My sincere apology....

Image: Uniqlo t-shirt by Mshades

Dear Readers...or what's left of you:

I owe you an apology.
I have been very slow and unreliable in my posting to this blog.

Now, let me fill you in on all the crap that's been keeping from you:

1. I Went on vacation...

blahgity, blah, blah

2. Went to see a friend who recently had her 4th child

This makes 4 kids, age 5 and under...so it was an I'm-never-complaining-again reminder that twins ain't so tough and sometimes having twins is actually easier!

3. My dear friend's mother passed away after a long an valiant fight with breast cancer.

This was no ordinary woman. She had a closet where her clothes and accessories were lined up in rainbow order. She was a true girly-girl in a house full of boys. She was an incredible cook, a world traveler, and....a twin.

I'm not sure what was more painful.
Watching my friend bury his mother or
watching her twin struggle with the last goodbye.
(Rest in Peace Mrs. B.)

4. My 95-year old Grandfather passed away.

The hardest part of this was the reminder of what life used to be like when I was a kid. A reminder of all those who have passed on (my dad, uncle, grandmother, etc.) and a reminder of how much I miss them all.
(I love you Grampy.)

5. I acquired a company.

I had recently started working with my friend JessicaKnows on her Buzz Cooperative business. Soon after I came aboard she realized the option of going back to work looked pretty good. Her fabulous self went and got a job (I mean, within weeks!) and so began talks of me taking over Buzz. I then completely freaked out and called my friend/sidekick/frack-to-my-frick, Linda and forced her to be my partner. So, I'm now a CEO. Go figure.

And there you have it.
Now, back to your regularly scheduled google reader.
Janine

Twofer in their First Horse Show at Potomac Horse Center

M & L lookin' darn cute before their 1st horse show

Riding at Potomac Horse Center

As you may know, the Twofer have been taking riding lessons at Potomac Horse Center since September. It's a great place to start riding because they offer lessons as early as age 5 (Twofer have been asking since age 3!) and they are #1 in terms of safety and instruction. They offer a number of 'client shows' each year which are a great way to introduce kids to competition and showing horses.

Here are the details you need to know:
1. They were excited to sign up for the show...but then not very excited to participate the day of the show.
2. They looked darn cute in their white shirts and braids/pony tails
3. L got a 2nd Place and M got a 3rd Place!
4. This was their first ever competition...you know, where not everyone wins.

L- 2nd Place with Pumpkin

Here are the things you don't really need to know but I will tell you anyway
1. They did NOT put them in the same class (whew!)
2. I'm not sure they even knew it was a competition.
3. Afterward L was upset that she got 2nd place (the red ribbon) and not 6th place (the pink ribbon).

4. M handled the whole getting third while her sister got a 2nd place really, really, really well.

M - 3rd Place with Minnie

First competition = food for my neuroses

The neurotic me was thinking this could be a nightmare. The logical me realized this is something they have to learn NOW. Not everyone wins. Not everyone gets the same color ribbon. Some days you will perform better than other days. But going out there and having fun DOES matter because in the end, that's what you take home - a smile.

Here's a short video showing them hanging with their friend Jenna before their events, and then L walking and M trotting.

You might also like:
First we learn to ride a horse, then a bike

Feeling proud,
Janine

Flasback - Musthaves with Newborn Twins (X-Post at TyepAMom)

I'm over at Type A Mom.net today and chose four must-haves for newborn twins that still stick out in my mind almost six years later. I know there are other items that helped us get along (including friends, family, and our beloved Suzette and Royanne) but for some reason these four stuck out to me:

Ultimate Crib Sheet
Feeding/Diaper chart as I mentioned in earlier post
Labels
Breast pump

What else helped you get through those newborn days and sleepless nights a little easier?

Head on over to Type A Mom and let me know in the comments. I'd love to compile a list for future reference!
Janine

Twincident #147: A broken swing can be fun with a twin

Did they break the swing on purpose? I have no idea - but they did seem to be having a lot of fun.




Have your kids had more fun with something after it broke?
Do tell!
Janine

The Ultimate Blog Party 09 - My first!

WELCOME Partiers!
Can I offer you some coffee? No? Well that's all I drink these days so it's that or water, or wine so you choose.

