Preschool Party and a Pumpkin Shirt

First, a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Grandma Dorothy! I didn't want to post anything yesterday since there were some surprises in store and I didn't want to ruin anything. Dave was able to drive out in time for the big birthday dinner celebration. We love our Grandma very much and we hope she had the happiest of birthdays with many more to come!

We are getting a lot of use out of Mairead's elephant costume- she has already worn it to our twin party and to a party at her preschool. The big night is tomorrow, but I have a feeling that won't be the last we see of this costume. She loves it! She had a great time at the party and loved seeing all of the other kids in their costumes. Today, she asked to "read a story- trick or treat." I was happy to hear that because it means that she 'gets' the holiday and is enjoying it!

Yesterday, Mairead wore a cute little pumpkin shirt to school. Really, the socks made the outfit. When Jen came to visit last night, we brought out Mairead's tap shoes and she danced the same way we did when we were little- on the leaves from the dining room table. She had a blast. The boys loved it too- especially Ben. He kept running and dancing his way up and down the leaves.

Pumpkin Painting

First, a couple of thoughts...

Rainy days are a stay at home mom's worst enemy.

My kids are going to watch entirely too much tv today. But Baby Signing Time is educational so I don't count that. Don't hate.

Ben's newest word is 'frog' except that it REALLY doesn't sound like frog. It sounds exactly like what you are secretly thinking it sounds like. He has been saying it ALL day.

In case you were wondering, crayola washable markers are very easy to clean off of a television screen.

Jack is in a funk today and has been whining/crying pretty much since he got up.

Mairead's newest phrase is, "Oh! I know!" She says it almost every time I ask her a question. 'Are you hungry?' "Oh! I know! Peanut butter!" It's cute.

While I was setting up lunch, someone colored Jack's face with brown marker. No child will confirm or deny involvement in this. I actually think it was Jack himself since his hands had brown marker on them, too.

Follow up- Crayola washable markers are reasonably easy to remove from a child's face.

Jack didn't want to be in his crib for morning naps (neither boy slept) so he was yelling, "Mom!!! Jack's turn! Up!"


It's a good thing they are so cute because I'd be tempted to put them on Craigslist as a complete set.


Evidence in the case of Marker v. Hickok


I found a few more from the Halloween party... Ben is a Lion, Jack is a tiger.



A very sleepy tiger.

Apparently, the Lion needed to take a call. He was saying, "Ha whoa? Ha whoa?"

To keep busy today, we painted pumpkins for Halloween. They had a great time and it kept them happy for a while, which made me happy! It's not the neatest project around, but it was fun.

Jack

Ben

Mairead has her Halloween party at school tomorrow and then we are taking the kids trick or treating on Sunday, so there will be more Halloween pictures to come!

NVMoM Halloween Party

This past weekend, my Mothers of Multiples group hosted its annual Halloween Party for families. I happend to be co-chair of this event, so while it was a lot of work, it seemed like everyone had a great time! It was nice to see a fun family event come together. We only have a few pictures but I promise that more costume pictures are forthcoming as Mairead has a party at school on Thursday and they will dress up on Sunday, too, of course.

Special thanks to Aunt Jenna the Great for coming to the party to help Dave while I was coordinating things.

An elephant, a lion, and a tiger... our own little circus... how appropriate.

Unique Perspective

Thanks to some friends of my aunt, Jessica, I had a conversation last night with a woman who has a 15 year old daughter who suffered a stroke when she was a few months old. I was so anxious to talk to her because I don't know anyone who has been through an experience that is similar to ours, and we really feel like we are making things up as we go along. This mom was amazing and our conversation took so many turns that it's hard for me to even think straight about it, never mind write about it. She was wonderfully kind, articulate, informed, and impassioned about the cause of helping children with stroke. She offered such a unique perspective, as well as a number of resources and ideas for how to get Mairead more of the help she needs. She was so positive, yet completely straightforward about the journey she and her family began when her little girl was first diagnosed. Though our daughters' strokes are very different in how they presented and what caused them (her daughter has a clotting disorder, and the cause of Mairead's stroke has never been determined), but there are many similarities in our experiences. I can't thank her enough for the time she spent talking to me (and hour and 20 minutes!), and I hope to keep her as a friend and resource in our life as we continue to do everything we can to help Mairead.

As I said, she was incredibly positive and offered so many ideas and resources. The hard part was that she was also very honest about how life for her and for her daughter is different than for most parents and children. Even though I know that Mairead suffered a life-altering neurological event for which there is no 'cure,' I want her to be cured. I want her to get the right therapies, education, medical treatment, etc, and then we will wake up one day in a few years and she will be all better.

It's possible that in five years she won't show any deficits. It's also very possible that she will always show deficits. The unknown is very hard for us to deal with. Research on childhood strokes is limited, and without a co morbid condition or underlying cause, Mairead's type of stroke leaves us with even less information. Simply, no one knows when, or if, or to what degree she will get 'better.'

