Image provided by Bobolo Productions Inc.

I was first introduced to the musical due, Bobs & LoLo, when the twins were just toddlers. At that time, Bobs & Lolo had a joyful and musical television program called, ‘Sing, Dance and Play with Bobs & LoLo’ on the Treehouse channel. It was one of the few programs I felt good about letting them watch, at that time.

Since then, I have heard the ‘Bobs & LoLo’ name brought up, on two different occasions, by one of the finest elementary teachers I know (who also happens to be a twin mom) – Hi Ange!  It really stood out to me since I respect her, so much, both as a teacher and a parent (of multiples none the less)!

When I had the opportunity come up to review their newest music album, 2018 Juno Award nominated – Blue Skies, I knew it would be great!

A little bit of background, here…the twins received an iPad, this past Christmas, from some family. I have really been trying to be mindful about how they use it and what gets added, so they have only had a few educational apps added and they have played around with taking photos and watching Netflix on long highway trips.

But, that was then.

Now, we can add ‘listening to music’ to the short (yet growing) line up of things they have used it for! The kids love having their own music that they get to listen to, pretty much as often as they wish. They have enjoyed the album in the car, while playing alone in their bedrooms, while colouring at the kitchen table, and even while bathing (there happens to be a really ‘fitting’ bath-time song on the album, ‘Scrub Scrub’).

Avery enjoys colouring nearly every day, now often while listening to music.  She told me today that ‘listening to music, while colouring, helps you stay in the lines’.

A little music to go with your cups??  Hopefully this happy music is a good distraction from the fact that these ‘cups’ are very ‘unofficial’!  lol

The kids genuinely LOVE this album. Both of them do! And I love that they have something wonderful, innocent, and sweet to listen to. Of course the messages are great, and fun, and I have even found myself singing along in the car!

I asked Avery what her favourite song was. At first, she insisted that she loves all of the songs, but of course I was looking for her favourite. After a little pressing, she told me that she loves track number eight, ‘Ran to the Park’. When I asked her ‘why’, she told me it’s because it makes her feel happy (I loved this!) and she likes how the song goes from quick to slow and then quick again (aka it changes tempo mid-way through the song). She rounded out the comment by telling me, again, that she likes all of the songs.

Avery and her favourite song, from the Blue Skies album, ‘Ran to the Park’.

Grayson, on the other hand, was quite a bit more decisive. He really likes the song, ‘Scrub Scrub’ and, in his case, it’s all about the chorus! I actually could have predicted this, before I asked him though, because I hear him singing it quite often to himself (and sometimes with his sister).

Grayson really likes, ‘Scrub Scrub’ from the album.  He REALLY wanted me to take a video showing him dancing to this song, instead, but…it was a hard ‘no’ so here’s a photo of his smiling face instead!

Honestly, we love this sweet, little album! The kids have really been enjoying it, and I really like that they are listening to something age-appropriate, that they love! The fact that Avery has told me she feels ‘happy’ when she is listening to it makes me feel like I am somehow improving her childhood, just a little bit, by giving her this gift of these songs. I have a hard copy of the album in my car and a digital copy on their iPad and I can tell you they are, already, very well loved!

If you’re interested in getting your own copy of Bobs & LoLo’s Blue Skies, you can stream it on Spotify or purchase it on iTunes or GooglePlay.

Parent Tip: You can sneak a preview listen of Blue Skies AND catch a FREE download of one of the album’s songs here!

Disclosure: I was provided with the music for this review however, as always though, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The twins with their very ‘offical-looking’ certificates from the University of Calgary

We are always looking for fun and interesting things to try around Calgary so, when I heard the University of Calgary was searching for ‘Child Scientists’, I wanted to know more!

Initially, I heard about the program from another mom of multiples. She had posted on the Facebook page of the Twins, Triplets and More Association of Calgary that the group was searching for research participants.   Another mom, who is also a part of the group, commented with feedback about how much fun her kids had had participating, so I decided to check it out!

The first thing I did was look through their website (I have included the link at the end of this post for you).

What I learned from their website, before we signed up:

These were the highlights of what I took away from their website:

-The studies are conducted at the U of C by a team (the Ch.I.L.D Research Group) who are, generally, exploring how infants and children develop language, learning, or social understanding.

-Studies are available for a wide variety of ages (infants through 14 year olds).

-Most studies only require a one-time visit to the university and lasts less than one-hour.

-In order to sign up, you complete a simple sign up form. Once a study is available, that your child is a fit for, you will be notified by email. You can accept, or decline, their invitation to participate (they send you the important details that you might consider in that email – when the study being conducted, what the time commitment is, etc.).

-The study days/times can be quite flexible and can include evenings and weekends. They also include free parking.

-If required, they will also provide a babysitting service for your other children while your ‘child researcher’ participates.

What happened next?

After spending some time on their website, I had the additional info I needed. I chatted with my husband and went ahead and completed the form.

Quite a bit of time went by before we were emailed about a study. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make any of the days/times work out and I had to pass on that one. I wondered if they would maybe feel discouraged about contacting us again, but they did reach out again to us when another study came up.

A couple of months ago, their research coordinator emailed me about a study they were conducting for 5-year olds. She sent all of the information I needed in her initial email:

-What the study was about (how 5 year-olds develop perspective taking and communication skills)

-What the time commitment was (1.5 hours or less)

-What would be involved (playing a series of computer games while being observed i.e. where is the child looking at particular points in the game)

-When they were scheduling appointments for (there was about a 3-week window, from the time they emailed me to the cut off for appointments).