This is my first evah Ultimate Party Blog and with 5 Minutes for Mom and I can't wait to meet new bloggers and add to my blog roll. (Check out my UPB Prize too!)

For those of you stopping by, here's just a little about me.

My name is Janine and I have 5 year old twins (actually they are now closer to 6 than to 5 but I'm holding on to 5 as long as I can) and last Halloween my husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary.
Yes, Halloween. No, it was not a costume wedding...until much later when the silly masks came out. And oh by the way, I fit into my wedding dress this year!

My Twofer: L on left , M on right

We live outside of Washington, DC and we try to take advantage of the free museums as much as possible and as much as we can stand getting around the, um, tourists. Honestly, I consider myself a New Yorker at heart having grown up outside what I will always refer to as The City. Washington is a great city and does have a lot of life....but c'mon. It's not NYC. It's not The City. It's DC.

I can be a little snarky (no! really?) and silly, and a little bit rock-and-roll (shhh, don't tell anyone but I have a tatoo). But most of I'll I'm just me.

I often blog here about the silly things that come with raising twins, who are girls, and the neuroses I suffer trying to make decisions that hopefully won't screw them up too much (like the time I told them no matter what they should not pee in the port-o-potty on the farm field trip and they should hold it until they get back to school - yeah, that kind of stuff).

Me in Nashville at Blissdom 09

I have been blogging for not quite a year and found it has given me a great place to be creative, keep memories alive for my children, and make new friends...yes, friends. As strange as this blog world is, I've been able to meet some online friends in real life (IRL - new term for me) and have yet to be disappointed.

Remember to check out UBP Prize #USC 71
Enter to win the adorable North Country Lamb Print from Golly Bard. This print is perfect for the nursery, a bathroom, or even a quiet little corner of your room.

And here are the prizes I'm hoping to win:
#89 — $100 gift card to HomeGoods
Provided by: HG Openhouse

#113 — $25 gift certificate to Office Max (two winners)
Provided by: Multi-Tasking Mama http://www.multitaskingmama.com/

INTL 1 — Available to English speaking bloggers. Custom Basic Blog Design
Provided by: Sweet ‘n Simple Design

If those are gone I'd be more than happy with any of these: #s 16, 22, 31, 37, 69, 118, INTL 28, and, um I'll be adding to this list!

Thanks for stopping by and let me know you did so I can visit your party too!

Janine

Before the CAbi Clothing Party is the Twofer Fashion Show

Twice a year I host a CAbi (Carol Anderson by Invitation) clothing party at my house and invite friends and neighbors over to shop.

It works much like a Silpada, or Pampered Chef party where the rep brings samples to your house, gives a little demonstration, and then people shop afterward. The items purchased are ordered and shipped to the hostess about a week after the party. The hostess then distributes the items to her friends.
The hostess does not mind because her friends' shopping enabled her to get 5 items at half price and even a few, in this case, CAbi dollars - which means at least one of her items was free!

This time the Twofer, having been through the drill before, knew there was a little show and they wanted to be a part of it. And so my CAbi rep (and now dear friend) Charlie indulged them about 30 minutes before the moms came and put them each in a few CAbi outfits and let them do their best spin on the catwalk. Here's what happend:


Watch out Tyra! These girls just might be American Next Top Twin Models!
Janine

Playground Games I Forgot How Much I Enjoyed

Now that my twins are in kindergarten I get to hear about all kinds of games they cram into just 30 minutes of recess. Mostly these consist of games with teams: the girls vs. boys teams, the good vs. bad teams, and jump rope.

One day last week they came home with a piece of yarn leftover from a measuring project and asked me to tie the ends together. Then M wrapped the ends around her two hands and waited for L to do something...except that L had no idea what to do and so the two of them sat there staring at the yard around M's hands.

I have no idea how long this would have gone on without my finally saying, "Are you trying to play Cat's Cradle?"

And that's when I realized that my little babies are soon going to be playing the games I used to LOVE to play with my friends outside at recess. These games are different than your classic board games like Chutes and Ladders and card games like Old Maid and Go Fish, which we often played with our parents.

