Then and Now

It's no surprise that we have an encore appearance of the fireman and ballerina this Halloween. Ryan and Lucie found their callings, and they're not parting with them, no matter how many wizard, kitten, cowboy or hula dancer costumes come their way. Although Lucie did surprise us when she chose to wear her veterinarian jacket to a neighbor's costume party last weekend. We'll see what happens on Halloween night.

At our twins club fall party, we happened to come home with a few photos that were almost identical to shots we took last year. It's fun to see how far Ryan the Fireman and Lucie the Ballerina have come.

Ryan's costume fits him perfectly this year, with no need to roll up sleeves or pant legs like last year. Judging by the fabric on the knee patches, this costume has had its fair share of trips through the washing machine. The original black helmet is long gone, left at a park last winter and never seen again. It its place is a much loved helmet given to Ryan from Uncle Greg and Jessica last Christmas. This fireman suit has to be the best $15 ever spent on Ryan.

Due to over-wear, Lucie's costume from last year (pictured in the train photo before it got dirty at lunch) didn't make it. However, her newest tutu is getting just as much love and attention in its place.

Happy Halloween!

"It be Fun!"

Lucie and Ryan started their first drop-off class a few weeks ago. I think -- no, I take that back -- I know I was more nervous than they were. When I started prepping them weeks before, I didn't know what to expect. Would they like the idea? How many tears would I see on the first day? There was no need to worry. They were so excited. As if to reassure me, Ryan said, "Mommy, you going to drop us off, go home, then come back in ONE hour -- okay? It be fun!"

He's right. It's very fun. Once I saw how easily they said good-bye to me on the first day, I knew they'd be fine. They spent an hour and fifteen minutes doing art projects and acting out stories with a teacher they adore while I had some free time. Glorious! I guess the butterflies in my stomach were not necessary.

Since then, they look forward to their class every week. When I pick them up, they each have three or four art projects waiting for me, as well as stories about the songs they sang or books they read. Originally, there were two boys in the class and four girls. But, it seems the boy has had a tougher time being away from his mom. So, now there are four girls and Ryan. Ryan doesn't mind. When they had a choice of making key chains or bracelets last week, he was thrilled to have all the key chain supplies to himself.

I'm so proud of Ryan and Lucie for jumping right into the class so effortlessly. I wonder if it's easier because they have each other, or if they're both simply just ready for this level of independence. Either way, we all embrace it.

Three Moms + Six Kids = Homeschool Preschool

With our recent move and the outrageous cost of preschool tuition for two, we decided to hold off on a formal preschool program this fall, and instead find other opportunities for Ryan and Lucie to be around other kids. Our weeks now tend to be a mixture of free time, and short, structured activities like tumbling and art classes. The most exciting new addition to our schedule has been a morning we call "Homeschool Preschool".

Two fabulous and creative women in our twins playgroup came up with the idea of getting together once a week for a preschool program organized by the moms. I was thrilled to be included. Not only is it tons of fun to plan and run, but it's a great way for Ryan and Lucie to interact more closely with other kids their age and receive direction from someone other than their mother. And, best of all, the two moms I'm working with are incredibly talented at engaging the kids. I often feel like we are a part of a professional program with the energy and enthusiasm they bring to the morning.

Each week we have a theme, letter of the week, and circle time. We mix in breaks for free play and snack, as well as other structured activities like songs, stories, crafts, and movement. Some of Ryan and Lucie's favorite activities so far have included making a spiderweb, parachute games, decorating the outline of their body, and two recurring favorites, snack and "sitting on towels" (mats used for circle time).

As we're entering into our sixth week of this program, I can tell my kids are enjoying it. They talk about "Miss Elayne", "Miss Jessica", and their fellow preschoolers throughout the week. When we met our playgroup at the park last week, they excitedly pointed out their preschool buddies, and talked Jessica's ear off about all their latest happenings. This is unusual for them, as they tended to be more reserved and shy during our playgroups over the past two years. It's great to watch the transformation.

(This last photo cracks me up. For some funny reason, every time we have the kids sit at the table, the boys sit on one side and the girls sit on the other. We've never asked them to do that, it just happens that way, over and over again.)

More Adventures

Each day I feel thankful to have two curious, imaginative, fun-loving three-year-olds to explore the world with. Our recent trip to visit family was no exception. Traveling with Lucie and Ryan is so much more fun than I ever expected. They are thrilled by the smallest details -- an orange shuttle bus at the airport, a lollipop to help an upset stomach on the plane, or a chance to play a silly game of "go through the window!" to get in Grandpa's truck once we landed.

Though we live far away, it's so important to us that Ryan and Lucie are close to their extended family. R & L are thrilled to reunite with beloved grandparents, uncles (and uncles' girlfriends), Aunt Rach and cousin Tate. They now recognize and warm up to their relatives instantly. With each visit, I see their relationships with family grow stronger, to the point now where they talk about their relatives constantly, even when they're far away.

