At the Seashore

Last week we spent several days in Cape Cod. My husband's family has a condo there, making it an affordable vacation spot to us -- we are lucky that we can visit Vermont and Cape Cod annually without having to rent a cottage or stay at a hotel. We were at the Cape for five days, and tried to cram as much as possible into our short vacation.

Right now, vacations are a challenge with the twins. Just preparing for vacation and packing is difficult. And then there is the whole "not in your own home" challenge: Staying in a place that is not babyproofed, where there are strange and exciting stairs and intriguing items all around. Having the tots sleep in their pack-n-plays, which they are outgrowing. Going to wide open spaces where little ones are both thrilled and scared by ocean and beach. By the fifth day I was more than willing to go home and back to our routine!

Bunny Twin LOVED the beach and the water. Buddy Twin HATED the water. Repeatedly told us he was scared of the water. I think the waves freaked him out. He screamed at his twin sister to get out of the water with panic in his voice and told her "Come back to Mommy! Come back to Mommy!" I don't know what he thought was going to happen to her...

Finally, on Buddy Twin's third trip to the beach, he finally relented and went in the water. We were at a bay beach which did not have waves, but very mellow water and lots of sandbars, so he finally relaxed about the water.

Big Girl had fun too, although she had a minor panic the night before we went to Nauset Beach, the sight of a few Great White Shark sightings recently. (Stupid "Shark Week!!!") She had major anxiety, but I just told her to not to worry, and if she was really worried, just don't go out deeper than your waist and stay away from seals. When we got there, she was just fine, and the waves were too big for her to get too far out anyway!

Of our five days, we made it to the beach on three of them. Another day we just hung out, shopped at Christmas Tree Shops and went to the beach at sunset.

We went mini golfing one afternoon, which was an adventure! My husband thought I was nuts when I suggested taking two 2-year olds golfing, but I wanted Big Girl to have some fun...

And on our last day we stopped in Woods Hole to visit the free science aquarium. It was small, but very cute, and nice to have an completely affordable activity that did not leave us covered in sand and salt :)

And did I mention that it was free??? And it had many tanks, exhibits and seals in residence. If you are in the area, it's a nice activity that takes about an hour.

This vacation was actually a hard one for me. The twins were a complete handful and there were moments when I was very tired and cranky about it. I definitely had a revelation about going forward to survive with two very active little ones in the coming months. To start, I think I need to join a mothers of multiples group. I need some form of social support for getting through this stage and I'm hoping such a group might bring me that encouragement.

On this vacation, I also came to the conclusion that it's all about "baby steps" right now. Little victories. When we left the beach that last day, I told my family that I was proud of us and that we managed. My husband looked at me like I had three heads, but I told him that even though it seemed chaotic, crazy and despite the kids whining at the end, I never thought we could actually go to the beach and manage but we did. When we took them mini golfing, which was an utter disaster and a workout as we chased after the twins with sweat running down our faces, I told my family, again, that I was proud we did it and didn't just avoid it. Right now, it is truly the little things, however, crazy it all seems when we are in the thick of it.

I could not, in all my efforts, get a photo of all three of my children together on this vacation. The little ones would not cooperate. But I did get this shot:

I guess it will do, and it shows them all doing something TOGETHER. And that is all that matters right now. We are all together, in the thick of twindom, but we are surviving. We made it to the beach, we made it through our second summer vacation adventure. I am proud of us, and me.

A New Sandwich

Big Girl has discovered a new sandwich that she loves. And this is a big deal.

Why? Because Big Girl is picky. And Big Girl's favorite food group is cheese. Cheese and crackers, macaroni and cheese, cheese sticks. All cheese.

It is a struggle to get her to eat anything other than cheese. She does not really like meat at all, unless it's chicken nuggets. Packing lunches for school is difficult.

She saw this sandwich in her American Girl magazine and wanted to make it. And she has eaten it almost every day this summer.

It's two slices of bread: One is spread with peanut butter; the other with Nutella. Add banana slices in the middle and you have a healthy, non-cheese sandwich for my picky eater.

Hopefully she will still eat this when school begins. And that she will remember to wipe the Nutella off her face after eating it!

Two-Ingredient Muffins

I recently saw this muffin recipe on Pinterest and had to try it. It has two ingredients -- JUST TWO! Cake mix and a can of pumpkin.

Source: sweet-verbena.blogspot.com via Kellie on Pinterest

I happened to have these ingredients on hand and mixed it up and baked away. (Here is the link to the oh-so-easy instructions.) It was actually not bad, not bad at all. I should have baked them slightly longer and put more batter in each one, but it turned out to be a decent muffin. And, I suspect, not high in fat and calories, because there is no eggs or oil.

They have a different texture, sort of like a smooth cake with a hint of pumpkin flavor. I'm sure I will make these in the fall because they were such an easy treat to whip up.

Here is a link for a chocolate version that apparently doesn't take like pumpkin, but just like a rich chocolate.

