Even the littlest new experience can be a grand adventure for a toddler, and our little fellas have had their share of adventures in the last couple of months. Here are some of the highlights from June:

Adventures with Animals (May 21): We stopped by Petsmart, and the boys saw dogs of various shapes and sizes from Husky pups to a Yorkshire terrier. They also saw a number of cats up for adoption, and they even met a cat. They really seemed to enjoy that. Alex was the first to dare to pet the cat, but Dom soon followed his lead. They were both pretty gentle with the cat (who even meowed for them). We walked over to watch the birds while I gave the boys their bottles of haffle (1 part apple juice to 2 parts water). Next, we walked by the fish and then saw a turtle and a lizard before heading out.

Playdays with Teddie: Dom and Alex have had two playdays (May 29 and July 16) with their friend Teddie. Even though he’s 2 months younger, Teddie is as tall as our boys. During his first visit, Teddie wasn’t really crawling, and our guys were all over the place and towering over him a bit at times. However, by this last visit, Teddie was speed-crawling and pulling himself up to stand. He’ll be running around with our guys in no time! Dom and Alex enjoy having a new buddy to hang out with, and though the duo can be a bit intimidating at times (like when they have you in a corner and are checking you out), Teddie seems to take it all in stride – staying pretty laid back.

Double-teamed! (May 29, 2011)

The Water Table: On June 2, we bought the boys a sand and water table, and the next hot day, I set it up in the backyard and filled both sides with water. (I hear that filling part of it with sand is just inviting a big mess and wet sand everywhere.) Dom and Alex have enjoyed playing with their water table, and we finally got them splashing in the water a bit (yes, we may regret that later during baths). Dom got himself soaked pretty fast, and Alex eventually joined him. They have a few toys to play with in the water, but I still need to get them some little boats to float in the water.

Space Monkeys and Cool Moves: Our little guys have lots of fun playing. Here are a couple of videos of Dom and Alex having some fun and showing off their moves. First, some fun with their monkey toy box:

Now, Alex plays on the tote (watch for his smooth dismount), and Dom shows off some of his early walking (every step counts!) (June 17, 2011):

Exploring New Territories (June 17): I bought some more foam alphabet tiles to cover the floor in the hallway, and then I blocked off the hallway with a playard to open up the bedroom to the little inner hallway which has great lighting from the skylight. The boys loved that (and the foam has done wonders for my achy feet)! Plus with both doors open I could keep a close eye on them even while folding laundry on our bed. I later opened up the door to the nursery for just a little bit. The boys thought it was all a great adventure!

Alex loved having a chance to open and close the doors on his own. We had to watch to make sure he didn’t smash his own fingers. Dom really loved getting to push his lion and piano in an expanded space – especially once Dad pulled the rug over to bridge the foam to the carpet and cover the little bit of tile showing there. Alex, as usual, had a sharp eye for new things just in and out of reach that he wanted to investigate – like the door handles (just out of reach) and the knobs on the laundry area doors (which he could reach when in the playard in the hallway). The boys had so much fun playing, and Dom DID NOT want to go to bed – he had things to push. However, both settled down quickly and went to sleep. They were pretty tuckered out.

Alex in grey shorts and Dom in brown shorts:

A Trip to the Doctor (June 23): Alex slept for 2 hours during the morning nap, but when I picked him up, his skin felt hot. He had a temperature of 101. I kept an eye on him, and though he was still playing, he didn’t want to eat his lunch. I decided to call the pediatrician, and they gave me an appointment right away. I packed us all up and headed out. They checked for an ear infection as well as Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease and warned me about Roseola. (With Roseola a baby’s fever can spike to as high as 105 for 2-4 days followed by a rash.)

Alex weighed 20 pounds, 12 ounces. I didn’t get a chance to weigh Dom because he fell asleep on the car ride to the pediatrician’s office and slept through the entire appointment and almost the whole car ride home. He woke while I was at a stoplight near home but that let me sneak his haffle (apple juice and water) bottle back to him. It wasn’t long before Alex felt better, and fortunately, he didn’t have anything serious.

A Day at the Park (June 26): We headed to a park in the Bay area for a goodbye party for some friends of ours, and Alex and Dom had a great time at the park. They got to see a 4-month-old puppy, meet some other toddlers (and lots of adults), and practice walking. One of the first things Dom did was try to walk on his own, fall, and scrape up his face a bit – poor little fella. He’s been awfully prone to little scars of late. Both Dom and Alex had a great time pushing their push-cars through the grass, walking while holding our hands and doing some walking on their own in the grass.

