Farms, Zoos and Seattle, Oh My!

I've thought often how many 'first trips' we've yet to do and I lament how we haven't done them yet and why? Then I remember. Oh yeah, we have twins and life was just too crazy then with taking care of babies and sleep deprivation. Trying to keep on top of two two-year-olds is tough. There's no picking on the oldest and saying "You know better!", as Laith only has a seven minute head start on Vivienne. I've tried a couple errands with them, telling them over and over in the car, "Laith you have to walk perfect, and I mean perfect. Hold Mommy's hand, walk like the good boy you are, and don't run off. Vivienne, Momma's gonna carry you, so please no squirming and be patient as we slowly trek across the parking lot." This never works, as I end up carrying Laith into wherever we end up and Vivienne must walk and hold my hand.  Maybe they have their names mixed up...

On a whim, I decided we'd go to a farm so we could brush up on our animals and animal sounds. I've Google searched for farms a couple times, as well as petting zoos. The only items that come up are the Oregon Zoo and some exotic petting zoo. I'm not into the idea of the twins petting baby tiger cubs, giant pythons and getting close ups with true wild animals. My mom has mentioned Little People Big World is located just outside of Portland so I Googled that and found you can tour their farm. We drove just to the west of Portland, as though we were on our way to the beach, which in hindsight, I almost wish we were. On our way, I found a deli we stopped at and had for the first time in Portland really delicious sandwiches. I got Bryan the club on ciabatta and I had a pulled pork on brioche. I also splurged on a strawberry tart and chocolate filled eclair (which by the way is quite yummy but I'm an old fashioned gal and still prefer the cream filled kind). When we finally arrived at Roloff Farm, it was to see this sign:

Awesome. So awesome. I had two kiddos screaming in the car...would've had three but thankfully I'd eaten recently. As we turned around, I decided on my next whim, we'd visit the zoo. I'm so glad I did. It isn't too far from where we'd gone; it actually is off the same highway we were already on. The first time I'd gone here was with Criscell, Spencer and Alex and it was PACKED. Luckily this time, since it was after 3 pm when we arrived, the parking lot was pretty empty. We walked right in and our first view was of the bears eating.

Laith and Vivienne had a blast running up and down the boardwalks. I had to finally carry Laith for a bit to get him to calm down. Since this trip had been a whim, we hadn't brought the stroller. We decided the first zoo stroller we found, we'd rent.

 

Next we got to see the goats in the mini-farm the zoo has. You're able to pet the goats and Laith and Vivienne kind-of, sort-of tried. Another family was there with their kids and were being goat petting hogs. I thought it was a little rude, since their youngest looked about 19 years old. Although we didn't snag any goat fur, we did wash our hands promptly after this adventure. The zoo has thought ahead and placed a giant trough out front with sinks and soap. I was glad to see this and Bryan's germophobia was put right at ease.

When I visited last, the elephants were some of Alex's favorite animals to view. The original pen had the largest bull elephant in a pen encased by glass and you could stand right next to the giant. However, the entire elephant area is being redesigned so we didn't get as lucky. The elephants had a large empty lot between us and them. We did get to hear them trumpet a few times which is cool, as I've never heard an elephant trumpet in real life. Laith was also saved by a stranger here. He went running off in a state of excited frenzy and to my dismay I couldn't keep up. Bryan realized at just the almost-too-late-moment that the grassy area had a blind drop off. As I yelled "STOP!" and Bryan screamed "Catch him, he's gonna fall!" a stranger stepped up and swept his arm around Laith. Laith hollered like a girl, scared that some guy would grab him. I thanked the stranger profusely then went to work on my son, letting him know how upset-worried-freaked out-angry-frustrated-scared I was and thank goodness for the kindness of others.

 

Next came the lions. At the entrance to the lion area was a large sign saying the lion cubs could be viewed at 2:30 pm. Darn our luck.  It was now past 4 pm. The lions were still out though, but far enough away for the twins to not realize they were looking at a savage beast. We got to see a cheetah also, and there were signs everywhere that dingoes were feasting and beware of your sensitivities (which struck me odd...why would anyone adverse to eating meat want to view carnivorous animals?) Several kids were getting photos of them sitting on the bronze lion statues and we went with the flow. Laith hollered at great length and now I see why. His belly button was on display for everyone. Sorry about that bud!

