Sep 20
Everyone,
(I am playing catch up from our trip to Utah this year to see family. I’m picking a few things to focus on and highlight every week until I am done. Enjoy!)
(Scroll down for the giveaway.)
One of the best things about going to Utah is seeing our family. Juice’s oldest brother hosted a BBQ. We came, jumped on the tramp (the kids) and talked (the adults). It is so much fun to see all of our family and catch up on the year with them.
I have to say, my highlight of the night was to see my set of twins and my sister-in-law Splat‘s set of twins together.
These guys were born just a few months apart. Splats and I were pregnant at the same time with our twins. (We were also pregnant at the same time with her boy and my girl.) And I’m so pleased that they will have cousins that are twins too! I imagine in about 3 years, the 4 of them are going to be a lot of trouble.
Except when I am trying to take pictures of them together. They are already double partners in crime.
“I know! Let’s all stick our fingers in our mouths!” (Pirate, Angel, Seraph, Professor)
“Can we leave soon?” “Did someone say leave?! Yes! Let’s go!”
“Please can we leave? It’s late, past our bedtime and we have eaten nothing but chips since we got here.” “Leave?! Yes!”
“Is she done YET?”
“We are twins. We get that. We are cousins. We get that. Can we go now?”
Yes, you can go now.
Safire
PS- You want an ipad2? For free?! Click HERE!
Safirecousins, Splats and Fam, twin pictures, twins Juice's family, twins
Apr 03
Everyone,
This week’s question on the Multiples and More site is all about time.
When did it get “easier” for you?
Gosh, I don’t know if it gets easier, just different. Oh sure, we’re all sleeping through the night but we’ve traded that for tantrums and hitting. We’ve traded blow out diapers for the daunting task of potty training…times two! We’ve traded round the clock breastfeeding for only wanting sweets…and crying when you don’t get them.
I have to say I’m not sure if the it gets any easier…just different. They play together but they often fight and hit and bite. With each stage comes new challenges and new experiences for them. And for me!
Safire
Safirequestions, twins
Jun 01
Everyone,
Today was spent playing at Juice’s sister’s house. Juice’s parents were there as well so it was one big crazy time. Between the two of us, we have 8 kids. 7 of them are 5 and younger. Boy did we have a good time.
There was watermelon to eat. There were squirt guns to play with. And there was a toy vacuum for Professor. Butterfly said it was one of her best days ever. And, “Can we please play with cousins more often?” I wish…I wish.
Safire
Safirecousins, Splats and Fam, trips to Utah, twins cousins, Splats, twins, Utah
May 16
Everyone,
This week’s question of the week on Multiples and More blog is all about identity.
My twins are 2 years old. And they look NOTHING a like. One had brown hair. One has brown eyes. One has blond hair. One has blue eyes. One is bigger than the other. Because they are fraternal, they just happen to be 2 siblings with similar genetic code that happened to be born on the same day from the same mother. Me!
- Do you plan to, or already separate them in school?
I’m not sure about this one yet. The jury is still out. I will see in 3 years when they go to school!
- Do you encourage your kids to pursue separate interests, or try to keep them in the same activities?
Right now, I keep them in the same activities. They WANT to do the same thing. They fight over the same toys (even if I have 2 of the same thing…they fight over ONE hammer of two) If one has a blanket, the other wants one. If one has a cookie, the other has to have one! Too bad this doesn’t work with Professor and his eating dinner though…why is that?
- What are your feelings on dressing multiples alike? Coordinating names?
Dressing the same…hmm….When I was pregnant with them I swore I would never dress them the same. But then they came out and they were so stinking cute dressed alike! So yes, I do dress them the same. Occasionally. I must prefer to have them wear coordinating clothes. Like both wearing blue stripes, or one has orange shorts and one has an orange shirt on. Or one has red shorts and the other has red overalls on. You get the idea. This also makes it easy on me and laundry. Now if someone has a blow out or spills on their clothes, I don’t change the other one who is clean just to keep them matching! Names…that’s a whole different story. My only requirement for our names was for everyone to have different initials. How else could I label things?
- What specific things do you do to help encourage your children’s individuality?
I think just treating them as they need, and not as I think they should. Life is not always fair. So different people need different things in their lives. I hope that I will be able to give all of our kids what they need. And by doing that, I will encourage their own individuality.
Welcome to my week of winners! Today’s very first winner is my friend Susan @WhyMommy. Susan won One and the Same: My Life as an Identical Twin and What I’ve Learned About Everyone’s Struggle to Be Singular by Abigail Pogrebin. She can now read about how this identical twin went looking for her identity.
Remember, all the rest of my giveaways are still open! Easy to win, low entries and some pretty cool stuff!
