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Happy Father’s Day

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (1)· June 21st, 2009

Hope everyone out there is having a lovely day.

As you can see, I went for the same gift as last year: a trio of framed photos spelling out DAD. Unlike last year, however, I was unable to cajole the kids into standing together with the letter A. Darn mobile toddlers. As it is, it’s a miracle I got these photos taken. There was about a one-hour window wherein it was a) not raining; b) M wasn’t home to ruin the “surprise”; and c) I actually had a functional camera.

Anyways, we’ve let him sleep in a bit. Now I’m off to make a little breakfast and deliver it upstairs, then I think we’ll hit the pool.

Happy Father’s Day, one and all!

Comments (1)

Categories : Holidays, Photos, Toddlers

Tags : father's day

Kismet

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (13)· June 19th, 2009

Alright, so you know I broke my camera. It was very, very sad for someone who can easily knock out 1,000+ shots in a given month. But, fine, time for an upgrade. Decided that I really wanted the D80. D60 isn’t much of an upgrade (especially since they kind of re-vamped the lower-level models, it’s arguably not as nice as my older D50), D90 is the new hotness but entirely too expensive. D80 is the winner, except it’s discontinued. Find a factory refurbished floor model online for the same price as the new D60 in stores. Even got it with a new lens and some other goodies. Great.

Tracking info on UPS said it was out for delivery. Stayed home all afternoon in case it would need a signature, and it finally arrived at 5:45pm. Annoyed that I missed what would probably be the last sunny day in Boston until the apocalypse, I did manage a few shots outside after dinner. Already, I’m in love, especially with the wide angle of my new lens. Remember how I talked about my yard full o’ plastic? Couldn’t take a good picture because my 50mm lens couldn’t get the whole thing in a particularly good shot. 18mm, on the other hand…

I swear, I don’t live on 3 acres. But I can get the whole yard in one shot with that bad boy zoomed all the way out. Another fun effect is that I can take a picture of the kids when they’re standing right in front of/below me. Makes me feel about 19 feet tall.

But, then, I noticed some funny things about my new camera. Ports on the side that seemed unusual. Options in the menu that my model doesn’t support. Strange buttons that I had no idea what they do. Eventually, I figured, I’d read the manual and find out what they all are for.

Then, I was uploading some of the new pictures to my computer. Usually, iPhoto automatically recognizes the camera that you’re using. But it didn’t say D80. That’s strange. Wait a second. Let me look at the front of that camera. Nope. It does not say D80.

It says D90.

They sent me a D90, with all 12.3 of its megapixels, and all of it’s video capabilities, and all of it’s $1200 hotness.

No. No, I will not be informing the company of the mix-up, thank you very much. I’m just going to sit here and revel in my good fortune.

Because, clearly, it was meant to be.

Comments (13)

Categories : Photos

Close-ups, 21.5 months

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (8)· May 22nd, 2009

We had a gorgeous, if rather hot, day yesterday. Lots of playing outside. And for whatever reason, I was in a close-up kind of photography mood. These were, well, too good not to share. Here you go, my big kids, 21-and-a-half months.

Comments (8)

Categories : Photos, Toddlers

Fx4 – Spring has Sprung!

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (3)· March 27th, 2009

Play along with Candid Carrie for the Friday Foto Finish Fiesta!

What a wonderful turnaround from last week. The last several weeks, even. I have just felt like I couldn’t catch a break. One illness after another, passing slowly through each member of the house (except, possibly, the dog). Illness. Cold. Rain. Snow. General toddler malaise / tantrum / discontent. It sucked. It kicked my ass but good. I know I have a tendency to put on a brave face and/or generally roll with the punches. But man. That sucked.

This week, though, was literally and figuratively like sunshine and roses compared to the last month. The sun came out! The temperatures stayed above freezing! The kids were less inexplicably insane! Huzzah!

Not to jinx myself, but it finally felt like we had a nice string of really good days. Generally happy kids, fun outings, successful classes, good naps. There’s got to be some karmic payback in parenting for some of the really shitty days, and this week was it.

The highlight of the week was spending nearly two hours at a new playground with some friends on Wednesday afternoon. It was a great little playground – big enough that there was plenty of variety for the kiddos, small enough that it was possible to keep an eye out for them with a 1:2 adult:child ratio, and completely fenced in.

It was over 50 degrees (practically a heat wave!) and sunny. The kids remembered each other and wanted to play with one another (sorta). The two moms got the occasional snippets of conversation accomplished in between preventing injury and assisting climbing.

