SesameStreet

Off to Northern Ireland

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

THE ART OF EATING

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Word of the Day: Finger food

Our pediatrician said it’s time to move Lyra and Ripley away from bottles and baby food and more to self-eating. I still can’t fathom giving up their morning and evening bottles in place of a sippy cup. Where’s the comfort in a sippy cup? We are quite ready to try the palate of choices with finger foods. My mornings are now spent cutting apples, bananas, strawberries and even blueberries into miniscule bites fit for an 11-month-old. I’m still petrified of the choking factor so even the blueberries get cut into quarters. The girls are embracing their new freedom of choice with glee. Ripley is a shoveler—she grabs whole handfuls and shovels them in her mouth. Good thing her bib has a little pocket so I can rescue half the morsels that fall out of her fingers before they hit the target. Lyra is far more delicate, picking up one piece at a time and placing it pristinely into her mouth. Recently, she took the empty container of puffs and started to place them back into it one by one. She does this when she’s bored of feeding the big dog her puffs. Will she be our natural organizer? Every meal now requires a little more thought and time. What fruits or vegetables do we cut up? When do we still rely on the organic, store bought ready-to-go mashed fare? And of course, how small can we cut food down without pulverizing it? We do give them sippy cups now at dinner rather than the water bottle to wash things down. We’ll cross the comfort-bottle bridge later. Did I mention it’s now a cleaning job from hell after each meal? Bless our dog Nell who likes fruits and vegetables.

Lyra and Ripley contemplate today’s finger food.

MARTHA STEWART VISITS SESAME FAMILY ROBINSON

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Word of the Day: Stonehenge

Martha Stewart was driving by our property sometime last month and was stopped by her dogs who wanted to look at Marty's stone sculptures. (We didn't meet her but Lauren's fiancé did.) We have a rock wall along the road where Marty stacks rocks. It's a form of meditation for him and has ended up being an identifier for our house. Martha’s dog, Francesca, “blogged” about Marty’s stone sculptures on Martha Stewart’s website.

BABIES OF MASS DESTRUCTION STRIKE AGAIN

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Curriculum of the Day: Safety

The BMDs are at it again. We’re attempting to clean out our “rumpus” room on the main floor so it will truly be their rumpus room, rather than Marty’s office, equipment room, and drawing studio. The cleaning isn’t done yet, but the BMDs have this room in their sights now and keep heading for it. Ripley in particular has a sixth sense of danger. I am thrilled by her curiosity and bravery, but also terrified by it. How am I going to keep this girl safe? If I leave my little hand drill on the floor two rooms away and turn away to feed the birds for 30 seconds, she will find it. The bathroom door always needs to be closed when the girls are on the loose or they’ll be trying to shovel kitty litter into their gullets when we turn our backs. This has lead to kitty accidents because they can’t get into the bathroom to use the cat box!

Gates have been going up like mad around the house—the top and bottom of the stairs going up, and the top of the stairs going down to the lower floor. They attack these gates like inmates, pulling as hard as they can and making the gate bounce back and forth in its lock. Ripley even took her sippy cup and scraped along the bars like someone out of Shawshank Redemption.

And they are taking their spills. Ripley has a scrape on her nose today and Lyra has a bump on her chin. Even with constant supervision, a sudden fall as they’re reaching behind the animal food bin to snag our wedding picture can result in a little bruise. Out with the witch hazel once again. The spirit of adventure must not be stifled, but it must be very carefully watched or the BMDs will explode.

Lyra attacking the safety gate.

A good way to keep BMDs from causing too much damage. The Sesame Family Robinson Box Ride.

A YEAR AGO . . .

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Curriculum of the Day: Remembering

About one year ago, I rose up from my doctor-ordered bedrest and went downstairs in jubilation. I had made it to 34 weeks with my twins still inside me. Getting to 34 weeks is one of the many twin benchmarks you really strive to hit. After 34 weeks, most twins are past the “danger zone” of coming too early and requiring long stays in the NICU (Neonatal Unit). My maternal fetal medicine doctor basically told me to get up and walk around and signed off on me. Go forth and be a mother. (Little did I know it would be less than two weeks later!)

It’s so strange to read back on my old posts from around this time. It sounds cliché to say it’s like another lifetime ago, but it truly feels that way. I refer to the girls kicking me and seeing their pictures on the ultrasound, but back then, they were just a concept; an idea of children, with no understanding of what it actually means to have them in your life, everyday. Now, they are Lyra and Ripley, who giggle when you tickle them, and cry when they fall down, and pound their feet when they get frustrated. It is almost like two separate realities. It’s fascinating to look back and remember, but I’m very glad those times are over and our girls are here, sleeping downstairs as I type this post.