-There was a thank you being provided to children for their contribution: a t-shirt, prize and certificate

How we explained it to the kids

Before committing to the study, I did have a quick conversation with the twins (both had been invited to participate). We talked about what university is (I loosely explained it as the place you go to learn when you are an adult) and how some adults at the university had some fun computer games for kids to play, while the adults helped them. I let them know that once they were done, they would receive a t-shirt, certificate and a prize. They were both excited to try it out!

The stars were aligned and we set up a day/time to come in.

Attending the Study

Upon arrival, the research coordinator met us in the parking lot and gave us our parking pass. She then accompanied us to the lab (the parking was very close to the building and we hardly had any walking to do to get to the lab).

Once inside, I completed some forms. There was a consent form (which was quite straight forward) and some demographic information (6 questions in total). The researchers took some time to meet and chat with the kids and they showed us the three rooms we would be using:

The Playroom:

The Lab (where the study happened):

The Viewing Room:

The viewing room has a 2-way window and was great to see! It put me at ease knowing I could have eyes on my kids, at all times, and it was really interesting having the ability to observe the study while it was happening (audio was played into the viewing room).

I decided to start with my more outgoing twin first, Grayson. Avery wasn’t allowed to view the study at all from the viewing room, since she was participating right after him…so I took the opportunity to spend some time with her in the play room and I just checked into the viewing room periodically (they are within feet of each other, so this was very easy to do).

Once Grayson was done, Avery had her turn. I spent more time watching her study since Grayson could (quietly) be in the viewing room with me as well.

Note: they did offer me childcare, once I arrived, so I could watch the entire study…but I politely declined since I didn’t feel like I ‘really’ needed it.

The study actually finished up before the allotted completion time and the kids were presented all of their goodies.

The goodies the kids received:

T-shirt – a variety of nice colours were given to choose from…they both chose the colour purple…

A Prize – they were simple little items, but the kids seemed happy enough to get them…

A Certificate – quite an official-looking one, I might add…

I was wondering if the kids were going to say that they felt like it was a little long (their body language seemed a little ‘restless’ towards the end), but they both said they enjoyed it and would do it again! They were thrilled with the simple tokens of appreciation that they received!

What I liked about it:

Of course, it was fun trying something new and interesting! The team was very kind, and accommodating.

Also, having the opportunity to support research, that benefits children, is wonderful…and so important! I loved that the kids, and I, could help in our own little way.

Something else I really loved was having the kids on the university campus…and having the conversations with them about that! As I mentioned earlier, I did loosely explain to them what ‘university’ is. As we drove through, the kids asked me questions about different people they saw…Is ‘that’ person crossing the road going to school? Is ‘that’ person a teacher? What kinds of things can we learn at a university?

Overall, it was a fun experience and we are all glad we participated!

Parent Tips

-Definitely have your child(ren) use the washroom before study begins – there is one nearby the lab.

-Pack some snacks and water. Having said that, if you don’t get to it (or don’t have time) snacks are available at a coffee stand in building. It has sandwiches, wraps, yogurt and baked goods.

How To Get Started:

As I promised, here is the website for the Ch.I.L.D Research Group: https://psychology.ucalgary.ca/child/

You can also contact them at: [email protected]

As a family of four, living in Calgary (on mostly one income) we are really mindful of how we spend our money. We are also really conscious about saving money whenever we can.

This means we often price shop, purchase ‘new to us’ items, and we are always looking at ways reduce our household expenses. In the past, in order to cuts costs, we have done things like eliminate cable television channels and re-negotiate prices for services such as internet and cable.

When it comes to renegotiating services, I actually take a lot of satisfaction in being able to make a phone call and reduce our bills. In another lifetime, before my life as a mom to twins, I had a career in sales. I enjoy the negotiation process and I don’t ever hesitate to make those calls.

So, when I was recently contacted by Bill Crush to see if I might make use of a ‘Household Bills Audit’, I had my doubts about how much money they could really save me – I mean, I’m pretty on top of that stuff.

But…their claim is that a typical family can save hundreds, if not thousands by switching to lower-cost service providers that they are able to recommend (their website indicates that they don’t receive commissions or referral fees from service providers, so you are presumably receiving an objective recommendation).

How Bill Crush Works

In case you’re wondering what Bill Crush is about, this is how it works. They are a company that does audits on Alberta family’s household bills. From there, they make recommendations on how to reduce the cost of them.

Bill Crush charges a small fee (as low a $9.95) to audit your bill(s) and provide a savings report. They currently are focused on Alberta households and can audit any of the following services: TV/Cable, Internet, Home Phone, Cell Phone, Electricity and Gas. They offer a guarantee that if your estimated monthly savings doesn’t equal 50% or more of their fees, they will provide you with a discount.

Here is a summary of what our Bill Crush audit experience was like…

Intake

The first step was to send them one’s months worth of bills via scan/email. I was a little nervous about sending my bills with personal information, account numbers, etc. and they were very respectful of that. As an alternate option, they sent me a simple Client Information Survey to complete.

Our household had a full audit done, which included: Cable tv, Internet, cell phone, home phone, natural gas, electricity.

Completing the form was really easy. When I saw the list, I was worried it was going to take a long time, but really it did not. I collected my previous month’s bills and sat down and got to work. In order to make sure I completed everything as thoroughly as possible (because I really wanted them to be successful in finding me savings), I did also spent a small amount of time online, and also making a couple of phone calls. I spent about an hour and a half in total working on it.