There was one particularly lovely moment when I was walking with Dom pushing his lion nearby and Alex walking next to me while holding onto my hand. It was a beautiful, magical moment to be walking next to my boys.

Dom (left) & Alex with Dad: It's tough pushing the lion on grass! (June 26, 2011)

When we got home, Dom and Alex were delighted to play with all their toys in the Playzone. They played and played and played, moving from one set of toys to another – pulling apart megabloks, climbing on their playhouse, using their music table, spinning the toys on the Playzone walls, pulling the yellow phones off the walls, walking around and carrying a toy or tub while walking, etc. They had a great time. Alex walked over to give me big hugs several times, and Dom came over to blow zuberts on my shoulder (his kisses). Happy, joyful moments.

There are so many moments when we look at our sons and our hearts overflow with love and joy. We feel so fortunate to be parents and doubly-blessed to have our twins. Dom and Alex are each beautiful and fascinating little people, and we enjoy watching them explore and learn about their world. We love when they share their smiles, laughter, hugs, and kisses with us. Here are some of those special moments and thoughts from June:

May 21: Dom has been dancing to music quite a bit, and I love the smile he gets when I ask him to come to me right before he heads my direction. (May 21)

May 26: Dom woke first from his afternoon nap, and I brought him out to the Playzone. He was so adorable. I was lying with my head resting on one of the big pillows from the couch, and Dom would come up and put his head on the pillow next to mine and smile really big. It was just so playful and sweet. Then, he’d rest his head on me and smile. He was quite the cutie.

May 27: The boys imitate each other sometimes – making the same animal or jabbering sounds, coughing, dancing or shaking their heads like their brother. It is pretty darling to watch.

June 1: We visited the UC Davis campus, and Dom and Alex had a great time with all the administrative assistants and coordinators who came into the hallway to hold and talk to them. When we were getting ready to leave, it started to hail, so we waited for awhile in the lobby. When the weather cleared up a bit, we made a dash for the car, and we made it halfway there before it started to rain. I was able to keep the boys covered with an umbrella, though I got a bit soaked.

June 4: It was so wonderfully sweet when I got up from my weekend morning nap (thanks, Twin-Daddy), and Alex took off from across the Playzone to come see me. He was a determined and excited little boy. Dom took off crawling my direction too, and I had two little boys in my lap. Dom immediately started to excitedly babble to me about everything he and Alex had been doing during my two-hour nap. So cute and chatty.

June 4: I love when our boys give us hugs, when they get excited to see me, Puck or each other, when the smile at something they like, when they enjoy reading books together, when they smile at everyone when we’re out and about.

Dom (left) & Alex: We love you, Dad! (June 4, 2011)

June 12: Dom and Alex have been very sweet today – giving hugs, getting excited when they walk – especially when they walk into your arms. They get the biggest grins. Alex walked all the way from the closet to the far side of the room where I was sitting near the blue tote they climb on. Dom also did some short distance walking later today and keeps getting better and better. In the evening, our little guys were so adorable while playing, and Alex was feeling very huggy. He would smile, walk to me, get excited as he got close, and give me a huge smile. Such cuties!

In the video below, I’ve lured Alex over with the promise of milk, but you can still see a bit of the smile I love:

June 17: Alex was super-snuggly this morning and gave Mom some kisses. Dom was super-eager for his morning nap and crawled up into my arms as soon as the books were done without me even saying anything to him. They have both fallen asleep in about 15 minutes. Ah bliss…

June 18: What have the boys been doing today? Alex would walk to me with this huge smile as he got close and then give me big hugs. Dom also gave me a couple of hugs today and a zubert on my shoulder! The boys were both talking a lot today – individually and together, and they were saying a range of syllables. They hugged and rested their heads on my dolphin stuffed animal. (They like when he squeaks.) They crinkled their crinkly books, pulled apart megablok constructions, and played with a variety of toys. Alex turned a megablok circle on its side and crawled through it a couple times.

June 25: Alex was giving out some wonderful big hugs this morning, and Dom came over to give me a hug and a zubert too.

