Preparing for South Dakota Bootcamp!

As the boys prepare for South Dakota Bootcamp, here’s a schedule for Grandma Linda, Grandpa Pam and Grandpa Al. The boys do pretty well sticking to Miss Lauren’s schedule at day care, but they have minds of their own, too!

Jaden will likely wake up first, if it’s before 6am, I give him some milk, change his diaper, and put him back to bed---he will likely cry. Try to leave him and he may/should/hopefully go back to sleep. Leaving a book within his reach helps him too. Evan is less predicable as he could wake up at 6am if he hears Jaden, or wake at 7, and if you’re lucky, 8am. They can have some cereal in the morning. As we are eating, Jaden usually sits and watches cartoons with his dry cereal.

Between 8-10am they usually eat. Typical foods include: yogurt, applesauce, lightly toasted bread, waffles (plain), muffins, fruit of any kind. You can put dry cereal on their tray as you prepare food or clean up. DO not be surprised if Evan throws food on the floor---Jaden does this when he is full; Evan does this for attention! At any time, please discipline as necessary. 

If it’s nice outside, morning is a good time to play outside. For sunscreen: the ‘stick’ makes it easy to put on the face, ‘spray’ for their scalp, and ‘lotion’ for arms/legs. I know, they are high maintenance.

Between 11:30-12:15 they typically eat lunch. It totally depends on their moods as to what they will eat! They seem to like mac n cheese, pizza, grilled cheese, cheese sandwich. They will eat most meats in small pieces……pasta marina sauce/BBQ sauce/or ketchup with the meat helps if they aren’t eating it. We grilled out and they loved baked beans! Canned carrots are their favorite veggie and they can easily split 1 can in a sitting. If you plan to give fruits at meal time. Give them at the end, or they will only want more and eat nothing else. Also, If they aren’t eating the figner foods/bite sized pieces on their trays, try using a metal fork and put a piece on it for them and give them the fork---then they should eat better because it’s more fun for them…..more work for you!

After lunch, change their diaper and to make it easy-just give them about 4-5 ounces of milk in a bottle and put them in their respective pac-n-plays with the lights out and sound machine. They should fall asleep for about a 2.5 hour nap.

When they make up- they can have a snack. For snacks: any fruits, any of the breakfast items above, gold fish crackers, veggies, graham crackers, etc.

Special Occasion: Ice Cream treats!

Playtime! They will continue to push their boundaries! They are sneaky, and quick! If they are doing something they shouldn’t be---diverting their attention should help. Also during fussy time, DVDs or Mickey Mouse online should help. They love Mickey!

Supper- same advice as lunch. Depending on snack time in the afternoon---they likely will get hungry by 5:30 or 6. They can have water in sippy cups at meals. Only thing they can’t have it Peanut Butter (and I would just stay away from eggs with Jaden).

At 7:30pm (7:15 if fussy) give them about 7-8 ounces of milk in bottle. They can drink this while playing/watching DVD. You can change them into PJs. After the milk, brush their teeth. You can put about a fraction of a pea-size dot of the toddler toothpaste on their yellow toothbrushes. You will have to do the initial brush, then they love to try and eventually chew the brush. Tonight Evan was a Drama King after I took the brush away. Then put them in their pac n plays. Nate typically sings the ABC’s and Jeasus Loves Me. Jaden gets his blanket and Evan his lamb. 

They likely will cry, but just for a bit. Evan tends to be up til after 9 whereas Jaden should cuddle with his blanket and fall asleep soon.

Now, go to bed yourself!! I do not practice what I preach, but I would highly recommend it. Jaden will be up early! If one happens to wake during the night---change diaper if needed. Evan seems to talk in his sleep, so you may just let him go. Jaden will scream-cry. If it’s like 4am, I’d give him some milk and leave him alone. I got in a pattern of trying to rock him but then he wouldn’t let me put him back down without waking up, so then we spent days basically waking up at 4…….now I just give him milk and close the door!!

You will have so much fun…..oh, and don’t forget to take pictures!!! Text/call anytime. Miss you all!!

And a final HUGE THANK YOU!!!!!

I know, I know.......'Mom, we've got this!!'

Fun Run!

Who knows if the boys will be avid runners like Aunt Laurie who is completing her 40^th state this weekend in her venture to run a marathon in all 50 states; however, they did complete their first 200-meter dash! Well, dash is a word used loosely with 1-year-olds. They definitely dash in places they shouldn’t--- like when I take one of them out of the shopping cart, and off they go. Or when we walk on the sidewalk and they spot the dog across the street they want to run and pet. 

Stay in the yard, boys!

But on the track, Evan did a little more meandering than dashing---about ¾ of the way he heard the up-beat music and stopped to dance- bouncing his head up and down: he definitely enjoyed the journey to the finish line.

Jaden and Nathan run ahead from Evan and I.

There were a lot of people at the start, so I was a little worried we would end up carrying them the 200-meters to the finish!

Mason, from daycare, also ran. The three boys did great and made it the whole way. This is my attempt to get a photo afterwards! And a great view of Evan’s bite mark on Jaden’s cheek. 

Martha or Mary?

I received an email today from Nathan. It was a reply to an email I sent him the end of March with his statement: “List completed!” I looked below, and saw the laundry-list of dates I had sent him regarding evening and weekend times I needed him- or a sitter- to watch the boys in April through graduation last Saturday. On the heels of finishing my small group book “Balance that Works When Life Doesn’t” by Susie Larson, I reflected on her writing and this past school year. (And yes, for those following and remember I posted many months ago about this book, we did take an entire school year to read one book :) ) 

The school year does have a natural ebb-and-flow, you can guess where April falls! But along with the business of work, there’s Mr. Evan and Mr. Jaden to worry about. With the warm weather they are non-stop on the go, all day and evening. This past month Evan got his first scraped knee, Jaden climbs on things that are way too high, and of course, when out of the stroller-they both go in opposite directions. We won’t even start about trying to keep a house clean with twin 1-yr-olds!

Squeezable fruit.....that's spill-proof, right?!

The last chapter of the book reflected about a passage from Luke 10 that I remember my dad referring to often growing up and even in recent years to me Thanksgiving weekend! 

          “Mary and Martha welcomed Jesus into their home. Both wanted to be near Him, both wanted to serve Him. Martha hurried to and fro, stressing about the food when the Source of all life was sitting in her living room. Mary, on the other hand, sat at Jesus’ feet and soaked in everything He had to say. Martha complained to Jesus and asked Him to talk to Mary. And this was His reply: “My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it – and I won’t take it away from her.”’

When thinking about balance, I see that this passage doesn’t just refer to me being ‘Martha’ when we have company over, but me letting go of some of the ‘details’ of motherhood……i.e. stop looking at overly-organized pins on Pinterest! The boys get into everything, they don’t know how not to spill, and I promised I wasn’t going to write about Jaden’s new shoes that after just the 5 short minutes I let him play in the yard, the shoes and Jaden were covered in mud! 

The boys running out their energy at a stop during our last trip back to SD.

Believe it or not, the boys loved playing with blocks within this gate while Nathan and I planted our garden. 

And yes, looks like I have a details boy on my hands.......

But do all those details matter? Should I worry about them? No. But it’s easier to write than to do. I think, ironically, it really does take Balance. Finding that fine line of worrying enough for the safety of my boys, but yet, letting them have fun exploring and learning. And as I look at the dishes in the sink, I think I’m going to practice the chapter on Rest and go to bed!