The kind of information I was asked about was mainly related to usage needs. Here are some examples of questions I was asked:

• How many cell phones are on your plan?

• If you had to choose between excellent cell reception and a low cost, which is more important to you?

• Which natural gas provider do you use?

• Are you in a contract for electricity?

• How many kWh of electricity did you use on your last bill

• What channels are important to you?

My Bill Crush Report Results

My four-page report was sent within two days of me submitting my intake survey. The cover page indicated that they had found about $675 in savings for 2018, so I was pretty excited to read what they had discovered and recommended for us.

I won’t get into all of the details of the report, but I will share with you some of the highlights that I enjoyed and felt were the most useful:

• I was congratulated on getting a good plan/rate with my current cell phone provider, who apparently is known to be typically on the more expensive side (Yay me!).

• They did not, in fact, recommend me switching cell phone providers at all…instead, they gave me specific details about a competing provider to use as a negotiation tool to try to increase my data (which I indicated on my intake form I wanted to do) yet reduce my monthly bill. They also informed me why this alternate provider is credible and could be a good fit, in case I did decide to make a change). I LOVED this!

• I received a rate comparison between my current utilities provider, and a competing provider, that showed us a side by side comparison of rates AND a break-down of my estimated annual savings for 2018…and even beyond. I was shocked to discover an annual estimated savings of $475 Wowza!

• The report took into consideration any contracts that we are in and always considered cancellation fees that might apply. For those particular services, we received current comparable pricing for competing providers…helping us understand who to look at when contract expiry times come up.

Honestly, I loved this report! This is exactly the kind of information I like to have (I am a total ‘details’ person) and has saved us so much time in research. Finding out the best competitor plans that are available to us that exactly meet our current needs was amazing! It provided clear and detailed changes we can make to save money ‘now’ and also later on…when some of our contracts come up for renewal.

How YOU can save too!

If you are interested in trying Bill Crush out for yourself, we can start you off with some savings (because that’s what this is all about, after all). Here’s our gift to you…

Use promo code ‘REFINE’ to receive a 20% discount on a bill audit of your own at: https://billcrush.ca

If you end up getting report of your own done, I would love to know how much savings they are able to find for you. I have seen some feedback from others that they were able to save in the ‘thousands of dollars’ range– perhaps it could be you!

Disclosure: This review was sponsored by Bill Crush. As always though, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Vaccine appointments are never easy with kids, regardless of how many you have…and they are most definitely not easy with twins. Throw in a parent who can barely stand to go through watching their kids get poked and…GAH!

Over the years, we have developed some strategies for successfully taking our twins to get vaccinated! We have been lucky to avoid a lot of the crying and stress that many kids (and parents) have to deal with…and I wanted to share our tips with you!

When The Twins Were Infants

When the twins were babies, it felt like we were taking them in to get vaccinated all. Of. The. Time.

In addition to their regular schedule, which seemed like a lot, we also chose to vaccinate for rotavirus…and eventually also for hepatitis A and B, since we really enjoy travel. The babes took in quite a few little needles, so we needed a strategy to try to reduce the crying and stress for all of our family!

Tip#1 – Try not to be outnumbered by the kids!

First, and foremost, I always scheduled vaccines during days and times that my husband could be available to help. Really, this was about having a 1:1 ratio of adults to children – because who wants to console a crying baby while trying to hold the other for their turn? No one at all!

Tip #2 – Have a plan before you start and be efficient!

We started an assembly-line-type-process at their first appointment and it worked really well. No need to drag out the appointment any longer than it needs to be.

When the twins were infants, the appointments always started with a complete strip-down of each baby to weigh and measure them…so, our first part of our plan would be that we each would take a baby, find a little scale-station, and get down to work. Divide and conquer!

Once that was over, we could continue with the rest of the appointment, which always looked like this:

1. Baby A is held by Dad and gets vaccine (mom’s eyes are, of course, averted!).
2. Mom takes baby A to waiting area and starts nursing right away (because food always makes people feel better! It also keeps the crying to a minimum!)
3. Dad holds Baby B for vaccine
4. Dad brings Baby B to waiting area
5. Mom and Dad swap babies and Baby B gets to nurse
6. Dad takes Baby A to burp
7. Mom burps Baby B once done
8. Mom and Dad both finish dressing the kids, get them ready for outside, and get them into car seats to go. Waiting period is about up by this time!

Okay, as I look at this 8-step process, it looks a little long but it always worked really well for us. It allowed us to get through the process with minimal crying (mom included) and we had pretty good efficiency doing it this way.  That’s mom-code for ‘low-stress’.

A side benefit of my husband coming to these appointments was that I was able to get out of having to be in charge of holding either of the babies while they were getting their needles.  Some might think that I am a ‘strong’ person…but when it came to ‘putting them through getting shots’, I certainly wasn’t feeling very strong.  I remember feeling pretty anxious about it…and maybe even a little teary the first time.

Tip #3 – For the love of God, hold onto your babies arm, leg, whatever as firmly as you can while they are getting their vaccine.

I’ll forever be scarred for life remembering my first time I held a toddler for their vaccine (this was normally dad’s job) and I didn’t hold his leg firmly enough.

Without giving you too much gory detail, I’ll just tell you that poor little Grayson flinched while he was getting poked.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t holding his leg firmly enough, and it was NOT good. Thank goodness he doesn’t remember it…but I do! …And I would really like to forget!

