A Typical Day

This post is dedicated to a day in the life of twins Paige and Taylor and me…

Well, here it goes, I’ve decided to record one of our days. It’s not the most exciting of days, but even in the daily happenings of today, when multiplying the experiences by 2 with various moods and temperaments thrown in…well, then it starts to get pretty interesting. Enjoy.

Today is Monday, and here is how said day begins:

Upon waking: I am assisting Taylor with getting dressed for the day; meanwhile, Paige is making, well, let’s just say, she is making bottom noises. So, I ask her, “Paige, is your bottom making noises?” To my question, Paige replied, “No, it’s a horn making noises.” After laughing quite a good laugh, I then asked her, “Paige, is your bottom making horn noises?” To my question, Paige then replied with a simple, “YES”. So, there it is, as of today, we have officially coined a new household term to refer to any noises that originate from the twins’ bottoms as “horn noises”.

Moving on: An occupational therapy appointment is scheduled for 9:00 AM at clinic. Although 9:00 AM is certainly NOT exceptionally early, it is still a challenge getting all 3 of us out the door. And breakfast? Well, that consisted of 2 right-from-the-baker’s-oven donuts with green sprinkles on top from a nearby store. The girls nibbled on their donuts as I sipped on my morning Starbucks as we were en route to therapy.

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Occupational therapy proceeds smoothly and uneventfully for the hour at the clinic and come 10:00 sharp, we are leaving the clinic – and I with some new at-home strategies and exercises to do.

10:00 AM: I receive a somewhat frenzied phone call from Mike whereby I am requested to meet him at the Airport to then take him to his office. (Hadn’t planned on this extra outing, but alas, we made a mad dash to the Airport then to Mike’s office)

11:30 AM: At last, we’re back home and free play and free time can begin. The girls spend some time playing with their toys and dolls in the family room while also enjoying a mid-morning snack. I multi-task – check my emails, check my FaceBook pages, switch over laundry, do dishes, pay some bills – until it’s time for lunch.

12:30 PM: Lunch is offered. Neither Paige or Taylor would eat any of their lunch, but did drink most of their milk.

1:00 PM: Naptime.

1:30 PM: Naptime continues…I however make my first trip into the twins’ room only to discover that Taylor and Paige have completely undressed themselves. I help them get back in their PJs and settled into their beds and remind them that “this is our quiet time, time for Paige and Taylor to rest…”

1:45 PM: Naptime continues…I however find myself making yet another trip into the twins’ room but this time to discover that just Taylor is undressed and squealing with delight. Repeated the steps from 15 minutes earlier.

2:00 PM: Naptime continues…unfortunately, and by now, much to my chagrin, I am making yet another trip upstairs because I recognize the familiar screams and squeals of delight of a likely naked toddler. Upon entering the room, yes, once again there stood Taylor butt-naked AGAIN. Ugh. Repeated the steps from 30 and 15 minute intervals earlier but this time used my ‘I mean business’ tone of voice when I told Taylor not to take her PJs off again…I turned and walked out the room after getting her dressed in her PJs again thinking to myself, well, I wonder if I’ll be back to attend to another naked toddler in just a few minutes. Fortunately, for me, I didn’t have to return to the room and the girls both settled down for a relatively peaceful, quiet naptime.

3:00 PM: Naptime ends.

3:30 PM: Afternoon snacks for Paige and Taylor, followed by more playtime and storytime with me.

5:30 PM Dinnertime. Tonight, it was Papa John’s take-out pepperoni pizza, breadsticks and chicken nuggets. Taylor ate 2-1/2 nuggets and nibbled on some bread and called it “good”. Paige ate 1-1/2 nuggets, pulled the cheese off the top of a slice of pizza and ate a couple bites of bread and called it “good”.

Following dinner, I once again multi-tasked as the twins played together in the family room - checked my emails, checked my FaceBook pages, switched over more laundry, cleaned the kitchen and dinner dishes, made some phone calls related to some appointments that the girls and I have later in the week.

The post-dinner playtime for Paige and Taylor went something like this: Pestered sister. Pestered the other sister. After pestering each other, both girls would get awfully sweet with each other giving each other hugs and sharing their toys. Played with Tukker, their puppy, chasing her around the room. Tukker loves every moment of it. Built a makeshift seesaw for their dollies and would work together to raise their ends up and down in a seesaw motion. Climbed up on the couch, pulled off all the throw pillows and jumped into the pillows now lying on the floor.

After dinner, preparing for bedtime: Spent time with daddy for a few minutes before getting ready for bed and brushing teeth. At this point in the evening, which is now 7:30 PM, I crashed. Thanks to their daddy, I was able to leave the bedtime responsibilities solely to him tonight...that's a rare treat for me...so tonight having the extra set of hands from their daddy at bedtime was a welcome reprieve for me!

