Spring has sprung!

Spring has sprung and so has my blog. I never intended to stop writing. Honestly, I miss it. I would love to say that it will never happen again, but I can't make any promises. I'll try.

So much has changed, but so much has stayed the same. This is an intimidating entry to write because I don't quite know where to begin. Bear with me. It will likely be a disorganized mess for now.

I've started so many posts over the last several months. Posts about health and wellness mainly -- lots about our family's natural medicine chest for various common illnesses that plague the kiddos all winter. It was a rough winter for sickness, but we fought them off naturally, one by one. I have a great one for coughs and another for ear infections. I'll aim to post by it November ;)

But for now, here's a random collection of happenings from the last several months.

• I have 2 almost 4-year olds. It's kind of surreal. In most of Canada, kids start school, junior kindergarten, at age 4. My little babies will be in school come September. I've requested that they be put in the same class. They get along well OUTSIDE of the house. They aren't dependent on one another. They don't speak for each other. These seem to be the main reasons why parents separate twins. I'd like them to have the comfort of each other. It seems only appropriate to show you what we're all looking like these days!

• We were lucky enough to spend another three weeks in Florida this year thanks to my parents who rented a house again. Toronto, like practically everywhere, had a horrible winter starting in February. The snow wouldn't quit. The subzero temps froze pipes (thankfully not ours). It was brutal. We were lucky enough to escape just before it all hit! Florida experienced colder than average temperatures too, but I'll take 12C over -25C any day. Thanks to Amanda, the kids had an absolute blast at the Magic Kingdom. She helped me plan our day to a T. Her fees are very reasonable if you're looking for a D!sney planner, right Amanda?! Wait, did I use that joke last year?

Art of Animation Resort -- Lightning has been spotted!

The girls lead their friend through the resort.

Running through the "tunnel" in the Lion
King area of the resort.

Riding a tusk!

She refused to eat her M1ckey pancake
until she got to meet the big man.

Meeting the man himself!

Getting ready to ride the ponies at Fort Wilderness

Some relaxing park play at Fort Wilderness

The lodge at Fort Wilderness. We decided that we want to
stay here when we visit next.

Mesmerized by It's A Small World

Teagan jumped at the chance to play Philippe
in Enchanted Tales with Belle.

Ok so this doesn't look like much, but it's huge. I took
Amanda's advice and staked out a parade spot super early.
Jenn took the girls for a train ride. They came back to
front row seating!

• While in Florida, Teagan took a riding lesson. The kid adores horses and I found a farm that teaches 4-year olds. She had a blast and was completely fearless (very uncharacteristic for our Nervous Nelly). She constantly asked to trot and looked so calm on her enormous horse named Quien (pronounced 'Quinn'). Seriously! 

Learning to groom the horse

So happy to finally be up there!

Big hugs!

She insisted on carrying the saddle herself.

Happy as can be! Hopefully I'm not creating a monster!

• In sad-ish news for this Mommy, naps are no more in this house. While I loved my quiet hour in the afternoons, it made bedtime hellish. Sometimes it would take us two hours to settle them down and finally get them to sleep. So, while my days are quite long now, bedtime is a breeze. They usually fall asleep within 5 minutes and by 7pm at the latest. 

• After 46 months of breastfeeding, Teagan called it quits (with some nudging). I was ready for it to be over and ready to have my body back…for now ;) I planted the seed for a couple of months by telling her that her "Mommy milk" will be going away at some point because she is getting to be a big girl. I read letting the child pick out a toy that they get when they're ready to stop. So, that's what we did. After a half-hour in the toy store, they each picked out a toy (because Quinn decided that she needed one too). I asked a few times if she was sure that she was ready to say goodbye to her milk. I wanted to make sure she understood. She said that she was. Clearly what she meant was that she was ready for that moment, but come nighttime, screw the toy. She cried and begged for her Mommy milk that night. It broke my heart, but I stayed strong. She cried and begged night after night. She even threw her toy saying she didn't want it. She wanted it packaged back up and sent back to the store. I stayed strong, giving her lots of cuddles. It has been about a month and the cries for Mommy milk have stopped. While I was sad initially that this phase had come to an end, I was ready. I was so grateful that I was able to breastfeed twins, making so much milk that I could freeze some. I loved the bond that the three of us shared. I always said that Teagan was a baby who was born to breastfeed. "I love Mommy milk soooooo much," she used to tell me. There is nothing like seeing the instant calm that floods a baby's face when they first start nursing. I will cherish the memories!