Don’t do what I did! It was a total #ParentFail

When The Twins Were Preschool and Kinder-Aged

It gets a little trickier once the kids are this age because they are way more aware of what is going on around them and generally don’t love needles. Can we blame them? Heck no!

Here are some strategies to try that have been working well for us, so far:

Tip #1 – Make sure your kids are well-slept with full bellies

We all know that our kids function much better when they are not hungry and not tired. For last year’s flu shot, we decided to take the kids after attending a fun, daytime, TTMAC Christmas Party.

Tip #2 – No Need to Give the Kids Too Much Notice

In my opinion, it doesn’t help for kids have too much time to think about (and maybe develop anxiety over) getting their shots. Last year, we didn’t even tell the kids what was happening until we had left the Christmas party and were enroute to the clinic. When we were about half way there, I let the kids know (in a really normal-conversation sort of way) that we were going to make a quick stop for the whole family to get some medicine and it would be from a needle. I didn’t make a big thing about it, I almost just said it in passing and we continued on our way.

This year, it was the same…we loaded into the car after a good night’s sleep and I set them up with a healthy (not sugary) snack (which also is a treat since they don’t usually get to eat in my car). Then, as we were leaving, I let them know where we were going. I made a big effort to try to be brief and not act worried or like there was something to be concerned about. Of course they were a little nervous, but I tried to answer their questions (briefly) and in a way that seemed like it’s not a big ‘thing’.  Here is a video of this year’s conversation:

As you can see, by the end of the conversation (which was about a minute-and-a-half), Grayson was already onto the next subject. Squirrel!

Tip #3 – Try not to be outnumbered by the kids

Yes, back to this point again.  If you can get down to that 1:1 adult/child ratio, there are several benefits and each child can get vaccinated at the same time (first) without having to see the other go first. The second adult can simply be with their child to another spot in the clinic.

Tip #4 – Have a plan and be efficient

At this age, I like to have dad take one twin one way and mom take one twin another way once the nurses are ready for us…and the kids go first (not the parents if they are getting vaccinated too). This way, the kids don’t see any family members get vaccinated…especially their twin.

Last year, Darren took Grayson and I took Avery and we went to separate nurses. The kids went first and Darren and I followed with ours.

Avery actually didn’t even know it had happened.  I sheltered her eyes (and obviously held her arm ‘firmly’, lol).  The nurse had Avery count with her, and that was it.  Avery was surprised to hear it was all done when the counting was over.

Darren did Grayson’s so I didn’t see quite what their scenario was. I get get a good chuckle though, since I did hear Grayson reprimand the nurse with an, “Owe! You poked me!” – but there were no tears.  Phew!

The bottom line here is that most kids aren’t going to want to get their shot after seeing their sibling get one.  Especially if that child might be feeling and/or acting upset over it. Twins, especially, are prone to being sensitive to seeing their sibling upset or in pain.

Divide and conquer people!

Bonus Tip – Keep your dates straight!

Don’t do what I did last week (the day of the video in the car)…prep your kids, feel good about that, show up to appointment, get told you are there on the wrong day…a month early!  What?  lol.

#ParentFailsGalore

I appreciate that each child is different and there might be other considerations at play for your family. Having said that, this is what has worked for us and I hope you might be able to take away even one idea from this post – especially if you are a parent of multiples.

If I’m missing anything on here, don’t be afraid to comment with any other tried and true tips you might have of your own!

I took this photo of the twins after last year’s flu shot.  They even look happy – success!

If you’re an Albertan and you would like FREE energy-efficient products installed in your home then this post is for you! Honestly…no tricks here!

I know this sounds too good to be true but, I assure you, it’s not!

In case you haven’t heard, the Alberta Government introduced a program intended to help reduce energy consumption called, Energy Efficiency Alberta. The program is ‘no charge’ (okay, I will use those words ‘loosely’) to Albertans and it is really simple to participate in.

The first step you need to take (and do it soon because I heard this particular program may be ending soon) is to complete the Energy Efficiency Alberta online application (I am including a link to it at the end of this post). It is really simple, and quick, and you will likely complete it in less than five-minutes. Someone from Ecofitt contacts you from there.

I personally completed the online application in mid-August and I received a confirmation email right away. In early October, I got my phone call from them and the very next day I had two Ecofitt technicians at my home with supplies in hand.

Here are the things they looked at in my home along with some information on what was replaced:

• Light Bulbs

We had 16 incandescent light bulbs replaced with LED light bulbs

• Shower heads

They did have more efficient options than what we currently have installed, but they weren’t a great replacement option for our home so I politely declined them.

• Faucet aerators

We had low flow faucet aerators installed in all of our bathrooms and I would never know otherwise – the water pressure is still great! The technician explained to me that this particular aerator adds air bubbles to the water stream, so you still feel good pressure. They reduce the water used on those taps by 20%!

• Power bars

We had two power bars replaced with energy saving advanced power bars. They are a really cool alternative that can turn off certain electronics if there isn’t activity on them (so, if you fall asleep in front of your TV…presto…it doesn’t stay on, wastefully, for hours while you’re snoozing!). Cool right?

• Thermostat

They looked at our thermostat and would have done a replacement with a smart thermostat but, alas, we already use a really great (and very smart) thermostat.

That’s it! It was super simple to apply and when the representatives came, they were quick and answered all of my questions (and trust me…I’m a question-asker!). I still can’t believe they took care of changing out all of that stuff!

