Comments on: When You Have Two http://www.hdydi.com/2010/04/when-you-have-two/ Moms of Multiples Tell it Like it Is Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:35:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rachel http://www.hdydi.com/2010/04/when-you-have-two/comment-page-1/#comment-9277 Rachel Tue, 04 May 2010 21:33:50 +0000 http://www.hdydi.com/?p=4110#comment-9277 I felt a little nauseated reading that and you know why? MY. LIFE. EXACTLY. .-= Rachel´s last blog ..<a href="http://www.motherhoodsquared.com/blog/2010/5/4/zen-of-baking-bread.html" rel="nofollow">Zen Of Baking Bread</a> =-. I felt a little nauseated reading that and you know why? MY. LIFE. EXACTLY.
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Zen Of Baking Bread =-.

]]> By: Ellie http://www.hdydi.com/2010/04/when-you-have-two/comment-page-1/#comment-9196 Ellie Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:49:39 +0000 http://www.hdydi.com/?p=4110#comment-9196 This really hit home--the description of what it's like to be exhausted from a simple social event that other people have enjoyed. I'm a single mother of twin boys who just turned 2 and a 3.75-year-old boy. I do take the kids out by myself quite a lot, but at other people's houses or at parties (or synagogue, etc.), I simply have to rely on help from other people. Somehow I've managed, so far, to get along, but it's always stressful. I'm lucky in that my older boy is not the type to wander off in public, and is generally very reliable and responsible (unfortunately, as a result he is often treated--by me and by others--like he's 5 rather than 3). But my little guys will run in opposite directions, get into everything, attempt to fly from the top of the monkey bars, etc. I also know I am lucky that most places I go socially, there are people willing to take one or more of the kids and entertain them so I can relax a little bit. Sometimes it's harder for me to be at home, actually, since I don't have any other distractions, so it's just fighting, getting into crazy things like cocoa powder, throwing the toilet paper in the sink and turning the water on, etc. Wait--actually, it's always hard, everywhere. It's a good thing they are so wonderful and delightful at times, too! This really hit home–the description of what it’s like to be exhausted from a simple social event that other people have enjoyed. I’m a single mother of twin boys who just turned 2 and a 3.75-year-old boy. I do take the kids out by myself quite a lot, but at other people’s houses or at parties (or synagogue, etc.), I simply have to rely on help from other people. Somehow I’ve managed, so far, to get along, but it’s always stressful. I’m lucky in that my older boy is not the type to wander off in public, and is generally very reliable and responsible (unfortunately, as a result he is often treated–by me and by others–like he’s 5 rather than 3). But my little guys will run in opposite directions, get into everything, attempt to fly from the top of the monkey bars, etc.

I also know I am lucky that most places I go socially, there are people willing to take one or more of the kids and entertain them so I can relax a little bit. Sometimes it’s harder for me to be at home, actually, since I don’t have any other distractions, so it’s just fighting, getting into crazy things like cocoa powder, throwing the toilet paper in the sink and turning the water on, etc. Wait–actually, it’s always hard, everywhere. It’s a good thing they are so wonderful and delightful at times, too!

]]> By: Dave (Dad of 9) http://www.hdydi.com/2010/04/when-you-have-two/comment-page-1/#comment-9193 Dave (Dad of 9) Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:49:08 +0000 http://www.hdydi.com/?p=4110#comment-9193 The solution: have more babies! We have two soon-to-be three-year olds. Fortunately, we also have 7 other children (ages 10 months to 10 years), and our little guys generally seem much more interested in what their brothers or sisters are doing than the 'hand grenade' someone may have left within reach. Not always, but usually. Our older ones tend to know to keep an eye on them, but we still have to tag team when we are with friends. We just spent 27 days on the road with all 9 of them. The more you do it, the better they get at it. For us it seems to be a matter of practice, but I am sure it is not the same for all. Thanks for the blog! The solution: have more babies!
We have two soon-to-be three-year olds. Fortunately, we also have 7 other children (ages 10 months to 10 years), and our little guys generally seem much more interested in what their brothers or sisters are doing than the ‘hand grenade’ someone may have left within reach. Not always, but usually.
Our older ones tend to know to keep an eye on them, but we still have to tag team when we are with friends.
We just spent 27 days on the road with all 9 of them. The more you do it, the better they get at it. For us it seems to be a matter of practice, but I am sure it is not the same for all.
Thanks for the blog!

