Fun for all ages

We thought a Disney/Pixar movie night might be fun and invited Cousin Levi and the Grands over to screen the 2006 classic “Cars”.  This is a movie that continues to elude us. I received a copy for Christmas a few years ago, but loaned it out before we ever watched it. That DVD was never returned. Last summer I picked up another copy at a yard sale and was disappointed to later find it damaged. For this viewing, we borrowed our next door neighbor’s copy, and in spite of the fact that it also had damaged places, we were able to enjoy most of the movie to the end. One mark of an excellent film is its capacity to speak to and entertain multiple generations, and everyone truly enjoyed this flick. When the sequel comes out this summer, we will likely plan a family trip to the theater.

Wreck Room

Granny and Pa moved to their current home the week I graduated from high school in May 1981. While I initially chose a bedroom upstairs, in time I moved to the basement for added privacy. At that time this large space was used primarily for storage even though it was finished with terrazzo flooring, a drop ceiling and a fireplace. Back then I never imagined seeing my parents down there enjoying the space with me, my wife, sons and nephew, but that is exactly what happened last night. While Sandy was making some modifications to Pa’s computer, the boys ran, rode and climbed all over the place.

Pa’s Ball Team

We had already planned to visit the CLC this Saturday morning with the intent of venting some of the boy’s pent up winter energy, and when we learned that Cousin Levi was in town visiting the Grands, we invited them along. All the boys are just on the verge of beginning basketball. They are still a little too short to begin dribbling and a little too weak to be able to shoot the ball very high, but they are big and strong enough to be able to pass and catch. Once Levi successfully tossed and caught a bounce pass, Benji wanted to try. As always, Trey Davey was a little hesitant to try, but once he watched the others, he was ready to go. I predict by next season Pa will have his boys running a three man weaving drill.

Ladder of Success

While Trey Davey may be more extroverted socially than his brother, the opposite is true when it comes to new physical tasks. In that area Davey is very cautious. His movements are measured. He looks before he leaps and makes prudent decisions. He may also lack confidence, fear failure or physical harm. Whatever the reason, he clearly displays more reserve than Benji who may be the antithesis of all those qualities. Typically, Davey needs encouragement with new things. This can best be seen on the playground where he is hesitant and predisposed to quit if something doesn’t come easily.  So we were so proud of him when we mastered this unusual ladder. He was scared of it at first, but after we showed him the technique and helped him practice it several times, he was able to climb it all by himself to his great delight.

Happy Birthday Cousin Tyler

Our Cousin Tyler turned 14 years old today, and given the fact that he is a very handsome and talented young man, we believe he will soon become the next teen idol sensation. Since the mid-sixties, adolescent girls have read all the gossip about their favorite teenage heart throbs in magazines such as 16 and Tiger Beat. When Mommy was a girl, Tiger Beat magazine featured California boys like Bobby Sherman, Donny Osmond, Leif Garrett and Shawn Cassidy.  Today’s young hunks include Taylor Lautner, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers. We believe our Cousin Tyler’s fame will outshine even Justin Bieber’s, and a certain fan magazine’s wanting to jump on his bandwagon will change its name to Tyler Beat.

Cold Crash

Benji had been suffering from a runny nose for more than a week. His coughing had become more regular and began to resonate with a low guttural growl. He would wake up irritable, cuddle while watching TV for a long period, and then suddenly recover with a burst of high energy happiness. After a short period though, his batteries would quickly weaken and his irritability would return. We worried when his appetite diminished and a fever appeared from time to time. We knew he was really sick yesterday when he fell asleep on the couch at 10:30 am and slept until Davey got up from his afternoon nap at 4:00 pm. Sleep must have been just what Benji needed as he has been feeling more spirited ever since.

Choo Choo Mexicana

The Grands love Mexican food as much as we do, so we decided to treat them to one of our favorite Mexican food destinations. This Rockport, Indiana caboose has provided dining space for a variety of restaurants establishments over the years, and most recently it has been Los Panchos. We have probably visited there only 5 or 6 times over the last year, but we must have made an impression. The employees always greet us warmly and immediately seat us in the caboose section without prompting. I think they enjoy how excited the caboose’s décor makes our little boys. Except for seating, this train car is very authentic and is adorned by caboose photos from a variety of different railroads. The waiters always comment on the boys’ ever present toy trains too. The Grands enjoyed our Mexican dining railcar field trip and look forward to our next visit.

