humor were definitely already showing in China. I have vivid memories of them standing in adjacent cribs in the hotel room just cracking each other up. I wrote a personality post about the girls the first month that we were home and it's interesting to see how much of it is still true today.
Q: Jenna said... I didn't know the girls were in gymnastics. Is this gymboree that they used to be in, or is it a gymnastics class they are in now?
A: It's a regular gymnastics class. They've been taking it since last summer, but I don't think I've written anything about it. They're really strong, and it's a good way to get out some of their energy, but they definitely won't be in the 2016 Olympics or anything. ;-) Our weekends have freed up now that ice skating is over, and I think we'll try soccer next.
Q: Mike and Terri Hamilton said... The girls seem so happy and well-adjusted. We are expecting a referral any time now and RQ has had a great post about attatchment. If it's not too personal, what issues have the girls had and what type of things did/do you guys do to promote bonding?
A: They really are happy kids and always have been. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that there are two of them—no matter what happens or has happened, Ro and Ree are together. And that really affects their outlook on life. They were also living with a foster family, rather than in an orphanage, and were strongly attached to that family, which helped in the long run even though it made for some incredibly hard times in the beginning. We did all the standard bonding things when we first met Ro and Ree: we were the only ones who took care of them (no exceptions, not even once), we carried them everywhere in baby carriers or our arms rather than using strollers, we set up rigid schedules so the girls would always know exactly what to expect and when, we spent A LOT of time down on the floor with the girls (I don't think I've ever spent so much time on the ground in my life), and we didn't have visitors (except for my parents) or go out to crowded places for at least a month when we first got home. We just kind of chilled out and got to know each other as a family.
Q: Jenny said... Do you have 2 of everything like we do? And if not, how do you deal with the girls and "sharing." We literally have to have 2 of everything and it is starting to be a bit MUCH.
A: We don't start with two of anything unless it's a big-ticket item like a tricycle or babydoll stroller that I know they'll use at the same time. Everything else is either shared or marked with an M or an R—and it's The Law that you don't touch something with your sister's name on it. Our girls are pretty used to forced sharing by now. If they bicker (which is rare), I tell them the timer is set and the first girl gets it for two minutes, then the second girl gets it for two minutes. They usually lose interest after that. (Got that idea from fellow twin-mama K2). If they keep bickering for any reason, I take the item and put it in timeout. I'm mean, and it works for me. ;-)
A: taran4ms said... Are you going to adopt in the future? LOVE your bento posts. Is that an everyday occurrence (bento lunches)? What happened to your referral youtube video?
A: I think we're going to stay a family of four. Life is pretty dang good right now, and it's hard to imagine changing it. :-) The bento lunches used to be an everyday occurrence, but I've gotten a little lazy lately and don't do them as often anymore. I need to start doing them more often. I moved most of my YouTube stuff over to a different user name (my old account used my first name instead of M3) and just haven't uploaded the referral video yet.
Q: Lillian said... Do you plan on working outside of the home once the girls are in school full time?
A: Yes, but hopefully I won't go back into marketing and won't be managing huge teams. Even as I type that I'm thinking "never say never, haha." I would love to do something creative and I want to be an individual contributor. TubaDad thinks I should do something photography-related.
Q: mexican chopsticks said... What do you do with all the clothes and shoes that no longer fit your little ones?
A: I send TONS of stuff to charity, anything that's lost its mate or isn't in top condition (which ends up being a lot after going through the twin destroyers). When something gets too small for the girls now, they say "Can we give this to Charity?" They think Charity is the name of some little girl that lives nearby! Things that are still in great condition, and are still paired up, get shipped off to a friend who has twins about a year younger than Ro and Ree. Oh, and their Easter dresses go to my patient friend Catherine, who always helps me shop (and shop and shop) for the fancy Easter stuff.
Q: Stacy said... How do you get your pics within your post to be the larger size they are? I choose the largest option when I upload them to blogger, but they are still considerably smaller then yours are!
A: I upload all my pictures to Flickr. Then I go to a picture in Flickr, click "All Sizes," pick the 500-width one, copy the html code shown below the picture, and paste it into my blog post.
Alrighty, I think I've answered all of the questions so far, except for the photography ones. I got so many of those that I'll answer them all in a separate post.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Questions and answers, part 2
The girls actually napped today (whoohooo!), so I had time to tackle the rest of the questions.
Q: Emily said... That's so cute! Were their personalities like that at all in China?
A: Their boisterousness and senses of humor were definitely already showing in China. I have vivid memories of them standing in adjacent cribs in the hotel room just cracking each other up. I wrote a personality post about the girls the first month that we were home and it's interesting to see how much of it is still true today.
Q: Jenna said... I didn't know the girls were in gymnastics. Is this gymboree that they used to be in, or is it a gymnastics class they are in now?
