The Twins Have Ice Cream And Cake For The First Time!

A few weeks ago, Audrey and Antonino celebrated two milestones: their second birthday and their first taste of ice cream and cake! What?! Your kids haven't had ice cream and cake before? Our choice not to feed the twins sweets during their first two years raised a few eyebrows but before you react, let me tell you why we did it.

10 New Year's Resolutions I Wish My Two-Year-Old Twin Toddlers Will Make

1. Master potty training
2. Beat our plain pasta food addiction.
3. Let mommy and daddy use the bathroom in peace.
4. Work on our indoor voices.
5. Stop scribbling on furniture.
6. Sleep / nap more and shorten our bedtime routine. Two bedtime stories and saying good night to the 4 Mickey and Minnie stuffed toys on the bed will do.
7. Learn to share.
8. Keep our toys organized.
9. Stop swallowing the toothpaste. 
10. Let mommy and daddy tie my hair (Audrey) and wipe my face (Antonino) especially when we're outside so they won't be judged as parents.

Think these will hold through to the end of the year? What resolutions do you think should your kids make?

Wanted: A Toddler-Proof Christmas Tree

Audrey and Antonino just love Christmas trees. At home, they demand that we "Turn on tree!" (meaning the lights) even in the morning. Once the lights are turned on, they stare at it for a few seconds then try to grab the branches and ornaments. Yikes! My mom (aka LaMom) suggested that we put up a toddler-proof tree in the twins' playroom so I searched the internet for options. I found a lot of cute ideas but most of them required plenty of DIY tasks that I didn't have enough time for. So imagine my joy when after a few days, LaMom surprised Audrey and Antonino with a kiddie-sized Christmas tree! Actually, it wasn't just any tree. It was the Christmas tree she bought for me when I was 4 years old! She even let me decorate it on my own. I remember putting cotton on the branches because I wanted a winter wonderland-themed tree. How cool is it that now Audrey and Antonino can decorate my kiddie tree?

Happy 2nd Birthday, Audrey and Antonino!

My dear Audrey and Antonino,

Happy 2nd birthday! I can't believe you are two years old. You both came out as tiny 34-weekers who needed to stay in the NICU to grow. Not an ideal start but you quickly showed everyone how strong and determined you were to get out of the NICU right away.

It has been amazing watching both of you grow. When you were just months old, we waited every month for you to hit all those significant first year milestones like crawling, rolling over, babbling, and sitting. Then after your first birthday everything went by at lightning speed. You actually look more like kids now than babies and somehow you know it. You always say "Big geeeel Adee!" (Big girl Audrey) and "Big boy Nino!"

How To Help Your Wiggly Toddler Sit Still During Dinner Parties

It's holiday season once again. It's that time of the year when we shop for gifts, organize/attend plenty of get togethers, and for parents of toddlers, worry about keeping our kids seated during Noche Buena and all those dinner parties.

Audrey and Antonino will be two years old this Christmas and I sometimes feel like telling them to sit still and behave for an extended meal like Noche Buena is a lot to ask. After all, they're both typical toddlers with short attention spans and plenty of energy. We're lucky that we have family and friends who are more than happy to play with the twins whenever they get restless during gatherings so that Joey and I can finish our meals. But of course, we still have to come prepared with some form of entertainment which is why we're always ready with our bag of tricks. And no, it's not just an expression. We really have a huge bag filled with all sorts of toys and supplies that can keep the twins occupied during parties. So today I'm going to share with you what we usually bring with us along with some things we keep in mind when packing our bag of tricks.

Stocking Stuffers for 2-Year-Olds

A couple of weeks ago, my cousin Patricia (aka Ninang Pat) surprised Antonino and Audrey with their very own Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Christmas stockings. The moment they saw them, they squealed with delight and began shouting "Mick-eeeeeey!" and "Min-nieeeee!" while hugging their stockings. Ninang Pat then explained that mommy and daddy will fill their stockings with small gifts for Christmas. Although I'm pretty sure I can get away with putting crinkle paper in those stockings and they will still feel like they won the lottery because they're Mickey and Minnie stockings!

