30 Days :: Six

So, we recently reinstated stroller walks (Owen went on strike a few months ago....screaming strike, so we rolled with it and used the backpacks). Now they will sit for a nice long afternoon walk and let Mama get some real exercise. They even give little shows to the passing houses and cars. Here is Mason playing the harmonica while Owen looks on. I swear, he is playing the harmonica. He plays multiple notes and moves it back and forth....each day he gets a little better. I want to get Owen a jug so he can play along, right now he claps. The best part of it all is while playing he pulls it our of his mouth, chortles then goes right back to making notes. It is unbelievably cute and I would video it but we cannot find our old digi with video option.

30 Days :: Five

Nap time ends and I walk in to find Owen, always awake first. Open the curtains in anticipation of what his next hair style shall be. It has taken on a life of it's own. Defies gravity, requires no styling product. Mason cannot hold a candle to him in this department as his curls are sparse and light as air. I do love the entertainment value these two can bring. Off to bath and then Monday (boo). Hope your weekend was lovely.

30 Days :: Four

Today turned out to be a bit of a bust. It started out nicely enough, as depicted above. Coffee and cuddles, boys sharing Daddy's lap and all. Then it took a turn...not a terrible one. Just stuff not done around the house, all of us cranky despite a nice long afternoon nap, a disappointing trip to a camera shop where the service sucked and the lens we checked out was all wrong, a stroll through Pasadena where every person seemed to be consuming Pinkberry and Starbucks, and then, the topper, projectile vomiting from Mason just as we finished our bedtime routine (like all over him, me and the curtains). Now it is quiet and I can look at the photo above and just be glad to have them, all three of them. Some days are not what I expect, but I guess everyday is to be cherished in some way.

30 Days :: Three

I had a few other pictures of the boys but this one won out. This is how Mason was found by Tim this morning. Not sure when this occurred because we did put him down with both arms in. And heard not a peep until 630 this morning when his brother woke him up. This kid really cracks me up.

One thing the 30 days project is making me realize is just how full our days can be. Today was a lovely and also trying day. I will be putting up pictures at Flickr during this experiment. Always feel free to click through the daily picture to see what else we have been up to. Smiles and have a great weekend. Guess you will be finding out about ours soon.

30 Days :: Two

Mid- morning stroll through the Rancho Santa Ana Gardens in Claremont. The last visit we made was not as colorful or heavenly scented. This is the time to be out in Southern California. The gardens focus solely on native plants and have a peace and rightness to them. See a few more pictures here.

30 Days :: One

Sewing is like a fever. The knitting needles were silent for a few days as I explored a new obsession. I love the process: neat stitches (well, not so neat), playing with colors, french knots, binding. What better way to kick off this 30 day attempt than showing the results of my first quilting attempt. BTW : This is part of the boys' firsts presents. I am getting a little out of control with it right about now.

I started today because it is 30 days until their birthday. SO many other Mamas out there have already welcomed it for their little ones. It is crazy to think the next 30 days are marking the time until birthday. Wow.

Eleventh Month

Where to start this month? It is all moving so fast, becoming a blur at times as your growth accelerates and changes and expands.

We are literally bursting out of the house, out of the play room, and running out of time and ideas as to where to put you, what to do.

The month started with a 700 mile trip (one way) to see your Aunts. I was a bit apprehensive but knew we had to do this in order to really see what our limits were, what we could try with you. I regret doing it without your Daddy as it really seemed to affect you during our absence.

I think because he is so very involved in every aspect of your parenting, both of your acutely felt his loss. Maybe if there were only one of you I could have fulfilled the roles you needed. Sufficed to say, the trip was worth it, to see my girls, visit in their lives for a bit and then to know how absolutely wonderful your Daddy is and bask in his love and support once we got home.

Your Daddy was busy while we were gone finishing up your room, working in his shop to hone and polish beautiful wood details.

It felt good to complete this part of your room, when I was pregnant and on bedrest for those three months, all the details of your place in our home took backseat. We just could not get it to the point we wanted before you came. Then those first few months were about survival and getting through the challenges and we could have cared less what state your room was in, as long as you were asleep in it.

But now as things change and you spend more time in there, playing and exploring, well, I want you to grow up knowing what your Daddy’s hands can do and what they do for you.

We are finding more and more about your style of learning and exploration. We joke about making you, Owen, a shirt that reads “I go to the Source,” and this is an understatement….you need to know why and how a thing works, you need to use it properly, and you need to do it on your own.

