Twin Travel Tips

Our twins are 27 months old. They were born in India. So far, we've traveled with them to the following destinations on planes:

• Delhi - Newark - Indianapolis - 5 weeks 
• Indianapolis - Houston - Frankfort - Delhi - 8 weeks
• Delhi - Goa, India (and return) - 4 months
• Delhi - Istanbul - Paris, France - 6 months
• Paris - Newark - Indianapolis - 7 months
• Indianapolis - Newark - Delhi - 9 months
• Delhi - Hong Kong (and return) - 10 months
• Delhi - Istanbul (and return) - 12 months
• Delhi - Bangkok - Koh Chang (and return) - 13 months
• Delhi - Goa (and return) - 16 months
• Delhi - Newark - Indianapolis - 19 Months
• Indianapolis - Newark - Delhi - 21 Months
• Delhi - Istanbul - Prague (and return) - 25 Months

Over the course of those 13 trips, we've learned a thing or two about traveling with twins. Some of these tips you could probably figure out for yourself. Others may surprise you. 

1. Keep calm and carry on! You choose your attitude during your trip. Having realistic expectations for your child(ren) is helpful in maintaining a cool head. Your child will get fussy or cry at some point. The world will not end. Even if you have to take your screaming child and sit in the bathroom cabin for 30 minutes, the world will still not end.

2. Organize your packing with google docs - Chad and I keep a packing list on a google doc. We can both edit it from anywhere. So, when we're out and about and have a brain flash, we can jump on a smart phone and jot down that we have to remember to take the sleep sheep. Our list has evolved over time as the boys have grown. Things that didn't get much use during one trip get crossed off the list for the next trip.

3. Travel with a friend - This one isn't always possible, and lord knows we've made plenty of trans-Atlantic flights without anyone helping us. But this is really less about the flying than it is about having more possibilities once you arrive at your destination. During our most recent trip to Prague, we travelled with a friend who LOVES the boys. Having her there made the vacation so much better for everyone. When one of us parents needed to stay at the apartment with the boys, the other two adults could still go out and enjoy the city. Our friend even volunteered to babysit once while we ran out and got a bite to eat by ourselves.

4. Know your airline and airplane - Things you need to know include, but aren't limited to: how to book a bassinet, what counts or doesn't count as luggage, whether or not you can take your stroller through security and gate check it, what can and can't go in your diaper bag, how many kids can sit in the same row on a plane (see #5). Finding out all the details before you show up at the airport will save you from stress during your travels.

5. Carry two diaper bags - Not because you have so much stuff (which you will), but because you never know when you're going to be separated. We learned this the hard way on a return flight from Indianapolis to Delhi when our flight got cancelled and we got rerouted through Houston and Frankfort. Because of the configuration of oxygen masks on planes (see #4), we haven't always been able to sit in the same row. On most flights, we're either across the aisle from each other (one parent with one child), or in consecutive rows. On this flight, though, we were 5 rows apart and only had one diaper bag. When you're on a flight and your child needs a bottle, you definitely don't want to have to go hunting to find it.

6. Pay for upgrades to lounges - Seriously! We've had 7-9 hour layovers in Newark, Bangkok and Istanbul. In all of those places, we had access to the lounge and it made the layover easier. In the Newark Star Alliance lounge, there is a private family room with a TV and couches. The boys could lay down, have a proper nap and spread out and play. In the Istanbul airport, there is a play room, changing room (with complimentary diapers and wipes) and nap room with a legitimate crib and frequently changed bedding. In the Bangkok airport (Thai Airways Lounge), there are small rooms similar to the Newark lounge. All of these lounges are so much better than waiting in uncomfortable terminals.

7. Book apartments rather than hotels - Apartments are often bigger, have a separate room for the kids and a kitchen. If you have a place where you can cook your own food, it takes some of the stress out of always having to find a restaurant that is kid-friendly. Also, the kids always enjoy havinga bigger space where they can play. And the apartments we've found are frequently cheaper than hotels.

8.  Book an extra seat on the plane - If you can't get a bassinet, book a seat for your twins even if they're really little (or ask for one on flights that aren't full). On long flights (flights over 10 hours), if both parents have to hold a baby for the entire flight, it gets REALLY tiring -- parents of singletons, never EVER complain! When Cedric and Ezra were little, we were on a flight from Delhi to the US and the bassinets had already been booked by someone else. Luckily, we had a seat in between us where we could make a small bed for the boys (seems funny to me now to think that both of them could lay down in the same seat and have room to spare!) and give our arms a break. When they got a little older, but still could technically be lap babies, we booked them a seat on the long flight from Delhi to Newark and we were all so much more comfortable and less tired on arrival. Trust me, it's worth the money!

