NYC - here they come

Rob, Aidan, Sean, and Gavin went into NYC for the day. They checked out the Empire State Building and Times Square.

Windsor Farm - part 2

Logan and Delaney had a birthday party at Windsor Farm! Happy Birthday Josh and Sam! It was a crisp fall day, perfect for the pumpkin patch. We started our day giving the goats some hay. I have to admit, I wasn't so sure if we would be able to finish the hayride, knowing some of the spooky scenes that were on it. Delaney is not a fan of spooky Halloween. She loves all the "happy decorations" but not the spooky ones. Well, she did good. She did hide her face for most of the hayride but stayed strong. Logan was just checking it out - taking it in stride.
We got to pick our own pumpkin and gourd. Of course, Logan found the rotten pumpkins and stepped on them to make pumpkin pie all over his shoes! Then we stopped and painted our pumpkins, played with our friends, and of course had our CAKE! You know that is Laney and Logan's favorite birthday activity! Happy Birthday to our Firemen Josh and Sam - what a nice day we had celebrating your special day!

Windsor Farm - part 1

Every year we go to Windsor Farm. It is our time to go on a hayride, pick our pumpkins in the field, and even feed some goats. It is a great farm and we look forward to it every year. This year, I have three events there, so perhaps our family needs to find a new place to go. :)
This is event #1. Aidan and I went to the Sharon/Windsor Halloween Festival sponsored by the PTA. It was a great night. They had music, snacks, crafts, activities, and of course a hayride...in the dark. The children wore their costumes. Aidan was one of a hundred Star Wars characters. In case you are not up on Star Wars, he is Jenga Fett. He had a great time, we got to see some classmates and we got to do everything before the rain came! It was a fun Fall event and I look forward to going every year I have children in Windsor/Sharon!

The Twin Bond Reeks Havoc on Sleeping

This is the last post about beds! I think this is harder on me - seeing my babies out of their beloved cribs...taking that next step to being big kids. Bare with me.

Last night was rough. OMG, I was thrown back into the newborn stage.

Logan couldn't get to sleep or stay asleep. Delaney, well, she climbed into her bed, closed her eyes and that was it - dreamland.

Logan needed to talk to her and she was not responding. This separation is really hard on Logan. Really hard.

He cried alot, almost every hour. He was scared, confused, and lost. It broke my heart. He kept asking to see "Nee Nee." He kept wanting to know what she was doing. He said he was scared, alot.

He didn't like the Spiderman Wallie - those large eyes were freaking him out and he needed light. So at 2AM I am searching for a working nightlight. It helped.

Overall, we didn't get any sleep. Aidan was woken up and said it was the longest night ever!

Logan HAD to see Laney as soon as possible.

That twin bond has always been so strong for him and times like these remind me that this is a bond that is real, it is strong, and it isn't something any of us singletons can ever comprehend. I live it and it still shocks me at times.

Poor Logey, another transition, but he will be OK...and I am sure he and Aidan will have plenty of good times sharing a room.

Oh, and Aidan is very excited to share a room! It really seems that for him, this is finally a way for him to be a "part" of the two of them. He now has a connection in there.

It is tough to be the singleton with twin siblings. I have seen that and heard Aidan ask to have a boy his age just for him. He definately feels left out and this, to him, is a way to be a part of this world.

That is very exciting to see him so excited!

I need to go rest..Rob took Aidan to soccer because I can barely function.....let's hope each night is a little easier for Logan!

The Twins Have Their Twins

and how is it going? Well, they came and boy, the excitement between the two of them was awesome! They felt so proud and excited and could barely control their happiness!
I was going to skip the nap, due to time issues, but they wanted to try out their cool beds.
Laney layed in her pretty princess bed, gets tucked in, and is fine.
Logan went into the "boys" room and layed there and before I know it, there they are yelling back and forth to each other through the walls. They were trying to convince the other one to go to the other.
D: Come over Log
L: No, you come here
D: Come here Log, Log, come to me
L:No, you come here
D:I see doggie
L:I do too, it's outside...

and it goes on. It was sweet.....I always said that their conversations and playing before bed was their way to settle down. I guess they needed that still....