Oh, Spring. It’s so nice to have you back. May we have a long, fun season on the playground. (With minimal injuries, please…) And let the fun parts of twin toddlers outweigh the crappy ones.

Comments (3)

Categories : Out and about, Photos, Toddlers

Tags : playground, Spring

Transition, a photo-story

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (10)· March 25th, 2009

First day in the high chairs, more than a year ago. Little babies, getting over a flu, not so sure what they think about their first taste of sweet potatoes.

Fast-forward, and I have two daring toddlers who have discovered a love for sitting at the table (or, as Daniel says, “peeebow! sit! sit!” Plus, I have started itching to get rid of the high chairs that seem to collect so much residual nastiness after every meal.

But old table is too small to serve both duties: meal space for the kids and counter space for mom (which is woefully lacking in our not-quite-right kitchen). A trip to the furniture store, and the ideal table is found. Counter-height, 36 x 48, four chairs with backs. On clearance, no less! Pick it up in two days.

Big kids enjoying one of their last meals in the high chair (ravioli with pesto). My, how time flies! Using utensils, eating real foods. So big.

After bed, M and I lugged the huge box in from the van, and made friends with a couple of Allen wrenches. M’s comment: “this is what we take pictures of, now?”

A few hours later, it’s complete. Doesn’t match my kitchen at all, but I could care less. It’s exactly what I was looking for. Though I fear for the scratches and water stains… will have to make some kind of mat/tablecloth. Still, though, isn’t it lovely? Boosters installed, as the kids are still too short. Four chairs!! Soon, family dinners.

Breakfast time! New “peeebow.” Kids got a kick out of it, and didn’t even scratch it up (yet). Daniel pointed out the animals on his new placemat. Rebecca continually reminded me that her cup is blue (“boooo!”). How time flies. My big kids.

Comments (10)

Categories : Feeding, Photos, Toddlers

Tags : booster seats, high chairs

Makes My Monday – Signs of Life

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (10)· March 16th, 2009

Cheryl hosts Makes My Monday at Twinfatuation.

And don’t forget to enter my Tag Reader giveaway!

There are finally, finally hints of Spring here in Massachusetts. Nearly all of the snow is gone, save for a few little patches in shady spots of the yard. The kids played outside both days this weekend, once even without coats. The forecast says we’re supposed to have high temperatures in the 40s and 50s for the next week or more. And not a moment too soon, if you ask me.

While playing outside with the kids this weekend, I remembered the entry from Pioneer Woman Photography the other day on her addiction to Bokeh. Well, with that in mind, I had to document the very first signs of Spring in my yard with my aperture thrown way open. Behold, the azaleas next to my front door, and the lilac bushes that are my front hedge. Soon… soon the flowers will come…

The kids are all set to take care of the lawn this year. Who needs landscapers when your kids love the garden hose? And why do I suspect they will not like it nearly so much when it’s turned on?

Comments (10)

Categories : Photos

Tags : Spring

Fx4 – Balmy February

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (9)· February 27th, 2009

[See more of Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta!]

To say I’m tired of winter is a vast understatement. I miss going outside, I miss the fresh air. I’m tired of winter jackets and losing little mittens. Much of the snow has finally melted, and while I’m glad for that, it makes right now about the ugliest time of year. Dead grass, mud, no leaves on the trees, and lots of leftover salt and sand on the sidewalks. And still cold. Today, though, is one of those random lucky days in February in New England. It was in the high 50s and sunny before lunchtime today. I could almost forget how ugly my backyard looks, because the kids were so thrilled to be outside without jackets, and without freezing their little noses right off.

It’s not to last. It’s only a few hours later, and the clouds have rolled back in. Tomorrow’s high is back down to 40, and it’ll be back below freezing for the next several days after that. Just makes me all the more happy that we took advantage of the sun while it was out.

Oh, and I’m so in love with these little sweatsuits that I just bought them! They’re from Old Navy, they’re on sale, and I am going to have to buy them again in another color. I wanted to get more sweatpants for them to wear to gymnastics class. Plus, they’re perfect for playing outside before it’s warm enough to ditch another layer. (Here’s where to find Daniel’s sweatshirt and pants, as well as Rebecca’s sweatshirt and pants.)

