Two Days.

That's the length of time that passed between the moment the twins entered their day care room for the first time to when green stuff started oozing from their noses. The moment I walked them into daycare, I noticed that about 75% of the kids had runny noses. I even commented to the teacher: "Ew. It looks like everyone has a cold." "Yep," she replied. "And Charlotte and Gavin will get it too." She was right.

Even my pediatrician warned me at our last visit. "They are starting daycare soon? We'll be seeing a lot more of you."

This was hard news to take, although I really already knew it. The twins have been relatively illness-free for 18 months. We had a bout of roseola, an earache, and some runny noses, but that's about it. I don't think I'm prepared for more illnesses, especially with a newborn on the way.

I've been making sure they get their vitamins everyday (I've been known to skip a day or two), loading them up and vitamin C, and making sure I have the Purell close by. Somehow I don't think it's enough to overcome a bunch of snotty little kid-germs.

I had 120 minutes to myself today, and I barely knew what to do with it.

It was the twins' first day of daycare. It was sort of a "transition" day...they were only there for a short while. I think the transitional time was more for me than for them. Gavin seemed to get the idea right away. He immediately found a toy and began playing. Charlotte hung by my side for a bit, but then she got caught up in all the toys, too. During snack time, my little cherubs sat on chairs (SAT ON CHAIRS! AND DIDN'T TRY TO STAND UP ON THEM!) and ate goldfish. When circle time rolled around, they were hooked. They barely blinked when I left. Gavin did follow me to the door, but there were no tears, from them or from me.

Then I tried to busy myself for two hours. I went to Starbucks and got a caramel coffee. I went to Babies R Us and stocked up on sippy cups, bibs, and feeding supplies. I went to HomeGoods and just browsed. Bliss.

Went I returned, I peeked in to the daycare room door before the twins saw me. Both Charlotte and Gavin were again sitting at the table, playing with wet soapy sponges. Charlotte was trying to share her sponge with the girl sitting next to her. Sharing! Be still my heart!

Tomorrow's another day. I will probably leave them there for a longer stretch, at least through lunch and maybe naptime, too. Next week I go back to work in earnest, so they will be there all day, three days a week. So far, so good!

Battered Mom

Look closely, and you'll see two swollen scratches under my right eye, a scratch on my nose, and one at the base of my neck. They aren't from my cats (usually those scratches are on my arms) or from walking in to furniture (which I've been known to do, but usually those take the form of bruises on my legs). These facial scratches are from Chuckie.

Who is Chuckie? Chuckie is Charlotte's evil alter-ego. Most of the time she's sweet, cuddly, clingy, and loving. But several times a day she gets this gleam in her eye, and Chuckie attacks. Usually it starts by her hugging me, and then she pulls back and wallops me in the face. It's sometimes a slap, and sometimes a scratch. I never know when it's coming.

My pediatrician says that sometimes toddlers can't figure out how to express their love for you, so they resort to biting and hitting. How charming.

When she does it, I sharply say, "No!" and move her away from me. If I were to do that to Gavin, he would fling himself on the floor and melt into a puddle of tears. But Chuckie thinks this is downright hilarious, and rushes back to me to hit again.

The worst part, other than the ridiculous-looking scratches on my face, is that she now has begun hitting Gavin when she's frustrated. (He totally takes it, but one of these days he's going to haul off and smack her!). Also, Gavin sees her hitting me, so now he's hit me once or twice too.

She doesn't do it to any other adult; not Michael, not my mom or dad, no one. I think it's a little bit of a game at this point, and I am certain she'll grow out of it. But for now, if anyone asks, tell them I...uh...walked into a door.

Name Change

Do I have to change my blog name once the new baby comes? To what? Tulip, Turnip, and....Ketchup? Hiccup? Tomato?
Suggestions, please.

Beachy Babes

So we're here in Sea Isle, and Charlotte and Gavin LOVED the beach. I was a little worried, because I've known plenty of babies who have freaked out the moment their bodies touched the sand. Not a problem here. The moment we got there, Charlotte plopped down and started dumping sand on her legs, and Gavin ran straight for the water. I never actually got to sit down, but it's still a zillion times better than last year when I was marathon-nursing and only managed 2 hours on the beach the whole week. No complaints here.

Oh, hi.

Let's catch up.

I know, I know, I haven't been the best penpal lately. I've been trying to post, I really have. It's just that my brain is mush because of all the homework and lesson planning I've been doing. I have nothing intelligent to say, unless you want to hear about the presidential candidates' educational platform or Brown v. Board of Education. No? I didn't think so.

Things are hectic on the home front. The twins are more mobile than ever, and learning something new everyday. "Ring Around The Rosie" is our latest obsession.

We've been spending some time in my Mom's pool which, surprisingly, the twins don't love. They like to sit on the rafts and float around, but won't tolerate being in the water for very long. Interesting, since they love splashing in the tub.

Michael and I went out to dinner alone tonight to celebrate our 6th anniversary. It's the first time we've been out to dinner alone since January. We hardly knew what to do with ourselves, and we were back home within an hour and a half. We'll work on that.

Biting Off WAY More Than I Can Chew

I'm not sure what I have gotten myself into these days, but I'm certain that my blood pressure has been rising steadily over the past few weeks. (Probably not good for a pregnant lady...)

In just about a month and a half, I am returning to my full-time job. I will be about 6 months pregnant, mind you, but I am still returning, because that was my plan, darn it, and I'm sticking to it! (Hello, Type A!) Many of you know that teaching is not a 9-5 gig. My work is about 45 minutes away, so I have to leave my house at 7 am to get there on time. That means I will somehow have to get myself, Charlotte, Gavin, and eventually a new baby ready all before 7 am. (Deep breaths, Amy.) If I even begin thinking about all of the lesson planning, grading, conferencing, and collaborating that I am going to have to do, I will need a paper bag to breathe into. I will be lucky if I see the twins for a couple of hours a day. I wish I didn't have such a crazy commute.

I've also begun taking a graduate course. At this point you are probably thinking that I have lost my marbles, so let me get you up to speed here. When the twins were born, I was just about 14 weeks short of obtaining my Masters in Reading/Reading Specialist Certification. Receiving this Masters will not only move me up the pay scale, but also open some doors for me career-wise. I have three courses left to graduate. I am taking one course right now, over the summer. The final two are thesis writing courses, and I have to take them during the fall semester. Which means I will have to write some sort of thesis. When I am very pregnant. And working full-time. And missing my twin toddlers at home. (Deep breaths, Amy.) With Michael's encouragement, I decided that if I didn't finish the degree now, I would never finish it. So I am muddling through just to get it done.

If that isn't enough, I am getting ready to teach a 2-week Reading and Writing course to first and second graders. I agreed to this before I knew I was pregnant, and before I started taking a grad class. And I'm not a quitter, so I start next week. So now I am busy writing lesson plans on top of all the homework I'm doing for my grad class. (Deep breaths, Amy.)

We are so getting a cleaning lady when I return to work in September.