The Stages of a Mickey Mouse Addiction

If your kids are like mine, they go crazy over anything and everything Mickey Mouse. And so, based on my experience as a mom of twin toddlers who are mad about Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, I want to share with you the stages of a Mickey Mouse Addiction:

Scenes From A Family Photo Shoot

When Audrey and Antonino turned one year old, we had our first family photo shoot. Since they're about to turn 2, I figured it was time to have another shoot to document how much they've grown since then. Plus maybe have a few family photos where everyone is composed, smiling and looking at the camera. I know, I may be asking too much from my twin toddlers but it was still worth trying.

Yummy Yucky, by Leslie Patricelli

Do you have a toddler who always tries to put everything in his/her mouth? I have two! Being a bit of a germophobe, this is one habit that I really want Audrey and Antonino to break. Their pediatrician told Joey and me that it's completely normal for little ones to explore the things around them with their mouths and what we can do is explain firmly which stuff go in the mouth and not by saying something like "We don't put toys in our mouth." So when I saw the book "Yummy Yucky," by Leslie Patricelli, I knew at once that it would be the perfect companion for teaching the twins what's safe for them to eat.

Toys That Are A Hit For One-Year-Olds

When Audrey and Antonino turned a year old, they were both very eager to walk and raring to talk. They also showed a lot of interest in throwing, toppling, and banging stuff. Then after a few months, they wanted to climb all over everything. When they turned around 1 1/2 years old, they also picked up the habit of copying us - we sneeze, they fake sneeze, we scratch our heads, they do the same! Needless to say, the twins are in a very active phase right now. Oh and let's not forget the times when they would prefer playing with boxes over the toys inside. That is, except for these toys which they absolutely love:

Grandma Loves You!, by Helen Foster James

"Grandma Loves You!" by Helen Foster James is a sweet book for grandmas to read to their grandchildren. The tender rhymes and soft pastel illustrations capture the feelings of grandmothers from the moment they first see their grandchildren.

Audrey and Antonino love it whenever LaMom reads this book to them. They sit on her lap while fighting over who gets to turn the pages.  Right now they like looking at the photos and the snuggles they get when LaMom reads to them. But I'm sure when they're older and able to understand the text better, they will definitely feel how special they are to their grandma.

Simple, warm and sweet, "Grandma Loves You!" is a lovely gift for new grandmothers. In fact, I think parents can even use it to announce a pregnancy to grandmas-to-be.

Audrey and Antonino are lucky enough to have 2 grandmas and even a great grandpa around. My Lolo (grandfather) is already 90 years old. And although he may sometimes forget our names, he always remembers that Audrey and Antonino are twins. When we were in Ilocos to celebrate his 90th birthday, he would always ask "Where's the other one? They're twins, right?" whenever he would see only one of them running around. I find it really sweet that he's still able to remember that detail. So I have to give a special thank you to LaMom, Mima and GG Pin (Great Grandpa)! We love you! 

Happy Grandparents' Day to all the grandmas and grandpas out there!

Keeping Our Toddlers' Sippy Cups Mold-Free

Joey and I introduced Audrey and Antonino to sippy cups when they turned a year old. It took them a while before they found THE cup. They tried everything from soft spouts to hard spouts to those flat lid types where liquid comes out around the sides of the cup when you suck on the edge of the valve. Still no luck.

Then, we made them try straw sippy cups. They LOVED them. Joey and I... not so much. Why? Because they turned out to be the most difficult to clean. We also read various product reviews which said that some sippy cups have internal components where fluids get trapped, causing mold to grow. What's worse is that in some cups, those components cannot be disassembled. Some parents even sawed through the lids of their kids' cups and found mold. Yikes!

The Foot Book, by Dr. Seuss

I've loved going to bookstores ever since I was a child. When I was younger, my mom and I would always drop by the bookstore whenever we would go to the mall. There, she would let me pick any age-appropriate book I wanted to read. Book shopping is actually one of my favorite mother-child bonding activities which I also hope to share with Audrey and Antonino one day.

Well, that one day came sooner than I expected. During a recent trip to the mall with the twins, we visited Powerbooks to check if there were any new arrivals we could add to their collection. As I was browsing the display, Audrey suddenly leaned forward and grabbed a board book from the shelf: The Foot Book, by Dr. Seuss. She wouldn't let go of the book when I asked if I could see it so I just picked up another copy. In true Dr. Seuss fashion, it has lots of clever rhymes which make it a great read-aloud book so we bought it.