I was particularly proud of Lucie this trip. Like so many kids (and adults), she can sometimes be tentative and unsure in situations she's not familiar with. At her Grandma and Grandpa's house, she wasn't very comfortable splashing around in the hot tub on the first days of our trip, and only stayed in for a short time. But after a few nights of giving it a try, she could not wait to jump in the hot tub for "night swimming!" (really, more like late afternoon/evening swimming) with Ryan and her Grandpa.

When we visited the beach later in the week, Lucie was confronted with one of her least favorite creatures -- seagulls. After a day of running for cover whenever a seagull showed up, Gigi encouraged Lucie not to be frightened, and even to shoo them away when they got too close. The next thing we knew, she was running around the sand, shovel in hand, warding the seagulls off. And, after that, she'd happily run around with them, without the slightest hesitation. She developed a soft spot for a seagull with a hurt leg, gently encouraging it to get along its way when it came too close for her comfort.

Ryan impressed me this trip with how sweet and caring he was with cousin Tate. From showing him how to use the potty to collecting pumpkins with Papa, Ryan made sure Tate was always in on the action. This did mean that nap time and bed time were crazy, with the three of them bouncing off the walls together. They must have spent an entire hour jumping, making up crazy songs, and throwing loved ones out of their cribs each and every bedtime. And, they were up at the crack of dawn, ready to greet the day with play, play, and more play.

Parties 2 and 3

Lucie and Ryan loved telling everyone that they were having "FREEEE!" parties for their birthday. (No, not free parties, but three parties. The "th" sound is a tough one for these guys.) After a celebration at home on their actual birthday, the next two parties were at grandparents' houses on a recent trip to visit family.

First, at their Grandma and Grandpa's house, Ryan and Lucie enjoyed presents and their own cakes, each decorated with all their favorite things. Ryan's digger cake was a hit, both for his love of construction vehicles, and his newly discovered soft spot for blue frosting. Lucie dug in with the same gusto, licking off every last drop of ice cream from her ballerina's tutu. Yum.

The next weekend at Gigi and Papa's, celebrations included October birthdays for cousin Tate (2 years old) and Uncle AJ (the big 2-5). The little guys helped Gigi make an entire plate of cupcakes, which they polished off (or should I say licked the frosting off?) in no time.

Horses in the City?

We discovered a small horse ranch not far from our house. Discovered is probably too strong a word since we're not exactly the Swiss Family Robinson here in the middle of suburbia. But there it was, and after a few drive-by visits in the car, Megan, Lucie, and Ryan trekked to the ranch a few weeks ago. Now all the horses have very creative names like "brownie", "blackie", and "burro".

An while it may be too early to tell if L & R have lost their fear of large animals, if you can pee in front of a horse, can you really be afraid of one?

Birthday Party (1 of 3)

I suppose it's fitting that our three year-olds should have 3 parties. Number 1 was at home on their actual birthday. As far as Lucie and Ryan are concerned, the most important part of any birthday is what kind of cake you have. And they like ice cream cake. However, they were very clear on wanting their "own cakes". Luckily neither one of them noticed that their "own cakes" were actually one cake cut in half...

After cake, it was time to open presents. Actually Ryan stopped opening once he discovered that Gigi and Papa got him a remote control recycling truck. It's just his speed and even matched his shirt.

Meanwhile Lucie wasted no time in hosting her first tea party. The set from Rachel, Jason, and Tate was put to good use as some of her favorite people joined her for a party.

Finally, in one of those moments that reaffirms Lucie is her mother's daughter, Lucie makes a birthday wish.

Boys Weekend

While Megan and Lucie were dancing the night away at the wedding, Ryan and I took advantage with a boys weekend. Ryan is easy to please and I figured we would spend the day shopping at the hardware store and doing a little yaadwork. But once I told him we were only dropping off mommy and Lucie at the train station, his disappointment was palpable. Fortunately, Megan remembered seeing signs for a petting zoo at the San Juan Capistrano station on a previous trip. A quick search and we found Zoomars which sounded like the perfect destination for us.

It was a great day — combining two of Ryan's favorite things: trains and animals. After a short train ride filled with games and snacks, we said goodbye to Megan and Lucie and hopped off. After finding our way to the zoo, our first stop was the bunny and guinea pig pen. Megan has lingering guinea pig issues left over from a childhood incident, so it was a good thing she wasn't here :>

After that, he rode the small train where there was little competition for the coveted "engine" seat.

Then it was on to the goats and sheep. Ryan (and Lucie for that matter) isn't real comfortable around animals that are bigger than him. But he did like the little goats who came to sit with him in the shade.

To my surprise, Ryan wanted to ride the ponies. Even greater surprise, Ryan picked the biggest "pony", actually a sizable horse named "Chex". Here he is strapped in and enjoying his brief turn as a cowboy.

It took Ryan all of 5 minutes to fall asleep on the train ride home. We spent the rest of the afternoon rehashing our morning and making Ryan's favorite food — macaroni and cheese. We mixed in the corn and chicken that I like and ended up with a meal that is still talked about to this day.