m&m's

I really haven't started and serious potty training...although I know I should have started months ago.  We have a potty, with a seat that fits on the toilet and a stool to help the kids get up.  We also have potty charts on the bathroom door that we use occasionally.   We have a stash of M&M's.  Basically all we are doing so far is that whenever I happen to think of it I offer the kids the potty.  Some days I am consistent and offer every half an hour (while we are at home) other days when things get busy or I am worn out I don't offer at all.  Some days the kids take me up on the offer other days they can't be bothered.   Needless to say we haven't made much progress.

Ever since being introduced to M&M's Max is much more interested in toilet training. When offered the toilet he would jump on the toilet, dribble just a little bit and call it done, and ask for his treat.  So to encourage him to wait until he had a full bladder I started offering him two M&M's if he could make lots of pee.  He went for it.   He started Whenever I give him two M&M's he automatically gives one to his sister.  This morning he even asked to use the toilet before I even offered.   As soon as soon as I gave him the second M&M he he said "One for me and one for my sister".   It is very sweet and I don't want to do anything to discourage him from sharing.    Now Maya is no longer interested in using the potty.  Why make the effort when her brother provides  her all she really needs.

I am ready for potty training advice.  All of you out there who have gone through this already send me your advice.

sleep

I'm wondering what happened to the two lovely red-headed children who used to live with me who used to go to bed at 7:30pm with out a peep.  Those two lovely children also napped two hours a day.

Someone took those children and replaced them with kids who turn into crazy gremlins at bed time.  They get out of bed, climb the walls and windows, play with toys and see how long they can keep each other awake....and then the next day they are cranky.  They used to get 14 hours of sleep a day (yes, it was a lot) these days they are lucky if they get 11.  They are falling asleep sometimes as late as 9:30pm and waking up at 6:30am.  I've tired shortening naps to 1 hour hoping they will sleep longer at night.  It doesn't seem to help.

Back in the day, we used to take the kids in their room, kiss them hug them, put them in bed and say good-bye until morning.  I now spend sometimes more than 2 hours of my day trying to get those kids to go to sleep.  I'm the mother I never wanted to me.

I'll tell you what happened....

We took away the pacifiers
The kids learned to climb out of their porta cots (pack n play) so we transfered to toddler beds
Time change and longer summer day light hours

we haven't forgotten about Max...

...we just have a harder time photographing him.

cheeky monkey

Max isn't quite as interested in being photographed as Maya is these days.  Yesterday she was outside with our neighbors and was quite entertained with herself while being photographed.  Thanks for the cute photos Paul.

sleep transitions

I must admit there is almost nothing that stresses me out more as a mother than dealing with sleeping issues.    Thankfully Max and Maya have been pretty good sleepers and I really shouldn't complain about...although it doesn't stop me.

In the past few months the kids have dealt with several big changes at sleep time....

1. Getting rid of the pacifiers
2. Moving into toddler beds
3. Longer daylight hours
4. Getting older

After giving up the pacifers the kids had started having a hard time going to sleep at nap time.  So I started laying down with them to help them get to sleep.  For kids who had been put to bed awake, never rocked to sleep, I was surprised that they started to

About two or three weeks ago the kids also started having a hard time going to sleep at night.  Pre-sleep changes, on most days, we could put the kids in bed with a kiss and not see them again until morning.

I tried darkening the curtains.

We tried the Supernanny approach of entering the room and putting the kids back into their bed.  But it never seemed to help and it always seemed end with me getting upset and yelling (yes, I realize this is not part of the Suppernanny system)

A couple  of days ago I tried something new.

flying fox

Maya is a big fan of the flying fox at one of our local parks.  A flying fox is like a zip line for kids.  They have them at parks all over New Zealand.  I don't remember ever seeing anything like this in the states..at least not at a kid's park.   Here is our brave little Maya.

This photo gives you a better idea of the length of the zip line.  You can almost see the harbour bridge in the distance.  

two friends

We finally installed a temporary fence to keep the kids in the back yard.  I'm not sure why we didn't do it months ago.  I love telling the kids to go play outside with out having to worry about them running around the house, down the drive way and out onto the street.  They love being able to ride their bikes all the time and I think they really like being able spend time alone without me in the room.  

Being a mother of twins can be hard at times (motherhood, any way you do it is hard work).  While it is so much easier now than it was having two premature infants not sleeping through the night....now I am constantly worried about one of the kids letting go of my hand in a parking lot and running out in front of a car.  There are times that they keep each other awake at nap time or wake each other up too early.  The biting seems to have stopped only to be followed up by occasional hair pulling.  I can't even explain potty-training twins.  There are hours of chain screaming/crying....when one stops the other starts. 

Then there are moments like this......

I looked out the window yesterday afternoon and saw Max and Maya snuggled up next to each other happily eating apples.   A few minuets earlier Maya had come into the house and taken the apple I was eating.  I started another and within seconds she had taken that one too, so she could give it to her brother.  They then climbed on top of their play kitchen and perched themselves on the window sill together.

I am very lucky to be able to spend most of my time with these two beautiful children.  

orcas

Since moving to Auckland, we've heard stories from various people about seeing orcas in the Auckland Harbour. Well, today was our lucky day to get our own sighting. On the ferry ride home from work, Lonnie saw a pod of orcas from within a few hundred feet of the boat. When he arrived home and told me, we threw the kids in the car and drove in the direction of where the orcas were heading.

Sure enough, the orcas stayed fairly close to the shoreline, and we were able to spot them first from the road along Torpedo Bay in Devonport. We then drove up North Head to get a view as they swam out toward Rangitoto, a small volcano in the bay.

This was the main pod, but there was at least one other whale following the group from behind.

There were at least two calves in the pod.

As you can see in this photo, Auckland Harbour is narrow between the city and Devonport (where we live). According to the New Zealand Herald, the orcas were spotted at various points through the harbour this afternoon.

hooray for visitors!

I'm late in posting.....I've been sick with bronchitis, yuck...but finally I seem to be improving now that the kids are stating to get sicker.

We were thrilled to finally receive our first family visitors (although we have to admit that they planned the trip before we were even planning on moving here).  Lonnie's Aunt Vicki and Uncle Jerry came and spent a night and morning with us before heading off to more New Zealand adventures.  Maya was immediately drawn to Jerry because he is a man and he read her a book.  She pretty much wouldn't leave him alone the entire time they were with us.   I loved talking with Vicki about her work as a postpartum nurse.  I also especially loved how much Vicki's tone of voice reminded me of Lonnie's dad Lynne.

chocolate ice cream