Quick & Easy Father's Day Gift

In the U.S., Father's Day is always the third Sunday in June.  As I write this, it's Wednesday night, so you still have a couple days before Sunday if you haven't already bought or made something for one or more of those special dads you may have in your life.  (And dads of multiples have really earned their stripes!  I know my husband was changing diapers, feeding, and caring for the twins for an entire weekend by the time they were 3 months old.)  Maybe try making bag-a-lopes!  Yep, bag-a-lopes, envelopes turned into gift bags.  My twin boys and I whipped these up this afternoon.  Earlier in the day (after a dentist appointment, ironically), we bought candy that would both fit in the bags and that we thought Daddy would like.  (At Target, where, for the first time, I allowed them to walk next to me throughout the store, rather than riding in the double cart...but that's another story.)

This craft involves things that you may already have on hand at home:

• Envelopes, any size or color
• Stamps and ink pads (or crayons, markers, etc. for your kids to draw on the envelope if you don't have stamps.)
• Scissors
• Glue dots, tape, or any other kind of adhesive  

That's it!  You can also add a handle, ribbon, or gift tag if you like.  I got the idea from my cousin who is a Stampin' Up demonstrator.  It looked like something the boys could do, or at least help with, I had everything on hand, and besides, it was fun for the boys to say "bag-a-lope" many times over. And if a 4-year-old can make these (with help!), you can too!

Here's a link to my cousin's video in which she shows step-by-step how to make these envelope-gift bags:  Ink It Up with Jessica TV Episode #30: Bag-a-lopes   

Once you make these, you can fill them with anything you want, candy, gift cards, rolled up pictures that your children draw, Chapstick and travel sized toiletries if he's on the road for work a lot, or anything else you can think of.  We added a greeting card in which I wrote a message and the boys signed their names and drew pictures.  These, along with gifts they made in preschool, are all currently hiding in the laundry room cupboard...    

Happy Father's Day!  

Groceries Without Leaving Your Car! (And Limited Time Discount Code.)

2015: It's been quite a year!  I realize it's been 10 months since I last wrote on this blog.  Since then we went on an Alaskan cruise with my husband's family, visited my family in Wisconsin for a few weeks, my husband got a promotion that came with much more work and responsibility, we potty-trained our twin boys (daytime, not nighttime yet), the boys started their second year at a Mandarin-English preschool, and we celebrated their 4th birthday.

So, just like all of you, we've been busy!  And busy parents could use some help when it comes to obtaining groceries.  Disclaimer:  I have NOT been paid to write this; all opinions are my own. Just seemed too good not to share!   That said, let's talk about how Walmart will do your aisle-walking for you, bring the groceries out to your car, put them in your trunk, and all you have to do is sit there!  And pay.  You do have to pay.  (See below for info on a limited time discount code.)  I just found out about this service from friends in my MOPS group.  Here's how you do it:

• Go to the Walmart Grocery website, and register.
• If it's available in your area, you pick the store where you'd like to get the food, and pick the date and time (a two hour window) for pickup.   
• Shop online for your items.  
• Pay with a credit or debit card online.  
• Check your email for a confirmation, and a map of where by the store you'll need to park.
• The store will call you when the order is assembled.  You can pick it up then, or wait until the time slot you chose (they are just finished early sometimes.)
• Call the store 10 minutes before you'll arrive, and then you'll need to call again once you park in the designated pickup spots.  
• Sign for your groceries through the window of your driver's seat. 
• Open the trunk.  They load.  
• You go home!

I tried it for the first time today, with my kids in the backseat.  They got to listen to Christmas music and look at library books, and I got to have my trunk loaded with groceries.  I made the order the night before, while watching TV with my husband, something I was going to be sitting on the couch for, anyway!  

We don't always shop at Walmart, since they don't have everything I want, but I will say for some basics it was great.  They have also expanded their organic offerings, which you can read about in this article.  For organic dairy and packaged items, it's pretty good, though I will say I'd like to see them offer more organic produce.  The pickings for fruit and vegetables is slim.  But since Walmart is so affordable, I got the whole trunk, most of which were organic items, for just $66.  Partly that's because of a code my friend shared with me to get $20 off.  

Here are details about the code:  Expires January 15, 2016.  The code is GIFTED20 and they will take $20 off an order over $80!  

Do you know of any other stores that offer similar services?  Share in the comments below!  

They're Home, Now What?

You can never forget the day you bring your baby, or multiple babies, home from the hospital.  With multiples especially, you sometimes end up taking one baby before the others are ready to leave the NICU (and juuuuuust in case the dear reader isn't sure, that stands for neonatal intensive care unit), in which case, you build up a routine at home gradually.  But we were fortunate:  our boys were born at 34.5 weeks (yes, I count those few days as a half week, because with premature babies, even days can make a difference!), only had to spend 10 days in the NICU, and got to come home on the same day. 

Our first family photo at home!  

Hopefully, the nurses at the hospital at which you have your babies, or your midwife or doctor at home,  will give you some helpful pointers before setting you loose.  We had to sit down for almost an hour of baby-care points, that we frantically tried to remember later, before we were allowed to tuck the boys into their car seats and be on our way.

