Caleb is REALLY into pointing out whether lights are on or off. This has been going on for probably a couple weeks. If we're in the living room, for example, he'll go around and tell us about every light he sees - the "hallway" outside the playroom, the stairs, every light in the living room (which now includes the Christmas tree), the dining room, and the lights we have on the porch now... I love watching him look around for a light to point out. :)
We had a great Thanksgiving weekend here! The boys and I really liked having Mike around, and it was hard to get back to reality today. This was our "off" year for family stuff, so on Thursday we had some friends over for dinner. (The year the boys were born the schedule got switched up, so both of our families are on the same year. So, last year was crazy, this year was relaxing, and next year will be crazy again!) Anyways, the friends we had over don't have family in town and the husband was working, so it worked out nice. We had a great meal with all the traditional stuff! (As if Mike would have it any other way...) I guess this was the first time I ever cooked a Thanksgiving meal. It went well! (Thank goodness for crock pots!)
Friday the four of us actually went out and did some shopping. Nothing crazy. :) Mike had seen the weather forecast and wanted to see if we could find a kite to fly with the boys. We did, and when we got to flying it later they LOVED it. They helped fly the kite, tried to help launch it after a crash, and just had a good time watching it, pointing it out, saying, "Kite up high!" "Fly kite!"
Saturday we worked on some Christmas decorating here. So far the boys are doing fairly okay with the tree. They certainly aren't trustworthy to be near it unsupervised, and there have been plenty of reminders to look and not touch, but it hasn't been terrible. They do love looking at it ("Kee-mas tree"), and pointing out a few different ornaments - specifically the two with their names on them, and a soccer ball one.
There are also a few presents under the tree for their birthday. They haven't been too much trouble, but I'll be glad when they get to open them tomorrow. :) We've talked up their birthday quite a bit, so they actually seem kinda into it. I don't think they have a clue what it all is, but they can at least answer our questions: How old are you? "I two!"; When is your birthday? "Soon."; Are you excited? "Yeah!"; etc. :)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
chicago
Mike and I had a little getaway over the weekend. We think this is the first time we've taken a trip with JUST the two of us since February of 2008! We had a great time and even though I came back with a cold (and Mike got it a day or two later) and thoroughly exhausted from all the walking, it was totally worth it.
Friday morning we took the train from Holland to Chicago. Mike hadn't taken the train before, and it was a nice ride. He was a little bummed when I saw a deer first and he didn't see it at all, but later he saw a big buck and was pretty geeked. :)
Once we got to Chicago (train takes you right to Union Station downtown) top priority was finding someplace for lunch since breakfast had been minimal. We came across Elephant & Castle an Irish pub type place (for those of you in the area here, think Curragh in downtown Holland). After that we made our way to our hotel. Our hotel was in a great location for all the walking around we did, and thankfully we were able to check in early so we could drop off some stuff and have less to lug around.
For the afternoon we headed up Michigan Ave, walked around Water Tower Place (where I dropped my lens hood one floor and cracked it...) and checked out the Lego Store and the American Girl store (where Mike had to hear how much I would have LOVED that store as a little girl). We headed to the top of the John Hancock building to watch the sunset from the Signature Lounge - our timing there was perfect. We only had to wait a bit to get up and get a seat, and when we left the line to get a table was long and the line at ground level to take the elevator was even longer! It was a great view of the city, but I didn't mind getting my feet back on solid ground. :)
Then we headed down to Gino's East for supper. We had great timing there, too! Helps that our bodies were on Michigan time, I guess, and so we were eating on the early side. We didn't have to wait long for a table, but while we were in there people were starting to wait in line outside. Great food! And I'm full just thinking about it.
We definitely needed to do some walking after supper, so we headed out to Navy Pier. Had a beautiful night view of the city.
We got back to the hotel and crashed pretty early. I was already tired from all the walking and we still had a whole day ahead of us! The next morning after breakfast we walked over to Millennium Park. I have been wanting to see "the bean" for so long - and, yes, it was everything I hoped it would be! :)
Walked over to and along the lake for a bit, then started making our way along the river back to our hotel. Starting to move slower at this point, thankful for my patient hubby. :) Found a safe spot to set up my self-timer so we could try and get a photo of the two of us.