Aldi Update

I have been faithfully shopping at Aldi and finding more and more products that my family likes. I am trying to make my trips productive, buying more than one gallon of (hormone-free!) milk when I shop so I can make it to my next trip into the city without having to pay high milk prices at my local grocery store. It has been worth it, and from what I have read in the news recently, will continue to be, as grocery prices are expected to rise substantially in the coming months.

The number one bargain at Aldi, at least for me, is produce. Like I've said before, the number of products is small, but it is enough to allow us more fresh fruits and veggies in our diet. And it's all decent stuff -- brands I'm sure with which we are all familiar, like Chiquita and Driscoll's. And the prices just rock! The bananas above were 44 cents per pound -- I don't know about your family, but we go through bananas like crazy. Often three per day, one for each kid. I should buy stock in bananas.

I also love that Artisan Lettuce, especially at just $2 per pack. It is four little baby heads of fancy lettuce and it makes the best fancy salads. So yummy! And so cheap that I am eating more salad. Especially when topped with feta cheese that I found in Aldi's specialty food aisle. But that's not a bad thing, because I am eating more salad. Even with feta cheese, it prohibits me from eating nasty starches that I don't need all day long.

In other Aldi news, I tried going to the other Aldi near my home recently. It's newer than the one where I usually shop. The problem? It didn't have the same shopping carts. I need the shopping carts that seat two kids when I have the twins with me at Aldi. So I went right back in my car and went to the other Aldi.

I did make it back to this other Aldi with just Big Girl, but I have to say that despite being a "newer" store, it had less selection. I think I will stick to the older Aldi near my local Target from now on, even if there is construction on the road to get there, and it's not an easy trip.

However, our local news reported that 11 new Aldi stores are opening in Connecticut. I wonder where the next ones will be?

Stepping Into the Past

We've been busy trying to make the most of the waning days of summer. One of Big Girl's wishes was to visit our local historical society museum. It's only open two hours a week, so it's definitely been hard to find time in that window most weeks.

Last week, we were able to find an hour to leave the twins with my parents and head over to the tiny, second floor museum and the one-room schoolhouse at the other end of the parking lot. It was well worth the trip! (And did I mention that is has free admission? Yay!)

The museum displays change because the historical society has far more items than fit in their current museum. Eventually, they hope to have a bigger home.

I hadn't been to the museum recently, and it is completely different since my last visit. It was so fascinating to learn about products made here, or see antique items donated to the museum and inspect old photographs of notable places around town, like old schools, churches and businesses.

The best part, however, was this:

Going inside the one-room schoolhouse! Isn't it so-very-Laura-Ingalls? I just loved it. I could only imagine what school was like in this building.

We had a lovely little time exploring our town's past and chatting with the historical society president. I'm very motivated to become a member, as history is a subject near and dear to my heart.

I hope you all find time to visit your local historical societies. Many are staffed by volunteers who spend hours trying to preserve the past. I think it is so important for children to learn about where they live; it gives them pride in their hometowns as they grow up and they feel connected and develop "a sense of place."

Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt

I have a thing for Southern novels. I've kind of mentioned it previously, but it bears repeating. I have a wish list for new Nookbooks which seems a mile long, and because it's hard to find time to sit down and read often, I don't purchase books until I need a new one.

One of the books on my list was "Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt" by Beth Hoffman. After I read "The Help" -- which I just adored! -- I wanted something similar and this book kept popping up in the "if you like this, you'll like this" lists. And my sister-in-law read it and recommended it. So I put it on my wish list and it has remained there in a sea of books.

Earlier this summer, I ran to our local KMart for a few things and there, in a discount book bin (which I had never noticed previously -- I'll be looking for that bin again!) was the book. It was $5 -- so much cheaper than the Nook version! (In fact, less than half price of the Nook version!)

Now, I've been trying to be a good girl and not purchase hard copies of novels for me as much, because they were contributing to my home's clutter. (Don't say visit the library because sometimes I do, but it can sometimes take me weeks to get through a book with means remembering to renew, renew, renew...) Unless I thought I would read a book more than once -- like a Laura Ingalls Wilder book! -- or they are given to me, or cost pennies second-hand, I really avoid buying hard copies. They are just so expensive! But $5 was such a steal that I couldn't pass it up. And I'm so glad I did, because I will definitely read it more than once.

I just LOVED this book. It's about a little girl, Cee Cee Honeycutt, who has a mom with severe mental illness and a father who has basically checked out of her life. Many things occur, which I will let you find out, but eventually she goes to live with her aunt in Savannah, Ga. There, she meets a quirky cast of female characters and tries to come to terms with her previously awful childhood.

It is a very sweet and lovely book, and the characters just melted my heart. I will definitely be reading it again! And I'm saving it for Big Girl. I think it is a book she will love, but because of some adult issues in it she'll have to wait a while to enjoy it.

This was author Beth Hoffman's first book. I can't wait for her second. She is working on it right now and it should be out early next year.

I'm working on getting through another Fannie Flagg book right now. I'm almost done, and I'll share a quick review when I'm finished.

