Sunday, June 10, 2012

Firsts!

The twins have had some "firsts" lately!  They have been the good, the bad and the ugly.  But, they are all milestones for my 3 1/2 year old twins!

Let's start with the good!  My Baby B (Girl Twin) swam today in the pool for the first time underwater, unassisted.  She put on her goggles and down she went.  She swam like a little fish and did great!  This is the same kid that would not get in the pool last summer without screaming.  She is a different kid this summer.  She asks to go to the pool daily and puts on her bathing suit all by herself, too!  Her goal is to swim the length of the pool  by the end of summer.  Gotta love when your 3 1/2 year old has goals!  But she can do it!

Now the bad.  I took the twins to Target the other day (just me and the twins, my oldest was at school and my 5 yr old was at a play date) and we didn't use a cart.  The twins wanted to walk.  We had a little conversation in the van and they explained that they were "big now" and could do it.  They promised their "mama that they would walk nicely, stay together and hold hands".  It was in the middle of the day, we only had a few things to pick up and had extra time, so I said sure why not!  Big mistake.  They did not walk nicely, they did not hold hands.  They did stay together!  Chasing each other around the sale racks in the kids' clothing section, entertaining all the shoppers.  I was very lucky that every one commented on how cute the kids were and asked if they were twins.  No one (surprisingly) gave me dirty looks or asked to control my kids.   I did get them to calm down and we left the store without any incidents (you know, displays getting knocked over, candy getting shoved into pockets by the check out).  I did however, forget to buy toothpaste, father's day cards and hair nets (my daughter needs them for ballet recital!) - my entire reasons for going to the store in the first place!

As for the ugly, it was really, really ugly.  I took my twins and my five year old to the grocery store the other day and ended up leaving - I had my wallet this time too!  It was the first time I had ever walked out of the store without any items because my children were carrying on.  The timing was very bad on my part - it was during the twins' nap time. (Now that they are swimming everyday, they have started to nap again - woo hoo!)  We had just dropped my oldest off at OT and had about an hour before we had to pick him up.  We had limited groceries at home and I needed to pick up a few things (toothpaste, cards, hair net!), including something for dinner.  When we got to the store Baby B started crying (she was screaming) in the parking lot because she wanted to have the cart that looked like a police car, not a regular red car.  I got my other two settled in the driver's seat and let Baby B walk so she could "help me" pick the groceries.  Make it through produce okay, head over to the "drug store section" when tantrum number two starts.  Across from the toothpaste is the stationery section. Of course.  Because you need paper and toothpaste together!  My five year old just had to have a sparkle notebook that cost $5.99 (same notebook at Walmart would be$.99 or $1.99).  I gently explained that I would get her a notebook, just not at the grocery store.  This resulted in a first for her - an all out fit.  Kicking, screaming, jumping up and down, throwing herself on the floor kinda fit.  This was something that this child has never done before.  I walked away, she followed and I decided to leave.  Then my  Baby A (Boy Twin) started crying because we were leaving the store without any chicken for dinner!  He is very serious about his chicken and his dinner and is not a "cryer"!   We went home (after picking up my oldest) the kids settled down, we had left overs for dinner and everyone survived!

Please comment if you have had a similar experience!

Have a great evening!

10 comments:

  1. haha! i love it that you left the store....i haven't had to do it YET, but i've threatened to. it's only a matter of time.

    stopping by from multiples monday...i'm your newest follower. nice to 'meet' you :)

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  2. Thank you so much Jill! Nice to meet you as well! Please keep sharing your comments! Do you also have twins?

    Best
    Kathleen

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  3. Stopping by from Multiples Monday! My twins are 2 and my oldest is 4. I have not had to leave a store but I have threatened. I have to say them walking on their own is not fun! When my oldest was 2 or so we started having her walk with us and we have not been able to do with the babies yet.

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  4. Hi Leah! Thanks for stopping by! Keep them in the cart as long as possible! I would rather push the cart the size of a bus then chase after all my kids when I really have to get some grocery shopping done!

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  5. Last summer during my maternity leave with the baby (while Alara was at grandparents!), I took my then-2 year old twins to Target. Walking in without a stroller and having the girls absolutely refuse to hold hands with each other or me in the parking lot should have been a good indicator that it was NOT the best day to shop. It wasn't nap time, so I figured we would still succeed, so I continued. Baby in Bjorn - and strapped the twins into the carts with low seat in the back for 2, but they played Houdini the whole time trying to get out while the cart was moving. Finally I abandoned the cart, tucked one under each arm (with the Baby in front!) and exited the building as quickly as possible, with both of them screaming the whole time!! Mother of the year, right here!!

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    1. It happens to the beset of us Cheryl! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing! The Four Kids in Four years is a hard club to be in sometimes!

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  6. Hi Kathleen.

    I love this post! Your stories of the good the bad and the ugly made me laugh. For now, I can only pick up a few things in a hand cart when I am using the quad stroller. They could walk off in way too many directions! But...some day, I will take them all in walking. It makes me nervous just thinking about it! Thanks for linking to Multiples Monday on Capri + 3.

    : 0 ) Theresa

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  7. Found you through Multiples Monday. Wow, I haven't even had the courage to try a store...any store!...yet with my kids! I'm impressed that you do it! And you sound like a great mama from the way you handle yourself and your family!

    My closest story was one of my daughters screaming her head off in the waiting room of the dermatologist office. Nothing would comfort her, and everyone was staring. *sigh* I stayed though since it was an appointment, but man did I want to leave!

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    1. Hi Ishum Quads! Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments! I think being a Quad Mama would definitely be harder than a four in four mama! Good luck!

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