Trudging on after a running Laith, Vivienne took a break on a shaded park bench with Daddy. Another guy was with his daughter, who when she saw Vivienne, ran up, said "Hi! Give me a hug" and promptly gave Vivienne a huge bear hug. The other dad was mortified and apologized. Bryan just laughed, while Vivienne gave him a "what the heck?" look.

Next were the hippopotamuses...hippopotami...spelling here anyone?We saw two, one in classic zoo fashion, large bum on display, but the other climbed out of the water and gave the twins a great view as he (she?) lumbered over to the other. Laith pointed and laughed. Hippos are definitely odd looking.

Last to be seen were giraffes and some antelope/gazelle type animals. There had been a zebra, but she had passed away over the winter. She was 37 years old which is very old for zebras apparently. One of the gazelles decided to stretch out...just to go wee-wee. Vivienne kept pointing and jibber-jabbering which made me giggle as I imagined what her little conversation must be.

 

Here is where our trip ended. Not once did we find a zoo stroller to rent and we were wiped out by the carrying and chasing. I mentioned to Bryan we would probably find the strollers at the front entrance on our way out. Lo and behold, we did. Oh well. The trip home in the car was to the sound of much laughter and squeals then two little toddlers conked out in happy sleep. I should've thought to get a picture of their sleeping faces covered in smiles...at least it's in the camera of my heart.


A few days later, I told Bryan I'd like to make Mother's Day special by having a family outing each year. It could be simple like playing badminton in the backyard or over the top like our day trip to Seattle. Bryan did some Google searches and found a lighthouse we hadn't viewed yet just north of Seattle. We loaded up in the car with our new picnic blanket (the jean blanket I finished over the winter). Bryan said our destination city was Lynnwood. Once there, we pulled off for fuel, and Bryan got rerouted for directions to the lighthouse. We went a couple more freeway exits north, to wind up at a mall. I noticed a Macaroni Grill and pointed it out to Bryan, thinking maybe we could have lunch there. Then he smiled and pointed to a building next to it, and that's when I saw the words Cafe Rio. OMG! Yes!! No way!! It's really there right? Not a mirage? I couldn't believe we'd just driven 3 hours to have lunch at Cafe Rio. It was the best Mother's Day lunch I'll ever have. The kids got free quesadillas with a half strawberry. They both ate their lunches up which surprised me as lately, they've become quite picky.

Once tummies were full, I asked Bryan if there was really a lighthouse to see. There was, but Cafe Rio had been the true destination and the lighthouse had been a backup in case it hadn't panned out. We went a little further north to Mukilteo Lighthouse. It has a lovely park around it yet due to the fabulous sunny day, was packed with no parking left. We found a second lighthouse to see, further south in actual Seattle proper. Alki Lighthouse became our new destination. The beach was packed here too, yet there were enough roads to let us find a parking spot. We clambered out and walked the promenade and got a couple shots of the lighthouse (which is all fenced off as it's still in official use). Bryan took a lot of pictures with his really nice lens and I clicked a couple with our point-and-shoot red camera. My pictures are washed out with sun, which I don't mind as it's hard to convince myself that the sun does shine up here in the northwest on occasion. Bryan had the decency to take a picture of us through his polarized sunglasses, so you can actually see the Space Needle in the background. I had hoped to get an ice cream while on the promenade, but we didn't see a vendor and the kids started to melt down. Back to the car we went and we plugged in GPS to find a Jamba Juice. I'm glad we did, as it was perfect for the hot sunny day and the kids loved having some poured into their cups. (Yes, that's Bryan in the background...lucky shot!) We stopped off in Olympia at a park to let the kids get out some pent up energy. Vivienne had a ball running all over and Laith discovered slides. Up and down he went, over and over again. He just couldn't get enough.

I much prefer Mother's Day now compared to the one we 'non-celebrated' three years ago. Never in a million years would I have believed you on Mother's Day 2011 that in one short year, I'd be celebrating the fact that I am mother to two precious kiddos. There are times I wonder if I should've made the cut. Yet I would never, ever trade back for the lonely years before now.

Excuse Me, May I Have Your Attention Please?