They did sleep a little. Logan woke up very upset and couldn't express what was wrong. But, Laney's name kept coming up. He had to see her ASAP when he woke up. I think he really missed her and that was what was wrong.
I hope tonight goes smooth....fingers crossed!

It's Time To Say Goodbye

to the cribs that is! The beds are coming....finally!

Delaney started to crawl out of her crib last year. It was December 23, 2007 to be exact. We were at my dad's for a Christmas Eve Eve party and Delaney got a Barbie car. This large hot pink car and she loved it. When we got home, we opened it and let her play with it. She was so excited. Then it was time for bed, it was late. So, the twins were brought upstairs for bed. Rob and Aidan were playing with this helicopter toy Aidan got. I am cleaning up the toys in the "toy area." Now anyone who has been to our home, knows that the toy area is behind the couch, which is at the bottom of the stairs. Suddenly I hear "Hi mommy" and there she is, with a smile. Delaney had no clue why my mouth was sitting on the floor....

I asked her what she was doing and she told me "Barbie car"....OK, so this Barbie car was so important that she had to climb out of her crib, open her door, and walk downstairs to get it! I didn't hear her, she was good (wish me luck when she is 17)! Now, here is the thing. I had a feeling she was getting out of her crib - there were some mysterious events going on in that room of theirs. But, she denied it and I didn't have proof. Now, she was busted. And all over a Barbie car.

She got in trouble, she had to know that what she did was wrong.

Well, that little stinker...minutes later, here she comes again!

So, the curiosity got to me one day and I did ask her to show me how she got in and out. Yup, she had been perfecting this for a while.

This brought us to the beds. She didn't do this for a while again and then we would go through periods of it. One day Logan decided to climb out..but didn't do it so gracefuly. Dive bomb was more like it.

So the beds were ordered in the spring.

For many reasons it took a while to get them, but they are coming tomorrow!

In the meantime, Logan learned to climb onto other furniture to get in and out...they are monkeys and thankfully no one was hurt in the process.

Stay tuned to hear how the bed thing is going..and how separation is effecting the twins....

The Twins Take on CPNS

The twins started CPNS. Their first day was today. I wasn't sure how Laney would be. She is very outgoing, but can get very shy at times. She did fine. They both did fine. There were a few criers (well, screamers!) and they ran right in. Logan ran in first and then Delaney followed. Mommy didn't even get to say goodbye. They went, they played, they had fun! We had a good day and I know they will love Mrs K and Mrs Skayak.
OH, and I am Room Parent this year! Soccer mom, PTA, Room Parent - how my life has changed!

Our Soccer Star Returns

Aidan is playing soccer again this fall for the Robbinsville Soccer Association. We are on the dark blue team, which makes Aidan happy. We were very fortunte to get Coach Jerry back. We also have some of the same teammates. I think we will have a good season!

Delaney's First Haircut

Today is a big day - Orientation AND Delaney's first haircut. She was very excited and woke up announcing that she was going to get her haircut like a princess. She brought her princess purse and told me she wanted to look like Sleeping Beauty. I thought this was going to go great and be fun. Silly me...she freaked! Crying and carrying on. Logan was in another seat getting his haircut and looking at her with a smirk. (I am sure he was thinking, what is wrong with that girl?)

They tried to encourage her by putting pink glitter in her hair - that didn't work. So we worked around the screams. This poor girl of mine - she is never going to take life in stride.

And you are probably wondering why was getting her first haircut at three years old- she wasn't blessed with nice hair (that is putting it mildly) and is still getting new hairlines and all. So, we finally just decided to clean it up and hope for the best.....

CPNS - here comes more Merritt's

Not only is my big boy off to Kindergarten but my twinkies are off to preschool! Delaney and Logan will be attending CPNS, the same school Aidan went to last year. They are very excited, or so it seems. Let's see how day one goes. They are going Tues and Thurs morning from 9-11:30. They have Mrs K for their teacher and I am thrilled. Mrs K was meant to be a preschool teacher. We met her today at Orientation. Delaney was excited until we got to the door, but she saw all the dolls and warmed up. Logan had no worries. He went right in. As usual, Logan worked his magic. He adored his cubby. He adored the kitchen area. They adored him. When they said goodbye, he was very proud to say "goodbye teachers" The assistant teacher was smitten by this blue eyed flirt and grabbed him and gave him the biggest hug. I know this was the right decision for Logan. He needs to feel loved, we will work out therapy on our own. Delaney is happy to have 8 girls in her class. Girls Rule, she says. Next Tuesday is the big day....can't wait to see how it goes!