HandyMan and Sound EffectsMan

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

TWINS’ FIRST BIRTHDAY

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Curriculum of the Day: Celebration!

We celebrated our girls’ first birthday last week on February 12, along with Einstein, Darwin and Lincoln. They’ve certainly got a birth date of merit.

It is very hard to fathom that they’ve been in our lives for a whole year. Twelve months ago, they were small enough to take baths in the bathroom sink. Lyra didn’t even open her eyes the first month. Now, they are these irreverent people who we’re desperately trying to stay one step ahead of so they don’t fall down stairs, eat lint, or stick their fingers into sockets.

They knew something was up because it’s not everyday we put on pointy hats and their sister bakes them carrot cupcakes. It was the first time they’d seen candles lit and, of course, they immediately reached out to touch the flames. A fast hand pushed theirs out of reach, and Mom and Dad blew out the candles for them.

Sink-size Ripley

“What are Mom and Dad doing now?”

“Bring on the birthday cake!”

“Howdy!”

“So, as I was saying . . . .”

SESAME FAMILY ROBINSON OLYMPIC GAMES CONTINUE

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Curriculum of the Day: Healthy Competition

For those who did not see our opening Olympic event—The Crawling Race—Ripley Patricia Evans Robinson got the gold with a last minute push to the finish line. Lyra was a good sport as she proudly tackled her sister and then they shared bottles side by side. As we move into the second week of the games in Vancouver, Sesame Family Robinson Games is also moving up the developmental sport ladder. This week’s game is—“Push-Cart Races.” Although Lyra was the clear pre-trial winner of “Head Lifting” and “Sitting Up,” Ripley has won the first gold at these Olympic Baby games. Will Lyra pull up from behind and even up the score? Let’s go to our commentator Telly Monster.

THE SESAME FAMILY ROBINSON OLYMPIC GAMES

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Curriculum of the Day: Sportsmanship

The Vancouver Olympics are not the only game in town when it comes to sports this week. Sesame Family Robinson has been in trials for its own Baby Olympics for months now. Pre-Trials began back in August with the classic “Tummy Time” with Telly Monster as the commentator. Let’s go to the videotape:

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Lyra Lorraine Evans Robinson took the gold in this trial. A second pretrial came later in September with the “Sitting Up Game.” Let’s see who snagged the gold this round:

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Lyra Lorraine again came away our winner. So, tension is high as we move now into the first opening day of the Baby Olympics event: “The Crawling Race” Who will take the gold this time? Ripley Robinson has always been a strong contender, holding steady until the last possible second. Lyra is our returning champion. Let’s go now to Telly Monster to lead us into this exciting Olympic Baby sporting event.

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Big Sister II: Chanel!

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

And the Spheres Are ….

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Curriculum of the Day: The Arts

. . . Marbles!

Yes, they are a blue and yellow marble.

The big blue marble even has its own Facebook page.

The artist wishes to remain anonymous since the project is still underway. As you can see, the marbles have already made another move.

Are they being bashful marbles? Hiding behind the hillside?

The artist definitely has a strong intent every time they are moved.

And why haven’t we ever seen them move despite all these months of marbles knocking about the yard? Because they are specifically moved when no one is around—late at night or early in the morning. The artist admitted to sometimes hiding behind one when a car drives by.

Still, I wonder . . . . Where did the yellow marble disappear to for all those weeks? It wasn’t knocking about in someone else’s yard. I was never told the secret location for the yellow marble’s sabbatical.

So, there you have it. A mystery solved, in a way. What exactly the marbles are up to each time they are in a new position is for us to interpret.

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Curriculum of the Day: Animals

When I was pregnant, we read that the best way to keep your children from having allergies to pets is to have animals around from the moment they're born. We took this advice very seriously since we are both pet lovers. At one time in elementary school, I had twenty-four mice, four gerbils, two hamsters, two rabbits, two ducks and a chameleon. Marty had dogs, cats, and a variety of smaller species. I wanted to be a veterinarian and go to Cornell when I was a kid until I discovered tap dancing.

Once the girls were born, our little dog Nell continued to sleep in our bed despite the addition of two smaller bundles that smelled strangely human. To Nell's delight, she soon learned that these bundles spit up when they made burping sounds. Nell loved to clean up that spit up wherever she could—on sheets, clothes, and babies' faces. She figured out that whenever she heard a burp, it meant potential goodies and she'd come running. Our biggest worry with our 120-pound Bernese Mountain Dog, Beary, was that he would unintentionally step on them. He never has. And now, the girls have learned the joy of feeding Beary at the table. They hand him puffed cereal and he sucks it right out of their hands.

