Novitas

Epiphany Play

2010-01-10T19:54:00.001-05:00

The cute quotient was off the scale yesterday at St John’s Preschool, where the twins were in the Epiphany play. We actually went to two, since Tessa and Adam, in separate classes, were also in separate plays. Tessa, my angel, was an angel. Adam was a shepherd, complete with stuffed lamb. They both did great!

Blizzard

2009-12-19T12:34:00.002-05:00

No place to go today, thank goodness. The twins are watching "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" for the first time. Guess we should have brought in their tricycles though....

Girl's stuff

2009-11-24T09:36:00.002-05:00

The Missus and I have tried not to be sexist while raising the twins. I think nature trumps nurture though.

The twins and I were in the local Target (tar-zhay) the other day. They ran, of course, directly to the toy aisles. I didn't want them running around, so I told them to stay with me and we would go look through each aisle.

We got to an aisle full of Matchbox cars and other automotive toys. "This is stuff that Adam likes, Daddy," said Tessa.

When we got to an aisle of Barbies, Adam wrinkled his nose and said in a four-year-old voice of disgust: "Daddy, this is girl's stuff!"

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T11:01:00.002-05:00

The twins had a great time last night. A little hesitant to go up to other people's front door at first, they soon warmed up to the idea that candy was their reward. They scored a lot of candy...Daddy might have to help them eat it!

Good Eye

2009-10-27T20:28:00.003-04:00

These are a couple of the pictures that Adam took with my old camera. He's got a good eye!

Junior Photographers

2009-10-27T08:49:00.002-04:00

Santa brought Adam and Tessa little digital cameras last Christmas, but they didn't work so well. Lately I've been letting them play with my old camera, and they have been taking a ton of pictures, Adam more than Tess.

Both of them have taken some really nice pictures. Adam took one that is probably as good as or better than any I've taken. I'm torn between pride in my son, and sorrow at my own lack of skill. I'll post some of them in a bit.

It is really interesting to see the world from the viewpoint of a four-year-old. You get a lot of pictures taken right at belly level, which is not the most flattering for their dad. I won't be posting any of those pictures! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading for the gym....

Not a model

2009-10-25T19:49:00.002-04:00

Tessa usually gives her old man, a wannabe photographer, a nice pose. Not the boy.

Bluemont Fair

2009-10-25T19:43:00.004-04:00

In mid-September, we drove west towards a little town called Bluemont to go to their annual fair. It was a lot of fun, though the sun was hot and the lines were long, but we did get to have some funnel cake. Yum!

The line for the balloon animals was especially long. Yours truly bailed out to take pictures, leaving the Missus standing guard. Not the most chivalrous moment, but the Missus was a trooper, and I got some nice pictures, including this one of Tess getting her balloon pony from Mr. B.

Twins and Frog

2009-10-25T19:31:00.004-04:00

Busy October

2009-10-23T08:02:00.002-04:00

First there was a big trip at work, where I got to present to our customer. Took a lot of time to prepare for it too. Now, I'm finally, hopefully getting over some bug that laid me low for a week.

I have a lot of pictures in the backlog. Stay tuned.

Early Halloween

2009-09-08T21:22:00.002-04:00

I was greeted by Adam the Knight when I came home tonight. The Missus bought his Halloween costume early this year. Tessa was dressed in some beautiful Chinese pajamas. Not exactly sure if that's her Halloween costume or not, but I don't want to spoil the surprise.

Wonder if they'll take them off any time before the end of October?

Air and Space

2009-07-08T20:12:00.003-04:00

We're lucky to live pretty close to the Dulles annex of the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum. We take the twins there every so often, because they find it interesting, there's a lot of room to move around in, and it has a McDonald's. What more could you ask for?

The Missus and I like it because it keeps the twins entertained for a little while, and we can get some exercise as we walk around.

The kids are suitably impressed when I tell them that this plane or that was built by the company I work for. They are less impressed when I confess that, no, Daddy doesn't actually build airplanes.