I’m really glad we participated in the program and I think you should check it out too! As I promised, here is a link to the application site: Energy Efficiency Alberta online application

Hopefully we aren’t the only ones having sixteen light bulbs changed out – I felt a little embarrassed! …But, the important thing is that now, we are doing our part!

Let me know how it goes for you!

The Twins at The Wood Carver’s House, in Radium Hot Springs, a few days ago

The twins start kindergarten tomorrow and, all I can say is, I’m just not even ready for it!

My neighbor told me, a few weeks ago, that her and her daughter are ‘ready’ and are, in fact, ‘celebrating’ the start of kindergarten. I gave this some serious consideration…and wondered if I, too, should have this outlook.

But, no…that’s just not my story.

We have worked so hard to give them a good, solid foundation. Really, the last five and a half years have led us up to this big day. They were hard years, with highs and lows…they were amazing years. The best of my life, so far! I’m a little sad to see them changing.

My deepest hope for each of the twins, this year, is that they will have the kind of thoughtfulness, manners, and respect to ensure they are good students, good friends, and good little humans in general.

I hope that they still hold onto their wonderful and curious innocence…for a while longer anyway.

And, I hope while they are at school, they remember how deeply they are loved.

This last week was really dedicated to letting the kids have the happiest last days of childhood before grade school. We did the fun things they requested, we ate more treats than usual, and we spent a lot of great time together as a family.

And so, I hope they are entering into their first school year feeling as happy and joyful as possible!

Gray and Miss A…I Iove you, SO much, my sweet babies! Have a great first day of school tomorrow!

This summer I turned 39 years old and, I’m not going to lie, I was a little sad about it.

Actually…I was a lot sad about it.

Because we all know what the next big milestone birthday is going to be, right?

Cry!

In case you’re not picking up what I’m laying down right now, here is the reminder my husband gave me in card-form:

Nice, right?

The happy news is that my friends and family really did a great job of making me feel special and I hardly even thought about the fact that it’s my last 30-something birthday (despite feeling a little anxious during the weeks that led up to the day).   I got to go out for some really nice meals, I was gifted some really fun and thoughtful gifts…and…it turned into a bit of a ‘birthday week’!  I love birthday weeks!

On the Sunday before my birthday, my girlfriend (and fellow twin-mom) Liane, invited my family over for a little impromptu birthday brunch. She also was sweet enough to include another twin family we like to chum with (Hi Ange!).

I really wish I had thought to take some photos, but I will just savour in the memories of thoroughly enjoying her Hangover Breakfast Casserole, Biscuits, and Mimosas! The cinnamon buns that Ange brought were a really nice touch, too!

I must tell you that the day was made even more special because, not only is Liane a mom of twins the same age as Gray and Miss A, she also has a teenager AND a brand new baby!!! How she worked that all out, I’ll never know.

Can we all agree that Liane is a machine??

#LianeIsAMachine

It gets better!

The evening before my birthday (see why I’m calling this a ‘birthday week’?), my girlfriends Tara and Reshma treated me to a really nice meal at one of my favourite YYC restaurants, The Bow Valley Ranche. We drank wine…sans kids…and I ate Charcuterie.

Oh, and I didn’t even have to drive!

Thanks friends!

#Bliss

Here’s something only my good friends know about me.  Every year, I always secretly wish Darren will treat me to my most favourite cake in the world – Strawberry Shortcake! My mom used to make me a version of this when I was a child and it really is just my favourite.

Unfortunately, strawberry shortcake doesn’t usually make the cut.  I get it, it’s not an easy to find cake and life is super busy! Hey, I’m happy Darren even works out any cake at all!  He has never-ever forgotten my special day and usually does spoil me with fancy cupcakes and a nice dinner.

Well, this year, he outdid himself.

He decided he was going to bake the cake! Can you imagine??? A strawberry shortcake!  My favourite!  Here is an important piece of information for you:  Darren grew up in a very traditional farm family and I’m pretty sure he hasn’t spent a lot of time in the kitchen baking cakes.  He has no baking experience…at all…and I know he’s really not interested in baking.  I’m shocked that baking was on his radar!

Anyway…the bad news is…the cake didn’t turn out (sad, I know!).

Honestly though, when I saw how much effort he must have put into it…it just gave me ALL of the feels!

Oops!

Here is the take II version from our local fancy cupcake shop, Cake Bake Shoppe, in one of my favourite cupcake flavours – mint chocolate:

Mmm!

The morning of my day was pretty relaxed, yet special.  Darren and the kids were excited for me to wake up so they could eagerly watch me open the gifts that they had thoughtfully bought, while I drank my favourite morning drink – hot coffee!

On top of this, my super thoughtful, and fairly small-framed (five-year old) little girl surprised me by making our massive king-sized bed (so I wouldn’t have to)…all by herself!  I can’t imagine how much work this was for her!

Insert more ‘really big feels’!

Of course, later in the day, I went to Starbucks to redeem my free birthday drink. Since it was ‘free’, I decided I should order the largest possible drink I could get. I’m pretty sure Darren probably saved money on taking me out for supper that night, because I was as FULL as can be from that Venti Java Chip Frappuccino!

If that wasn’t enough calories for the day, we got a sitter and Darren took me to my most favourite restaurant…ever!!!  Thai Sa-On!  I just love that place, so much!  Mmm…basil beef, curried shrimp, coconut rice, thai iced-tea…DELICOUS!!!

