Two at Two

Yep, we have two at two. Roman and Capri just had their birthday last weekend and Tucker and I are in absolute disbelief. Two years old. Make that two at two years old. Other than the fact that the time has gone by way too fast, we really can't complain. Roman and Capri are the sweetest babies...toddlers a parent could ask for and we feel incredibly blessed that they are ours. They are the best of friends and have such a special little bond. Both are as happy as can be and love to play every possible moment of the day.

Play we did as we celebrated their birthday at Legoland and their new Sea Life Aquarium! I totally skipped out on the whole birthday party and decided to spend the day with just our little family of four. It was great and we had so much fun.

Check it out!
This is me and Capri's fishy faces...I know, hers is way cuter whereas mine is a little creepy!Tucker and Roman already in love with the aquarium and this was the first tank:
The Train Ride in Duplo Land: Capri was actually smiling and saying "Choo Choo!" but had a serious death grip on the sides!
Roman was loving it, if you couldn't tell by the picture!Capri was not a fan of the Fairy Tale Brook Ride. She was like this 90% of the time:
Roman and I right after the ride...and right before we went on the same ride again!Capri wasn't quite tall enough for the Safari Trek Ride so she hung out with me:
All tuckered out. I love this picture of Roman holding onto his Dad's leg while Dad was holding Capri:

Such a fun-filled day and the kids were out within a minute of being in the car!

Day to Day...

We thought it would be a good idea to write down what life is like with two two year olds:

Daily routine: Usually the twins wake up around 7:15am, but we don't get them out of their cribs until 7:30. It is fun to hear them talk to each other. After 10 or fifteen minutes of jibber-jabbing Roman calls out for 'DAhhh'. Capri also calls out but she says 'Maah'. We then take them down stairs to eat breakfast. They don't need any help feeding themselves anymore. Breakfast usually consists of cereal, or their favorite of oatmeal, fruit and yogurt. Then we get them dressed, which Roman fights every time, and start to play. Playtime usually consists of taking a wagon ride to the park just a few houses away, reading books, building blocks, drawing, playing with their little people house and car track, ball time, pushing the stroller, playing in the tunnel and tent, tea time, and large beads and string play. Lunch is around noon and includes pb and honey sandwiches, quesadillas, chicken nuggets, or mac and cheese, more fruit, and milk. Down for naps at 1:00pm and will sleep for 2 and 1/2 hours usually. Yeah! They wake up for more play time until daddy gets home at 5:30 and dinner is served. Even more playtime and maybe a show (Charlie and Lola is Capri's favorite and Pingu is Roman's favorite) to follow and then it's to bed at 8:00PM.

Weekly activities start with swimming lessons on Monday and Wednesday evenings with Mom and Dad. We then have music class on Tuesday mornings with Mom and sometimes Grandma (a post on that to come!). Next comes park day with Mom's friends and their kids at Aviara Park on Wednesday mornings. And last but not least, puppet shows at the library on fridays with the same group. Fortunately, we usually have great weather all year-round to do these fun things, but Barnes and Noble is always a great substitute with our friends if it's raining!

Roman is one observant little boy! He loves to figure out how things work. His parents think he is brilliant even though his vocabulary is limited at this point. Recently he spent about 10 minutes with his Dad learning how a door works and why it won't open once it is closed all the way. He can't quite turn the knob and it is very frustrating for him because he knows that's what he is supposed to do. Roman loves his bath and anything to do with water. He is such a daredevil and loves to climb just about everything. Every once in a while we hear a faint "stuck, stuck," and we know to run and save him! Being 110% boy, Roman loves to run and kick a soccer ball and play catch with any other ball.

Capri is also a smart cookie. She is much better at communicating how she is feeling than Roman is. Everybody knows when she is frustrated or happy or sad or angry or a combination of all of those things. Capri loves to draw and holds a pen like an adult and has for some time. She adores animals, especially dogs, and knows all of her animals and sounds. Although her "meows" and "baahs" are adorable to hear, nothing beats the way this girl dances. There is nothing cuter as she waves her arms, jumps about, and does lots of arabesques!

Roman and Capri share everything happily 95% of the time. One of their favorite activities is swapping suckers, eating utensils, or straws (things you don't normally share). Very occasionally one of them will want what the other has and gets upset. Recently Capri had a toy car in her hand and Roman wanted it, she hurried away with Roman in pursuit with arms outstreched like Frankenstein. She quickly found a ball and turned to him like it was the greatest thing ever and said "Baalhh", offering it to Roman. It was a great sell. Both of them will do this but Capri is especially good at it.