June 29: Like most days, today was full of snuggles, laughter, smiles, hard work (pushing and walking), hugs, swinging upside down, singing, climbing through tunnels (and being attacked by a mysterious daddy monster – the boys loved that), carrying tubs, stealing and exchanging toys, tearing down megablok forts, climbing on Mom, chatting, etc. I love to see their faces light up when they see me or their daddy.

Wow! It’s been two months since I wrote a blog post and over a month since the twin-daddy posted. Our little guys have been growing, learning new skills, and having new adventures. I’ve been searching through e-mails to create some blog posts to catch us up a bit. Here is the first installment from June (with a little of May thrown in):

Exploring Uncharted Territory: Alex crawled under the bed, on top of the boxes underneath and to the other side. Wow! (May 20)

Shoes: Dom and Alex got their shoe sizes measured (4 wide), but when we went to look for shoes, we discovered that they have chubby little feet that don’t fit into most shoes. We finally bought them some velcro sandals that didn’t squish their toes! And it’s pretty funny how the first thing our little guys want to do with their shoes is chew on them. How do they test? Hmmm… I like the way my teeth sink into this. (May 21)

Climbing On: Both Dom and Alex were able to get on the riding lion unassisted for the first time. (May 21)

No, No: The boys have been learning “no-no” in relation to certain activities since May, and they still enjoy testing those boundaries. Are you serious about not touching the cord? Still serious? Are you sure? What about now?

Stealing Toys: Dom and Alex have been stealing toys back and forth, and it is starting to become a point of contention at times.

Alex (May 22, 2011)

Manipulating Objects: Alex managed to move the Cube of Wonders several feet and position it behind the doorway of their “house.” Then, he crawled through the doorway and tried to pull the cube through after him. Unfortunately, he was frustrated in his efforts to get it to cross the threshold and gave up. (May 27)

Colds: The boys have had a couple rounds of congestion in the last couple months with Mommy on nose patrol with boxes of Puffs all over the house and long nights with babies sleeping on Mommy in the recliner and the Twin-Daddy letting Mom catch naps whenever he could.

Dom (May 22, 2011)

Spinning: The boys discovered the spinners on their Playzone walls, and they started spinning them away as fast as they could and laughing together. Since then, it has become an activity they enjoy doing together – spinning the spinners on the two walls at the same time or sharing a set of spinners. (June 2)

Dom Stands Up: We just saw Dom stand up completely on his own with no help from people or objects! And yes, he did it on the blue tub. (June 5)

Visiting Friends: We took the boys over to our friends’ home, and they were fascinated by watching their son Alexander run and play. Dom and Alex also loved the age-appropriate toys they could play with and exploring a new environment. Dom has now joined Alex in waving. (June 5)

Cafe Italia: The boys and I went to Davis to have lunch at Cafe Italia with Puck for his birthday – a day early. I shared a little of my raviolis with the boys. Alex didn’t like them, but Dom liked the spinach raviolis though not the cheese. They had a great time playing with the paper on the table and then in the rolling high chairs. (June 7)

Tubs and Evening Play: It was really cute to see Dom dancing and then heading to his dad with big grins on his face. Alex was really cute with the blue tub too. The boys have really enjoyed the tubs – pushing them all over the room, pulling them off shelves, scooting them under the baby gate, carrying them, and now wearing them as hats. (June 7)

Sitting on the Blue Tote: Alex does enjoy getting on the blue tote, and he’s learning to watch the edges and practicing the best ways to roll off. Dom got on the tote several times this afternoon too! One time he got on, off and right back on, but the last time he climbed on, he fell off head first into the pillows and wasn’t very happy about it. I picked him up and comforted him until he felt better. (June 10)

Wrecking Crew: The boys had lots of fun with megabloks today. We tore things down and built them back up (well, Puck and I did the building), but the boys enjoyed playing with our constructions and disassembling them. I made a large ring and a smaller ring during their morning nap. Later, Alex tried on the smaller ring as a hat, and he crawled into the larger ring and then tore it apart with the help of his brother on the outside. They also had a great time shaking their toys and making lots of noise after we set up one of the play gyms with toys hanging down. (June 12)

A Little Chat: On our way home from CostCo, Dom and Alex had a little conversation in their car seats. It was cute. Later that evening, they were wearing only their diapers in Dom’s crib for a bit before we put their PJs on them, and they thought that was absolutely hilarious. Alex discovered his belly and thought that was pretty fascinating, and he still pats his belly sometimes when he walks around. (June 13)