Unh-unhhh.  Unh-unh-unh-unhh. Now that I have your undivided attention, here is what we've done the last month or so. Mom and Dad kept getting cabin fever which eventually led to a long drive up the gorge. We tried out a new burger joint that Dad had been told was really good. We didn't eat any of it, which was a good thing, as Mom and Dad were really disappointed, especially when they found pink, raw meat in the middle of their hamburgers. We took the cabin fever excursion in the truck.  We went out once before in the truck and it's quite fun. Being up high makes it so both of us can see the sights, instead of just Vivienne (in the car she gets the middle seat with all front windshield views; I'm limited to what I can see out the window, which is mostly trees and cloudy skies). Here you can see me holding my Mickey Mouse coloring book that I've decorated completely with crayons and stickers. I'm quite proud of my handiwork.

Next was Easter. Unfortunately, Dad had to work all day. At least Mom thought so. She felt bad we didn't get to go Easter hunting until he got home. By the way Mom, we really don't care. Honestly, we have absolutely no clue what is going on. Candy at any time is fine by us.

 

 

 

Last was our birthday. Mom and Dad brought presents out of the back room all day long. First was the skype conversation with Grammie and Poppa and opening some presents. Then we had lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory. When we came home, we had birthday cake for dessert. I LOVE sweets and was so happy to get my own special cupcake. Vivienne wasn't much into the celebration. She was having too much fun with her new toys. Mom repeatedly lit our candles showing us how to blow them out to no avail. She finally gave up when I tried to put mine out with a finger. We finished the day with more presents and a skype with Grandma and Grandpa.

Mom went all out on our cake this year...NOT! Dad was a little misleading with his FB post. It sounded like she went all out. More like she found this awesome cake topper online at Etsy and she couldn't resist and snapped it up for a great deal. We loved having Daniel Tiger on our birthday cake. We also got the trolley with all the characters to play with. Daniel is one of our all time favorites right now. We watch him every night before we go to bed.

Our birthday was a blast. We had so many presents to open, that the next day, I was convinced Mom would have more to pull out of the back bedroom. I kept knocking on the door, asking her to open it but she refused. I think she's bluffing, as I'm betting there's a stockpile of toys in there still!

One in a Minion

Last year I sent Valentine cards to the twins' cousins. It was fun putting together cards for an extra holiday. It seemed so much more appropriate to send Valentine love to family rather than random school friends...which we don't have yet. Then this past Christmas, Despicable Me was on TV and we DVR'd the show. The twins love the minions just as every other American child does. I saw a FB post where Twinkies had been packaged as minions, and I had to give my take on it. I used my new Silhouette I got for Christmas to cut out the overalls I designed and the goggles.  The googly eye stickers and hand drawn Sharpie smiles add the perfect touch. I laughed with glee, so excited to package them up and get them on their way. I know I would've squealed, shrieked and laughed my head off if I'd received a pair of minions for Valentine's.

Again last year, I lamented not thinking ahead and spending the week Bryan was in Vegas for his yearly sales meeting with family. I braved the twins on my own for four whole days. It's a lot to handle as one adult. I really am amazed that there continues to be single parents. I absolutely hated being a single parent for those four days. It's so tough at the end of the day and knowing the next will be just like it, all on your own again. This year I planned ahead. So far ahead, that we thought about the airplane trip and what may help with having a reasonable experience. Bryan had the brilliant idea of personal headphones and below are photos of the airplane training sessions. Laith isn't much of a sport about headphones. He didn't like his ears being covered. Vivienne was the extreme opposite. She wandered the house forever, enjoying tunes on Daddy's phone.

 (yes I know...not the most appropriate style dancing for a budding dancer...but she absolutely loves it...once she starts copying the moves, I'll probably make this video a mandatory no-no)

Both twins love technology. However, only Vivienne has the patience to keep with it. Laith is just moving too fast. This pic was snapped by the lovely Vivienne herself. She got a hold of my phone and started going to town with the camera feature. She loves to swipe through the pictures. It's not a bad shot for a first time selfie!

(yes, again, I know...he's wearing MY shoes...at least they are ugly house shoes that could almost be considered men's shoes...)

