Twin Tuesday: Dance Fever

Hey Y'all,

I worked from home one day and had the pleasure of catching these two dancing. I cannot believe that in less then a month my babies will be 5 years old! Check out their dance moves.



Until next time...
MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: SCRIBBLES

Hey Y'all,

I hope that you are having a terrific summer thus far. It has been a whirlwind of activity for me. The kids keep me going and I love it. This has been the first summer of their lives that I've been with them 24/7. I try to keep them as busy as possible so we all sleep well at night. Our days start off with Mommy Summer School and branch off (depending on the day) to $1 movies, swimming, visiting museums and day trips. I have a calendar chuck full of summer fun, until they head off to Nana's (thank you JESUS).

This Twin Tuesday's post is dedicated to the twins' favorite "play mall" SCRIBBLES. SCRIBBLES is a fantastic interactive and educational store in the Menlo Park Mall that features personalized gifts for children & educational toys. We visit SCRIBBLES at least once a week and hang out there for about 2-3 hours (yes hours in one store). Typically we don't purchase a thing (unless it's a work book on sale) but the twins play HARD with everything that is out on display.

A couple weeks ago during our visit we had the pleasure of meeting the owner Mary Thomas, of course I went into blogger mode and asked if she wouldn't mind being featured in one of my posts. Thankfully she agreed and shared a little about herself and how she started SCRIBBLES.



MrsDeveter: Thanks again for agreeing to chat with me. Can you share a little bit of the history behind SCRIBBLES?

Mary Thomas: We started on a kiosks 13 years ago in the Menlo Park Mall. We were doing personalized piggy banks, rocking chairs, toy boxes all kinds of fun things for 10 years. Then it became a little bit to much so we closed. It was a boring staying at home so we opened the first store and expanded beyond the personalized items into toys and other cool things.

MrsDeveter: Like I told  you before we can come here and stay for hours. Why did you branch out into toys and make the store so interactive?

Mary Thomas: Because it's fun. In retail everyone does clothes, clothes aren't fun. Kids are easy. They love everything, they are happy and love to play. I've found that no matter who they are the kids get along especially at the Thomas table they love to play together. The children get along so well, it's the adults that need to learn that. Sometimes they don't share... but they play well together and it's fun.


MrsDeveter: What was your 9-5 before SCRIBBLES?


Mary Thomas: I had three kids. I worked in the city for a publishing company but it was hard to to go back and forth. My husband also worked in the city and said he'd prefer it if I worked closer to home. So I started working retail. He would work in the day and I would go out for a few hours at night.

MrsDeveter: What advise would you give to anyone looking to get into retail.

Mary Thomas: Everything chances. Before I opened everyone told me not to go into retail because I was going into business at the wrong time. In 2008 that's when the market crashed. Manufactures, friends everyone told me not to do it, but I said ... people buy toys. I had a wonderful location to start and it worked.

MrsDeveter: So your advice would be ... don't listen to anybody's advice.

Mary Thomas: (chucking) yes. You have to feel it inside and know what's right for you.

If you are ever in Edison NJ please stop by and visit Mary and the ladies at SCRIBBLES she is located in the Menlo Park Mall steps away from The Disney Store and Build a Bear on the lower level of the Nordstrom wing. If you are looking to order online please visit www.scribblesatmenlo.com for great personalized gifts for children.

Until next time...
MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: Double Standard

Hey Y'all,

It has been ages since I've written a Twin Tuesday post.
I've been going through the blog and reading some of the past posts I've written about the twins and have smiled and teared up while reading them. Leah and Myles are now 4 years old and loving life. Leah is a dancer (her first recital is on Father's day) and Myles is a train/car aficionado. They are both growing up so nicely. Both funny and fun loving, however when it comes down to their father and I there is a double standard.

As you know I am currently a SAHM (are you hiring) and I've been with them 24/7 for the past four months. My husband  is self employed and is often home working in the office when he's not in the studio or traveling. We are making the best of this arrangement but... the twins have a double standard. When Daddy is on the phone everyone is quite and leaves him alone but when Mommy needs to make an important call I am needed. Doesn't matter if they want a drink, are done in the bathroom and needs assistance with wiping, wants a toy from the room I'm taking the call in etc. I am needed.