3 Tips To Survive An In-Flight Diaper Change

If you read my post last week, you would know that the twins recently went on their first out of town trip via air and land travel. You must be thinking "Aren't we done with this yet?" Well, I really hope you will bear with me on this topic because that first trip was a huge milestone for Joey and me. I mean, just going out to lunch with the twins takes us hours to get ready. Imagine preparing for a trip! It was like an experiment that could either be really successful or blow up in our faces.

The one-hour airplane ride alone got me really worried. I had this fear that Audrey and Antonino would cry inconsolably the whole flight and everyone would be annoyed at us. I also had a number of other thoughts like:

5 Things You Need for a Plane/Road Trip With Your Toddler

Last weekend we went to Ilocos to celebrate my Lolo's (grandfather) 90th birthday. It was Audrey and Antonino's first out of town trip. My Lolo is based in Ilocos Norte but for this special occasion, he treated us to a vacation at a resort in Ilocos Sur. This meant that getting from Manila to the resort involved a one-hour plane ride and a three-hour road trip. For the longest time, Joey and I have been really intimidated by the thought of traveling with twin toddlers but of course, we couldn't miss my Lolo's milestone birthday.

Audrey and Antonino At 18 Months

Audrey and Antonino turned 18 months old last month! I'm still having a hard time grasping the fact that my two little babies who were born 3 weeks early are now one and a half years old! As cliche as it sounds, everything really went by so quickly!

Two words to describe both Audrey and Antonino are active and talkative. They love running around and climbing, and don't ever get tired! They're also talking more and more. They've already mastered mommy and daddy and no matter how many times Joey and I hear them say it, it still melts our hearts.

A few days after they celebrated their 18th month, they learned to say "NO" and actually knew what it meant. It's now their favorite word.

5 Things My Twin Toddlers Do That Cause Muscle Pain

If I learned anything from my 18 months of parenting, it's that manual labor is part of a parent's job description. Parenting is really hard on the body. Just take a look at this list of 5 things my twin toddlers do that cause muscle pain.

They always want to be carried.

While I know that the warmth of a parent's embrace has no substitute, I sometimes feel like I exist to carry my twins 24/7. I set them down on the play mat and they start to cry. I pick them back up and they're suddenly OK as if they weren't screaming bloody murder just a few seconds ago. And because they love resting their heavy heads against my shoulder and neck, I have to tilt my head to one side while carrying them, giving myself neck pain in the process.

On The Night You Were Born, By Nancy Tillman

Like all parents, I want my children to feel loved and special in order to set them up for a healthy sense of self esteem in the future. "On The Night You Were Born," by Nancy Tillman has exactly what I want to say to Audrey and Antonino to make them feel like VIPs. The author just has a way with words that's simply magical. I mean just read a few lines from the book below:

Because I'm Your Dad, By Ahmet Zappa

Whenever the twins see Joey walk into the room, he might as well be a rockstar. Their faces light up, they scream daddy and they squeal in delight. And though I know it's not supposed to be a competition, I can wholeheartedly say that between Joey and me, he is the clear winner of the Fun Parent Award. Kind of like the dad in the children's book, "Because I'm Your Dad" which has become one of our regular reads.

Favorite On-The-Go Toddler Snacks

Joey and I have this joke that instead of Starter Mama, I should have named my blog Snack Mama. Yes, wherever we go, I always carry snacks in our diaper bag and backup snacks in my own purse. I just feel like they're a necessity. You never really know when a toddler's next meltdown will be. 

I remember the day we took the twins to the DFA to apply for their passports. While we were waiting for their turn at the photo capture station, they seemed fine while quietly flipping their board books. Then as the waiting area started to fill up, they became restless. I was worried that they would lose it right before or during their turn for photos.  Thankfully, I was able to pack familiar snacks for them which helped calm them down. Whew! 

Have you been in a similar situation lately? Well, there's nothing that a little packet of snacks can't solve. Today I'm sharing with you 3 snacks my twin toddlers love which have helped keep tantrums at bay. 

Note: Babies should sit up and be supervised at all times while eating.