Today started out quiet and slow but ended with a bang...bangs from the storm, that is!  In the early morning we hung out on L & B's beautiful, newly-landscaped front yard.  The only noise that morning was the sounds of the garbage trucks; which the babies were enthralled with!  Afterward they took long naps AND at just about the same time (lucky me), Then they woke up just in time for our trip to Barnes & Noble.

We took advantage of their Tuesday story time.  This storyteller had a fantastic reading voice.  And, it captured the attention of everyone.  The audience included 3-4 other children who were around 4 or 5 years old.  Levi managed to spot a pretty girl sitting nearby.  He sat in my lap and I gave Cam a bottle in her carrier.  Yep - I can definitely multi-task!

During the first reading Levi started to get antsy, giving me the hint that he was ready to move.  We stepped back a few feet so that he could crawl around without disturbing the others.

Cam wanted to join him so I took her out for some sitting-up time.  She was so proud of herself!

Levi managed to pick out a few books...

And flip through the pages.

During our fun another worker approached the group.  He said that a tornado was in the DFW area and that sirens were starting.  He warned us of moving to a safer area soon.  I called Brian and we agreed to head back home.  


When we arrived Lindley told us to use the storage closet to take cover.  So I emptied it and we stayed there for a bit.  Nixie needed the shelter, too! 

We passed the time with toys...

And Cam loved the bonding time.

14 tornadoes touched down in Lancaster, Addison and Arlington.  Thank God our babies (and dog) are safe!

This afternoon I ran a quick errand to Kohl's - mainly to try out the new stroller.  The store had just opened, which meant less people so less embarrassment if something went wrong.  The side-by-side design really put Cam and Levi on display!  I heard ooooo's and aaahh's from the one shopper and employees.  The shopper congratulated me for having "such beautiful twins."  I just went with it this time.  :)  

From Kohl's we traveled out to Willow Bend Mall to visit none other than the Easter Bunny!  I took a little detour so the babies could sleep and be rested for the bunny photos.  Cam cooperated and napped the whole time of 45 minutes.  Unfortunately Levi did not follow suit.  He got in about 20 minutes and I woke him when we arrived.  Just like his mommy, he does NOT wake up peacefully.  We kept things moving so I could get them home in time to eat again.  So after adjusting their outfits, putting their shoes back on, and changing diapers, we headed inside.

By the time we found the Easter Bunny Levi was in semi-good spirits.  Cam loved the stroller ride and was happy as can be!  I brought some toys and baby food from home in case of a line.  BIG mistake on the choice of toys!  Among them was one of the babies' favorites - an antique wooden frog bell thing.  Lindley's guess was that it belonged to her or Brian as babies.

Cam had the frog bell thing first and in very Levi-like fashion he reached over and snagged it away.  Cam calmly watched.  I tried to pry the bell from Levi, but his grip was too tight.  So I gave Levi's Sophie to Cam.  At this point they were both happy, but not for long! 

Only one baby was in front of us. When it was our turn, the photographer took her time.  She was so nice, energetic, and very patient.  Levi still had the bell in hand when I placed him in the bunny's lap.  This time I forced it from his grip, and the boy threw a complete baby tantrum!  Bless her heart, the photographer worked extra hard to encourage a smile from him.  As if it couldn't get any worse, I managed to make it so.  When Levi saw me there was no stopping the tears.  He wasn't scared of the over-sized animal costume.  He just wanted the madness to stop so that he could go back to sleep!  

Meanwhile Cam stroked the bunny's furry arm and made friends with him.  We took one round of photos, one of which with Cam's big smile and Levi breaking from his tantrum.  I thought we had gotten a good shot, then realized I forgot to take Cam's bib off!  I removed the bib and tortured Levi a little longer for round 2.  

This is in the beginning stages of round 1

I had no intentions on purchasing an overpriced photo package.  But like a sucker I felt obligated because they spent extra time with us.  While looking through the proofs Levi crawled around with tears swelling his eyes, and Cam just sat in the stroller like an angel.  As we left I looked over my shoulder to see that the line had developed.  Several sweet, beautiful children were smiling and taking the perfect photos.  Oh well, there's always next year.  1 out of 2 happy babies ain't bad!

Believe it or not - this was the best one out of the bunch

Happy Easter!

