Trick or Treat Training

Candy is still not a word in the boy’s vocabulary, so Trick or Treating has a different meaning – to dress in costumes and visit folks. Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, and Owensboro promoted Saturday evening Trick or Treating. We took a short afternoon nap, dressed and then made our first stop at the hospital where Great Uncle Gene Ray Edds was recovering from surgery. We then drove over to visit Al Bell’s parents. Sandy slipped Mrs. Bell a couple of GeoTrax train cars to put in the boys’ bags. They responded enthusiastically by driving their choo choos along the Bell’s landscaping wall. We then visited a few of the neighbors, who enjoyed seeing the twins in their Thomas costumes and shared train stories from their childhoods. Finally, we drove over to Pa and Granny’s house where our baskets were filled with crayons, coloring books and big delicious apples.

Popular Costume

Dressing the boys in their Halloween costumes this year was fun. The first two years were challenging endeavors. Both resisted being costumed and would constantly pull at their dressings. This year however, they screamed “Thomas” and embraced each other in a big victory hug. Davey said “Hurray!” and Benji proclaimed “Awesome!” The boys have been train crazy all year and have become big Thomas the Train fans, so when I saw the first costume at a garage sale back in May I didn’t hesitate to purchase it. I took it directly home to show Sandy. We worried that we might not find another, but found comfort when I spotted a second costume the same day at another local yard sale. This was very fortunate as we saw only one other Thomas costume anywhere over the last five months.

Hair Raising Good Time

The sun was shinning. The temperature has fallen to a perfect 75 degrees. It was a great day to play in the park. We drove over to our favorite playground at Legion Park and found it overflowing. Apparently, this was not an original idea. To avoid the crowd, we detoured to Moreland Park. Last year’s ice storm caused a huge tree to fall on and destroy the previous playground equipment, and the park had just recently reopened the playground with all new equipment. The crowd was smaller here, so we joined the fun and explored all the stations we could. Slipping down the slide, Benji discovered the hair raising experience of static electricity.  

Wet Velvet

The boys’ courtship with animals took a bold step forward when we petted the sharks at the Indianapolis Zoo. We were instructed to use two fingers on the sides of the small dog sharks; guests were instructed not to touch the shark’s head or grab its fins. Encouraged by Uncle Steve, Aunt Erin and Cousin Levi’s participation, each of us gave it a try. Each boy showed more courage to pet the sharks than their parents, probably due to their never having screened the 1975 film “Jaws”, but in the end we all did it. For the record, the sharks’ skin felt like wet velvet.

Tall Order

Other areas like sports and music always captured my attention and imagination more than wild animals. Perhaps that was because I could actually engage in those areas while, for me, wild animals could only be viewed from afar. I wasn’t raised on a farm, so the only animals I ever encountered up close were dogs and cats. Perhaps my experience wasn’t unique because zoos have evolved to bring their guests closer to the animals. On our recent visit to the Indianapolis Zoo we were allowed to feed the giraffes sweet potatoes. While the boys were scared, each bravely held out the snack and soon had the big guy eating out of their hands.

Nice Bunny

This was a quite an advancement in the boy’s relationship with animals. When we first introduced them to live animals our challenge was teaching them to touch the animals gently. After several encounters with neighborhood dogs and cats and a few petting zoo visits the twins were beginning to become comfortable with approaching animals. Then it took only a few unpleasant incidents, one at a live nativity scene when a cross Billy goat butted Benji to the ground, and another time when a dog on a leash snapped at Davey, to instill the fear of animals in both boys. We started over by encouraging the boys to talk to and gently pet the neighborhood cat, Socks. We then moved on to smaller dogs and other animals such as this bunny we met recently at the Apple Festival.