We also came across this Marilyn Monroe statue. Had no idea they had this! And, yes, we were curious and looked up her skirt. :)
We had to check out of our hotel by noon, but they were able to hold the bag we didn't want to carry around for the afternoon. After taking care of that we went back up to Water Tower Place for lunch. Ate at a trendy cafeteria type place that had good food, but for us Dutch people it was a little pricey. :) But, we couldn't feel too bad about it - we were on vacation after all, and the only money we spent was transportation, hotel, and food; we didn't do any museum's/entertainment or other shopping. Anyways, didn't mean to get sidetracked into our finances. After lunch we made our way to the subway - finally admitted I couldn't walk anymore and had to sit down for awhile. Connected to the "el" and rode it all the way out to Midway and back! Now there's a cheap way to get a different view of the city. Was a nice ride.
After the subway ride there was some walking around to do, but it was leisurely. Got our bag at the hotel, and stopped in a few stores on our way back to Union Station. Had plenty of time there to walk around and get some food before catching our train home. Was a very nice ride home, better than the ride out there. Got home and fell into bed completely exhausted!
I was worried the boys weren't going to be excited to see us when we picked them up, but I think they were sufficiently happy. :) I was pretty miserable with a cold on Sunday, which was not cool, plus the boys were totally acting up after we got them back home. But, we're pretty much back to normal now (be that good or bad). The boys have had runny noses, but it hasn't gotten any worse, and Mike got the cold, too, but is also on the mend.
Friday morning we took the train from Holland to Chicago. Mike hadn't taken the train before, and it was a nice ride. He was a little bummed when I saw a deer first and he didn't see it at all, but later he saw a big buck and was pretty geeked. :)
Once we got to Chicago (train takes you right to Union Station downtown) top priority was finding someplace for lunch since breakfast had been minimal. We came across Elephant & Castle an Irish pub type place (for those of you in the area here, think Curragh in downtown Holland). After that we made our way to our hotel. Our hotel was in a great location for all the walking around we did, and thankfully we were able to check in early so we could drop off some stuff and have less to lug around.
For the afternoon we headed up Michigan Ave, walked around Water Tower Place (where I dropped my lens hood one floor and cracked it...) and checked out the Lego Store and the American Girl store (where Mike had to hear how much I would have LOVED that store as a little girl). We headed to the top of the John Hancock building to watch the sunset from the Signature Lounge - our timing there was perfect. We only had to wait a bit to get up and get a seat, and when we left the line to get a table was long and the line at ground level to take the elevator was even longer! It was a great view of the city, but I didn't mind getting my feet back on solid ground. :)
Then we headed down to Gino's East for supper. We had great timing there, too! Helps that our bodies were on Michigan time, I guess, and so we were eating on the early side. We didn't have to wait long for a table, but while we were in there people were starting to wait in line outside. Great food! And I'm full just thinking about it.
We definitely needed to do some walking after supper, so we headed out to Navy Pier. Had a beautiful night view of the city.
We got back to the hotel and crashed pretty early. I was already tired from all the walking and we still had a whole day ahead of us! The next morning after breakfast we walked over to Millennium Park. I have been wanting to see "the bean" for so long - and, yes, it was everything I hoped it would be! :)
Walked over to and along the lake for a bit, then started making our way along the river back to our hotel. Starting to move slower at this point, thankful for my patient hubby. :) Found a safe spot to set up my self-timer so we could try and get a photo of the two of us.
We also came across this Marilyn Monroe statue. Had no idea they had this! And, yes, we were curious and looked up her skirt. :)
We had to check out of our hotel by noon, but they were able to hold the bag we didn't want to carry around for the afternoon. After taking care of that we went back up to Water Tower Place for lunch. Ate at a trendy cafeteria type place that had good food, but for us Dutch people it was a little pricey. :) But, we couldn't feel too bad about it - we were on vacation after all, and the only money we spent was transportation, hotel, and food; we didn't do any museum's/entertainment or other shopping. Anyways, didn't mean to get sidetracked into our finances. After lunch we made our way to the subway - finally admitted I couldn't walk anymore and had to sit down for awhile. Connected to the "el" and rode it all the way out to Midway and back! Now there's a cheap way to get a different view of the city. Was a nice ride.
