My friend and fellow twin Mommy just launched an AWESOME site to help new moms (and experienced ones too)!! She is doing product reviews of things that worked, didn’t work, things she loves, and things her kids love. With three kids in three years I’d say she is more than qualified to give us the down n dirty scoop!! Go check her out!!!

Reviewed by Mom

This morning after going peepee at the potty Heaten told me all about his privates. Only Mama, Daddy, and Heaten see his privates. He then proceeded to take his weewee out and play with it trying to push it back in (looked painful to my inexperienced eye). Oh the joys the having a boy who is constantly arranging his “junk” at the ripe old age of 3!

So the bribery is at an all time high around the old Casa de Barr. It seems like I am constantly trading something for better behavior. I am lame and keep starting and then giving up on our sticker chart reward system. I intend to do it, but it is hard to constantly keep track of stickers. The first round went well and they each got a toy from the store. The problem now is every time they get one sticker (Heaten mainly) cries for a new toy. He doesn’t yet get that you need LOTS of stickers to earn a toy or whatever.

I had to bribe Heaten with new lippy (lip balm) to cut his hair last week. Last night at 1am and again at 3:30am when Sheznie woke crying/yelling/screaming for me I had to bribe her with the promise of ice cream tonight to get her to quiet down and get myself back to bed. Jeff has been giving Heaten extra time up at night to watch tv together to get him to bed. Normally we wouldn’t give in to so many delaying strategies for bed, but since they are still so sick and coughing (very positive it is croup and sinus infection) the more they cry, the more they cough, the worse it gets.

I am revisiting 1-2-3 Magic in hopesI will gain some insight how to deal with the constant whining/MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM and other annoying behaviors. Wow, that sounds kinda mean, but trust me, after hearing it ALL DAY LONG from two little crazy people you would say the same thing. =)

So for now I guess I better stock up on ice cream, and little toys for bribery or I might just lose my mind in the terrible (but oh so fun) threes!!

I swear, I just don’t like posting without a photo. Must be the photographer in me. =) These photos have nothing to do with post topic, but whatev. I was looking back in old photos from two years ago and saw these that made me smile.

Fun With Twins Edition:

Have I mentioned lately that three year old twins are awesome {and crazy all at the same time}!

And yes, I’m just a big old cheater using the same Foto Friday at my other blog
again. Boo to me!

So I think we might be the last of just about everyone I know with children 3.3 years old and still in cribs. A few months ago when I interviewed an in home preschool she was shocked and appalled that my THREE year old kids are STILL in cribs. Sheesh, you would have thought I was giving them drugs or something with her reaction. The thing is, they like their beds. I know for a fact that Shenzie is ready to transition to a big girl bed and is SO excited for it, but she doesn’t mind her crib. Not once have they ever tried to climb out. I just don’t have climbers and they just don’t know it is an option. I would love to transition Shenzie now, but a) Jeff said no (BOOOOO to Jeff) and b) we can’t give her a big bed and not Heaten and I’m just not convinced he is quite ready to have a bed and actually stay in it. Our stairs go straight down pretty steep to tile and they are right off the twinzies bedrooms, so I am a little fearful of forgetting to close the gate and them sleepily falling down them or some other incident. So for now (until I can talk Jeff into it anyhow) we’ll stick with the cribs and be happy.

Speaking of beds, Shenzie slept in mine again last night because she is still just SO sick. I was laughing because she would scoot closer and closer to me until I’m practically falling off the bed which is EXACTLY what Jeff says I do to him. =) She slept all night (well, minus the hours of 3-5am when she was coughing up a lung) with no issues and was so stinking cute!!! In the twiznies cribs they have their lovey (stuffed animal) and a small blanket that they each stuff into a corner. No pillow, no blanket for covering up, no drink, nada. It was so cute to see Shenzie all curled up under our big blanket, looking so tiny in our bed.

Photo from this summer since I don’t have any current crib photos.

We are sick. So, so icky sick. First I got a cold, then Heaten got a cold, then Shenzie got a cold. The funny thing is they are different….mine is stuffy nose, sore throat, no cough, no fever. Theirs are runny, stuffy nose, deep hacking cough, and fever. Poor little bugs. Shenzie coughs so hard she can’t breath and then freaks out because she isn’t breathing and then cries which just makes it worse.

This is the sickest Shenzie has ever been (even sicker than when she had RSV I think). I can count on one finger how many times one of the twinzies has slept thru the night in my bed. The one finger was last night. Poor Shenzie is just SO sick that nothing is helping so I thought being close to Mama might make her feel a bit better. Needless to say we were up all night long with her coughing and unable to breathe.

She is currently napping in my bed, and oh my heavens, so sweet and cute.

I am not certain they have just a cold, all I know is it is taking FOREVER to go away. Heaten first got sick last Wednesday and he is worse now then he was then. Thank heavens he isn’t as bad as Shenzie and just has a barking cough and runny nose now. His spirits are up and he is happy and normal. I begged Jeff to stay home from work today because Shenzie is so sick and won’t let me leave her side which leaves little time for Heaten Bear who still needs his cuddles too. There is nothing more sad and heartbreaking than seeing your kids in pain, upset, and crying and not being able to do anything about it. =( I pray tomorrow is better.

Since Shenzie is suddenly a Princess and only cares about all things Princess we thought she would really enjoy Disney on Ice featuring Ariel and Tinkerbell. Cars and The Lion King also made an appearance along with Mickey, Miney, Donald, and Goofey, but all she really cared about where the Princesses. I was hopeful Heaten would like it even though it was mainly “girly” themed. Shenzie was all dressed up in her black tutu, princess shoes, princess wand, princess bag, and of course her princess crown. When we got to the venue Jeff was blown away by all of the little princesses. He thought Shenzie would be one of the few dressed up. Ha, little girls just LOVE to dress up and they were out in full force this day!

We arrived early so we could see the Meet and Greet Princess thingymabopper. Oh my heavens, when Shenzie saw Cinderella up there her little eyes lit up and her whole face smiled. It almost made me want to cry. She was SO excited to see Cinderella and Tiana and just waved and waves and blew them kisses. Every little girls dream I’m sure. She told me that Cinderella was sooooooooooo pretty and sparkly. Later when we were reading her Princess book she again told me how Cinderella was cute with sparkles and then turned to me and said “Mama, not cute. No Sparkles”. Hahahahah, I guess I need more bling!

When the lights went down Shenzie immediately got scared and started to cry, but after climbing into my lap she was ok. She sang along to the songs, clapped, and watched with magic in her eyes. Heaten sat quietly in his chair for most of it just taking it all in, pure Heaten style. After a bit he got tired and climbed into Daddy’s lap for a little cuddle (they missed naps to go and Heaten still REALLY needs his nap). It was a two hour program and they did fantastic. I’m so glad we waited until now to take them and we’ll for sure go back next year! What a fun family day and oh so joyful to watch the twinzies soak it all in!