I am not drawn to arts and crafts, despite the fact that my mom is a whiz at that kind of thing. But today I found a project idea and the kids ran with it. They made these butterflies with very little help, and were quite proud of them. The third little girl is Paprika, who joins us once a week.

The quest for the family bike ride

In July the kids and I went to Sunriver with Amy, KC, Cassidy and Kadyn. The highlight of our trip was riding on the bike trails with Eli and Evie on their "tagalongs." I found it magical that I could finally do something AT MY OWN PACE with the kids. I could actually get some real exercise, unlike during some of our hiking trips, where we are either battling the constant stops for bugs Eli discovered along the way, or a fussy Evie whose "shoes are bugging her" or who "needs a water break" far too frequently.

So, I became determined to buy us two tagalong bikes for home. But let's make one thing clear here--if anything just pure fun is going to happen in our family, it's going to be because I initiate it. You all know Pat--wonderful man: brilliant, heady, loving. Fun and spontaneous? Not so much.... but he will go along wonderfully if he sees that I am determined to make it happen. And I was.

Long story short--I made a weekend road trip to Vancouver WA and back to Utah with bikes in tow. Now all we needed was a tune-up, and voila! We'd be ready to enjoy my dream of fun-filled family bike rides. After a lengthier than expected assembly process by a loving husband, we were ready for our adventure.

Our maiden voyage was a 2.5 hour trip around town with a packed picnic bag. I do think that Pat finally appreciated why I was determined to make this work--the shared family fun of exercise, the wind in our hair, and the ability to go as fast as we want make a delicious formula for fun in the summer/fall Utah sun. We plan to take an evening ride every day until the first snow.

Preschool!

In February of 2009 I arrived to the preschool 30 minutes early for "sign-up day" just in case it was the kind of thing where there would be hoards of parents battling for a spot much like they used to do when Cabbage Patch Kids first came out. And yet it wasn't because I desperately wanted Eli and Evie to go to preschool; I just wanted them to have the option to go if I felt they were ready in the upcoming September.

I strutted proudly back to my car knowing that they were Numbers 1 and 2. That meant that they would be going to preschool if over the next several months they showed signs of readiness. I felt like the good mom who is on top of it--going to slightly extreme measures to give them positive opportunities in life.

When September came, we went for it. I had everything I needed to feel comfortable--it was a co-op preschool, so I would be helping out a lot. I had a strong recommendation from a good friend who has good kids. And another mom had told me that she had four children, two who went to the well-reputed Montessori and two who went here, and she preferred it "hands down."

To make a long story short, we are in week two of preschool, and it is AWESOME. Evelyn is totally digging having girls to play with. Every day she is on the tire swing with three of her girlfriends giggling to beat the band. Eli sits next to the teacher for "circle time" ready to fill here intended pauses with the answers. And every day that I have come to get them they are playing happily, and separately.

This was always my hope with twins. That they would be close, but not dependent on each other. That they would grow independently and thrive because of their bond, and individually as well. I am seeing it happen.

There was no crying at the drop off. There was no being overwhelmed by all the kids. There was no crazy behavior after it started. I am happy to say....it is ALL good. And I haven't even mentioned the fact that I have some time to get things done 3 times a week!