Social Distancing :: Day 70

Texas started its Phase 2 re-opening this week. We haven't met any of the requirements for re-opening {in terms of declining cases}, so I'll be curious to see how that plays out. We haven't seen the crazy high spikes that some people anticipated, but we'll see if we can hold onto our luck in the next, broader phase. 

I have been asked when I think I can start getting out more. And the simple answer is "I don't really know." Mike goes to the grocery store every few weeks. I have run a couple of drive-thru, contactless errands, and I took the kids to their eye doctor appointments. That was a big deal for me. I don't "live in fear" as some might assume, but it is nerve-wracking when not everyone abides by the same social distancing guidelines. Other than that, we have been home {or at least in our neighborhood}. We're taking extra precautions because I am immunosuppressed, and we just don't know what my risks actually are. Unfortunately, I'm no sure we will really know anytime soon either.

I feel confident in my ability to wash my hands and keep a safe distance from most {kind and considerate} people. But I have to factor in 3 tiny people that touch ALL THE THINGS and have zero impulse control. So that really limits our ability to be out in the world haha. Because I know not to touch my face or sneeze on other people, but they don't quite understand that yet. And so we wait. And pray. And ask for wisdom in all of this chaotic mess that is COVID-19.

Nap Time Update

We had one glorious day where Eli and Maddie stayed in their beds during nap time, and we celebrated big, with popsicles on the front porch and a walk around the neighborhood {big in their world}. But it was just that one glorious day...and sadly we are on day 10 of separating them from their WWE match and sitting on squares as a consequence for disobedience. I'm definitely ready for this phase to be over, 1) so we can go back to fun outside activities after nap time, and 2) so I can have my personal time back to get things done while they sleep. That's a little hard to do with the current set up of a child sleeping next to me...

The Chosen

Have you heard about this series? Several people mentioned it to me before I finally decided to watch it. And I loved it so much, that I had to share it here! It's a series about the life of Christ, produced by VidAngel, and entirely crowd-funded. They are raising the money as they go, because they want to produce the series outside of the Hollywood system. I don't usually like Christian video production {overly cheesy, bad acting, anyone?}. But these are so well done. I actually cried in several of the episodes, because they made me feel like I was there, walking with Jesus. I didn't want it to end! I can't wait for Season 2 to be filmed and shared!

You can watch the whole first season for free on YouTube or you can download their app to watch the episodes {I did the latter}. Forewarning, they will ask you to contribute funds, but you don't have to in order to watch the episodes for free. Personally, I did choose to pay it forward, because it was that good, and I wanted others to be able to enjoy it as much as I did. Several people have felt the same way, which is how others can view it for free :)

The Chosen

1000 Books Before Kindergarten :: 900!

We're getting closer! We have slowed our pace quite a bit...we have had to take away "special books" because we have struggled with some obedience. Which is a strange thing to take away books from a child. But they still have a whole bookshelf full of books that they read throughout the day, so I'm not worried about any literacy issues. And I am grateful that not having books is seen as a punishment; it means my kids still love books :)

You can find the books we have already read here:

• 1-100
• 101-200
• 201-300
• 301-400
• 401-500
• 501-600
• 601-700
• 701-800

1. Curious George's Dream by Margret Rey*
2. The Berenstain Bears' Lemonade Stand by Mike Berenstain*
3. Mittens by Lola M. Schaefer
4. Bears in the Snow by Shirley Parenteau*
5. Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Gorilla by Jennifer Bove
6. The World Around Us: Bugs by David Creighton-Pester*
7. Bug Fun! by Elaine Lonergan
8. Slimy Slugs and Grubby Bugs by Kathryn Knight
9. Mini Beasts by Kathryn Knight
10. Goodbye to Goodbyes by Lauren Chandler*
11. Just In Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado*
12. Curious George at the Baseball Game by Margaret and H.A. Rey*
13. The Berenstain Bears' New Pup by Jan and Stan Berenstain
14. A Pet Named Sneaker by Joan Heilbroner
15. Big Bear Hug by Nicholas Oldland*
16. Virgil & Owen by Paulette Bogan
17. Mighty Machines: Monster Trucks by Kay Manolis*
18. Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was an Orca by Sandra Markle
19. Curious George Goes to the Zoo by H.A. Rey*
20. The Busy Beaver by Nicholas Oldland
21. Fred and Ted Like to Fly by Peter Eastman
22. Curious George Flies a Kite by Margaret and H.A. Rey
23. Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Lion by Sandra Markle
24. Dig, Dogs, Dig: A Construction Tail by James Horvath*
25. One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck
26. There's a Wocket in My Pocket by Dr. Seuss*
27. Danny and the Dinosaur and the Sand Castle Contest
28. God Made You Nose to Toes by Leslie Parrott
29. God Made All of Me by Justin & Lindsey Holcomb
30. Elmo Says Achoo! by Sarah Albee
31. My Body by Marnie Forestieri
32. My Body, Your Body by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom
33. Curious George Rides a Bike by H.A. Rey*
34. The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin*
35. Otter: The Best Job Ever! by Sam Garton
36. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bug by Katharine Ross*
37. Curious George and the Dump Truck by H.A. Rey*
38. What This Story Needs is a Munch and a Crunch by Emma J. Virjan
39. Mighty Machines: Race Cars by Derek Zobel*
40. Curious George: Race Day by H.A. Rey
41. The Biggest Cookie in the World by Linda Hayward*
42. Zack's Alligator and the First Snow by Shirley Mozelle
43. The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat by Nurit Karlin
44. Work, Dogs, Work by James Horvath*
45. Otter: Oh No, Bath Time! by Sam Garton
46. Big Bird Says... by Sharon Lerner
47. Big Egg by Milly Coxe
48. Curious George Gets a Medal by H.A. and Margaret Rey
49. Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells
50. Colorful World: Sea by Nastja Holtfreter*
51. Incredible Sea Creatures by Karen Mitzo Hilderbrand and Kim Mitzo Thompson
52. Oceans by Igloo Books*
53. Penguin's Big Adventure by Salina Yoon
54. Ocean Animals from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick
55. Up the Creek by Nicholas Oldland*
56. The Berenstain Bears Around the World by Mike Berenstain*
57. I Want to Be a Doctor by Laura Driscoll
58. Curious George and the Birthday Surprise by H.A. Rey*
59. Oops Pounce Quick Run! Mike Twohy*
60. Marvin Wanted More by Joseph Theobald
61. If I Could Keep You Little... by Marianne Richmond*
62. Diggers Go by Steve Light*
63. The Missing Beach Ball by Sonali Fry*
64. I Don't Like Gloria! by Kaye Umansky*
65. Penny and Her Song by Kevin Henkes
66. The Tea Party in the Woods by Akiko Miyakoshi
67. Curious George Plants a Seed by Erica Zappy
68. The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds by Patricia Relf and Joanna Cole
69. A Tree is a Plant by Clyde Robert Bulla
70. Mrs. Peanuckle's Flower Alphabet by Mrs. Peanuckle*
71. I Believe in You by Marianne Richmond*
72. Apples and How They Grow by Laura Driscoll
73. The Stinky Giant by Ellen Weiss and Mel Friedman*
74. Digger, Dozer, Dumper by Hope Vestergaard*
75. I Spy: A Game to Read and Play by Caitlin Haynes
76. Aaron is a Good Sport by P.D. Eastman
77. Dino-Racing by Lisa Wheeler*
78. Gossie & Gertie by Olivier Dunrea
79. Is That Wise, Pig? by Jan Thomas
80. Happy Mother's Day! by Deborah Hautzig
81. Maisy Plays Soccer by Lucy Cousins
82. My Friends Make Me Happy by Jan Thomas*
83. Flap Your Wings by P.D. Eastman*
84. Gideon and Otto by Olivier Dunrea
85. Smash! Crash! by Jon Scieszka*
86. Tiara Saurus Rex by Brianna Caplan Sayres
87. A Birthday for Cow! by Jan Thomas
88. I Like Stars by Margaret Wise Brown
89. Minnie-Rella by Ashley Mendoza*
90. Good Night Cowboys by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper*
91. Cowboy Camp by Tammi Sauer*
92. Mighty Truck: The Traffic Tie-Up by Chris Barton*
93. Pete the Cat and the Cool Caterpillar by James Dean*
94. Danny and the Dinosaur: Too Tall by Syd Hoff
95. Otis and the Tornado by Loren Long*
96. Froggy Goes to Camp by Jonathan London
97. Maisy Learns to Swim by Lucy Cousins
98. Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker*
99. The Doghouse by Jan Thomas
100. Never Ask a Dinosaur to Dinner by Gareth Edwards and Guy Parker-Rees*