That first ride home is tremendously exciting and terrifying!  We're going home!  They are coming to their first home for the first time!  With us!  We have kids!  Drive slow.  I can't drive any slower.  Is he still breathing?!  What sound did that other one just make?!  Pull over!  No!  They're fine!

We arrived home around 5 p.m. that day.  Just enough time to take pictures, settle the boys in the pack-and-play for a little bit while we scarfed down dinner, unpack all the items from the hospital, shower, feed and change the babies, and then hunker down in the bedroom for the first round of that silly thing called "trying to get your babies to sleep at night while feeding them seemingly round the clock."  (This link will take you to the page with all of my posts regarding Sleep.)

I'm smiling...but I don't know what to do next.

You may have other young children, and I hope your experience with them will give you some knowledge and wisdom we lacked as first-time parents, but maybe you aren't sure how to juggle all the different needs at home now.  Maybe these ARE your first children and you're feeling uncertain.  Either way, take a breath, you can do this!  Just take it one step at a time.  SUCH a cliche, but still true.  (See my post on "Do The Next Thing.")


The First Day/Night Home:

• Figure out a way to unload the car and bring everybody/everything inside without leaving either baby alone in the car at any point.  
• Take pictures!  Share with others.  
• Quickly sort through the items from the hospital and your things at home to make sure you have everything you need for the next 24 hours: diapers, wipes, place to put dirty diapers, formula, bottles, filtered water, breast pump, milk storage bags, nipple shields, extra changes of clothes/PJs for babies, thermometer (hopefully you won't need that yet!), baby logs, just whatever you've determined you need.  Have it all right next to where you'll be that night, at hand, so you don't have to think about it later.  
• Figure out where babies will sleep and let them get a little accustomed to it.  
• At first, try following the feeding schedule or rhythm you had in the hospital.  Some babies need to be fed every 2 or 3 hours.  
• Feed yourself, preferably a hearty, healthy meal that'll last you.  
• If there are more than 2 adults, take turns showering.  You don't know when you'll get the chance next.  If you are the only adult at home, it's okay to leave the babies in their crib, bouncy seats, etc, while you shower.  It really is okay!  If they cry a little, they cry a little.  You do what you have to do.  
• If you have other children at home, or dogs, feed them too!  You'll have to do some juggling that first evening to make sure everyone has their basic needs met.  
• Decide beforehand what you want the bedtime routine for your children to be, and try to start that very night!  It may sound silly to have it for newborns, but getting into the habit of doing the same things in the same order every night will not only help your kids, but it will help you, too.  It will ensure you don't forget things, and give you more confidence as you figure out how to care for your babies.
• Then, throughout the wee hours...good luck!  I'm praying for you.  Try to jot notes on what happens, even during the night. 

In our notes, we wrote down which baby was in which color, just in case.  But of course, those outfits may not last the night.  

The First Full Day Home:

• You'll be utterly exhausted.  But you'll have to get up at some point to feed babies, feed yourself, and feed other people in your house.  If at all possible, plan out your meals for a few days at a time, before the twins are born, so you can have quick, healthy, easy foods on hand and you don't have to think about it as much.  
• Continue taking notes on the babies' habits throughout the day.  These notes will help you establish routines and schedules later, and can answer questions the pediatrician may have.  You can also refer back to them when you have questions.  AND they'll be handy when filling in those baby books...when your kids turn...3.  (Here's an example of the kind of note system we used.)
• TRY to squeeze naps for yourself into the day when the babies sleep.  I know there are always dishes to wash, calls to make, etc., but if you don't nap at least once during the day, you'll soon be running on empty and possibly be a danger to others in your sleep-deprivation.
• If you haven't already done so, schedule the next check-ups for you and your babies.  

Newborns are actually very sleepy.  Whenever they do happen to sleep, enjoy it.  Sleep yourself, get something done, or steal a precious moment.  Here, grandma revels in the peace.  For now.  

The First Week Home:

• Get some fresh air!  Take a stroller walk if the weather is good, and if not, walk the mall.  If the babies aren't allowed in public yet, take a car ride.  Just do something so you don't start getting cabin fever.  Sadly, even trips to Target with the babies in the double Snap-n-Go were considered "outings" in those early days.  
• Keep taking those notes and forming a daily and nightly routine.  After a few days you should be able to see patterns of when your babies are hungry, when they sleep the best, when they're the most fussy.  
• Take more pictures!
• Try to find a home for all those items I mentioned from the hospital, and for baby gifts or purchases.  If you don't find homes for things now, it just piles up, clutters up, and gets out of hand.  Do it this week so you won't be overwhelmed later.  
• Try and spend some time with the other people in your house, so they won't feel neglected.  Even just a moment eating ice cream together in the living room can be special.  

The First Month Home:

• Attend to any lingering phone calls or paperwork regarding the hospital, insurance, etc.
• Write thank you notes for any baby gifts or help you've received. 
• Decide if and how you want to send out baby announcements.  Facebook is fun and free, ha ha!  Or if your babies are born in the fall, you can do what we did and combine the announcement with your Christmas card.  
• Decide if you want to do any photo sessions and plan.  I wish I had done a professional newborn photography session!  We were too sleep-deprived to research and plan that out, but now I realize how easy it is to take pictures of them when they're sleepy and can't move.
• Start making plans, if necessary, for child care when you return to work.  

