I did it.

I blogged every darn day and, boy, are my arms tired. No, wait. That’s the wrong joke.

Sorry. Blogging every day has turned my head to mush. And while NaBloPoMo has come to an end, I must say, I have gotten quite good (if I do say so myself) of imagining a blog entry for just about everything. I even have some ideas that will make it into future posts that I couldn’t post this month. Who would’ve thunk it.

Looking back, I’m glad I was able to post so many stories about TheMonk and Swee’pea. I’m sure they’ll love these stories when they are older (at least I hope they will).

Anyway, I hope you, dear readers, enjoyed this month. Until next time…

Oh, and I did post the winners to our Name That Photo contest – both of them. You can see the final photos here and here. Thank you to all of you who participated. I laughed out loud at all of your suggestions!

Today, Andrea had an early meeting. Usually, Andrea and I trade off with the twins in the morning while the other one showers and gets ready for work. On this day, however, I am on my own. Andrea suggests that I put the twins in the Pack-n-Play in our bedroom and turn on the new Sign Language video while I shower. This seems like a good idea and I keep the door open to listen for any signs of problems.

Of course, with the bathroom fan and the water cascading down I suddenly am convinced that I hear blood curdling screams – that the babies are staging a battle royale in the steel cage. I envision karate chops or total take-downs with carnage everywhere. So, I rush through my shower and quickly turn off the water. I listen carefully as I dry off and the only sound I hear is the music from the DVD. All sorts of thoughts run through my mind. “They’ve killed each other,” I think.

As I’m done drying off, I can’t stand it anymore and I peek my head out of the door and look towards the twins. And my heart melts.

They are both standing at the edge of the Pack-n-Play with their arms dangling over the top. Both of their little faces are engrossed with the television. I glance at the screen as I see a little girl showing the signs they will need to know for the next song. As I glance back at TheMonk and Swee’Pea I notice that their little fingers are both wiggling away. It is then that I realize that they are getting this. They are trying to mimic the signs they see on the video.

And they are so cute that I can’t stand it.

I quietly slink back into the bathroom to get ready. But I keep peeking, ’cause, you know, they’re so damn cute.

Sometimes, when I’m out in my day to day life I inadvertently stumble upon little nuggets of wisdom that will be useful to pass along to my children. Often times, I forget what that little nugget was by the time I get back home to document it. This time, however, not only have I made the effort, I have succeeded. Here are some of the things I have noticed recently that TheMonk and Swee’Pea will need to know…

- Always, always, always do the right thing. Even if it kills you inside to admit you were wrong or not doing what is right will help you in the short run, it will certainly haunt you in the long run. I only wish I learned this earlier. It would have saved me a lot of grief.

- Never pass gas in an empty elevator. You never know who will get in right as you get off. (Passing gas in a full elevator is perfectly okay, however, as long as you start looking at the person next to you like he did it.)

- Don’t worry about what other people think. Only concentrate on doing what is right. Too many people spend too much wasted time worrying about what others think. Trust me, 10 years from now, no one will remember that you walked around all day with your fly unzipped but they’ll remember if you were unkind.

- Don’t drink milk that’s more than six or seven days past it’s due date. Trust me on this.

- Always be kind to the receptionist. They are the gate keeper to many business opportunities.

- Never wear plaid with stripes. In fact, unless you’re a scottish terrier, never wear plaid.

- Never stop exercising. Once you stop, it’s so much harder to start again.

- Never pet your cat after eating buttered popcorn. Neither you, nor the cat, will be particularly happy.

- Change the oil in your car regularly.

- Love with all of your heart! Not just a little bit! Don’t save it for later! Give it all you’ve got now! Yes, you might get hurt but, oh what a fantastic feeling it is to love with abandon.

- Take risks. Not “run with scissors” risks but rather the kind that if you just stretch beyond your comfort zone, you’ll acheive great things. Taking risks is necessary. And don’t worry, your Daddy will be here to catch you if you fall.

Oh, and always call your mother.

Since the beginning we always sensed that Swee’Pea has a special talent for fashion. For example, Andrea documented early on Swee’Pea’s penchant for trying on various bracelets. This early talent for accessorizing may be a sign of a real future in the fashion industry.

But that’s not all. We’ve begun to notice even further evidence of her burgeoning fashion infatuation… One that could lead to a future of fashion shows, catwalks, and designer dresses – or bankrupt with maxed out credit cards and $500 pairs of shoes in her closet.

Speaking of shoes, one troubling sign is her early obsession with shoes. Keep in mind that she’s only been wearing shoes for about 4 months. It was, however, one of her first words (behind Kitty, of course) and almost every morning, when I pull her out of her crib, she points to the basket of baby shoes (many that she never got to wear) in her closet and requests, “Shoosh?” She will often throw a small tantrum if she doesn’t get to go over and touch her precious shoes.

