Unwrapping Fun

We scheduled only two hours for the twins first birthday party. Research and experience told us that the excitement would fatigue them quickly and they would become irritable beyond that point. Since we anticipated the boys opening their own presents would take a while, we scheduled that activity for the next day. They were fully rested and in a playful mood when we began opening the presents after lunch on Sunday. Ripping the paper off the boxes seemed especially pleasing to them, giving us pause with Christmas so close. We’ll have to build an electric fence around our Christmas tree. The cliché is for toddlers to find the boxes more fascinating than the gifts inside, but our boys seemed more focused on the new toys. We are so very grateful to our loving family and friends who generously showered Davey and Benji with such generous birthday gifts.

First Birthday Party

We chose to hold Benji and Trey Davey’s first birthday party a week early to accommodate visiting friends and family in Owensboro for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, this date was bad for several others who left town for the holiday.

Sandy Mama planned everything to perfection. Shopping in town and on the internet, she selected all the themed decorations and meal supplies. A custom cake was ordered to match the napkins and banners. Each boy also received their own cake to taste.

Granddaddy Edds made arrangements to hold the party in First Baptist Church’s Christian Life Center, which was an excellent location. He opened the building three hours early and joined Mommy, Daddy and our friend Al Bell in decorating. Nearly 200 balloons were filled with helium and tied to chairs to create a festive atmosphere. Kudos goes to Big Al for cooking spaghetti with meatballs, bread and tossed salad for everyone.

Before dinner, guests enjoyed the air hockey, ping pong and pool tables in the lobby and basketball in the gymnasium. Also popular was the toy room where tots climbed on and into the indoor play equipment. Watching the older children play, like Cousin Levi and AnaKaye Roberts, gave us much insight into what our boys will be enjoying in the near future.

Granddaddy Edds offered a prayer of Thanksgiving for our wonderful miracle twins and the family and friends who have so generously contributed to their growth and development this first year of their lives. After we enjoyed a delicious dinner with much fun and fellowship, everyone readied for the cake and singing of Happy Birthday. Candles were lit, and the boys sat patiently during the serenade. Then Mommy blew out the flames just before the boys touched them. Then against Mommy’s preference, the boys were allowed the tradition of eating their own cake with their hands. It was a marvelous party and we appreciate everyone who contributed to its success.

Cousin’s Day

Up the river and through the woods to Great, Great, Great, Great Grandmothers house we went on the day after Thanksgiving. Great Grandmother Martha Roberts Embry’s first cousin, Alice Bondurant Scott, invited us to their “Cousin’s Day” celebration held at the family’s ancestral home-place near Brandenburg, Kentucky. Woodspoint Wilderness consists of land that was owned by the Dow family in the 1800's. After the turn of the century, the land was sold out of the family; then in 1960, Jack and Alice Scott bought the land and began to lay the groundwork for the present nature refuge and retreat center. Our party of eight joined over 20 other relatives in a beautiful rustic cabin sitting high on the cliffs above the Ohio River for fellowship and family stories. After lunch, a large group hiked downhill through the woods to visit the family’s old cabin site built more than 150 years ago.

A Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving

The camera lens isn’t large enough to see all the blessings we have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Two years ago, career and study responsibilities allowed us only enough time for a turkey meal. The rest of the holiday weekend was spent working. Last year, pregnancy had Sandy very big and uncomfortable with everyone very concerned about her and the unborn babies’ health. On reflection, this Thanksgiving was without a doubt a time of celebration. We added leaves to accommodate all the family at our table. In addition to both sets of our parents, we welcomed our beautiful twin baby boys to this year’s Thanksgiving feast. Everyone was happy and healthy. We feel truly blessed by the good Lord.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Party

We ask the blog readers to vote on the television program we should select to watch together annually as a family tradition. They didn’t choose the 30 minute Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special, but we watched it anyway. Nor did they choose the 60 minute Food Channel program “Romancing the Bird”, though we watch it also with Granddaddy and Grandma Roe. They also passed on the very popular Victoria Secret’s Fashion Show. While not a family tradition, I have no doubt that in a few years the boys will set the machine to record that program. We watched the pitiful, winless Detroit Lions get slaughtered by Tennessee. I suspect that if some better teams were scheduled, football may have received more votes. Instead, the voters choose the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which we watched from very early morning until Santa came.