Your babies are home; congratulations!

More Tips on Consignment & Garage Sales

This post may contain affiliate links.  Thank you for your support!

I just recently finished my local mothers-of-multiples club's consignment sale, and thought I would jot down some things before I forgot!  (Most clubs have semi-annual sales, one in the spring and one in the fall.)

Here's my table!  As you can see, I didn't have that many clothes to sell this time, so I could get away with hanging them off the edge of a basket, instead of doing the clothing rack route, which I address below.

If you're selling:

• Keep seasons in mind.  If you're selling in the fall, it's true that you're probably trying to get rid of summer things, but most people will be shopping for winter gear.  
• $100 in change is more than enough.  You'll need a couple twenties, some tens and fives, and $20 or more in ones.  The ones and fives are what you'll probably need most.  You may not even need this much change, but better than running out!  Bring a roll of quarters if you're selling things for less than a dollar.
• Watch your items!  It saddens me to report that at this most recent sale, one mother had a very high-quality coat stolen from her rack.  It's easy to get into conversation with those around us, but be sure to keep one eye on your items.  If you leave your table/area to shop or go to the bathroom, take your money with you and be sure to have the person next to you help keep watch while you're gone.  
• Racks and hangers.  If you have a lot of clothing to sell, they go faster when hung up, and this is easiest to do with a clothing rack.  Ikea has them for $13 ($10 for a rack without wheels).  At first I thought this would be a frivolous purchase, but the racks really do attract more customers.  Also, a friend of mine uses her rack for guest's clothing at her home, year-round, so if you have no actual guest-room closet, this is a good solution.

  

  Image from Ikea.com

   As for hangers, not all stores allow you to take the hangers with you when you buy clothes, so it's easy enough to get a pack, such as these from Amazon (Just don't be like me and forget to take the hangers back when selling the clothing!)                                                                                                                                                                 
  
  
• Keep prices fair. When setting up the night before I took a lap around the room to get an idea of how other people price.  Then I had to adjust some of my things accordingly.  If you really want to just get rid of items, price them fairly.  If you need to make more money on things, go ahead and price it high and see what kind of offers you get.  Have a number in your head and stay firm.  (Perhaps something was more expensive, you bought it new yourself, or you never even had a chance to use something.)
• Be realistic.  You won't sell everything.  You'll sell some things.
  
  

  

  Image from memestache.com

  
  No, you won't make millions!  In my first sale I made $180, this time I made $160.  You could make more, you could make less, depending on what you're selling and how much traffic can be generated for the sale event.  
• Remember you can sell elsewhere, too.  If you haven't tried it yet, consider joining Facebook pages for local sales, or perhaps your local multiples club has a classifieds page for members.  Also, a friend told me you can often sell larger things well on Ebay.  If you offer free shipping, then factor that in when setting a price.  Take as many pictures as possible, and note any and all flaws!  If you are overly critical of the product, then you can avoid the scenario of a customer complaining that it didn't meet expectations.  
• Bags.  Bring plastic shopping bags for customers to carry around their purchases.  Most people won't remember to bring their own, and this will be an added, appreciated gesture.  

If you're shopping:

• Bring cash!
• Make a list.  Write down beforehand what you need, and then what you want.  If you're looking for big-ticket items, you may even want to look online to see retail value, so that you'll know what kind of deals you're getting.  Also, with a list, you're less likely to feel overwhelmed walking into a big venue, and more likely to stay focused and self-disciplined when it comes to spending!
• You can negotiate.
• Look first, buy second.  Circle the whole venue first, that way you can compare similar or even identical items.  

In case you missed it, I have another post on this subject here:  Preparing for a Consignment Sale.

Happy selling and happy shopping!such as these from Amazon.

Get Fresh Air

It's undeniable:  kids need exercise, and they need fresh air.  And it's September!  Which means, here in Texas, we know that soon...okay, soonish...okay in a few months...it will cool off!  And in the north, it means that warm weather hasn't completely given way to snow...yet (hopefully...?)  So take advantage of the autumn and get outside with your kids!  

I belong to MOPS:  Mothers of PreSchoolers (which I praised in this post), and at a recent meeting our speaker was Nell F. Bush, Ph.D, mother of 4 and university professor.  Her talk was "Positively Parenting Your Preschooler," and she emphasized the importance of children's physical development.  For young children, having time to develop their gross motor skills is just as important as developing their fine motor skills.  LOTS of FREE play outside is good exercise for them, and helps build their muscle tone and coordination.  During this outdoor play, a child's central nervous system is actually making the connections they will need when they're older, sitting still and learning math concepts!  