Welcome to Kindergarten

Our journey has begun! Windsor School welcomed Aidan and boy are they lucky to have him (spoken like a true mommy!!) My baby is officially a Kindergartener. The bus didn't come this morning - always an adventure...poor kiddos had to wait until 10 AM for a bus! Eventually, it came and off he went. Of course, I was the mom with tears in her eyes. It was a good day, but he did say it was "long." Aidan's teacher called in the afternoon and spoke to Rob. She said that Aidan had a fantastic day. He was talking to her and to the children and was telling her all about Star Wars. You aren't shocked about that are you?

So....this journey has begun and although we know there are going to be some bumps in the road, we also know that Aidan is going to shine and succeed! We love you Buddy and congrats on this new chapter....

It's Almost Time...

Someone wake me up. My 8 lbs 2 ounce baby is now a tall handsome boy and off to Kindergarten! Is this for real? We had some last minute issues with good 'ol Robbinsville Public Schools and Aidan is now attending Windsor School. It's a small schoolhouse built in 1909, it reminds me alot of Crandall where I went to Kindergarten. We had some disappointments, especially since Aidan was looking forward to going to school with Sachi (our neighbor!), eating in a big cafeteria, and being with BIG kids. I guess he can wait until next year for that! Something to look forward to. Windsor is very cozy and warm place to be. Mrs Borsuk is his teacher and she seems very nice and caring. These are pictures from his Meet The Teacher day. In the end, I think it will work out well. It was a shock to readjust our thinking the week before school starts. But, this is life - a lesson to learn - be flexible and open to new adventures. We are ready....(I think....)

Logan's Future Plan

Logan put on daddy's wedding band today and told me he was getting married. I asked him to who and he said "Elisabeth." Elisabeth is another twin friend and yea, I can see that! They both tend to do their own little thing. Then I asked him about how many babies they will have.
Elisabeth, you sweet child....Logan said 13. YES, 13.
I think Logan watches too much "Jon and Kate Plus 8" with mommy.

I also asked him what he wants to be when he grows up. With thirteen kids, I was curious. Do you think "picking up rocks" will pay the bills?

I guess in Logan's world, anything is possible. Never doubt that child...

Sweet Dreams

Every night, I tuck the twins into their cribs and tell them "sweet dreams." A while back Delaney told me she was having "pooky monsters in my dreams." (spooky monsters) So, it was one of those moments where I blurted out the first thing that came to mind and yea, I won't be winning MOM OF THE YEAR AWARDS. I told her to punch the monsters in the nose.
I walked out of the room, wondering what I was thinking???!!!!??? The next morning, Delaney told me "Mommy, pooky monsters in my dreams and I punched him in the nose." Well, at this point, my advice seems to be working so I just went with it, what the hell? I asked her if it worked and she told me yes.
This went on for some time and her stories got more grand. Finally, it ended up with, "Mommy pooky monster in my dreams, I punched him in nose, I twiipped him, and he go crying to his mommy."
Time went on and I decided to try to change things. So I told her to think of princess dreams.
Whatever that meant to her. She came up with a big scenerio that went something like this, "Mommy, I have princess dreams. I go to castle with Keala and Cassidy. We wear pink dresses."
So every night she tells me she is going to have princess dreams, who is coming to the castle and what color dress they are wearing. Some nights a purple pony comes too. Sometimes mommy even gets to go! Lucky me! I always wear pink, she says.
Yesterday she told me that daddy came to the castle She has very strict rules about who is allowed in this castle and that means NO BOYS EVER! So I asked her how he got in. She told me that "Daddy come dancing." How sweet is that? I asked her if she danced with daddy, not sure if I heard her right and she told me "No, Me kiss daddy and hug daddy in the castle." Then she told me "no boys allowed in my castle so he went to work."
Delaney may be an author one day but until then, I hope she continues to have her princess dreams....