When a door is opened in our house it make a little ding sound to alert you that someone has gone out. Yesterday when I went into the garage to throw out some trash the alarm of course sounded. My daughter nearly had a breakdown (she wasn't by my side for the moment) "Daddy where is Mommy? Did she leave?" My son goes to the window to see if the car is gone. I went to sit in the dinning room and listened while they searched the house for me. Myles found me after about five minutes and accusued me of hiding from them. Now if my husband leaves the house they could care less. "Daddy's gone? Oh ok" and the questioning ends.  Sometimes it feels good and others it's quite overwhelming. Why can't Mommy have a moment, an uninterrupted moment of course?

Since I've been home Leah has been connected to me by the hip. When I move she moves. Doesn't matter if I'm going to brush my teeth or cook dinner she is right there by my side. They don't do this to their father. Maybe they did when I wasn't around but now it seems that Mommy is the parent of choice. I know I should enjoy this because soon they won't want anything to do with me but, good gracious sometimes I need to be alone.

Are there any stay at home parents out there that can give me some advice on managing these two?

Until next time...
MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: School

Hey Y'all;

It's been a while since I've written a Twin Tuesday; that doesn't mean that the twins having been up to a whole lot because lord knows they are B U S Y.

Thankfully Leah's hair is growing back after the "fun" hair cutting incident and she is having a blast in ballet school. Which leads me to the topic of the day. School.

Erick is in grade school
Leah is in dance school
And Myles is in Karate school ... well in his mind he is!

My brilliant little boy has made up imaginary classmates, lessons and teacher. Poor thing wants to be in karate school so bad that he's created the experience in his mind. When ever Erick is talking about his classmates or Leah is naming all the little girls in her class; Myles will say "my teacher told me to kick like this" or "my friend didn't listen to the teacher in class today" it's quite commical and rather sad that we haven't found a REAL school for my baby boy! I love however that he's so smart that he can create the entire experience in his mind and play it out for us.

Yesterday while driving home from church, Leah was talking about dance class and Myles of course chimmed in to talk about karate school; Erick had to shut him down by saying "Myles you don't go to karate school" being the great big brother he is though he didn't leave it at that, he encouraged him by saying... "maybe we can go to karate school with Richard". Well Richard is my God son who lives in Richmond, VA; so I had to shut that down and convince them that I would find a karate school with them.

Until next time...
MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: Underwear Madness

Hey Y'all:

I haven't posted a twin Tuesday in quite a while. I figured you might get a chuckle out of this one.

Nana sent the twins some underwear the other day. Thomas and Friends for Myles and the Disney Princesses for Leah.

Myles was so excited to see Thomas printed on something that he could wear that he immediately took the underwear out of the package and ran with them. I was in the bathroom getting dressed to go out and low and behold I see my little boy walk in the bathroom with the underwear on his head.

"Mommy shirt" he kept saying "pull it down". "Myles it's not a shirt" I said after I finished laughing hysterically. Poor thing was insistent that it was a shirt and cried for about 10 minutes because he couldn't pull it down over his head.

Oh the joys of boys.

I didn't get a picture of this because it was spontaneous but I'm sure he'll do something new by the end of the week that I'll capture for his high school graduation party photo album.

Until next time...
MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: Potty Time... Part Deux!

Hey Y'all:

The potty's are in house! They totally get the concept (especially the wiping) but want to sit on them fully clothed. Now what????

HELP!!!!

Please excuse Leah's hair do.... we had just taken out her rubberbands. That's my mom and hubby you hear in the background.

Enjoy!



Until next time...
MUAH!

Related Blog

Twin Tuesday: Videos

Hey Y'all:

Got a chance to upload some videos of the twins. The first one was about 11 months ago with Myles and Leah playing in the toilet.


This was recorded last night... it's the Leah and Myles version of Twinkle Twinkle little star.

Have a wonderful day!

Until next time...
MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: The Pacifier

Hey Y'all:

Haven't done a Twin Tuesday post in a little while. That's not to say that the twins haven't been super active - like Myles pushing his high chair directly in front of the television, turning it on sitting himself in his chair watching Yo Gabba Gabba or Leah holding her baby doll on her hip gently patting it's bottom saying "shhhhh it's ok." Those two are ALWAYS doing something to either make me LOL or shake my head in disbelief.

The latest journey is the weening of the pacifier. Erick sucked the pacifier for a very short period, one day when he was about 5 or 6 months old he decided that he didn't want it anymore so he threw it away (literally). The twins are a completely different story. From the time they knew what it was they have been plugged. In the car, in the house, in church, at grandma's it didn't matter if they saw it they wanted it and it was in their mouth. Most times I would have to snatch it out of their mouths, especially Leah.