SEED Power Travel Kit
Ergo Baby Carrier
Hand Beaded Necklace and Earring Set
$10 Lands End Gift Card
$25 AMC Gift Card
Safire
Safireblog contests, questions, twin books, twins giveaways, questions, winners
Sep 01
Everyone,
So today my big project is to go through all the winter clothes I have for the kids and see what I need and what I don’t need. Why today, you ask? Well, it’s not because the weather has been GORGEOUS in the low 70s and sunny and supposed to be like this for the rest of the week. It’s because my twin mom’s group semi annual sale is coming up.
Are you ready to rumble?!
For all you local ladies, if you have kids from baby to size 7, this is THE place to get clothes, toys, books, movies, baby gear, and supplies. Seriously, the quality is amazing and the selection is huge. In fact, in the spring, the lines were so long they redid the layout this time. They are checking out in the hall and hopefully the lines won’t be so bad. (This is what I got in the spring sale.)
Do consider coming to this sale. It’s one of the biggest in the area with over 600 families selling things. It’s a $2 entrance fee and it’s open to the public at 9 am sharp. You’ll want to be there by at least 8:30am to wait in line to get in. This year, NO STROLLERS are allowed. And children are strongly discouraged. I am looking forward to a kid free morning, although I’m sure Juice is not as excited as I am. 
The sale is at Julius West Middle School at 651 Great Falls Road in Rockville on Sept 12th. Check out their website here for more information.
I’m so looking forward to this sale! I need coats for the boys, and some toys for Christmas. It looks like thanks to the generous donations of friends and family I won’t need to buy many clothes for them this season. But I’ll be there! So local ladies, who’s coming along??
Safire
Safireclothes, MCPOM, twins
May 02
Everyone,
It’s late posting this and I meant to get it out earlier but with Pirate and Professor having huge blow out diapers every two hours (thank you antibiotics), Butterfly plugging up the toilet on the second floor with paper until it was actually raining in the bathroom on the first floor (yeah.) and life in general, it didn’t happen. Until now.
Remember my post a few months back about my little niece Seraph? Remember her heart condition and how the doctors sent her home with no other options? Remember that they didn’t expect her to live much longer?
Right now she is thriving. She is really surprising her doctors and everyone with her growth. She is gaining weight, starting to roll over (and rolling onto her scar so it can’t hurt that much!), and her skin is soft and smooth. She went from not really wanting to be touched to playing with everyone, especially her twin sister Angel.
I keep coming back to a Christmas story. I know, it’s May (I just typed April and had to correct myself…where is the time going?!) but this story just keeps popping in my head. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. Not to say that my niece is a Grinch at all! Just these few little lines have been running through my head:
And what happened then…? Well…in Who-ville they say That the Grinch’s small heart Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his heart didn’t feel quite so tight, He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!
I just can’t help thinking that Seraph’s heart has grown 3 sizes since she’s been home. She’s been basking in the love of her family (it is immense and tangible from thousands of miles away) and she is thriving.
We need your help. This week (May 8th) Seraph has some tests to determine what to do next. My sister in law Splats explains it all very well so go on over there to see what is going to happen.
She is asking us for prayer and fasting on behalf of Seraph tomorrow to prepare for her testing. (Fasting is typically giving up 2 meals for the day.) We need her doctors to know what to do for her that is best.
Please, if you can, join us for this little girl. I for one want to see what she brings when her heart is not so tight.
Safire
Safirediapers, disasters, Splats and Fam, twins
Jan 14
Everyone,
You guys know that my sister in law had twins about two months after my boys were born, right? She had girls, Angel and Seraph. That’s Seraph on the left and Angel on the right taken last summer. They were about two months old.
These girls are special. Not only did they come as mo/mo twins (sharing the same placenta, same amniotic sack [my boys were di/di twins, two sacks, two placentas]), Seraph was born with a heart problem. She has been in and out of the hospital since she was born trying to help her heart get better.
They did an MRI on Seraph’s heart the other day and delivered some hard news to my sil and her family. They are not exactly sure, but they believe one of her blood vessels to her heart is too small. If it is too small, there is nothing they can do about it.
They need a miracle.
Splats (my sil) is special to me. She has always been sweet and lovely. Wonderful to Juice and to me. She and I were pregnant together with Butterfly and Bear. They were born a week apart. We were pregnant with twins at the same time. How often does that happen?!