Who are the twins at three?

I have to ask this question because I can't recall as much as I hoped about their first three years. It has been a whirlwind of sorts. How could it have been anything but that!
Let's start with that bundle of personality.
Delaney:
She is princess, princess inside and out. She loves all things sparkly. In fact, she will say, "the more sparkle, the better!" If it's pink, Hello Kitty, Barbie...she is happy. She amazes me with her intelligence. She amazes me with the way she processes the world. This girl does NOT miss a beat. She gets it, really gets it. One day recently she woke up and asked me about makeup. I told her she could wear it when she was a big girl. Well, let's just say, her reaction is typical Laney. She said, "When I get big boobies, I can wear make up?" Yes, these kind of comments come out daily. You are guaranteed to laugh, ALOT, when Laney is around. What I also adore about Laney is that she is one tough cookie. She may be all girl in some ways but she can hold her own in a house of boys! Some words that come to mind to describe Delaney: creative, dramatic, funny, chatterbox.....It is so fun to have a princess!

Logan: Ahhh, that sweet blue eyed baby of mine. He is my superhero. He really is. Life isn't easy for him. Everything is frustrating, but the thing that will amaze me is that this child does not give up. He may get mad, throw a wicked tantrum, but he plugs along...and he is so happy. He truly loves life. I think most adults would have called it quits by now, but not Logan. He keeps at it and eventually gets it. He is my superhero. He is my lovey dovey. He is my one child who will just run up and hug me or give me kisses. Logan loves weapons (yes, I know), spiderman, and tools. His lovey is a duckie and we are doomed if we ever loose duckie! Please God, never ever let duckie get lost! (and of course, this is why we had to have a duck cake!) Some words to describe Logan: sweet, charming, diligent, silly, smart.

So that is who they are at three. They are amazing little people.....

Happy 3rd Birthday Delaney and Logan

What can I say? My kids like to party. It isn't unheard of for them to have multiple parties. Thankfully I am able to subject everyone to just one, or maybe two. The twins third birthday was no exception to the never ending birthday celebrations. Let's see, first it started with their actual birthday, July 31. I decided to bring them to Build A Bear. While Aidan was hesitant, because he felt it was for babies, even he enjoyed it. Delaney had to pick the tackiest bear, of course. A black and pink leapord dressed in a ballarina outfit. The boys chose the superheros. Logan went with Spiderman and Aidan with Batman. We had pizza (their choice) and cake later when daddy got home.

The second event was their friends party. We had a couple friends at Maggie Moo's, right here in Town Center. The other children surely had fun. I mean, who doesn't love icecream. I think the only part the twins enjoyed was the icecream. Otherwise, the noise of the machines were too loud for Logan, the cow just scared the living daylights out of them. However, the other children enjoyed limbo and dancing, face painting too. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. Did I really expect my kids would like Maggie the Cow?

Finally was the family dinner. I toned it down, which is hard for me! I love my themes, but Laney and Logan couldn't agree to go with mommy's plans. So, we had a barbie/princess theme and a duckie theme. Yes, those were the themes and cakes they each wanted. I made pretty cool cakes, I must say. The threesome had fun, of course. Their cousins, Brianna, Kelsey and Sean were here. This was their last night in NJ. My brother, Keith, was moving to SC the next day.
So it was a goodbye party of sorts too.
Delaney was all about presents. She "got" it. She would open one, throw it to the side, and go for more. I don't think she gave people the reactions they hoped from her or expected from such a dramatic child...but she is three. She did love her Cinderella dress and Barbie toys. She is all about the glitz that one! (Is it glitz or gaudiness?). Logan is the tool man. He got a lot of tools - alot. I think he is set to build a skyscraper!
Now we can relax...no more birthdays in this house until March. And then the next round of non step parties will resume...

Oh, and the cakes....