Honoring President’s Day

The area where our Ohio River city now sits was first claimed by the Virginia colony. It became part of Jefferson County, VA when it was formed in 1780 and was named for the state’s then governor, Thomas Jefferson. While new county subdivisions later claimed and renamed us, Thomas Jefferson’s shadow continued to affect our area. His July 4, 1776 Decoration of Independence had marked the beginning of the end of British rule over our land. He was George Washington’s Secretary of State when Kentucky became the Union’s 15^th state in 1792 and John Adam’s Vice President when our city was settled in 1797. As the third U.S. President, Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark on a western expedition right through our settlement and his Louisiana Purchase brought our river town an abundance of new trade and growth. This Presidents’ Day we salute Thomas Jefferson’s lasting influence on our lives.

Wagon Loads of Fun

After riding their tricycles around the driveway for a while, Benji suggested we get the wagon out. Typically, the adults pulled the twins around in the wagon, which is good exercise for the adults, but doesn’t do much to burn off the boy’s excess energy. Today, I suggested a little role reversal. After removing the sides I climbed on to see if the wagon would support my weight and if the boys were strong enough to pull me. Once that experiment worked, we all took turns riding on the Radio Flyer wagon train. I don’t suspect Grandma and Granddaddy have ridden on a little red wagon in some time and judging by the delighted expressions on their face, I believe they really enjoyed it.

Playground Première

Perhaps the Roe Grands brought a little Florida warm weather with them on this visit judging by the February “heat” wave we received this weekend. Taking full advantage of this first warm front, we took the boys for their first 2011 park visit. Since our first choice, Legion Park, was already packed full of children, we settled on the more accessible Moreland Park. All the old playground equipment was destroyed two years ago by fallen trees from the ice storm, so all the equipment here is brand new and a lot of fun. They offer one area for small children under 5 years old and another for older children. Jim and Karen were impressed, if not a little concerned, to see the twins attack both areas with gusto. The gross motor skills appear to be working just fine.

Stamping Out Boredom

To celebrate Grandma and Granddaddy Roe’s first visit of the year we decided to eat out. We all love going to The Olive Garden as do many other people judging by the crowd we found at the popular eatery this evening. Since the hostess suggested we may have to wait 40 minutes for a table, the boys and I opted to stay in the car and watch Thomas the Train movies while Sandy waited inside with Grandma and Granddaddy Roe. Anticipating a busy restaurant may have slow service, Grandma packed a game for the boys. She had a whole box of rubber stamps, each with a different embossed animal. She and Mommy showed the boys how to push the stamp in the ink and then transfer the images to paper. Just as planned, the stamping occupied and captivated the twins until our food arrived.

Predicting Future Echoes of the Past

Trey Davey woke up this morning talking, and carried on a constant and continuous rapid-fire chatter throughout the morning. He would make an observation and repeat it over and over again until it was acknowledged. The blanket is dirty Mommy. The blanket is dirty Mommy. The blanket is dirty Mommy. The blanket is dirty Mommy. Not until Sandy repeated his statement would he move on to his next observation. It was exhausting, like living with a pint-sized auctioneer. His speech is improving and becoming more understandable. Perhaps practice does make perfect. I predict Davey’s teachers may tell Sandy exactly the same things my teachers once told Granny. “Davey is a sweet boy and a good student Mrs. Edds,” they would say, “and he could become a much better student if he talked less so he could listen more.”

One Happy Jeweler

Sandy has a kit containing multi-colored wooden blocks and spools with holes drilled through them and small lengths of rope. She showed the boys how to string the blocks together to make necklaces. This activity is designed to develop the boys’ fine motor skills. Jewelry making is one of the world’s oldest art forms and is common to every culture on earth. While some forms of personal adornment have a practical use, such as belts and handbags, jewelry has no other purpose other than to look appealing. Benji particularly enjoys activities involving small pieces and discovering how things work. He was quite proud of his finished product and modeled it for the remainder of the afternoon.

Valentine Play Date

As a Valentine’s Day gift to the boys, Sandy signed them up for the Valentine Play Date at Kindermusik. The boys and Sandy have visited Kindermusik on two previous occasions, but this was my first time. I let Sandy participate with the twins in the activities while I stood back observing and taking photos. What I saw were two little boys who loved music, especially Davey. Having previously experienced this twice before, they were very comfortable with environment and activities. Neither was bashful or inhibited in play, which was excellent, and at times they were too comfortable with the situation. Benji’s attention strayed at times and Davey would wander around the room when he should have been sitting and listening to Miss Cathy. We need to find them some more structured classroom opportunities like these so that they can learn the proper behavior for school.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Ok, so it’s Valentine’s Day. So what? Why should we care about this holiday? Look, we’re only three year old. We don’t have any girl friends, and since we don’t go to school yet, there is little opportunity for us to even meet any. And, even if we knew some girls, we wouldn’t like them unless they liked trains. And, if they did and we wanted to impress them, then we’d give them Thomas trains, not Valentine cards. So, to recap, there’s no romance in our young lives, we don’t like flowers and our parents won’t let us have candy. That leaves us with little interest in Valentine’s Day. But, wait a minute. Hold the phone. What’s this? Are these heart-shaped helium balloons for us? These are really cool! Maybe Valentine’s Day isn’t a total loss after all.

