Happy Halloween!

Introducing Alice in Wonderland and The Mad Hatter...




We had a really busy afternoon and evening today! Our neighborhood has a Halloween Carnival with lots of fun things for the kids to do. I think Rush and Sydney Frances were both slightly overwhelmed by all of the kids in costumes, snacks, games, and people. Mostly, they looked like this the whole time...

So, I would say they had fun, but I don't know if they did. I think next year they will understand the whole idea a little better and be more comfortable. They did "go fishing", get some Halloween stickers, and have some popcorn. They also played "Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin" and the "Witch Hat Ring Toss."







Don't get too excited, Rush.



They got a little more excited after we got home and started talking about going Trick or Treating. We did a little trial run, and I put some candy in their pumpkins. That seemed to do the trick.





Getting ready to leave...


The transportation...


The first stop! This family had candy in a bowl on their porch. It was a good place to start. No pressure! Ha!



We made it to around 10 houses or so. They really did a great job and were much more willing to go up to the doors than I thought they would be. My favorite part of the night was Rush's reaction at each door. After being given a piece of candy, he would just stand there and stare. I think it was all a lot of hype for just a little bit of candy. Ha! He just kept standing there like he was waiting for the big deal to happen. More than one person commented on it, and I thought it was so funny! One guy even said, "I feel like I should invite him in or something. I don't think the candy was enough." Hahahaha!!

After the festivities.. checking out the goodies!


Fun night!

Pumpkin Patch

This past weekend, we went to a pumpkin patch in a nearby town. It was "out in the country" but also happened to be just outside my Dad's hometown. It was a fun Sunday afternoon outing! It took us around twenty minutes to get there, so we took along a snack for the road trip.

Candy Corn mixed with salted peanuts...my new favorite Halloween snack! If you haven't ever tried this combo, you won't believe how delicious it really is mixed together. Just buy a bag of candy corn and a can of salted peanuts and mix them together in a big container using a wooden spoon. Then, EAT the candy corn at the same time you are eating a peanut. It tastes just like a Payday candy bar. YUM! It also makes trips to the pumpkin patch even MORE fun!

I found out that the family that operates this pumpkin patch camps at the farm each Fall on the weekends when the patch is open to the public. I saw campers and other signs of camping while we were there. What a fun place for their kids to hang out each Fall! There was lots to do... hay ride, train (kiddie) ride, homemade ice cream, concession stand, inflatable jumpy things, wide open spaces to play, and of course, pumpkins.. in a patch! I think with the weekend being the one before Halloween, the pumpkins were somewhat picked over, but it was still interesting to see how they grew. We saw some really big ones and even some white ones. There was a sweet couple there that offered to take a family picture, so we got a picture with the biggest pumpkin there. We didn't buy a pumpkin this time because we already had two pumpkins at home. I want to turn those pumpkins into boy/girl twin pumpkins. Our neighborhood has a pumpkin decorating contest, so we may try to win "Most Fun" by creating "twin pumpkins"! {If I get around to actually doing this, I will be sure to post pictures.}
















You just looked at those last two pictures and thought, "Huh?" Didn't you? We do not live in Kansas nor are we Chiefs fans, but Phil has a knack for finding pieces of Americana wherever he travels. Want to know the most interesting part? He buys it all in gas stations. The twins will have a random collection of these little pieces of "history". They also have a Betty Boop bobble head that does a hula dance. Just what every kid needs, right? Phil thought the kids just had to have this little gem. I have to admit... Rush loved it! He yelled "NUMBA ONE!" all the way home and made us laugh. Actually, the kids always love these little things that Phil buys because he makes them fun. It's the little things, right.

Later that day, Auburn was ranked number one in the BCS Standings. That was super fun, too! :-) A perfect way to end the day!

ABC Song

Sydney Frances and Rush have been practicing the ABC song on the way to and from daycare each day. Rush knows it, too, but he was NOT interested in singing as you will see. He had already told me that he wouldn't be participating, but then he joined in, so I tried to swing him into view. He only made it to G. See, he figured out that you can actually see stuff if you are behind the digital camera, so now I may never get another picture of him. He stayed in my lap while Frantastic did a little performance for everyone. Hope you enjoy!

First Dentist Visit

We had a big milestone yesterday!! See these two cheesers???



The twins went to the dentist for the first time. I absolutely loved the pediatric dentist that we saw. Her patients (and everyone else) call her Dr. Keri, which is her first name. I think that is cute and kid-friendly. She was so good with the kids, and the hygienists were excellent as well. This visit was simply to check their teeth. The pediatrician felt like there might be a small issue between Rush's two front teeth because they overlap a little. So, he recommended that we see a dentist sooner rather than later. So, of course, I called the next day to make appointments. Ha! I'm not sure he meant THAT soon, but you know me. :-) Notice that in a previous sentence I used the word appointmentS. We had Fran's scheduled for the morning and Rush's scheduled for the afternoon. We learned that lesson at the two year checkup. It actually worked out really well (although I spent the better part of the day at the dentist) because I got to spend some one on one time with each of them. That doesn't happen as often as I would like for it to happen, so it was a good time to read some books with them in the waiting room, chat in the car, etc.

Each visit started with letting them color at a little table. They had coloring sheets of all the "hip" preschool cartoons. SF chose Dora, and Rush got Diego, even though he doesn't really know much about Diego. Then, the hygienist came to sit with them at the table and talk to them. She asked them to show her their teeth {which neither of them did... there was just some staring}. Then, the dentist came in and asked them to sit in the chair. They did let me go back with them since they are so young, but they like to have the "No Parent" Rule by the time they are three. I am fine with that. Honestly, I think they might have done better if I hadn't been back there this time, but I just did what they told me to do. :-)

There is a question on the New Patient paperwork that asks:

Do you think your child will be a cooperative dental patient?

You are supposed to check "Yes" or "No". On SF's paper work, I very lightly penned a question mark. Because, well, if you have met her, you know that she is not really down with strangers. So, her reaction was not something I could predict.

Rush's paper work had a very firm "YES" checked.

I think I have heard before that my children will prove me wrong over and over again. Never say never...

SF did cry a little bit, but she was able to keep herself under control. Rush? Don't ask. I have never.. never.. never.. seen my child react to anything in that manner. He was THAT kid in the dentist's office. Oh well.. guess what?

NO CAVITIES!!! They are both now proud members of the "No Cavity Club". There name will be on the website and stuff. Guess what else? Even if you act like you have been attacked and tortured in the dental chair, they still let you pick out a really cool ball and two stickers. Rush waved at everyone when he left, so we aren't left without hope for the next visit. Dr. Keri said six months can make a huge difference in maturity. So we hope...

Being Two

Lots of things to remember lately! The kids have just been so different. They really seem to be becoming toddlers. They are both talking away. Although Sydney Frances has been doing that for a while, she has some pretty good sentences going now. Rush has really started using so many more phrases lately. It was like a switch went off when he turned two. "I am supposed to be talking? Oh. OK." I had more than one friend tell me that their boys really took off with talking right after two, and that has certainly been the case here. Frannie takes after her Mama and has been interested in telling people what she thinks for a while.


Fran Speak:

Sydney Frances keeps us entertained with all of her talking. She always has something to say. Some thoughts are rather random. But, others express her rather strongly felt opinions.
- "bow tail" {This is what she called her pony tail for a few weeks. It was a pony tail with a bow in it, so I guess she had the right idea. You have to cherish these moments, though. The bowtail phase has already passed. Now, she calls it a pone-tail.

- "I cute... as can be." {She tells us this when she thinks she is looking pretty cute. I wonder where she has heard this before?}

- "Hey! Stop dat!" {This is what she said to me in the car on the way home when I started singing a Garth Brooks song that came on the radio. I always knew that I didn't have a singing voice, but who needs it to be confirmed by a two year old?}

- "I no want bowtail." {See above.}

-" Das enough, Wush!" {Translated to.. "That's enough, Rush!" He was crying about nothing when he got out of the tub a couple of nights ago. Apparently, she had heard enough for one night. Wonder where she has heard this before? Ha!}

-" I snuggle." {Translated to.. "I want to snuggle. Come sit with me and let me curl up with you. Ahhh... my idea of heaven. I love that she is so snuggly.}

Rush's new sayings:

-"I tay cahs. Go owside." {Translated to.. "I take cars. Go outside." His two favorite things are his cars and being outside with them.}

- "I sowwy, Tee-ta." {Translated to.. "I sorry, Sister." He is required to say this one pretty regularly because he's a boy and wants to play a bit more aggressively than his sister.} P.S. "I sowwy, Wush" is also a frequent saying. We do lots of apologizing around here lately. Someone is always being pushed or shoved.

-"I need pwate." {Translated to..."Where is my plate, Mama? Good grief! You are taking forever to get my supper on the table!!"}

-"I scuggle." {Translated to: "I snuggle." This means he wants to be held. It doesn't happen often because he is usually too busy with his cahs. So, when he says it, I just have to soak it in!}

One of my favorite things that Rush does right now is just start talking away. It sounds somewhat like jibberish, but he gets a very earnest look on his face and nods his head and seems to completely be making sense to himself. I am sure more of this will become clear in the coming months, but for now, I am just enjoying the cuteness of it all.

