Saturday, July 30, 2011

TwinFleckting in the shower?


Did I just make that word up? Who doesn't love to shower right? It has always been such a great place to think, relax, unwind, plan, escape and oh yeah wash hair. I think every mom would agree with me though that the process of getting clean just isn't that easy when you have kiddos around. Enjoying that relaxing shower? Thinking coherently? Forget it right? When the babies were first born, I confess, daily showers were optional. I didn't have a plan. I was dependent upon another adult to supervise and care for the little ones. But right around 3 months, I discovered the BOUNCY SEAT. I would put my sweet little ones in those bouncies in front of my shower door, give them a bottle and let them coo, bounce and suck down those bottles while I showered with ease and peace of mind. Then they grew and just as hermit crabs need to find new shells, we had to move on up to the next form of containment for shower time. Alas, I started dragging in the exersaucers. I loaded those up with a sippy cup and some cheerios and we were golden. The babies would babble, jump and explore the rattles, buttons and obnoxious sounds, while I washed, conditioned and even shaved my legs! I don't think I had many deep thoughts in the shower, but at least I had a few minutes to myself right? As they continued to grow in size and their communication skills, my actual think time started to diminish because we started the ritual of singing and talking to each other while I showered. And then it happened. Those little hermit babies outgrew their exersaucers and turned in to toddlers. I stopped showering for a brief period. Ahh, not really, but I did have to instill the hurry up and get it done early in the am or late at night when they were asleep with the monitor on the bathroom counter. Early? What a drag that was.
I soon discovered the art of baby proofing a bathroom. My nice giant garden tub which I never get to use, stocked with an assortment of toys, was a temporary playground, that is until they discovered it was more fun to climb in and out of said tub. We have the usual cabinet and toilet locks, doors remain closed at all times, items are pushed out of reach from inquiring hands on counters or shoved away into a basket inside a locked cabinet, chairs and items that can be climbed on have been removed from the bathroom, garbage cans are not to be found and all my expensive bare minerals make up has been removed from the drawers. ( Thing one and two just love to open and close any container and dump all contents on the floor.) Did you know packing tape has many many uses in a crunch? My house is decorated with it. We travel with it. They are allowed to go in one drawer and play with all my head bands, brushes and assorted hair accessories. There is a "no-no drawer" but they don't get that or care. We have a system now. I tell the boys mommy is going to shower. Yipeee! We collect a box of super fun toys, making sure there are duplicates of course, since you can't have just one of something because certainly they will ALWAYS want what the other has. As a matter of fact, they will want what the other has EVEN IF they are holding the SAME EXACT thing in their hands. But that's fodder for another post. They get to bring in a drink or snack. Turn on the easy phone tunes and I attempt to shower. Did I mention I shower with my glasses on? Doesn't exactly work. As I mentioned, I foolishly started a cute ritual of singing and talking to the babies earlier on while they were nicely strapped in or contained. Now, if they are not fighting over the same toy or stealing the others juice cup, one or both are standing at (or banging on) the shower doors saying "HI MOMMY! Mommy. MOMMMMMMMY, MMMMMMMomy. I see you. Whacha dooooin mommy. Hi mommy." This game goes on until I start saying "MARCO!" Marco/polo is not nearly as much fun for them as shouting MOMMY. Then they get quiet. Quiet is never good. At that point, I usually need to clear off my foggy glasses, pop out of the shower to see what trouble is brewing. Just when you think you have baby proofed..."where did you find that? Get that out of your mouth. Give mommy the...shoots, where's my towel?" It works. But there is not much reflecting going on in this shower. Some day I will once again enjoy a nice hot, relaxing shower.
I have an idea for my next post, on the same shower theme. Stay tuned for Twinfreakouts!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

What's a BLOG anyways?

I don't blog. I don't Tweet. I FB and that is how I got here. I was reading one of my over achieving teacher friends FB posts about starting a blog and then I accidentally clicked on a link to start a blog. Now here I am. I mulled over this last night and thought why not? I would like to have a place to share and document our misadventures. I don't read any quality literature these days, but I sure do love to listen to and observe all the amazing developments in our boys. They entertain me and maybe they will entertain you? The hardest part was coming up with a title. I wanted it to be clever and capture the twin thing. I wanted it to be able to encompass more than just our day to day life should I venture out and do some personal reflecting. All my great ideas were taken. Then, during nap today as I was hiding under the blanket in the reclining chair chanting to the boys, nap time is NOT over until the beeper goes off. Mommy's beeper has not gone off. Lie down. Do not climb out of that crib. We can all get up when the beeper goes off....it came to me. I have twins. Our last name is Fleckenstein. TwinFlecktions. I googled it. There's no other website or store name or Utube video with that name, as least on the first 2 google pages. Wait did I say the hardest part was coming up with a title?? Now what do I do? Where does one start? What am I thinking? Well, I will get to that later. I hear Henry. It is his first waking, but certainly not the last of this long restless night.