Comments (9)

Categories : Out and about, Photos, Toddlers

Tags : playing outside

Way Back When-esday

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (5)· February 25th, 2009

I love this feature of Cheryl’s, over at Twinfatuation. But as I’ve been blogging since before my kids were born, I sometimes feel like I don’t have much “way back” to share that hasn’t been covered.

But, lo and behold, I went looking in my iPhoto library for pics from a year ago. Of course, all of the photos are so familiar to me, but much to my surprise, I realized I’d never shared these! I think I just didn’t post pictures quite as frequently last year…

So, without further ado, here are my kiddos. Almost exactly one year ago, today.

Daniel, as he could usually be found at that age (almost 7 months old), was hanging out in the exersaucer and chewing on the various animals attached to it. With a bit of the ever-present spitup, just for good measure. It’s so funny to me how much he looks the same. Just an older, slightly less pudgy version of that very same baby.

Then there’s Rebecca. Blue eyes not yet gone the sort of hazel that they are now. Not much hair to speak of. Just hanging out with Daddy. Her look seems to change more, for me. Maybe it’s just the degree to which hair can change your appearance, but I feel like her face did a lot more changing over a longer period of time.

Comments (5)

Categories : Infants, Photos, Reminiscing

Makes My Monday – Fashion Edition

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (18)· February 23rd, 2009

Cheryl at Twinfatuation hosts Makes My Monday. What makes your day today?

For me, it has to be Daniel’s fashion sense, or at least his ideas about clothing. To start, the sleep sack. We are still using Halo Sleep Sacks for all naps and overnight, the only exception being a few particularly warm and feverish days in Florida. Sometimes after nap, when I ask Daniel if I should take his off, he very clearly says “no.” (Except in his super-cute Daniel way, which is more like “no?”) Who am I to argue, as long as we have nowhere to be?

For those who take their babies out of sleep sacks at 8 or 9 months because they think it will interfere with mobility? Ha, I say! Ha! Daniel walked around for a solid 30 minutes in that thing, completely zipped up. As long as it isn’t a size too small (we still have some mediums hanging around), he has no problems.

Eventually, though, he did decide that it was alright if I took it off. Mostly so that he could put on his jacket. And Daddy’s shoes. And insist that we go outside. But give me a big huge NO if I suggest that maybe we need pants when it’s cold out.*

Who am I to argue when he has such a definitive idea of what is appropriate to the situation?

*We did not, in fact, go outside without pants. In case you were wondering.

Comments (18)

Categories : Photos, Toddlers

Tags : clothing, sleep sacks

Fx4 – Toddler Gymnastics

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (8)· February 20th, 2009

It’s another Friday, and time for Carrie’s Friday Foto Finish Fiesta!

We’ve started an awesome new class at The Little Gym. They have parent-child gymnastics up to age 3 (at age 3, they start doing independent kid classes). And if you’ve got a little monkey on your hands like I do, toddler gymnastics is the way to go!

The Little Gym has all of the characteristics I like in a class (unlike my nemesis, Gymboree). There’s structure and routine (songs, warmup, exploring, activities, bubbles, goodbye), but while the adults are strongly encouraged to model participation in each activity or song, it’s more than acceptable if the kid decides to wander off on the mats. Age-appropriate, and twin-friendly. Hooray!

There’s fine-motor activities like sticks and bells. There’s tons of gross motor running around, swinging from the uneven bars, learning how to roll down an incline, and even walk on the balance beam. My kids loved it. Rebecca liked doing a log roll, and after one or two demonstrations, LOVED climbing up on the mat, leaning forward to grab the bar, and swinging on her own! Then she’d let go, land on her feet, and repeat. What a monkey.

Daniel loved it, too. And was particularly receptive to help from our teacher, Miss Erika.

My kids are currently the oldest ones in the class, as the stated age range is 10-18 months. We may switch to the next age group (19 mo – 2.5 yrs) in a couple of weeks. There are good parts to being the oldest, but once they’re really comfortable on the equipment, it might be nice to be the youngest and have older kids to look up to.

The only down side is the cost. It’s an expensive class, and they only give a 10% discount on the second child. Plus, it’s about a 20-week semester, so that really adds up. A few sessions in, though, and it feels like money well spent. It’s clean, very accessible, teachers are enthusiastic and friendly, and they have a very generous make-up policy if you need to go on a different day. Plus, if you’re unhappy, you can withdraw and get a refund for the remainder of the term. I’ll take it!

Comments (8)

Categories : Learning/Classes, Photos, Toddlers

Tags : gymnastics, The Little Gym