Being Naughty: Both kids misbehave on occasion, they are two and all. Capri has a few different ways of dealing with getting caught. Sometimes she pretends nothing happened and becomes extra cute by putting on a big smile and saying "What's that?" while pointing at nothing in particular. More recently, she shuts her eyes tight and puts on her best grimace-remind me to post the video . Both methods are cute and equally effective.
When Roman gets in trouble, he reacts by running away (hopefully before he gets caught) or laying himself on the ground-he used be much more dramatic by throwing himself down, but has since realized that that really hurts his head.
Sometimes the twins will hit or throw something at the other intentionally, this is grounds for an immediate time out. Capri thinks the time out rug in the corner is just another place to play as she skips on over for her "punishment." Roman rolls around in a fit until Mom or Dad pick him up and give him pats-our sensitive little guy. Both however, have recently realized that being naughty will land them in time out and they would prefer not to be there, so this behavior modification technique is finally starting to work.
They both love their blankets (not just any blanket but the soft fuzzy ones), especially Capri who still sucks/chews on the corners. Roman simply lays his blanket over his face when he is ready to go to sleep.

Both are very protective of each other. One time Mommy was disciplining Capri (who was very upset) when Roman came over and threw a water bottle at her. If Roman is in time-out and screaming, Capri will come over and try to comfort him by patting and rubbing his head - It usually works.

Roman loves going down slides and is even going down on his tummy now. Capri is much more cautious and has decided that for now, slides aren't her thing. Roman's favorite thing to do at the park is find older boys to play with. Capri likes to be pushed in the swing and likes to hang and swing from any bars she can reach. Both have conquered the big 5' ladder up to the slide.

Other random fun stuff:

*Playing tag or hide-n-seek with each other or mom and dad-this is an absolute favorite and the laughing that ensues is contagious

*Singing songs with actions-they have mastered "Popcorn Popping," "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," "Eency, Weency Spider" and "The Wheels on the Bus."

*Joining Mom and Grandma for some serious kickbox videos

*Both know all of their facial features and body parts

*If we say we are going to the park or outside, both will smile from ear to ear (maybe even a gasp or "wow") and run for the door-considering we go everyday, I am amazed that they still get so excited.

*Both are crazy strong-just ask the nurse trying to check their ears and give them shots!

*Getting swung around by anyone that will oblige-Capri will say "turn" when she thinks it's time for her to have some fun though she won't go nearly as high as Roman

*Reading books-"Goodnight Moon" is their favorite book to simply read, but "My First Word Book" is their favorite when we ask them to point to all the different objects. Both Roman and Capri have been found several times reading to themselves as they point and talk and turn pages-very sweet.

*Goodnight routine=Saying "Night, night" to everyone, Mom and Dad kiss, Roman and Capri kiss, and then Mom and Dad both kiss Roman and Capri-one of our favorite moments of the day.

That was a bit of a marathon, but now you can see why we love these two so much. Thanks for hanging in there!

Haircuts on Heart Day

What better day to get your first real haircut than Valentine's Day? Capri's hair is beautiful, the color of golden honey that twists into the sweetest of curls. So, we cut it! Don't worry, she was screaming so bad that all the stylist could do was even it up. There was absolutely no reason for complaining whatsoever, this Adventure Kuts place was incredible. Each child had their own car, Capri in a Barbie mustang and Roman in a silver Ferrari, their own 27 inch flat screen tv, and all the suckers they could possibly want! Unfortunately, as soon as the stylist started brushing Capri's hair, FREAK OUT!!!

Here the two are before the drama and with hair that is a bit out of control:

Roman was awesome through this whole process-didn't mind it at all! I couldn't stand to get his fab curls cut either (we have already done that twice!) so we opted for a thinning out strategy. Can you believe my not quite 2 year-old is already getting his hair thinned out? But seriously, what a stud!

Capri's golden curls still intact!

Happy Heart Day!

We had such a great Valentine's Day this year and it all started with some heart-shaped pancakes. I also tried making them pink, but with whole-wheat pancakes, they came out looking a bit pinkish brown. Truly appetizing!Aren't deliveries the best?! There is something about the unexpected arrival of a fabulous item from someone even more fabulous. Tucker sent me these beautiful flowers and his mom sent Roman and Capri these delicious flowers...notice two of the cookies are already gone-YUMMY!Rather than giving Tucker a dozen chocolate-dipped strawberries (priced at $24.95), we went all out and bought a chocolate fountain (only $28!). The most delicious Valentine's treats ever and we ate until we were sick!Me and my valentine...seriously didn't plan on the matching ensembles. :)

Are you self-realized?

Someone asked us if we were twins...do you see the resemblance?Mom and Dad-as beautiful a couple as ever:

It had just started to sprinkle and Roman loved feeling the falling drops! Check out the amazing lush gardens...and my family isn't too bad looking either!