Finally! Evidence we went to Utah and visited family! I always forget to take pictures...once again I'd forgotten. These shots Bryan took on his only day in Utah. Laith had fun playing with Alex. In one picture he's hugging him, the next he's taking off to tackle him to the ground. Alex was a good sport about his shenanigans. I wish we lived close so Laith could get out his toughness on another tough boy rather than the sweet little girl named Vivienne who was playing the piano. She has great posture!

Adding to my collection of door 'wreaths. For Valentine's, I took a wire heart shape and filled it with a fluffy, carnation pink feather boa.  It was perfect for a frilly holiday. For March though, I wanted something a little more sophisticated. I saw a horseshoe decorated on Etsy for just everyday decor and thought what a great idea. A horseshoe for the bit o luck needed in March. I trimmed it with greenery to keep the festive mood of St. Patrick's Day but didn't go overboard.

 

Finally - FINALLY!! Vivienne has long enough hair to put up pretty. She's not a huge fan of hairdo's, so I play with it often, making teeny braids, ponytails, pigtails, hoping all the while she'll get used to it. My plans have worked well, as last week for the first time, she let me put her hair up in pigtails and actually left the hair clips in. Laith left them alone as well, which was a huge sigh of relief.  The last time I tried pigtails, I had to hold Vivienne down like a squealing hog and then Laith promptly ripped them out once I let her go. She screamed to no end and it was a very long time before I was allowed to play with her hair again. Thank goodness her long term memory isn't well established yet! Laith also was given a 'hat' hairdo. We've tried over and over to get him to wear a cap like Bryan but he just doesn't like anything on his head. Bryan came home with several hats from Vegas, the one above being his absolute new favorite. And where did he leave it lying? On the credenza which he thought was high enough. Not anymore. Laith grabbed it with his grubby Cheetoh fingers and ran over to me, showing me his new do. He wouldn't let up until I'd taken a 'cheese' picture. I then had to pry the hat off his head, clean off the grime and stash it in our closet where grubby 2-year-old hands can't find it. I pulled out his special ball cap but he wouldn't wear it. Only Daddy's would do...of course.

Memory Bank

I lay awake in bed burning the day's images into my memory bank and realized I didn't want these memories to escape my brain. So instead of using this precious time for sleep, I'm making a list.

Laith

He runs everywhere; to the kitchen for snacks & drinks, to the bathroom to brush teeth, to the front door to put on coats and leave, back and forth through the living room playing. It's not often I see him walk.
He uses a Grrrrrrrsh noise when driving his trucks & cars. I taught him this noise when he first started playing with the heavy machinery dump truck and he uses it for all vehicles.
He stands on the couch back, leans against the wall, gives me a huge grin and jumps onto the couch.
He has one dance move, running in place, doing a quick 2-step river dance move.
He likes to stand behind me in my work chair, and wrap his arms around me giving me a hug. He also loves to lean around my right side with the sweetest grin and say Mmmmmmhhh which means I love you in his language and then I get an extra special hug.
He helps me with laundry by pulling the wet clothes out of the washer and handing them to me to put in the dryer.
He said Yeah today in conversation for the first time. I asked him if he'd brought me Elmo and his reply was 'Yeah!'
He likes to hold the sippie cup lids while I make up drinks. It's his way of helping.
When I yell it's time for lunch, he runs to the kitchen to open the pantry. He pulls the peanut butter off the counter and hands it to me.
He stands in his high chair when finished eating and says ooooooooo and waves his hands, giving me the signal he's done.
He reads books in a loud commanding voice, saying da-da-da-da-da-da again and again.
He splashes in the tub like crazy, doing this funky leg move, like he's running in place to really get the waves going.
He is always ticklish and has an infectious laugh. He has super ticklish knees.
He loves to wrestle, making all sorts of noises and pulling us to the ground. He's super strong and he makes this silly tough guy face when he comes running at you to wrestle.

Both

Whenever a show finishes, a series of high-pitched unh-unh-unh-unh follow until I get a new show started.
When snack time is declared, two sets of feet run to my arms to be swung up into their seats. Lately it's added a new twist, with each sometimes running off in a game of chase, huge grins ear to ear when I catch them.
Both climb into the toy chest, but most commonly it's Vivienne who then unloads every toy to Laith to strew around the living room.