9. Soothe the transitions - We have been weaning the boys off of bottles. For several months now, they haven't had a bottle during the day and only have one bottle before bed. They also don't have much time in front of TVs or iPads. However, when we're traveling, all bets are off. During our trip to Prague, they must have watched Cars at least 3 times. They also had a bottle whenever they wanted. They we're super happy to sit with a bottle and a movie on the plane. And when we got home, we resumed our normal routine and the twins didn't miss a beat! (we're totally off the bottle now... but that's another post for another day) When they were just over a year old and had already transitioned to real food instead of baby food, we took along a bunch of baby food on our trip to Thailand on a whim. Turns out, that was all they were interested in eating as they didn't really care for the food on the children's menu at the resort where we stayed.

10. Plan to do less/Let them have space and time to do what they want - This is about managing your expectations (see #1). You aren't going to go see the Louvre, the Musee D'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower in one day with your twins and enjoy the experience. You need to plan days that are manageable and include things like play time, visits to parks and naps. Realize that your trip isn't all about you. It's about your kids too. Once they get old enough to do things other than eat/sleep/poop, they will want to have time to play and have fun. A jam packed schedule full of adult things will not make for a happy set of twins.

Vacation: Traveling Home

A much-belated Happy New Year to all of our friends in the blogosphere. Here is one final post about our winter vacation. Ezra pretty much represents how we all felt after traveling back to India. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how much is a video worth?

Prague: Day 5 - Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone. We're having a great time here in Prague. Christmas Day with the boys was very laid back. We spent the morning at home playing with toys and having a great time. In the afternoon we walked to Zofin Island, where the boys ran around and played on the excellent playground equipment. In the evening, we had our Christmas meal and then we all took turns calling our family members on Skype. Then we went out and walked around the square. All in all, it was an excellent Christmas Day in Prague.

All the Best, 

Douglas and Family

Overdue Update

The boys are keeping us really busy these days. Their day runs from 8a-8p with a one or two hour nap after lunch. Most days with the boys are a lot of fun, but it isn't always gum drops and lollipops, as you can imagine.

Every day Cedric and Ezra are learning something new. Sometimes good things... sometimes bad things. We have made momentous progress on manners recently. Their skills of reason have also started to develop. They now understand what we want, however it is still a toss up if they decide to comply or not.

They are learning new words daily and will repeat anything you say. Anything. It has been a lot of fun watching them grow. They have such different personalities it is hard to believe they are twins.

Ezra is a runner. I can already anticipate phone calls from his teachers saying he ran away. He gets this look on his face and you can see he is testing how you will respond.

We have had a few problems with our ayah. I came home the other day and she was letting the kids dance on the coffee table. We have been working hard on keeping them from climbing on it... now we know why they were not listening. It is also culturally difficult for our ayah tell the twins "no". It is a different way of looking at it but it's as if the she works for the kids. So we are working on boundary issues where she has to tell the boys no and enforce the rules while we are gone.

We have also had our fair share of illness. Everyone has had coughs, running noses, and fevers. Cedric has had a few terrible reactions to bug bites. Some that have led to skin infections with very disgusting looking boils on his legs. I could never be a doctor. I had to stop trying to diagnose the issue using Dr. Google after seeing the search results for skin rashes. People are nasty!

We are still trying to get Ezra to pack on the pounds. Cedric is gaining weight like normal, but Ezra just can't seem to gain a pound. He is a good eater, but must burn calories at a much higher rate. He never stops moving so maybe he will always be a skinny mini.

Eating out with twins is going quite well. Once in awhile we have to end dinner a bit quickly, but most of the time they are perfect gentleman. We have noticed they seem to eat better when we all eat together as opposed to having a kids meal time and then an adult meal time.

The weather is still quite hot in Delhi. We have been swimming most weekends and sometimes swim during the week. Ezra is a little fish and will jump from the side of the pool and blow bubbles and all sorts of fun stuff in the water. Cedric also loves the water, but he has always been a little more reserved and leaves the show boating the his brother.

We have also joined a very diverse play group. There are kids from Norway, Germany, Brazil, Spain, India, and Czech Republic. Our ayah has been coordinating with several other ayahs to have regular play groups at a different house three times a week. Once a week we host at our house and there are nine children and nine ayahs all in our house. I stuck my head in the door once. It was toddler overload.