It's even better now that they aren't afraid of the "shark airplane," the Flying Tigers P-40 that greets visitors to the museum. They both used to cry when they saw that. Now, they assure me, "It's just paint, Daddy!"

It's just paint.

Fireworks

2009-07-05T15:17:00.003-04:00

This was the first year that we took the twins to see the Fourth of July fireworks in Leesburg. They had a great time, starting with a lot of running around.

Adam was fascinated by the fireworks. He started walking toward the edge of the park we were in to get closer. The Missus and I yelled for him to come back to us. He did come back, walking backwards the whole way, so he wouldn't miss any "booming."

I enjoyed the show too, but always had one eye on the crowded parking lot. I hate getting stuck in traffic! Fortunately, the ride home was quick and painless.

Tessa was happy that she got no further mosquito bites on her legs. There probably wasn't any room left, since she was pretty much covered with bumps from her time in Puerto Rico.

All in all, a pretty nice evening.

Map Boy

2009-06-28T18:00:00.002-04:00

Adam loves maps. Actually that's an understatement. He really loves maps. On our recent vacation, he had an opportunity to lead us out of the woods. He was up to the challenge, but probably needed a smaller map.

At the Beach

2009-06-23T22:06:00.002-04:00

This is the start of the second week of the Missus and the twins in Puerto Rico. They are enjoying the trip to see Abuelita, but I miss 'em something fierce and can't wait to see them again.

This week they are spending some time at the beach and loving it. Tessa on the ocean: "It's the biggest pool ever!"

Baseball Stars

2009-06-21T13:56:00.003-04:00

We took the twins up to see the Frederick Keys on a night when they were having a "Family Fun Fest". There was a moonbounce and booths where they could throw baseballs and basketballs. The twins ate it up. They loved all the games so much they didn't want to go in and see the baseball game. I had to tempt them with thoughts of ice cream cones and buckets of popcorn.

Before we went in, we got their pictures taken. One booth had a Sports Illustrated theme, the other made little baseball cards.

Vacation - Luray Caverns

2009-06-07T09:18:00.002-04:00

We recently took a vacation road trip to points south. Our ultimate destination was Waxhaw, North Carolina, outside of Charlotte, to visit Aunt Kelly, Uncle Ray and Emma and Aidan, but we made several stops on our way, and on our way back. Our road trip lasted a week and a half.

We all enjoyed ourselves. Unlike our last trip, the twins are much more self-sufficient (and we didn't have to carry them around everywhere) which was a lot less stress on the Missus and me. The twins enjoyed themselves too. Tess always loves to go out, but even Adam, our homebody, was asking, "Where are we going today, Dad?"

One of our first stops was at the amazing Luray Caverns. Though fairly close, I'd never been there before. We all were fascinated by the beautiful sights. Here are some pictures.

Knock Knock

2009-05-19T23:47:00.002-04:00

Conversation during a recent long car ride:

"Daddy, how about some knock-knock jokes? Adam will start, okay?" asks Tessa.

"Knock knock, Daddy."

"Who's there, Adam?"

"Bridge."

"Bridge who?

"Bridge in your underpants!"

Maniacal laughter ensues from both twins.

"Knock knock, Daddy."

"Who's there, Tessa?"

"Bee."

"Bee who?"

"Bee stings in your underpants!"

Again with the maniacal laughter, and now it's Adam's turn again.

"Knock knock, Daddy."

Daddy says, "This one better not involve my underwear!"

Says Tessa, "Yeah, it's getting crowded in there. You better clean them out!"

Maniacal laughter ensues.

Four Year Checkup

2009-05-12T07:47:00.002-04:00

The twins recently celebrated their fourth birthdays, so it was time for a checkup at the pediatrician's office. Unfortunately, they needed to get a bunch of booster shots: four each to be exact. Fortunately, I needed to work that day, so the poor Missus had all of the drama all to herself.

