Signs&Distractions

Summer is coming to an end. There are signs all over! The sun is setting early and the air is feeling cooler, fresher even.

I'm excited for fall but at the same time will miss the early afternoon swims with the gremlins.  I never thought they would take so well to getting down and dirty in the water and mud. But they are girls after my own heart. 

With the cooler months on their way it's become a stressful thought as to how to keep the twins occupied when we aren't able to go outside as much.(Don't even get me started on the warmer clothes shopping!)  

Currently we are up by 8am.  Breakfast (after a rush to the restroom) is finished within 20 minutes. We spend a good 20-30 minutes reading books...the same books..over and over again. :)  Then they like to cuddle and watch a couple blue's clues or Go Diego Go before mid morning snack break. They then promptly insist on going out side to play on their slides and with their water tubs or even swim.   Before we know it it's lunch time.

Lately though K has insisted on going inside early. Even though the weather is wonderful. We aren't sure why she does this?

This in turn means more time inside and more time they end up becoming bored.  They even prefer to ride their bikes inside rather than out. 

I've been searching Pinterest (yes I  too am drawn to the addiction that is Pinterest) frantically for ideas of toddler games and activities.

That's when I came across this blog: Simple Little Home with 40 Ways to distract a toddler. 

Many of these we already do but the majority of these I never even thought of!  

For example ZipLock bag painting! What a great idea that keeps the mess off the kids (most importantly your house).  It has  sensory feeling and is a way to bring out their creative side.

I really need to pick up on the mommy awesome and schedule a good hour of crafting/painting/creating etc.  before their nap time. 

Do YOU have any great ideas to keep a toddler from throwing herself to the lions in a fit of rage? ;)

Moving forward

Why am I so lucky? 

Drama happens everywhere with everyone. Everyone has problems and obstacles they have to overcome. No one life is the same. Which in turn makes it hard for others to understand the difficulty of your own. 

This little family has had their ups and downs but I'm trying really hard to put things into perspective. To realize that as long as we have each other we can overcome these obstacles and also realize that everyone is different and we just need to be there for one another. 

In the end I'm lucky for all that I have and am able to accomplish. 

Sorry for the quality of the photos. I haven't moved them from my Lappy to my Desktop yet so I'm using re-saved grainy images. :)

This summer has come and gone we have been so very busy. Our vacations have been amazing and the twins wont stop growing. 

I don't normally openly talk about our religious beliefs. Mostly due to the "book by it's cover" policy. If some people were to know that I grew up LDS many would instantly assume I was a specific way. Without getting to know the history behind everything leading to this point.

I have not been active in the church since I was 19. At which point I was a nursery teacher along side my mother. I enjoyed it. I love kids. I have always had second thoughts and doubts in my mind about the Church though. Mostly based on past experiences that I wont really go into at this point..maybe another day.

Anyway, once my parents moved back to Washington I stopped going. I moved to another city and just never got involved in my ward. Through my doubts though I never once doubted my belief in the LDS church at the roots.  Again, more I could go into but wont.

The dude is a convert and, as well, hasn't been active for years. So when we met, it wasn't an issue or even really discussed. Until we had kids.

Once the twins were born we both felt like all children should have some backbone or stepping stone, I should say, of religion. At this point it was a matter of getting the push to finally go.

With things being hard and us struggling with things as a family, I started to really miss the church. The feeling that I got learning the things I did and how much I really did enjoy it. The support and friendship that I found with others through the church. Even if I chose not to see it at the time. To me it's been hard to just show up one day and say "Hey, I really didn't like coming to church for the 2 years we've lived here, so never did..but I'm here now!" 

But like I said, with things how they've been we felt like now was the right time. I feel like that was a good sign though, that we didn't force it, we didn't push ourselves into something we really weren't ready for.  

Waiting for the time that we felt was right, to me, was perfect.

So far, we've been a few times. The gremlins love their nursery and don't even seem to notice us leaving them behind. 

The first couple attempts us worried parents accompanied by my parents support, sat in the hall every now and then checking on the twins. Assuming at some point they would realize we were gone and scream. Or so we hoped as an excuse not to attend class.

With a little nudge from my dad though we did finally go to Sunday school this last weekend.

I will honestly say I didn't hate it. The things we spoke of and hearing the opinions of others was very refreshing and interesting. Even the dude enjoyed it, although he did admit during a semi important part he was lost in deep thought about Batman.  I couldn't argue...I too get lost in the awesome that is Batman. 

Most of this is a ramble, vent even. Very probably confusing and lost in translation! But bottom line, I think we are moving forward in directions that we should be. We are growing and repairing as a family, with support from so many around us as well.  

It's those little events and "mooshy gooshy" feelings that make me realize how great things are. As well as how much I should hold on to the tiny moments in life. Even if it takes large steps and struggles to get those moments. 

Like this for example:

Taking O and K to the ocean for the first time. :)