Weekend Project: Playroom

When the twins arrived we changed a guest bedroom to their room. After a few months we figured we needed a guest bedroom again and moved the office into the dog room. That process is in a couple of pasts posts if you're interested in seeing the transformation:

Room Revamp P1: Clear out the dog room

Room Revamp P2: Clear our the office

Room Revamp P3: Create a charming guest room

So since then we've had a nursery for the twins and a guest room. 

The guests are either JoJo or GiGi but the thing is we just don't use a guest room that much.

Since Piper has joined our family we've had to pick up all the toys much more diligently or she'll chew everything up. We started moving the basket of toys from the family room to the other side of the guest bed (you can see a glimpse of the overflowing basket in the picture above.)

The guest bedroom will eventually be Chloe's room, but the twins don't really seem to need to be separated right now. Since they still like their cribs and they don't even care about toddler beds I'm going to hold off on separate bedrooms.

Ultimately, I decided we could use a playroom every day vs. a guest room that's only used once in a while. I moved out all the bedroom furniture and moved in all the play things that had been in the family room.

The playroom has been one of the best decisions. The kids know to keep the door closed so Piper doesn't get in and go crazy chewing up toys. Also this lets them play without us watching every move. I can hear them if a brawl breaks out, but they've been pretty good so far. I knock on the door when I want to come in so they know this playroom is their space.

Family room before

   

Family room after

I can't believe I didn't do this sooner. I love the playroom. If needed we can just close the door off on the mess and now we have the family room back.

Not So Fast

The number of things I can make up to worry about being a Mom is just plain silly. There is pressure to be sure your kids are advancing quickly or at least not falling behind. However, I've found there are a few things that I'm not pushing my kids on. 

With social media you constantly hear about the "achievements" of other kids and it sometimes makes you fell like you might be falling behind in parenting duties. Although it's easier said than done, each child is different, every family is different and we all grow at different paces. 

Below are a few things we may be behind on but I'm OK with.

Cribs
It has always been our plan to move the twins into separate rooms with their own beds but I'm not sure when that should be. Right now they both still sleep in their cribs and they seems to like it. I know some parents worry about babies climbing and falling out and although both kids can climb out if they want to, they just don't.

The cribs they have now convert to to toddler beds but I just don't see any reason to make that change. So for now, we're still in cribs.









High Chairs

They do not need their high chairs anymore but this is another change I'm reluctant to make, mainly for selfish reasons. In a highchair they're contained and so is the mess.  

Potty Training
This is a big one. The twins are now 3 years (and 4 months) old and not potty trained. Before they turned two we introduced potties and seeded the idea they could use them. I've felt a lot of pressure to get them potty trained and have been given all sorts of advice:

• On a three day weekend, plan to stay home. Have a timer and make them try to go to the potty every 20 minutes. By the end of the weekend they should be potty trained.
• Don't let them wear diapers or pull ups, move right on to underwear. There will be some accidents but they'll hate having messy underwear.
• Take their bottoms off, pants, diaper, everything and let them run around without anything on. Then they'll have to use the potty. Of course there may be an accident or two, but after a few days of no pants they'll be potty trained.
• Give them a prize, candy, stickers, each time they  use the potty.

So I've decided not to go with any of the extreme solutions. There was a time when Chloe was afraid of the potty and when I'd ask if she wanted to try she'd tell me, "not yet." That was pretty clear and we just took a break for a few months. 

We are all trying now and get M&Ms when we're successful. We still wear diapers or pull-ups and I'm just not worried about it. We'll get there. 

Also, our pediatrician backed me up on this and said not to push them. It will come in time.

I really don't want to rush them to grow up and there are a few things I just don't mind being a bit behind on.

My Little People

The twins are really turning into little people now. It's amazing how much their unique personalities have developed and the independent individuals they're becoming.

Before haircuts

We went in for haircuts earlier this week and I'm always surprised that Connor looks like such a little man afterwards. They grow up fast!

After haircuts

Dinosaur Museum

This weekend we made our second visit to the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. The museum is really cool and has been a really popular destination since it opened late last year. To help control crowds, both members and non-members must schedule ticket times in advance. That combined with difficult downtown parking makes a trip to the museum it bit more complicated than it should be.

We haven't made it through all the exhibits yet, but the kids wanted to go back to the dinosaur and bird parts again. We also went to the children's exhibit and then watched a 3-D movie. With 3 year olds, that was enough for one morning.

GiGi and Chloe in their 3-D glasses

However, when you head outside there's fun stuff there too. We probably spent almost as much time outside as we did in the museum. The kids played on the giant frogs for a bit and then we headed to the outdoor chimes.

Thanks to GiGi (reading the sign) everyone had a blast once we figured out how to work the gravel chime. Just like it's name, you dump gravel on it for the chime to sound. Serious fun.

There Is A Line

Earlier this week I read an article about mommy bloggers sharing too much and the ethics of writing about your kids. "The Ethical Implications of Parents Writing About Their Kids" in The Atlantic takes on the idea that mommy blogs tend to lead to "parental over sharing" and have the potential to embarrass or even humiliate children who never approved of the sharing in the first place.