So Lucky To Work For...
Lindley!  She is the most amazing boss ever!  I had an appointment yesterday with a doctor who has very inflexible scheduling.  Lindley came home early to not only relieve me from watching Cameron, but watched Levi for me as well!  Not only was she more than willing to, she actually offered!  Thank you SO MUCH for helping me.  You are the BEST!

Levi's Pick...

These books are on the bottom shelf of Cam's changing table.  When I take the babies in there Levi finds and pulls out the same book every time!  Lindley, can you tell which one is missing?

It's Goodnight Faces!  For some reason that tag/bookmark thing is very attractive!  Maybe he's already got that attention-to-detail trait going on.  We've already read this several times. Such a funny little man!

Our New Gear...

Since we are getting out more I started looking for a side-by-side lightweight stroller.  Luckily I found a decent one on clearance at Babies R Us.  I am so glad that I figured out an easier, faster way to get the babies out of the car and in the door to places.  We'll probably keep the red one for neighborhood walks.  I assembled it yesterday and it looks great!  Can't wait to put it to use when we see the Easter Bunny next week!

  

Spring Has Sprung...

Plants change so much in just a few short weeks.  Check out the comparison of the front yard tree:

March 1

March 15

March 30

Cam is Beautiful...

This girl napped for 3 HOURS today!  Since she was so rested we decided to have a little fun.  I found a super cute romper in her closet and thought that it matched the spring colors outside.  I couldn't help but play "photographer" because it was the perfect opportunity!  Cam has such an amazing smile when you capture it at the perfect moment!  Here are my favorites:

Happy Weekend! 

We visited Gymboree Play & Music today.  I admit - after teaching at The Little Gym for several years, I was a bit skeptical to schedule the visit.  But, I know how music benefits babies.  So that combined in a social setting was the perfect opportunity for Cam and Levi.  Studies have shown how music enhances listening,verbal and counting skills.  Plus I have always been curious on what Gymboree's curriculum is like.  And I'm so glad we checked it out!

We arrived a few minutes early and were greeted with name tags.  The Director Mary Ellen helped us inside to get settled.  The name of our class was "Music I" for ages 6-16 months.    There were 4 other babies in class:  8, 9, 11, and 12 months.  Our teacher was Ms. McCord, and Cam loved her.  She had a great singing voice and incredible interaction with the babies.  

The class was filled with songs, both live and in the background.  We experimented and played with different instruments (drums and xylophone) and other small items:  parachute, scarves, balls and bubbles.  The first few minutes was a welcome song where the kids were encouraged to "rub the drums" singing loud, soft, making ssshhh sounds, etc.

These are the faces of Levi and Cam for at least half of the class!  They were just so absorbed with their new environment, and with Ms. McCord.  I was so proud of Cam for sitting up for the entire class!  She completely forgot that I was there.  To them it was like a rock concert!  They loved it.

I was able to sneak beside them for this part to get a glimpse of their sweet faces.  It was sweet to watch them glance at each other and reach out; as if to check on each other.  

As Levi got more comfortable, he crawled around and mingled with the other adults and babies.  Cameron could NOT stop studying Ms McCord.  She grinned at her was in AWE!  The class was the perfect size - not too big to overwhelm them, and not too small.  The parachute part was cool since it involved the entire group.  I was a little worried about bringing two by myself, but it was perfect!  The room was big enough for Levi to crawl around if he wanted to; yet small and cushy enough to stay safe.  The staff keeps the place clean and bright.

Scarves were thrown on top of the parachute for more music and games.  Ms. McCord is playing peek-a-boo with Levi as Cam looks on.

These bubbles are amazing!  They are made of a gel which causes them to move slower.  So, the kids can track them better.  And when they land, some stay on the surface!  Look closely and you'll see a tiny bubble stuck to Cam and Levi's heads!  We have some at home that we plan to use during our play times.

After bubbles, each child was handed a ball to work on grip strength and hand/eye coordination.  Ms. McCord made her way around the circle, interacting with each child.

Levi found a spot in the middle of the circle to take it all in.  Now, he's forgetting that I'm even there.

The class introduces different songs, games, and instruments each week.  They also have open-gym time throughout the week.  When Cam and Levi are separated, they can still attend a missed class in Allen (for Levi) and this one (for Cam).  Or go to open-gym anytime!  Such a great way to meet other babies and moms.  Plus they give you discounts in the Gymboree retail stores.


We hope to be back again sometime!

