Grocery Shopping fun

For the past few weeks, we have had a new way of going grocery shopping and we love it. Typically I take the Double Stroller with car seats and he'll take the carts and we switch off each time. Frankly, the boys have been getting so big and so heavy that it's just easier to pick them up out of their seats and carry them in.

When my friend, Katie, mentioned to me that her twins ride in a double-seat belt grocery cart at their grocery store in Florida, I decided to be on the lookout for one at our store. I found one the other day and we LOVED it. So much easier!!

Aren't they cute?


It is SO nice to finally grocery shop together! Most of the time we'd split up and then have trouble finding one another. Plus I would stack way too many things in the stroller and then have a hard time getting it all out.

I have to admit that I don't drive it as I cannot steer very well and usually run into things. I leave that up to Christian who apparently has a drivers license for this type of vehicle.

First Blood

Such an original title huh?

Let me tell you the story.

I put the boys in their cribs for their morning naps. Payden sits up and then throws his pacifier out of the crib. He then pulls himself up to his knees in his crib and holds onto the railing. I'm only guessing that he started bouncing (which he LOVES to do) and hit his teeth and gums on the railing of the crib.

Here's what happened to the crib. There's also the side too.. I'm not sure if it happened here or on another day. Hopefully it's okay to eat wood.

I used a wet washcloth and got as much of the blood as I could out of his mouth. I know you're supposed to put pressure on it to try to stop the bleeding but he wouldn't let me. He was crying so hard because I'm sure it hurt plus he was SO tired. When it finally seemed to stop, I rocked him, sang to him and put him back in his crib for his nap.

I will have to take a closer look to see if his teeth were damaged in any way. I guess there's a first for everything. I think I am going to have Christian lower the cribs today so he can't just "knee" up anymore. Maybe that will motivate him to pull up with his feet and it will probably happen again.

High School Basketball Game

We live right next door to a private high school. It is for grades 7-12 and costs an extremely high amount of money per year to send your children there.

Anyway, Christian is treating a high school senior there and he is a basketball player. After we fed the boys last night we walked over with the boys bundled up in hoodie sweatshirts and their snow suits. It was quite hard to walk on snow and ice and trying not to fall. I feel like I don't have good balance anyway but then to add a baby. Whoa!

When we got to the ticket table, Christian said, "I'm Blake's* Physical Therapist and they let our little family right in. The boys had a blast watching the games and playing on the gym floor. I was so surprised that they lasted so long. When we got there the girls game was still going on and we had to wait 40 min till the boys started. We got to watch the first quarter where Blake had a series of assists and 3 point shots! Blake is also a twin, so that made it fun too!

When the boys got upset, we decided to make a break for it and go home so we could put them to bed. Maybe we should have brought bottles there and watched more.. I'm sure Christian would have favored that.

Here is a picture from that game! Some of those kids would have literally towered over me. Okay so almost every player was taller than me, I admit it!

*Name has been changed

New Developments

So this last week has been one of many firsts for Patrick and Payden. I wanted to make mention of it because it's been a lot of fun to watch them grow and catch onto things.

One of the cutest things that has been going on for awhile is Patrick knows his Da Da. I have a book with a picture of Daddy and Mommy and we point to Daddy and ask him Who's this? He will look right at you and say, "da da." Sometimes he will just whisper it. So cute!

Tuesday:

• Patrick learned how to hit the musical ladybug on the exersaucer to make it play music. He hit it over and over again. I think this finally clicked from playing at their Christmas Leap Frog Play Table where he has to hit something to make it play music.
  
• Payden crawled 4-5 knees at a time in the kitchen. It was amazing. I'm not sure but maybe it's easier on tile for him. Then again, maybe he is dragging his knees.
  
• Patrick pulled himself up to his knees to the couch and also another time trying to get something. This has been something I have been working with him a lot with. I was excited it finally paid off!! :)
• Patrick also has been rocking and rocking and rocking on his hands and knees. This has been happening for a few weeks. He is still moving backwards and getting stuck places but he's learning!
  

Wednesday:

• Patrick was rocking on his hands and knees and then went to sitting up by himself. I was so surprised. I put him on his stomach and watched him do it again. He has yet to do it in his crib yet. I don't know if I am ready for that yet!
  
• Payden crawled to Christian and I so well. He went 4-5 knees and is so close!
  