It’s A Bling Thing

Our children are definitely attracted to jewelry of all kinds. The trinkets’ color and brilliance so visually stimulate them that the desire to touch the charms becomes overpowering. Unfortunately, our attempts to discourage the jewelry touching have been totally futile. Two issues arise from this activity. The first problem is the potential loss or damage to the jewelry being yanked off the victim by the child. Earrings get lost, necklaces get broken. The second problem is the bodily harm done by the jewel thieves. Those little finger nail scratches hurt! To alleviate this conflict, Sandy finally removed her necklace to Trey Davey’s great disappointment.

In A Nook With A Book

Benji’s loves to read his favorite book, Dr. Seuss’s “Circus McGurkus 123”. This unusual book was a gift from Jackie our HANDS Program nurse. Unlike their other books made of paper and cardboard, this book is made of soft cloth. He delights in looking at the colorful pictures and running his finger along the words, perhaps remembering the story that has been read to him so many times before. After finishing each spread he turns the pages right to left until the book is completed. We hope by reading to the boys at this early stage to develop a love affair with reading and knowledge that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.

Their first sight of Santa

In the 1960s, Granny Ondra worked on Allen Street between First and Main Streets. Granddaddy David scoped out the area and decided the best place for his boys to view the Christmas Parade was from the top of the phone booth at the corner of Allen and Main. Sitting up there they would be safe from public trampling and have an unobstructed view. No phone booth stands on that corner today, but luckily Granddaddy works in the building at that intersection. He made arrangement for his grandsons to see their first Christmas parade from the warm and secure second floor office windows. While Davey loved the marching bands’ music and Benji preferred the fire trucks and police cars with their lights and sirens, both agreed Santa was the highlight.

Going to our first Christmas Parade

Today we took the twins to their first Christmas Parade. Many countries hold Christmas pageants or Santa Claus parades to celebrate the official beginning of the Christmas seasons, but they are most common in North America. Countless festivals were founded by large downtown department stores, which would start the parade at the city’s edge and finish it at their business’ front door. The obvious goal was to motivate the pubic into the Christmas gift giving mood and then lead them right into their store for purchasing. The Owensboro Christmas Parade was founded by the downtown merchants association in 1936. While most other city’s parades have declined with the emergence of urban sprawl, our pageant has somehow continued to flourish. Now in its 72 year, the Owensboro Christmas Parade is the largest in the tri-state.

Benji break-dances in Daddy’s Photoshop

Last Christmas Daddy Dave finally moved Sandy mama from film to digital photography with the purchase of her new digital camera. One advantage of this platform was the ease of downloading our photos for this blog. For his birthday, Daddy Dave received Photoshop software from Sandy and all the grands. Over the last six Thursday nights Daddy Dave has taken digital photography and Photoshop training classes. Given the difficulty we have had motivating our twin boys to both look and smile at the camera at the same time, we believed using Photoshop could help us produce the perfect photos we desired. Another advantage was the ability to produce silly pictures like this one.

I Kneel Good!

I like kneeling. I’m so flexible that kneeling isn’t uncomfortable for me at all. Balancing, while kneeling, is much easier because there is so much more body contact with the floor than standing. My weight is distributed on my knees, shins and feet and my lower center-of-gravity gives this position great stability. When I’m playing, kneeling is superior to standing because I can easily reach all my toys on the floor. My back would hurt constantly, like mommy and daddy’s does, if I stood all day and bent over for my toys like they do. Plus mobility is better kneeling than sitting. I can push my toy cars all over the floor while scooting on my knees.

I want my Benji TV

Today was news worthy for the Edds family. First Sandy was quoted in the morning newspaper. Her comments were in response to a reporter’s news that the school board had again postponed discussion about building a wall between our properties. This was her first media interview and her answers were flawless. Later, a television reporter dropped by to solicit comment from me. Davey was napping, but Benji boy was raring to go. A born ham, Benji played instinctively to the camera charming the viewers without ever saying a word. This broadcast experience will come in handy for him in later life when he’s interviewed about the big game, or the big election, or the big project he just completed, or maybe as a contestant on “The Wheel of Fortune.”

