Two Easter Egg Hunts!

On Sunday afternoon Cole and Gwen participated in their first Easter Egg Hunt this year at the Moms of Multiples of the Lehigh Valley Easter Party. Gwen picked up on the concept very quickly and run around the room grabbing eggs. It took Cole a few minutes to warm up but he got a few eggs for his basket once we moved to a less crowded area.

On Monday (4/11/11), we went to a local park for an easter celebration with our Club Mom friends. The egg hunt consisted of a bunch of plastic eggs being thrown into an open field. Cole and Gwen joined the youngest kids so that they would not get trampled by the older kids. Gwen went right to it and got about 15 eggs. Cole was busy watching the other kids and staying close to mommy that he only got 3 eggs. Everyone got a prize at the end and we enjoyed a yummy breakfast together. After a little while, Gwen decided that she was finished and said: "All done, mommy. Go home" while leading me towards the car.

Cole has been very funny recently. The other evening he slipped in the bathroom and said: "Darn it!". He has been playing for hours with his Handy Manny tool set. He takes the "saw", "screwdriver" "wrench" etc. out and also enjoys dancing while the tools move up and down.

More Fun

This past weekend (4/9/11 & 4/10/11), we had a lot of fun. On Saturday we went to Riley's 3rd Birthday Party. The theme was construction which went well with Cole's recent obsession with tools. In the afternoon, we headed over to Trexler Park to see the ducks and take a little walk. Both kids had fun checking out the ducks and geese and wanted nothing to do with walking. They did, however, find a couple of puddles on the way back to the car and took MANY opportunities to splash in them. Cole was running and taking big jumps. Of course Cole got upset a few minutes later because his pants, shoes and socks were all wet. heh. Then on Sunday Cole enjoyed bacon for breakfast. This was a big treat because we only have it once in awhile but the kid LOVES it.

We've Been Having Fun!

The other night out of the blue, Cole came up to me with his fist in front of him and said: "hand bump" (referring to a fist bump). Gwen has been enjoying helping mommy and daddy in the kitchen. She often pulls her chair over to the island so she can see what is going on and ask to help. Yesterday, she helped me get the asparagus ready to go in the oven. Afterwards, she enjoyed playing with a small cup of water and a papertowel. She must have wiped the cup and the island down for at least 20 minutes! (see pic). Cole has been obsessed with his Hey, All book about birds. He tells us about the Dodo, penguin, pelican, hummingbird, kingfisher etc. every day. He has also been enjoying his new subscription to National Geographic Kids. This week he learned about lemurs and bobcats. Lastly, the kids have been fighting a lot about whose side of the car the "excavator" and "loaders" will be on each day.

1st Dentist Appointments

On Wed. 4/6/11, we took the kids to the dentist for the first time. We chose to go with a Pediatric Dentist whom several friends had recommended. Both Cole and Gwen seemed very excited about the appointment. They loved all of the fun toys and books in the waiting room and even got to sit on the counter to get their pics taken for their certificates. Then we went back to one room to speak with the dentist, Dr. Gordon. She talked to us for a little while and explained how she would do the exams. She then showed the kids each piece of equipment and explained how she would use each item. Dr. Gordon and Daddy held each child as he/she got the exam. Gwen laid down first and did not make a peep. She opened her mouth and followed all of our directions. Cole was equally as excited for the exam however, after being held down for all of two seconds, he started squirming and complaining. Poor man :( Dr. Gordon said that he did very well all things considered. He especially loved his new Tigger toothbrush and taking a turn in the big dental chair. Both kids got to choose a prize (blow up balls) and had fun playing with them later in the day.

America on Wheels

On Saturday, 4/2/11, we took the kids to America on Wheels here in Allentown. They enjoyed looking at the cars, motorcycles etc. Cole was running around saying: "big firetruck" and "Look, daddy, segway!". The highlight of the trip was at the end when they went in the toddler room and raced small cars down a ramp.