*Some of our favorites

Twin Adventures :: Vision Update

Both Eli and Maddie had eye doctor visits this week. They were originally scheduled for March, but had to be pushed back because of COVID-19 and subsequent shelter-in-place orders. We debated back and forth on whether or not to push the appointments back again, but decided that we should go ahead and get them in. We both felt comfortable with the doctor offices' safety policies, and we are thankful for the kindness of strangers working to keep people around them safe.

Maddie was up first. Her visit was a follow-up with the pediatric ophthalmologist {surgeon} to see if her glasses helped correct her strabismus {cross eye}. We knew it was a small chance, and it turned out that the improvement we did see with the glasses wasn't quite enough. I feel confident that we gave it a worthy effort {Maddie was very good about wearing her glasses like she was supposed to}, so it makes the decision for surgery a little easier. 

I was so proud of my sweet girl, for being brave {and cooperative} in wearing her mask and getting screened at the hospital entrance. These are such strange times, but I am thankful for my brave girl. It definitely helped that everyone else around us was wearing a mask, because there was no way I would have convinced her otherwise haha. So now the task is to prepare her for surgery...

Eli was up next! We have been taking him to the original pediatric ophthalmologist {non-surgeon} every 6 months or so to monitor the vision in his right eye. Poor kid has terrible vision, so his glasses prescription is pretty strong. But apparently his right eye is still struggling to see properly. We have been patching for 3-4 hours a day for several months, and there just hasn't been any improvement. So our next step is most likely vision therapy. We are still waiting to get details on that, as we are unsure if he is too young for it, and we don't know what that will look like in these times of COVID-19.

Eli was really brave too! He had no problem wearing his mask, which was good, because he had to wear it longer than Maddie did. We will wait to get more details on vision therapy, but in the meantime, we will continue patching.

It's pretty difficult to keep a 3 year old from touching everything around them, but it helped that I only had one to contain at each appointment :)

Twin Adventures :: Nap Time Shenanigans

she · nan · i · gans | shə-'na-ni-gənz

noun

silly or high-spirited behavior; mischief

-------

Our latest "adventure" has been Eli and Maddie's rebellion during nap time. Maddie has struggled with staying in her bed since she climbed out of her crib last Fall. It took almost 2 months to get her to actually stay in her bed. And it was nice while it lasted...

Our problem now is that Eli has now joined in on the antics. Before, Maddie was really the only one being crazy, but if we could calm Eli down, then she'd get bored and go to sleep. Now though, he thinks nap time is play time, so it's just crazytown in there, once I close the door. Again, Maddie shows zero willpower to stay in her bed, and she is out the second the door closes. Eli won't get out of his own bed, but just in case you think he's an innocent party, know that he is the one coaxing her over to his bed, saying "Maddie, get out of your bed!"

It would be totally ok for them to play in their room if 1) they were quiet about it, and 2) they didn't desperately still need a nap. They can't play and talk quietly to each other, so we can listen to their sweet conversations over the monitor like all those other twin moms talk about. Nope. They have to wrestle and jump and scream and throw and bang and kick and basically act like lunatics. Because I still have another child in the house who is trying to sleep, and 2 sound machines don't seem to be enough to cover the twin antics. And said twins still need their nap. Because when they don't get a nap...well, it's not pretty in our house between the hours of 4 and 7pm.

So we're trying to find the balance of letting them talk and play {quietly}, but also keeping them from acting like fools for the entire duration of nap. The other hard part of these current shenanigans is that we are struggling with discipline and obedience overall. Turns out, my children are pretty stubborn. They don't like consequences {who does?} but we haven't quite found what works for them yet. I mean, what else can you do when timeout doesn't work and you have literally taken everything away from them??

