Celebrating the Holidays at 20 Months

So far this past month has been absolutely fun and stressful experience with the girls. They are really starting to comprehend what we say, apply it and then practice it. Just today I was in the kitchen and I watched the girls pick up the broom, one swept the floor as the other picked up the crumbs with the dustpan. The one that had the dustpan (which was Olivia) walked over to the trash can and dumped it into the trash. I was completely amazed by this action. They are only 20 months and they are already grasping the concept of cleaning. They are also talking A LOT more. Olivia is even talking in sentences. So great to see their mental development grow.

Other than child labor, they are in the process of learning how to count and abc's. I made them a Christmas countdown chart and every day we count through the numbered bulbs. They get up to four and can't count anymore, so I help them finish. We try to get in a lesson of phonics in between all the playtime, but it doesn't always pan out that way.

With the holidays I have been in the kitchen cooking and baking. It has been loads of fun having the girls there trying to cook also. I give them pots and pans to stir on the floor as I am working on the counters. They seem to enjoy the motions and making noise. This is not always enjoyable for me, but hearing them laugh, quickly dissolves any tension I may be experiencing at the moment. What joy my girls bring.

 Olivia

Juliana

This year is the first year that the girls are able to experience the Christmas tree. Mike and I put it up in the evening when the girls were in bed and then in the morning, it took them all of 2 minutes to realize that there was something different in the living room. Olivia slowly approached the tree. I showed them both that it was a tree and that we treat it and the ornaments "gently". So far it has been up all week and they have only pulled off one ornament each. I walk them back over to the tree and tell them, we can't pull the snowflakes off and that we need to be "gentle." I think they are getting it.

Over this past month, we have had our family pictures taken and a Thanksgiving adventure. We decided that we would get our fall and Christmas pictures taken all at the same time. Wow, this was quite the task. It took about two hours and a table full of mega blocks. The pictures turned out great however Juliana and Olivia got a cold. Right before Thanksgiving their noses started running and then the stuffiness came. This lead to sleepless nights and a worn out Mama and Daddy. After many prayers by friends and family the girls were able to get over the cold rather quickly. They had just a little bit over Thanksgiving.

The day before Thanksgiving we had Opa and Oma come. What a great time we had with them. The girls got to play with Opa, while Oma helped Mama in the kitchen prepare the meal. Thanksgiving day was wonderful. We spent the time as a family and had a pleasant meal followed by a game of Phase 10 when the girls went to bed. Then it was preparation time to go shopping! Luckily, we did not have to take the girls out. Daddy decided to go in the middle of the night and didn't get home until 3AM with NOTHING bought. Needless to say, he was not a happy daddy. Mama and Oma woke at 4:45/5AM to go shopping. The girls stayed home with their Daddy and Opa. Overall, we had a Thanksgiving to remember.

We can't wait to have our little Christmas at home this year. The day after Christmas, Mama's family from Michigan will be coming for the week. Oh, we can't wait to spend time with them and for the girls to see their Grandma and Grandpa. What a great Christmas this is going to be.

We want to wish you the very best Christmas and a Happy New Year.


God Bless.

19 months and 1 week!

So I failed to get this blog out by the girls' 19 month mark. So, as of now, the girls are 19 months and 1 week. There have been so many amazing things that have happened in the past month I hope to remember them in this blog.

Juliana

Of course, as always the girls have grown yet again. There is a toy that Aunt Nik bought for the girls on their year birthday that they could sit on, but at the time they could not touch the ground. Now! Wow, they almost have their feet flat on the ground. Pretty amazing. We have moved to size 12-18 months in clothes, never again to see 12 months. As I packed their 12 month clothes away, I thought of how they will never wear these clothes again. Shame. I never understood why baby clothes were so expensive especially when they grow out of them in a month or two. Not to mention their jeans cost the same as mine. Logical concept...more material, higher the price. So obviously, logic (in the sense of size and price) does not have a part in pricing for toddler clothing. Before getting worked up about inflation lets get back to the girls.