]]> By: Anna http://www.hdydi.com/2010/04/when-you-have-two/comment-page-1/#comment-9184 Anna Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:47:22 +0000 http://www.hdydi.com/?p=4110#comment-9184 This past weekend we went to a concert with our children. I laughed at the couples next to us because the Moms were holding the babies in their baby carriers, as the Dads drank beer and visited. It is a reality that I will never know and my poor husband wrangled children all night. I'm sure sometimes he longs to be the uninvolved Dad, but that's not the card we've been dealt. This past weekend we went to a concert with our children. I laughed at the couples next to us because the Moms were holding the babies in their baby carriers, as the Dads drank beer and visited. It is a reality that I will never know and my poor husband wrangled children all night. I’m sure sometimes he longs to be the uninvolved Dad, but that’s not the card we’ve been dealt.

]]> By: Katie http://www.hdydi.com/2010/04/when-you-have-two/comment-page-1/#comment-9173 Katie Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:39:39 +0000 http://www.hdydi.com/?p=4110#comment-9173 Amen. Thank you for writing this. Sometimes I think I'm the only one who NEVER has fun in "family fun" situations! .-= Katie´s last blog ..<a href="http://www.4menandme.com/2010/04/baby-registry-post-cause-im-helpful.html" rel="nofollow">Baby Registry Post 'cause I'm helpful like that</a> =-. Amen. Thank you for writing this. Sometimes I think I’m the only one who NEVER has fun in “family fun” situations!
.-= Katie´s last blog ..Baby Registry Post ’cause I’m helpful like that =-.

]]> By: Ellen K. http://www.hdydi.com/2010/04/when-you-have-two/comment-page-1/#comment-9169 Ellen K. Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:55:59 +0000 http://www.hdydi.com/?p=4110#comment-9169 I didn't really do any childproofing until our (now 17mo) g/g twins were crawling, and they were late crawlers. We have taken the girls to more events lately -- a 4-yr-old's birthday party, a baby shower open house, a few playdates -- and I am always amazed to look at my watch afterward and realize we were only there for an hour yet I am completely exhausted and sweating from having to track two toddlers. Even this weekend, when we visited friends who have 3 children under 5, I noticed that I was running after the girls a lot more than my friend, because she could ask her boys to make sure their little sister didn't get into this or that. I do envy how parents of singletons can trade off the chasing duties. When the girls were young infants, I took them everywhere; now they don't leave the yard except to go to their grandparents' house. And it's not that I'm overprotective -- they run around the backyard eating dirt clods -- but it's just such a PITA to take them places. On Easter weekend we drove about 4.5 hours to see my parents, and we stopped at a fast food restaurant for changing and lunch. This restaurant happened to still have the old French doors from its smoking-section days. We took the girls in there, closed the doors, and they could run around while we finished our burgers. I did briefly wonder whether people thought we were being rude to take over this space, but it's not like others were clamoring to use it, and it really helped us! (FYI: It is the Hardee's in East Peoria, IL, last exit on I-74 before crossing into Peoria. But they don't have any changing tables in the restrooms.) I really like Janel's strategy. I didn’t really do any childproofing until our (now 17mo) g/g twins were crawling, and they were late crawlers.

We have taken the girls to more events lately — a 4-yr-old’s birthday party, a baby shower open house, a few playdates — and I am always amazed to look at my watch afterward and realize we were only there for an hour yet I am completely exhausted and sweating from having to track two toddlers. Even this weekend, when we visited friends who have 3 children under 5, I noticed that I was running after the girls a lot more than my friend, because she could ask her boys to make sure their little sister didn’t get into this or that. I do envy how parents of singletons can trade off the chasing duties. When the girls were young infants, I took them everywhere; now they don’t leave the yard except to go to their grandparents’ house. And it’s not that I’m overprotective — they run around the backyard eating dirt clods — but it’s just such a PITA to take them places.

On Easter weekend we drove about 4.5 hours to see my parents, and we stopped at a fast food restaurant for changing and lunch. This restaurant happened to still have the old French doors from its smoking-section days. We took the girls in there, closed the doors, and they could run around while we finished our burgers. I did briefly wonder whether people thought we were being rude to take over this space, but it’s not like others were clamoring to use it, and it really helped us! (FYI: It is the Hardee’s in East Peoria, IL, last exit on I-74 before crossing into Peoria. But they don’t have any changing tables in the restrooms.)

I really like Janel’s strategy.

]]> By: A moment of reflection: mothering twins « Life in a circus http://www.hdydi.com/2010/04/when-you-have-two/comment-page-1/#comment-9161 A moment of reflection: mothering twins « Life in a circus Tue, 27 Apr 2010 02:56:38 +0000 http://www.hdydi.com/?p=4110#comment-9161 [...] yeah, that’s my moment of reflection there. The discussion over on this ‘parents of multiples’ website sparked me off. I agree wholeheartedly with the mother who wrote the [...] [...] yeah, that’s my moment of reflection there. The discussion over on this ‘parents of multiples’ website sparked me off. I agree wholeheartedly with the mother who wrote the [...]

]]> By: Rusted Sun http://www.hdydi.com/2010/04/when-you-have-two/comment-page-1/#comment-9146 Rusted Sun Mon, 26 Apr 2010 02:09:27 +0000 http://www.hdydi.com/?p=4110#comment-9146 That is why we always invite people to our house. .-= Rusted Sun´s last blog ..<a href="http://rustedsun.blogspot.com/2010/04/kiwi-word-of-week.html" rel="nofollow">kiwi word of the week</a> =-. That is why we always invite people to our house.
.-= Rusted Sun´s last blog ..kiwi word of the week =-.

]]> By: nonlineargirl http://www.hdydi.com/2010/04/when-you-have-two/comment-page-1/#comment-9136 nonlineargirl Sun, 25 Apr 2010 04:43:39 +0000 http://www.hdydi.com/?p=4110#comment-9136 I was feeling a little sad at the park today that I can't let the babies out (they are crawlers) by myself for more than a few minutes without losing it. If my husband and I are both there, then likely so is our older daughter, so who do we ignore? For social events one of us goes and takes one kid, or we go to places where we know others will help us. If these were your good friends, they really should have offered to spell you so that one of you could sit and chat for a bit. Okay, now I am feeling lucky that I have the kind of friends who do this. .-= nonlineargirl´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nonlineargirl/YJBK/~3/IZLltk9tHp0/random-quote-and-unrelated-photo-of_23.html" rel="nofollow">Random Quote and Unrelated Photo of the Week</a> =-. I was feeling a little sad at the park today that I can’t let the babies out (they are crawlers) by myself for more than a few minutes without losing it. If my husband and I are both there, then likely so is our older daughter, so who do we ignore?

For social events one of us goes and takes one kid, or we go to places where we know others will help us. If these were your good friends, they really should have offered to spell you so that one of you could sit and chat for a bit. Okay, now I am feeling lucky that I have the kind of friends who do this.
.-= nonlineargirl´s last blog ..Random Quote and Unrelated Photo of the Week =-.

]]> By: Mommy, Esq. http://www.hdydi.com/2010/04/when-you-have-two/comment-page-1/#comment-9123 Mommy, Esq. Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:35:27 +0000 http://www.hdydi.com/?p=4110#comment-9123 Like Rebecca, I often just insisted on hosting since I have "more of everything" anyway and like Selmada I would just ask someone to help. I like Jen's idea of assigning a kid to a parent. We have a family trip coming up in July with 4 generations in 2 houses and I will have 3 by then (including a newborn) and we know it won't be a vacation but an insanely hard family obligation. Oh, we are bringing gates and childproofing supplies - who has the energy to be telling kids - "no, stay away from" EVERYTHING? .-= Mommy, Esq.´s last blog ..<a href="http://www.mommyesq.com/2010/04/diary-of-stay-at-home-mom.html" rel="nofollow">Diary of a Stay-at-Home Mom</a> =-. Like Rebecca, I often just insisted on hosting since I have “more of everything” anyway and like Selmada I would just ask someone to help. I like Jen’s idea of assigning a kid to a parent. We have a family trip coming up in July with 4 generations in 2 houses and I will have 3 by then (including a newborn) and we know it won’t be a vacation but an insanely hard family obligation. Oh, we are bringing gates and childproofing supplies – who has the energy to be telling kids – “no, stay away from” EVERYTHING?
.-= Mommy, Esq.´s last blog ..Diary of a Stay-at-Home Mom =-.

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