This Dinosaur Rocks!

Sandy found Dino at an early summer yard sale with an $8 price tag. She bartered the seller down to $6 and brought the toy home. Dino was missing his handle, so I made one with a dowel rod, a couple of large fender washers and a set of handle bar grips. This gave him a Harley-Davidson dinosaur look. Dino’s solid body is mounted firmly to a pair of curved oak runners, which allows him to rock slightly forward and back. The twins weren’t crawling yet when we purchased Dino, so he waited in Sandy’s office under the table for months while the boys grew. With the Davey and Benji's recent physical advances of standing, cruising and free standing, we thought the time was right to introduce them to Dino. I think Benji’s smile says it all.

Blue Room Speedway

Our playroom has become a raceway ever since Benji began walking behind his toy cart. First he would drag race north or south, and then he would require assistance turning around before tearing out in the other direction. Soon, though, he learned how to turn and began continuously oval lapping the room. After watching his brother’s fun for a couple of weeks, Trey Davey took up the challenge and began his own toy cart walking. Initially there was no competition or toy jealousy. One boy would take a run, then rest while his brother took a go. Eventually however, the twins began to tussle over toy rights. Seeing a learning opportunity, Sandy encouraged them to play together, but two drivers seldom make for happy motoring. She then remembered that we had purchased a second, similar cart at a garage sale so they could each drive one. Now the racing never stops.

Free Standing

First they would pull themselves up into a standing position using almost anything in the room. Experts consider this one of the most important gross motor (large muscle) milestones because it shows that our infants have the stability and strength in their legs and trunk to support their body. Then they began cruising, which is moving around the room while holding onto something like the couch or coffee table. Now our heroes are letting go of their supports and free standing. With each attempt they practice their balance and endurance. The next step is taking a first step, and then we’re off to the races.

Davey’s First Haircut

Sandy Mama wanted the boys’ first haircuts held off until after their first birthday, but Daddy Dave thought Trey Davey was way too shaggy to wait. Unlike Benji who lost all his birth hair, Davey still had some of his originals and after 11 months, they were getting very long.

We scheduled his inaugural trim a few weeks ago, but then had to postpone due to scheduling conflicts. At that time both our friends Myrna and Roger Smith were booked, so we asked Kim Haire if she would do the honors. Kim’s mother Ellen had worked along side Daddy Dave for five years back in the 80’s and holds a kindred relationship with us.

Traditionally, boys accompanied their fathers to barbers for haircuts. Granddaddy claims he took me for my first trim at 6 months old and the barber said I was the youngest he’d ever done, but Grandma says I was older. I don’t remember that first cut, but I remember going to the barber later and receiving crew cuts. I suppose the decline of the barber shop came in the 1970’s when men began wearing longer hair. I began going to a hair stylist near our family business when I started high school. That’s also about the time I met Myrna, who bought a school newspaper ad from me for her new salon. Her husband Roger started cutting my hair 16 years ago and Myrna began cutting Sandy’s hair 4 years ago.

We thought we’d scheduled a slow time, but the salon was full. Instantly however, the boys became the center of attention. Our chests filled with pride as Davey sat up straight and happily allowed Kim to cut his first hair lock and place it in an envelope. His tendency to look around the room observing everything required mama to occasionally hold his head straight. Not to be forgotten, Benji boy sat in Melissa’s (another stylist) lap and charmed the crowd with jabbering and big smiles.

Car Crazy Boys

Like most boys, I was a car crazy maniac for many years. It was something I shared with my Dad, uncles, and male cousins. We could easily identify the make, model and year of most automobiles, sometimes from great distances. I collected toy cars, built model cars and drew fast cars all over my school notebooks. My first earnings were saved for a car, and most of my money afterwards went to auto fuel, insurance and repairs. This automotive obsession diminished substantially over time until the ultrasound told us we were expecting twin boys. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed again with the desire to buy toy cars. With each temptation, Sandy calmly suggested that I wait and then only purchase age-appropriate cars. Finally the boys are showing real interest in their cars and Daddy Dave can go wild.

