Rosier-Alhassani Time

The trip up to Maryland last Friday started off perfectly, with both twins sleeping the entire 2.5 hour car ride.

Iad and Brandy weren't home from work by the time we arrived in Maryland, so we went to Ikea for some food and a little shopping.

Vivi must have pushed this chair around Ikea for 20 minutes.

Then, we finally arrived at the Alhassani's house. Carter was a little unsure about Gavin and Vivian at first, but then they quickly all remembered each other and two days of constant hugging (and some kissing) ensued between the three.

After dinner on Friday night, it was bath time!

On Saturday morning, we all ate breakfast together.  Carter dipped his food in ketchup, Vivian ate what seemed like a hundred blueberries, and Gavin stuck around after everyone else was finished to get even more food.

Then, it was time to pet Iad and Brandy's cat. 

Vivian was IN LOVE.

Once everyone got dressed, it was time to go...

... to the Children's Museum! The kiddos played in a mock grocery store, touched several bunnies, moved magnets around, ran around like hooligans, painted "self-portraits" (after which Vivian had a huge tantrum), ate some P.F. Chang's, and climbed on everything that they could.

After an exhausting few hours (for both parents and children), we headed back to Brandy and Iad's house. The three kids played all afternoon, even though they each only got about 30-45 minutes of sleep during the entire day.

Highlights from this afternoon of fun included: multiple trips to time-out, Carter and Vivian kissing behind a curtain in the Alhassani's living room (when we called them out, they continued to kiss, on the lips, about 10 more times), catching children as they jumped (or tried to jump) from the couch to the ottoman, Gavin attacking Carter and Vivian with his infamous hugs, two toddlers trying to fit on the back of a dump truck that was not meant to be ridden in the first place, tantrums because we wouldn't let the twins touch the cat, and both dads passing out on the couch (one with a twin on his lap).

Of course, no trip would be complete without a group shot of everyone, which we forgot about until the last few minutes before we left (hence the coats).

Mommy Confessions

Lately, I've become rather sick of people acting and talking as if their children are happy, joyous, and fun to be around all of the time. Kids aren't perfect. They all have their moments. They may scream uncontrollably. They may pitch fits in public. They may cry for what seems to be no reason. They may not always listen. They may poop in the tub; or on the floor. They may hit other kids. They may sometimes bite. They may not keep their hands to themselves. They may have to be put in time-out several times a day. They may make a mess. They may break stuff (stuff that you really like). They may run and yell and push and shove. (Note: I could easily switch out "they" with "Gavin" or "Vivian" in any of the sentences above. Where do you think I got the ideas from?)

The point is that kids aren't always calm and well behaved. 

And, the other point is that if you're feeling like your rugrat is abnormally obnoxious or that you must have the only child that can't handle being out in public or that you must be doing a terrible job as a Mom because your kid won't sit still to do a craft, YOU'RE NOT ALONE. 

To help you feel less alone (and because I wish that more people would be willing to talk about this stuff out loud), I'm going to make a few confessions... some mommy confessions. 

Let me start by saying that I love Gavin and Vivian more than I ever thought I could love anyone. And, I absolutely LOVE my life and the way that it has turned out. But sometimes, this whole "having twins" thing can be a bit tiring and stressful.

• Confession #1: I think that I might kill myself (or at least severely injure myself) if I had to be a stay-at-home mom. I have so much respect for women who stay-at-home (my mom stayed at home until my younger sister went to preschool). Really, I do. I admire them. But, I'm also fully aware that I am not capable of joining that club.
• Confession #2: If I get stressed out when I'm home with them on Saturdays and Sundays (Wes works on the weekends), the TV is on a lot. I used to think that I wouldn't be one of "those parents" who has the TV on a lot, and I'm not everyday, but many weekends, when I'm exhausted and overwhelmed with work, Sesame Street will play for hours in the morning.
• Confession #3: Sometimes I will snack the twins to death to keep them quiet. And, we buy snacks based on how long they last in their little hands. For instance, rice cakes take longer to eat, so they are a favorite in our house.
• Confession #4: Sometimes I think about selling Vivi and Gavin on eBay. Okay, not really, but they can get completely out-of-control, and on those days, it's hard to not consider it. 

And those are the confessions I'm willing to make online ;-)

So, can we stop lying to each other and acting like this whole parenting thing is wonderfully perfect and effortlessly simple? If you are one of the people who do that, you're just setting your friends up for failure... and depression. Shit, if I believed that Gavin and Vivian were the only 20-month-olds who had trouble sharing, I would feel like I was doing something wrong every time they were selfish (which is every second of every day, by the way). This could easily consume me.

Oh, and don't get me started on parents who constantly talk about their intellectually and emotionally advanced one year olds. I'm sick of that shit too.

If you want more, check out these awesome blogs:
http://1000ReasonsImABadMom.com/ 

http://www.MommyConfessions.com/

I think I might love these women.

I just hate it...

Beat Up

For the last couple of days, Vivian has looked like she was in a fight. Well, she was. And, she lost. The first fight was lost with the tile floor (resulting in a knot and bruise on the right side of her forehead), the second fight was lost with a pointy toy (resulting in a cut surrounded by a bruise in the middle of her forehead), and the last fight was lost after running away from Gavin directly into a wall (resulting in a bruise on the left side of her forehead). Poor Viv.

Luckily, she hasn't seemed to mind.

New Hallway Artwork

Thanks Vivian!