Cedric and Ezra are really good at sharing with other children. However sharing between themselves is another story. I find it very interesting how they interact with each other. Ezra will take things from Cedric just for fun and then run through the house as if it is a game. Cedric subsequently is chasing him through the house screaming for his toy back. We have a lot of work to do in this area. Maybe a life long task.

I am heading to Las Vegas for a work conference in two weeks. I am looking forward to learning something new and excited for the networking possibilities. It has been a few years since I have been in Las Vegas. I can't wait to see if I can still win at black jack. My mom and dad are also going to meet me there for a couple of days.

Sorry this post turned into a novel. I guess that's what happens when you are terrible bloggers and forget to post anything for two months!

Chad

The Anticipation is Killing Me! (or, Long-distance Flying with Twins)

We are 37 hours away from boarding our first flight for our long, long journey back to India. So, that means we are in the process of saying goodbye to friends and family, we are in the middle of packing, and I'm starting to get nervous about our flight back to India. My mom said to me today that our kids always rise to the occasion when we travel, and I find that is true. The flight from India back to the USA in May was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

So, what did we do on a 14-hour flight with twin 20-month-old boys? First thing was get strapped in. Chad had the brilliant idea of getting these harnesses, which worked wonderfully for Cedric. He acted like he was in his car seat and sat almost three hours until he fell asleep. Ezra needed to be more mobile, but it was easier to deal with him since Cedric was taking care of himself. After we ate dinner on the plane, the boys fell asleep and stayed asleep for about six or seven hours. They were the fussiest right before they fell asleep because they had a hard time getting comfortable. When they woke up, they ate a little bit and played on the floor in front of the seats. We made several trips to the bathroom to change diapers as well as several walking trips up and down the aisle. The boys played with the iPad a little (they weren't very interested in it). They were awake for about three hours and then, they took about an hour-long cat nap. By the time they woke up again, we were close to arriving in Newark. 

Really, it wasn't that bad! I even got to sleep a little.

For anyone who is making a long flight with little people, I have several suggestions. 

First, be informed about what the seating arrangement is on the plane. The Boeing 777 we flew on is configured with three groups of three seats. Cedric, Ezra and I were sitting in the middle group of three, and Chad was right across the aisle. For the last half of the flight, he came and sat with me so we could block the twins in while they were playing on the floor in front of the seats. It would have been better had we been seated in one of the window-side groups of three. If you're traveling with twins ALWAYS take two diaper bags in case you get split up, one parent with each child. 

Second, buy your child his or her own seat. Don't try to have a 20-month old toddler sit on your lap for 14 hours. I've seen parents attempt this, and no one ends up happy. 

Third, get up and move around. Walk around the plane, or even take an unnecessary trip to the bathroom. Changing your space will break things up for you and your baby. Plus, it's better for your circulatory system when you get up and move around. 

Finally, realize that your child is going to cry and fuss a little. No one will die or be permanently injured because of your child's fussing. In the scheme of things, crying babies just aren't a big deal. 

Happy Flying, 

Douglas 

Summer Photos

Pictures from our summer in Ohio, Georgia and Indiana. Enjoy!

No Thanks, Dad

Can you tell which food item Cedric didn't appreciate, and politely separated (and didn't throw on the floor... YAY!) from the rest of the edible food? I guess string cheese isn't his thing!

In other news, yesterday's post really wasn't me seeking affirmation about my parenting skills (although I feel embraced and affirmed by the people who responded to it). I was more or less trying to express feelings that I think many parents have. I hope I wasn't being a needy blogger!  

Cheers to all!

Douglas

Are We OK?

One of my closest friends from high school and college is now a psychologist in the air force. He deals with all kinds of patients with many kinds of mental health issues. Due to his deployments and our living in India, we haven't seen each other in three years. In those three years a lot has happened (like the birth of our twins, and the birth of his daughter). So, we met up in Atlanta over the weekend.

More about the trip later.

For now, suffice it to say that every time I'm around other parents (and certainly around the children of a psychologist), I'm constantly watching them and asking myself, are we OK?

Yesterday, I made an appointment with the pediatrician, not because anything is wrong, just to check in and see if we're OK.

Today, I did a google search--my first mistake of the day--for 18-24 month developmental milestones. Yes, my kids are doing most of the things on "the list." But they're not doing all of them. Are we OK?