I believe that she is an incredibly smart and incredibly determined little girl who has a chance to live a wonderfully happy and normal life. She has a family who will do anything for her, and we have surrounded her with friends and professionals who truly care for her and who will support her as she faces the challenges ahead. At the same time, I can't bury my head in the sand and ignore the possibility that she will always be a little different from other kids- that she will always need extra help. We can't assume that she will always go to a 'regular' school or that her life will not be any different. What we can do is to give the opportunities achieve whatever she wants while surrounding her with the supports she may need to do that.

I feel like I am always filling this blog with details about the challenges we, as a family, face because of Mairead's stroke, and sometimes I worry about being too negative. I do worry a lot- probably too much- about Mairead, about her friends, her education, her happiness, and her future. I worry about the boys and whether or not they get enough attention while we are dealing with the red tape, doctor's appointments and therapies. I worry that my family and friends are tired of hearing about this or that they wonder why we don't call or hang out as much as we used to. I worry about the strain on Dave and me, and whether or not we are doing the 'right' things for our children and for one another.

But I also try to fill this blog with pictures of their beautiful little faces-smiling, laughing, or covered in food. I try to share the sweet moments that we have with our little ones and as a family. I want to share each major and minor success that our kids enjoy. I also share all of this so that when our kids are old enough to read and to understand, they can go through these posts and see their childhood through my eyes. I hope that what they see is a happy family with parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who would do anything for them. I hope they have memories of playing in the yard, going to the park, visits from family, apple picking, and playing ring around the rosy. I want them to see how much fun we had together- not just at big events but every day. I want them to see how much they are truly loved, and that there is nothing we wouldn't do for them.

Thanks for reading.

Big Brother

First, a quick video that was forgotten in the video camera... it's Mairead when she first learned "Ants go Marching." She really likes the 'hurrah' part!

Then we have two unbelievably cute videos of the boys' bath tonight. Jack, as big brother, was doing his brother a favor by 'helping' and washing his hair.

How cute are these kids? These are the times when having twins is so special!

Just some cute stuff

I don't have any pictures-- sorry! The kids are SO active that I don't dare keep the camera out in plain view for fear of it become a casualty. And, by the time I grab it to capture something cute, they have moved on to something else. I will try to get some new ones this weekend! So, I just have a few cute little stories...

Mairead
On Wednesday, Dave and I took Mairead to an Open House at the center where she used to go for Early Intervention. We were hoping to see some of her teachers, but it just didn't work out that way. That was ok, though, because she had a blast! When we got there, she immediately ran to the room that was her classroom- she has not been there in 3 months, so I was impressed that she remembered. She immediately ran over to a toy that was her favorite while she was there- it was like she had never left.

Anyway, for entertainment, they had someone from Kindermusik there to lead the kids in songs and Mairead LOVED it! I have not really seen her in a classroom/group setting, so it was really fun to watch her. When we got there, she immediately marched

When the woman started, she asked all of the kids to sit in a circle on the floor. So, kids took their seats a few feet away from the woman as she started singing. Mairead, however, left her seat with Dave and I and promptly seated herself on the knee of the woman singing. Obviously, this woman was in charge and that was the best seat in the house. She is also used to sitting with the teacher because her preschool teacher is kind enough to give Mairead extra support by letting Mairead sit with her during activities. I think she thinks that on the teacher's lap is her special spot! It was pretty funny to watch her march right up there like she owned the place.

Throughout the singing, she was absolutely adorable. And I'm not just saying that because I am her mother- a few other parents and teachers commented on how cute she was. She was just having SO much fun singing, marching, playing instruments, and just enjoying the music. She was following directions, singing, and everything!

While she was there, she found a little stuffed dog and carried it around throughout the activities. She even made the dog 'hold' on to the instruments and props the teacher was using. She was very sad to leave it there, though.

So, the next day, I was taking her to preschool and told her "We are going to school now!" She replied, "School and find dog." She wanted to go back and get the dog she had played with the day before! I said, "Oh, no, honey. We are going to Miss Joanne's school." She said, "No. Miss Mary's school." Miss Mary was her teacher at EI and it was her school where we found the dog. I was sad for her since she has not seen Mary in a long time and she remembers and misses her. I am glad to know that the people in her life do have an impression on her and that she does remember them, though!

That works out well since her old Occupational Therapist from EI, Ashley, is going to start seeing her privately and her first visit is Monday. Mairead is going to be really surprised and happy to see her! We are hoping Ashley can help her to build the strength in her hands and work on her coordination so that she can start dressing/undressing herself and some other daily activities. We are really excited to have Ashley back!

Yesterday, we were upstairs and I asked, "where are your brothers?" She paused and said, "Hmm, I'm not sure." That was a new phrase and it was so cute the way she said it.

She has made a ton of progress with answering questions and following directions. We think her preschool is helping a lot with that. Now, when we ask, 'where did you go today?' She can answer, "school." In the past, she has not been able to answer questions like that.

Her favorite game right now is Ring Around the Rosy. She gathers everyone in the house (my parents included) and insists on a few rounds.

She is still really into coloring and painting. Lately, she has been drawing faces. When I ask, "who is that?" She always says, "Daddy." Very sweet.