No joke. We took away their "stuffies" they sleep with, their blankets, their pillows. All the fun things we had planned {walks, playing outside after nap, eating popsicles, etc.} And we recently took away all of their toys. Mike pulled out most of them, and they were not allowed to play with their toys after nap. They had to sit on a square and watch Aiden play with all their toys. Which they hated. So we {naively} thought, "oh, this is going to sink in!" 

We {or at least I} felt like mean parents, but you have to stick to what you say, right?? Yeah, well, this worked for one day. And then they were back to WWE hour. So my mom suggested separating them. Which, we have avoided, simply because we don't have another place for another child to sleep. But desperate times...

So we're on day 2 of pulling Eli out of the room and making him sleep on a pallet on the living room floor. Which is highly inconvenient for us, so we're really hoping this is a phase. And a quick one at that. Thankfully, they both fall asleep within 10-15 minutes of being away from each other {at least the last couple of days}, so that certainly seems to be the ticket. Eli seems a little happy and relieved to be apart, so I'm not sure he's registering the separation as a consequence haha. Maddie definitely does NOT like being separated from Eli; she told me through toddler tears, "Mommy, I want Eli to come back to me!" Talk about breaking your heart!

Parenting is hard. Parenting twin toddlers is really hard. It is taking all of my patience and strength and brain power right now. I was a {fairly} obedient child, so I just don't understand not doing what Mommy and Daddy tell you to do. All day, every day, repeat x1000. I know their little brains can't remember what I said 2 minutes ago, but man is it frustrating. I realize how quickly I am triggered by a tiny 3-year old human who simply says "no" haha.

It's my job to teach them how to obey, and I desperately want them to know the joys and peace of an obedient heart. But I also want them to want to obey and not just avoid consequences. It's such a hard balance, and I know there are a lot of steps in the process as they learn and grow. As I, sinful Mama, learn and grow. Because I am learning how much I want to just control their behavior in the moment, and I have to remember that I am shepherding little hearts. For the long term. THIS is the hard work of parenting, of training little people to know and follow Jesus. Of remembering that only God can do the real heart work, that I have to be surrendered to the Lord if I have any hope of imparting knowledge and training to them. And we all need so much grace in that process.

Social Distancing :: Day 55

Texas implemented phase 1 of their reopening strategy last Friday. Not a ton has changed, but more businesses and restaurants could open at a 25% capacity, with social distancing measures. Many places have still chosen to stay closed, or operate at their previously limited capacity anyway. Some have flung open the doors, not really abiding by the social distancing measures. So we'll see how it all shakes out in the next couple of weeks, particularly as they look ahead to implementing phase 2...

For us, not much has changed. We're still hanging out, trying to survive our days at home with 3 little ones. I think we have reached a new/good rhythm with potty training, and most of the craziness is behind us {I hope}. But really, until we are able to leave our house and experience the whole potty business out in public, I don't feel like we can truly say the twins are potty trained. 

Outside Time

We have continued enjoying the beautiful weather and getting as much outside time as we can. We spend time in the backyard, and the newest pastime is digging in the dirt. We have worked so hard to get our grass to grow, fighting the weeds and actually having grass...and now our kids are just ripping it all up haha. But they're having fun, so...

We have also been taking lots of wagon rides to see the fountains. We go to see the "big fountains" over at Melissa City Hall, then walk back by the smaller fountains at the end of our street. The kiddos are always on the lookout for birds, butterflies, frogs, and turtles.

Pooh Bear Love

Eli and Maddie never really had attachments to any loveys or stuffed animals. They have favorites, for sure, but nothing like our dear Aiden's love for his Pooh Bear. Oh man. "Love" probably isn't even a strong enough word for what Aiden feels for his Pooh Bear haha. I'm pretty sure Pooh Bear is Aiden's best friend. He takes him EVERYWHERE. Pooh helps calm/console him for just about everything. He can never be very far. He can put him down, even leave him behind {he doesn't sleep with him or take him places...usually}, but he is always looking for Pooh Bear the minute he wakes up and comes back from playing outside. And Pooh gets LOTS of kisses before Aiden can part with him. During our time at home, we have allowed him to take Pooh outside some and even on walks with us. So Pooh Bear is really starting to stink LOL. We're probably going to have to give him a good Febreeze bath pretty soon :)

We should have known then... {just 4 months old!}

A boy and his Pooh Bear