As you can see, she is enthralled and he always uses a soft, gentle mouth to take them.    Our worry now is that Lyra will never eat anymore since it is much more fun to feed the dog. Our gray cat Ruby loves to jump on the table, which the girls also find very entertaining. Ruby is a love nut, and will endure severe ear pulling and face grabbing until she finally can't take it and dashes away.

Lyra has taken to playing pony with Beary.

So far, no allergies seem to have surfaced. And they seem to love animals, too.

THE BALL MYSTERY HAS BEEN SOLVED!!

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Curriculum of the day: Guessing from Clues

At long last, I have the answer to the mystery. If you've been following our blog, you'll know that we've been baffled by the large blue and yellow spheres that have been moving around the expansive yard of a house about a quarter mile down the road from us. If our blog had the capacity for people to post responses, I'd challenge everyone to take a guess at what these spheres really represent. Then I figured, hey, I can challenge everyone, and they can just take a guess in their heads. I'll post the answer in the next ten days. So, what do you think? Here are a few hints: They are by an artist. In fact, a third one is under construction.

The movement around the yard is definitely planned and done by the artist. But, they do not represent balls. What are they? Stay tuned!

BABIES FIRST CHRISTMAS

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Curriculum of the Day: Holidays

Everyone keeps asking us how was the babies first Christmas? To be honest, everyday is Christmas for them right now. They wake up thrilled to see a new day, explore new objects to pull off shelves or stick in their mouths, and enjoy new tastes when they get strapped once again into their highchairs; then suddenly, it’s bath, bed, and beyond time once more.

Babies’ first Christmas seems to be for us parents. We get to show them off, buy them cute new outfits, and take lots of pictures with other family members. Ripley and Lyra loved the holiday attention and adored the wrapping paper that we had to constantly police so they didn’t eat it. And just like Thanksgiving, they were around the table that night with twelve other people, making funny sounds, dropping silverware and being in all ways adorable. Next year, it’ll be really their first Christmas with the introduction of—Santa!

Christmas morning in their Santa Suits—we couldn’t resist.

New Christmas boots from God Aunt Catherine. And they stay on!

A little overwhelmed by it all, Ripley needed her Christmas binky.

Christmas dinner started with some puffed cereal and a squeeze of Mom’s cheek.

Babies Need MILK!

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

HandyMan Goes to Work

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Big News at Sesame Family Robinson

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Curriculum of the day: Addition

For those following our blog, you know we’re “older” parents with young children. I’m also part of the Sandwich Generation, so I also take care of my father who moved to an assisted living facility near us recently. And now, Marty and I are going to be GRANDPARENTS!

Yes, Marty’s eldest daughter Lauren is pregnant. She’s already five months along, so she’s due in April. Her boyfriend, now fiancé, Sam and she will be living with us in January and they will decide then whether to be in Connecticut for the birth or up in New Hampshire to be near her aunt. Of course, we are pushing for our house, since she wants to do a home birth, but we’re just the GRANDPARENTS.

Lyra and Ripley will be little aunties. Their nephew or niece will be their playmate. How weird and wild.

I never thought I’d be a GRANDMOTHER quite so soon. Not as the MOTHER of 9-month-old twins! In truth, I’ll really be a step grandparent-in-law, but Lauren has made it clear that all of her parents (she has several through the modern American divorce culture) are grandparents. There will be no subdivisions. I find this quite wonderful—and daunting, since I’m going to be a GRANDMOTHER.

So, Sesame Family Robinson will be adding another member. What a holiday gift!

Meet Lauren

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

The Annual Holiday Card

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z

Word of the Day: Salutations

Marty and I have become known for our holiday card. This is wonderful in many ways. Friends you don’t see often will stop you and gush about how they always hang your card on their refrigerator. We often hear how people can’t wait to open our card when it arrives. “Where did Annie and Marty go this year?” We usually make a 5x7 card that opens with several photos from our Sesame Street international teaching trips. Here are just some examples of photos that have been part of our previous holiday greetings:

Our Renaissance Fair outfits with the pets

St. Basil’s during one of the coldest Russian February’s in history

Our Elephant Ride in Bali

The downside of doing an extravagant holiday card is people expect it from you. Because I was pregnant and on bed rest last December, we didn’t send out a card. We didn’t get calls and letters asking where it was, but I did feel like we let our family and friends down a little. So, we’re sending one out this year and are in the midst of deciding what will be the main photos. It won’t be a big card; we are still in a recession mentality here at our house. Still, we will probably use at least these two pictures. The shot of Ripley in the air was actually suggested by one of our blog readers to be on the card.

"Love at the Lake” shot on the August Vacation Post (us in the Water)

Ripley in Flight.

We’ll probably put some kind of line next to the Ripley shot about “Flying happily into the New Year.”

Happy Holidays to all!

Smartest Child Ever

2010-03-15T09:00:13Z