Strawberry farm

We went to a local strawberry farm yesterday. The weather was perfect! Look at the rows and rows of Strawberries!



Unfortunately, we did not (yet again) capture pictures of the twins actually *picking* strawberries. Why? Because Duane spent the entire hour chasing Rowan up and down the lanes. Rowan runs as fast as he can anytime he is in a new place, with his hands thrust forward in case he falls down. He didn't slow down until Duane thrust a berry into his mouth. "Yum!" Then he settled down long enough to squish other berries in his fingers.


Ewan figured out very quickly what we were doing, and then stalked me. He kept pulling berries out of my pail to eat. Occasionally he found one in the plants, but wasn't successful in picking his own. We were glad we put a bib on him.



Lucas was much more interested in the sandbox we let them all play in before leaving. Tilly said we went to a "berry farm", Lucas said we went to "play with dump trucks". Lucas only picked very old berries from out of the sand and deposited them into my bucket (I politely thanked him, then chucked them when he turned his back to go fetch another moldy ole berry!).



Matilda had the best fun picking (and eating). She not only helped pick berries, but then was able to keep the spoils all to herself when she found a particularly pretty one!




All in all, it was a very good day. :-)

Swimming!

I guess this is a Ewan and Rowan post (sometimes they get neglected in the picture department!). Yesterday, I wanted to take all four out to play. About the only way I can manage all four alone is to put them in the quad stroller, and we do that often for a walk through the neighborhood.

But, they all love to play boats in their wading pool, and that's what we decided to do.... only Ewan and Rowan decided to climb into the pool- in their sandals and regular clothes. Rowan got drenched and got out when he decided he was cold!






Afterward, I changed their clothes and everyone took turns swinging. Here is Ewan.




Rowan was playing "Robot" this morning. Apparently his robot also ate a small little people cat.

Babbling and Imagination

Duane was thirty minutes late from work today. That wouldn't be a big deal, but I officially "clock out" from playing the heavy at 6:15. Pulling another thirty minutes on a Friday and not getting "overtime" sucks. Ha. Plus, its pizza night, so I hadn't made any arrangements for dinner and had to rush something. I hurriedly cooked mac and cheese on the stove, sliced a pint of fresh strawberries, and got out the yogurt snacks. Rowan was so impressed with this impromptu meal that after he finished his last strawberry he CLAPPED. He's never done that at a meal before, but mac & cheese and fresh strawberries are his favorite foods.

We've been working on Ewan and Rowans language skills. They both hate expressive language. They hate to ask for anything. On Monday I forced Rowan to request his bottle. He laid down on his back, arched it, wailed, and then got up and threw about 15 toys AT me. Finally he went and just took Ewans bottle. Grrrr! When he calmed down enough to say "ah" I handed him the bottle and pretended to him that he had said "ba". Ewan says "Okay" and "yes" to everything, and doesn't know whats thats not enough. "Ewan, you want your bottle?" He says "Yes". I say "If you want your bottle, say ba, or say bottle" he says "Okay, yes". :-P Rowan does say "Cracker" very well, so I am treating him like a puppy and stringing him along all day giving him a cracker every time he will come and ask me for one! Today when I asked him to say "ba" he talked for 5 minutes straight, throwing his hands around, pointing at the bottle, frowning, fussing, and saying who knows what in toddler babble. All the while he was staring me directly in the eyes. Ewan, on the other hand is saying more different words, but Rowans pronunciation is better.

Matilda and Lucas are becoming so imaginative and they play games of pretend all day long now. Unfortunately Lucas's favorite pretend game is "poop". He likes to think of anything that he finds is "poop". Today he brought me a cookie and said it was "Munchkin poop". Now my chihuahua has never pooped in the house that Lucas has seen (she has had a few midnight accidents, but he hasn't seen them), and none of the kids have had diaper leaks, so where he got this I don't know, but he thinks its very interesting and funny. At dinner they had sherbert for dessert. Lucas had some that melted in the bottom of his bowl. He started stirring it with his spoon and told me he was "coloring eggs" for Easter. :-) He kept telling us his egg was "done".