• Patrick and Payden are both now waving bye bye with their right hand. It is so precious! Patrick's is a little more coordinated when Payden is a little more floppy but they understand!

I am going to be working with them a lot! I so want them crawling by their 1st birthday in only 11 more days! So crazy!

* New development on Thursday - BOTH boys were sitting up in their cribs when I got them up from naps!

Adventures in Eating Out With Twins!

For Christmas we received a few Gift Cards for some restaurants around our town. We really enjoy going out to new places and of course we have our favorites. Since we had the boys, this was something that we just had to cut out from our budget. We just didn't have the money for it. Since then, Christian has lost over 30 lbs by just eating at home; not to mention healthier too.

Here are some of our experiences from the 2 places that we went to over the last couple weeks.

On the Border:

• Boys did super super well. We had many comments about the boys how cute they looked and people asking if they were really twins. I can't count how many times we get asked that question!
  
• I ordered a yummy Burrito and it was made wrong. Tons of Onions! The Waiter apologized and then didn't end up charging us for it all. Then he also threw in extra chips and salsa. I guess he didn't want any complaint from us.
  
• We did feel bad as there were things all over the floor. I need to research what the proper etiquette is for taking kids out to eat.
  
• As the couple next to us were leaving they said, "Those were the best behaved kids at a restaurant, we've ever seen. I wondered if they were just saying that because I didn't think they were ALL that good. Maybe they were trying to give us a boost!
  
• Patrick decided he wanted salsa and made a grab for it and almost had it ALL over the front of him.
• High chairs were a little open for our boys who kept slouching and it made it harder to feed them... Next time I wonder if it would be better to bring their boosters.
  

Apple-bee's

• A whole bunch of, "how cute, are those twins." and another comment, "they look just like dolls."
  
• Love the high chairs and it kept them right at the table and they really loved it. They actually seemed to eat better or maybe they were just hungrier, I don't know.
  
• As we left, an older gentleman told us, "I really enjoyed watching you and your little children, they were so cute." That really made us feel good!
  

Plus the food was yummy too.. Although taking kids out to eat doesn't give you much time to really "enjoy" the food but you enjoy it all the same because it's not the same foods we cook all the time either. Plus it gets me OUT of the house! Yay for that!

2010 in Pictures

The year 2010 was a pretty amazing, incredible year. We learned so much and were blessed doubly in so many ways.

Warning: picture heavy post is ahead.

Our little family first began like this:

Then in February of 2005, we added our beloved pug, Maddie.


And last year, 2010, we became parents of our beautiful, twin boys, Patrick and Payden.

Day by day, and month by month they grew and grew.

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

September 2010

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

Now an updated family picture:

2010 Christmas Card and Letter

Here is our 2010 Christmas Card and letter that we sent out. I apologize to those that didn't get one. As funds were short this Christmas, we mostly only sent them to family. I really wanted to send them to friends too but this will have to do.

The Card is a beautiful product of Shutterfly.



This year, 2010, has been a wonderful year for our family. On January 24^th, we welcomed twin boys, Patrick and Payden to our home in Covington, Washington. Since their birth we have realized how grateful we were for a good night’s rest but rose to the task of raising our two sons

In April, Christian was offered a job with Therapy Works in Lawrence, Kansas. Through time and prayer, we knew that this is where the Lord wanted us to be. We were excited about the offer of a good salary, a substantially lower cost of living and also the close proximity to Christian’s family in Lenexa. On the other hand, we were very sad about the friends that we would miss in Washington and the close distance it was to Valerie’s immediate family. In the first week of May, we made the journey to Lawrence to begin our new life together.

Patrick and Payden are now almost 11 months old and each day are learning new things. They love their pug sister, Maddie, and love to pull her tail while she licks them in order for them to release it. Patrick is full of so much energy and is always talking up a storm. If it isn’t screams and grunts, it’s Mamama and Dadada. He absolutely loves his Johnny Jump up and will just jump and jump and jump; of course screaming all the while. Payden has just learned to sit himself up unassisted from his stomach and has a silly grin on his face each time he does it. He is so close to crawling; it is only a matter of time until he is crawling all over the room. We know once he does, life will be forever changed. J He has also started saying what sounds very much like Hi and always does when Christian gets home from work.

As for our life now, it just keeps getting better and better as parents of these two little boys. We will be forever grateful for them and what a memorable year they have given us!

We love you!

Merry Christmas!

Christian, Valerie, Patrick, Payden, and Maddie Benedict