Sometimes our children seem to have so much energy to burn off, and show early interest in sports, that we think an organized sports activity will be good for them.  We think they'll be more coordinated, more disciplined, more socialized, more whatever, if we sign them up for a sports team.  However, Nell Bush pointed out that sports for children has become a money-making industry.  Now that I think about it, that makes sense:  just because the amount of sports and teams available has risen since I was a child doesn't necessarily mean it's because we've discovered how much it benefits children; it's because people figured out that parents would pay for it.  In organized sports, a child must spend more time not moving than if you were to go to the nearest park.  For an organized sport, the child may have to sit in a car seat on the way there, and back, be still while listening to directions, and be still again while taking turns practicing a skill.  According to Professor Bush, in such a structured environment, the child is actually making fewer neural connections than if they were to be running free and using their imagination.  She also pointed out how having too many structured activities can set yourself up for more discipline issues: "I don't want to go to soccer, I'm playing!" or "I don't want to wait my turn!" etc.  (She did concede, however, that swimming and gymnastics are two sports which do tap more into a whole-body experience in which the child can engage with their environment.  Also, it's certainly not wrong to put your toddlers and young children in structured athletics, but keep your expectations low and enjoy the practices and games as opportunities to be outside.)  

And let's face it:  most of our children won't grow up to be pros.  If a child has had plenty of time to freely develop their gross motor skills, then in early or even later elementary and beyond, it can take a child less than an hour to catch up with the skills it takes to play most team sports.  Did you know, Michael Jordan didn't start playing basketball formally until high school?  So, get those kids outside!

I feel strongly about this subject, and I've written two other related posts:

Old-Fashioned Friday: 3 Hours Outside?

How Much Time Outside?

Preparing for a Consignment Sale

It seems my Facebook and inbox are flooded in the fall and spring with notices of consignment sales.  If you're not involved in these, you're likely familiar with garage sales.  Sales can be a great way to make back a marginal amount of the money you spent on your children's gear and clothing.  Here are some tips on preparing for a consignment/garage sale.

Prep:

• Find a container where you can set aside items you mean to sell.  A shopping bag, plastic garbage bag, laundry basket, anything will do, as long as it won't get confused with other items in your house, and can be shoved into a place where your children won't find it!  I tend to stick things in that spot throughout the year as we are finished with them.
  
  
  
  
  
• Obviously, you want to launder or clean your items as well as possible before trying to sell them. Try to find all the parts, and keep manuals to go with larger items.  
• If your consignment sale has rules about how to price and label items, follow it to a 'T.'  You don't want to cause unnecessary confusion in receiving your share of profits.  
• Colored dot circles.  If you're in charge of your own garage sale or table, then labels such as these from Office Max, will do just fine.  Use a sharpie so people can see the price more clearly.  

• Advertise.  If you're part of a large organization's consignment sale, then they probably do some advertising.  But don't leave it at that!  Get the word out among your friends, family, neighbors, and social media circles about the sale.  The more customers means the more likely you are to sell things.  

Pricing:

• My local club sale suggests pricing items at 70% off retail value.  Sometimes you can get away with pricing things higher, sometimes you may need to go even lower.  If you're doing a large consignment sale, you can sometimes walk around and peruse other people's tables and prices, and gauge from there.  Start with a higher price and lower prices towards the end of the sale if you aren't selling well. 
• Negotiate.  Many customers may enjoy haggling, so be prepared to negotiate prices.  If someone won't pay $5 per pair of pants, offer to sell two pairs for $8, for example.  You may want to have in your mind, for larger items, the price you won't go below. 

Showcase:

• If you have a lot of small, related items that you think may not sell well, put them all in a zip-top plastic bag and sell as one item.  For example, I had several train set odds and ends that didn't fit my children's track system.  I put them all in a bag labeled "Train Accessories," and sold it for $5.  I've seen women sell a lot of little cars or other toys and label them as "Grab Bags." 
•  Find your items online, and print off a page to show its value.  Circle the retail price in marker, and next to it write your price.  Tape the sheet to the item.  Customers will have a clear visual on what a deal they are getting!  (It's up to you to print off either the lowest online price you can find, knowing customers may be price-checking, the highest price you can find, or somewhere in between.)  
  
  
  
  
  
• Clothing racks.  These make displaying and perusing clothing easier.  I got away without one because I sold very little clothing at my last sale.  The items I did have I put on hangers and hooked them to the edge of my table.  If you can't borrow a rack, some places rent them.  They do say that clothing that is hung up sells better.  
• Hangers.  For the purpose of hanging, save any little children's plastic clothing hangers that you come across throughout the year.  

What to bring:

• Folding chair.  You don't want to be sitting down the whole time, and looking like you don't care, but you will get tired eventually.  
• Food, snacks, and drinks.  If the sale starts early, I like to treat myself to a drive through for coffee and breakfast, and eat it on the way or while setting up the sale.  
• Change!  If you're in charge of your own table, you'll have to make your own change.  Bring plenty of one dollar bills, and a handful of larger bills.  If you price your items only in dollar increments, rather than in 25-cent increments, you won't have to worry about having quarters for change.  However, it's up to you on what you want to deal with.  Some items may not even seem to be worth a dollar, in which case go ahead and price it lower, and bring coins for change. 
• Wagon or stroller.  Some larger sales have rolling carts to bring things in from the cars.  If not, think about how you're going to unload your vehicle and carry everything into the sale venue!   
• Table cloth.  A suggestion from a member of my multiples club, this helps to brighten up your table and draws attention.  It can be any color or fabric, even a cheap plastic table cloth from the party supply section of stores can work.  

