Apr 18
Everyone,
Today the boys turned 5 years old. 5! I just can’t believe it. When people told me as babies that it would get easier, I almost didn’t believe them. But I can honestly say, 5 years later, it’s much, much easier. Pleasant even. So much so that I’m a little sad for Butterfly and Cowboy that they don’t have their own twin. Because twins are just so much fun!
Pirate:
This one is ALL boy. And mischief. And destruction. And kindness. And happy. And tenderness. He’s probably going to hate me for the last one as a teenager but he has a very kind and tender heart. I hope he never looses that.
His favorite thing to do is play games on the Wii. Or on the iPads. He LOVES Pikmin and that is his favorite game of all time. (So he tells me.) He also likes Spyhunter, Plants vs. Zombies, and anything with cars. He’s actually amazingly good at these games. Better than I ever could get!
He also loves to play outside with Butterfly. Professor is okay to play with, but he LOVES to play with his sister. Their current game is wearing their capes outside and playing “Eon Kid” which is a tv show they watch. Not sure what happens in those games, but watching them it involves Pirate having a weapon (like a bow and arrow or a gun) and doing whatever Butterfly says.
He likes to ride his bike. And he’s actually quite good at it! The problem that we are having is that he is so tall, that little kid bikes aren’t really his size. And he’s too big for a big bike. He has a push bike that has been really fun for him but he won’t be able to ride it much longer.
He is interested in going fast. He has GREAT dance moves. He gives great hugs.
His favorite food is tacos. He could eat tacos all day long. But only if they are made the specific way. And that way is with refried beans (we call them painted beans because Butterfly liked how you could paint them onto your taco shell), sour cream and cheese. That’s it. And he’s super picky about how you make it and how it goes onto the soft taco shell.
Besides tacos, he likes waffles, frosting, cheese, and macaroni and cheese. He is not the biggest eater right now and dinner time is a struggle. He says, “Yuck! I hate this!” with every meal and it gets old. After a few bites, he often likes what we are having. But he wants his food to be pretty. And we don’t eat pretty food here.
He weighs 47.5 lbs (about the 75%) and is 48 1/8th inches tall (97%). The nurses at the doctors were joking with him and saying how skinny he looks! The doctor says he probably doesn’t have an ounce of fat on him. One long and skinny boy!
He had his big school check up and he passed the eye test with flying colors. His hearing test is within normal, but on the higher side of normal. They said that he is hearing fine, but that he might be congested or have build up that messed up the highest range of hearing. Good to know that he is actually hearing something. Sometimes I wonder!
He got 2 shots, and is one healthy boy. Active, happy, and busy. That’s my boy!
Professor:
This one is a dreamer and a thinker. He plays so well by himself. Sometimes he doesn’t play as great with others. But I recognize that from my own childhood and try to encourage a balance between the two. I like it because if he doesn’t want to play with Pirate and Butterfly, he’s fine playing on his own.
I frequently find drawings around the house done by Professor. How do I know it’s him? He writes his name ALL over it. He is a lefty so often his name is backwards, but it’s very legible. I didn’t teach him how to do this, he somehow figured it out own his own! Smart boy! He recognizes only the letters in his name but can count to 100 and recognizes numbers up to 30. Thank you big sister for that one. She often counts in the car to keep herself occupied and he picks up everything.
He is always very curious and clever. He also loves to play games and ride his bike outside. He has a push bike and while his feet never leave the ground, he is very deliberate and never reckless. He has taken a few crashes, though.
He got 3 shots at the doctor’s office. Why 3? The first shot was defective and the vaccine leaked all over after the needle was in. So he had to have another. He complained all day about his owies and refused to use that arm all day.
He loves to eat anything except chocolate. And if he doesn’t like something, he says there is chocolate in it! He does like white chocolate, though and other candy. He likes ice cream, and cake and waffles. He loves oatmeal (which he calls Ort-meal) and yogurt.