There are 3 classic "kids-only" games we played simply because most adults at that time could not follow them. It also seems that every child of the 80s grew up learning at least one of these, if not all. And apparently, they are still around. I can't wait to share them with my girls...for as long as they'll let me.

Miss Mary Mack

The earliest of these games in pat-a-cake. But recently I came across a Miss Mary Mack book that had more verses than I had ever heard. Plus, there were intricate hand movements that went like this:
Cross arms, slap thighs, clap together, clap right hands, clap left hands, clap right hands.

And here's how the song (if you call it that) went:
Miss Mary Mack Mack Mack
All dressed in black, black, black
With silver buttons, buttons, buttons
All down her back, back, back.

She asked her mother, mother, mother
For 50 cents, cents, cents
To see the elephants, elephants, elephants
Jump over the fence, fence, fence.

They jumped so high, high, high
They reached the sky, sky, sky
And they didn't come back, back, back
'Til the 4th of July, ly, ly!

Cat's Cradle

This simple little string makes the most complicated toy.
I remember playing by myself on those long car rides to Vermont. I also remember making my older brother play with me when I wanted to do the 2-person version...which later lead to me being forced to play the football 'hand-held' game that was actually more the size of a laptop but that's another post.

The only ones I can remember are Cat's Cradle, Witches Broom and Jacob's Ladder but if you gave me a string I'd be hard pressed to know how to do any of them. And that's where I give a BIG Twofer Thumbs Up to, what else? YouTube! YouTube will keep all of these games alive for generations to come.

Chinese Jump Rope

Remember the chant, "In-out-side-side-on-in-out" as 2 people stretch the rope around their legs while you try to jump to the chant without messing up the order?
We used to spend the entire recess taking turns jumping and judging, and I have the distinct honor of being the one to have Dr. Scholl'sbanned from school after my sandals went flying off my feet nearly clocking a teacher on the head. The jump rope started out low around the ankles and moved up higher as long as you didn't miss.

(Babysitter version was to put the jump rope around your neck and see who could 'jump' it without a) breaking an arm or b) taking out one of the rope holders.)

Do you remember these and can you add to my memory of them? I know I'm missing some of those Cat's Cradle moves especially.

Janine

Johnson's is 50 Years of No More Tears

I can still remember visiting my grandma and having to take a bath at her house. At the age of eight I was way beyond the baby stage, but there was something about that yellow bottle of Johnson's Shampoo that made me smile when she would pull it out from under the sink. I knew I could be a little kid and play in the bath instead of being rushed through a shower.

At my shower for the Twofer I remember I received a baby bathtub filled with goodies including a number of bottles of Johnson's baby wash, shampoo, and lotion. For me Johnson's IS that baby smell, you know, the one you get when you rub their little head under your chin?

Here are some pics of the Twofer in those chubby baby days getting a bath...

M on left L on right, cheeks on both!

Um....excuse me for a minute.

OK, better.

Rarely do I get the urge for another baby but those pictures get me sometimes!

Where was I? Oh, so to celebrate their 50th Anniversary Johnson's has a few new products and thanks to Mom Central we were able to try them out.

I'm not sure I would have bought them otherwise because my twins are now almost six. And yet I found the JOHNSON'S® HEAD-TO-TOE® Foaming Wash great for my girls.

They are at that age where they can shower themselves but the soap keeps slipping out of their hands. The foaming wash comes in a pump which is perfect for them!

The JOHNSON'S® Baby Bubble Bath & Wash comes in a blue bottle and while it's not as great at getting the tangles out, it does give them that baby smell.

Johnson's has a great channel on YouTube where you can watch and submit videos, get special offers, and more.

What's your favorite bath photo? Post a link if you have one online! I'd love to check it out.

Janine

Storytime with the Twofer Twins Week 6 - All About Animals

Technically this is week 7 or even 8 because I've missed a few but give me a break - who's watching these anyway? If you are, please leave a comment so I can share them with the authors.

This week L was inspired to write a book for a baby that is on the way. No, not mine. One of my husband's cousins is having a baby soon and the girls came with me to the baby shower. I'm mailing this book out today to the lucky parents-to-be.