A: It's a regular gymnastics class. They've been taking it since last summer, but I don't think I've written anything about it. They're really strong, and it's a good way to get out some of their energy, but they definitely won't be in the 2016 Olympics or anything. ;-) Our weekends have freed up now that ice skating is over, and I think we'll try soccer next.
Q: Mike and Terri Hamilton said... The girls seem so happy and well-adjusted. We are expecting a referral any time now and RQ has had a great post about attatchment. If it's not too personal, what issues have the girls had and what type of things did/do you guys do to promote bonding?
A: They really are happy kids and always have been. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that there are two of them—no matter what happens or has happened, Ro and Ree are together. And that really affects their outlook on life. They were also living with a foster family, rather than in an orphanage, and were strongly attached to that family, which helped in the long run even though it made for some incredibly hard times in the beginning. We did all the standard bonding things when we first met Ro and Ree: we were the only ones who took care of them (no exceptions, not even once), we carried them everywhere in baby carriers or our arms rather than using strollers, we set up rigid schedules so the girls would always know exactly what to expect and when, we spent A LOT of time down on the floor with the girls (I don't think I've ever spent so much time on the ground in my life), and we didn't have visitors (except for my parents) or go out to crowded places for at least a month when we first got home. We just kind of chilled out and got to know each other as a family.
Q: Jenny said... Do you have 2 of everything like we do? And if not, how do you deal with the girls and "sharing." We literally have to have 2 of everything and it is starting to be a bit MUCH.
A: We don't start with two of anything unless it's a big-ticket item like a tricycle or babydoll stroller that I know they'll use at the same time. Everything else is either shared or marked with an M or an R—and it's The Law that you don't touch something with your sister's name on it. Our girls are pretty used to forced sharing by now. If they bicker (which is rare), I tell them the timer is set and the first girl gets it for two minutes, then the second girl gets it for two minutes. They usually lose interest after that. (Got that idea from fellow twin-mama K2). If they keep bickering for any reason, I take the item and put it in timeout. I'm mean, and it works for me. ;-)
A: taran4ms said... Are you going to adopt in the future? LOVE your bento posts. Is that an everyday occurrence (bento lunches)? What happened to your referral youtube video?
A: I think we're going to stay a family of four. Life is pretty dang good right now, and it's hard to imagine changing it. :-) The bento lunches used to be an everyday occurrence, but I've gotten a little lazy lately and don't do them as often anymore. I need to start doing them more often. I moved most of my YouTube stuff over to a different user name (my old account used my first name instead of M3) and just haven't uploaded the referral video yet.
Q: Lillian said... Do you plan on working outside of the home once the girls are in school full time?
A: Yes, but hopefully I won't go back into marketing and won't be managing huge teams. Even as I type that I'm thinking "never say never, haha." I would love to do something creative and I want to be an individual contributor. TubaDad thinks I should do something photography-related.
Q: mexican chopsticks said... What do you do with all the clothes and shoes that no longer fit your little ones?
A: I send TONS of stuff to charity, anything that's lost its mate or isn't in top condition (which ends up being a lot after going through the twin destroyers). When something gets too small for the girls now, they say "Can we give this to Charity?" They think Charity is the name of some little girl that lives nearby! Things that are still in great condition, and are still paired up, get shipped off to a friend who has twins about a year younger than Ro and Ree. Oh, and their Easter dresses go to my patient friend Catherine, who always helps me shop (and shop and shop) for the fancy Easter stuff.
Q: Stacy said... How do you get your pics within your post to be the larger size they are? I choose the largest option when I upload them to blogger, but they are still considerably smaller then yours are!
A: I upload all my pictures to Flickr. Then I go to a picture in Flickr, click "All Sizes," pick the 500-width one, copy the html code shown below the picture, and paste it into my blog post.
Alrighty, I think I've answered all of the questions so far, except for the photography ones. I got so many of those that I'll answer them all in a separate post.
humor were definitely already showing in China. I have vivid memories of them standing in adjacent cribs in the hotel room just cracking each other up. I wrote a personality post about the girls the first month that we were home and it's interesting to see how much of it is still true today.
Q: Jenna said... I didn't know the girls were in gymnastics. Is this gymboree that they used to be in, or is it a gymnastics class they are in now?
A: It's a regular gymnastics class. They've been taking it since last summer, but I don't think I've written anything about it. They're really strong, and it's a good way to get out some of their energy, but they definitely won't be in the 2016 Olympics or anything. ;-) Our weekends have freed up now that ice skating is over, and I think we'll try soccer next.
Q: Mike and Terri Hamilton said... The girls seem so happy and well-adjusted. We are expecting a referral any time now and RQ has had a great post about attatchment. If it's not too personal, what issues have the girls had and what type of things did/do you guys do to promote bonding?