Vivienne

She makes everyone comfortable. If you need a blanket, she's there handing you one. Need a pillow for your head? She's there to hand it over. Needed the bean bag to prop your legs? No problem, here it comes.
She runs off whenever I try to put her coat on. She thinks it is chase time.
She gets hurt and needs loves, each love ends with a kiss better.
Scrunching her face in the funniest smile ever when we say Cheese!
Dancing like crazy to any & every song. She has a bum bounce move, a rock back and forth on her feet move, a twirl move, a clapping move, and a new wave her arms move.
She sings to every song, and is really good at keeping to the tune.  She gets me giggling whenever the song has a high note, as she hits it every time.
She reads all books in a quiet commanding voice. She knows the color book by heart and will randomly burst out reading it from memory, pointing to her hand for the colors and doing the moves when needed. She does this with the So Big Elmo book too. And today when she got a new book, she immediately grasped the new moves for Pat-a-Cake.
She loves to sit in my chair and pretend to work. She's super quick and runs to my desk the moment I stand up. If I come back too soon, or beat her to the chair, she gets angry as I've ruined her fun.
Her most common word is 'astsss'. We couldn't figure out what it meant and it sounded a lot like...well no way around it 'ass'. It made us giggle a lot. Yesterday we realized she's saying "That's...".
She loves Blue's Clues, Daniel Tiger, and Doc McStuffins mostly in part to the songs. She sings them beautifully. She also loves the Minions and smiles huge grins whenever we watch a Despicable Me.
She loves when we go out and she gets to actually go into the store we've gone to visit. She has shouted Yay! a few times when we open the car doors to get out.
She cries at any closed door I go behind and lays on the floor reaching her fingers under the gap best she can to reach me.
She loves to jump on her bean bag and has huge giggle fits to herself each time she does it.
She walks around the house with her blankie and will wrap it around herself looking like a miniature Mary.

Bits and Bobs

When I first posted my blankets for sale, I only had time to take one picture of each blanket. The sunshine doesn't last long here, nor do happy twins. After wishing I hadn't made that blunder, I waited for the next sunny day...and I waited, and I waited, and I waited. One finally showed up in early January and my picture efforts were squashed by a couple of photogenic smiles. The camera couldn't stop snapping pictures of those two.

A typical day at our house consists of waking up anywhere between 7 and 8 am (and the closer it is to 8 the happier I tend to be). We get dressed, have breakfast, feed the dogs, do a few dishes and a couple more chores, then I hit the keyboard for work and the twins hit the great room for a full day of playing hard. We have a snack around 10ish, then lunch is served anytime after 11:30 am. I try to finish up work before nap time, but lately that has been my unicorn. Around 1:30ish the twins start to melt down and I take that as cue for naps. We have warm milk, turn the lights down some, and cuddle together on the couch watching Daniel Tiger. He's a good friend to wind down with. Then the twins go to their beds. For the longest time, I'd put Laith down and while he fussed a little, I would cuddle Vivienne on the couch. Slowly Laith started to fall asleep faster and without fussing, and Vivienne resisted falling asleep with more determination each day. In a fit of fed up to my eyeballs with this routine, we tried a new tactic. I laid Laith down, then grabbed Vivienne and laid her down. Nap time has now become jumping-in-the-bed time. Laith and Vivienne jump for a few minutes, laughing and giggling, talking away to each other. After a while you realize you're only hearing Vivienne's sweet small voice and know that Laith has conked out.  A few moments later, and Vivienne is gone too. I've been really lucky and gotten 3 hour naps for a l-o-n-g time. However, I think these days are soon to be gone forever, as the naps have started to shorten and two days in a row this week, Vivienne refused to nap. I knew the blissful afternoon peace & quiet wouldn't last forever...I'm gonna miss the 3 hour nap window. Laith always wakes first with the grumps. Vivienne is always smiley. Laith has to cuddle with me for a few minutes to several minutes before the grumps fade away (and they're not always gone). The twins have another snack, then play while I get dinner prepped, ready to start cooking once Bryan sends the message 'on my way'. The twins love to run around while I cook dinner, pushing on my legs, pulling me away from the counter, sidetracking me from my tasks into a romp of chase around the kitchen and tickle fests. Dinner's usually finished just as Bryan gets home and the twins are impatient for their dinners. Dinner is served on a plate every night and has been for the last six months. Last night was the FIRST time Laith ate his dinner on his plate without dumping its contents onto his high chair tray. Vivienne still prefers to eat directly from the high chair tray and every dinner is promptly emptied from plate to tray in a few minutes. After dinner is spent playing a whole bunch more then it's bed time. I usually aim for 8 pm, but sometimes we lose track of time and don't realize how late it is until almost 9 pm. For the last couple weeks, Laith has finally figured out how to sleep through the night. For me, sleeping through the night means I do not get out of bed to take care of a baby. Waking up to use the restroom, waking up from insomnia, waking up because Laith cried out in his sleep, waking up when Bryan gets up to ready for work, do not get factored into a full night's sleep. If I did, I'd still be waiting to get 4 straight hours of sleep. My body has learned how to function with the sleep I do get and I finally can count more nights than fingers & toes that have been 'full nights of sleep'.