These are a few of my favorite things the twins are up to right now as we enjoy the second month of being TWO! The weight and height stats are from a very traumatic two year old checkup. It was traumatic for Phil and me.. not the twins. They were a real handful. My children are usually good when we are in public. Most fit-pitching and sassy mouths are reserved for home. I know those things come with the territory, and it is our job to teach them to behave properly. I just prefer that we get to do that at HOME. There is no time out mat at the Pediatric Clinic, and I don't know how they would feel about a spanking with a Sad Spoon right there in front of everyone. Things went from bad to worse and by the end of the visit, Phil accidentally put Fran's dress on backwards. I put Rush's shoes on the wrong feet. No, I'm not kidding. We were FRAZZLED. I was sweating. That is never a good sign. Anyway, we survived and learned that the twins will never... I repeat NEVER.. have a joint checkup again until they are old enough to ground or take away a phone or something. Ha! They have dentist appointments scheduled this month. Frantastic will go first in the morning. Rush will follow after nap in the afternoon. I'm sure there will still be stories to tell from that adventure.


Phillip Rush:
Weight: 23 lbs. 6 oz. (Still fighting to catch up a little.. but he is getting there...)
Height: 32 3/4 inches

-loves cars
-favorite songs: Old McDonald Had a Farm and If You're Happy and You Know It
{Although, according to Rush, the only animal on the farm is a CHICK.}
-feels very strongly that no one else should be allowed to touch his cars
-loves to play and can be very silly
-rambunctious and full of energy
-can be a dare-devil... he will jump, dive, swing, or flop on/from anything
-can also be a loner and play by himself for long periods of time (unlike SF)
-very ticklish (makes him laugh uncontrollably.. which is pretty fun)
-loves Sydney Frances and does not like to see her cry
-brings SF her favorite toys if she is crying
-has now had several hair cuts and still has great wavy/curly hair
-is a great eater, but can be a little picky
-favorite foods are fruit, mashed potatoes, chicken, applesauce, and yogurt
-is pretty tough when he gets hurt... can usually shake off most things, so if he cries you know he is really hurt.
-favorite books: Cock A Moo Moo, Llama Llama Red Pajama, and Good Night Moon
-sleeps in his toddler bed
-sitting in a booster seat at the kitchen table
-adores playing outside at Sue Sue's house (daycare)
-loves his family {When we all sit on the couch, he says, "We togetha." Then, he smiles really big.}
-has his Mama wrapped around his finger



Sydney Frances:
Weight: 25 lbs. 4 oz.
Height: 33 inches

-is a "Mama's girl"
-loves to give hugs and kisses
-loves the television show "Barney". {I always swore that my children would not watch Barney because I truly hate Barney. I have to have some way to get some sort of food on the table each evening,though. This is the only way that I have found that will allow me to do this without having to also play the role of referee. It makes me in a bad mood to have to be a cook and a referee.. so Barney it is. I just try to tune his annoying self out.}
-favorite toys: stroller and bunny
-favorite books: Llama Llama Red Pajama, Cock a Moo Moo, and Good Night Moon
-can recite most of Cock A Moo Moo and Good Night Moon.. by heart... just at random times
-OK eater... can be picky
-favorite foods: yogurt, applesauce, french fries, and grits
-can be a little bossy/sassy (I secretly love it, although I am not sure how those traits will mix with her bossy/sassy Mama when she is a teenager.) :-)
-takes care of Rush (tries to help him get dressed, put on shoes, etc.)
-knows many shapes (circle, square, triangle, cross, and even some more complex shapes like oval, pentagon, hexagon, and octagon) Gigi gets credit here because she tirelessly empties this shape thingy we had when we were little and helps her get the shapes back in and name them. Now, she can pretty much do it by herself. Some of the -agons are mumbled a little.. but still.. she IS only two. :-)
-favorite songs: Bringing Home a Baby Bumble Bee and If You're Happy and You Know It
-loves Rush and always wants him to be with her when she wakes up in the morning. She doesn't want him to be asleep if she is awake. So, she yells at him. "WUUUUSHHHH. Wake up!" as she peers into his crib. If he is still pretty sleepy, he will scream out "NO, Tee-ta!" It makes us laugh.. even at 6:15 am on a Saturday morning.

This post may be a work in progress because I always think of things that I want to remember about them. I am getting tired for tonight and have to get ready for our day tomorrow, so I will close for now.