This morning Tilly took "pictures" with her poptart "camera". She would hold her poptart up and say "Say Cheese mommy!". Tonight she brought me a "book" with her hands open wide but empty. I asked her the name of her book, and she said "Girl and the Toys". So, she sat on my lap, and asked me to read her book. Next, she brought Duane a book called "Peter Pan and the Treasure" and Duane read that to her. She stared down at the imaginary pages, and helped him turn the book. Lucas then brought Duane a "book", too. His was "Goodnight Train and the Treasure". We ended up lining all of us up in the floor, and we all rode a train through "Never Land" and then back home again. Everything right now is a "treasure" and they are both very in to Peter Pan still- Tilly is Wendy, Lucas is John, Ewan is Michael, and Rowan is Peter Pan. And they FLY everywhere.

Their aunt Aneena bought them all outfits for Easter- superman pj's and a Tinkerbell outfit for Tilly. Lucas loves to sleep in his, and this morning when I went to get them up, Tilly said "Boogie is a real super hero!" and Lucas said "I'm superman! I'm flying!". Its so cute and they are so precious and I think this age is my favorite so far.

Johanna's pictures

My friend Johanna played with photoshop and did these pictures for me- I love this!

Kids expressions

The kids have all been saying the cutest things lately. Yesterday Lucas really tugged at my heart. I was putting him and Tilly down for their nap, and to be honest, was agitated because they were jumping up and down, singing, etc. Giving very clear signals that the Nap Would Be Skipped. So, I laid them down and was pretending nothing was wrong and stroking Lucas's face singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", when he reached up and takes my hand in his. He pulled it to his face and said "Mommy". I said "What?" He said "Are you mad?" And his face had a searching look to it, and his eyes fixed on mine. I said "No, sweetheart, I am not mad, but I really want you to take your nap and be rested".

And Tilly- who knows how shes building her vocabulary, but she surprises us with words that we don't remember using, and haven't heard on Mickey Mouse. Yesterday she used two. When we went for a walk, she exclaimed "Oh, what a SPLENDID Day!" because it was bright blue outside and very nice spring weather. Then later she told me her dollhouse was "Magnificent".

Rowan counts to three. ALL DAY LONG. He counts if he is about to go down his slide, when I get him out of his crib, and when I change his diaper.

Ewan says "Okay" to everything. "Ewan you want a banana?" He says "Oh-Key". I say "Ewan you want your diaper changed?". He says "Oh-key". "Hey Ewan, you want butter on your head?" "Oh-key".

Tilly has been fighting bedtime. She tries to think of any excuse not to go to sleep. Last night Lucas asked for his robot. Lucas is into robots, cars, trucks, and bouncing balls. So, Duane told him his robot went "night night" and started to leave the room since everyone was tucked in when Tilly screams plaintively "Daddy, Boogie, neeeeeeeeds his robot!".

Yesterday Tilly brought me puppy and said he needed a bath. He was rather raunchy since he is her companion 15 hours a day. I tossed him in the washing machine on low, and turned around and was confronted by startled shrieks and and a very wide eyed expression. I calmly said "Puppy goes to a Day Spa for his bathes". This was not accepted rather well, and Tilly hovered over the laundry room for the next 20 minutes until Puppy was handed to her and set upon the counter to dry.

Lucas likes "cleaning up" and takes it upon himself to mop and sweep for me, as well as organize toys. Right this minute he is using the swifter in our dining room. I hope this isn't a "phase"! I like the help! :-P Lucas has also been enjoying drawing. He likes to sculpt trucks out of his stove top stuffing, and he draws "trees" with his green washable marker. He's very creative!

Easter

Twas the Night Before Easter

Twas the night before Easter and all through the home we inhabit
Not a creature was stirring- not even Ewan dressed up as a Rabbit




The boys were all bathed, and tidied up for the next day
All the previous days grub and dirt on Rowan washed away





The big twins had soaked and swirled their eggs around in dyes of green and pink
Taking great care to dip their hands in matching shades of the ink



Their hearts were content, their minds having focused
On the coloring of eggs and all sorts of hocus pocus




The resulting confections of Lucas' were as lovely as any Easter Van Gogh
Swathed in bright colors Matilda's egg looked like a regular Picasso






While I in my yoga pants and Da-da in his shorts
Had just laid down to take a respite of sorts
When down through the Chimney but what should appear
Four baskets of goodies, for the twins we hold dear!