My sister's kids were around last week. Her son is two months older than my kids and about 10lbs heavier. He's a better eater, and says more words. Crap. I mean, I'm happy for her. But all of that only leads me to ask, are we OK?

Chad and I have often joked that we'd be EXCELLENT parents if we had a singleton instead of twins (any other parents of multiples know this feeling?). But we don't have one, we have two! Which, of course, leads to the question; are we OK?

And then there's pinterest and all of the parents that have time to enrich their children's lives with neat activities, and then have time to create how to's for the rest of us underachievers. Yikes. We may not be OK.

And, oh goodness, there's the fact that we're same sex parents, and I constantly feel like people are waiting for us to fail so they can say "I told you so!" Are we really OK?

I'm not panicky. In my own estimation of myself and Chad, I think we're pretty calm parents. But it is a daily task to stop asking whether or not we're OK and really focus on my interactions with my kids. And, I guess that is the point of this rather rant-like post. I want to spend more time in the moment with my kids, and less time worrying about whether or not we're OK.

In Stitches

Cedric loves to laugh! He's our ticklish cuddlebug. Earlier this week, we went to the park and played on the swings. I think he enjoyed it . . .

Cheers,
Douglas 

MIA

Yes, it's true, I've been MIA from blogworld. Beginning in the middle of April, I came down with a mysterious, India-induced illness. I am still recovering from symptoms that included persistent and recurring fever, stomach aches, body aches and a cough. Mostly, though, I was suffering from an extreme lack of energy and needed to focus all efforts on parenting and finishing the end of the school year. The silver lining of the whole experience is that I lost between 10 and 15 pounds.

The other thing that being sick has made me think about is whether or not it's finally time to leave India.  Chad and I have been in New Delhi for five years, and we will definitely be going back for a sixth year of work. Beyond that, we have no commitments. Is it time to leave?  Who knows?

Meanwhile, the boys are growing up right before our eyes. On June 4, we came back to the US for vacation, and during the first week that we were here Cedric and Ezra increased their vocabularies exponentially. They say so many words now. And, yes, they repeat everything. We've been enjoying time with our families.

I promise, now that I have some down time and am feeling better, to be a better blogger!  Here's a picture of my family on our farm in southern Ohio.

Cheers,
Douglas 

Happy Holi!

Holi will always be a special holiday for us. Before we had kids, we would spend Holi with our friends, partying it up and having a great time getting really messy! Two years ago, we threw a great Holi party while keeping the secret that on the day before, at a nearby hospital, the doctor had transferred the embryos that would become our boys into our surrogate. I remember being more nervous and more excited than I ever thought I could be. Fast forward two years, to our boys second Holi. Life has changed dramatically, and we are so much richer in so many ways because of our boys. Happy Holi to everyone!

Peace, 

Douglas and Chad

Vacation Packing List for Baby

We're back from Goa! Good times were had by all travelers, and we have much to say about our experiences. It seems like every travel experience is a learning experience for all parties. So, expect some upcoming blogs as we have time. But first, an updated packing list for those of you who are interested.

The context: we took a four-day trip with a three hour plane ride with twin 16-month-old kids. I think that this list could probably make it for a week-long trip, or a multiple-week trip if you have access to laundry facilities. Our hotel where we stayed had cribs for the kids, so we didn't need to take our pack and play. The green items are things that we took and used. Orange ones are things we took and didn't use. Red ones are things we've taken on previous trips and decided, for one reason or another, to leave home.

We've kept a packing list since the boys were born on google drive. It is a shared document between us, so that both of us can update the list when we're at home or work (and we think of something we might forget, etc.). I highly recommend keeping your list on google drive so that you can access it wherever you are.

I know it seems like a TON of stuff, but we fit all of the boys things in one large suitcase and all of our things in one medium suitcase. So, in total, we had two suitcases, two diaper bags, two umbrella strollers, two dads and two boys (plus one grandma... but that's a different story for a different day!).