Weekend at the Shore

Thanks to all kinds of craziness..this was a lame jersey shore summer for us. But, we did finally make it down to the beach! It was our anniversary on the 19th (11 years!) and we took the kids to Aunt Bette and Uncle Jim's house on LBI. The first day was fun but the kids were tired and hungry and we didn't last long on the beach. Well, and let's face it, Rob couldn't get Chicken or The Egg wings out of his head. He looks forward to them every summer. So, he was eager to return to the house too! That night we went to dinner for our anniversary and then to Fantasy Island to enjoy some games and rides.
Sunday we headed back to the beach! The threesome had a blast jumping in a big hole and sliding down it (ewww, the sandy diapers...I think Logan gained 10 lbs!)...The water was way too cold to enjoy but Delaney got her shells, Logan threw some sand, and Aidan got to dig to China!

The one story of that weekend that touched me was when we went to Tucker's for our anniversary dinner. The children were with us. This sweet sweet older man, maybe late 80s, came up to us as he was leaving and told us how much he enjoyed watching our children. He said that he is very impressed by how well behaved they are (my kids?LOL) and that Logan reminded him of his son. He said that he has been watching Logan and he has the same personality as his son and that Logan was going to go places, just like his son (I told you, people are drawn to Logan!). I thanked him and figured he wanted to talk about his son. So I asked him how old his son was now and what he did. The man's face changed and he told me he lost his son on 9/11. My heart just sank. I couldn't get this man out of my mind. This sweet old man who lost his son. It is bittersweet to think that here he is watching my son and remembering his own. I hope it brought him back to happier times, which I think it did.

You never know what tomorrow brings, so I guess I need to cherish everything - even those 10lbs of sandy diapers.....

Our new pool

We did it. We decided to get an Intex pool for our little wanna be fishies. It fits perfectly in our space and the kids are having so much fun. It was time to ditch the kiddie pool. As much as mom wants to stay in denial, the fact is, the Merritt kids are KIDS not babies and it was time to go bigger. Delaney says she is a mermaid and Logan is a beach bum..he prefers to just chill in a tube. Aidan is impossible to get out of the pool and is very proud of all his new skills he is learning this year in camp.
Who needs a grassy spot when you can have smiles like these?

All Aboard! Aidan drives a train!

For those who don’t know, Rob is now working in the City at WebMD. He went today to get his train tickets and brought Aidan. They ended up going to New Brunswick on the train- just for fun. They walked around, grabbed lunch, and went to the Rutgers book store. On the way home, they let Aidan drive the train! They brought him to the front and let him drive the train, blow the horns, be the man in charge. He was going about 85 mph. Rob said he loved it! What a lucky day for Aidan!

Happy 4th of July

Happy Fourth of July! We went next door to the Hanuscin’s for Jake’s first birthday/4th of July party. The Merritt kids had a blast in the bouncy house. I think they bounced almost the entire 5 hours it was up. I wish I had half their energy. They slept well the next day. Hope you had a good holiday!

Liberty Lake Day Camp - Here He Comes!

Aidan is attending Liberty Lake Day Camp in Columbus, NJ this summer. He is having a blast! He looks forward to it every day and is upset when it isn’t a “camp day.” He takes the bus and they spend all day outside doing activities. They really do keep them busy! He is thrilled to be with Gavin all day. They are in the Penn State Cub group. Aidan tells me that swimming is his favorite activity. I wish you could all see his face when he comes off the bus at the end of the day. It’s like everyday was the best day!

Philly Zoo

It was time to bring our little monkeys to the zoo. It was a great day for everyone. We started the day making wishes in the fountain by throwing pennies. Aidan's had something to do with an Xbox game. Laney wanted to be a princess and Logan, well, I just think he enjoyed the throwing part and didn't care so much about wishes.
The kids had so much fun running from animal to animal. It was not crowded, so the twins got to walk most of the day. I know that made them feel like big kids!
The bats were a hit. The children also liked the crocs, alligators, and bears. Aidan said the lions were his favorite. Delaney liked the flamingos, bears, and bats. She did not like the elephants. I think they were too big for her. Logan liked it all, but he liked to chase chickens, birds, ducks and peacocks the best. Fearless boy!
We got to see all the animals we hoped to see!

Pt Pleasant Boardwalk

The kids had so much fun at Seaside that we took them to Pt Pleasant for another fun day! As usual we ate alot, played alot of games, and won a ton of toys! The rides were open this time so we had some good laughs making mommy dizzy. I am not as “balanced” as I was a decade ago. Of course, Aidan, Logan and Delaney enjoyed SkeeBall -no trip to the Jersey Shore is complete without some skee-ball!

