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!

Vaccines

Anyone feel like weighing in on the whole vaccine debate? Or is that just opening a can of worms?

I'll tell you where I stand: I am vaccinating my kids. But that's not to say I'm not keeping myself informed about the issue. I love my pediatricians, and I trust them completely, but they are definitely of the "vaccines aren't proven to cause autism or anything else" variety. That may be true, but they also haven't been entirely ruled out either.

After doing a ton of reading about it over the last year, here's what I'm thinking. I don't want any vaccines with thimerisol in them. Most vaccines are thimerisol-free, but from what I understand, the flu shot still contains it. (And all four of us had that shot last year...this year I'm going to ask for Flu Mist, which is thimerisol-free.) Also, if I can stand my ground in the face of an annoyed pediatrician, I'm only going to allow the babies one vaccine per month. They have a 15-month check-up on Friday, so I think I'm going to call the office to see what's on the agenda for them. If there's more than one, I'm going to ask that they only receive one. I've asked Michael and my mom to back me up on this one (my mom because she is the one that goes to the twins' appointments with me) even though I don't think they feel nearly as strongly as I do about the situation. I tend to back down when I feel embarrassed or outnumbered, so I really want to stand my ground if the pediatrician tells me I'm being ridiculous. (She might be totally onboard with it -- who knows!)

Further complicating the matter is the fact that my father and sister are both highly-respected and brilliant physicians. Clearly they know more than I about these matters, so their opinion and expertise means a great deal to me. I have no idea where they stand on vaccines--we've never really discussed it --but sometimes when I question Western medicine, I feel like I'm questioning them directly. Almost like if they had issues with public education, I would feel like I had to answer to it. Does that make sense?

Catch-All Post

Wow, it's been a heck of a long time since I blogged. A lot has been going on lately.

I'll give you the general idea:
Last weekend, several of my friends from college and I got together for a girls' weekend. It was heavenly. The company was fantastic, the food was delicious, the conversation was wonderful, and the relaxation was just what the doctor ordered. We went to a spa on Saturday, and I treated myself to a facial and a massage. (Actually, Michael treated me, as a Valentine's Day gift.) As one of my girlfriends noted, the weekend was effortless. Hanging out with them is easy, easy, easy, and even though I hadn't seen some of them in years, it was like no time had passed at all. Those are the best kinds of friends.

The babies' naps are getting slightly longer, thanks to an earlier bedtime and strict adherence to the clock. We were at a half-hour max, and now I might get an hour in there a couple times a week. Naptimes are at 9am and 1pm sharp. If they skimp on the later nap, which they usually do, it's an earlier bedtime to make up for it...usually around 6:15pm. Believe it or not, the naps are beginning to lengthen, knock on wood, so we'll see where this goes. If it works, I owe it all to Dr. Weissbluth.

We toured The Malvern School the other day, and liked it. My nephew goes there and seems to really enjoy it, or at least he isn't totally unhappy. I just about cry at the thought of handing my babies over to someone else for most of the day, but I don't really have another option. They will be with my mom for two days a week, and the environment at The Malvern School seems very nurturing and positive. I know they'll do well there, and I'm thankful I've been able to spend so much time home with them. The next six months are going to fly by...

I'm co-teaching a few workshops for the Pennsylvania Writing and Literacy Project (PAWLP) in April and June. I'm excited about it, and ready to start thinking like a teacher again instead of just a mommy. I became a Fellow of the Literacy Institute in 2004, and I'm seriously considering becoming a writing Fellow this summer. More on that later.

In other baby news, the babies have a new favorite game that I like to call "You're Playing With That Toy? I Want That Toy." As you can imagine, it consists of taking toys out of each other's hands and making each other cry. Oddly enough, their favorite toys are the tubes of Boudreaux's Butt Paste and the wipes containers.

I am really into American Idol this season. My early favorite is Michael....older guy, sang Bohemian Rhapsody. (I find him impossibly sexy...but then again, I find Prince sexy, so you may think my radar is a bit off...)

Because we are such romantics (cough, cough), the husband and I made spinach-and-feta stuffed salmon and mashed potatoes for Valentine's Day. For dessert we had pound cake, strawberries, and marshmallows dipped in chocolate fondue. And when I say the husband and I made it, I really mean I made it while he watched Entertainment Tonight.

I think that's about it. Now you're all caught up!