No help for you, oh no, I can see it already, you taking things apart with whatever tool we let into your vicinity. It is both awesome and a bit daunting as you are still so small, so young, and you do not really understand the consequences of finding the source, you just know you want it.

Mason, you continue with you bimanual exploration and fascination. Always with two things, always careful to make sure they match in some way. At bathtime you grab your veggie people who sport cute faces, each different but similar in their size. You look back and forth curiously, speaking to them, “Bob?’ to the left hand, “A-Bob?” to the right, as if you are aware of these subtle differences and need to give them different monikers.

Very interested in anything Owen does too, you must follow, pursue him actually, and you do like to toy snatch. And tackle, wow, can you tackle. I have to break it up at times now, good to start the practice now, eh? I see no end in sight on this development.

And one funny thing about you, O, this was the month of the broom. You fell in love with the world of brooms but it was quite dangerous as you swung the long handles around so Daddy modified a broom at the shop and presented you with it upon coming home from work on day.

The look in your eyes was precious, I know you understood it was for you, your very own. Until Mason tried to steal it, that is. You love that broom and we are proud to see you practice sweeping as it means I have future home cleaners in the make….doesn;t it?


As for Mama, lately it has been a where am I?

Back to the old questions of what am I other than Mama right now? And do I have time to do anything else? And what am I going to do with you as your walking and running skills develop? Nothing seems as safe as it once was, and though I love the way you move around so well, you are not quite there yet. At times this month your heads were just bruised and banged and so sad to look at. It seems like you are learning about the whole spatial awareness thing, but when you are both tired it is a crazy time of falls and trips and crying.

I know it will get easier and you will get better and then we can have fun in less controlled environments, but that seems a long way off at times.

Hard to believe this marks the end of your 11th month.

It means we are just a bit away from one. Hard to think or even write that. I know we as parents wonder where the time goes. Do you? I doubt you concern yourself with things like that. Concern yourself only with this, my boys, this one very important fact. That your Mama loves you, loves you so very much. Stay safe, my little ones, we will watch out for you as best as we can. Love, Mama.

We Eat

Things my almost 11 month old twins ate this week:

1. Chicken Mole burrito from Los Golondrinos.
2. Bagel with Lox (Mason only, Owen thinks fish is gross).
3. Noodles and Spinach with Alfredo Sauce (with immense gusto, I might add).
4. Mighty Bites from Kashi, a great alternative to Cheerios when they are all burnt out on the O's.
5. Pears, pears, and more pears (freshly cut, so much easier).
6. A wad of dog hair (Mason again).
7. Scrambled eggs.
8. Milk. So very nice to wean from formula. (BTW: Trader Joe's has great prices on organic milk, much better than other places I have shopped.)
9. My shoulder, their new favorite teething zone.
10. Lots of Hyland teething tablets (because sometimes I think there is no god).

I love these boys. And if you have a chance to swing by Los Golondrinos and get your own Chicken Mole burrito, you should. Then you will know what good taste my boys have in Mexican food. Ah, the perks of living in Southern California.

I received a lovely automated message from HP today telling me I will not be seeing my laptop until April 4th. Those bastards. Might put a kink in the 30 days plan. Bugger.

Small Notes

- I finished a book. For the first time in a long time I put down the knitting to read. It was the Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards and it was lovely and poignant. I found it up North at a used book store and the title called me. It was about twins. It made me feel, just feel. I cried last night at the finish. Read it if you like.

- The presents are coming along and it is about a month until their first birthday. Wow.

- Mason has been waking at 4-430 every day for a long, long time (well, it feels like that). And he wakes his brother and we try to get them back to sleep, but it is hard. So hard. My little babies. They are in an exhausted nap right now.

- We are going to a lovely nursery called the Tree of Life today with Omi. Belated bday present to her.

- My laptop should be delivered tomorrow which will be delightful if they have not wiped my hard drive. I will be able to easily post pictures again. Ahhhh.

A Few Things

This week flew by, but it did hold a few special moments. We spent an afternoon with Grandpa Jim, Tim's dad, and Grandma Carol. Grandma Carol can sew and she made the boys a few man bags

in honor of Mason and his need to carry stuff with him everywhere. He has yet to figure out that the bags hold things because the clever woman placed buttons all over the bags to entertain their seeking fingers.

I have to get better pictures of the bags, the details are awesome.