This was definitely not a perfect day, but I don’t think I’ve ever had one of those…overall however, it was a pretty good day for us.

Sports Fans In the Making

Tonight was an awesome night! First, my husband had 4 FREE tickets to the Sacramento Kings game. Second, he chose to take his wife (that's me) and his kids. I know, can you believe that?! Third, we all had a fabulous time, especially Paige and Taylor. They even let me do a little sports fan team spirit paint on their hands and cheeks to help show their support for the Kings! Just check out some of the pictures we snapped along the way before and during the game...

Countdown to Easter

I am already excited about Easter this year and we're still one month away...I have already bought the girls' their Easter outfits and let me just say, they're DARLING outfits!

I am even beginning to think about the Easter family photos that have now become a tradition in our house: when to schedule the photo sessions allowing for enough time for the pictures to be returned in a timely manner to then get cards out in the mail to friends and family.

Yes, call me crazy but I'm already thinking it all through...but, I do love Easter. Oh, how I love Easter! Not only is it one of the most celebrated events in Christianity but it's also a super-fun time of year if you have kids. The Easter baskets filled with lots and lots of goodies, the Easter egg hunts, and the Easter bunny to boot! You'll have to be sure to check back periodically to this blog because I'm sure there will be lots and lots of cute stories and cute photos of our family and the twins getting in the Easter spirit in the weeks to come!

Be At Peace

I’ve seen and heard a lot of tragic stories and situations lately. Some I’ve seen on the news, some I’ve read in the newspapers, while others I’ve observed first-hand every Thursday and Friday of each week for the past couple of years when I take our daughter Taylor to the clinics for physical therapy sessions. Stories and situations where little children, from no fault of their own, are suffering from terrible pain, disabilities and special needs….they are little faces and lives that you can’t easily forget and that you don’t stop wondering why about…why? why? why?

As a Christian, it’s really easy to find myself asking: “Where was God, where was He when these little children needed Him? Why would He allow this kind of suffering to happen? Why would God create little ones to suffer?”

It’s very easy to get cynical, to get angry, to get disheartened.

Then, I am reminded that God loves each of them for exactly who they are and as they are and that no matter how desperate or dire their circumstance may be, God created them. As a Christian, I know God makes all things to be beautiful! At the same time however, in my own limited human understanding, I do still ask “Why that child? Why that family? Why are some children affected with certain special needs while others are not? Were their prayers better or different than ours? Did they deserve it more or less than we did? Did we not pray enough, believe enough? What? In the world of special needs children and families, what is the answer to each special needs child’s circumstance? And, God, how did you choose the families that would be given a special needs child and why?"

I could deliberate and mull over these kinds of questions over and over again, especially since I find myself part of a community of parents whereby I see, on a regular basis, a community of children and families doing their best to manage their child’s disabilities. It is no easy road to travel and time and time again, in my brief couple of years of parenting, I've seen the toll it takes on many a family in a variety of ways.

In the end though, you know what…God answers my questions each and every time I ask Him. Here is what I seem to hear Him say to me. Here is how I have come to look at these situations, for my own sanity. I’m sure other special needs parents have learned to do the same in their own way....

Some children are much sicker than others. Some children are afflicted with conditions that improve over time or change over time - sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. What is going to happen, is going to happen. God is not up there, picking and choosing who will get well and who won’t. God is not up there saying, hmmm, those are really good prayers from those parents, so I think I’ll spare that family, that child of a disability or other special need, but not that other one, forget about it – his/her parents aren’t doing such and such. I don't believe God works that way.

Instead, I think of God much like I do my own parents. They want to fix everything but they can’t because this life isn't perfect and sometimes, life just isn’t fair. So when something happens that’s awful or difficult, they are there for you, they help you through day by day. For me, God is the same way. God is the one who helps keep us going. He is there when we think we are all alone. He is the one giving us the strength we didn't know we had. My children, Taylor and Paige, have each had their set of special needs to contend with; and they were given to us for a reason, just as they are. We love them just as they are. And, God has helped us reach that peace in our lives and continues to do so…some days have been a real struggle but most days have been a real blessing!

Not too long ago, I came across a simple, little prayer, and it sums up God to me as a parent.

"BE AT PEACE"

by Saint Francis de Sales

Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;

rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise,

God will lead you safely through all things;

and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;

the same understanding Father who cares for you today

will take care of you tomorrow and every day.

He will either shield you from suffering or will give you the unfailing strength to bear it.

Be at peace then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.

That is it. What is going to happen, is going to happen. Try not to worry about it. You will get through it.... you will have the 'UNFAILING STRENGTH TO BEAR IT'. You will. So enjoy today, live life, love life. Be at peace.I know, much, much, much easier said than done. But we keep trying. I am. Still. I guess forever will be.

Sunday in the Park