Have fun!

• Remember, if you don't sell everything, that's okay!  There are plenty of worthy organizations to which you can donate, or you can keep things to try at another sale.  Or, you can post your items to sell online.  Lots of options!  
• Be engaging.  I smile, say hello or good morning to everyone who approaches my table or who even walks by.  I ask what they're looking for, the ages of their children, anything to get them talking to stay longer and take a closer look at my items.  This way I can also point out more effectively what might interest them.  Talk up your items and how useful they were to you!  
• Have a buddy.  If you're in charge of manning your own table, try to be next to someone you know, or enlist a friend to set up a table of her own next to you.  That way you'll have someone to chat with when things are slow.  You can also take turns watching over each other's tables, while the other person takes bathroom breaks or does their own shopping.  

This is from ConsignmentMommies.com.   I confess that my last sale was a total wash, since I bought about the same amount that I sold!

Happy selling!  (And shopping...)

Grocery Shopping With Twins

For months after our twin boys were born, we took turns going to the grocery store.  Eventually, I got brave and took the boys.  I stuck them in their car seats, clicked those into our double Snap 'n' Go, and walked.  It happened to be a Trader Joe's grocery store, which, if you're familiar with them, are designed purposely to feel like a small, neighborhood store.  Which means small aisles.  Tricky with something that steers and turns like a bus.  And I could just get whatever would fit in the bag below the car seats.  This is also how I would do the occasional Target run, though that required getting in and out of the car.  But for any trip that required buying a lot at one time, I had to go alone or send someone else.

When the boys were finally sitting up by themselves, we ventured into grocery stores that boasted double-seater carts.  By then we were living in Texas.  (How I love, and miss, HEB!  It's a chain that only exists in certain parts of the state.)  But sometimes the desirable carts were placed in odd locations, not in the parking lot or not even with the regular carts.  A few times, afraid to leave my babies alone in the car, I put them in the double stroller, searched for  the right cart, loaded them in, put the stroller in the cart, returned it to our car trunk, THEN went shopping.  Waaaaaay too many steps.

But not every store HAS double-seater carts, much to my, and I'm sure many a mother of multiples', dismay.  Or worse, stores that have just a few...or one.  Once, after the boys had been walking for awhile, I tried to bravely transfer them from the car to the store without the stroller in between.  I tried to have them walk by holding my hand, occasionally muscling a runner or a layer-downer up into my arms across the parking lot.  We finally entered, only to find no suitable carts.  I asked an employee who said they only had one, and uh, it was being used.  I gave up, and returned my squirmy squirrels to the car.  Then we went to Costco!  Beautiful Costco, where ALL the carts are double-seaters.  More retailers need to invest in these types of carts. (Market Street, I'm talking to you!)  Multiples are on the rise, and besides, mothers with several little ones of different ages surely need more of these carts, too!

Solutions for shopping with twins:

• Scope out stores beforehand, if possible.  When we moved to a new city, it was oddly fun for me to go around, testing out all the new grocery store chains in our area, or even to see how local branches of familiar chains were laid out.  I could also do some product and pricing comparisons.  I would see if a store had good carts, and if so, WHERE they were kept.  Next time I went with the boys I could try and park as close as possible to those carts. 

• Be organized.  It took me awhile, but I've finally gotten into a better meal-planning routine, and this helps with my grocery lists.  If you can keep your twin-accompanied grocery runs to once a week or even less, score!  

• OR, if you don't mind grocery shopping more often (sometimes it's nice just to get out of the house), take your double stroller and just stuff in whatever will fit at that time.  Then go back in a few days for other necessities.  

• I WISH I had known about this product before (my kids are too big for it now), but it looks very helpful:  the Buggy Bench!  Carry it in the car and just insert into the basket of a cart for an instant, second seat.  

• When the babies are still tiny, you could also wear one baby, and have the other in their car seat in the basket of the cart.  I have also seen people put one car seat on the riding part of the seat, and one car seat in the basket...but then you have very little room for groceries.  

• Bring whatever will bring more peace:  bottles, snack cups, sippy cups, pacifiers, etc.!

Happy shopping!

3 Hours Outside?

Welcome to my second "Old-Fashioned Friday!"  (Click here for my first Old-Fashioned Friday post.)  My dad might cringe when he reads that today's tidbit came from a book he read in his childhood:  "The Junior Instructor."  I occasionally like looking through antique shops for interesting old books, and bought Book 1 and 2.  When I showed it to my dad, he said he recalled reading these at school.

Cover of The Junior Instructor Book 2

These books began in 1916, but my volumes were published in 1959.  It's like an encyclopedia, or general reference book, for children, with lots of pictures, rhymes, and small paragraphs on anything from birds to the circus.