The Pumpkin Patch Snatch

The Owensboro Mothers of Multiples (OMOMS) held an outing today at Trunnell’s Family Fun Acre and Farm Market. Because this activity was scheduled on a Monday morning, Sandy asked our babysitter Carol to join her and the boys. Carol has begun sitting two afternoons a week for another set of OMOM twins, and so this was a chance for her to see all her kids together. After a hay ride down the hill from the roadside market, the children were allowed to pick their own pumpkins fresh from the patch. Back at the activity center the boys enjoyed playing in the corn crib, climbing the straw tower and painting pottery. Benji particularly enjoyed the duck races while Trey Davey preferred running through the straw maze. Everyone then enjoyed apple slushies, the perfect treat for a fall day on the farm.

The Zoo Crew

On the second day of this quick weekend trip we met Uncle Stephen, Aunt Erin and Cousin Levi at the Indianapolis Zoo. The combination of an October Sunday morning and the threat of rain really diminished the crowd, and we practically had the place to ourselves. First we saw a dolphin show that was a lot of fun except for the header Benji took off the bleachers. He soon forgot about his new bump and we ventured outside. Levi really likes animals and has accompanied his family to the zoo several times before. He enjoyed feeding the giraffes and became really excited when the twins did it too. What really excited the twins, of course, was the train ride through the park. We can’t wait to go back.

Happy Birthday Great Great Aunt Jane

Sandy’s maternal grandmother was Augusta Louise Schott MacLaggan. Louise’s brother’s name was Charles Darwin Schott. In 1948, Charles married Jane Elizabeth White, and they soon made their home in Indianapolis, Indiana. I first met Sandy’s Great Aunt Jane when she traveled to our 2003 Evansville wedding. We next visited her at her home in 2007 just months before the twins were born. At that time she shared a terrific scrapbook that documented Great Uncle Charles life from birth through college. It was written by his mother Myrtle Gayman Schott. This scrapbook became the inspiration for this blog. We took the twins to see her early last year, and she really seemed to enjoy their energy. Since our last visit, Aunt Jane has moved to a brand new log county home. She was born in a log cabin in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. On this visit the boys met her puppy “Stuey”.

Car Talk

Trey Davey, Benji and our next door neighbor Mack all own similar Little Tikes’ Cozy Coupes. It’s always been a noisy affair when the three get out in the driveway and cruise around at the same time. The sound of the plastic wheels skidding across the blacktop is loud enough, but now you can add the chatter of three toddlers, who are all talking car now simultaneously. It’s all very exciting, especially when a collision occurs. Mack, who until recently has been an only child, seems to enjoy all this busyness even when his ride gets rammed by a rowdy twin. He’s a little behind with his trash talking, but he will be dishing the verbal abuse like a New York cabbie in no time.

Training Daze

The potty training days have begun, and the parents have been hitting the books to learn how to teach the twins how to do it properly. “Experts” say the process takes longer with boys than girls. Some believe this is because mothers potty train their sons more often than fathers do, and the mothers have different equipment. For boys, it is also a two-step process – learning to pee sitting down first, then standing. Sitting is the first logical step since bowel movements and urine often come at the same time. Once boys can master control of these functions, standing to pee is easily learned. Aiming is the challenge. A book written about toilet training twins suggest allowing each to advance at their own pace. While Trey Davey has participated some, Benji is the eager one and has been the most successful. They seem to be advancing normally.

Fascinating Fireman

What is it about fireman that little boys find so fascinating? Duh, it’s the big red truck! Grandma and Granddaddy Roe gave our boys a fire truck riding toy for Christmas just after their first birthday and they knew exactly what it was. It’s been two years, and they still ride the fire truck every day. They shout out each time they spot a fire truck when we’re driving and become almost as excited as they do when they see trains. But it’s not just the trucks; fireman have great distinctive hats and lots of very unique tools. Fire fighters are allowed to blow loud sirens, beat down doors, chop through roofs and handle high pressure water hoses. It’s an exciting job, worthy of admiration. They are also kind to their young fans.