Looks like I’ve Been Foiled Again

Out-smarting these twins is a chore and just when you think you’ve blocked their path to tomfoolery, they find a backdoor entrance. For example, in a room filled with toys our little rascals prefer to play with the dangerous cable TV wire and the lamp cord. Accordingly, we purchased locking rubber floor mats and concealed these wires underneath. Then we rearranged the furniture to block the boys’ access around the end table. I then routed the lamp cord down behind the end table and under the rubber mat. Upon returning from a quick trip to the bathroom yesterday I discovered our heroes had simply climbed through the end table to gain their desired access behind it where the lamp cord was hidden.

Peek-A-Boo Aunt Sue

Sandy and Susan were not twins, but they were very close in age with Susan just 17 months older. While quite different people, I have observed the closeness between these two sisters despite the 1,700 miles between their homes. Sandy adores Susan’s children, Christine 19 and Tyler 11, and has delighted in her visits and vacations with them. I saw this sisterly bond progress to another level last year through Sandy’s pregnancy and the twins’ birth. Susan was truly excited for Sandy when she learned her sister’s longtime maternal dream finally coming true. Davey and Benji’s birth made Susan an aunt for the first time, and when she visited our home in April, you could see the role filled her with joy. Happy Birthday Aunt Susan. We look forward to seeing you and the rest of the family after Christmas.

What’s for Breakfast Daddy?

The boys have always been very curious. Now that they’re more mobile, they constantly move around the room exploring every change with inquisitiveness. One of the learning games we play is running description. In this game the adult creates a running commentary, like a sports radio announcer describing a basketball game. This helps the children associate words with objects and actions expanding their vocabulary. One ritual the twins enjoy is inspecting our food. They love seeing what we eat and stare at it in amazement. In fact, rather than play on the floor, the boys prefer to sit with us at dinner and watch us eat. Each morning they come over and want to see inside our cereal bowl, which they find fascinating. I hope they never grow out of this cheap entertainment stage.

Happy Birthday Dawn!

Caroline, age 5, spilled the beans. She excitedly told her Aunt Dawn that Davey and Benji were coming to her house on Sunday. From this information Dawn Beckgerd uncovered her sister Andrea’s plans for a surprise birthday party. Dawn is Sandy’s best friend and was her maid-of-honor for our wedding. Surprise or not, she was delighted to have about 20 friends and family gather to celebrate her birthday at Andrea’s Newburg, Indiana home. The featured entertainment was Dawn’s (and Daddy Dave’s) favorite team, the Chicago Bears playing the undefeated Tennessee Titans. While the Bears played well, they unfortunately failed to win one for Dawny B. For attendees less interested in football, Davey and Benji were passed around and offered smiles and contagious joy.

Rummaging Around

We have spent several Saturday mornings this summer toy shopping at garage sales. This morning we attended the 39th Annual Junior League of Owensboro Rummage Sale. This was Benji and Davey’s first official visit. Sandy was very pregnant when we attended last year and several ladies who remembered seeing us approached to meet the boys. Grandmother Ondra belonged to the Junior League for many years. In the 1970’s while most members were stay-at-home mothers driving wood sided station wagons; grandma maverick had a full-time career and drove a t-bird coupe. She would pick our house clean of all our good old stuff each year and donate it to the Junior League whose huge rummage sale filled the Sportscenter Arena and attracted thousands of shoppers. Local children’s charities have greatly benefited from the Junior League’s efforts.

Questioning Socks

Hey Benji, what’s the deal with socks? Lately everybody keeps putting socks on our feet. I don’t like socks. They taste like foot. Socks are slippery and make it difficult to stand. When I’m barefoot my feet can grip the floor better. Socks are hot and make my feet sweat. I don’t like that. My feet like to breathe. Socks also get in the way of my toe sucking. Every chance I get, I pull them off, but there’s always some do-gooder slipping them right back on my feet. Are we trying to make some kind of fashion statement? Are bow-ties next? Hey Mom, every day is casual day for babies. Could you stop with the socks and please turn up the heat on the thermostat? My feet are cold.

