Smoothies Save the Day (yet again)

Trips to the toddler play area at the mall once filled me with a mixture of hopeful anticipation (Ryan and Lucie will have so much fun!) and pure terror (what if they toddle off in different directions?). The toddler-sized slide, ride-on train, and foam flooring are all perfect for active and curious little guys, and certainly much safer than the tall slides and open staircases at some parks. However, once released from the stroller, Ryan would run one way, Lucie would run the other, and I'd end up frantically chasing after both of them in the middle of a very public mall full of strollers and shoppers. Some days I'd come home and wonder, "What was I thinking? That place is not made for one mother and two babies!"

With time, our little excursions have gotten better. I've developed a really good twins mom stance allowing me to watch both toddlers play from a distance, without being right next to either one. It reminds me a bit of zone defense on my junior high basketball team - not that I ever actually played in any games, but I did pay good attention from the bench. Who knew that'd be helpful for motherhood? I've also noticed that Ryan and Lucie tend to stay closer to me and each other now, which is a welcome change from the last 10-12 months or so. With a combination of R & L's maturity and more experience for me, we've been having lots of fun.

That's not to say that I don't have more "What was I thinking?" moments - today I had a big one. Everyone was having a great time riding the train and pushing buttons on the soda machine (their love for that rivals the train) when Ryan started wailing, "Mommy, hold you!" (translation: hold me, mommy) He's coming off a bit of a cold and has been more tired and fussy that his usual self lately. At first, Lucie was fine playing with the soda machine while singing out, "I like push-ing buttons! I like push-ing buttons!" Though once she saw Ryan crying, she started wailing too, desperate to be held.

Next thing I knew I was carrying two arms worth of crying two year olds while trying to push a double stroller - another thing I'm improving on with experience. On the way home, we hit the smoothie stand in hopes of distracting my crying two year olds. Luckily the breakdown was nothing a mango smoothie and a hug from Ducky and Bunny couldn't fix.