Thomas the Pumpkin

The boys received a very special gift from their babysitter Carol. She, along with her son Joe and his girlfriend Kerry, created a custom-made Halloween pumpkin featuring Trey Davey and Benji’s favorite character - Thomas the Train. Carol first introduced the boys to Thomas videos and has watched our entire collection with them many times. She also personalized the pumpkin with the boys’ names in big block letters and inscribed a message that reads “Happy Halloween – Love you with all my heart – Carol Choo Choo”. It’s too bad that we can’t preserve this gift because it is very special.

The Schott Family Cradle

Charles Schott was just 16 years old in 1848 when he immigrated to America from Germany. In 1880, Charles built a cradle for his youngest son, Darwin. The cradle became an heirloom when it was used by Darwin’s children Louise in 1907 and Charles in 1913. It was used for all three of Darwin’s grandchildren Karen in 1936, Roberta in 1939 and Catherine in 1956. All six of Darwin’s great grandchildren also used this cradle: Susan in 1961, Sandy in 1963, Kristin in 1973, Robert in 1974, Neil in 1982 and Nathan in 1986. The legacy continued into the fifth generation when Christine used it in 1989, but then it went into storage. Unfortunately, it was not used by Tyler in 1997 or by our boys in 2007, but now the cradle is coming out of retirement. We are shipping it to Utah for Aunt Kristin’s baby girl due in December. The tradition continues.

A New Cousin

Recently we were asked to pick up the Schott family baby cradle in Indianapolis. Almost every child born in the family in the last 120 years has used this cradle. It has been in storage for some time at Sandy’s Great Aunt Jane’s house. Recently, Jane sold her home and the contents to her grandson Nathan. His mother and Sandy’s mother are first cousins, so Nathan and Sandy are second cousins, and the twins are his second cousins once removed. Sandy had never had the opportunity to meet Nathan and was looking forward to the opportunity. When we called him about the cradle he said he planned to be in Evansville on Saturday and offered to bring it with him. We were able to meet briefly in a parking lot as he was preparing to head back home. We look forward to our next visit with Cousin Nathan. His s

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Not Ready To Advance

We visited the Reid’s Orchard Apple Festival today with Pa. This is the second year the boys have attended this festival and the fourth time that they’ve seen Casey’s Rides, the carnival ride vendor. The twins have also twice attended the May International Bar-B-Q Festival, who also employees Casey’s Rides services. We made our rounds to the same toddler rides, which they enjoyed like old pros. As we walked around the fairgrounds the boys showed interest in some of the big rides, and we discussed casually at what point they might be ready for those. Our answer came just a few minutes later when they took their first spin on the toddler ferris wheel. When it crested at a height of about 12 feet and stopped, they both showed enough concern to tell us they aren’t ready yet for any of the big rides.

Chef Trey

Sandy and I look for one-on-one time with each of the boys. On several occasions one or the other has accompanied me to the grocery while the other stayed home with Mommy. These are excellent opportunities for the boys to bond with us as individuals rather than as half of a matched set. On a recent Saturday morning Sandy took Trey Davey with her to make waffles. She explained each step and item and he repeated her. They chopped nuts, cracked eggs, mixed and measured the milk, oil and mix, and then they stirred ‘round in circles’. He helped set the table and pour the juice. Then, while we all enjoyed breakfast, he told us repeatedly “I helped Mommy, I helped Mommy”.

Tray Removal

It was inevitable. The sons of an engineer are going to be naturally curious about how things work. They are always going to want to pop the latch and take a look under the hood. So it was not at all surprising, after much pushing of buttons and craning of necks to study the design, that they figured out how to remove the high chair tray. It was Benji who made the initial breakthrough and Benji who showed his brother the trick to tray removal. Now every time we leave the room, the sound of a tray being removed and dropped to the floor echoes through the house.  