I've read a few articles about some readers' distaste for blogs that share too much personal information but this was the first time I've come across the ethics of writing about your kids. Although it's completely logical to share stories about your kids at the same time you have to remember, in this digital age, these stories live on and are easily accessible years later. I would hate to think anything I wrote would keep Chloe out of college or Connor from getting hired, but that's the concern this articled raised.

Keeping that in mind, I reviewed past posts and considered my original motivation for the blog. I wanted to keep a journal or online scrapbook of our family. Additionally, I wanted to share with family and friends what was happening in our lives, especially what was happening with the twins.

When I read back through past posts the only time I think I may have "over shared" is when talking about myself, like our struggles to get pregnant, my challenges balancing career with family, and the ubiquitous battle with weight loss. I shared these things on purpose so friends and family who struggle with something similar will know they're not alone.

Overall I don't think I've shared anything that could harm the twins' future. I still may have "over shared" but it all depends on your perspective. This blog is for my friends and family so they can keep up with us as the twins grow up so quickly. From the response I've gotten from those close to us I think the blog has accomplished that goal. 

It's always good for me to consider what I write about our family and how they would feel if it was shared with others. However, I don't think the blog is harming our family and will continue to write and share. 

Snow Day

This morning we woke up to a surprise dusting of snow. Since I didn't have any client meetings and it might be a little icy out for driving I decided to keep the twins home and enjoy a snow day.

We bundled up this morning and headed out into the cold to play in the snow. This was the first snow day for Piper and she seemed to really enjoy it as well.











Since it was way too cold for us Texans and we really ended up both snowy and wet we didn't stay out for too long. So we headed back in for a snow day treat of hot chocolate!

Nap time soon, hopefully everyone will sleep well.

Kissing European Style

I think kisses and hugs are great and I love getting them from the kids. However, Chloe has developed a very passionate kissing style.

She'll grab your face in her little hands and turn it so she can kiss each cheek before finally putting a big smacker on your lips. Sometimes it requires several rounds of kissing before she's satisfied you've been kissed enough.

It's cute and I don't want to discourage kissing, but it can be a bit much. 

Now she insists on kissing the teachers at her daycare before we leave. We've told her she can't kiss anyone on the lips so the head turning, cheek kissing is even more dramatic. They're sweet about it and say they think Chloe's being cute so I haven't tried to stop her yet. 

Like I said, I don't want to discourage showing affection, but I am worried her elaborate kissing method might make someone uncomfortable.

They Got That From Me

Like a lot of new moms, after the twins were first born I was curious to see how they looked like me. It was difficult to see any resemblance. Not to mention everyone who commented on their looks said Connor looked like my brother and Chloe looked like Carl. This bummed me out a bit since, frankly, I did the most work to get them here, shouldn't they resemble me just a little.

The thing about newborns is they basically look like little old men at first, at least this was the case with my twins. It took awhile for them to look like themselves. Now that the twins are toddlers we can see specific resemblances more clearly, both in appearance and behavior.

It's very clear Connor got my curly hair. We knew this pretty early on and I was a little sad Chloe didn't get any curls. Chloe does have a blend between Carl and I with a little body in her medium thick hair. Honestly, I think she'll like it much better than battling with curly hair and trying to come to terms with it at some point. Curly hair really seems to fit Connor's personality, a little unruly but still adorable. Connor has cool hair for a boy and if he doesn't want to mess with it he can keep it really short. That seems to work for my brother.

Another trait Connor gained from our side of the family is a plump booty. This is one I'm so grateful Chloe has not inherited from me. Her body shape seems to resemble Carl's in general, while Connor has all of our chunky German charm. 

The shape of Chloe's face is just like Carl's and her adorable cheeks are something she gained from his side of the family. It's amazing how she can look like her father but in such a feminine way. Although her face is shaped like her Dad's, when she smiles it's just like mine. A nice mix of traits if you ask me, a biased, proud mother.

Of course any little traits they get from us they make distinctly their own. Connor and Chloe are both very individual and are developing their own distinct personalities. 

Now instead of trying to figure out who looks like me I'm a little more worried about the bad habits they may pick up from me.

The Things They Say Now

A few months ago I posted some of the funny things the twins were saying and I wanted to provide an update. Here's a link to what they were saying in March.

Connor
Piper likes to jump up on the big chair in our family room. If Connor is in his chair watching cartoons, Piper is in his line of site for the TV. When this happens we hear "Piper in the way!"

We've been trying really hard to get the twins to say "please" when they want something, but it still doesn't happen without prompting. Connor doesn't even really ask for things he just says he "likes" something when he wants it.
"I like apples."
"I like Octonauts," meaning he wants to watch the Octonauts cartoon.
"I like milk." I know he's growing up in Texas because when he says the word "milk" it has three syllables.

Chloe
This was the first year the twins understood Christmas and that Santa would bring them gifts. Before we had our breakfast with Santa, Chloe kept telling me she "needed to talk to Santa." She'd tell me, "I need to talk to Santa about my Cinderella doll." The way she said it was almost like Chloe and Santa were colleagues and she needed to inform him about getting her a Cinderella doll.

Being so cute herself, Chloe is also a good judge of cuteness. When Chloe sees a kitten or a baby or something else that's charmed her she'll say, "Awww cute." Somehow it makes her even more adorable.