Do you have a creative way to preserve your child's artwork?
I'd love to know about it because this stack of books is growing and while I've captured most on video...I'm thinking I should keep the hard copies too.

Janine

Another book, an extra hug, a photo and a reminder of what I have

Just because they looked cute

Yesterday I was checking in with a blog hero, Anissa to see how her daughter Peyton was doing after a horrific day getting blood drawn. You see Peyton has cancer. Peyton also recently had her port removed and the family celebrated a Cancer Free day. So this bloodwork would determine whether the party could continue, or if the family would get back on that roller coaster of fear, pain, sadness, worry, and general suckiness. (The results, after a loooong 2 days were good...silent cheer!)

I then caught a tweet by local blog star Jessica about a little angel named Vivi. Of course I went to Jessica's blog and read the post and then HAD to go to Vivi's own blog. And then the tears started.

But I wasn't done. From Vivi's blog there were several other links to blogs about children who are battling cancer, and the parents who are putting on brave faces, celebrating milestones, or in some cases, learning how to say goodbye.

By the time I was done it was after midnight, my eyes were puffy and red, and my heart ached and ached. I think there were a few hiccupy-breaths in there too - you the kind you used to get when you were little and just wailing? Yea, I had that.

But today I woke up a little different.

• I actually read not one, but two books to the girls this morning (I never read before school as we're usually late from the minute we're up!).
• I took extra time to sit with the girls when they got dressed (instead of yelling to them to hurry up as I make lunch).
• Then something unusual happened - they both asked me to put their hair up in a ponytail, my fave! So I took the time to do that too.
• They were so cute in their little skirts with their hair up that we took extra time to take some pictures.
• We were definitely late to school, but I gave them each an extra long hug and kiss before they went into the building.
• I then kept my promise (the same promise I have broken 3 days in a row now) of making chocolate covered strawberries today after school

Today I was a different mom...a better mom - I'm not afraid to say that. I'm improved. I give thanks to those parents who reminded me to appreciate what I have and to take that extra time. I will hug, and kiss, and squeeze, and help, and read to, and cook with, and tickle, and tuck in and everything else more now to honor the parents who can't.

What will you do?

Janine

Twincident #146 "Not without my sister!" - Twins stick together

It Finally Happened

After 5 years I realized the Twofer really do have a "need" for each other that is stronger than your average sibling bond.

Maybe at 5 they are mature enough to understand their need. Or maybe at 5 they can better express how they feel. Whatever it is the other day I was telling L about a playdate she had coming up and I heard, plain as day,
"Not without my sister!"

Me, "Since when?"

L, "I won't go unless M goes too."

And for the first time ever, I emailed the little girl's mom and asked if she could take both of my girls because the one was refusing to go without the other. I offered her Twofer the Price of One!

Something about this was different.

The new friend is a very shy and quiet little girl and she is in a different kindergarten class. This is exactly why I thought L would be a great friend to have. L alone is a little quieter, and sometimes shy herself. Most people don't know this because she can be riled into a silly, goofy, and loud little thing...with the help of her sister.

Also, I believe this is the first time L would be going to a new friend's house, alone. Usually she meets new friends at school, or we have them over to our house. I think she was just very uncomfortable going home with someone she didn't know very well and she realized that could be resolved by having her sister come too. Strength in numbers. Hmm, now where have I written about that before?

The other mother graciously accepted the invitation for her to take both of my children. (I would have had her daughter to my house but that day I was off being fabulous at a certain Fashion Show in New York.)

The Result?

The girls had a BLAST and by BLAST I mean supercalifragilstickexpialidocious.
Because it was the day before Valentine's Day they each came home with a huge heart balloon, cards they had made at the friend's house, and wanting to have another playdate with their new friend AND the new friend's older brother!

I definitely don't want to make a habit of them going on playdates together. I want them to continue to learn how to make friends on their own. But you know, maybe having your sister there is just one of the benefits of growing up a twin, and maybe that's not such a bad thing to have.

Janine

Chores for twins does not always mean teamwork

I have posted before about the Twofer having certain jobs around the house. What I have not told you is how I realized that twins do not always work best as a team.

Take for example the dreaded dishwasher.