I want her to have her baby home. I know I would be going crazy if one of my boys was in the hospital. I want her to experience all the joys of having twins. When they scream at the same time, laugh at the same time, laugh at each other. I want her to try and make macaroni holding both of her babies at the same time and think, “I have a big head, and little arms.” (Name that movie.) I want her to be happy that all of the macaroni went into the pan and not all over the counter because then she’d have to put a baby down to pick it up and screaming would result. I want her to tell her other kids to stop taking the babies’ toys from them. I want her to go to church with her whole family and have the girls whisked away by loving helpers in her ward. I want her to have two of everything, including twice the chocolate because she has to in order to stay sane.
I want our kids to be able to get together and play when we visit. I want us to have twins (Butterfly and Bear) and then a set of quads…along with her other kids! I want my boys to have cousins who know what it’s like to be a twin.
They need a miracle. Please please pray for them and especially for Seraph and her doctors. They need to know how best to help her and get her home.
Because next summer I want an updated picture of them in their strollers together.
Safire
SafireJuice's family, Splats and Fam, twin pictures, twins
Nov 09
Everyone,
Today was our big regional meeting with our church. It’s called Stake Conference. Last year, we went and I was pregnant with the boys. We sat behind a family with twin boys and an older girl. We watched them a lot seeing how our life will be in the future. Juice and I applauded the guy for coming by himself (as his wife was not around). We enjoyed speculating last year how things would be when our kids were their kids age.
This year, they sat in front of us! They had another boy younger than their twins and at first Juice thought they were triplets. Nope, just 3 very blond boys. They turned around to talk to us and we struck a little friendship up.
At one point, the 12 year old twin boys in our ward walked passed and I wondered at the fact that there were 3 sets of twins, 6 boys in total, within 2 rows. Pretty fun!
Since we had weird church today, the boys did not nap at the right time and they were ready for bed at 5pm. First, we took a few pictures out in the leaves.
This was a mistake as every picture Professor is reaching for leaves, and then Juice is pulling them out of his mouth. It happened one too many times and he broke down sobbing. Poor kid. This picture I have was the very first picture. Before he discovered those tasty forbidden leaves! And poor Pirate and his flood pants. The kid grew again and now nothing fits him. So he wears too short pants until his belly grows again to accommodate size 12 month stuff. He’s going to be long and skinny that one.
I’m hoping to go to bed early today. It’s going to be a busy week!
Safire
Safireleaves, NaBloPoMo, naps, twins
Aug 21
Everyone,
Today we had a nice quiet morning. Butterfly woke up fairly happy and had a good breakfast and watched a movie. The boys played while I ate, had their mid-morning meal and went down for naps. And then I took a super long hot shower. Ahhh…so nice to relax in the hot water!
Butterfly and I had a good lunch while the boys played, they ate again and napped and we watched tv while we waited for my mom to get home with her car so we could go visit family. I almost left Butterfly at home because the moment came to leave and she had a huge tantrum. She did calm down enough to come and then crashed in the car. But when we got to my sil’s house, she was happy and loving having all her cousins around.
And we got to meet twin cousins Angel and Seraph! They are SO CUTE. And so light! I picked Angel up and thought I was going to throw her to the ceiling. And Splats was holding both of my boys and said to hurry up with pictures because her arms were getting tired! But it was so fun to see the 2 sets of twins together. I love love love that she had twins the same time I did so that now we can talk about twin stuff together and will have a partner to bounce ideas off of.
Someone is crying so I have to go. I’ll leave you with some pictures!
And Flower was there too! We love Flower! (So in the back…Butterfly and Flower, left to right: Finch, Bear, Rabbit…and the twins: Pirate, Professor, Angel and Seraph.
Good looking group!
Safire
Safiretwins
Aug 02
Everyone,
I just looked at my pictures from when the boys were first born and up through now. I have over 700 pictures spanning 3 months. Yikes, how am I ever going to go through them and organize them!? I have to because eventually I’ll be scrapbooking them (probably in about 2 years…I am horribly behind) and I really won’t remember what was happening or who was what unless I at least label some of them. I did at least get all of July done so if you’re on my picture list, you should have gotten them.
We are having fun with Bee. It was so nice for me this morning to lay in bed until 10am and know that Butterfly was taken care of. We haven’t done much beyond grocery shop and regroup from no help but we’re off on some adventures next week. I can’t wait for the beach again!
A friend at church just gave me a huge bin full of boy clothes. Mostly 18 month to 4T. This is going to be a huge help when they are older! She said she wished she had 2 of everything, but I’m glad she doesn’t because it looks like the boys’ body types will be different and I would have ended up buying 2 separate things anyway. She gave me a bunch of really cute sweaters and such so I’m excited for them to be old enough to wear them. She says she is excited to see the clothes on my boys and remember her boy in them. Ahh…good times.
A big shout out to my sil and her twins who are finally home from the hospital! We can’t wait to meet them!
Safire
SafireBee, clothes, family pictures, twins
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