We're TubaDad (laid-back taco-eating tuba-player from Texas) and M3 (excitable, artsy chocoholic from California). We adopted our beautiful twin girls from Hubei, China in Oct 2006 and this blog is about our lives with the twinados, Ro and Ree. Cheers!
Oh, oh, oh—not only did the rain and clouds stay away today, but we actually had genuine, warm, springlike weather. It was heavenly! Ree was so excited she immediately threw on a flippy spring skirt and bared her adorable knobby-kneed, bruised-up little legs. That girl loves her sunshine:
You'll notice that sister Ro wasn't quite ready to believe the whole warm-weather hype the weatherman was feeding us, so she cautiously dressed in a few extra layers "just in case, mama."
I was going to use these photos for Fashion Friday, but they just looked so cute in their hither-and-yon outfits (and I was so damn glad that we had honest-to-goodness sun for a change) that I had to share. The various pieces of their outfits come from Target, Hanna Andersson, and Mini Boden, and all work together somehow, if you ask me:
The girls are both asleep, by the way, which is why I get to do an early blog post. Ree fell asleep during dinner at the Nordstrom Cafe (can I get an amen for Olive Aioli?!), and Ro fell asleep on the drive home. I'm guessing that their constant motion today had something to do with it. Seriously, they did not stop moving (or talking) for one second today.
They played on a new playground for hours:
Then found an old par course and did exercises that would have put me in the hospital:
They climbed one of the exercise poles in the par course and wouldn't come down forEVER. I'm not sure if there was more movement or more talking in this video. What do you think?:
Then rode their bikes around and around until I spotted (squeal) a field of dandelions:
Total aside here: these girls have the most perfect lips I have ever seen. I know it would be way too boring for this daring duo, but if they ever wanted to be lip models it would pay their way through medical school and beyond!
I almost got run down trying to get a shot of Ro's shadow here. Which reminds me, all of these pics except the first three were taken with a new purse camera I'm trying out. (Yes, yes, I have killed another one.) As usual, I'm initially dubious, and TubaDad thinks I just need to read the manual:
Well that's our lazy President's Day holiday in a nutshell. TubaDad is getting on a plane tomorrow, so our idyllic family days will come to an abrupt halt. It's been nice.
PS: Sorry to always bug you guys in the PSs, but questions seem to pop up at the end of posts. Anyhoo, we think it's time to get a little vertical in the backyard and get the girls a real play structure. Something that will offer lots of climbing, bars, and swinging. Does anyone have any advice, experience, recommendations, etc.?
LOVE the dandelions. "My" kids and I call them "wish flowers," and make sure to make wishes on them every chance we get. Once, at a national park, Clover bent down to blow the dandelion fluff off without picking the flower, because we drilled it into her head that she couldn't pick flowers or take anything away from the park! It was too cute.
Spring Like weather... how nice! I want to live where you live. We had about 6 to 10 inches of snow yesterday and the kids are off school again today. I am so ready for spring. Your girls are adorable!
For a playstructure, try Cedar Works. They are based out of Maine and have some WONDERFUL pieces that you can mix and match and make your own design. They are wonderful to work with and I believe they guarantee for 10 years. You put the structure together yourself, and it looks daunting, but it is actually quite fun. Check them out! We have one and our girls love it! (But ours isn't one of the elaborate ones).---Melissa
I know I say this all the time but Ro and Ree are just like my Tieren! No fear, go go go all day, never stop talking! I love it! When my husband and I are around more "calm" kids we wonder if they are sick or something!
Definetly go for a Rainbow structure - I have several friends that have bought the structures from the big toy stores and with lots of climbing / jumping / swinging they tend to loosen up and fall apart. Don't know if you have a Costco close, but they carry a Rainbow (as well as one on their web-site) that is awesome - my little monkeys and their friends haven't been able to wreck it yet. And it withstands the nasty Michigan winters...we were just out on it yesterday...snowslides are fun!
The Rainbow structures are to die for! And so many different combos it will blow a 4 yr old mind...and yours too. I don't have the website, but if you google Rainbow outdoor sets, you'll know it when you see it.
I second, or third, the Rainbow play system comment. We have one and we have 3 boys and MANY friends over all summer and I absolutely love ours. We actually bought it second hand from Craigslist for about $4000 less than retail. We paid to have it moved and installed and we stained it and it's good as new!!! Good luck!
