for me to “hide” them (out in plain sight). Then they run around collecting them in their baskets. They had figured out how to open them (though closing has not yet been mastered).
A friend called, and I was talking while sitting on the couch watching them. All the sudden, Zane starts making a weird noise. I look at him and see he has gotten half of one of the smaller eggs in his mouth and it is turned so he can not breathe from his mouth! I dropped the phone and scooped it out of his mouth.
Watch out for those small eggs! It was the size of a regular egg… So, I thought it would be fine. Obviously it wasn’t. Now, they are all put away.
Maybe today will be a bit calmer.
Survived the museum, with 3 toddlers
Posted by: | CommentsLast week, my friend was on her last week of trackout. She wanted to go to one of the local museums. Though it cost $5 a person (for me too!), I thought it would be a nice treat for the Wondertwins and R. So, off we went.
The kids had a blast trying on hats, working in the kitchen, and exploring. It was a fun day for them! I was a little haggard, as there were many school groups running around too. The kids did awesome staying near me and listening to directions. Teaching them those skills early is KEY when you have multiples!
I also learned, the time to go is right around lunch time. At that point, everyone cleared out for lunch… and school groups headed back. I will remember that NEXT time!
Twins’ Second Birthday: A Yo Gabba Gabba Cake and Party
Posted by: | Comments
On the 20th the Wondertwins turned 2! In honor of their LOVE for Yo Gabba Gabba we chose that for the theme. The weather was chilly, but sunny and dry. The kids had a blast having a dance party, chasing bubbles, and eating bagels, fruit, and cake. The parents enjoyed a nice cup o’joe.
I made their “Brobee Cake”. It was really simple. Here are the basic directions.
Ingredients:
2 containers of room temperature, frosting (we chose cream cheese)
1 box of cake mix (we went with carrot cake)
1 bag of coconut flakes
1 black licorice strip
1 fruit strip (we did Fruit-a-bu organic)
Green, yellow, and green food coloring
3 strawberries of similar size
Directions:
Follow the directions to make a 9×13 cake. Make sure your pan is thoroughly greased (I use natural unsalted butter instead of shortening). Let it cool for an hour. Then, place a cutting board flush against the pan so you can flip it over accurately, leaving the pan behind.
Cut the cake in half using a bread knife (this helps reduce the crumbling. Place one half (sideways) on a foil lined cookie sheet. Cut the other into 4 long strips. Leave the end strip, in case you make a mistake and need it as a replacement piece.
Cut an angle on the end of two strips so you create the long arms. Cut the 4th strip in half to make two short legs. Use icing between the pieces to assemble the body shape on the cookie sheet.
Cover the body pieces in frosting. You will get pieces of the cake crumbles in the frosting. That is OK at this step. Just make sure ALL of the cake is covered, especially the cut sides.
Put the cake in the fridge for 1/2 hour. This will allow the frosting to harden.
While the cake is in the fridge, put a cup of coconut flakes in a ziploc baggie. Add 2 drops of green food coloring and 5 of yellow. Shut the bag and use your hands to move the flakes around, coating them to the desired color. You may have to add more food coloring.
Use a 2nd bag to place 1/2 cup of coconut flakes. Just use green in this one. I think I used about 5-6 drops of green to get a DARK green color.
In a 3rd bag, put about 1 TBS of the 2nd container of icing in it. Add red food coloring until you get a bright red color. Try to keep the colored icing in the one corner.
Cut a U shape (Brobee’s mouth) out of a fruit strip. Cut the corner off the red colored icing bag and use that to outline the smile (or frown… whichever way you choose to put his mouth).
Now the cake should be hardened. Take it out of the fridge and use the rest of the icing to put a 2nd layer on the cake. This should cover the parts with crumbs in it. After icing, immediately cover the iced cake with the green/yellow flakes.
When that has been completed, use a torn piece of paper to cover most of the cake and leave exposed the areas you wish to have the dark green strips. Put the dark green coconut in those areas. This makes the stripes distinct… and helps to keep the coconut from getting on the other parts of the cake.
Put white icing in the empty corner of the icing bag (or use a new one). Cut off the corner. Use this to create the oval eyes on the cake.
