Family Hikes

Megan and I have always enjoyed hiking. Walks in the neighborhood canyon were part of our weekend routine pre-babies. While Lucie and Ryan still like watching the world pass by from the vantage point of a Baby Bjorn, it's taking longer and longer for my back to recover from an hour of carrying Ryan (that three pounds makes a huge difference).


Fortunately, Megan's Aunt Pam hooked us up with a backpack carrier. Ryan and I both gave it a thumbs-up after a beach hike with Gigi last weekend. Ryan spent most of the time swinging his feet and singing to his captive audience as we walked along. Of course, he also learned how to grab my hair and kick my back so we're still working out the kinks in the new system.

Joyriding

Lucie and Ryan know how to put the party in birthday party. While at their friend Mitchell's first birthday party a few weeks ago, they decided to take a joy ride in someone else's wagon through the local park.




Fisher-Price calls this, and I am not making this up, a "Kid Utility Vehicle". This wagon is the baby version of a Hummer. Which is to say, it's overpriced, heavy, and very difficult to steer. At least the off-road tires, shock-absorbers, and five-point racing harnesses meant that Lucie and Ryan didn't spill a drop of their drinks.

Stuffed Doggie on the Run

We love toys that can occupy two babies at once, like this wonderful busy box that cousins Maggie and Milo handed down. Unfortunately not all toys are that easy to share, and some of the more popular ones have created quite a few wrestling matches.

The overanxious/first-time parent in me worried, will my babies ever be able to share? Then after some reading and talking to other twins parents, I've realized that sharing is way too much to expect at this age. Before you learn to share, you must have, as one book explained.

So, now we're trying to focus on doubles of many things, especially those popular items like cups and teethers. Maybe then Ryan won't feel the need to stuff doggies (kangaroo?) in his mouth and make a run for it whenever Lucie shows an interest in his toy. Nice hair, don't you think?

Finger Food Feast

Since R & L spend a good portion of each day eating (roughly 1 of every 3 hours), I thought it was time for some more tales from the highchair. Our latest adventures...finger foods!

We started with Gerber Veggie Puffs, and things took off quickly from there. Turns out Ryan and Lucie love feeding themselves. Next they were gobbling down cooked peas, bananas, and toast. Not everything makes it into their mouths, but they give it a good effort. Now we're on to waffles, cooked tortellini, tofu, small pieces of chicken, hamburger buns (at their friend Mitchell's first birthday party), and the list keeps growing and growing. Though self-feeding isn't any cleaner (we find cooked peas everywhere), it is a whole lot easier than having to puree and mash everything.

Here Lucie shows off her favorite under-the-sea bib, and Ryan digs deep for a forgotten pea that fortunately did not hit the floor, unlike many of its pea friends. Time for Chris to start researching DustBusters?

Our Own Lewis and Clark

For Lucie and Ryan, every morning begins an expedition into the great wilderness of our condo. First the little explorers journeyed across the living room (with rest stops at the coffee table and TV stand, of course). A few days later came the trip into the uncharted lands of the kitchen. The next thing we knew, our adventurers were rounding corners and staking their claim to every room in the house.

I've taken to eating my cereal in the morning standing up and following crawling babies. You never know what they'll find interesting along their travels, and where they may appear next. Though one thing's for certain, they almost always come as a pair.

Something in the Water?

Thanks to a recent visit to the Mothers of Twins Club, we've been fortunate to hook up with a group of twins parents who, amazingly enough, all live within a 5 mile radius of us. There are eight couples with babies ranging from 3 months to Ryan and Lucie's age. That means 16 babies and eight double strollers when everyone shows up!

Our weekly groups remind me of the challenging days: no sleep, fussy babies and struggles to achieve simultaneous napping. I remember people telling me, "It gets better, don't worry", and not being able to believe it. It's funny to hear the same words from my mouth, though now I know it's true.

I hosted this week - who knew our living room could hold that many babies? Ryan and Lucie are hanging with Sadie and Linus, and though they didn't know it at the time, these four were NICU buddies last fall. They go way back.

Household Toys

In our house, as long as it's new, it qualifies as a toy. Nevermind if it wasn't designed by the good people at Lamaze or reviewed by Parenting magazine. While Lucie and Ryan have lots of toys verified by experts to stimulate the mind and body, it's the everyday items around the house that really grab their attention. Loyal readers know that television remote controls and hair-brushes are a favorite, but the coasters on the coffee table, colanders, and spoons all make the list as well.

The latest addition is the cardboard delivery box from BabyCenter (chock-a-block with baby-proofing supplies). Now empty, it makes the perfect jungle gym -- useful for standing, sitting, pushing, and chewing.

We're pretty happy with today's special delivery.

Have Hairbrush, Will Travel

We've written before about how Ryan and Lucie love household objects - the remote, a camera case, water bottles, a watch - if it's not one of their toys, it's a pretty sure thing they'll be fascinated with it. (On a funny side note, Ryan was pushing buttons on Uncle AJ's cell phone this weekend when our phone rang. Guess who it was?)


Their latest obsession, and I'm not using this word lightly, is their hairbrush. The hairbrush seems to solve all woes, from diaper change protests to cranky/tired moods. Once one baby has the favorite hairbrush, it's carried around from room to room on various crawling adventures. Let's just hope we don't forget it on our next trip...