Ditto the Rainbow comments and put Craig's List in bold letters with a double underline. Rainbow has a lifetime guarantee, and you can pay them to install it professionally (even second hand)! We love ours, and we can add things to it over time. It was a bit pricey, but so worth it!
We love our Rainbow. Bigger is better, don't go too small, they will grow out of it too soon. We bought ours new but have stained it through the years so I know that you could make it look good buying used and then staining it. Rainbow will "move it for life" if you buy it new. Also be prepared for the words "But we want to go to park!" The hubs about passed out when after paying that much money they wanted to still go to area parks but kids are kids, they tire of things and still want variety. The best part was when we had friends over, kids would swarm all over it and there was always something to do.
I'm soooo envious! We've been dying for a day like today so we could get out into it and PLAY but Maddy got sick and we've been stuck inside all day long. And she's got a brand new bike in the garage that she's never been on. Gosh, I hope tomorrow is still good weather!
About the play structure? I noticed that REI sells those things that people use when they create a rock climbing wall. You could make something so cool! Just think of all of the possibilities! ;)
Sun, sun, sun...here it comes! We're getting some of that up here in OR too. Yay! The girls look great! Your purse camera takes some awesomely clear photos...I must now know what you are using (please!...she begs desperately). We put up an assemble-yourself play structure when R was 2. She loves to swing. We bought a set by 'Adventure Playsets'. It's wooden and with the weather here, we added some sealer. The plastic sets are nice too but, they can get pretty hot in the sun. Her (plastic) slide is yellow and doesn't heat up too badly unless it's 90 or above. Good luck with your research! M.
You may already have one of these, and there's not much climbing or swinging to be had - but TONS OF JUMPING (which will exhaust children of any age!) - one of those inflatable "jumpers" (as my 3-year old calls it) - Step 2 and Little Tykes both make them. They run no more than $200 (Toys R' Us/Sam's Club carry them). So even if you decide on something more significant, this is still a great thing that can inflate (runs on a blower) easily and can disassemble just as quick - great for all ages (my 8 and 6 year old nieces enjoy it, too!)...
Congrats on the warmth! Yesterday we wer in the 40's! Loving the pictures. I too am a fluffy dandelion girl. They are one of the best creations out there!
I totally agree with everyone about the Rainbow Playsystems. We purchased a new one 6 years ago for our active, and climbing son! We paid to have them install it and we stain it each summer so it looks great. He loves it, we love how well constructed it is. We have lots of the "extras" like the steering wheel, telescope, etc... which make for even more interesting pretend play. I would highly recommend Rainbow! Your girls would love it and it is worth the investment!
Go with a Rainbow play structure. Seriously. They are tough and built to last.
And don't scrimp and buy the littlest one available - unless you only want the girls and friends to play on it until they're 7. We splurged (when the boys were 3,5 & 7) and bought the ginormous one -- and they used it consistently until they were in middle school and beyond. Now, of course, they say they're playing with their little sisters on it, but those giant teenage boys can still swing and climb on it (and do!).
We bought the one with the platform that is 6' above the ground and put on the twisty circular slide -- ooh baby! The 6' platform means that I don't have to crouch down to push the kids on the tire swing under the platform!
And I am SO jealous of your weather. It's cold and snowy and dreary in Michigan. I want to see some green grass and wouldn't even mind seeing a dandelion!!!
Want to make a big difference in the world? Give one small child the benefit of Foster Care. Ro and Ree were in foster care and it changed their lives. Read more about it or read about other charities that help children.
You'll notice that sister Ro wasn't quite ready to believe the whole warm-weather hype the weatherman was feeding us, so she cautiously dressed in a few extra layers "just in case, mama."
I was going to use these photos for Fashion Friday, but they just looked so cute in their hither-and-yon outfits (and I was so damn glad that we had honest-to-goodness sun for a change) that I had to share. The various pieces of their outfits come from Target, Hanna Andersson, and Mini Boden, and all work together somehow, if you ask me:
The girls are both asleep, by the way, which is why I get to do an early blog post. Ree fell asleep during dinner at the Nordstrom Cafe (can I get an amen for Olive Aioli?!), and Ro fell asleep on the drive home. I'm guessing that their constant motion today had something to do with it. Seriously, they did not stop moving (or talking) for one second today.