• In super exciting news, a massive house renovation and addition is in the works. We're adding 17 feet to the back of the house. Adding a family room, brand new kitchen, dining room, washroom, mudroom, 4 bedrooms upstairs, exterior facelift. As with so many renos, the scope increased quite a bit as we started planning. The architect is working on the permit drawings now and we just decided on a contractor. We're hoping to start in the fall!

• Twins. They're the best of friends and the worst of friends. We went through a phase that lasted for months of them getting along about 90% of the time. It was glorious. They played happily. Shared toys. Rarely fought. Not sure what changed. But, in the last month, that has all become a distant memory. There's a lot more fighting in our house. Maybe they were sick of being cooped up because of the cold, like I was. Quinn's a sh!t disturber, just like her Uncle Rob! She knows how to push her sister's buttons. She does it in a very clever and subtle way. She pushes Teagan to the brink. Teagan has been resorting to hitting, pushing and biting lately. This has been a tough one to manage. While I can see why T did it, it's the wrong way to handle frustration and anger. Any advice is most welcome!

• Lots of friends have been having babies. The girls adore them all! They're at a great age now because they understand the need to be gentle and won't freak if a baby pulls their hair. Q asked for a baby sister AND a baby brother today. Oye.  

• Miss Q has adopted the typical toddler pickiness with food. It frustrated me for ages, but I've finally let go. I still only serve one thing for each meal, but if she doesn't want it, that's fine. She's gone to bed a few times without eating. Teagan continues to be a dream in the eating department. She eats everything I put in front of her. She still adores soups, particularly the butternut squash and lentil one that I make. 

• My fur children are doing great. To no one's surprise, they were unfazed by the winter. Give them a walk, some food and lots of love and they're the happiest creatures in the world. 

The 3 amigos

Carlee isn't fazed by the frigid
temps on a sunny day.

Finn is always right next to one of the girls.

Safety first! Riley knows that he's not just a dog. He's my child.

Face off!

Leaping for a stick. The drop is about 5 feet. 

The 3 best dogs -- we are all so lucky.

• The winter and spring have been full of activities. It was the easiest way to pass the time during the dull, cold weather. The girls had a blast at gymnastics. They're slowing learning to swim. They're practicing their plies and points at ballet. Teagan held snakes, chinchillas, birds and bunnies at animal class. They've found their skating legs. And recently started kicking the ball at soccer class. It sounds like a lot but it didn't all take place at the same time. 

I'll call it quits for now. It's good to be back :)

Sleep makes everything better

On Saturday night, I slept for 9 hours straight. 9 hours! On Sunday, the world was brighter. I was happy. I was patient (or much more than usual). I was productive. On Sunday night, I slept for 8.5 hours straight. Last night, I slept for 8 hours. I'm a new person.

Prior to Saturday, we went through weeks (too many to count) of night and early morning waking. At it's worst, Teagan was waking 4 times in the night and Quinn started the day at 4:30am. The "best" we experienced was 1-2 night wakings. After six-ish weeks of this, I hit a wall. I was beyond exhausted. The girls were exhausted. We were all throwing tantrums. Our fuses were short. They fought with each other. We all yelled. Last Monday, I cried. Many times. I couldn't stop it or hide it from the girls. They asked what was wrong. "I'm so tired, guys. You've been waking Mommy up too much in the night." I didn't mean to guilt trip my 3-year olds. My friend said, "Congratulations! You are now certified to be a stereotypical Jewish mother. Mazel Tov!" She's Jewish. I needed a laugh. That night they slept and didn't wake until 7:00am. Hmmm….

(This is the main reason for my radio silence on the blog. I promise that I haven't forgotten about it.)

Haircuts, Halloween, Skating and San Fran…in no particular order.

In mid-October, Jenn, Teagan, Quinn, Atty (my mom), Grandpa (my Dad) and myself, went down to San Francisco for a friend's wedding. The wedding was up in Napa, so my parents kindly stayed with the girls so that Jenn and I could attend on our own. 

