MyTwintopia

With the big flood in Calgary last month and it's devastating effect on the Calgary Zoo, I thought I'd have to put my zoo summer plans on the back-burner  Then London happened! 



My SIL and I decided to pack our 5 kids and spend a day in the London zoo. It was hot and sweltering and between us, we probably lost 5lbs worth of water-weight and I gained a few nuggets to add to my Twin Parenting 101 Handbook on the topic of visiting the zoo with toddlers

Numbers: Have a nice kid-to-adult ratio. 2 women + 5 kids just about worked. Any more and we'd probably have lost a kidCorral: There should be a means of corralling ALL kids under 4 - either a backpack harness or a stroller. We opted for strollers for the girls and their 3 year old cousin. The older boys could walk. TIP: Unless you have super-strong shoulder muscles, do not do this with a wagon. I tried the 50+lbs of children in a wagon dance and it was not a pretty experience. Conveyance: To drive or not to drive? Depends on the…

It seems like only yesterday that I packed myself, toddler twins, a double stroller, a bag filled with everything-but-kitchen-sink and bravely embarked on a 5 hour flight to New Jersey from Calgary. I learnt a lot on that trip. With the memory so fresh, you would think that a rational person with a fully functioning "church mind"* would not do that again. Well... I didn't.

I broke my own records. This time I embarked on a 9 hour flight from Calgary to London. I couldn't pass up on an opportunity for the girls to see their grandma (who last saw them when they were 5 months old) who was visiting London from Nigeria. To be honest, the 2 flights went way better than I expected and one of the things that made a difference compared to the New Jersey trip was that now the girls were big enough to use the CARES harness.

Without further ado, here's my comparison of flying with a car seat versus a CARES harness.


Was the trip worth it? Absolutely. Would I do it again? It all d…

"Attend cycling classes and ride bicycles outside"

That was one of my summer goals for the girls. I've had dreams of signing the girls up for a myriad of activities but my working hours and the challenge of 2 tots-to-1 adult ratio severely limited my options. With that, I was excited to see that I could actually sign the girls up for Pedalheads Cycling Course.

We bought the bikes, got helmets, TwinDad and I made arrangements to leave work early and we were pumped for the first class. Ah ha! Missed the part where the class actually involves a young instructor getting a bunch of 2-3 year olds to follow instructions while on their bikes. That so did not happen! The girls did everything but follow the instructions. At the end of the day, the instructor(s) were frazzled and so was I. 

Next day, the girls were sorta napping and I decided to "skip" the cycling class. And the day after. And the day after that too. In the end, our one week of cycling classes ended up being…

Having an outdoor family photo session was one of my 2013 summer dreams and I booked one to coincide with the girls' half birthday. I got the pictures yesterday and I think I'm officially on my way to having a girl crush on Rosie of Little Laughs Photography - our photographer extraordinaire. 

Every session's photos are better than the last and she makes me appreciate the importance of capturing memories is a very pretty format. Thanks Rosie, you rock.

This is one of my favorites - check out the twin dynamics captured. 

Sugar: "I wuv you sista"
Spice: "Get your smackers off me girl!"




Outdoor photo shoot: Check!

The list!
Visit the Calgary zooFind ducks to feed in CalgaryVisit Spruce Meadows and look at horsesHave weekly after-work/school dates with the girls - OngoingGo to Calgary Stampede groundsVisit a water-park type place (anywhere the girls can wear swimsuits and have a splash)Go to the top of the Calgary TowerWatch a live show with the girlsHave family o…