If you love Thai, and live in YYC, you really should make a point of visiting!  It is so flavourful and worth the drive from anywhere in the city!

Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!

The day after my birthday, I had my final birthday ‘date’. My brother, Warren, snuck away over his lunch hour and we grabbed a bite at Original Joe’s for lunch. It was special to be treated by my little brother and nice to have a one on one visit. We usually are connecting as a family group, so this was nice!

And those were my ‘birthday dates’!

In case you’re interested, here’s a little showing of most of the really fun (and thoughtful) gifts I received. I loved ALL of them, so if you happen to be shopping for a 30-something’s  birthday, these all come highly recommended!  There is one really pretty necklace I received that isn’t showing here, but you can never go wrong with jewellery! Feel free to buy ANY jewellery for your favourite 30-something without ANY hesitation!  

So…back to the cool gifts I was lucky enough to receive!  I was pumped when I opened up these super cool Converse Chuck Taylor Sneakers – I have been longing for a pair of these and they have been perfect for my casual ‘mom wardrobe’ all season long!  I have worn them with shorts, skirts, jeans…you name it and I know I’ll continue wearing them into fall!

A word to the wise, though…if you order these online, order a 1/2 size down because I would say they fit a little on the long side.

I have historically been a big fan of Scentsy, but a while back, our family got off of the ‘fragrance train’ (due to medical reasons). I was sad to part ways with all of my favourite cubes, but now I’m really excited to build a little collection of essential oils for my new Saje Diffuser!  Now our house can smell wonderful with great health benefits, too!  Bonus!

So, truth be told, I haven’t tried this Arbonne Rejuvinating Cream yet, since I’m saving it for when the snow flies (I’m sorry to even say that out loud!).  It’s a new-to-me product though, one I haven’t tried yet. Having said that, I’m a HUGE fan of Arbonne, so I’m pretty sure I’m going to be crazy about it (plus the friend who gifted it to me always has great recommendations!)!

Just to tell you how much I love the brand, several of my girlfriends (along with myself) became distributors JUST so we could get the discount for ourselves.  When I started using Arbonne a few years ago, more than one person commented on how my skin was looking better.  Pretty much, the rest is history!

More Arbonne delights that I hadn’t tried before!  I have been enjoying this Arbonne Liquid Sunshine all summer.  I have really sensitive lips that are prone to dryness, so I appreciated having this on-hand for our hot, hot days Glamping!

Also, since I am (ahem) ‘aging’…spf is becoming a little more ‘present’ in my beauty line up – so this is on point for me!

This next gift was definitely one of my favourites!!!

Most of my close girlfriends have heard me joke about the fact that I plan to have a sister-wife in my next lifetime!  Of course I love my husband, but…my girlfriends?  Forget about it!  They always know just when and how to step in, pick up, and help where it’s needed!

As a perfect example, my friend Lindsay and her family of four came camping this summer.  Even though there were four extra people to prep food for, cook for, and clean up after…with Lindsaey there, it turned out to be less work than minding my own family of four alone.  The table was set before dinner was done and the dishes were practically hand-dried before they were washed! #LindsayIsAlsoAMachine

Anyway, back to the awesome gift!  I feel like I’m taking a bit of a risk sharing this funny mug with you, but I’m hoping everyone will see the humour here:

#TheBestMugEver

#TheBestComplimentIeverReceived

#CoffeeTastesBetterInThisMug

If you thought it was hilarious, too, you can find the mug here on Amazon!

Speaking of mugs, these Bodum Bistro Double-Wall Mugs are the cat’s meow!  A few years ago, my brother gave me two similar sets (without handles) for Christmas and they are amazing!  They keep hot drinks hot, and cold drinks cold, yet the outside of the glass feels neutral!  A huge bonus is they present really nicely AND they don’t sweat at all!

I may, or may not, have broken a couple over the years (they are dedicate), so topping up my collection is great!

He picked these up at Crate and Barrel (or maybe he just wrapped them in a C&B box to be ‘fancy’?  Nah…just kidding, Warren!).  You can also click the link above to order them online via Amazon.

When my other brother realized that I had received a Saje Diffuser already, he offered for me to return this one that he bought.  No way!  Now I have one for my main floor and this Essential Oil Diffuser for my second floor!

My main floor has my summer ‘wake up’ type scents and I have this, second diffuser, in my ensuite with a lavender essential oil in it now – but, as you can see, I have a whole Set of Art Naturals Artisan Oils to choose from!  It’s nice not having to clean one diffuser and relocate it around the house when I’m wanting a new aroma for the house (or my mood)!

One of my good girlfriends has been raving about her FabFitFun Box Subscription for months!  It sounded awesome, but maybe like an indulgence my stay at home mom budget should do without.  Anyhow, she gifted me my own box for my birthday and I have to tell you…it was like Christmas morning opening it up!

Basically, it is a subscription box that is semi-personalized and sends you full-sized products (based on your preferences) each season.

Anyway, if you have been thinking about trying it, you probably won’t be disappointed.  Here are the goods I got in my box! I have tried at least half of the items and they were great!  I have had compliments on the water bottle and the scarf (which I wore as a swim suit cover up).

So, really…my birthday (week) was really great!  I’m still a little sad to think about the fact that the days (well, months, really) are counting down to that next BIG milestone…but in the mean time, I have some great memories (and fun stuff) to enjoy!