I love this picture because Jim looks so handsome (now I know where my husband gets it from)

but Mason cracks me up with his current expression. He has a really mobile face that is hard to photograph at times because he changes it so much. I watch him sometimes when he sits alone, I see him practicing faces and then I see him use them in the company of others and I know this child is truly of my blood. I recall doing the same thing when I was little, maybe not as little as him, but I am sure it started that early for me too.

My Mama had a birthday too. We spent the late afternoon in the park with her and her boys.

I love this women, for so many reasons. One is her ability to be a Mom again despite having finished her job of raising her 8 kids. In the past year of her life she had given of her time and energy in such an unselfish way. At times I feel overwhelmed by how much I ask of her,

but she gently reassures me that she wants to be no where else but by our side, having one of her boys in her arms. I know by watching her that Motherhood never ends, never gives one a rest, but I also know that it can be done gracefully and that serves as the best example that I could ever have, the best model of Mama....so thanks, Mom, I love you immensely.

And the last thing is a meme that Dawn sent my way. I do love doing these things and have only been tagged a few times so here are my answers:

1. Where I was 10 years ago:
Having just completed my degree in Physical Therapy and passing my license here in California, I was embarking on my first job at L.A. County/USC Hospital. It was a crash course in my profession, a crazy upside down world of poverty, courage, drug-addled homeless and every diagnosis you ever read about in your textbooks in class.

2. 5 things on my “to do list” today:
1. Pack for our big hike tomorrow.
2. Finish my sock knitting (just a toe left).
3. Have a Guinness with the husband (check).
4. Sew up a little something waiting in the wings.
5. Fold my laundry (ugh).

3. Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Donate and then buy the Mansion on the hill above our current home.

4. 3 of my bad habits:
1. Clenching my jaw.
2. Not truly listening when speaking with others.
3. Itching

5 places I have lived:

1. New York, NY
2. Portland, OR
3. Claremont, CA
4. Azusa, CA
5. Current home.

6. 5 Jobs that I have had:
1. Subway sandwich crafter.
2. Assistant to Carla Berghout, the best pre-school teacher in all of Brooklyn, quite possibly in all of the world. She taught in a heavily Rasta area of Brooklyn and our little charges had the sweetest dreads and could break.it.down. At three and four. Oh, how I miss that job some days.
3. Dance Teacher.
4. Physical Therapist.
5. Mama.

7. Something most people don’t know about me:
My dream job would be to own a cafe/laundromat that catered to hip knitters that lacked their own laundry facilities and therefore would have to come to my business and knit while they waited for their laundry. Imagine how good your yarn would smell from the exposure to delicious clean laundry scents. Ahhhh...

I won't tag anyone because I am lazy, but feel free to scoop the meme and post your own answers. Let me know if you do because I want to read about you.

Twinning

I have totally fallen for a new blog. I love reading this blog because it is so relevant to my current life, being a Mama of Multiples. I love the fact that there are a plethora of women contributing to the writing (no men, yet) and they all are going through some form of my life right now. I know first time motherhood can be a trip, but to do it with two sometimes feels so isolating and it helps to have somewhere to go where 'everybody knows your name' so to speak.

There are great recommendations, hilarious discussions on 'twin skin' (you do not want to know), and posts that illustrate all the frustrations and rewards of parenting two at a time. I do not often write here of our day to day world, it is too much to try to fit in, and though I love it, sometimes I do not want to share the harder aspects, the times I fall apart, the things I think when the going is rough. I do not know if I even will want to recall this stuff down the line. But when I read that blog, well, I know we all have the same experiences. Our children may not be the same and I know we all parent differently, but in the world of multiples there are some constants that I am realizing most of these Mamas employ.

I hope that if there are any other MOMs reading, or even interested 'other folks' you will check it out. It may not be as interesting to you as it is to me, but you may learn a few things....like, do not ask a Mama if her babies are identical if they are a boy and a girl. And it really is none of your business how we got twins and how they came into the world. But you know what....sometimes I do not mind because I know it is special to have twins, special and lucky and precious. I do not know what it is like to be a parent of a singleton or a parent of more than one at different ages. But I am daily heartened and happy to know I am so far from alone in this multiples thing.

Wishing all parents, of one or many, a really great day with your blessings, however they have come to you.

The picture of Mace in the almost finished Hoodie is a soon to be One year old's present (the other in being manufactured right now). Wish me luck as it entails zipper sewing and lots of seaming to complete Hoodie Deux. And Canon is fixing the lens as we speak so I will likely try the 30 days picture project in April. What better way to commemorate their 12th month than with endless pictures of my beautiful Beans and maybe a few self portraits and quite possibly a few shots of subject matter other than babies and knitting. What do you think?

