Five Years

It was a lovely fifth birthday with Drew and Garrett yesterday.  Jim was able to take the day off work, and so we were both able to join the boys for their celebration at school, which was quite special.  They were so excited to be able to go to school on their "actual birthday!", and we were excited to be there with them, to take part, and to have the chance to get a peek into this part of their lives that has been mostly theirs.  Jim and I enjoyed a nice couple hours together while Garrett and Drew finished their day, then it was off to the park for rolling and jumping and other such fun.  After that, home for a whirlwind dinner, CAKE! and presents, then off to bed for all...

These boys are beautiful, maddening, amazing, exasperating, full of life and mystery, and we love them so very much.  Who can believe that they have become so big so soon?  And it is good.

Birthday Boys

Four years ago last Tuesday Drew and Garrett decided their time had arrived no matter what anyone else had to say about it. They turned our world upside down with their determined, beautiful, full of life selves and four years later are still at it.

They are growing into young boys, every day more independent, always curious, always learning and exploring.

Garrett is fascinated by letters and numbers, gets lost in his own world singing songs he's learned and songs he makes up. He is determined and independent and can get so excited telling stories that you think he might pop. He can be a wonderful and surprisingly competent helper, generous and loving.

Drew is a cuddler beyond compare. He can sit curled up with someone listening to books for long stretches and not tire of it. He is sweet, serious and a ham. He is an explainer and a reminder, an observer and thinker. His bed overflows with "friends" and he will talk to (and expect a response from) just about anything, animate or not.

Together they explore their world and process all the new things they are learning, like as not through a game they create. They fight all out one moment and the next (or the next or the next...) moment all is forgotten and a new idea has them off and running. They hold hands when they are unsure and work each other into frenzies of silliness.

As they will gladly and exuberantly tell you, they are FOUR! And like each year behind us, this new one will surely be filled with excitement, exhaustion, joy, frustration, amazement and newness for all.

School Boys

Today Drew and Garrett start their second week of preschool. The first week went well. There were some tears on the first day (and an image of Garrett's crying face at the window that will not soon be forgotten), but I'm told those tears did not last, and had long turned to smiles by the time the morning was over. Perhaps at some point it will lose its novelty, but so far they have both been postive and excited about the whole experience, if a bit nervous when it comes to actually saying goodbye.

It has been a strange experience for me. One that has felt very personal, to be held close, hard to put into words. For the past three and a half years, these boys have been it. They have necessarily taken center stage and caring for them and simply living with them has been a constant endeavor. We have been companions. Sometimes willing, sometimes not so much.

I will be honest, I have been looking forward to the start of preschool for, quite literally, years. To have a few hours a week that I could own. That I could count on (barring the inevitable sick days and snow days, of course). To breathe. To right the balance a bit.

As the time got closer, I started to realize that despite needing the time and looking forward to it, I would also miss these boys like I didn't expect. I begain to realize that I would have to let go of their hands - the feeling of which has grown to be a part of me - and let them walk through the door into a place that would be their own instead of ours together. And that I would have to do this in all likelihood inspite of tears (on both sides). Reminding myself that this is one of those times when they are being challenged to grow and stretch themselves and those times are often a bit messy in the transition but so worth it in the end.

We are still in the midst of that transition. We have walked through a door, and it is good. We have this gift: For me, a more balanced life, a chance to breathe, feed myself and grow, and hopefully come to the task of caring for these boys with more to give; For Garrett and Drew, a chance to gain confidence and belief in themselves, to grow further into their own selves, to explore and have fun. We are still finding our footing, perhaps a bit dazedly, slowly falling into this new rhythm, and - with a few steps back or out of step here and there - starting off on this new section of the journey. I'm learning to experience it as it comes, not force it, and trust in the time it takes to become confident in our steps, alone and together.

First Day

From top to bottom:
:: Open house this past Monday
:: Finding their symbols (Garrett = Sun, Drew = Bluebird)
:: Ready to go this morning complete with bookbags, rain pants, boots and Socks
:: Exploring the Meadow, where they meet their teacher every morning
:: The "train" (proving their teacher has endless wells of patience) to the building to start the day

Two proud parents. Two big boys. Too soon for words.

High Summer

While it's technically only the third day of summer, summer has been here for weeks. The spinach bolted long ago and the lettuce is bolting. As usual, we're behind in our gardening with much left to plant (beans, corn, squashes, cucumbers, etc). We just got the tomato and (most of the) pepper plants finally in the ground. It is a little disappointing because we had such a strong and early start this year. With potty training and extra work hours it's hard to find the time. The gardening is often relegated to a few minutes between after the boys go to bed and before the sun is down and light is lost. I haven't resorted to night gardening with a headlamp yet. The mosquitos are chasing us inside before need of supplemental light.