After the subway ride there was some walking around to do, but it was leisurely. Got our bag at the hotel, and stopped in a few stores on our way back to Union Station. Had plenty of time there to walk around and get some food before catching our train home. Was a very nice ride home, better than the ride out there. Got home and fell into bed completely exhausted!
I was worried the boys weren't going to be excited to see us when we picked them up, but I think they were sufficiently happy. :) I was pretty miserable with a cold on Sunday, which was not cool, plus the boys were totally acting up after we got them back home. But, we're pretty much back to normal now (be that good or bad). The boys have had runny noses, but it hasn't gotten any worse, and Mike got the cold, too, but is also on the mend.
my almost 2-year-olds
"My" has become a very commonly used word in our house. Actually, I expected it much sooner, but it is now in full swing. I'm not so sure that the whole concept of twins learning to share easier than singleton's is correct. At this point the boys aren't terrible, but we certainly have our moments!
Caleb, Logan, and I have a new little tradition that started a couple weeks ago or so. After getting them up in the morning before going downstairs, we sit at the computer and watch "old" videos of them. They really get a kick out of it. I think they know it's them, but I'm not totally sure. Caleb will point out "Ogeen" (Logan), but never himself. But, when there's a clip of him and I say, "That's you!", he gets a cute little smile on his face. They come out of their room asking for "babies", and then when we're done they say, "Bye-bye, babies!"
There are so many words they say that I NEED to get on camera! A current favorite of mine is "onion". Also, when Caleb says "I ub (love) you" my heart absolutely melts. It's the best late at night when he's sleepy and we've had to put his pj's back on before we go to bed (yes, he's still into stripping) and I get him tucked back in, give him a kiss, tell him I love him, and he responds with a half-awake "I ub you". Sigh. Last night when we first put them down Caleb kept saying "Mommy Daddy obey" - I'm not so sure the concept stuck with him, though... :)
Last week there was one night that Caleb climbed out of his crib twice! There hasn't been any climbing/falling in quite awhile. The first time Mike heard him messing with the keyboard in the office, the second time I could hear him fooling with the monitor. The second time we snuck up so he wouldn't hear us coming, and as soon as we walked in the room he made a beeline for his crib. I caught him and he immediately started saying "Sorry, Mommy. Yes, Mommy." and folding his hands (something we JUST started working on). The kid has already learned all the right things to say!
Both boys have been into pointing out colors lately, but especially Logan. And he's getting better and better. Yellow, blue, and green are good, and he even does pretty decent with pink, black, and white.
Logan has started saying "bless you" after he sneezes. Takes some prompting to get him to say it for someone else, but he does good for himself. :) We're still working on getting them to say "excuse me" after other bodily noises...
Logan is our shoe lover. And I have to admit that sometimes it drives me crazy, but I figure there could be worse things. :) Today he wore a pair of snow boots around the house for most of the morning, and he was as happy as could be. I managed to get them off for naptime without too much of an issue.
Speaking of naptime. For the last while before the time change they weren't going so well. I think the boys were sleeping in too long in the morning. (Yes, I could wake them up, but that's much easier in theory than in practice.) Anyhow, after the time change they are getting up a little earlier in the morning and naptime is mostly going better. Not quite as long as it used to be, but it could be worse!
Caleb, Logan, and I have a new little tradition that started a couple weeks ago or so. After getting them up in the morning before going downstairs, we sit at the computer and watch "old" videos of them. They really get a kick out of it. I think they know it's them, but I'm not totally sure. Caleb will point out "Ogeen" (Logan), but never himself. But, when there's a clip of him and I say, "That's you!", he gets a cute little smile on his face. They come out of their room asking for "babies", and then when we're done they say, "Bye-bye, babies!"
