Scenes from our potty party...

I am "pooped". 

 I really tried to make it a party... 

and, although it was not all fun... 

I'm calling it a total success! 

 (lesson learned: watching the twins and training beck 

was too much! 

 I sent Adrian out with the babes today and it made a big difference!)

We are at the end of day 3 and he has it figured out! 

 Hopefully, he can keep it up!

I did the thing where you have him teach a doll or teddy bear

how to use the potty first

and then we have kept it up the whole time.

I even did fake pee pee and poo poo in the potty and all.

I was totally skeptical going in...

but, he totally bought into it

and I think it really helped him learn

getting the undies on was a BIG step.

we had a few moments like this...

me hugging a terrified & crying Beck sitting on the potty

while both babes are crying hysterically in my lap.

good memories right there.

LOTS and LOTS of celebrating!

counter dance party!

peepee in the potty!

i consumed a lot of this 

and a lot of DDP, of course.

bribing the babes to be quiet & still for a few minutes

with M&Ms, Fruit Loops and TV.

tried to make it FUN!

SO SO PROUD of this sweet little man.

Potty party time

Wish us all some luck!!!

differences & bond

"Multiples don't walk around in lockstep, 

talking in unison, 

thinking identical thoughts. 

The bond for normal twins, 

whether they are identical or fraternal, 

is based on how they, 

as individuals who are keenly aware of the differences between them,

 learn to relate to one another"

-Pamela Patrick Novotny

(author of The Joy of Twins)

I came across this quote tonight and loved it.  

(medically, we don't know for sure whether Crew & McKay are identical or fraternal... 

but, i'm pretty certain that they are fraternal... my boys are  fairly different looking.)  

It is so interesting to see how different Crew and McKay are becoming-- 

in their looks, personality, development & behavior.... 

but, also to see the bond that is forming between them.  

here is a typical playtime at our house...

McKay totally focused and content playing with legos 

(or figuring out how some other toy works), 

while Crew is about to jump off the top of their little slide 

(or is throwing the toys around that McKay is patiently trying to figure out).


i could list a bunch of other differences between these boys...
(red hair, blonde hair...
green eyes, blue eyes...
one needs a lot of sleep & one doesn't
etc)
and, i can already see that they are aware of these differences
and are learning to relate to one another.
thus, forming that twin bond.

- if Crew loses his binky (which he LOVES), 

McKay is the first one to pick it up and put it back in Crew's mouth
(McKay has never taken the binky)

-McKay is the slower mover (isn't walking yet, while Crew is), 

but Crew always turns around to see if his brother is coming along

-Crew often teasingly mimics McKay when he is whining

-they will often reach over to find the others hand while riding in my side-by-side stroller

-they always seem to be aware of where the other is and what he is doing.

-if one starts crying, 

often the other will too.

-they give each other the sweetest & messiest kisses....
lately whenever i ask either of them to give kisses to anyone,
they give them to each other instead.
(it is as if "kisses" are only for each other.  so cute!)

-they will often happily talk & giggle for an hour or more
before falling asleep at nap or bed time.
(usually Crew is exhausted, while McKay isn't...
but, they usually both talk to each other until they both fall asleep)

So, there is a definitely a sweet bond
forming between these two...
they are learning how to relate to one another
despite being very different little boys!

we feel so blessed 
(and often a bit stressed!) 
to have twins in our family!

Beck, lately

Shoots...
my Beckley boy is one funny kid.

(well, at least we think so)

Here are some funny & cute things Beck has said lately:

"I don't have any more hugs or kisses today, sorry"

"I took a yong nap and now I'm not sick anymore. My nap took my cough to Heavenly & Father's house"

(He always says "Heavenly AND Father")

"I have good 'dea... We should get cozy on the couch"

(he says this one almost daily!)

In his prayers: "protect me from the mice, the moose & the guinea pig"

"But I'm not hungy. My stomach doesn't have a tongue anymore"

Beck: "hey..."

Me: "hay is for horses"

Beck: "no, hay is for baby Jesus to sleep on"

Sadly, I'm sure there are a lot I'm forgetting...

We sure love having this boy around to make us laugh!

(this is the face he makes as he says "UH?!")

brrr

It is cold in Utah these days!

super cold!!

but, that doesn't stop me and my crazy running girls 

from getting in our early morning runs!

(after having to take most of December off because of a hip injury, 

I'm just so excited to be running again!)

It's going to be warm tomorrow morning... only 25 degrees!

I like to...

move it... move it!

the hours from about 3-7PM are rough with little kids!

lately, 

(partly because it has been single digits cold outside!) 

we have been passing that time 

with dance parties, including a pit too, of course.

i think these boys have moves like their daddy!

twin love

It really is such a blessing to have twins...

although, there are plenty of times

that he doesn't feel like a blessing.

but, there are "twin moments"

that are the cutest thing ever.

Both of these pics were taken yesterday.

This one is of the twins snuggling...

when these two boys snuggle their faces up or kiss each other,

it is so dang cute.

this one is the twins climbing up our stairs

(a favorite activity lately)

Crew is faster than McKay.

but, Crew will stop every few steps and make sure that McKay is still coming.

so sweet.

We love our sweet & cute twins!

(Just hoping the crying will lessen a bit soon...?  please boys!?)

I know I'm cute

This is the face my McKay makes

when I think he wants to say

"yeah, I know I'm cute"

You sure are cute, Mac!

(this pic was taken in Hawaii

a few weeks ago...

love the sand face!)

what a difference a year makes?

well, not really...
this was my blog post almost exactly a year ago:

kairos

and, you know what...
i feel about the same way today.

but, i'll just keep on keeping on &...
Carpe a couple of Kairoses a day

dance party

We spent 2 weeks in Hawaii for Christmas 

which involved 4 airplane rides and driving to and from California... 

We are tired and still catching up on life back home.

Here is a little video that Adrian took tonight...

 super cute boys and fun dad...

 but, notice that my house is in complete chaos right now! 

 Oh well, I'm going to bed!

(please notice that McKay is head banging,

Beck is dancing on my books, 

& Crew is holding a syringe.

classy, eh?)