A Warm Winter’s Day

 

The winter of 2010 has been anomalously cold. Mean seasonal temperatures have been the coldest since the late 1970s. So when an unseasonably warm day blessed our community, we just had to go outside and celebrate. Waiting to the warmest point of the day, and just after the boys’ afternoon naps, we ventured outside and tried out the new tricycles we received for Christmas. After just a little review and instruction, the boys were off and riding. Benji picked it up especially fast and didn’t tire of cruising around the driveway. Davey’s efforts were a bit more problematic. He lacked confidence in his riding and would often become discouraged when faced with uphill situations. Given the opportunity to practice a bit more and some valuable time in the seat, I am confident he will have it mastered soon.

Weekly Winter Workout

After four consecutive weekends of leaving the house early on Saturday morning so Sandy could sleep peacefully after working all night, we decided to continue the practice this week and take Mommy with us. She really enjoyed sharing breakfast with us and then took the opportunity to catch up on her errands while the rest of us played at the Christian Life Center.  Granny also joined us this week at breakfast and in the gym. Then while we played in the toddler room, she worked out on the exercise machines. All the adults in our family are going to have to get in shape if we want to keep up with our boys.

Back Rub Boy

Everybody likes to have their back rubbed, but some people live for it. That’s what you would say about our Trey Davey. Since day one he has always melted under the influence of a back rub. As a tiny baby, I could fit his entire back in my hand. I would lay him on my shoulder and as I rubbed his back he would nuzzle his head under my chin and fall right to sleep. If I squeezed his back just right I could always get the desired burp after a bottle feeding. As time passed, his passion for back rubs has never diminished. Before he could talk, he communicated he desire to have his back rubbed by pointing to his back. Now he just crawls up into our laps and asks sweetly to have his back rubbed. These massages always soothe him when he’s upset and help him to sleep when he’s tired. We enjoy it too.

The Toy Lab

Sometimes I get the impression that Benji isn't playing as much as he is experimenting. Like a scientist in a laboratory, he seems to be measuring, testing and processing items to learn how they are made and what makes them work. His little fingers will push every panel, pull every lever and turn every wheel to discover every feature this item has to offer. Benji is the first to tire of older toys and swarm to new ones. He probably is hungry for new analytical challenges. Seeing this tendency, Sandy has been rotating the boys’ toys for some time. Benji used to get very excited each time this happened because he probably thought we were giving them brand new toys. However, this practice has received a more subdued response as of late. Apparently, his memory skills have advanced too. Fortunately, there is a world of new things to discover.

Doggy Beds

We don’t know where these ideas come from but Benji asked his Mommy for a bed for his dog. His canine is a small stuffed Dalmatian no bigger than a golf ball. Sandy is very accommodating to her sons’ more whimsical requests and immediately began looking for a pint sized doggy crib. In the closet she found a small wooden box of refrigerator magnets which was just the right size. She lined the box with burp rags and presented a delighted Benji with a bed for his little stuffed animal. Seeing this, Davey of course immediately wanted one for his stuffed puppy. Looking around, she selected a toy shopping basket that was filled with plastic toy fruit. She relocated the fruit and added more burp clothes to make a puppy bed for Davey too. This fascinated both boys who took their pet cribs to bed with them that evening.

Making Tracks

Sometimes, ideas can’t be limited to the area of a train table, even it you may have two tables at your disposal. Luckily for Trey Davey and Benji, not all the floor space in their room is occupied by train tables, well at least not yet. This idea began in the afternoon when the boys assembled two long parallel tracks and then began to race their trains in a drag strip fashion. Later in the evening, after Sandy joined the fun, she enhanced their idea by adding elevation. The new design harnessed the power of gravity to power the racing locomotives just like soap box derby racers. While the boys didn’t quite grasp this concept, they did enjoy the layout right up until bedtime, when it was disassembled and the floor readied for a new layout tomorrow.