There are so many words they say that I NEED to get on camera! A current favorite of mine is "onion". Also, when Caleb says "I ub (love) you" my heart absolutely melts. It's the best late at night when he's sleepy and we've had to put his pj's back on before we go to bed (yes, he's still into stripping) and I get him tucked back in, give him a kiss, tell him I love him, and he responds with a half-awake "I ub you". Sigh. Last night when we first put them down Caleb kept saying "Mommy Daddy obey" - I'm not so sure the concept stuck with him, though... :)
Last week there was one night that Caleb climbed out of his crib twice! There hasn't been any climbing/falling in quite awhile. The first time Mike heard him messing with the keyboard in the office, the second time I could hear him fooling with the monitor. The second time we snuck up so he wouldn't hear us coming, and as soon as we walked in the room he made a beeline for his crib. I caught him and he immediately started saying "Sorry, Mommy. Yes, Mommy." and folding his hands (something we JUST started working on). The kid has already learned all the right things to say!
Both boys have been into pointing out colors lately, but especially Logan. And he's getting better and better. Yellow, blue, and green are good, and he even does pretty decent with pink, black, and white.
Logan has started saying "bless you" after he sneezes. Takes some prompting to get him to say it for someone else, but he does good for himself. :) We're still working on getting them to say "excuse me" after other bodily noises...
Logan is our shoe lover. And I have to admit that sometimes it drives me crazy, but I figure there could be worse things. :) Today he wore a pair of snow boots around the house for most of the morning, and he was as happy as could be. I managed to get them off for naptime without too much of an issue.
Speaking of naptime. For the last while before the time change they weren't going so well. I think the boys were sleeping in too long in the morning. (Yes, I could wake them up, but that's much easier in theory than in practice.) Anyhow, after the time change they are getting up a little earlier in the morning and naptime is mostly going better. Not quite as long as it used to be, but it could be worse!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
memory
I am continually astounded by what Caleb and Logan can remember! Things like: Once this summer with Mike they looked at a caterpillar by the back door of the garage. Even though they don't go through that door very often, when they do, they stop, look, and say, "bye-bye, caterpillar".
A couple months ago I had made cookies, the boys were having one after supper, and before putting them away Mike was being silly and acted like he was putting them to bed. Now this past week I made cookies and they (especially Logan) say, "nigh-nigh, cookies".
A couple weeks ago they closed our road at Chicago Dr, so we had to take Riley/56th around to get to Chicago Dr. This is just on the other side of the expressway from my parents' place, and we pointed it out to the boys the first time we went past. Then every time after we'd go by and they'd say, "Papa's house". And that's without prompting! They're already better at directions than some adults I know! :)
Last week we were at my parent's for supper while Mike and my Dad were harvesting corn. They ate in shifts and while my dad was in for supper he sneezed. Anyone who's ever heard him knows this is no pansy sneeze. I mean, he sneezes with all the gusto he's got. It scared the kids, especially Logan. Poor guy, you should have seen the look on his face. The next day after I got him up from nap I told him we were going to see Daddy and Papa harvesting corn again, and the rest of the evening he kept saying, "Papa neez". :)
A couple months ago I had made cookies, the boys were having one after supper, and before putting them away Mike was being silly and acted like he was putting them to bed. Now this past week I made cookies and they (especially Logan) say, "nigh-nigh, cookies".
A couple weeks ago they closed our road at Chicago Dr, so we had to take Riley/56th around to get to Chicago Dr. This is just on the other side of the expressway from my parents' place, and we pointed it out to the boys the first time we went past. Then every time after we'd go by and they'd say, "Papa's house". And that's without prompting! They're already better at directions than some adults I know! :)
Last week we were at my parent's for supper while Mike and my Dad were harvesting corn. They ate in shifts and while my dad was in for supper he sneezed. Anyone who's ever heard him knows this is no pansy sneeze. I mean, he sneezes with all the gusto he's got. It scared the kids, especially Logan. Poor guy, you should have seen the look on his face. The next day after I got him up from nap I told him we were going to see Daddy and Papa harvesting corn again, and the rest of the evening he kept saying, "Papa neez". :)
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