They played on a new playground for hours:
Then found an old par course and did exercises that would have put me in the hospital:
They climbed one of the exercise poles in the par course and wouldn't come down forEVER. I'm not sure if there was more movement or more talking in this video. What do you think?:
Then rode their bikes around and around until I spotted (squeal) a field of dandelions:
Total aside here: these girls have the most perfect lips I have ever seen. I know it would be way too boring for this daring duo, but if they ever wanted to be lip models it would pay their way through medical school and beyond!
I almost got run down trying to get a shot of Ro's shadow here. Which reminds me, all of these pics except the first three were taken with a new purse camera I'm trying out. (Yes, yes, I have killed another one.) As usual, I'm initially dubious, and TubaDad thinks I just need to read the manual:
Well that's our lazy President's Day holiday in a nutshell. TubaDad is getting on a plane tomorrow, so our idyllic family days will come to an abrupt halt. It's been nice.
PS: Sorry to always bug you guys in the PSs, but questions seem to pop up at the end of posts. Anyhoo, we think it's time to get a little vertical in the backyard and get the girls a real play structure. Something that will offer lots of climbing, bars, and swinging. Does anyone have any advice, experience, recommendations, etc.?
Posts
Adorable!!!! My birth to three (early intervention) helpers got a kick out of the shaving cream hehehehee
ReplyDeleteLOVE the dandelions. "My" kids and I call them "wish flowers," and make sure to make wishes on them every chance we get. Once, at a national park, Clover bent down to blow the dandelion fluff off without picking the flower, because we drilled it into her head that she couldn't pick flowers or take anything away from the park! It was too cute.
ReplyDeleteSpring Like weather... how nice! I want to live where you live. We had about 6 to 10 inches of snow yesterday and the kids are off school again today. I am so ready for spring. Your girls are adorable!
ReplyDeleteHi M3,
ReplyDeleteFor a playstructure, try Cedar Works. They are based out of Maine and have some WONDERFUL pieces that you can mix and match and make your own design. They are wonderful to work with and I believe they guarantee for 10 years. You put the structure together yourself, and it looks daunting, but it is actually quite fun. Check them out! We have one and our girls love it! (But ours isn't one of the elaborate ones).---Melissa
So glad you didn't hold out until Friday for this one......
ReplyDeleteThey look SUPER CUTE....and you can tell that they were enjoying every minute out there in the sun!!
Now if it would just head our way......
Lisa
We got ours at Sam's Club 2 years ago. They only have one style per year, but it has been great, and it was the best price in town.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy! We got at least 6 more inches of the white stuff yesterday. And it's blowing!
I wish we would have some spring weather here. We just got over one of the worst snow storms here in Ohio!
ReplyDeleteI know I say this all the time but Ro and Ree are just like my Tieren! No fear, go go go all day, never stop talking! I love it!
ReplyDeleteWhen my husband and I are around more "calm" kids we wonder if they are sick or something!
Definetly go for a Rainbow structure - I have several friends that have bought the structures from the big toy stores and with lots of climbing / jumping / swinging they tend to loosen up and fall apart. Don't know if you have a Costco close, but they carry a Rainbow (as well as one on their web-site) that is awesome - my little monkeys and their friends haven't been able to wreck it yet. And it withstands the nasty Michigan winters...we were just out on it yesterday...snowslides are fun!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't look like a LAZY President's Day holiday to me but it does look like lots of fun. Ours was l.a.z.y as we never got out of our pj's!!
ReplyDeleteThe Rainbow structures are to die for! And so many different combos it will blow a 4 yr old mind...and yours too. I don't have the website, but if you google Rainbow outdoor sets, you'll know it when you see it.
ReplyDeleteI second, or third, the Rainbow play system comment. We have one and we have 3 boys and MANY friends over all summer and I absolutely love ours. We actually bought it second hand from Craigslist for about $4000 less than retail. We paid to have it moved and installed and we stained it and it's good as new!!! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHave you called Ringling Bros.? (Just kidding.)
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video I need a nap. So much energy, and you are the epitome of such admirable patience.
Ditto the Rainbow comments and put Craig's List in bold letters with a double underline. Rainbow has a lifetime guarantee, and you can pay them to install it professionally (even second hand)! We love ours, and we can add things to it over time. It was a bit pricey, but so worth it!