I hate emptying the dishwasher.
My husband will do it reluctantly, and only when he damn well pleases which is often 24-48 hours after I've asked him. (I used to think his delay in emptying the dishwasher was a big F.U. to me. Now I know it's not about me, it's about the dishwasher. But that's another post. One that requires some level of therapy.)

I was happy hand over the job of emptying the dishwasher (with some supervision) to our twins. At first they were happy to help. Then it got stale, because our dishwasher is run every single day. Sometimes twice a day.



This great idea of mine was turning into a major referee job because the girls were fighting over every little thing...who did more, who wanted to do the silverware, who got stabbed with a fork, you get the idea.

I tried, "If M won't help than you just do your share and she'll have to do the rest."

I tried, "L, you do the silverware and dishes, M you do the pots/pans and glasses."

I tried splitting the racks, with one on top rack duty, the other, bottom.

I realized the dishwasher was better left to one person.

So now we keep track (sort of, you know I'm really bad at that) on a calendar, who emptied the dishwasher the day before.
They each get a day off, which makes it less of a battle when it's their turn.
Not only that, but they are thankful (I know, right?) when my husband picks up the slack!

As for filling the dishwasher, I still take that one because I'm the only one capable of loading the thing with any precision. (The same can be said for packing the car when we go away but again, that's another post because it involves exploring male/female roles in marriage and how my household seems to be a little skewed.)

Bottom line here folks, if you have twins, or even 2 or more kids, keep the chores separate. Each child can be held accountable for their quality of work, and they can be rewarded justly. Plus, they can learn teamwork on the soccer field where there are professional referees.

Just my 2 cents.
Janine

A peek inside playtime with twins

It's no surprise that as twins, the Twofer seem to have their own unique way of playing with each other. They already know the object of the game, the characters involved, and the adventure they are going on as they wander down the stairs with their walkie-talkies, binoculars, and sunglasses.

It's a daily dose of improv in my house:

M/Chicosay: "Calling Toofree, calling Toofree. Where's the mazradeur we need? Have you located it yet?"

L/Toofree: "It's in the clubhouse. I'm heading there now. Can you meet me Chicosay? Bring the flashlights!"

They also have designated roles that they play which doesn't really seem fair to me, but what do I know? I'm just the 3rd wheel they call Mom.

M's List of Roles:
Mommy
Princess
Queen
Fairy
Baby

While L is always the:
Daddy
Pony
Dog
Cat
and Worker

Mommy's Role:
Costumes, Props and Craft Service
(mend dress-up clothes, get flashlights working, serve Go-Gurts)

Sometimes they are both fairies, adventurers, etc. Still, for the most part they have reached an agreement on this without ever discussing it. An older sibling will engage the younger one in a particular role. With twins (my twins, anyway) they seem to automatically know.

And they seem happy like that...usually for at least an hour.
Nothing lasts forever.

Janine (head of the drama department)

Another amazing National Geographic show

Clear your calendar this Sunday night, December 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET for the premier of National Geographic Channel's In The Womb: Identical Twins.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to see an advance copy and I was amazed by just how different identical twins can be, and why.

You can see the moment when a single cell rapidly multiplies into a blastocyst and see the many milestones as identical twins grow in-utero. Learn what happens when one identical twin doesn't fully develop, and why identical twins are not always subject to the same diseases.

My twins are obviously not identical but like most people (with or without twins) the idea of 2 identical children is fascinating. National Geographic covers several sets of identical twins including 2 boys one of whom weighed 6 1/2 pounds at birth while his 'identical' brother weighed just over a pound. Another set of twins had no contact with each other for 40 years and yet lead parallel lives.

Plus, the show explores what behavior is a result of nature versus nurture and how scientists can study the effects of genes on someone's personality.

The 4-D ultrasound is very cool and had me thinking back to my own pregnancy when the Twofer would kickbox each other on that little screen!

The girls really want to watch it and my only hesitation is the c-section part, and the fact that they don't really know how babies are made. I can hear it now, "Mommy? What's sperm and how do you get it?"

But I'd love for them to see what 2 babies inside a mommy's tummy looks like since they are used to hearing me tell stories.

Enjoy the show and I'd love to hear what you thought!.
Janine