He weighs 36.5 lbs (about the 10%) and is 43 and 3/4 inches tall (about 75%). We were a little surprised at his height measurement, only because Pirate is SO tall that Professor seems short compared to him. But he’s really fairly tall. The doctor said that for his height, he is in the less than 3% for his weight. Another super skinny and long boy. Seems we have a theme going on!
TWINS:
I get a lot of people who don’t believe me when I say that these guys are twins. Pirate has a good 5 inches on Professor, and a good 10 lbs. They are very different. But they are saying things like, “We are five!” and “We’re the same age, and that age is 5.” So they get that they are the same age. And they get that they were in mommy’s tummy together.
(Did I write this one down? I can’t remember so I’ll write it again. It’s worth repeating. When I was pregnant with Cowboy we talked about the baby and how Pirate and Professor were babies in my tummy at the same time. Pirate says, “Yeah, when I was in your tummy I kicked Professor in the head!” Professor says, “Yeah, and I didn’t like it!” Pretty much sums up my pregnancy with them.)
They play well together. So well. But they also do fine by themselves. They aren’t super competitive with each other, although Pirate is on a winning kick right now. But he wants to win over EVERYONE and not just Professor.
They have a lot of the same interests but I think a lot of 5 year old boys have these interests too. They love video games, Pikmin, superheros (specifically Iron Man and Hulk but they’ve just discovered Batman on Netflix so we’ve been watching that) and cars.
It’s hard not to do comparisons on them, only because they are the same age and do like a lot of the same things. I know a lot of twin books say never to compare them, but I’ve chosen to ignore the books. They are twins. They will get compared. I try to emphasize their good parts, and also their parts that go together. They are twins. They always will be one of 2. And I’m glad for them. And for me.
I can’t believe that 5 years ago I was huge and in pain and excited to meet my little guys! Not so little anymore!
Safire
Safire2 boys-double trouble, birthdays, P and P, P and P birthday, P and P pictures, P and P stats
Nov 06
Everyone,
I know I’ve been bad about writing. But the next several (about 7) posts will be about what we did this summer. Because I don’t think I posted much. Maybe about once a month? Hey, I was working a ton AND I was totally sick with the baby that I wasn’t talking about with anyone. Looking at the few pictures I took this summer, we’re going to start about May and go from there. Okay? Okay.
Juice took the boys on their very first camping trip on May 12th. It was the Fathers and Sons camping trip that our ward does every year. And being newly turned 4 year olds, they were old enough to go! And spend the night! In a tent!
Seriously doesn’t get any better than that for a 4 year old boy.
Since me and Butterfly hung out at home, I am going from what Juice told me. I guess they got there and the boys ran with the other boys in the ward in a huge pack through the woods. Juice set up the tent, fed the boys the dinner I packed, and got teased by the other guys for wiping the boys nacho cheese dust off of them with baby wipes.
There was some roasting marshmallows, and more running through the woods.
When it got dark, the boys asked to go to bed. Juice got them ready, put them down, and this is what happened:
Can’t go camping with out our special toys. And it’s SO cool that the tent has just the right pocket for them!
They came home the next morning smelling of wood smoke and cranky. Ahh…camping.
Safire
Safire2 boys-double trouble, camping
Jun 12
Everyone,
This year for Pirate and Professor’s birthday I bought a Certifikid deal for an animal birthday party. It was AMAZING. They brought several animals for us to touch and learn about. Here are some of the pictures. (Thanks to my friend Megara who took these pictures. I was having too much fun with the kids to bother with the camera!)
By the end of the party, we had quite the crowd of neighborhood kids joining us. The lady was super nice and let them pet the enormous boa constrictor.
We had such a fun birthday party for them. I can’t believe they are 4!!
Safire
Safire2 boys-double trouble, animals, birthday parties, P and P birthday
Apr 23
Everyone,
After 4 years, some things never change. 
Ahhh…Professor crying and Pirate looking un-bothered by the whole thing.
First there was THIS:
Now there is THIS:
Man I am SO lucky.