Today we took our first "field trip" to the Renner Library.  Every Tuesday they have a music and story class called "Baby Bounce."  I was rather surprised at myself for not only arriving on time, but early!  :)   Of course the entire morning's events were pre-meditated so that we'd all be rested and fed before the class.  Levi went down earlier than usual for his nap and they both ate their solids early.  The library was less than 10 minutes away and really easy to find.

Lindley made a great suggestion to carry Levi on one hip and bring Cameron in with her carrier.  It worked like a charm!  The library was small enough that I could manage carrying the load alone.  Today's class was held in the very back but it's usually in a room right by the front door.  But man - I wish that the doors could be pushed both ways.  The kids' ages ranged from what looked like 2 months - 2 years:  a great turn-out.  Although the  class lasted just 20 minutes, it was nice to get out of the house for a bit.  And, you can't beat free entertainment - right?  I expected it to be an old librarian reading a book to the crowd, but it was more than that. I think their favorite part was watching the teacher and older children.  That alone was well worth the money!

Our teacher was really sweet and genuine, and I could tell she loved babies and leading the group.  We sang A LOT with manipulative hand motions and small equipment.  There was even a "Ring Around The Rosie" activity at the end.  And, each week is a little different.

We sat on the front row as Cam absorbed everything around her.  She stared at the teacher the entire time.  This was the look she had for the full 20 minutes - forgetting to blink.

Before the class began we were handed shakers and scarves.  It took a microsecond to hit Levi's mouth.  He's also eyeing an older girl in the other section.  I tell you what, the boy LOVES older women!

Levi really wanted to crawl around during class but I managed to hold him back.  Afterward I just let him go - he had waited long enough!  Here he is after crawling to the bucket of goodies.     

Afterwards we hung out for a bit.  Levi discovered Cam's car seat toy, aggressively tugging and pulling while I snapped away.  As always Levi remained focused and Cam is amused.

Levi's got the "cow version" of this same toy on his car seat.  So he knew exactly what to do!

Next week I am bringing Levi in with his stroller.  This way Cam can have a turn outside the carrier.  She liked to hang out there but she needs to get out and about too!

We had a wonderful time and can't wait until next week!

I really think Cam and Levi miss each other because when Monday gets here they are so wound up and happy!  The last time that we were all together was Thursday so it had been over 3 days - longer than the norm of 2.  Cam spent the weekend in Amarillo and Levi was in Fort Worth - both for family getaways.  Levi came back with a tiger bodysuit from the zoo (after several attempts by Mommy begging Dad to buy it for him)!  The front is embroidered with the words "Fort Worth Zoo."  Unfortunately I couldn't get the boy to sit still long enough to take a full body shot.  :)  After bringing the bodysuit home I noticed a little "tail" in the back.  How cute is that?!

Look closely - you can see my top teeth!

Now you can't!

Cam's photographer last weekend was right - she CAN take great photos!

Headshot - Hello!!

Cam says "it's been a long weekend without you!"

Photoshop the background out and she's jumping!

Eat your heart out, boys!

Yes, I admit it - Buy Buy Baby is one of my favorite stores.  So this morning we piled into the car to visit.  Every time I go in here it's like a new adventure.  I can't get over how much stuff they make for little ones.  As adults we always say "they didn't have that stuff when we were babies.  We turned out ok."  Dang!  I mean it really is overwhelming.  I hate to think that I'll be back to this store soon for a new car seat (Eeeck)!  Plus the two needed their dose of Vitamin D today.


So the real reason we went to BBB today:  I am WAY behind in the childproofing department so the project begins now!  There is so much stuff on "baby safety" it's unreal!  I mean, do you really need a toilet lock?  How about closing the door or I don't know - watching them while they're in there?!  And those metal play yard gates?  Priced at $150.00!  Off to baby consignment stores and Craigslist I go!  There is so much safety stuff that even the people working there can't tell you if they have it.  I asked for help on cord covers and the clerk couldn't find any in store or online.  So I did a second search and spotted one!  I picked up a few other things for doors and sharp corners.  The store accepts returns even after opening the package and trying it out.  Levi has already bumped his head pretty hard so I'm in the first-timemommyparanoid mode.  And with Cam crawling soon you can never be too safe, right?  


Stay tuned for more excursions outside the house. :)

Cam loves the other passenger in the car and cart!

Levi hopes this isn't a trip to Wal-Mart.

About 5 different brands carry outlet covers!  Come on!!

Babies are safe just thinking about this wall of STUFF.