Chasing Shadows: This morning during breakfast, Alex started slapping his tray with his hands, but it didn’t seem completely random. It took me a little while to figure out what he was doing. He was trying to catch my shadow on his tray when it moved! He had a good time chasing Mommy’s shadow. (June 17)

Laundry Basket Car: I had the laundry basket out of the closet, and Dom and Alex immediately started pushing it. At one point, Dom started to climb inside, getting a bit stuck with his feet off the ground. I helped him get in and then added his brother, and they loved being pushed around in it together – though occasionally trying to stand. Later, I let them push it turned over. It was a big hit as a new toy. (June 17)

Storytime: I started letting the boys pick out most of the books we read before naps now. They each get 2 choices between a selection of books, and then I read the same final book. They seem to enjoy picking a book and only occasionally reach for more than one. We read a minimum of 11 books a day. (June 18)

Dada: During a trip to Barnes and Noble, the boys tried to engage another little boy in conversation, though he was too shy, and they babbled away. Later, we crossed by a main aisle, and both Dom and Alex suddenly started saying “Dada.” I looked around, but I didn’t see Puck. However, right after that Puck found us. He hadn’t seen us, but I think the boys might have seen him cross the aisle. It had just felt so much like they were saying it because they had seen him and then he showed up so soon afterward. (June 18)

The Dommy Gun: Dom has a special laugh that Puck calls his Dommy Gun laugh. (June 18)

The Cabinet: Alex discovered the cabinets in the hallway where we keep the towels and sheets and managed to open the door today. Oh, the risk of future pinched fingers! He was awfully proud of himself for finding something new. The next day Alex showed Dom how to open the closet doors, and they were knocking each other over in the corner in their excitement. (June 23)

Tunnel Adventures: Dom crawled into their tunnel and kept going deeper in, turning and smiling. Alex came over to watch and soon followed his brother into the tunnel. At opposite ends, they would smile, crawl toward each other playfully, stop, laugh, and back away. It was adorable. (June 23)

Talking, Walking, and Laughing: Alex has been talking a lot with his tongue sticking out of his mouth the last few days – pretty cute and funny. Dom has really stepped up the game on his walking, and he continues to talk a lot and imitate the sounds we make. He’s started doing Alex’s snort-laugh which is pretty hilarious. Both boys are very good about holding their own bottles of haffle now. (June 29)

No Pants: I put long sleeves and pants on the boys today as we had another cool day – though it didn’t rain like yesterday. It was pretty funny though because I went to make their breakfast, and I looked over the counter at them in the Playzone to discover they both had their pants off! I don’t think it was intentional; I think they just stepped on the bottom of the pant legs repeatedly and accidentally pulled them off. Once I rolled up the pants a little bit, they stayed on the rest of the day. (June 29)

From the Twin-Daddy:

Alex loves books.  His favorite is a soft, chewy book with bright colors and animals.  Like most brothers, his love of the book has provoked a covetous desire in his older brother who occasionally steals it. This can lead to a back-and-forth stealing match that can last for several minutes, and it isn’t limited solely to books.

 

Alex has come up with some bait-and-switch strategies to handle Dom’s desire to “share” toys.

 

 

The Dynamic Duo Raids the Bookshelf

In addition, Alex and Dom will occasionally team up to raid the bookshelf.  You can see them being quite brazen in their larceny as Alex sneaks books off the shelf and passes them to his brother:

The Cheerio Thief

For all that Alex seems to be a victim of Dom attempting to steal his favorite book and most other toys, Alex isn’t completely innocent either as these hidden camera photos demonstrate.

From the Twin-Daddy:

Who is the ladybug princess? Last year one of my nieces went through a bone marrow transplant. It was a tough time for her and the entire family. She displayed so much courage, spirit, and grace in the process that it would be impossible to be unmoved by it. She suffered from a rare genetic condition called Kostmann’s Syndrome but with the bone marrow transplant, she made a complete recovery.

She had to walk through fire to get to the other side, but now she has emerged like freshly forged steel stronger and better than ever. To celebrate her recovery I decided to cut my hair and donate it to the Locks of Love foundation.

My ponytail was 23 years old which makes it older than a lot of my fencing students.  Here are some pictures of us parting ways and of me sporting my newly cropped haircut.

It was actually pretty fun and, for all that I look clean cut now, I’m still a total loon or if you prefer a very silly uncle/daddy.

~P.