cars

It is getting more and more difficult to takes photos of my busy, energetic boys.  But M. consented to pause a moment so that I could document his work here.  He has long enjoyed making lines with his cars, but lately he's gotten a lot more creative. 

He makes swirls and letters and interesting shapes. He'll ask me;  "What letter is this Mommy?"   He told me this particular design is an elevator.

We hit up a new playground this morning, and when M. tried out the big bumpy slide he was delighted.  When he is joyful and laughing, it is the most beautiful sound.  My sunshine.

before the dream was dashed

E. has many questions for me.  Some profound;

"What happens if somebody has no family?"

Some silly;

"What happens if a goose has goosebumps?"

But mostly about cannibalism;

"What happens if a big crocodile eats a baby crocodile?"

 

 E. helped his Daddy make me some origami lilies for mother's day on the weekend.  M. came to me in the kitchen while the other guys were holed up in T's office making my "surprise" to tell me he didn't want to make me a flower OK?  No worries buddy.  Not everybody likes to get crafty.  M. prefers to work on his puzzles.

 And before the Leafs so spectacularly broke our hearts, the boys donned their hockey jerseys and we headed to a local pub to watch game seven.  The little guys lasted through the first period when I brought them home.  E. was a hit with the other fans, screaming "Go Leafs Go!"  M. preferred to spend his time gnawing on yummy honey garlic chicken wings.

lucky

 In the early days when I was trekking around with the double infant stroller and it was more obvious that we had twins, I would receive many unsolicited comments from strangers.  In my sleep deprived stupor, I would get so irritated at the unoriginal and annoying things I'd hear.  (I fully admit that my crankiness plays a bigger role in this feeling than any deliberate meanness on anyone else part)

On a trip home from the library yesterday as the boys meandered on their balance bikes we said hello to the mail lady on her way by delivering stuff.  She asked;

"Are they twins?" and I mentally braced myself for something negative...what would it be?  "Double trouble" or "How do you do it?" or "Better you than me." etc.  In the end she said simply;

"You're lucky!"

And you know what?  No one has ever said that to me before.  And I love it! We are lucky.

We spent a morning at High Park this week checking out the annual Spring display of cherry blossoms.  Breathtaking.  I never get tired of it.  (If you go I highly recommend walking into the park though as the parking situation is insanity.)

And a few photos from our pre-blog days when the boys were two months old on their first trip to see the cherry blossoms.  It appears that they slept through the whole thing but I can't remember much from those days.

jump

What do we do with our time?  Run and climb and jump.

I took the Christmas lights down this week.  I figured when the daffodils and tulips have blossomed the holiday season is definitely over.

M. has taken to calling me "Mommy my Mommy!"  Which I love and is so sweet.  And E. will mock him a little bit calling him "M. my M."

The boys went to their first real sporting event on the weekend with T.  A Blue Jay baseball game.  I am so happy I had already booked a soccer clinic because nothing makes me sleepier than watching baseball.  Bleah!  E. did some extra loud "Go Jays Go!" cheering and the boy managed to sit through seven innings which is about 18 hours as I understand it.  My hat off to T. who took the boys down town via subway and streetcar and to skydome on his own.  The only hitch was someone had a meltdown in the public bathroom and lay on the floor of a stall in the stadium.  Ugh!  When I heard I stripped the boys and bathed them that very moment.  I still get the chills thinking about it.

The city is in the middle of Leafs fever with the Toronto hockey team in the playoffs.  These jokers are going to break my husbands heart again.  I'll be ready with a cold cerveza to help him get over it.

In the meantime, we're soaking up the vitamin D.

May days

Highlights of the week include:

Walking to the park s-l-o-w-l-y.  Lying on the sidewalk examining the busy ants.

Loving the "bee-yoo-tiful flowers."  Gorgeous yellow daffodils and red tulips.  (You remember my kids dress themselves right?  Note the double layer of striped polo shirts under the hoodie E. is sporting.)

 Collecting rocks in a shopping bag.  Impersonating hooligans throwing rocks.  No one was hurt in the taking of this photo.

Sitting on a park bench eating snacks of dried apricots and goldfish crackers.

Seeing the boys making new friends at the park and playing with people other than each other.

Improving bike riding skills and taking the balance bikes to the community centre.

New skills at gymnastics:  Beautiful front rolls, monkey climbing the parallel bars, airplane arms on the balance beam and jumping off the spring board with gusto.