A: They really are happy kids and always have been. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that there are two of them—no matter what happens or has happened, Ro and Ree are together. And that really affects their outlook on life. They were also living with a foster family, rather than in an orphanage, and were strongly attached to that family, which helped in the long run even though it made for some incredibly hard times in the beginning. We did all the standard bonding things when we first met Ro and Ree: we were the only ones who took care of them (no exceptions, not even once), we carried them everywhere in baby carriers or our arms rather than using strollers, we set up rigid schedules so the girls would always know exactly what to expect and when, we spent A LOT of time down on the floor with the girls (I don't think I've ever spent so much time on the ground in my life), and we didn't have visitors (except for my parents) or go out to crowded places for at least a month when we first got home. We just kind of chilled out and got to know each other as a family.
Q: Jenny said... Do you have 2 of everything like we do? And if not, how do you deal with the girls and "sharing." We literally have to have 2 of everything and it is starting to be a bit MUCH.
A: We don't start with two of anything unless it's a big-ticket item like a tricycle or babydoll stroller that I know they'll use at the same time. Everything else is either shared or marked with an M or an R—and it's The Law that you don't touch something with your sister's name on it. Our girls are pretty used to forced sharing by now. If they bicker (which is rare), I tell them the timer is set and the first girl gets it for two minutes, then the second girl gets it for two minutes. They usually lose interest after that. (Got that idea from fellow twin-mama K2). If they keep bickering for any reason, I take the item and put it in timeout. I'm mean, and it works for me. ;-)
A: taran4ms said... Are you going to adopt in the future? LOVE your bento posts. Is that an everyday occurrence (bento lunches)? What happened to your referral youtube video?
A: I think we're going to stay a family of four. Life is pretty dang good right now, and it's hard to imagine changing it. :-) The bento lunches used to be an everyday occurrence, but I've gotten a little lazy lately and don't do them as often anymore. I need to start doing them more often. I moved most of my YouTube stuff over to a different user name (my old account used my first name instead of M3) and just haven't uploaded the referral video yet.
Q: Lillian said... Do you plan on working outside of the home once the girls are in school full time?
A: Yes, but hopefully I won't go back into marketing and won't be managing huge teams. Even as I type that I'm thinking "never say never, haha." I would love to do something creative and I want to be an individual contributor. TubaDad thinks I should do something photography-related.
Q: mexican chopsticks said... What do you do with all the clothes and shoes that no longer fit your little ones?
A: I send TONS of stuff to charity, anything that's lost its mate or isn't in top condition (which ends up being a lot after going through the twin destroyers). When something gets too small for the girls now, they say "Can we give this to Charity?" They think Charity is the name of some little girl that lives nearby! Things that are still in great condition, and are still paired up, get shipped off to a friend who has twins about a year younger than Ro and Ree. Oh, and their Easter dresses go to my patient friend Catherine, who always helps me shop (and shop and shop) for the fancy Easter stuff.
Q: Stacy said... How do you get your pics within your post to be the larger size they are? I choose the largest option when I upload them to blogger, but they are still considerably smaller then yours are!
A: I upload all my pictures to Flickr. Then I go to a picture in Flickr, click "All Sizes," pick the 500-width one, copy the html code shown below the picture, and paste it into my blog post.
Alrighty, I think I've answered all of the questions so far, except for the photography ones. I got so many of those that I'll answer them all in a separate post.
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You are so on top of your post and e-mails. I don't know how you find the time! You are so good at it! I really hope you don't stop anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI like your 2-minute rule. I use that sometimes, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for answering my question. I am honoured. I figured the girls having each other makes things a little easier. They know they will always have each other no matter what and they see themselves in each other.
ReplyDeleteHi M3...thanks for answering the question about the enlarged pics. I appreciate it LOTS. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteThat photo is so cute! Thanks for answering my question.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your first part I notice that Emma is more like Ree except that she LOVES pink like Ro.
Fun!
ReplyDeleteI love all your posts and I don't usually comment but I have a question for you. How do you do you disable the right click option on your blog? I would love to do that on mine but I have no idea where to start.
ReplyDeleteCora
Speaking of pictures..... I take a ton as I know you do. Just interested in how you keep yours organized, backed up, etc.
ReplyDeleteStill learning (and being reminded) of the wonderful ways you're raising your amazing girls! I'd forgotten about putting 'things' into timeout and can now picture a cute little dolly sitting her time on the counter waiting for her timeout to be finished. :o)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading your photo answers. Also, getting ready to contact Danielle about a new blog since referral is getting closer....wheeee!!
Ahhh, the beautiful Easter dresses!! I saw a little girls at church a couple of weeks ago with Ro's dress from last year and thought of you and that adorable dress which Hannah will wear in a few years! Yay!!! Book us in for Easter dress shopping in Jan or Feb, k? :o)
And, for the record, I think I'd Easter dress shop 3x over purse shopping once!The phrase that comes to mind is from Fantasy Island as Tatoo would run out and yell 'Da plane! Da plane!' only my version is slightly tweeked by 'Da pain! Da pain!' LOL!!!
Love ya friend and so happy we can tease one another! xo