Let me start off by saying that taking the kids to swimming lessons, has historically been, one of my least favourite things to do as a parent. It’s really is just not my thing. Ask my girlfriends – I grumble about it every time the kids are registered.

…AND…for a whole laundry list of reasons, I ESPECIALLY detest taking the twins to swimming lessons in the wintertime!

Last summer, though, a very smart mom-friend of mine (Rachelle, I’m talking about you!) told me about how she hired a swim instructor to give private lessons to her trio of boys on one of her summer vacations.  They arranged for the lessons to be done at the local outdoor pool where, she was holidaying, and she seemed really happy with her experience!

I was so amazed at what a smart idea it was! It just made so much sense! She was able to book it last minute, got a pretty reasonable price (if memory serves me it was a ‘cash’ sort of arrangement), and her boys got to practice their skills plenty since…well, they were on holidays!

(Also, can I just take a moment to say that she didn’t have to deal with the aggravation of swimming lessons in the winter time…yucky/dirty/muddy change rooms, everyone’s hair needing to get dried before leaving, everyone is freezing cold inside and out, winter gear getting dropped on the wet floor…I could go on! Yuck!).

Did I mention I’m not a fan of winter swimming lessons?

Coincidentally, when Rachelle and I had the conversation, we were actually in the middle of a camping holiday and I decided I was going to look into lessons, near where were camping, right away.

Jackpot! There were lessons being offered at the hot springs pool close to where we were and I was able to get them into a class within days of contacting the organizer (a contrast the waitlists I have had to go on, in the city, for not registering on opening day). On top of that, there were only a couple of other kids in the class AND the price was reasonable!

The kids ended up really enjoying the lesson. The ‘tone’ of the lessons was a lot more casual than what we are used to in the city, which is what I think the kids needed at that time. They also LOVED having their lessons in the ‘warm pool’ of the hot springs – what a world of difference in their level of enthusiasm before classes – from them and me!

(Here is a little plug for Dara’s Dolphins, the organizer for the swimming lessons…she was great to deal with and, also, happens to be another twin mom!  …so she gets extra ‘props’ in my book!)

Darren and I decided then that summer swimming lessons, over holidays, are the way to go for our family for sure!  There are other activities we are focused on in the winter and it just makes sense to us that the kids get their lessons when they can be practicing them the most.  PLUS….I don’t have to deal with winter lessons…because, well…you know.

Unfortunately, when I contacted Dara’s Dolphins for lessons this year, I was surprised she was pretty much already filled up! I guess I waited too long.

#ParentFail

Apparently, Rachelle wasn’t the first person to consider summer-holidaying lessons and the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort appears to be a popular place for children to learn to swim this year. Who knew?

So…we got ‘crazy’ and we made a little splurge in the name of ‘safety’ – we inquired about getting the kids into some private lessons…still through Dara’s Dolphins and still at the hot springs. We normally wouldn’t do something like that, but the kids have been in water so much this summer, we really wanted them developing their skills.  Especially as they get braver and want to venture into deeper water when we are out swimming.

We did end up getting some private lessons set up and we are so glad we did!

#ParentFailPaidOff

Wow – what an amazing experience!

We can’t afford to always offer the kids the luxury of a dedicated instructor, but the results and enthusiasm shown by the kids was really impressive and was really worth the money! The results we saw, in one-week’s time, were way beyond any other swim lessons they have taken.

Now the kids spend more time ‘under’ the water than ‘out’ of it!  Gray on the left, Miss A on the right.

I think part of it was having the ‘one on one’ instruction (or should I say ‘one on two’ instruction?)…but we also got so lucky with a really super instructor! The kids just responded to him so well!  He was really patient but still encouraged them to push themselves and, well, he was doing something right because the kids really made a world of progress over the week.  There were times Gray was coughing and sputtering water, trying to figure out a skill, but willingly keep trying at the coaxing of his teacher .  I don’t have enough good things to say about the amazing experience!

The twins with Louis, their beloved swim instructor…they LOVED him!  We will definitely look for him again!

So, I’m not saying register your kids in private lessons (or if you can, I guess I ‘would’ recommend it – especially if you’re swimmers are trying to get over a ‘hump’ of some sorts)…BUT…I can’t say enough about how well summer vacation lessons have worked for us for two summers now. The kids love it and I enjoy watching them…while warm…in the beautiful outdoors.

And I don’t have to dry anyone’s hair before we leave.

And no one has wet mittens…in minus 30 degrees celcius.

Hooray!  They passed!

The end of June brought the end of school and ‘graduation’ for many children. If you read my last blog post, “Preschool graduation? Isn’t that a little silly?” then you have probably guessed that we didn’t plan a big celebration, gifts, or anything of that sort for our twins.

Darren took a couple of hours off of work, over lunch, and made the trek back to the suburbs from downtown Calgary to see their year-end show. I thought that was pretty awesome! Darren is always talking about how busy he is at the office, so I kind of felt that his ‘time’ was a bit of a gift in itself.

BUT…the kids are good friends with another set of boy/girl twins, Cam and Abby…and their mom is maybe a little more fun than me. Ange is a pretty fun, thoughtful, attentive and loving mom. She is the kind of mom who might ask her kids what they would like to do to celebrate their Kindergarten year.

Cam said he wanted to head to Fun ‘N More, with Gray, and Abby wanted to get pedicures with Miss A.

So…this worked out pretty nicely for my duo, didn’t it?