Whenever I find a lazy moment to sit on the couch, someone (and I mean anyone by the someone) will inevitably end up in my lap. If it's not Laith climbing on me, it's Vivienne, and if it's not Vivienne, it's Bryan using my lap as a pillow for his head to watch TV. Before mommyhood I didn't mind, but now....I miss my personal space. I try not to whine about it, as I know soon enough these two little babies will be teenagers who won't want to admit I'm related to them. (And that's ok with me, it's a rite of passage.)

 

Feeling a fit of cabin fever, I came up with several day outings. We could drive to Bend, Oregon and see Smith Rock State Park, we could drive to McMinnville, Oregon and swim at the air museum water park, or we could drive to Seattle, Washington to visit the aquarium. Option 1 was nixed when the Oregon road cameras showed snow at two different passes we'd have to traverse. Option 2 was nixed as I realized I'd need swimsuits for the twins and me...and the idea of me in a swimsuit is not something I'm ready to brave yet. So option 3 it was. We left a very sunny Vancouver, to enter a very foggy Olympia. Luckily when we hit Tacoma, the sun broke out and we enjoyed a decently sunny day in Seattle for the first time. The pictures don't really show that...the one we got as we passed the Needle on our way out of town would lead you to believe it was cloudy, but it was a cloudbreak rather than a sunbreak that day. I wasn't sure how the twins would react to swimming fish...I figured we were probably trying a new adventure a little too early. Boy was I wrong. Laith enjoyed getting his hands wet to touch the starfish while Vivienne preferred to stay dry and just look at the pretty pink stars. Both loved seeing the Hawaiian fish display. It's easy to tell as the fish are extremely colorful and energetic. Surprisingly the sea lion didn't catch much of their attention, but the river otters did. They were having a good game of swim tag and the twins had smiles watching as the otters kept swimming past. I chose to get each a book from the gift store. You can't see it in Laith's blurry picture, but both latched on to the new books and read them for a good portion of the way home.

Today I got lucky and outlasted Vivienne during nap time. I had finally selected some fabric to finish the new bed linens for the guest bedroom and was itching badly to sew up the pillow shams for the Euro pillows. While I ironed, pinned and sewed, I could hear her voice babbling away. At one point she started coughing, as though to get my attention and say "Mommy! I'm still awake. Come get me!!" but I kept pretending I couldn't hear. After a while I no longer heard her babbles and when I peeked in, she was fast asleep. I finished the pillow covers and made up the bed. I think I want to put one more long, low pillow in front, but above is the almost finished look. Our guest bedroom now has better linens than the master bedroom....hmmm..gonna have to fix that. After taking the pictures and looking at the results, I had to relax on the bed, but as I looked around the room, relaxation was the last thing on my mind.

 

Our guest room has always been a catch all room. To the side are the car seats I've been trying to sell for six months, the old bed linens and the many toys that the twins have figured out may be used as climbing step stools. After several climbing accidents, they've been banished to this room. Across from the bed are my sewing machines, ironing board, and the bajillion items stacked on the dresser. There's two sets of crib bedding I never used, coloring supplies for twin toddler art projects, bits and bobs from leftover handmade cards and scrapbook layouts, the humongous bag of beans I thought I'd bought too much of (which by the way, I can now use as the bean bags have started to 'deflate' with use), picture frames that kept getting played with by two mischievous babies, a Silhouette machine and the stack of guest pillows waiting for new pillow cases. I know my next project should be organizing this room and clearing up the clutter....but I just can't bring myself to do it.