Clothes (total for both children)

• 12 short sleeved
• 6 long sleeved
• 4 pants
• 12 shorts
• 4 swim suits/shirts
• 8 pajamas
• 2 sun hats

Toiletries

• Towels(used the hotels)
• Wash cloths (used the hotels)
• Lotion (in a big ziplock bag)
• Bath mat

• Small toiletry bag
• Baby Shampoo
• Baby Soap/Body Wash
• Baby Bug Repellant (mosquitos weren't bad this time!)
• Anti-Mosquito wipes
• Thermometer
• Dirty diaper bags
• Baby powder
• Pepto pills
• Diaper rash cream
• Neosporin
• Small toiletry bag
• Baby sunblock
• Adult Sunblock
• Bug Spray

Toys

• Toys for bath
• Toys for beach (including flotation devices for swimming)
• Toys for indoors
• 2 stuffed animals
• White noise machine (sleep dog)

Blankets

• 2 Gumdrop blankets (light linen)
• 2 Fleece blankets

Travel Stuff

• Baby bjorn (probably won't take it next time as our kids are getting too big)
• Beach tent (we didn’t use this on our last trip, so we left it behind this trip and didn't miss it)
• Sarongs (used as light beach towels)
• Umbrella strollers
• Monitor
• Umbrella

Eating Paraphernalia

• Bottles and accessories
• Burp cloths
• Sippy cups
• Spoons
• Bowls and plates
• Oatmeal
• Cheerios
• Granola bars
• Teddy Grahams
• Goldfish
• Larabars (new to us, via suggestion from my sister: LOVED them!)

Diapers

• Size 3
• Dirty diaper bags
• Extra Wipes
• Swim diapers

Diaper Bag (we ALWAYS travel with two diaper bags on flights, as we have been split up into different sections of the plane multiple times! With the exception of medicine, everything on this list can be found in both of our diaper bags.)

• Two Large Bottles with accessories (on long trips where I will have to clean bottles enroute, I take a ziplock bag with a small amount of dish soap and a bottle brush: otherwise, this goes in checked luggage)
• Burp cloth (not for burping anymore, but good for wiping up messes)
• Wipes
• Pacifier wipes (no longer using pacifier, but good for wiping faces)
• Changing pad
• Dirty diaper bags
• Diaper rash cream
• Dirty clothes bag
• Hand sanitizer
• Granola bars
• Food
• Cherios
• Granola Bar
• Baby food
• Spoons
• Thermos for milk
• Thermos for hot water for heating bottle
• Toys
• Medicine
  • Orajel
  • Fever reducer
  • Sweet oil (for ears)
  • Rubbing alcohol (for cleaning dirty surfaces - not sure this is legal to carry on a plane, but it's the best for sanitizing, and so far no one has searched through all the vials in my bag)
  • Gas drops
  • Oral syringe
  • Benedryl allergy syrup
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Nail clippers
  • Band aids

• Nylon strap (for all of those places where the high chairs don't have straps... maybe this isn't necessary in the US or Europe, but in Asia it's a must!)
• Change of clothes (baby/adult)
• Light blanket (we didn't bring any pillows for the kids for the plane, but I may try to find a small pillow that fits into a carryon for our next flight).

Books (we left both of these home this time and survived, but if you're going somewhere new, I'd definitely take both!)

• Baby 411
• Lonely Planet

Peace and Happy Holi to you!
Douglas

Spring Break

The temperature is rising in India, but it is still in the manageable nineties. That can only mean one thing. It is time for our last trip out of Delhi for the school year. Doug's mother is enroute to Delhi. She was due in last night, but as usual Newark was a cluster $%#@ and she had to reschedule for one day later. Thankfully United also let her change her return date by one day so she didn't cut any time off her trip.

Climbing is the newest event in our house. The higher the boys get the happier they are... chuckle chuckle. I am considering removing the couch from the nursery as I am afraid one of them will either jump or get pushed off which will lead to another trip to the hospital.

Dinner time continues to stress us out. It seems we can't make the boys happy. They refuse to eat things they loved five minutes before, they throw all the food off their trays in protest, and scream for more. We have tried so many things, but it seems nothing will suffice. This phase needs to pass.

Cedric is very clingy, and he wants to be held most of the time. I think this problem was created by having two ayahs at his beck and call. We are working on strategies to calm him down, but he gets so worked up we have to let him cry it out. This phase needs to pass.

Ezra is basically running around now. He is a busy boy and usually has on a big smile. Cedric has started taking a few steps here and there, but only when he wants to. He is a very effective crawler so he is content with his mobility. Plus every time he stands Ezra makes it his mission to push him over.

We are all looking forward to Goa. Our family does beach vacations well.

Chad

Sometimes Our House Sounds Like This

Ok... well, maybe not exactly like this. But close!!

-Douglas 

Heigh-Ho Heigh-Ho Back to FRRO We Go

It is that time of year again. Our visas are set to expire in a few weeks, and that means our annual trip to the office of frown and scowl with a side of bureaucratic disfunction is around the corner. Last night we took the boys to get their new visa photos and they did great. They both sat up straight and looked right in the camera. Lets just say this visa photo was a lot easier than their first.