Get used to it boys

This was our fourth of four consecutive Saturdays following Sandy’s work scheduled Friday all-nighters. On each of these Saturday mornings, the boys and I would get up and leave the house quietly so as to not disturb Mommy’s sleeping. Each time we have met Pa early for breakfast and then gone to play at the CLC, starting in the gym then moving to the toddler room. Today we repeated the routine but encountered a new wrinkle. A five-year old little girl walked in the room and immediately began taking over. After learning the boys’ names and ages, she announced that they were going to play house and that she was the mommy, Benji was the daddy and Davey was the family dog. The twins looked at her as if she were from outer space, while Pa and I sat back and shared knowing smiles.

Super Bowl Tradition

National Football League parity rather than dynasties has been the story since the boys’ birth. They have seen seven different teams play and four different Super Bowl winners since they were born. Pa and Granny joined us for their first big game and saw Eli Manning lead the New York Giants to an upset win. The next year we watched the Pittsburg Steelers’ Santonio Holmes game winning catch from a Smyrna, Tennessee hotel lobby. We were then seeking refuge there after an ice storm crippled Owensboro. Last year, Aaron and Kelly Brown joined us as we watched Drew Breeze lead the New Orleans Saints to an upset win over Payton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts. This year, the Ford girls babysat the boys while we attended a party at the Roberts’ house next door, but we were home in time to join the boys in watching the Green Bay Packers win.

Birthday Benchmark Photo – 3 Years 2 Months

We keep thinking the boys are growing, but the scales and measuring tape beg to differ. Perhaps what we are actually seeing is their intellectual growth. The twins’ vocabulary and conversational skills are radically advancing. Trey Davey’s speech has especially progressed and become increasingly understandable. The questions are flying in swarms now and in stereo. Sometimes inquiries are machined gunned at us so fast that we can’t process them. Neither boy has yet learned not to talk while Mommy and Daddy are talking, so eager are they to seek our knowledge and approval. The boys are alert, observant and curious about the world around them. Last night, Sandy especially enjoyed Benji’s questions about the red stars (tower beacons). We will need to step up our game to stay ahead of them.

The Library Kings

The Owensboro Mothers of Multiples had a play date today at the new Daviess County Public Library. The old library was just four doors down from our house, and the new one is just one block away. Carol accompanied Sandy to help with the boys. The group toured the new library and saw all the modern features. One of the librarians read the group a fun story, and then led them in a crown-making craft. Time was allotted to explore the book racks where Mommy found several train books we haven’t yet seen. She then looked through the media area and found some new train DVDs. I anticipate this will be a popular place for our boys for some time to come.

Dishwasher Shopping

When the pump failed on our dishwasher, we chose to replace it rather than repair the old lady. Apparently the good folks at Murphy Appliance appreciate how boring dishwasher shopping can be for little folks, so they prepared a special little place for little guys like ours. The shop has a small side room where their televisions are on display with two chairs tucked back out of the way. The nice clerk made the boys comfortable, and then popped in a DVD of the Disney/Pixar movie “Cars”. The boys were instantly engaged in the movie which allowed Mommy and Daddy ample opportunity to make a dishwasher selection. They had so much fun they didn’t want to leave when we were finished.

Groundhog Day

Probably the most misunderstood holiday ever celebrated is Groundhog Day. Somehow in the annals of history, much about this odd holiday has been distorted. Maybe something was lost in the Pennsylvania German translation. Supposedly the lore’s origin actually involves an ancient European badger making his prediction based on whether he sees his shadow. In America, somebody put this weather prognostication responsibility on a groundhog, which is actually a woodchuck. These worthless rodents can neither chuck wood nor forecast weather. I say, leave seasonal forecasting to the Weather Channel and take a more literal approach to celebrating this holiday like me, Punxsutawney Ben. Take the opportunity to join a few close friends and take over or “hog” as much ground as possible.

Pa’s Clean Bill

When Granny couldn’t accompany him to his annual heart doctor visit in Nashville, Pa asked me to go. Since we wouldn’t return before lunch and I have babysitting responsibilities in the afternoons, we decided to take the boys along with us. His appointment was at 10:00 am and we arrived on time, but had to wait for about 45 minutes before he was called back for routine tests. Waiting rooms are always boring, but the boys entertained themselves with their trains in a relatively quiet manner charming many along the way. We accompanied Pa back to see the doctor, who said his test results were great and that he was healthy. The doctor then did something quite unexpected. He made an ink sketch of a train for Davey and a superhero for Benji. This doctor was an artist of many talents.