Jack
Jack is SUCH a talker. And SUCH a drama queen. He never gets a little upset- it's either 100% angry or totally fine. He is very stubborn (no idea where he gets that from) and very observant. He likes to check out a situation before getting involved. He also loves coloring- usually the exact page that Mairead is coloring. He follows her a lot and wants to do everything she is doing.

His latest phrase is "Jack's turn." I assume he learned it because we are really trying to teach Mairead that she has to wait sometimes, so we tell her it's Jack's turn or Ben's turn. So, Jack picked up on it and uses it to his advantage. Usually, he uses it to get us to do 'Trot, trot to Boston' with him. He loves it! He also likes singing. He has a couple of songs that he tries- the words are not always clear, but he has the inflection, the melody, and the rhythm down pat. His favorite book is "Good Night, Boston." When I read it to him, he immediately says, "Again!" when I finish.

Ben loves pretty much any book. He will sit in a chair and 'read' for long periods of time, and always insists on having a book to take to bed with him. He also loves brushing his teeth, to the point of asking for his toothbrush at random times. Yesterday, he got his hands on it after his bath and brushed his teeth for a minute before using the toothbrush to stir the water in the toilet. Awesome. He loves Blues Clues, dogs, and fire trucks. Well, pretty much any kind of truck. His funniest word is 'pacifier' because he says the entire word, but it sounds more like 'pass i ber.'

Both boys love phones and remotes. They walk around with whatever they can find and say, "Hello? hello?" They point out every truck that is near and whenver the neighbor's dog barks, they say, "Puppy! Woof!"

There are about a million more cute things that they all do so I really will try to get more pictures and some video. The video I want most is when I get them up from naps. I have both of them in my arms and say, "Jack and Ben - give kisses!", and they lean in, pucker up, and say, mmmm, wah! and give each other a kiss. Jack more often than Ben who is usually signing "eat" at the time. Best thing ever.

Lookout Farm

This morning, Mairead and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and met up with our BFFs, Jaime and Connor, at Lookout Farm. We hadn't seen each other in a while and it was great to catch up and to get the kids together! Connor was pretty excited that we were taking a choo choo train to ride throughout the farm. Mairead did great! I was a little afraid she might want to get off about 2 minutes into the ride, but she had fun! Both kids were really well behaved and even posed and said 'cheese' for the farmer who took this picture for us. Jaime and I have been friends for... oh, wow... about 15 years. It just made me feel old to calculate that out! We were roommates freshman year in college, and now our kids are growing up together (they are two months apart). Pretty cool!


They have a caterpillar ride that is pulled by a tractor and that takes kids in a loop around the play area. The ride is kids-only, so Mairead had to go alone, and again, she did great! I was proud of her- the kids cannot see the parents and Mairead had no idea where she was going, but she was having fun. She's a pretty brave kid, I guess!


She did get a little nervous at the top of the haystack. She was excited to climb it and to reach the top, but then wanted to get back down.

She is signing, "all done."

But she was still having a good time!

Action shot of her on the moon bounce. The only drama of the morning came when she wouldn't get out so I had to go in and get her.

She saw this and was immediately pointing and yellling, "A yak! A yak!" Where the heck does she learn this stuff???

We don't have many pictures of Mairead and Connor because, well, they are both three and three year olds tend to run quickly in several directions. It was fun to watch Mairead when she saw Jaime and Connor- even though it has been a few months since she has seen them, she recognized them and was jumping up and down saying, "Hi Connor! Hi Jaime!" Connor said, "Hi Baread!" So cute!

When we were leaving, I prompted her to say goodbye, which she did, and asked if she wanted to give Connor a kiss. She leaned over, turned her head, and planted one on him! I wish I had had the camera ready-- it was so incredibly cute! Thanks to Jaime and Connor for a fun morning!

If you are thinking of visiting Lookout Farm- it was really fun. They also have pony and camel rides, apple and pumpkin picking, a farm store (complete with amazing cider donuts), and other attractions. But- they charge an admission fee for the day which is $14 for adults and $12 for children, so be prepared for that.

The boys are doing great- their language amazes me every day. They say, "Blues Clues, I see paw print, Elmo, Mairead," and more. They recognize family members in pictures and do a lot of pretending. Mostly, they pretend to be on the phone. Ben pretty much just keeps saying, "Hello? Hello?" But Jack has full on conversations with whomever is on the other end of the phone, or block, or remote, or calculator, or whatever he is using for a phone at the time.

This morning, they were content with their toast, juice, and Blues Clues.

Look alike, much??? I see a lot of differences, but sometimes the 'identical' thing is really obvious!

Ben LOVES fire trucks, so we bought this little dress up outfit for him. But, he doesn't like hats. So, Jack ended up wearing it. How cute is this?

Last week, My Nana brought Mairead a gift from Michael's. She loved them and took the flowers to bed with her for three or four nights. Ben loves flowers, too, and always says, "I see flowers. Pretty flowers." It sounds like "Flough," so it's even cuter.

Thanks for reading- hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful three day weekend!