The photo shop we use is right around the corner from where we lived before having children. We walked around our old neighborhood while the photos were being printed and remembered how nice it was to live away from work. We both miss the privacy of living outside the compound, but because of the clean water we have to stay where we are.

We have taken many visa photos since arriving five years ago, and we always get a kick out of the result. The photo man is a pro at photo editing, and he made me look eighteen in my Chinese visa last year. The boys are no exception to getting a little touch up. Even though they have perfect skin with no blemishes the photo man lightened up their faces and practically made them white babies. We both laughed when we saw them and so did our visa agent when I told them the photo man used skin whitening cream on the boys!

I was in Singapore last week for work related training. I love Singapore and would live there in a heartbeat. There are easy to walk streets, bars, restaurants, shopping, public transportation, clean air, and most of all organization!

Dreaming...
The grass is always greener...
Goa in two weeks...

Chad

What Time Is Grandma Coming?

One of the books I remember most from my childhood is "What Time is Grandma Coming?" by Peter Seymour and Kathy Allert. Who knows why this book sticks out in my mind? Maybe it's because I always really looked forward to when Grandma was coming!

Well, I wish I had a copy here in Delhi to read to the boys because their grandma is coming to Delhi! (Actually, this will be the second grandma visit of the year, as Chad's mom has already made an appearance. Our boys are so lucky to have two loving grandmas!)  I never thought this would happen, but the allure of grandchildren must have overcome any fears of long flights, overcrowded markets or traffic congestion that defies reason.

In any case, only a few short weeks until she arrives!

Love and Peace, 

Douglas 

Research: 12-18 Month Behavior

I often joke with others that we're running our own little twin experiment, and usually leave it to them to figure out which twin is serving as the control group. What would happen if we only let one listen music performed exclusively by Dolly Parton?

Ever feel like things are getting away from you?

In all seriousness, here are some things I've been reading about development and behavior from 12-18 months.

Here is a brief summary of what play looks like at various ages, including 12-18 months.

Here are some behavior management strategies for pre-toddlers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a quick two-pager about eating habits, behavior management, growth development and vocabulary development for this age.

And, a bit about non-violent communication just for good measure.

The Problem Solver & The Freaker Outer

You can tell at a glance when Ezra is planning something. His wheels are always turning and he is looking for something to get into. When something stands in his way it only takes a few seconds for him to manipulate the situation and overcome.

Last night we were all playing in the nursery. The couch sits against the wall and part of the window is behind the couch. Until last night neither of them could get on the couch unassisted. Ezra decided that he wanted to look out the window and quickly realized that he needed a boost. So, he used our makeshift drum (a.k.a. an empty Trader Joe's coffee container) as a stepping stone. He was elated with accomplishment and smiled ear to ear from the top of the couch. King of the mountain!

Ezra has always been a bit more independent, whereas Cedric has always been more aware of the people around him. He's not scared by large crowds or loud noises and will sit through an hour-long concert. He loves being with people.

And Cedric is definitely our freaker outer.

When something stands in between him and what he wants, he spirals into a tantrum, going from zero to sixty in two point five seconds. He has never been very independent, and he will often cry when he is not getting enough attention.

We have observed Cedric playing both with Ezra and alone, and he takes things very personally. A few nights ago he was pushing a toy car around the nursery. Keeping in mind that a car only does a few things--i.e.,  forward, backward, turns on side, and turns upside down--Cedric was getting visibly frustrated at the toy car, but we don't know why. It would appear the car was doing something "wrong" since his reaction was to scream and bite the car in retaliation. We have witnessed said biting on several occasions and nothing is immune. He'll bite coffee table for bumping his head, the door stop for keeping the door pinned open, and the blanket for getting twisted around this legs... all things that need to be told to behave, I assume.

We do our best not to react to these outbursts as to not encourage the behavior, but we are not sure how the nannies are responding when this occurs. When we stopped reacting to Ezra's head banging it went away on its own, but my fear is this will take longer to disappear and will advance to biting people.

Chad

UP!

Ezra is really walking now. And, lots of other interesting things are going on as well.

Take a look!

Love and Peace,

Douglas 

Distracted!

Ever been distracted at work?

My friend Meg gave me these websites to look at, and now I have some great plans for the weekend with the boys!

Happy Weekend!

Douglas

p.s. Today we're trying our hands at homemade playdough. I'll let you know how it goes!