Of course karma couldn't leave well enough alone, and the twins needed to go back to the doctor's office to get some blood drawn. The appointment was scheduled for a day that I'd already planned--and announced--that I was taking off.

The Missus took Adam and I took Tessa. We'd asked for separate rooms, hoping to spare one of them the sight of the other getting stuck. They gave us adjoining rooms, so it was even worse, since Tessa could hear Adam screaming. "Can you check to see if Adam's okay?" Tessa asked.

Then it was her turn. Tess is the bravest little girl and took the needle without crying. There was a problem: she was a little dehydrated and the nurse couldn't get any blood. So they gave her some water and tried again. The second time, Tessa cried. A lot. So did Daddy.

A couple of hours later, the kids had forgotten all about it. But I didn't.

Soccer!

2009-04-19T13:23:00.002-04:00

The twins started soccer yesterday. Even though they are already in Spanish class and swimming class, this is some kind of milestone, isn't it? For the next ten to twelve years, I'll be standing on some kind of sideline watching my children. Which isn't too bad.

At any sporting event with little kids, there are some children who whine and cry and don't want to go out and play. At first, that was my kids. It was a little embarrassing. But they finally got going and did pretty well.

Tessa came running to us at one point, crying. She'd gotten hit in the face with the ball. I'm so proud of her though, because she got right back in there and scored a goal. Well, sort of. It was mostly a bunch of three- and four-year-olds running around like maniacs, so I'm not sure goals really counted.

The coaches were very patient and deserve all the credit in the world. They had infinite patience. Personally, I was upset that this one little kid hogged the ball the whole time. I wanted to go out there and give that little four-year-old hot dog a forearm shiver. Probably a good thing I'm not a coach!

Cannon Park

2009-03-15T19:22:00.002-04:00

We took a weekend drive up to the place the kids call "the Cannon Park." It's also known as the Antietam National Battlefield. We've been there a couple of times. It's a nice drive (the kids might fall asleep) and there's a little diner that we like on the way. After lunch we can hike around the park without worrying that the twins will be run over by a car.

I took these pictures there.

Snow Day

2009-03-02T17:26:00.002-05:00

We got a couple of inches of snow today. It was rapidly melting by this afternoon. The twins had some fun outside, then came inside for some hot chocolate and a nap. That's the life!

The Story Behind the Shot

2009-02-24T09:10:00.002-05:00

The picture below of my two little angels sleeping was taken after a busy Saturday for them. The Missus was at work, so Mr. Mom (that would be me) was in charge.

First, we played a little "Chase," one of the twins' favorite games. The rules are simple: chase somebody, then when you catch them, chase somebody else. Then we got dressed and went to Spanish class. (They learned some Spanish, I got my car washed.)

Next a trip to Mackers (a.k.a. McDonald's). I read someplace that Australians call Mickey D's "Mackers," and I liked it. I have been unable to convince my family to follow suit, but I'm sticking with it.

After Mackers (and two large unsweetened ice teas for Dad) we headed home. The twins were out in two minutes (even Tess, who rarely sleeps in the car.) I drove around and around, finally parking in my driveway, where I could read a book in peace. (I always have a book in my car to read while I'm waiting for the ferry.)

I read until I could no longer ignore my bladder (too much tea.) I pulled the car into the garage and ran in to the bathroom. They were still sleeping when I came out and I snapped a picture.

I sat on the steps in the garage until Adam woke up. He didn't see me right away and started yelling: "Let me out of here!"

I did.

Peace and Quiet

2009-02-22T11:35:00.002-05:00

Fancy Tessa

2009-02-17T20:06:00.002-05:00

Tessa loves the Fancy Nancy book her aunt gave her for Christmas. The book is about a little girl who likes to rescue her family from their humdrum lives. Our little Fancy Tessa certainly does that. Her brother helps too!

Here are some pictures from a recent visit to a little restaurant out in the countryside. (Yes, my daughter is wearing her tiara.)