One of the sections, titled "Healthy Children," includes a "letter," written as though from a child to the mother.  Read it and see if what caught my attention the most, sticks out to you as well:

"Dear Mother,

 I need outdoor exercise to stay healthy.  All small children should play outdoors at least three hours every day, in good weather.  I need the right equipment to help me exercise my large muscles.  The small muscles of my hands and fingers are not yet well developed.  I need a fence or a jungle gym to climb on, and bars to hang on  I like to run and skip and dance.  I need to slide on a slide and swing on a swing and ride a tricycle.  After I am five years old, I will need roller skates and a jump rope."  

Page with Letter to Mother

So, what stood out to you?  For me it was the 3 hours outside every day!  Now that I think about it, that sounds ideal for my active little guys.  Decades ago, children did spend more time outside, and it probably did them good.  But we're lucky if we manage just 1 hour a day.  I let household chores, errands, laziness, and other things get the better of me, rather than making sure we're in the yard or going to a park as often as possible.  And as I wrote in my post on how much time should children spend outside, modern specialists only suggest a little over an hour for kids of about 2 years old.  But, inspired by this little "Letter to Mother" that I found, we've been making more of an effort to get outside.  The other day it was just 30 degrees outside (Fahrenheit), but we bundled up and spent an hour at the park.  It sure paid off at nap time!  

On a warmer day:  Chalk, cardboard boxes, and toy cars... all enjoyable outside, too! 

Time outside does wonders for kids' gross and fine motor skills, as that letter touched upon.  Get outside, if possible, and... 

Happy Friday!

How much time outside?

When my twins were  just babies, tucking them into the stroller and getting outside for a walk was for my sanity.  Once they became mobile and could actually enjoy a playground (somewhat), getting outside was for their sanity.  Okay, and mine.  Going for a walk, to a park, or even just spending some time on our balcony or patio, was often just to have a change of scenery and help pass the time.  And I began to suspect that the more time the boys spent outside, the better and longer they napped, and sometimes it had positive effects on their night time sleep as well.  Not to mention that exercise and time outside are also, obviously, good for your kids' health.

My little J revels in the great outdoors...or at least admiring the sky while lounging in the grass.

As a fan of the PBS show "Call the Midwife," I was amused to see lots of scenes in which babies and toddlers were left in their strollers (called prams over in England) outside, alone.  Apparently this was a very common practice in the 1950s.  "Airing out your baby," was highly recommended, as mentioned in this humorous British article on a modern mom trying out '50s parenting practices and in the book "A 1950s Mother" by Sheila Hardy.  Back then they also thought fresh air positively affected sleep and health.  

But let's get back to the present day.  In the January 2014 issue of Parents magazine, there was a little snippet titled "get enough exercise."  Apparently the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends an hour a day for young kids.  But a new study from Europe suggests (based on risk for heart disease in blood-sugar levels and body mass index) more exercise per day, as follows:

Boys:
Age 2 - 6:  73 minutes
Age 6 - 9:  85 minutes

Girls:
Age 2 - 6:  58 minutes
Age 6 - 9:  66 minutes

You'll notice the recommended time for boys is more and the time increases with age.  Unfortunately, it seems that right as children begin spending more time in school (mostly sitting down all day), their need for physical exertion actually increases.  I know this is a lament of many parents and teachers alike, especially as recesses across the country are cut out, for various reasons.  So, without going into the politics of all THAT, I'll just say for now it's up to me to make sure my boys are active enough.

My sons are still toddlers, so we have the time to go to parks and playgrounds.  The Parents article mentioned above doesn't indicate if the exercise needs to be inside our out, but when the weather is either too hot or too cold, I feel that even an indoor play area fits the bill.  That way they may not be getting fresh air, but they're at least getting physical activity.  But having grown up in Wisconsin, I let my kids outside in weather that many Texans might not:

I used to think if we managed half an hour a day outside, we were doing well.  But if today is any indication, the more the better!  Today we spent two hours playing at a park, and this afternoon they slept for almost 3 hours!  (Unheard of in months, now that they're getting older.)  But once my twins start school, recess and PE may not be enough active time for them, so we'll have to make sure they either play outside after school, or sign up for sports!

Even before the boys were 18 months old, we were going to playgrounds regularly.  

Once the boys were older and we moved to a house with a yard, we invested, with help from grandparents, in a play structure and a little plastic pool.  

And now to end my thoughts with a random article on how parents in Finland let their babies sleep outside in sub-zero weather!  (Not that I'm recommending this personally.  But it sure was interesting.)

Settling Into A New Place

When I moved from Wisconsin to Texas for college, or Texas to California for marriage, it was exciting.  I quickly made friends that are still dear to me.  At one time, I had lots of free time for things like going out on the spur of the moment, joining a book club, and spending an entire Saturday exploring local shops and sights.  Then I had twins, resigned from my teaching job, and moved to a city I'd never lived in...twice.  Making friends and becoming comfortable with new surroundings can be hard for anyone, but it's even harder with kids.  And yet that's the time in life when you need a strong support network the most!  Here are some things that have helped me to meet people and navigate new cities.

C'mon D, help mommy pack this stuff up!