Little Pink Houses

Last summer, AnaKaye’s playhouse was an object of Trey Davey’s and Benji’s obsession. It stood next door in the Roberts’ driveway visible from our backyard and from the boys’ bedroom window. Every time we went outside, they wanted to go see her playhouse. This Spring the Roberts sold us the structure and built AnaKaye a new tree house. I thought the durable plastic playhouse was really cool, but the pink color just wouldn’t do for my boys. Finding spray paint appropriate for exterior plastic surfaces, I updated the unit’s color scheme to be more little boy appropriate. Our “new” clubhouse has been very popular this summer and filled with a lot of sand.

How ‘bout?

Toddlers are customarily known for saying “no, no, no”. It is often among the first words they learn and a favorite to use. Sandy and I theorized that those toddlers are simply repeating the word they hear most often. Wishing to avoid programming our children in this way, we made an intentional effort to use the word “no” as little as possible. Sandy’s solution to this challenge is redirection. When one of the boys wished to do something unacceptable, Sandy would say, “How about we read a book instead?”, or “How about we play with this toy instead?” While we both became quite proficient at avoiding the “no” word, each boy learned to use it expertly anyway. Now that their vocabulary has grown, we are seeing Sandy’s trick used on us. When directed to prepare for bed, Benji has begun to redirect by saying “How ‘bout we read a book instead?”

It's Harvest Time

Sandy loves the harvest colors this time of year. One of her favorite photos was taken of the boys in the pumpkin patch two years ago. The twins weren’t much bigger than the pumpkins then and the natural setting was perfect for photography. The farmer’s market that we visit is located several miles out of town on a ridge high above the corn fields. At each of our visits there never seems to be a cloud in the sky and the sun’s intensity is almost blinding. The boys loved picking out pumpkins and climbing on the tractors and hay bales.

This is our Parade

Dad and I proclaimed dates composed of the same digit to be fun. We first celebrated 7-7-77, 8-8-88, and 9-9-99 in eleven year intervals. Then the two of us enjoyed the days 1-1-1, 2-2-2, 3-3-3, 4-4-4, 5-5-5, 6-6-6, 7-7-7 together annually. Beginning with 8-8-8 and then again on 9-9-9 the twins joined our party. Today is a little different because it is a repeating number, not a repeating digit, but we made up the holiday so we can make up the rules. We tried to give the day a parade, but the best we could do was a parked fire truck.

Levi Peddles By

Cousin Levi came over to play today, and we took full advantage of the beautiful weather to play outside. At one point the party moved to the driveway, and all the rolling toys were taken for test drives. Trey Davey and Benji hadn’t really ridden the tricycle much yet because their legs haven’t been long enough or strong enough to propel the vehicle. Those weren’t issues for four year old Levi. Though he had little experience on the tricycle, he was certainly big enough to ride it. With a little instruction from Granny, he had it zipping down the driveway. Maybe on his next visit they can work on steering.

Owensboro vs. Apollo

I played my best high school varsity football game against Apollo High School on this field 30 years ago, and tonight we returned with our sons to watch Owensboro High School play their cross town rivals for the city/county championship. With the score tied 7 to 7 late in the first quarter, the starting quarterback broke his leg and our next door neighbor, junior Jacob Roberts, entered the game in relief. On just his third play he threw a 50 yard touchdown pass. We were sitting with his family and they were ecstatic. On the next series he did it again, another 50 yard touchdown pass. We couldn’t believe it. And just before halftime he ran one in for another score. The boys were squirrelly, so we left at halftime, missing Jacob throwing two more touchdowns in the second half. Owensboro won the game 49-28, and Jacob’s four passing touchdowns tied a school record.

Happy Birthday Aunt Erin

We don’t see Aunt Erin very often, perhaps only a few times per year, but that doesn’t mean we are strangers to her. On those few visits she warmly embraces her nephews and makes informed inquiries. Her knowledge comes primarily from following this blog, and while career obligations limit our visits with her, she and Uncle Stephen make it possible for their son Levi to visit his Kentucky family every 6 to 8 weeks. In recent years Aunt Erin has found some acclaim and success producing her own line of specialty food products. Who knows, perhaps she will become the Betty Crocker or Sara Lee of her generation. We wish her much success and a happy birthday.