We naturally tend to focus on the things we didn't get done yet that we had hoped would be finished. The permanent garden fence, the clearing of the orchard, the selection and scheduling of a roof contractor. But there is so much we've accomplished and I've recently been reflecting on that and feeling good about it. I can't forget those things that are as yet undone (because we still need to find the time and energy to do them), but they will get done eventually. We hope to be in this "new" old house for so many years that in some sense there is really no hurry.

The bees are doing great so far and I'm really enjoying keeping bees. If I also like extracting and bottling honey (which I will hopefully experience this year) I think I'd like to expand the apiary to include more hives.

Worth It in The End

This week we embarked on one of those journeys during which you hold on with all your might to the belief that it will be worth it in the end. For who in their right mind would attempt to potty train two boys at the same time otherwise?

A few weeks ago Jim scheduled a week's vacation and we decided that it would be a good idea to try to do some intensive focusing on potty training while we were both around. In the interest of letting them go at their own pace and in hopes of heading off power struggles, we've been taking a pretty laid back approach up to this point. But, seeing as how that hasn't been going much of anywhere but fits and starts with Drew, and with Fall just a few months away, it seemed prudent to take a -loving, encouraging- stand.

There are so very many theories and methods of potty training out there, it's quite amazing. Each is quite convinced it is the surefire, best way, be it a one day or months-long process. We're just hoping for a happy middle. We kicked it off by Saturday informing the boys that we had decided they were ready to start using the potty and we'd be there to help them as they learned. Sunday saw us at the store with a very proud Garrett picking out his special big boy underwear. (Drew had made a special trip previously.) Monday was day one, no more diapers during the day. Let the chaos begin.

Did I ever think my life was full of interruptions, oh dear goodness. Here is where the chant "it will be worth it, it will be worth it..." comes in handy. That and an empty to-do list (did I mention that we had also entertained the fantasy of getting some things done around the house during this vacation?) It's day three, and I'm able to be writing this because Jim is at home in the trenches while I have a few blessed hours of sanity on my night out (he had his yesterday...). It is a welcome break.

In praise of the boys, they have been doing fabulously over all. Drew, having had more practice prior to this week, has had only a handful of partial accidents and we're feeling pretty confident that he'll let us know when he has to go. Huge. Garrett, of the iron will, who hasn't shown much if any interest up to now, has had a few accidents every day, and I think is perhaps wearing thin on the interest front. (How to keep up that enthusiasm...?) But, he has also had a number of successes and is oh so very proud of himself when he makes it, it's quite wonderful to see. As is the sight of them both all excited in their big boy underwear, which we won't share here, but would be happy to pass along individually should you need a smile.

So wish us luck, sanity, best wishes, hope, whatever goodness you can send our way, and we'll be looking forward to the day we can look back on this current chaos and feel a bittersweet nostalgia.

IT RUNS!!!!

A new battery, a bit of tinkering, and it RUNS! Our very own tractor! A John Deere 1974 112 with electric lift. It comes with a plow and snow chains. I didn't get around to fixing this up before the winter plowing season with everything else going on, but it's ready for hauling wood and rocks to prepare for the winter heating season and a garden fence.

My dad was there to share the joy. He's always wanted a John Deere. He ended up with a 1972 Wheel Horse that came with his house.
The John Deere sort of came with this house. We had to trade a mighty fabulous picture of Abe Lincoln for it, but I think it was worth it. Thanks, Tom and Michele!

Breakneck Speed, Part Two: The Boys

Back with part two...

While we're in the middle of and looking ahead to many projects around the house, we're also moving at breakneck speed to keep up with Drew and Garrett. We recently mentioned that we made the decision to cut out naps in favor of an earlier and hopefully smoother bedtime after Garrett, then Drew decided to stop going to sleep without hours long battles. Going on a month later, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but overall we seem to be falling into a routine that works better than what we had, and that is good. It's quite a change for me during the days not having that break, but the earlier bedtimes and the extra time it gives Jim & I in the evenings is most welcome, so I suppose it evens out.

This year is going to be full of changes and milestones for the boys. In just a couple weeks they will turn 3! Such big boys. For their birthday we are planning to repaint their room and make the switch to toddler beds. We've been extremely lucky that they never have made any attempts to escape their cribs, so why disrupt a good thing... But now that they are turning three, and we have these matching race car beds just killing time in the basement... I suppose it's time. It will be a big change, not one we're sure we're quite ready for, but so it goes.