Aunt Lisa visits

Rob’s sister came up from Florida with Gray to celebrate Morgan’s HS graduation. Yes, for those who recall Morgan, the little girl in our wedding party. Well, she is all grown up! Aidan adored Gray and was thrilled to have him around. They got along great. Delaney and Logan liked him too. He was good with all the kids. Laney told me she didn’t want to call him “Gray” because it isn’t her favorite color, so she wanted to call him Cousin Pink. Thankfully she didn’t do that! The kids still talk about Aunt Lisa, who is “Aunt Lisa the Princess” I think you know who came up with that name!

Seaside Heights Boardwalk!

We went to the boardwalk with the kids. It was a nice day and they loved it. Laney kept saying she was going “boardwalking.” We had lunch at The Beach Bar and Aidan had his own slice of that ridiculously huge Shore Pizza. Of course, we played games and ate our way down the Boards. The rides weren’t opened on this day, but they were having too much fun to care. It was pretty quiet down there, so Delaney and Logan were just thrilled to walk the whole time. Aidan beat daddy in the water gun shooting game - you know the one when you have to blow up the balloon. He was thrilled to win a prize. It was a nice day and the kids can’t wait to go back!

Aidan Makes a Robot

Aidan loves robots. For his birthday Uncle Keith and Aunt Yvonne got him a gift card to Robot Galaxy in Freehold. We went one hot day and he made this robot, which he nicknamed THE SITH (are you surprised?).
It was a neat place and the boys loved it. Delaney didn’t like the part where the robot got programmed. It was very dramatic and exciting…and loud! Thank you Uncle Keith, Aunt Yvonne….Aidan loves his new toy!

How to Beat the Heat, part 1

It is the beginning of June and already the summer heat has kicked in! We set up all the water toys in the backyard..not sure how Delaney and Logan would like the pool. Delaney finally tolerates baths but Logan does not (honestly, almost three years of screaming!). They loved it and Aidan had fun running through the sprinkler too! Here are some pics of our first summer day in the sun!

CPNS - End of the Year Celebration

Aidan had his end of the year celebration at Cranbury Presbyterian Nursery School on Friday, June 6, 2008. The children did a fantastic job singing songs. They said a prayer, said their goodbyes, and had a snack in Fellowship Hall. It was bittersweet for me! I am excited to see what is ahead of us but sad to see these preschool years come to an end. Aidan had a great year and wishes he could stay at CPNS. But, we move on to the next adventure - full day K! Again, I have to say it, where did time go?

Teacher: Mrs. Bartolone and Mrs. Davis
Best Friend: Matt Wheeler
Best time of day: Playgound "Riding on bikes so so fast was my favorite"
Favorite activity: "I liked all the art projects"

How To Beat the Heat, part 2

It was time to forget about the kiddie pool and hit Pop Pop’s pool. This was a brutal heatwave for early June! Our goal this year is to have Aidan swimming independently. He is really working hard and trying. I am proud of him! But, little did we know that Delaney would be our fishy! This was her first time in the pool this year. She went right in and is already determined to swim. She says, “Me want to swim like a mermaid!” She would lay on her belly with support and kick and paddle. She blew bubbles and even jumped off the side into Daddy’s arms - no floaties! So, now our goal is to get Aidan AND Delaney swimming this summer. Logan was very unsure, but this was his first time and he has proven he isn’t comfortable in the water - just yet. I am not worried - once Logan gets comfortable, he has no fear! I will keep you posted on the progress of my little swimmers as the summer progresses!

Delaney, our little princess

What can we say? Delaney has quite the personality! The comments she comes out with on a daily basis shock us and make us laugh out loud! She is also quite the singer. She loves to sing and even knows all the words to ”Delaney Talks to Statues” by Jimmy Buffett. Yes, Parrotthead blood runs through her! She has this big hearty laugh that I wish you could all hear. She is so ready for school - not preschool, I think she could handle HS well.
She lights up everyone's life.... I think her smile says it all!