Safire
PS- For those interested parties, 4 year old stats on the boys.
Pirate: 47 inches tall, 48 lbs. 120th percentile for height and weight. He is as big as a 5 year old.
Professor: 41 inches tall, 33 3/4 lbs. 50th percentile for height and weight. He is now average instead of a tiny peanut. Way to go!
Safire2 boys-double trouble, Pirate and Professor, Pirate mile stones, Professor mile stones
Nov 10
Everyone,
I’m not sure I’ve mentioned it before but the boys and I go to a state based and run preschool every week. Meaning that we go to preschool paid by the state and run by some pretty awesome teachers.
The boys are learning a lot there. Not only do they get to play with toys (yay, someone else’s toys are super fun!) but they learn shapes, letters, colors, numbers, hear stories, and do a craft. They sit so well during circle and story time. They clap with everyone, can count to 10 in Spanish, and answer the teacher’s questions about the stories they are read.
They love their crafts. They made turkey feathers today and decorated them very nicely. Last week we made spider doughnuts. They are always very anxious to get their craft supplies and have at it!
One thing they don’t love? The music time. There is always about 10 minutes of music and dancing time after playing and before story time.
They boys DO NOT participate. They paw me to pick them up. They hang on my legs and scowl at the teachers. They scream and hide behind me when anyone tries to engage them during that time.
The teachers and I have brainstormed how to get them more involved. We’ve tried having me leave during that time (they just cried) or having me be really involved (they glared at me and tried to get me to stop).
I had decided to just grin and bear it and accept that the boys are probably not music lovers. They don’t mind the music at home and will dance with Butterfly but don’t dance on their own.
Then last week they started with instruments during music time. The boys were SUPER interested. They loved shaking the noise shakers. And then they participated during the rest of the music time.
The teachers and I were floored! They gave me a CD of all the songs to listen to at home. Today, I put in the CD in the car on the way to preschool.
They knew all the words.
And sang along.
And could keep the tune.
Just goes to show you that you have no idea what’s going on in these kids heads.
Ever.
Safire
Safire2 boys-double trouble Judy Center, music, Pirate, Professor
Oct 05
Everyone,
The boys and I have been potty training now for a little over a week. Both of them are doing great! I attribute that success to a few things. First of all, they are OLD. They are 3 and a half. Second, they asked to do it themselves (after much talking it up from me for a few weeks before.) And third, the proper equipment. There’s not a lot of equipment there, but what I have works for us.
- 2 small potties. My house boasts 3 toilets. But with two people potty training and the rest of us, sometimes all the bathrooms are occupied at the same time. We have two small potties where the boys can access them very fast.
I like the potties that have a back and a bowl that lifts out. I have two different colors and each boy has his OWN potty. This has also been a big help.
- Underwear. Batman Underwear!
I only put on batman underwear on in the morning. They get to put a marble in their behavior jar when they are still wearing their batman underwear at bedtime. We also have basic underwear for when they have an accident. 10 marbles in their jar gets them a batman toy!
- Pull-Ups. We’re still new at this. And sometimes we still have to leave the house. So I won’t have to worry about finding a bathroom at that exact moment, we have pull ups.
I could continue to use the diapers I have but they hate to lay down and have it taken off them. They want to stand up now like big boys! Pull ups are just so much easier.
- Skittles. I let the boys pick out their own rewards. Pirate picked Skittles
, Professor picked peanut butter M&Ms.
Slowly, both of them have wanted only Skittles.
- Baby Legs. It’s been cold here. In fact, this weekend, we had the coldest day on record! Only 50 degrees! And that’s just not a good temperature to be hanging out in a shirt and underwear all day. Enter baby legs!
They are really cute leg warmers that go up to mid thigh on them. They help with the potty training because now the boys don’t have to fight with pants AND underwear when they need to go in a hurry. And their legs stay warm. Bonus perk? They add another layer under their regular clothes and will help with keeping them warm as the temps just get colder!
