In June the boys turned 2.5 years old and it's now August so I thought I would give a quick run down on what we have been doing these last 7....yikes!...months.
On New Year's Day we decided to plan some family trips this year since the boys were older, taking less naps, more independent, and needing less supplies while traveling. We also were getting restless to explore and travel again after almost 3 years of being at home due to IVF, pregnancy, and infant twins.
So in February we headed to Twain Harte in northern CA to take the boys to the snow for the first time. We rented a great little cabin and watched Ratatouille, put together puzzles, played in the snow, and were able to spend some really sweet time with my family in Sonora, a little town next-door to Twain Harte. The boys loved tubing in the snow but didn't love anything else about it. There were a lot of tears and we only lasted about an hour but we were so glad we did it and will certainly try again.
In March we took the boys on their first airplane trip and headed to San Diego. We did the usual tourist stops to see San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld and we spent lots of time in the hotel pool, playing on the water slides, as well as walking around the harbor in front of our hotel. While the boys did great, we realized flying with twins and luggage and car seats is a lot to handle and we decided to wait a bit till our next flight with them, which meant canceling our Maui trip we had planned for April. There'll be another time! :)
In April my grandma from Tucson came to stay with us and meet the boys for the first time. The boys fell in love with her and they spent lots of time on the floor together reading books, playing with trains, and entertaining her. They love their GG, and especially the jams she makes and sends us!
During some of Matt's China trips we have headed down to Ventura, as well as for some family gatherings, and enjoyed a lot of time with our cousins. The boys also love playing with trucks in my parent's front yard, playing in the pool, blowing bubbles at Auntie Melissa's, seeing Ziggy the Piggy (Mel's pet guinea pig), sharing Ben & Nathan's toys at their house, exploring the harbor and beach boardwalk, and collecting rolly polly's at Great Grandpa Al's house.
We've been continuing with the boys' gymnastics class and in June they graduated to the next age group. They love their teachers and the freedom to run, jump, tumble, and play. It's often mentioned as their favorite part of the day during bedtime prayers. We are keeping them signed up through the summer and the next year. It's great to have them not only get their wiggles out, but be able to follow direction and be in a group setting.
The 4th of July is a big deal in our neighborhood and this year we celebrated with some friends while we watched our neighborhood parade, were sprayed by firemen, and ate yummy BBQ. Also, last month we took the boys to the San Francisco Symphony to see Ratatouille. They are really into music right now so seeing all the instruments was very exciting. Plus, they love the movie! :) July also brought the boys' first trip to the dentist. Well, technically Andrew has been twice before for when he fell and chipped his tooth, but this was their first teeth cleaning. Lucas made it through with no tears and had all his teeth cleaned and polished. Andrew was a little scared after this previous visits so we only got a few teeth cleaned, but we'll be going every 6 months now so hopefully he will come around.
We have also been working on potty learning this year. It's been a slower process but it's working for us. Let me tell you, potty learning with twins is not for the faint of heart! I've done this a few times before but twins has been a TOTAL game changer! My old approach is out and my new approach is to ask every day if they want to wear diapers or underpants. We provide all the encouragement and opportunity we can, as well as a supportive environment, and trust them to lead the way. Most days Lucas prefers underpants and is pretty successful, but Andrew is still a little unsure, mainly sticking to trying right before bath time every night. Although that doesn't surprise me since Lucas has always been the first to do anything physical- rolling over, sitting, crawling, walking. Potty learning is very physical so understandably he is taking the lead this time, too. However, Andrew remains very supportive, clapping and telling Lucas how proud he is of him. It's pretty adorable! I feel like we are on the right track and I have no desire to put too much pressure on them or myself with the process.
The other major change this year has been converting their cribs to toddler beds in July. We started with an app that works as a toddler alarm clock so they would know when they could get up in the morning or from nap. I think that really helped because moving them into beds hasn't been too rough. They haven't come out of their room, but there are times we have to remind them to get back into their own beds or stop having pillow fights or quiet the giggles...but really, that's not so bad. :) I love that they share a room, are so close, and will have sweet memories.
Admittedly, this year has been really tough, but the boys have been pretty good troopers. They continue to be the joy in our days and bring us lots of laughter. We love their snuggles, hearing their thoughts and sharing conversations, and watching them accomplish new things.