Then there is her recent ability to put on any shirt, sweater, paper bag, etc. by dumping it on her head and walking around as if on a fashion runway. If it looks like it can be worn, she’ll make it work. She has vision beyond my puny sartorial taste. She sees fashion where most of us see garbage.

Finally, there is her seemingly inate ability to figure out all items of dress without ever seeing them work. She knows a belt goes around her waist. She knows a tie goes around her neck (and she certainly didn’t learn that from me). She knows underwear goes on your head (okay, she might have learned that from me).

Anyway, I’m loving my little fashion bug. In a few years, who knows, maybe she’ll get an internship with MetroDad and we’ll see her clothing line in Wal-Mart.

Proof of Swee’Pea’s fashion sense…

When you have twins the importance of learning to share is high. Because each one tends to want what the other one has, we have had to do a lot of teaching about sharing. And because we are teaching the kids sign language we have even used the sign for it to reinforce it whenever we say “share.”

Until recently, Swee’Pea was notorious for taking things from TheMonk. In fact, I would venture that teaching them to share has been a direct result from Swee’Pea taking everything from TheMonk. This has begun to change, however, as Swee’Pea has begun to like the praise she gets when she gives something she has to TheMonk. We cheer like crazy and she gets a big grin on her little face, clearly pleased with the result of “sharing.”

The downside to this, is that TheMonk now thinks that “share” means he gets whatever Swee’Pea has. Yesterday, for example, he tried to take something from Swee’Pea while chasing her around the room using the “share” sign. He had not used this sign before, so it was really cool to see him communicating with his sister. Unfortunately, Swee’Pea wasn’t so sure she was ready to cooperate.

Later that same day, Swee’Pea showed that she too has the ability to communicate the word “share.” TheMonk had a toy that she wanted and she was certain that if she used the sign, she would get the toy. As a result, she chased him around the room, signing “share” while crying in frustration.

Luckily, we have been able to broker most disagreements about sharing. My next job will be a negotiator with the United Nations. I’m certain my recent experience will absolutely qualify me for dealing with the North Koreans or the Iranians. It’s all about sharing.

This week we spent traveling up two-thirds of the state of California. We drove over 500 miles each way to spend time with Grandmother, Great-Grandmother and my aunt. We also stopped in beautiful Lompoc, CA (it was approximately half-way and they had an Embassy Suites), and Monterey before heading to our final destination in beautiful Santa Cruz, CA – my hometown.

We thought this trip would be great. We were really looking forward to a road trip with the babies. Our first vacation with our little ones would be so much fun, right? Well, no. Not really. I mean, we did have a very nice time visiting with family and friends. But rest and relaxation were definitely not on the agenda. Why? Well, we learned that chasing two 17-month-olds in unfamiliar, un-baby-proofed hotel rooms and childhood homes is frickin’ exhausting!

At no point did we ever feel relaxed. No, instead we chased TheMonk and Swee’Pea around trying to prevent injury and death. The sad part is we didn’t really achieve that goal either. Especially with TheMonk. The poor guy certainly ended the week a little worse for wear but should recover in time to wreak havoc on us this weekend. Here is a summary of the injuries.

TheMonk
1) Large scrape on back from falling against the door hinge at the Embassy Suites.
2) Small pinch mark on right side from squirming when being buckled into his stroller – the buckle got him good.
3) Stomach ailment from eating garlic fries for the first time.
4) Fat lip from pushing his new toy that Grandmother gave him around on the slick linoleum floor resulting in the toy flipping up into his face and cutting his bottom lip on his tooth.
5) Bumps on the back of his head from slipping on the same linoleum floor (think patches of ice, indoors).
6) Big bruise on this forehead from tripping on the carpet and flying head first into the corner of two walls.

Bri
No injuries to report – unless you count the eczema that has suddenly appeared on her little face.

There’s no truth to the rumor that Swee’Pea contributed to these injuries.

When preparing to scramble organic brown eggs to feed to your twins, and you crack open an egg that contains two yolks, is it normal to feel a little weird about it?

It’s funny how we only take time once a year to focus on the act of giving thanks. In my opinion, the world could use a few more thank yous. I am as guilty as the next person by not always expressing my appreciation of others or acknowledging how insanely fortunate I am to live the life I’m living. I mean, how often have I anguished over who to start on my fantasy football team or whether I’m going to have time to pick up a cup of coffee at Starbucks? How pathetic is that?! If these are my life’s problems, then I am one lucky guy.

And I am lucky. I am so thankful for all of the fortune that has met me in my 35 years. I’ve married a beautiful, strong, intelligent woman who happens to be a fantastic mother. I have two amazing, beautiful children (not to mention the coolest kitty on the planet). I own my own home. I have a job I love. And, to top it all off, I’m damn good looking. (grin)

Yes, I have a lot to be thankful for. My challenge to myself is to remember this for the next 364 days.

Once again boys and girls, we need a caption for the following photo.

The best one will be the “official caption” on my flickr pic. How’s that for fancy?!

While the twins loved their quilts, they also had a lot of fun with the box it came it. Here’s proof: