Searching for a high chair? I could go on and on about how obsessed I am about this, but I'll spare you. (My husband wishes he were as lucky). After the frustration with the cheap plastic Safety 1st versions we originally chose, and a lot of research, I have surely found the perfect chair. (I said I found it, not that I can afford it). This definitely tops my wish list at the moment and if we had a few spare hundred I would buy two in a second. For those of you who have the money, or by chance, only one child in need of a high chair, or maybe haven't already wasted eighty bucks or so on cheap fixes: here, my friends, is the highchair of your dreams and mine.
http://www.stokkeusa.com/tripptrapp2.htm
Yes, it is gorgeous. It is adjustable, holds from baby to an adult, comes in many colors, and is made from beechwood (eco-friendly) in a country that is not China! I'm not going to go into all the details of my research but a few alternates to check out if you are interested:
http://www.hipposmile.com/ The Hipposmile chair is the closest copy-cat of the original Stokke. It looks virtually identical and will soon (next week I'm told) have very similar color choices. Apparently the only place to find these in the US is on Ebay.
http://www.keekaroo.com/herihich.html?gclid=CKfX-ruA9pACFQ8qgAod2RFrwg The Keekaroo is also similar but comes in only one color (not as pretty). It does have an optional tray (they run a free tray promotion often as well) which might tempt parents of younger children.
http://www.kettlerusa.com/page130.html Kettler makes a couple of options: the Tipp Topp, and the Junior chair. These are quality products worth looking into, but the price point is a little high for what is still a lookalike of the original product.
Well, you see where I spend my time! Hopefully someone searching out the options will take a look and find them all in one place!

Blogging from my bedroom...

...Ahhh, the perks of being a SAHM...while the girls are napping I may actually get to lie down and relax for awhile! Of course, there are also downsides to my chosen profession. For instance today I looked down just in time to see Curly use a strand of my freshly washed hair to wipe her nose. If you knew how rarely I actually wash my hair in the first place you might grasp my frustration. Another disappointment occurred after I took most of the morning getting ready for a simple trip to the grocery store, got the kids in the car and set off. After loading them into the double stroller (this alone will cause you to break a sweat), pushing it into Publix and finding a way to balance the groceries in the shockingly small storage basket, I made my way to the checkout lane, where I discovered a small problem. That's right. I remembered the sippy cups, diapers, wipes, cheerios, pacies, loveys; yes, even the first aid kit was carefully packed into my 10lb diaper bag. The one thing missing was the wallet with which to make the purchase.
And for those of you I know and love who feel terrible whenever you confuse my little look-a-likes, please, let go of your guilt. Today, I actually started administering Curly's antibiotic to Red at the kitchen table. Fortunately my dad happened to be present and noticed my mistake. Also fortunately those little eye-dropper dispensers are ridiculously difficult to use so I hadn't actually gotten very much out yet. If anyone finds an antidote to Mommy Brain please pass along the secret. Assuming I wouldn't give it to the wrong person.
But at least I get to lie in bed in the middle of the day---sometimes.

Selfishness or sisterly love?

The choice of titles for my blog seemed pretty obvious. At one and a half, my girls are the epitome of the phrase, "monkey see, monkey do" (I really want the shirts that say this for the girls at CafePress: http://www.cafepress.com/). As parents, we so want to teach them to share with one another and take turns but it is an uphill battle! Although they have fits of selfishness, most of the issues we encounter are actually signs of their sister-bond, not their self-will. Playing with the same things, at the same time, even wearing the same clothes, seems to be imperative right now. They follow, mimic and watch one another's every move. Red grabs a doll stroller, and her sister abandons her book to follow suit. If Curly is scooting along on her trike, Red completely loses interest in the ball she wrestled away from her twin in the first place. Because of this, we have found it simpler to have sets of two of almost everything. This seems to be the concensus of most twin parents I've encountered, although perhaps a little less necessary for boy-girl twins. Although it's frustrating at times, I'm choosing to rejoice that my girls are close and want to join each other in everything! I'm happy to watch them become the best of friends as they grow older.

Earth Week...

So far we have simply managed to recycle on the most basic level, by tossing paper, plastic and cardboard into the bin and shoving it to the street once a week. Not a whole lot of thought or trouble goes into this. But, with all the talk about Earth Day this week, I've been wondering what else we can do that will make a positive difference. It's pretty exciting to see how many "green" choices we can make that are not only effective, but FREE, PRACTICAL, and SIMPLE. Let's face it, they better be or I just won't get around to it at this point in my life. Here are the three most obvious changes that I plan to start this week:
1) My first plan is to use fewer disposable grocery bags. I was really surprised how much you can put into the larger reusable totes and how much more comfortable they are to carry then those flimsy plastic ones. Kroger is having a design a bag contest, and you will receive a free bag just by designing one. It's fun! http://www.designagreenbag.com/design-a-bag/ By the way, Kroger has a fabulous organic foods and produce section, and my very favorite thing is their grocery carts hold TWO toddlers!
2) My second plan is to start composting our food scraps. I'll just throw them in a plastic container (with a lid; probably an old coffee container) until I put them on the pile in the back yard. Ok, it's true that I don't exactly have a green thumb (despite those years pulling weeds at the Nursery) but it will STILL reduce the garbage we send to the dump each week. Also, it occurs to me that leaving those items out of the trash will only decrease the odor of the trash can. Fabulous! http://www.compostguide.com/composting tips.html
3) Here'a a great tip to save money and protect the earth: alter your cleaning habits. Vinegar is one of the best cleaning agents available, and it's so much safer for kids than those overwhelming fumes of expensive cleaners. Here's a website with some other helpful green-clean recipes! http://www.alaw.org/pdfs/green_cleaning_resource_list_brochure.pdf
I feel better already! One change at a time....things are looking up!

Two little monkeys...

How would you feel if you woke up one morning, looked out your window, and saw that your car had suddenly been duplicated? After leaving only one Ford Taurus in your driveway last night, you are amazed to find a second one, just like the first, parked neatly next to it. You are overwhelmed with confusion: "This doesn't happen often does it?" and excitement: "Now I have two cars, that could come in handy!", also concern: "More gas, more oil, more repairs, more cost." and disbelief: "I can't believe I was the lucky one to find the free bonus car parked in front of my house!"
Comical, yes, but those feelings may come close to the way my husband and I felt when learning at my 20 week ultrasound that I was having not one baby, but two! Shocked, thrilled, and frightened, only begin to describe the emotional rollercoaster we were embarking on as new parents of twins. Looking forward to all that we would experience, we couldn't begin to imagine what having two babies at the same moment would be like! The fun was about to begin and we had no idea what to expect!
Now my little monkeys are 18 months old, and I have to say they are the most adorable little girls in the world. As their mother, I can truly say they are also two of the biggest challenges I have ever been faced with. I want to share some of the things I've learned so far, some of the new things we will be dealing with soon, and the lessons that probably apply to all parents anyway!