• Be a planner.  After settling on the housing situation, but before the actual move, I would look up the nearest grocery stores, parks, and other things I knew we would need regularly.  I'm visual, so looking at maps helped me create a mental picture of my new neighborhood.  Some long term planning is obvious, such as researching childcare if you work outside the home, or enrolling kids in school if they're older.  Find websites and blogs about your new town.  I also tried to make some kind of plan for our first weekend or week there, something to look forward to and help us feel like part of the community.  This could be something like taking your kids to a local attraction or deciding on a house of worship you'd like to visit, which leads to my next point...
• Be a joiner.  
• Multiples Club.  Before you move, go ahead and join the local chapter of Multiples of America, which is formerly known as The National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs.  I think the new name is better because higher order multiples and all parents, not just mothers, have long made use of the organization.  I wish I had joined one when I was pregnant!  Here are some perks of being a member:
• Get advice from those who have gone before you.  Most larger groups have an online forum for asking and answering questions, and some have a buddy or mentor system for new moms.
• Join a playgroup with multiples!  Go to parties for multiples!  Twins, triplets and more, as far as the eye can see ;)  
• Go to meetings that feature interesting speakers.  After running around all day I love just sitting, listening, and learning something.  My local group even provides free dinner!
• Make friends. 
• Score gear at a discount!  Most groups have one or two large-scale garage sales a year.  You can buy and sell everything from high chairs to Legos to baby carriers.  My former chapter also had online classifieds for members to sell to one another in between garage sales.  
  
  
  
• MOPS. Meets every other week during the "school year," with childcare for a reasonable fee (scholarships sometimes available).  You eat, talk with other moms, learn all kinds of new things from relevant speakers, and soak in the encouragement!  Most groups also have playdates for the kids and nighttime get-togethers for parents.    

• House of worship.  Whatever faith you follow, being with those who are like-minded has a lot of benefits.  We are Christians, so going to church helps us to learn and grow, and to worship God in a group.  But it's also a place where we can develop a community, make friends, find help and support for all kinds of issues, and another good place for socialization for our kids.  And let's be really honest:  once I got over the anxiety of leaving my babies in the nursery, a church service became a wonderful time to sit still and feel refreshed. 
• Groups.  Before we even moved to our current city I went onto Meetup.com 
  and joined a group.  I found a playgroup for mothers and young kids in our suburban area with multi-racial families.  How much more specific can you get?!  Type in your area and interests.  Want a running club in Madison or a knitting guild in Omaha?  Chances are you'll find a group that suits you.  Once you've been added to a group you can view their event details, such as what park a particular group might be taking their kids to and when.  This was a great way for me to meet some other people right away.  

                                                                         

• Be an initiator.  Get over thinking people need to approach you, to invite you, or to offer help.  Sometimes they will, and sometimes they'll be too busy or too shy themselves.  I went ahead and knocked on doors in my neighborhood, sometimes with muffins and a double stroller full of twins, and my name and phone number written down to hand off just in case.  I haven't been able to meet all the neighbors yet, but we've already had two return visits of goodies, and every time we forget to close the garage door one my neighbors calls to remind us for safety.  If I meet someone new and we get along, I go ahead and invite them over!  If you're not ready for those things, if you go to a gathering, possibly one of the types I listed above, just start by introducing yourself!  

Last, but not least, I'd like to talk about the workplace.  If you work outside the home, this could actually be a great place to find out things about your new city.  See if it's possible to eat lunch with coworkers and if they have children, ask about their experiences.  They no doubt have lots of advice on quality childcare, schools, commuting routes, good places to take kids on the weekends, etc.  You never know when coworkers can become friends.  I'm still in touch with people I worked with in different cities.  At my former school, there seemed to be a baby boom in the last two years I worked there.  Some of them even managed to coordinate their maternity leaves to help each other out with childcare while one was back at school!    

How did you make yourself at home in a new place?  Feel free to comment suggestions below!

Moving With Twins

My husband and I met in Texas, but his job took us to California, where the boys were born.  For a number of reasons, we moved back to Texas when they were between 5 and 6 months old.  My husband didn't have a new job yet, but we took a leap of faith and made arrangements anyway.  We had a lot of advantages that made this possible, including savings, and being able to live with my parents for awhile while we figured things out.  That said, here's what we did and a few pointers.

Goodbye California...

• We compared the prices of three different moving companies (I think it was Bekins, Mayflower, and United Van Lines), who sent reps to assess our apartment's contents for free.  Then we set a moving date.  (We went with major van lines because of the distance of our move.  When we moved again, see below, we just used a smaller, local company.)
• TIP:  We tried to schedule consultations around the twins' naps so that we wouldn't be distracted by them while trying to talk and plan.
• TIP:  Moving in summer can be more expensive.  We moved in spring.  
• We arranged to have everything sent to a storage unit near my parents' house.  
• With a deadline in view, I made a goal for myself on how many boxes a day needed to be packed.  It was a good time for me to sort and get rid of some things.
• TIP:  Try to pack while your kids are playing on the floor, or safely in a bouncy seat, playpen, highchair, etc., or napping and sleeping.  

This is supposed to be tummy time, but we're rolling!  Keep packing, mom...