Olivia

Juliana has developed her very own taste buds. I say this because she will quickly tell you if she doesn't like something. I fed the girls corn casserole and soy mac-n-cheese last night. As Olivia shoves it in, Juliana carefully picks up the macaroni off of her plate and saw that it stuck to her fingers, red flag number 1. Next, she put it up to her nose and made a face, red flag number 2. Last indication that this was not the meal for her was when the tongue pushed the food out of her mouth back on to the plate, then a big NO, red flag number 3. Olivia on the other hand will eat almost anything you put in front of her. I wonder if that is why she is a pound heavier than her sister. Even so, it is interesting how they have managed to stay so close in weight and height, but that isn't the case for their personalities.

Olivia and Juliana are quite the pair. You can catch them playing together, kissing each other and sharing with one another, but the one thing you won't see the same is their attitudes. There is a whole new meaning to Sugar and Spice when it comes to my girls. "Sugar" being Juliana, will usually do what you ask and pick up after her sister. "Spice" being Olivia, will give you attitude if you ask her to do something, be quick to socialize with strangers, and throws toys over her head. Amazing little girls. I love it. I love that they are their own person and I hope to let them grow that way. The only thing I long for is that our family has a God fearing center and that our girls will take that, get their OWN relationship with God and share it with others.

 Olivia putting the flour to her mouth after I told her not to do that. 

Now that we got growth and food out of the way, lets tell you about our last big adventure to Washington D.C/Olney MD. October 28-30 was a very important weekend for me (their mama.) This was the weekend that I was running my first marathon. I was also excited to bring the girls, as this was another place I could put a sticker on the girls' map. Our family (Mike, the girls, and the girls' godparents) got in the car on Friday and took off for the 7 hour trip to Washington D.C.

Greg, Dawn, Mama, Daddy and the girls- stopping to eat supper.

The first night we were able to stay with my cousin, Tina, at her beautiful home in Olney. Oh, how great it was to see Tina, John, Aunt Ruth and Cindy. It was like a mini vacation. The second day we knew it was going to be nasty weather so we asked if the girls could say at my cousins' home for the day. They were very willing to watch the girls and had also made arrangements with us for the girls to spend another night there. Mama didn't have to worry about them in the morning and they would not have to be out in 36 degree weather. This was so generous and very much appreciated. On Sunday, I ran the Marine Corps marathon in 4:48 minutes. It was a great run, but in the end I was missing my babies. Upon returning to Olney, I walked in to my precious little girls holding a sign that said: "Yeah Mama! You're the Best, and Yippee Mama! You did it" What a great feeling. Nothing in the whole world could be better than my girls being there.

Mama in the pink strip pants.

After the marathon.

My family took very good care of the girls and told me about all the fun adventures they had. They even got to play in a tent with balloons in a nice warm home! Not to forget, it was one with really great food. It meant so much to me to have my cousin Tina, Aunt Ruthie, Cindy take care of my precious packages, my Aunt Cindy fly down to support me, Greg and Dawn (godparents) drive all that way to support me, and my most awesome husband, Mike, taking time off of work to support me. What an amazing family I have and what is even better is that my girls will have the opportunity to grow up in this family. They are blessed.

Playing in the tent!

So after our long 7 hour ride home, it took the girls about a week to get back on schedule. Which, has changed some. As of now this is how it works: 7:30AM Rise and Shine, 9:00AM Quiet time (Girls can read books in bed), 10:00AM Play Time, 11:30 Lunch, 12:00/1:00PM Nap, 3:00 Play time, 4:00PM Supper, 6:00/7:00 Bed. We stick to this pretty well. Sometime if we need to go into town we skip the quiet time. This is just a designated time for the girls to rest if they want and Mama to get some things done. Most of the time the girls do not sleep. They talk and read books instead.

I have also started a new cooking blog with the girls; www.cookingwithsugarandspice.blogspot.com
Stop by and check it out. This is where I randomly will post recipes that I have tried and to get some suggestions.

Well, I think that is about it for now. I hope to post about Thanksgiving at the end of this month, so keep a lookout for that. We love you all from our little home to yours.