One Huge Sandbox

The sand was kind of a mystery to us last year when we visited the beach. We had never really experienced sand much before then, but over the last year Mom and Dad gave us a backyard sandbox to develop our digging skills. We thought we were really ready for the beach this year, but we forgot how huge it was. Our sandbox is very small and shallow compared to St. Pete Beach. There is more sand here than we could dig in a lifetime, and this sandbox is very deep. We dug down about two feet and found water. That was a big surprise and so was Benji’s response to me climbing in our hole. Before I could wiggle out he poured sand and water on my head. I suppose we still have some things to learn about the beach.

Birthday Benchmark Photo – 2 years 10 months

This month’s benchmark photo was possibly a turning point in the boys’ maturity. For some time now the twins have resisted this posed photograph. We’ve begged, screamed, and threatened them in order to get our monthly photo. Usually, they cry, scream, slough, and hide in response. Lately, I’ve played a Thomas the Train video and just stood behind the TV to get my shot. These were not ideal, but at least they were sitting still and generally looking at the camera. This month I tried something different. I simply said, “Hey guys, do you want to watch a Thomas movie? Well then, sit in the chair and smile at the camera and then we’ll watch the movie,” and they did. Could it be that we are entering the stage where the boys can follow directions if they choose to? I certainly hope so.

Happy Birthday Granny

As a girl, Granny enjoyed swimming and playing basketball. Any inclination she might have had to abandon sports after high school was thwarted when she met Pa. Sports has always been his passion and so together they have lived a life full of sports. First came bowling for many years, then they caught the tennis craze. While injuries eventually hampered Pa’s participation, Granny has continued to stay active by playing tennis. She has also watched a lot of sports. Her sons played football, basketball and baseball for many years and are also avid sports fans. Granny has seen a lot of games in her lifetime, but if you think she’s ready to retire her season tickets, think again. Now her grandsons are coming of age, and she plans to be involved in their athletic pursuits. Look for her near their ball fields cheering them on.

They have your sense of humor

He knows that look. He knows that laugh, but it’s coming from two different people. Earle Adams has known Daddy Dave forever. Our families attended the same church, and we paled around together for our first 22 years, before he left to become a college professor. Earle was in town this week to visit his parents and stopped by the house to say hello. This father of three beautiful girls seemed to enjoy mixing it up with our lively twin boys. We talked about guy stuff - sports and cars and, of course, trains. The boys were in good humor and enjoyed teasing Dr. Adams just the way their father had back in the day.

Model Train Show Surprise

After learning of our twins’ interest in trains, the owner of Roe’s Deli suggested we visit the model train show at H&R Trains just a few blocks away. Our expectations were low, but we drove over to check it out anyway. What we found blew us away. Just a walk through this fabulous model train store would be an event, but what we found outside under a huge circus tent was brilliant. Dozens of model railroaders had set up their exhibits competing for the best of show award. The boys were fascinated by all the trains of various sizes and were especially excited each time they saw their favorite train, Thomas. We spent over an hour at this unplanned stop and cried when we left. Like General MacArthur, we shall return one day.

Roe’s Deli and Caboose

The community of Pinellas Park is located within the greater Tampa/St. Petersburg metropolitan area and just a short distance from our St. Pete Beach motel. We planned a stop to visit their beautifully restored wooden caboose on our way home. But imagine our surprise to discover the restaurant located inside the adjacent building, designed to resemble a classic train station. As we parked, we noticed a sign that caught our eye – Roe’s Deli. The spelling was the same as Granddaddy and Grandma’s last name. We investigated hoping to find long lost relatives, and discovered Roe was a nickname for Rosemary, the founder’s first name. The deli serves the patrons of the various community agencies housed inside. We stayed and enjoyed aptly named sandwiches such as ‘the caboose’.