Our three year wellness visit to the pediatrician.  For the first time M. and E. chatted with the doctor and told her about their favourite colours and animals.  Dr. T. asked E. how old he was and he answered "Three ye-ahrs old."  Then M. turns to me and says "Am I three ye-ahrs old too?"  When I nodded he told the doctor "I'm three ye-arhs old too!" 

Eating lots of "picnics" on the back deck in the May sunshine.  (Mommy consumed the beer!  No underage drinking here.")

M. and E. are changing so fast!  Grandpa has been taking the boys to gymnastics and it had been a few weeks since I went too.  I was really impressed at the new skills they've developed so quickly.  And the fact that we can take the bikes places now is new too.

We had a few rough patches too.  Temper tantrums thrown in the middle of crossing the road, getting up for the day at 3:30 a.m. one day, lots of spilled juice, a few missed naps, etc.  But looking at the photos I realize how lucky we are.  And T. took the boys with him to run errands after dinner today so I could have a little quiet.  Returning with chocolate peanut butter Haagen Daaz for me.  What more could you need?

llama llama gin and tonic

We had a gorgeous sunny real Spring day on Saturday and took advantage of every single second to be outside.

Saturday, we hit High Park.  T. watched the boys for a bit while I ran up and down a few hills.  I always feel motivated to work out in the Spring and have got to take advantage of that fleeting feeling.  Then we walked through the zoo and had a chance to feed the llama llama red pajamas.  M. fed Honey one handful of kibble and decided this slobbery activity was not for him.  E. fed her a little longer.  Then they got to hold a "fluffy white rabbit" in M.'s words.  The boys loved the cuddly bunny.  The park volunteers had some activities set up like raking hay and M. could not be torn away from his chores.  Then E. fed the capybara's some blueberries.  The capybara's are weirdly cute and endearing.  We played in the big castle playground and then headed home for lunch.  I only wish I'd brought my camera to capture our golden morning!

After the boy's afternoon snooze we had some friends over for gin and tonics and we sat and soaked up the vitamin D on the back deck.  It was heaven after being cooped up all winter.  And then we ran out of tonic.  Boo.

Sunday was Chuck-E-Cheese for a little birthday celebration for T's young cousin G.  The kids had an awesome time. Personally, I could do without the arcade noise and lights and rather sit on the sofa with a library book and ginger-peach tea.  M. and E. loved the driving games and putting those grimy tokens into the machines.  The place looked clean, but the germ-o-phobe in me had the willies.

M. and E. were given some baseball hats from their Aunt who we briefly visited on Sunday.  The hats are a little big, but that adds to the cute factor.  E. was determined to play baseball when we got home so we got out the bats and balls and headed to the backyard.  E. stuck with it and can hit the ball when you throw it to him.  M. was a natural though he doesn't play outside long when he could be inside doing his increasingly difficult puzzles.  I think I'll look for a t-ball stand for them to make it a little easier....for me.  Maybe I can sit down and drink a gin and tonic relax while they play if I don't have to throw the ball!

 P.S.  M. and E. both have the sniffles and possible strep throat today.  What did I tell you about those grimy tokens?

tricycles and puzzles

E. is all about the tricycle this week.  He yells;

 

"You can't catch me!  I'm the gingerbread man....on a tricycle!"

Also, please note in his photos, his favourite stripey socks.  He has two pairs of these red striped socks that I launder multiple times a week to avoid the pre-breakfast drama of E. finding himself in the position of having to wear non-stripey socks.  To say that the boy knows what he likes is a gross understatement.

My sweet M. is full of drama this week.  At dinner he was acting up and spitting.  I finally told him to stop it or he would have to leave the table.  He kept up with his mischief so I picked him up out of his chair and put him down on to the floor.  On his tush.  Where he then threw himself on to the floor.

He wailed in anguish.  Just then, T. comes home and M. cries that Mommy "dropped me on my head Daddy!"  I caught him telling a few other dramatized versions of events this week too.  I think he really believes his tall tales.

M. has also been up to more puzzles.  We picked up some more complicated puzzles for him and he has mastered them on his own.  Every time he finishes a wooden puzzle he carries it over to us so proud;

"Mommy, I did it ALL BY MYSELF!" 

It is really cool to see him literally getting smarter by the day.