Off to the Zoo!

One of the things on our Summer Bucket List was a trip to our local zoo. It's small, but it's just enough for the twins to handle -- sometimes I think when you attempt bigger trips/plans they fail because it's just too much for little ones. But my state's only zoo is less than 45 minutes away, and, even better, I got in for free!

Pawprints! Or "Blue's Clues?"

Our local public library offers passes to certain area attractions where you get a discount on admission, or in this case, get in for free. The zoo pass is such a great deal -- and a popular pass -- because it lets in two adults and up to four children in without paying admission. You have to reserve the pass, which I did, and pick it up and return it on the day you use it. I figured out that the library pass saved me $32 in admission; if the babies were over 3 years old, it would have saved me $52!!

So off we went -- with me OVERJOYED that admission was free! I packed a lunch so we didn't have to worry about trying to get food at lunchtime in the zoo's cafe and/or pay for it as well. My mom came along for our adventure as well.

Galapagos tortoise

The first animal we encountered was a Galapagos tortoise. They were on loan for the summer from a Texas zoo and they were fascinating! They were massively huge -- so incredibly large! And apparently incredibly old. The two in the exhibit are 70 and 90 years young. The 90-year-old one was "playing" with a ball and making these loud, loud noises. I never knew a "turtle" could be so loud! And yes, they were not only tortoises but turtles -- not all turtles are tortoises, I learned. Tortoises are turtles that have adapted to living on land. Instead of webbed feet, they have toenails to dig. It was all so fascinating. I could have watched them for a while -- they were very active and so close to the fence.

Beautiful flowers!

We have been to this zoo twice since Big Girl was born. Since our last visit, when Big Girl was around 5 years old, there have been many positive changes. I was pleased to see that the park seemed very clean, with beautiful plantings. (Y'know, every since I've been to Disney World, I have high standards for any "attraction" we visit... I was pleasantly surprised with the zoo this year.)

They have added several nice new viewing area-style buildings, including one in the wolf exhibit.

Wolf Observation Center... Timber wolves are on one side; red wolves on the other.

They also have a random assortment of animals from both near and far, including white-tailed deer, llamas, bison, prairie dogs and others. However, the one we were looking forward to seeing was the beautiful Siberian tiger.

Tiger, tiger...

There are a few tigers here, and they are attempting to breed some babies. They are just so beautiful, with their bright, graphic fur coats. They are just impressively big. Below, Big Girl tries to measure up, but I think the lion's size is more her speed. Too bad we didn't see the King of the Jungle today.

Tall girl, but not tall as a tiger!

After seeing the tigers, we headed into "Alligator Alley." From what I can remember, this whole exhibit seems redone, and it's much better. Clear windows make it easier to see everything instead of cage enclosures. The alligators were fun to watch..

Twins watch the gators.

There is really only one indoor display building, a Rainforest exhibit with a few monkeys, birds, caiman, ocelot and vampire bats, among other small creatures. There are no strollers allowed in this building, which means the twins had some freedom!

Toucan! So colorful!

The twins behaved quite well, except for one tantrum moment when they didn't want to turn around to head back out the door. But they didn't mind getting in that stroller again, which was a relief. It's so much easier to have them "ride" -- we can move faster, they can have a snack in their tray, and they don't run in two different directions!

Sweet little girl.

The zoo also has an indoor carousel. We all went for a spin, but it wasn't very successful! The twins had never been on a merry-go-round. Bunny Twin got upset, as I expected she might, but her brother -- who likes fun things -- suddenly got upset because she was upset. My mom and I sat on a seat for the ride instead of putting them on the animals. Big Girl rode a zebra, however. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a picture because it was hard to handle the babies and the camera! The bonus was it wasn't too expensive: Carousel rides were half-price on the day we visited and adults ride free with a young child, so the ride only cost $3 for all five of us, and my Mom generously footed the bill.

Veggie garden outside the zoo's cafe.
I love the bamboo teepees for the tomatoes.
So happy to see when restaurants grow veggies outside their doors.

We ate our picnic lunch at one of the many, many outdoor tables in the picnic grove. I was glad to pack a lunch, not only because it's cheaper but because it's faster -- the line for food at the cafe was very long and I overheard people complaining about it taking so long. The zoo was busy! There was a small outdoor stand with ice cream treats, so Grammy treated the kids to a cool snack after lunch.

The zoo has a lot of wandering peacocks, including several near the picnic grove. This one was very friendly:

Our lunch companion.

Have you ever seen a white peacock? I haven't.

Big cow!!

Before heading home, we stopped in the gift shop to check out the souvenirs. Big Girl had her heart set on finding Buddy Twin a stuffed tiger. But I ended up getting them each a small stuffed animal -- a downside to my "free day" budget, but since the day was free it was the only out-of-pocket cost I had except for the gas to drive to the zoo. Also, the library pass was a "zoo member" pass, which allows you a 10 percent discount at the gift shop!

It was a fun day, and I was glad to get all three kids out for a simple day trip before school starts in a few weeks.