Cole seems to have a good sense of direction. When we're driving he will say things like: "roller coasters, cole's side" before Dorney Park is in sight. When we were driving through the city heading to America on Wheels, he said "farmers market" where we would turn to go shopping. He also proudly announced "cali burrito" when we pulled into a local mexican restaurant (I guess he has been to this place often since i've been pregnant. he he.). Both kids love looking at cars, trucks, planes etc. In fact, the construction in our neighborhood is a MUST see every day. They yell "excavator, my side, mommy!" and "loader, cole's side!". There are often fights about whose side of the car these things will be on.

A Cold Morning at the Rose Garden & MOD

On Monday, 3/28, 11, my friend Sarah N. and I decided to take the kids to the Rose Gardens to burn some energy. Yes, it was cold. Yes, we bundled up... BUT...we didn't realize how long the walking loop was going to be with three dawdling toddlers and an infant in a stroller! Cole sounded like a game show host when he was narrating everything he saw: "Look Mommy, airplane in the sky. flying!" and "Duck splash in the water. Quack!". Gwen was a good sport and walked along talking about the "little birdies". Sarah and I learned our lesson to stick a little closer to the cars because when 3 toddlers and a baby start to whine and then fuss and then CRY, one needs to move faster than lightening! heh.

On Tuesday, 3/29/11, I took Cole and Gwen to Andy's work for a March of Dimes event. We are one of the ambassador families this year for the March of Dimes walk. The kids pictures and preemie story were on posterboards and broadcasted on corporate news recently in hopes of raising money for the event. Daddy failed to mention how far of a walk it was going to be from the car to the dining hall, where we were instructed ot keep the kids busy at a table for about 1.5 hours! I felt like i was dragging cole through the halls and he has a habit of moaning and making silly noises while he walks, which i'm sure was a little distracting to Air Products employees. I packed a lot of activities for the kids but they ended up playing with playdough the entire time and semi-chatting with a few employees. They were very well behaved and took beautiful naps when we got home, which made for a very happy mommy :)

Fish Hatchery Visit, B-Day Party and Zoo

We enjoyed a family visit to the fish hatchery on Sat. 3/26/11. The kids make me slightly less nervous with all of the open water now that they are more stable on their feet. However, this is still not an activity that i feel comfortable doing by myself. Gwen and Cole had fun purchasing fish food and then feeding them. Cole loved the duck and kept running after it making obnoxious quacking noises. The poor thing couldn't get away fast enough! And of course we posed for a picture with the fish statue :)

After naps we went to Lamha's Birthday Party. Cole and Gwen had fun running around with the other kids and kept saying "Happy Birthday Lamha!". They were So excited when it was time to sing the Happy Birthday Song :) Cole tried a little Indian cuisine and Gwen held out for the cake.

On Sunday, 3/27/11, we headed to the Lehigh Valley Zoo. We hadn't been there since the fall but the kids knew exactly where the animals were located. They ran around yelling: "penguins, river otter, goats, bobcat, camel" etc. Cole enjoyed watching the goats eat and made the perfect goat noise back at them as they talked. Gwen enjoyed posing for pictures where she was able to poke her head through a sign (she had seen a picture in a photo album recently where mommy, nana, pap pap and aunt erienne had done this). The best accomplishment of the day, however, was that the kids WALKED the entire time. I'm hoping this means that i can ditch the stroller next time we go.

Spring Fun!

We've been enjoying a few Spring days here and there recently. To be honest, even when it is not very nice outside, we have been bundling up and heading out to explore/play and burn some energy. Both kids have been enjoying the sand table and bubbled. Also, dressup and make believe are becoming favorites!

Catching up...

So...apparently i haven't been very good at keeping up with this new Stamps Family Blog. In my defense, i recently re-discovered Zofran and now that i'm feeling a little better, i haven't been stuck on the couch/computer as often. Let's see if i can catch everyone up in a few short posts:

On Thursday, March 17, 2011, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day. The kids enjoyed choosing green outfits to wear and parading around with the shamrocks that they made at school (see above)

On Monday, March 21, 2011, I had my monthly visit with Dr. Black. Andy and the kids joined me and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was the first time that Andy had heard it on the doppler (they rarely used the doppler when i was pregnant with the twins because i had u/s so often). Gwen seemed mesmerized by the whole thing. Cole, kept going towards the door and asking to see the "water" (he was more mesmerized by the small water pond in the lobby).