Jenn Colburn

- a.k.a. Mama

Daddy's Turns 30

On October 4, Daddy (Mike) turned 30 years old. The girls and I thought of what we should do for daddy. So while daddy did some work and then went to go play golf, the girls and I started on our adventure to get Daddy a nice birthday present.

The first stop we arrived at was a clothing store. I thought, ok, Its 2:00PM I have 3 hours, I had to go to 3 places, so this means we could do it in plenty of time. The question was...could we do it without any tantrums? So we are at the first store. I carry the girls in under each arm and put them in the basket. Phew! Workout one, achieved. We strolled through and found a nice shirt and tie for daddy to wear to work. When we were about to check out. A lady and her daughter stopped us and started talking with the girls. They were laughing and enjoyed the conversation. A checkout, carry out, and buckle down the time was 3:00PM. Not bad, I have 2 more places to go.

Next stop, Party City! Now I was unsure if they had any baskets or not, but they did. So again, with a child under each arm, put them into a basket. Phew! Workout two, complete. We went inside went to the back and purchased some balloons for Daddy's birthday. Ok, now I have two children AND balloons to get out to the car. First I put the balloons in and then belted the girls in their seats. Time. 3:45PM. Great! This would leave plenty of time to make our last destination. WALMART.

Arriving at Wally World I grabbed a basket, loaded up two toddlers and embarked on a grocery shopping adventure. We enter the store and I have a list. This is a must when shopping with twins, and for some reason I still end up with more items than on my list. This trip thankfully was somewhat uneventful. With the exception of the muffins in the bakery. The girls know that every time we visit Walmart, they get the mini muffins. So as we pass the area, they get really excited and say "this! this!" What do I do? Pick up the package and give my children a muffin. This is the least I can do for good behavior in the store. So third store, complete. We are now at 4:45PM. This gave us enough time to get home, put the groceries away and go meet Daddy, and friends, Joy and Jan for supper at a restaurant. On the way home. Juliana kept on screaming "Tay! Tay! Tay!" She had started to cry. I figured out that "Tay" is her word for balloons and that apparently she is afraid of them. Poor girl, they were swarming her head in the car and she hated it. Nothing like pushing a child to face her fears.

The family at Salsas

We ended the evening with dinner at Salsas and put the girls to bed at 8PM. While the girls were sleeping, Mike opened his presents from us and ate the cake the girls and I made for him. What a fun and exhausting day. Happy Birthday Daddy. We love you.

Juliana and Olivia turn 1 1/2 years!

Watching our girls grow like little flowers has been quite the adventure. They are starting to communicate more with using their words, reaching, and climbing for things. Olivia likes to climb. She has figured out how to climb up on the glider, couch, high chair, and kids rocker...oh not to forget the diaper changing table. Juliana has not ventured to this new found wonder yet, but I know she is not far behind. They have picked up more jibbering and added words to their own language. Olivia will say "NeNoy?" Juliana will respond....no. We still have no clue what that means.

Olivia

We have had such an amazing month. A few events that have happened were: Mama's half marathon, Twins and More club picnic, and apple picking. On the weekend of Mama's half marathon, Oma and Opa came to visit. They were able to help daddy watch the girls while mama ran. Juliana and Olivia decided they wanted to run too. So they ran around and danced to the bluegrass music that was playing in the field. Mama finished her first half marathon in 2:24min. When she crossed over the finish line, Juliana was reaching with both arms to be held by her mama. What a great feeling.

 Mama

Olivia and Juliana eating Greek yogurt.

One of the cutest things the girls are doing is giving each other "sugar". 

The Twins and More club had a picnic and this was the first time that the girls were able to play on a playground for their age group. Oh what fun they had. This was also the first time that they got to slide. The expressions on their faces were priceless. On that day it was very cold. I believe it was 48 degrees. This was a little much and the girls wanted to get warm, but they didn't want to leave the playground. In fact, when it was time to go eat, they cried. Once during the week, Mama tries to take the girls to the park to get some fresh air, playtime and run time. This usually results in Mama chasing the girls all over and then really good naps in the afternoon.

 Juliana

Olivia

 Juliana

Sisterly play

Lining up to slide down.

Olivia on the duck. 