That's the Pacific behind us...just in case you were wondering:Our family has a love for a little place called Swami's Cafe. They serve the best (and believe me when I say THE best) blackberry and banana buckwheat pancakes ever! So, in honor of my pregnant sister and her dire need of this delicious breakfast, we rolled out of bed, bundled up, and headed out the door (with no makeup mind you!).

The cafe is outdoor and provides a perfect view of the Self-Realization Fellowship Hermitage and Gardens. We were always incredibly curious as to what or who had the funds to own such prime real estate and so much of it. Well, we decided to check it out and fortunately for those of us that don't care to join, they have a portion set apart for the public free of charge. Yeah for free!

My gosh the gardens were amazing. After taking a few stairs up, you seem to be in a different world. So many varieties of flowers, trees and grasses, all in bright vibrant color, you couldn't get enough of it. The kids favorite was of course the huge koi ponds. The property extends all the way to the bluff above the beach, which really makes the scene complete. Needless to say, we all loved it and are feeling much better now that we have been self-realized. Have you?

Just Keep Swimming,..Just Keep Swimming...

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. That is what my two kids are really excelling at these days. I put them in swimming classes last summer and they have made awesome progress. To think that our first few lessons consisted of Capri screaming her head off and Roman just putting up with it, we have come a very long way. I have loved the swim school, their methods and their teacher. And surprise, surprise, so does Capri. She gives hugs and kisses to her teacher multiple times in a 30 minute session. It makes me a bit jealous, but am thrilled that Capri trusts her so much.

They started with learning how to hold their breath under water. Sounds simple, but takes repetitive motions and a lot of positive feedback (us clapping and telling them "Good Job!" and them taking in less water through the nose, both equal positive feedback) for them to master and feel comfortable doing. The instructor works on this for quite some time, lengthening their glides under water each time. Roman and Capri both proved their fabulous lung compacity early on so they could move to the next step, "one, two's." That's what they call their arm strokes and we are working to master this new skill. Roman was a total natural and used his arms as well as some of the 3 and 4 year old students. Unfortunately, he tends to get a bit bored and so we do whatever we can to entertain him in order for him to want to actually practice. Capri is definitely more cautious, which is why we are so excited that she has done so well and actually loves the water now. She is more willing than ever to work with her beloved Marci-the instructor.

Both get trained on a few other things such as climbing out of the pool, keeping your eyes open underwater to reach for toys, and assisted sitdives, falling into the pool from the side. Such necessary skills and they have already paid off. Yes, we have already had a pool "incident" that left me beyond panicked but incredibly grateful for these lessons. I guess you want details on what a horrible parent I am?

Well, when we were in Cancun, all of us were playing in the pool. The pool had this long shelf or stair, about 10 feet, that the kids could play in with the water up to their thighs-perfect. We had the toys out to play and Roman was fixated on the truck as he was pushing along the bottom. I looked away for seconds, I swear, as I was talking to everyone else when all of a sudden this lady grabs my attention. "Excuse me, maam. Maam." I turn in response. "Your child has gone under." She was insanely calm as Roman was literally face down in the pool, just beyond the stair. I literally freaked out and couldn't get to him fast enough. Have you discovered how hard it is to run in the water. Swimming seemed ridiculous in that he was just 5 feet away, but I couldn't run at all! Tucker was on the stair and ran over to grab him out of the water. And guess what? He was fine! He didn't even swallow any water, hence the fact that he was still floating when we got to him. Hooray for Murray Callan Swim Schools! Although I felt terrible for taking my eyes off of my little one, I felt better about myself for putting him in swimming lessons.

Here are our two little fish:

Roman ready to go under for some glides:

Just coming up!And now it's Capri's turn:And there she goes!Roman just got done doing a sitdive straight into a glide underwater:Capri trying to patient in waiting for her turn:Just one of the kisses that day:
Roman and Marci having fun and trying to get Roman happy to work!

Jessica's Shower

One of my bestest friends since kindegarten is having a baby! This is so exciting for me to see her pregnant and ready to be a mom. She will be the best and that little boy will be so lucky to have her!
I was so happy to be in town for the shower that my girlfriends threw for Jessica. We always do a mother/daughter shower because we have all been so close for so long. Good times!
Top: Nicole and Julie Bottom: Priscilla, Stephanie, Jessica and IEveryone:

Elizabeth, Katie, Jessica, Nicole, Erika, Julie, Me, Stephanie and PriscillaI have waited almost three months to see this little guy! Erika's newest addition Carson, is as cute as they come and I was in absolute heaven holding him. I miss him already!