We have spend I'm sure well over $50 dollars in pacifiers over the past two years. Between the two of them they have gone through, Gerber Nuk's (all stages), Playtex Binky (all stages) and finally one that was supposedly shaped like a mother's nipple (Leah wasn't fond of that one, but she sucked it anyhow). We didn't plan this weening it happened by default.

As I said before, they are known to have a pacifier in their mouth regardless of where they are or what they are doing. However if they are given food or a sippy cup they would haphazardly discard the pacifier. Lately they have been know to just throw the pacy on the floor and forget where they put it. Over the past week all pacifiers have gone missing, and hubby and I have decided not to look for them or buy replacements. On April 4th the twins will be 2 years old and Leah's teeth are being effected by the pacifier (even though we buy the "orthodontic" type they still are becoming quite buck) so we have agreed that it's time to say bye bye to the pacifier.

It has not be meet with approval from the twins or our neighbors I'm sure. They scream, they beg for it ("pacifiya, mommy gemme pacifiya PLEASE), they even drag their baby bag and search through it looking for them. Most recently in church, Leah almost accosted her 6 month old baby cousin for his. We are standing our ground. No more pacifier (well unless they find it themselves) for Leah or Myles.

Any weening tips?

Until next time...

MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: Terrible Twos!

Hey Y'all:

While searching the web for assistance with the terrible twos stage for the twins I came across a terrible twos countdown calculator this is what it says:

You have 418 days - 12 hours - 9 minutes - and 0 seconds until your child is out of the terrible twos phase.

Folks I'm not sure if I'm going to make it. My babies have become little, tiny, super cute "NO" yelling defiant crumb snatchers! They say NO to everything, they fight, they cry for no reason, they don't want to go to the potty and they don't even want to kiss me anymore...

Here is what happened last night:

Me: Myles please eat something
Him: No thank you
Me: Come on eat the sweet potatoes and chicken
Him: No
I then proceed to try and put it in his mouth but of course he spits it out and then asks me to wipe his arm off.

--------
Me: Leah please put the candle back
Her: No
Me: Leah put it back now
Her: OK Mommy
Then she gets the plug to the cell phones to drape around her neck.

-------
They fight with Erick and each other...

Leah: Mywooooooooos (Myles in Leah speak) give meeeeee pacifiya (that's pacifier in Leah/Myles speak)
Myles: Noooooooooooo
Leah: Give me
Myles: Noooooooooooooo, mine
Leah: Mommmmmmmie
Me: Will you PLEASE stop fighting
Erick: Mommy Myles just punched me in my stomach

It's non stop from the time I walk in the door until they are finally asleep.

What happened to my babies? I want them back and this stage to be OVER.

Any seasoned twin parents out there who can get me through this???

Until next time... (pray for me)
MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: Permanent Marker

Hey Y'all:

A funny thing happened last night. Leah and Myles got a hold to a black sharpie! Now you all know that Myles is our Picasso in the making right? So you wanna know what happened?

Twin Tuesday: Potty Time!

Hey Y'all:

I think it's officially potty training time in our house! While chatting with my Mom on the phone, Myles ran past me showing his naked behind!

"Myles" I yell, "where is your pamper"

My mom hears me asking Myles and is now on the phone cracking up.

"Wait Deveter did he take it off" she says,

"Yes Mommy it looks that way" I respond and off I go to find the now discarded pamper, hoping and praying that there isn't a stinky surprise left behind.

Later on that night he did it again! Erick came running out of his room saying "oooooh Mommy I can see Myles' pee pee" (that's what we call the penis in our house for now) "Ugh" I say, "did he take his pamper off again?" "Yup" is Erick's response! Needless to say this time when I put his pamper back on I included a onesie to the mix!

Note to self don't let Myles walk around the house with just a tee shirt and pamper, when the pamper is wet he WILL take it off!

Twin Tuesday: Sista Friends

Hey Y'all:

In 2000 I was employed at AOL and met a few life long friends, one of them was Nicole Perez. Nicole isn't just my friend, she's my Puerto Rican Sister. I was the witness at her wedding and she was one of the first people I told that I was pregnant with Erick. Now we share something that just can't be made up. We both have twins, born 4 months to the day of one another and catch this, they are both boy girl twins and the girls were born (pull out by c-section) first!

Not sure how we have so much in common but I guess it was destiny that we are in each others life. When I found out that I was having twins I didn't know how to tell her. I didn't know if she was just going to be happy for me or if she was going to feel like I was stealing her thunder. It was so odd the feelings I had. When I finally told her she couldn't have been happier for us. When we found out that we were having a boy and a girl as well I just knew she would be a little taken aback, but again she was so excited that our children would grow up together and that Jayla and Leah would be Sista friends just like their moms.