• TIP:  Buy MORE boxes and tape than you think you need!
• TIP:  Enlist friends and family to help you!!  My dad is amazing and actually flew out to California just to help us finish the packing, and then to be an extra pair of hands on the flight back with the babies.  If at all possible, see if a friend or family member is willing to make the trip with you to help lighten the load, even if you're driving.  If it's not possible, breathe deep...
• My husband arranged to have our cars shipped from one state to the other.  
• TIP:  This isn't always the best way to go!  We had a lot of difficulties with this part of the process, though that may have been due to the company we chose.  If you can drive, at least you'll be able to control that portion of the move!  If you drive, you always could drive at night while your children are sleeping if you're worried about them being fussy in a car seat all day.  OR, make lots of planned stops along the way.  And with driving, you won't need to worry about how your kids may react to air travel, and you can be more flexible. 
• I got plane tickets for us for the day AFTER our things were scheduled to be picked up.  I did this in case something went wrong, we would at least have a day to figure things out before having to get on a flight.  We stayed with my brother-in-law's family for one night after everything was cleared out of our apartment and we turned in the keys.  They were then kind enough to oversee our cars being picked up for shipping.  
• TIP: Unless you have a deadline, don't rush the moving process, whether you're flying or driving.  If possible, allow some cushion time for things that may come up unexpectedly, and so that you don't feel so stressed.  
• TIP:  However you travel, make sure you have the absolute essentials to get through a few days with your babies/kids.  Clothes, diapers, formula, whatever.  What I also did was order a bunch of supplies online and had them delivered to my mom so they'd be waiting for us when we got there.  I love Diapers.com, but there are a lot of other options out there, such as Amazon.  

...hello, Texas!

• Then we flew to Texas!  We lived with my parents for a month until my husband got a job and we found a place to rent (ended up being in a different city than my parents).  Once we knew where we would live, we had to schedule movers AGAIN to take our things out of storage and into the rental.  Since it was all in the same state, this part was a little easier.   
• For various reasons, it took us a year to reassemble the cribs.  We used pack-n-plays and they were fine!
• TIP:  For travel and temporary situations, or even if you have limited space or can't afford a full-blown crib, I highly recommend these pack-n-plays.  To make them more comfortable we also got MamaDoo mattress toppers, which are also easy to transport.  

After that move, we lived in the rental for a year before my husband's promotion prompted a move to yet another city in Texas...but that's a post for another time :)   

Have any other tips on moving with twinkies or even more kids?  Comment below!

Things To Do With One-Year Olds

Things To Do With One-Year Olds

We went through a tricky phase with our twins leading up to the one-year mark and even afterwards, when they were awake for longer periods of the day, but not yet old enough for certain activities.  This is a list I made of EVERY single thing I could think of, or of things I found online, to do with older babies and young toddlers.  Some are outings and some are easy, fun things to do at home.  Get busy!

-       Cup of water, paintbrush, go outside on a warm day and “paint” the driveway, garage, deck, yard, etc.

-       Sandbox in the yard

-       Stroller walks/go to the park

-       Zoo

-       Children’s Museum

-       Play with water: swimsuits in the bathtub with toys, bathtub paints and bathtub crayons, sit on counter with feet in sink and play with water, cups, plastic toys, etc.  Water table outside.

-       Play Pen Time

-       Bedroom Play Time

-       High Chair Play Time/Table Time before meals: toys, plastic kitchen things, etc.

-       Sidewalk chalk

-       Walkers/toys you push as you walk/toy or cheap umbrella strollers or play shopping carts to push around the house and fill with things

-       ABC magnets on the fridge

-       Baby musical instruments

-       Play music and dance

-       Sesame Street

-       Blow bubbles outside for them

-       Board books

-       Sign language for babies DVDS

-       Add food coloring to white pudding and let them paint with it (and eat a little), when done add sprinkles and let it dry.

-       Baby/Toddler Story Time at the Library

-       Grocery store trips

-       Build a fort and play peek-a-boo in it

-       Fill a purse or bag with things and let children explore and dump out: old wallets, plastic grocery store cards, pictures, play set of keys, pretend or old cell phone, picture books, little toys. 

-       Make a house out of cardboard boxes, cut doors in a large moving box and tape pieces together with packing or duct tape

-       Play in a load of laundry (use a basket and a bunch of old clothes or clothes that you don’t mind being messed up/wrinkly)

-       Play cars and trucks

-       Blocks

-       Stacking cups

-       Visit a pet store

-       Non-toxic finger paints; tape paper to table or highchair tray.

-       Use washed-out juice containers or plastic cups and a ball to play bowling

-       Video chat on computer with family

-       Make shakers by filling plastic Easter eggs with rice, tape or hot glue it shut

-       Tupperware containers with dried lentils of different colors from grocery bulk section to play with on a blanket on the floor

-       Build towers, roads, and cities with empty food boxes.

-       Make paper bag puppets: have them color it and put on stickers

-       Begin simplified version of hide-and-seek

-       Hide stuffed animals around the house and have a “safari,” using a flashlight to find the animals.

-       Sock puppets, use markers

-       Visit wading pools/kid splash pads

-       Indoor playgrounds

-       Basketball with a bucket