Also just around the corner, at least for Drew, is going to be potty training. Drew seems to be just about ready, though Garrett is not so much. Hopefully seeing Drew figure it out will spur him on. Now if we can just figure out how to go about getting Drew started....

The other big milestone coming up for the boys this year is preschool. Should all go well, they will be attending a Waldorf school in the Fall for three mornings a week. We're in the middle of signing them up now, having found and visited the school just in the past month. If you've never heard of a Waldorf school and are interested, click here to learn a bit more. We're very excited to have found the school - it seems like a great fit for us and how we live, how we want to raise the boys. There aren't too many around - the only other one in Ohio is down around Cincinnati, and if we hadn't moved to this new house, we would likely have been too far away as well. Sometimes things work out. In any case, it will be a big change, a big milestone for us. I don't think it's quite sunk in yet that - should all go well and they get out of those diapers - they will be going to school in just about half a year from now. A bittersweet thing.

It's shaping up to be quite a year. Stay tuned!

Garrett and Drew Turn 2!

Garrett and Drew (pictured above with their magical levitating bbq brushes) celebrated their 2nd birthday this weekend with much excitement. We had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Demko on Saturday and then Sunday celebrated with Annie's family. Drew and Garrett loved blowing out their candles and smashing cake into their mouths (and then proudly proclaiming that their hands were a mess). They loved the balloons and opening (and playing with) their presents, and I think just getting so much attention from and time with family.

It's one of those things, where it's hard to believe that they are already two years old (such big boys!), but at the same time hard to remember a time when they weren't here.

This has been a big year for them with lots of milestones and firsts. To name just a few: They started walking, then climbing and jumping and running... They now eat the same things we eat, and we all eat dinner together. They play together, including now lots of pretending (most recently pouring cups of tea for everyone with their new kitchen toys...) and "helping" with chores. They have spent a couple nights without Mommy & Daddy, and usually play happily in the nursery at church while Jim & I get to enjoy the service. They are starting to talk, with several new words added every day - some of them quite surprising. They've both sat on the potty, though mainly for the novelty. They went on their first road trip and to their first concert (see below...). And they named their first stuffed animal (Showee).

Despite the rough and trying times, they are joys. They have such wonderful laughs and their kisses & hugs are second to none. It's a special thing to get to watch them growing up and becoming their own little people - which is happening more and more each day. It makes a mommy (and daddy) proud!

Thanks for sharing in their (our) lives so far, and for all the birthday wishes that have come their way!

Drew says "Yeah."

Jim and I often find ourselves saying to each other: "It's amazing the things about which we are inordinately proud" when it comes to Drew and Garrett. And here is our most recent example: We asked Drew yesterday if he wanted to pee on the big potty and he said "Yeah." So up he went, and in due time, peed in the toilet for the first time! And yes, there is no dignity when you are 22 months old (or when you are a parent, I suppose): picture taking and much celebrating ("We should call someone! No wait, let's do a blog post!") were both involved.

Go, Drew, go!
(Yes, pun intended.)

Time away

The longer I go without posting something new, the more inertia there is. So while I have no new pictures to add, I'll just post a few happenings and musings.

• Drew now chases and tickles Garrett. His official first word is "Tickee".
• Garrett is apparently accident prone. He fell and hit his head on the corner of the floor molding last Sunday and for an encore, fell and cut his lip with his tooth on Monday. Blood and Urgicare and stitches. We were pretty nervous Tuesday, but he did fine. He's a tough cookie.
• Running and climbing are now the preferred modes of transport.
• Drew weighs in at 27.5 pounds and Garrett at 26.5 pounds.
• We have started referring to Drew's cheeks as "squash" for obvious reasons.
• Garrett is very proud of his belly and has begun publicly displaying it.
• Waving to strangers is big source of entertainment. Walks in the park are great for this.
  

Also, Annie and I have been thinking about some time away. Being parents of toddler twins is awesome, but also a lot of hard work. My vacations from work are generally to work at home to give Annie a break, and Annie pretty much doesn't get any true vacation. So we've decided that we'll each take two days and one night away to do whatever. I chose motorcycle camping and just got back late Monday (8/25). There was much fishing, kielbasa, and solitude around the campfire. Annie has chosen a night away at our favorite Inn in Amish country and will soon get her break. There will likely be much reading and drinking of hot tea. We're thinking about trying our first real road trip with the boys, too, coming up in October. It will be a "new baby" tour visiting our friends the Bairds and hopefully the Rolfs. Annie and I are also looking for a chance to get away together, but Drew is still pretty iffy about sleeping through the night. He went a few nights in a row, but last night was up from 4-6am. :(

Again, we don't see many of you very often, but we are thinking of you fondly. Drop us a line if you get a chance.