Unfortunately we don't get to see one another that much because of the distance between us. But when we do get together; like we did for Jayla and Jayden's 2nd birthday, it's always fun! Her twins are way bigger then mine but they played well together and will be close friends as they get older. I can't wait until the summer when we'll go visit them in CT and have some pool fun!

Nicole, though all of our ups and downs I just want you to know publicly that I love you and cherish our friendship!

Well that's the mush for the day.
Until next time...
MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: The Christmas Tree

Hey Y'all:

So we (I) finally put up the tree on Monday night! It was a task! Some of the lights didn't work (had to call my mom in NC to figure out how to fix them), it's an artificial tree so I have little scrapes from the branches AND as I put ornaments on Myles and Leah took them off!

Thankfully I don't have any valuable ornaments (I do have a swarovski crystal Santa that's packed away in my jewelry box) last year I found a couple boxes of plastic ornaments at Big Lots! and will continue to use them this year.

When I came home last night from seeing the musical Fela! half the tree was decorated and half the tree wasn't! Apparently my little ones took all the ornaments from the bottom of the tree off! I'm sure they were running around the house yelling "ball, ball" and throwing them around.

What are the odds that my tree is up past the 25th?

Fun times in the Brown house and yet another fab journey!

Until next time...

MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: Myles J. Brown

Hey Y'all:

Welcome to another addition of Twin Tuesday.

Today I'd like to chat about my bonus baby! Myles Jermaine Brown (aka Pop, Poopie Popie or Mylisie). Myles is twin B and therefore the last child within the Brown Crew or as I like to say, our bonus baby. Myles is very active and looks exactly like his big brother when he was is age.

Myles is the clown of the family and our little Picasso! He is not allowed to have crayons, pens, pencils or anything thing else he can use to write on the wall! He has marked up just about all the walls in the living room and has moved on to his room. When we catch him with a writing implement he looks at us, then the wall, then takes off running. We chase him around the living room into Erick's room to confiscate said item.

Recently my baby boy has learned to make a sad face! If you tell him not to do something (like write on the wall) he'll hold his little head down and say "oh no" or "awwww man" ala Swiper from Dora the Explorer. My Mylisie is a sweet baby boy who truly completes our family. And he's cute as all get out!

When I look at Erick and Myles together I really think it's true what they say about mother's and their sons... there is just something about that relationship! I love Leah to pieces, she's a mini me! But those boys... I don't know what it is.

Well until next time...

MUAH!

Twin Tuesday: The Beginning

Hey Y'all:

October 1, 2007 was the day that changed my life. It was the day when my hubby, son and I would get to see our new baby on the sonogram! We were really anxious about this doctors appointment because this pregnancy was nothing like the first. Yeah, with Erick I had morning (or all day) sickness and weird aversions to the smell of regular items like plastic (I have a funny WalMart story I'll share on day) but I was only 8 weeks along in this pregnancy and I was ALWAYS sick. I couldn't take the smell of perfume or cologne, would gag at the thought of fried food and God forbid I walk by McDonald's; I would throw up on sight.

Of course in my mind I was rejoicing (after I flushed the toilet and brushed my teeth, that is) because I knew all of these different physical reactions could mean only one thing, we were having a girl!!!!

When we walked into the office we were the only people there and figured this would be a super quick uneventful visit. The Hubby used his better judgment and stayed in the waiting room with then 3 yr old Erick, while I went into the office for the exam. All was going well, the tech and I were making small talk about her children when all of a sudden she stops talking, gets real serious and says; "Mrs. Brown I think we should call your husband in." At this point I wasn't even looking at the sonogram machine. I was looking at the ceiling trying to figure out what I could eat for breakfast that would stay down! I turn my head toward the tech and say
"is everything OK?" I then look at the screen and see two little masses; one was bouncing around the other was floating back and forth. I look at the tech and say, "please don't tell me those are twins" she said; "OK" then leaves the room to get my boys. When they come back in the room she looks at my husband and I and says, "congratulations you are having twins." The first words my beautiful husband says is "that's cool" he then goes on to say to me, "babe that explains why you have been so sick." I put my head in my hands and said "cool? Is that all you can say is cool?" Then I went on to mumble "twins, what are we going to do with twins?"

Needless to say the rest of the day was a blur!

Can you guess which of these characters was the bouncer?














Any other twin Mommy's out there?

Until next time...
MUAH!