Put the fruit strip/icing mouth on. Cut an end off the black licorice and cut about a 3 inch piece, to create the uni-brow. Cut two more little piece to make the center of the eyes.
Put the 3 strawberries at the top… and TA-DA!!!! You have a Brobee cake!!!!!
I also used FREE online printables and t-shirts to create iron-on image shirts for all the kiddie guests. In addition, I printed off pictures and cut them out to make a Yo Gabba poster.
Our party was a hit… and fairly inexpensive!
What do we do with this new phase?
Posted by: | CommentsIt is Saturday night… it is 10 and the kids are just NOW getting quiet! We put them in bed at 7:30. We have put them to bed at 7:30 since they were about 6 months old. We get ready for bed, we read books, we brush teeth, we tuck them in. We keep a very good routine. Their room is dark. There is a white noise machine. Yet, it does no good. They talk, they jump, they play… they do NOT sleep.
Friday night was the same…. Wednesday was the same. On Wednesday they were up ALMOST until 11! They woke the next morning about 7, only having had 8 hours of sleep, as apposed to the 11-12 they normally get. THEN, B didn’t take a nap. She talked and played with her blankie and baby for 1 1/2 hours… very happily, I might add. Luckily, at nap time, they are separated (B naps in our room), and Z got to sleep. So, that night we put her to bed at 6:30. She went right to sleep. At 7:45, Z was put to bed and went right to sleep.
Twin moms, what is your advice? Do I put them to bed at separate times? Is this just a phase? I can’t have separate rooms for them… as we don’t have an extra room. I’m not sure what to do. Please, share your thoughts.
Yo Gabba Fan
Posted by: | CommentsB LOVES to sing! Her current favorite songs include “Row Row your boat”, “Where is thumbkin”, “Twinkle Twinkle”, and “Ring around the Roses”. All of those have signs that go with them. She loves to sing all day… unless I ask her to perform for someone else. lol Oh well.
Anyway, I just had to post this one. It is just sooo cute!
B’s favorite show is Yo Gabba Gabba. Here is a little clip of her singing the “naptime” song.
For Fun, It’s a Wonderful Toy … Meet Rody!
Posted by: | CommentsNo, it is not a slinky … although that is a fun toy! A slinky is probably a bit too advanced for an almost 2-year old. The Rody Horse is my current “awesome toy!” Not only is this a fun toy, but it is essentially a stability ball for toddlers, working their core muscles and developing coordination while they play!
We had a version of this when I grew up … one of those large balls that you could bounce on. It looked like the current exercise ball I currently use, but smaller with a handle. This is a version of that, but much COOLER!
The Rody is a bean-shaped horse. It is the perfect size for a toddler. It is recommended for ages 2-4, but will hold larger weights (I know because I spent some time bouncing on it yesterday ;)). It is the same material as an exercise or stability ball you would see in a gym. The kids sit on it, then bounce, rock, etc.
I watched the Wondertwins play on it yesterday. They bounced up and down. They rocked side to side. They rocked forward and back. I was amazed to see them basically doing the same workout I have been doing on my exercise ball!!!!! They are getting exercise, indoors, without running around or making a mess. I LOVE IT!!!!!
How to Make Edible Play-Dough
Posted by: | CommentsAt least once a week, we play with play dough. The kids are about 23 months … and still like to eat stuff. I started making edible play dough. Now, they can explore playing with play dough, and I don’t have to worry about them putting it in their mouth! An added advantage is that it is really healthy! In fact, the other day I let them have it as part of their lunch!
Simple recipe:
1/2 C peanut butter (I try to use natural, free of trans fats)
1/2 C dry milk (you will need more to get the desired consistency)
1/8-1/4 C honey
I use less honey to try to cut down on sugars. Mix the ingredients together and add dry milk or flour until it feels right. I use my hands to mix.
If you have a child that is allergic or sensitive to milk, you can use flour instead of the dry milk. If you child has a problem with peanuts, you can use almond butter or a “nut” butter they are OK with.
Feel free to taste some. It tastes like peanut butter cookies. YUMMY! Add some carrot sticks or banana and you have a pretty good lunch. Plus, it is fun!