ReplyDeleteWe love our Rainbow. Bigger is better, don't go too small, they will grow out of it too soon. We bought ours new but have stained it through the years so I know that you could make it look good buying used and then staining it. Rainbow will "move it for life" if you buy it new.
ReplyDeleteAlso be prepared for the words "But we want to go to park!" The hubs about passed out when after paying that much money they wanted to still go to area parks but kids are kids, they tire of things and still want variety. The best part was when we had friends over, kids would swarm all over it and there was always something to do.
Smileyalways!
Parcourse!
ReplyDeleteDang, that brings back memories.
Of course, now that we're in our forties, we'd call that "cross-training." Oy.
The pics look great with your new "purse" camera! What kind did you get?
ReplyDeleteDawn
I'm soooo envious! We've been dying for a day like today so we could get out into it and PLAY but Maddy got sick and we've been stuck inside all day long. And she's got a brand new bike in the garage that she's never been on. Gosh, I hope tomorrow is still good weather!
ReplyDeleteAbout the play structure? I noticed that REI sells those things that people use when they create a rock climbing wall. You could make something so cool! Just think of all of the possibilities! ;)
Donna
Our Blog: Double Happiness!
Sun, sun, sun...here it comes! We're getting some of that up here in OR too. Yay! The girls look great! Your purse camera takes some awesomely clear photos...I must now know what you are using (please!...she begs desperately). We put up an assemble-yourself play structure when R was 2. She loves to swing. We bought a set by 'Adventure Playsets'. It's wooden and with the weather here, we added some sealer. The plastic sets are nice too but, they can get pretty hot in the sun. Her (plastic) slide is yellow and doesn't heat up too badly unless it's 90 or above.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your research!
M.
You may already have one of these, and there's not much climbing or swinging to be had - but TONS OF JUMPING (which will exhaust children of any age!) - one of those inflatable "jumpers" (as my 3-year old calls it) - Step 2 and Little Tykes both make them. They run no more than $200 (Toys R' Us/Sam's Club carry them). So even if you decide on something more significant, this is still a great thing that can inflate (runs on a blower) easily and can disassemble just as quick - great for all ages (my 8 and 6 year old nieces enjoy it, too!)...
ReplyDeleteEnvious of the warm weather!
I was close ... inflatable bouncer:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=little+tikes+inflatable+bouncer&ved=0CCsQrQQwAA&cid=18251591293640465163&sa=title#p
Ahhh, warm weather, bikes, parks, fun, fun, fun!!!
ReplyDeleteClimbing structure? You are one brave, brave mama! Are you researching soft landing areas for your peace of mind?
Oh, I'll give you a great big Amen!!! for olive aeoli! Didn't end up making it today but soon friend...soon!
You really should try to get them in a gymnastics class again! One that can handle them! They would do well.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the warmth! Yesterday we wer in the 40's! Loving the pictures. I too am a fluffy dandelion girl. They are one of the best creations out there!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with everyone about the Rainbow Playsystems. We purchased a new one 6 years ago for our active, and climbing son! We paid to have them install it and we stain it each summer so it looks great. He loves it, we love how well constructed it is. We have lots of the "extras" like the steering wheel, telescope, etc... which make for even more interesting pretend play. I would highly recommend Rainbow! Your girls would love it and it is worth the investment!
ReplyDeleteWe have Creative Playthings and have been quite happy with it.
ReplyDeleteGo with a Rainbow play structure. Seriously. They are tough and built to last.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't scrimp and buy the littlest one available - unless you only want the girls and friends to play on it until they're 7. We splurged (when the boys were 3,5 & 7) and bought the ginormous one -- and they used it consistently until they were in middle school and beyond. Now, of course, they say they're playing with their little sisters on it, but those giant teenage boys can still swing and climb on it (and do!).
We bought the one with the platform that is 6' above the ground and put on the twisty circular slide -- ooh baby! The 6' platform means that I don't have to crouch down to push the kids on the tire swing under the platform!
And I am SO jealous of your weather. It's cold and snowy and dreary in Michigan. I want to see some green grass and wouldn't even mind seeing a dandelion!!!
Those girlies are unbelievable climbers!
ReplyDelete