Thursday with the Grands

Back in the 1960’s, bowling was a popular pastime. I remember my parents, Grandpa and Grandma Edds, belonged to two leagues. What made those bowling nights special to me was my grandmothers’ babysitting. I would go to Great Grandmother Edds’ house on Wednesday nights and to Great Grandmother Embry’s on Saturday nights. These regular weekly visits provided precious one-on-one time and bonded us like no large family gatherings ever could. Echoing that tradition, Trey Davey and Benji have recently been spending Thursday nights with Grandpa and Grandma Edds. This began five weeks ago when Daddy Dave started a class and Sandy Mama had to work late. Since then the foursome has had a regular weekly dinner date. Given this arrangement’s popularity, it looks like future Thursday nights will be free for Sandy and me. Maybe we’ll join a bowling team.

Birthday Benchmark Photo – 11 months

The boy’s weight is this month’s benchmark big news. For the first time Benji weighed in more than Trey Davey, although truth be told, had Daddy changed their diapers prior to putting them on the scales the result may have been even. Only four ounces now separate the two with Benji weighing 24 lbs 15 oz (86 percentile) and Davey 24 lbs 10 oz (83 percentile). This represents a 1 lb 4 oz gain for Benji this month and a 9 oz increase for Davey. Both boys also grew a half inch taller last month with Davey maintaining a one inch advantage over his brother. He now stands 31.5 inches and remains in the top 5% percentile of 11 month old boys. Benji now measures 30.5 inches and gained 1 percentage point to enter the top 15% tallest among his peers. With their increased activity level and nearness to walking, we anticipate their weight stabilizing soon.

First Election Day

Today is the boys' first Election Day, and it is a presidential selection year. If the voting age remains 18, it will be the year 2028 before Trey Davey and Benji will be eligible to cast their first presidential ballot. The candidates on that future ticket may well be running in their first election this year, starting on a school board or county council with long-range plans to rise to the highest level of government. Our boys are so fortunate to have been born in this great nation where they have the privilege to choose their leaders. Sandy and I took them with us today as we exercised our right to vote. We hope that they will never take this freedom for granted.

Peak Color Weekend

The fall weather has been wonderful. Last week we experienced our first cooler temperatures. Bare feet had to be covered and our shorts were exchanged for slacks. When autumn days are mild and the evenings are cool and crisp, but not freezing, the conditions are ideal for colorful foliage. On Wednesday the weather girl surprised us by announcing that this weekend would be the peak for fall colors and the last we’d see of highs in the 70’s for this season. It seemed necessary then to enjoy the boys’ laughter on the park swings one more time on Saturday before winter. Afterwards, we took a drive through the country to view God’s fall color extravaganza.

Trick or Treat

We started and completed Trey Davey and Benji’s first Halloween early. Daylight savings time was pushed back a week this year, so the afternoon sun was still shining when we again donned our mascot costumes. Because it had been a warm day, the twins’ wore only a diaper under their outfits to prevent overheating. Unlike the day before, the boys quickly adapted to their get-ups and sported happy faces. One of our first stops was Tommy and Marguerite Bell’s home nearby. They are my friend Al Bell’s parents and have been mighty prayer warriors for us since before the boys were born. After several more stops we headed for Grandma and Grandpa Edds’ home, where healthy puff treats awaited.

New Reader Poll: Thanksgiving Television Tradition

The boys’ arrival to our home has turn our world wonderfully up-side-down. With all this change we have begun establishing our own family traditions, mixing those of the Edds and Roe’s with some of our own. Since this will be the boy’s first Thanksgiving, and the television and the turkey go hand-in-hand, we thought we might try and establish a traditional TV program that our family can watch annually each fourth Thursday in November. This should be a family bonding event, so the program should appeal to both men and woman and also to boys and maybe girls (someday). Searching the internet I found the most popular Thanksgiving Day programs varied from a cartoon, to sports, to cooking, to parades, to a fashion show. Check out the poll on the right and vote for your favorite.