Juliana, Daddy, and Olivia

Olivia, Mama, and Juliana

Our favorite activity of the month is apple picking! This was the first time Juliana and Olivia had a chance to pick apples and pick pumpkins. It was perfect weather, a little breeze, cool crisp air and sunny. Perfect fall day.

Olivia and Juliana eating their apples.

Olivia picked her very own.

Juliana and her very own apple.

As far as development, the girls are running now, eating anything (except dairy) and learning how to sing their songs. We are really proud of our little ones and can't wait to see their new developments next month.

At the end of October, the girls will be traveling with Mama and Daddy to Washington DC. They will be spending some time with family and Mama will be running in her first marathon. This will be close to the girls' 19 month mark, so they should be really grown by then. These next few months will be really exciting as we have Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. These were always special times for their Mama and now she can't wait to share them with her little angels and Daddy. What great happy memories.

17 Months Old and Growing Strong

Before my girls get any bigger, I better jump on and update this blog. This month has flown by so fast. The girls are growing and really becoming little girls. I just recently went to Old Navy since we needed some PJs that fit the girls. I was looking at their 12-18 month clothes and told Mike, "They can't be this big. Look how long these pajamas are." When we got home I put them on the girls and sure enough, they fit perfectly. I can't believe they are so big. We ordered their new car seats that should arrive this coming Monday. They are reaching the weight limit on their carriers now and their little legs are bent against the seat. Oh my babies aren't babies anymore. They are cute little toddlers that keep their mama really busy.

Juliana and Olivia on Mama's childhood rocking horse.

Mike and I pulled out the old coffee table. I say old, because it has been stored since the girls were born. We didn't have the space for it, but now that the girls are getting bigger they are able to use the table to eat their snacks and read a book, unbelievable! We are really excited for them.

 Juliana at the table.

Olivia at the table.

The girls are talking a lot more. Juliana can say her own name and Olivia will get it one of these times. Juliana has also said her first sentence. "Why did you do that?" She says this in response when something is dropped or a video is turned off. I am trying to teach them the word "belly button" but so far I only get "bla bla". The girls have developed their own language. They talk to each other when they play and get very excited when get to wake each other up from a nap, "sissy! sissy!", and then they start screaming.

 It is great to see my girls play so well together. They do have their moments when they are sassy and frustrated and arms start flailing and babies start crying. This is when I have to explain to them that it is not ok to hit and that it hurts. We still don't have that concept down.

 Sweet Olivia.

Sweet Juliana.

Sassy Olivia.

Both girls are eating well now. They are able to eat soy foods and all fruit. This is such a relief as I am able to prepare normal meals for all of us to eat. I don't have to mash their food as much as they are able to grind really well. We have not gotten any new teeth yet, but I am sure they will come in due time.

Besides eating the girls are picking up a new sport, besides running of course, its golf. Daddy has been taking time on the weekends to teach the girls how to swing with a club. So cute to watch and they love it. I can't wait until we all can go to the golf range and teach them with real clubs.

Daddy with Olivia

 Olivia Swinging at the ball.

 Olivia still swinging at the ball.

This past Friday, we decided to add art to our lives once a month. This month the girls learned to paint on canvas. It wasn't hard, and what beautiful masterpieces they made. I thought that this was going to be one of those fling the paint experiences, but it wasn't. My little angels sat in their highchairs and focused on the task at hand. They loved the feel of the paint on their fingers and didn't even try to eat it. What a great experience.

 Juliana and Olivia

 Olivia examining her fingers.

Juliana painting.

Our family has started something new. We posted a map in the girls room and have marked with stickers the places we visit as a family. We have not gone to many yet, but we plan to have the map filled with stickers one day. This fall we will be able to mark Washington D.C. with a sticker. October 30 their mama will be running in the Marine Corps Marathon. This will be the girls' first experience in a hotel room and mama's first marathon. We are all very excited. While we are there we will be able to stay one night with cousins Tina and John. We are excited for the girls to finally meet them.

Well, besides growing, talking, and playing we have been real busy being a little family. Sharing lots of love with each other and those around us. Can't wait for whats in store for next month.

 Big girl Juliana.

Big girl Olivia.