Getting It

I have been lamenting my lack of laptop due to it being in the shop. Then I realize that there are 6 other laptops in this house. Any of which I can temporarily use to upload and blog some of the pictures I took up North, pre-camera incident.

There were some really lovely days, now that I have had time to reflect on our trip, I realize that each experience was something new for them and myself. The walk through the Redwoods where the light is ethereal and green,

filtering down perfectly and haloing us in a lovely way.

Especially the halo of errant curls that seem to spring eternal around my hairline of late.

Then the day we spent with Tanta Mem, playing in her rocking chair, all over the rocking chair, under and in....

they seemed to be posing in this particular photo and were cracking me up with their faces, little boy faces. Growing so fast, too fast.

My lovely sister was crowned at her baby shower/blessing way and I felt her Mama presence grow with each minute as her circle of women blessed and prayed and bestowed their wishes and hopes for her little girl and her impending role as Mother.

It was hectic and beautiful and she was the calm serene one throughout. Such a lovely woman, my sister. I managed to finish this little ditty for her and have it ready on the day...

I love how it came together with the little green ribbon. I did not know prior that her nursery was of a green toned theme, but that is sisters for you. Always connected.

There are many more photos but I will leave you with my new crrent obsession. I love these socks and finished this pair for Tim prior to our trip,

wanted to leave him with a little something special. I am currently on my third pair in a lovely blue Koigu....this pattern is so highly addictive because of its simplicity and ability to let the yarn shine. I mean, T's was just a Regia sock yarn in Camo....but they look so great (if I do say so myself). So, knitting goes on here. Other projects are on the needles, but I will have to wait to photo them as the camera lens is being repaired (yay!) courtesy of Canon. Gotta love that company.

By the way: I am trying to use Flickr for uploading photos to my blog, thanks to the tutorial from the very adept Gleek. I like it but the photos are pretty large. Hey, Steph, any tips on how to center photos in the text? I will play around a bit to figure out what I can.

Satisfaction

Knitting during morning nap time, sunlight streams into our room, I can smell my husband's scent on the pillow behind me. I love doing the decrease of SSK while shaping. It fills me with an odd satisfaction. It was the first knitting abbreviation I interpreted back in those early days and I still love the feel I get when I perform the simple satisfying SSK.

Hanging In There

Back in balmy L.A. with both boys napping peacefully, relieved to be back in their comfy cribs. It was such a trip, 700 miles, two houses, tons of time with my amazing sisters, and the realization that I am truly blessed with the most amazing partner, my husband. 7 days without him with the twins almost broke me, the seamless way we work together to care for our children was glaringly absent, and though my family stepped up to the plate and were awesome, the boys were at the end of their rope by Monday. We made the 12 hour drive in 11 because we had to, I had to be here. And all is totally fine.

It was worth it because I had precious time with sisters who live altogether too far away, (Ahem, if you are reading...Come home soon.). I needed to know what their physical space looks like in order to really feel connected to their daily lives and stories so I have that now. I have seen my soon-to-be niece's room, the crib (lovingly hand built by her paternal grandpa), I have had the experience of rubbing my hands on my sister's round live belly, I have met my other sister's amazing partner....all is right with our world. Except I know I will never leave home without Tim again.

If he were there he would have saved the camera. You know, the brand new one. But it was camera or Mason being crushed by a very large and beautiful African drum. Choices. It shall be right, I am hoping Canon will have mercy on us. It is being sent off today...they say 7 days. I feel bereft already. I do not know if I can go back to my Elph. It makes me feel icky. But that is moot point as my personal laptop is with HP as they try to figure out why it will not listen. When technical difficulty rains in this house, it pours. SO, no pictures today, maybe not for a bit. I have some spectacular shots of the Redwoods, the belly, the beauties. It hurts to not be able to post them. Stick around, folks. I will get them up someday.

Made It

Just a quick pictureless post to say we made the 12 hour car ride, we partied at the baby shower, we are heading out to a beautiful beach today and then we will tackle the car ride home tomorrow. My boys are champs but they are missing home and Daddy, as am I. it is good to know we can travel with the boys but me thinks it will not happen without Papa again, he is so sad at home alone and we are too. Some stories to come, but until my laptop is fixed (darn hP) I will be somewhat lacking in pictures. That and I had an incident with new camera...hope for the best...we will see if we can get it back in shape.