I cant believe it has been 18 months! But here is the proof!

This is the fabulous Anita Renfroe and her famous you tube clip. Putting together 24 hours of what a Mom says. It is a priceless Gem and even more delightful to know she has made $250,000 from it and has a spot on ABC’s morning show in the USA.

I really identify with the comment below from a post on “How do you Do it?” it is about how you have to live with the fact that you cant be in 3 places at once and yet 2, 18 month olds and a nearly 4 expect it.

Fifth, communicate with your child. Saying things like “I can’t right now” may actually sound like “I don’t want to” to a 2 or 3 year old. Try being more specific, like “I’d love to read that book to you. Let me just finish changing this dirty diaper and settle your brother down. We’ll both enjoy the book more if he’s quiet.”

I really feel for Millie when her needs are not met because of the twins. This morning she asked if I could play with her and I had to say not at the moment because I have to get the twins up and changed, sure I added that it was because then every one would then get to music group on time. But I still felt inadequate. My real amazement is in her understanding of the situation, I just hope that isn’t too much practice on her part.

I have found a great blog from a collective of independent bloggers, all with multiples. It is called How do you do it? they have great ideas and you can ask them questions or simply use their collective experience.

The individual blogs are

* Adventures of a Twin Mommy Mom of twin boys
* American Wife
* Baby Squared Working Mom with twin girls
* Goddess in Progress Mom to Boy Girl Twins
* Laura’s Mommy Journal Mom of fraternal twin boys
* Sarah and the Goon Squad This is a great blog
* silverbabies! Mom to Twin Boys
* Snyder-ville Fraternal Boy Girl Twins and a toddler
* The Adventures of Carrie, Brook, Finn and Reid Twin Botys in Alaska, great photos.
* The Journey Identical Twin Boys and a toddler
* Twinfinite Chaos Two sets of twins!
* Twinsights Great title for a blog, twin 1 year old boy and girl
* Two Are Better Than One
Twin Boy and Girl.

They are all great far be it from me to contrast and compare. Parents of twins love to talk. The bond they share is as uniques as that of the twins themselves. Parents of twins it seems to me share one common thought. It is brilliant and a privilege but it is jolly hard work. I can’t find one blog that says different!!

There is no stopping Jessica now who is runnning climbing onto the sofa’s and playing with Millie. Lucy is determined to catch up as the video shows! Millie announced that she liked Mummy better than me because she is a girl. I’m in for a hard time I think!

So Lucy is now catching up with Jessica on the walking front. Her determination is simply astounding, all to keep up with her sister.
On Becca’s return I was marked up on my performance in terms of cleanliness but down on my personal eating problem. A lot of the children’s treats had taken a hit. I may have done too well as it appears the children didn’t miss becca enough some emotional scarring of their young minds with regard to issues of abandonment were necessary to prove mummy plays an essential irreplaceable role, as if that were ever in question!
On another note Millie has penned her first story.

Fly birdie fly, fly, fly.
Butterfly bumped into a bird. Then it came to a big giraffe. They all played hide and seek. The giraffe hid and the elephant counted to 10 because he needed to lok for the giraffe.

I think that is just about as perfect as you could get for a first story.

Well Lucy does have a big thing for horses! Rebecca returns tonight, the trip to Sydney is about 3 hours (2.5 in the air) because of the 3 hour time difference it is possible to have a day trip there.

It has been a great 3 days with the kids. Not too much trouble although my uncharacteristic snappy tone has surprised me. Today we did the trip to the Browns Bay pet shop. Millie has become quite the elder sister, sharing her food and caring for her younger siblings - we went to Starbucks and Toy World.

The point being you need two parents to care for twins! And living in New Zealand makes it easier to move around go out for the morning. I still have a few imponderables.

Difficult questions, impossible answers!

So today was tough. this morning we had gymnastics. A sitter looked after the girls, I was pleased that she commented on the calm when she arrived. Although Millie played up a little not wanting her hair brushed. The sitter actualy dealt with it better than me which really annoyed me.
At Gymnastics Mille was very shy and I thought going to loose it but I needn’t have worried she came through in the end. Then this after noon we actually went to the beach for 2 hours, yes I remembered the hats, we don’t have the benefit of ozone in New Zealand and I even got them all sun screened before we went!
It was lovely and the weather just right, wind is a real damper on any beach no matter what the temperature. I am also told that teachers hate windy days because the children always play up on windy days, is that true?
Tonight Tea was late and not the usual wholesome affair their mother provides! And I’m probably not being as strict over the veg intake! But then I am getting through it!
On another note I look at these photos and simply wonder what of the next 80 years, What will those young eyes witness, what will the characters you can already plainly see become. Who will be the dreamy writer, who will be the sarky little wit who just loves to be here and who will be the leading lady with the creative brain so far beyond her years.

Daddy that is an interesting car

Not the words of any 3 year old I’ve met before!

So it wasn’t so bad. Like all mums I felt like a bad parent at the end of the day. I had to be a bit sharp with Millie. Later she did the “I want a different daddy” routine. Jessica was wriggling around while I was dressing her for bed and I fely really bad about being cross. I didn’t spend as much time with them just playing.
So all pretty standard stuff I guess, I hope - or am I really a bad parent!

We started well a trip around Devonport, morning tea at our local coffee shop. Lests see what tomorrow brings.

Yes and it is about time. I - Daddy, have been left alone for a whole long weekend with all 3 babies. I’m sitting here after successfully getting breakfast done and I am just about to take Millie off to school. I do feel daunted, we dads don’t get much practice and I think thats why we get a bad press. I am a very hands on dad but I don’t do it on my own very much, not for a long period of time. So the mistakes I’m going to make are not stupidity!!
Right hair brush at the ready, suda cream waiting here we go , into the day proper! Oh god it has just started to rain!