Growing Gains and Pains

The first year of life with twins was relatively easy for me.  We fell into a great routine right away, the girls couldn't move from where I put them, they slept a lot, and I had a considerable amount of control over the situation.  Year two has been a bit messier (literally and figuratively).     

1. After a brief hiatus, I've been taking the girls grocery shopping with me again.  Ava has always been really good sitting in the cart, but Mia gets bored easily.  Inevitably, I end up with her squirming in my arms. . .until now.   One day, out of desperation, I discovered that a blueberry bagel from the bakery will keep them quiet all the way to the check-out.  Shopping has been so much better ever since.

2. The girls are getting really good at cleaning up their own toys.  Besides making our lives easier, it's super cute to hear them say "away" as they drop each toy into the proper container. 

3. We have fully transitioned from two naps a day to just one.  While it makes both the morning and afternoon a bit longer, I'm finding ways to keep them entertained.

4.  We are working our way up to the terrible twos.  Their limited communication skills make expressing themselves quite frustrating.  Mia is a kicker and Ava likes to throw.  Today, the remote control and my face collided thanks to these little ladies.  I validate their feelings and then get out of the way until they calm down. 

5. We are one month away from our first plane ride with the girls.  I've been busy collecting items and ideas to keep them busy in hopes that we don't display our tantrum skills to the other passengers.  I'm open to suggestions :)