We’re still working on no accidents (both had a perfect day yesterday!) and it hasn’t been too bad. But I am glad I waited SO long to start them. If only cleaning my living room carpet once is the only accident I have (and what an accident it was!!), I’ll call it great.
Safire
Safire2 boys-double trouble potty training, twins
Sep 27
Everyone,
Yesterday, out of the blue, Professor declared it was time for underwear. Batman underwear. He declared it was time for peanut butter M&Ms and Batman toys.
Yes, that’s right. It’s time to start potty training.
I did a lot of deep breathing yesterday. I did a lot of sitting next to the toilet, and a lot of cheering.
He had zero accidents yesterday.
None.
Zip.
And he even went #2 with no fuss.
I told him that he couldn’t wear his Batman underwear if he messed it. And he didn’t.
Today, he had one big accident in the morning. Then we went out to their new little school. And to the grocery store. Halfway through the grocery store, he declared that he had to go. And he did. (Shout out to very clean bathrooms at Trader Joes!) And his diaper was dry.
I am excited to not buy diapers anymore, but I really don’t like the first few months of potty training. It’s stressful. It’s kind of scary.
But I have never seen Batman look so cute.
Safire
Safire2 boys-double trouble, growing up, Professor mile stones Professor
Sep 18
Everyone,
This week at the Multiples and More site is their monthly installment of pictures.
All of them are REALLY cute.
But the cutest of all? MINE. (Of course.)
This is a picture of my boys and their cousin Cappy (who is in the middle). Cappy and my boys are about 6 weeks apart in age and LOVE to play with each other. Here, my dad caught them playing Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes during a family photo shoot.
They are just so dang cute together!
So can you pretty, pretty please go over to the Multiples and More site and vote for our picture? I don’t get anything but bragging rights and you don’t get anything other than being awesome. And prettier.
So vote. PLEASE!
Safire
Safire2 boys-double trouble, Cappy, Cousin Camp, cousins cousins, pictures, Utah
Sep 08
Everyone,
My boys fight over toys. A lot. They fight over who is playing with what. Pirate tends to destroy whatever Professor is working on if he’s frustrated. There’s been all out brawling over a specific train, or a Spiderman figurine.
To deal with the fighting, we’ve had some toy rules pop up. These rules are mostly for my own sanity, and I like to think that they are teaching the kids to share. Somewhat.
Our toys have 3 basic rules:
- Take turns. The toy in demand has to have a turn with each person. If I find them fighting over a toy, I assign whose turn it is, set my ipod to a fun ring 5 minutes away, and then they switch.
- Time Out. If they can’t take turns, the toy goes into time out and no one plays with it. Period. For at least 10 minutes. If a toy gets put in a second time out, then it is in time out for the rest of the day. Sometimes several days if it’s just too hard for them to deal with.
- Special Toy. We have several toys that are uniquely “mine” and no one else is allowed to play with them without permission. (This really helps Butterfly.) Butterfly keeps her toys on her bed or in a box downstairs seperate from the rest of the toys. Her special toys right now are Lemon (a stuffed dog she sleeps with), Misty (the stuffed pony she got in Assateague), and her Littlest Pet Shop toys. Pirate’s special thing is his blankie. Sometimes he attaches himself to a train or two, but it doesn’t last too long. Blankie is his one, true love. And Pirate, well, he is my toy hoarder. He has a backpack that he carries around with him all the time and he fills it with special toys to him at the moment. Sometimes he pulls them out to play with them, sometimes he just wants to carry them around everywhere.
Since we’ve started with these rules, the fighting has calmed down a lot in our house. Although there is still a lot of fighting, but it’s a little more managable for me.
How do you handle the toy fights?
Safire
Safire2 boys-double trouble, toy rules, toys toys
Apr 13
Everyone,
Because three years ago I was huge and on the couch, begging the boys to stay in and then GET OUT in the same breath…you guys get this picture!
I love those little burrito babies.
And the little boys they turned into!
Safire
Safire2 boys-double trouble birthdays, twins
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