Having never been to San Francisco, I was excited that we were going to have a few days to explore before heading up to the wedding. The girls had other plans! Their sleep was completely disrupted for the first two nights. It reminded me of some of the worst nights during the newborn phase. As a result, we were all quite exhausted during the day. We made the most of it though and still got some exploring in! We walked (part of) the Golden Gate Bridge. The height and loudness of the cars driving over it was a little nerve-wracking for the girls. We explored Golden Gate Park and found the most incredible playground, Koret's Children Quarter. Quinn quickly zero'd in on the concrete slides, that have apparently been there since before my time. Many children were zipping down them on a piece of cardboard. When they visited the playground with my parents, Quinn apparently got her hands on a piece of cardboard and flew down the slide, like the true kamikaze that she is. We also explored the marina district and look our first ride (not Jenn's) on a cable car. We picked it up at Fisherman's Wharf and rode it up and down the hilly streets to Union Square. We managed to score seats right in front, so Quinn was actually able to look out the front window. Teagan stayed safely nestled between Jenn and me. The Toronto girl wasn't sure about the open concept "streetcar.  

After dinner run down the pier.

Dock dancing with Atty after taking some
photos of a napping sea lion.

The obligatory bridge shot!

The following day, Jenn and I headed up to Napa early. We had a reservation at the most amazing restaurant, Auberge Du Soleil. After dining on pumpkin soup, gnocchi, scallops and braised beef short rib, while drinking some spectacular wines, we quickly stopped into a favourite vineyard. 

We didn't have time for a wine tasting or tour, but wanted to stop into Frog's Leap anyways. I quickly spotted Abby, the resident dog, upon our arrival. We became fast friends, although Jenn says that I use the word friends a little too loosely. After picking a piece of fruit for her (she tried herself unsuccessfully), she darted off. She may have simply used me for the fruit. After walking around for a few minutes, we picked up a few bottles of wine and headed to our inn to check in and get ready for the wedding. 

Abby.

I was thrilled to be able to attend my good friend Beanie's wedding (her real name is Jill). She became one of my first friends when I moved to Boston in 2005. We worked together, so she helped me get settled both in the office and in a new city. We were lucky enough to get together with Jill and her now husband, Clancy, who is Australian, a few days before the wedding in San Franscisco. We even got to meet Clancy's parents and sister, who are incredibly sweet people. Jill and Clancy now live in Sydney.  

A newly married Jill and Clancy.

A perfect evening for a Napa wedding!

My beautiful date!

Evening s'mores to cook over the campfire. 

Two weeks ago, I took the girls for haircuts. Teagan's first! She was mostly bald until nearly two. Then the adorable blond curls appeared. Her hair had started to get a little frizzy and was actually quite long when it was wet and the curls were brushed out. Quinn is an old pro having sat in the salon chair several times. 

The girls were fascinated by the whole process and were therefore fairly quiet. I'm sure next time will be a different story!

Hair washed and ready to be cut!

Q and Violet check it all out.

The diffuser was fascinating. 

Even Violet got her own gown.

The finished product!

About a month ago, while wandering through a Target, we let the girls pick out their Halloween costumes. Teagan went from Sp:derman to shark to lion in the span of 5 minutes. Quinn spotted the Hello K!tty costume and there was no turning back. I'm not sure where the obsession came from, but that's what it is at this point. 

Here are the frightening cats themselves!

Our rainy Halloween night started out as a lovely rainy walk. The girls had never been trick or treating and I wasn't going to encourage it (but did bring bags, just in case). About 10 minutes into our walk, Teagan said, "I want to go trick or treating!" "Isn't that what you're doing, Teagan?" Jenn said. "No." She said as she watched a group of kids walk up to a door and hold out their bags. She ran and never looked back. She confidently banged on a door…and banged again if they didn't answer within 2 seconds. "Trick or treat!" She said with gusto. She remembered her thank you most of the time. Naturally, the adorable 3-year old in a lion costume was a hit. Quinn reluctantly followed along, but quickly got cold. Jenn took her home, while Teagan and I spent another half hour walking through the rain. The kid was warm as can be in her lion costume and would have lasted for another hour, but Mommy's feet started to get a little chilly. 

As most of you know, we're a good ol Canadian family who grew up skating and playing hockey. So, of course, our little twins were on the ice within months of walking. As an early Christmas present, my Mom bought the girls new skates this year. What a difference a year makes! The girls are so much more stable on the ice and are absolutely loving it. We are usually dragging them off. Videos coming soon!