We planned a date. The dads took the boys on their excursion and we hear they had a great time. Sadly there are no photos for me to share with you, because, well…like many moms, I am the ‘photo-taker’ in our house (now you know why all the photos you see of me are selfies!).

Ange and I took the girls for a little Starbucks visit and snack (which was mostly for ‘our’ benefit) followed by a trip to Frilly Lilly in Shawnessy for the girls’ little mini manicures and pedicures.  I have to say, it was pretty adorable to see!

Miss A and Abby getting their fingernails painted

There is some serious 5-year old pampering happening here!

I have to say a huge, ‘thank you’, to the owner of this shop, Rayelene, who was really accommodating and great to us and the girls. She fit the girls in ‘same day’ on a Saturday, which I know was a tall order AND the girls experienced star treatment and a few surprises.

The girls loved selecting their nail polish colours and they were super lucky to get to take home their polish, which was beautifully wrapped up for them. To top it off, when Miss A needed a little ‘touch up’ on her toe, she wasn’t made to feel guilty or badly – it was just done without hesitation.

Who doesn’t love a beautifully wrapped item?  The girls loved carrying these out!

When everything was said and done, the boutique owner offered the girls a little ‘surprise’. I don’t think she does this all of the time, but her son had outgrown his Shopkins collection so she let the girls each select one to take home with them. This was so perfect, and fitting, since the girls had ‘just’ spent our time at Starbuck, having a little Shopkins swap and trade!

Selecting a special treasure while their little toes dry.

Over all, it was a really great afternoon for everyone! I’m not sure we will be celebrating the end of the school year with a treat like this every year but, I have to admit, it was nice giving them a little indulgence for ‘this’ year.

Happy preschool graduation, Gray and Miss A! …And you too, Cam and Abby! Thanks for requesting our twins join you on your celebrations!

Of course they had matching little girl mani’s – just the sweetest!

Gray and Miss A on the last day of preschool

Preschool Graduation? Isn’t that a little silly?

That’s the kind of thing I would have said before I had kids.

And listen…when the twins ‘graduated from preschool’ last week, there was a small part of me that felt a tiny bit silly hearing ‘congratulations’ from the other parents in the class.  I mean…it does sound sort of funny. Congratulations for what? You can still play with sand? You get an A+ for managing to get through snack time?

The truth is, completing preschool (especially completing the truly stand up program we were lucky enough to find) is a celebration of many things that really ‘are’ accomplishments.

It’s definitely not about the ‘snacks’ or the ‘sand’.

What is really is about is the personal growth and development that a young child sees over the span of September through June.

Some of you may remember my first posts about preschool from the very beginning of the school year – My Twins Started Preschool and I’m Mourning, and also, My Twins Started Preschool – Update.  We have really come so far since then!

And by ‘we’, I mean ‘me’. I was the one who felt a little sad about preschool.  The twins had started other un-parented programs by then, which I think really helped relieve any apprehension they might have had otherwise. Gray and Miss A were excited to start preschool!

Attending and completing preschool was a year where the twins were building their character qualities, learning and, even, discovering important life lessons!

For our family, and our kids, preschool meant…

-Creating a schedule and following through with it.

-Working together to be on time (like the time Gray had to blow dry Miss A’s hair for mommy!).

-Building confidence and breaking through some shyness (Miss A).

-Developing new friendships (that kind that are authentically created, not only created because mom and dad are friends with their mom and dad).

-Learning numbers, letters, the world around us, and all of that wonderful stuff!

-Learning how to be inquisitive and imaginative in appropriate ways.

-Meeting people who are very ‘different’ from us, and learning that ‘different’ is ‘okay’ and can be embraced!

Those are the best, and most important things, we are celebrating when we are at preschool graduation!

Academically, the twins have learned so much and that was really exciting for us to see throughout the year! They participated in activities and learned about things that never would have been on my radar had I kept them at home with me.

Gray’s spring report card

Miss A’s spring report card

So…that’s it in a nutshell! Now you (and I) both know why we celebrate a preschool graduation. Yes…I admit to you childless adults…it a little, teeny-tiny bit over the top.  But…when you become a parent, you will understand the pride you feel as a parent seeing your child grow and develop the way they do when they are two or three or four-years old.

So…

CONGRATULATIONS Gray and Miss A!

We love you and we are SO very proud of you!

Mommy

xo

Miss Ann, Gray and Miss Sheri

Miss Ann, Miss A, and Miss Sheri

Miss Ann, Gray, Miss A and Miss Sheri

Thanks to the teachers for suggesting to take this last photo with both kids.  It’s the kind of photo a twin parent really appreciates and I would have forgotten to do that in this moment!

PS In case you are searching for a truly amazing preschool program for your littles (in south east Calgary), I’m going to offer a little plug for the Bright Stars Preschool Program. I am ‘that’ thankful and happy with them!

The kids attended a truly amazing preschool with exceptional teachers who took a lot of time to plan a great program. The classroom play centres changed every single class. There were also stories, rhymes and songs every class and they also brought home a high-quality craft…yep, you got it…also every class.

We had so many amazing crafts in our house, I was compelled to create a special art wall to display it all!

The teachers also took the time to make sure a variety of important skills were touched on each day: Language, math, fine motor, gross motor and sensory.  Here is a copy of one of our weekly updates we received via email…they are the real deal!

Can you believe it?? I’m amazed at how much they were able to cover in two and a half hours!

A big huge thanks to the twins’ teachers, Miss Ann and Miss Sheri – your reputation precedes you and you didn’t disappoint!