A Taste of Things to Come

I think I've gotten a glimpse of the future today and I'm a bit worried....

It's been a bloody day here today. All minor, don't worry, but still... The day started off with one of the boys (I strongly suspect Drew, though I can't prove it) pulling a picture frame that included a little glass vase off the shelf. When I walked back in the room, there it was, and there was Drew with a bloody thumb. More like a paper cut than anything, and there was no crying involved, but I've learned just how hard it can be to get a bandaid on a little thumb while trying (unsuccessfully) to keep another little troublemaker from unrolling the roll of toilet paper and playing with the toilet lid. After getting everyone cleaned up, things put somewhat back in order and washing the blood out of my pants from Drew's thumb, we were back to our normal routine.

Phew. Made it through - not so bad.

Later in the day, as my dad and I were about to put the boys down for their naps, Garrett was discovered playing in a puddle of, well, pee. (How the heck he manages to create puddles on the floor already, while wearing a diaper, I do not know. This does not bode well for potty training.) In the process of trying to keep Drew away, get Garrett out, cleaned up and the floor cleaned up, G, who was tired and not at all happy about the attention, tripped and fell face first into a basket. Which resulted in much crying, and big hugs to comfort him. When he lifted up his face, I discovered that he had given himself a bloody nose (all over my shoulder). Clean up time number two.

Add to these the little scrapes on Drew's knees from tripping & falling to his knees during our walk in the park yesterday, and I have a feeling that I'm only seeing the tip of the iceberg.....

All About Garrett

Ok, maybe not ALL about Garrett, but a couple things, one good, one not so good. First, he had another milestone over the weekend... After several weeks of talking about it (and an increased frequency of strangers saying "Oh, are they twins? A boy and a girl!"), we finally broke out the clippers and gave Garrett his first haircut.


He did a great job and so did Jim, on the other end of the clippers - not even one close call. He looks quite different with his fuzzy little head - I don't know if the picture really shows it, but he looks somehow more grown up. (We also think he looks quite a lot like his Uncle John) I miss his long, sort of curly hair, but this new fuzziness is growing on me, too. It's one of those times when all you can say is "they're growing up so fast!".

As for the not so good thing: Shortly after the boys' first birthday, we decided to try giving them a bit of peanut butter. And Garrett promptly broke out around his mouth. Their pediatrician told us there is a blood test they can do to determine if someone is allergic to peanuts. We got that done last week and got the results today: yep, he's allergic. Apparently he's only a 2 on a scale of severity from 1-6 (6 being worst), but it's one of those things that gets worse as you get older, the more you are exposed to it, so we'll have to be very careful from now on and will be getting some Epipens, just in case. Since peanuts are not technically "nuts" (they're actually legumes), there's a chance he's not allergic to tree nuts (almonds, cashews, etc.). So we can go ahead and cautiously try those when he's old enough.

This will be a new experience for us, since neither of us is allergic to any kind of food. It will be quite an adjustment and it's strange to realize that he'll never be able to have a peanut butter & jelly sandwich! I realize that's kind of trivial in the big scheme of things, but it's seems like it's so much a part of childhood! It's one of those things you don't realize you take so much for granted. If anyone has any experience with peanut allergies (or the like) and can give us some pointers, we'd welcome them!

And now, since it just doesn't seem right to leave out Drew entirely, and while we're on the topic of food, here are some fine examples of his recent flare for creative eating habits... see if you can spot pieces of:


As always, we'd love to hear how you're doing! Even if we're not at our best in terms of keeping in touch individually, we do think about all you friends and family out there and wonder what's going on with you.

Birthday photos

Sorry to be so long in keeping you waiting for birthday photos. Here is the cakey goodness! Drew was all about the frosting, Garrett all about the ice cream (one scoop of chocolate and one scoop of vanilla!) and both of them were all about getting it in their mouths. We didn't have the cake shampoo phenomenon or the cake bomb area-attack phenomenon, thankfully. Just a lot of cooridinated shoveling into the mouths. They did not sleep well Saturday night (2/23/08) with all the sugar and the stimulation of a party at our house. The next day we went to McEnroes' in Chardon and there was more cake and more ice cream, though this time it was doled out in moderation. Enjoy!