We planned some but also left some space open to just go with the flow during our travels to and from Tahoe. We packed food to try and save money along the way. The first day we drove from Austin, TX to Tuscon, AZ. We quickly learned that we needed to stop about every four hours to stretch our legs and let the boys run around a bit. We immediately fell in love with “rest areas” along the highways and learned to appreciate how well some states take care of them and how much fun you can have at one with imaginative four year olds.

From Big Trip

Despite it being dark when we arrived, Forest immediately recognized this beautiful orange tree in the parking lot of our hotel in Tucson. It was very striking and beautiful with the nearly full moon and sunrise the next morning.

From Big Trip

Our second day was much shorter, we drove from Tucson to the Grand Canyon and stayed the night in one of the facilities at the park. We saw beautiful snow in Flagstaff, but there was none at the Canyon itself.

From Big Trip

We enjoyed a short hike along the ridge that afternoon, saw the sunset and the sunrise across the canyon.

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

This was Christmas Eve and Santa found us at the hotel and brought the boys some presents and filled their stockings, hung on the TV with great care, thanks to a hanger. It was REALLY cold that night and the next morning, which made things difficult for Forest and therefor all of us. Despite having gone so many months without any tactile defensiveness issues, the cold weather and cold winds brought it back and getting him into his coat, hat and gloves was a nightmare of unhappiness. It was one heck of a great reminder of why I am studying Buddhism as I found all my months and years of anticipation and expectation destroyed by the reality of having a wonderful child with a difficult problem.

On day three, Christmas day, we drove from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas, staying in my brother’s home, even though he was out of town. We took the boys downtown to the strip to let them stretch their legs. Forest is a huge M&M fan so we started our adventure there at the M&M store and then started walking down the strip to see what we could see.

From Big Trip

We made it for one of the Bellagio water shows which was delightful for us all. The boys were so excited to move and run, to see and watch, after three days in the car. While we were walking through the Caesar’s Palace courtyard the boys suddenly ran down a flight of stairs and jumped in front of a statue requesting to have their picture taken. This was funny not only because of the particular Venus statue that they chose but also because Logan is very particular about having his picture taken. Anyway, since they requested it, here it is!

From Big Trip

I still can’t believe how far we made it walking that night before exhaustion and hunger kicked in and we started to head home.

On the fourth day we drove across the Nevada desert to south Lake Tahoe.

From Big Trip

It had just snowed in Tahoe and was BEAUTIFUL. We spent five days playing in the snow: sledding, snow ball fights, snow angels, hot cocoa. All that makes snow fun. Forest got more and more used to all his winter gear and after a few days we were able to get him dressed to go outside without the tactile defensiveness induced tantrums. M&M bribes played a good part in this as well, I must admit. Our second day there it snowed between 12 and 18 inches, but being a resort destination, they kept those roads clear!

From Big Trip

Our condo in Tahoe had an incredible view.

From Big Trip

Logan LOVED the snow and would climb to the top of snow hills and just sit in them, like this.

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

Before we got sleds, Forest realized he could slide down the hill in his snow pants. Click on the image below to watch the video.

From Big Trip

Snow angels were Forest’s very favorite thing to do in the snow, that’s pretty much all he did that first day he got to play in it. Click on the image below to watch the video.

From Big Trip

We had a big family snow ball fight that first day as well. Here is a video of Logan coming after me with a snow ball. At one point he tells me “don’t worry!” before belting me with a snow ball. Click on the image below to watch the video.

From Big Trip

In fact, throughout the trip one of my favorite things was “the view”. We had views of mountains, deserts, sunrises and sunsets. Trees, deer, stars, cactus, shrubs, cattle feed lots, a coal burning plant and windmills. In just a matter of days I saw so much of America and was reminded of how vast and beautiful it is, how diverse and magical. Of why some find one place beautiful, and others another place.

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

From Big Trip

The boys did amazing, we were daily proud of how well they handled being in the car all day. Best trick I can share about long car trips with four year olds? Pipe cleaners. They had a blast making things with pipe cleaners every day. I got the idea from a website somewhere and it was one of the best ways for them to entertain themselves without requiring technology.

We had such a great adventure and it really spurred in Brad and I a desire for more adventures.

Logan

Forest

Forest and Logan

After a birthday party surrounded by family, I am overcome with joyful emotion, tears gliding down my cheeks as I consider who Forest and Logan are as individuals and who we are as a family. So much gratitude for their incredibly good healthy, their kindness, their imaginations, and for the love and support we’ve received from friends and family in these brief but long four years.

Happy birthday dearest Logan. Happy birthday dearest Forest. You make this world so beautiful with you presence and perceptions and I’m so grateful you were born. Thank you for this great honor of mothering you.

Fourth Birthday

This is our third time of having the two families together and it means a lot to me. Living so far away from our parents, I love that the boys get to have these special visits so that they know what very special people they have for grandparents.

It’ll be exhausting for me, I always struggle when things go outside the norm, out of schedule and synch but it’ll be the good kind of exhaustion, the kind that leaves me happy and grateful. I’m hoping that my recent beginnings of a meditation practice will also help me to keep perspective and be more flexible.

Of course approaching a child’s birthday leaves a parent full of memories. Thinking back to the day when they were born. The time in the womb of the hospital, the craziness of that first Christmas with brand new infants, those first few months of no sleep and postpartum depression, the joys of the first year with little walkers, sign language, and talking, followed by the exploration of two year olds, and the recent year of the explosion of imagination for three year olds. As much as that first year was hard, every year since has been such a joy. We are blessed with incredibly kind, intelligent, and healthy little boys.

Logan loved his makeup and costume so much he kept running to look at himself in the mirror.

From Halloween 2010

From Halloween 2010

From Halloween 2010

From Halloween 2010

From Halloween 2010

I started off this adventure with photos of me with the boys simply because we were hanging out together when I thought about it. So yes, these are those photos you take of yourself while holding the phone out. And I loved how they turned out.

Me and both boys

Me and Forest

Me and Logan

I find myself very fulfilled lately as my personal life goals are fruitful lately.  I am coordinating a ceremony for a friend expecting her baby in a month,  a ceremony for a young lady who recently turned 18 and planning to facilitate my very first retreat in November.  I’ve been apprenticing for the past 8 years with my amazing mentor, Glenda, who can be found at The Fellowship of Comparative Religion’s website www.towardcommonground.org.  She said I am ready for my own retreat and I’ve learned that when an elder tells you you are ready, you are.  It’s been so nice to be able to sit down on my laptop and start writing away with emails and ideas for these various activities and actually be able to accomplish something while the boys play away.

It’s meant so much to me to be able to accomplish something.  Household chores are important and of course raising the boys is as well.  The time that I spend with them reading stories or looking at pictures, answering questions or showing them new scenarios for playing is incredibly important and fulfilling. But I have been longing to accomplish goals for me, things that fulfilled me with a more immediate end in sight then 17 years from now. And here I am.

So for all the other twin parents out there, those in the pregnancy or with infants, fear not. It does get easier and easier and by 3.5 they are playing with each other so well that you might even get an entire hour to yourself!

While pregnant with the boys, Brad, Dusty and I all agreed to asking Bob and Gyee to be godparents to the boys. Although they’ve moved away from Texas and on to Massachusetts to be with Bob’s wonderful family, we still talk about them a lot in our home and have their pictures up for the boys to see. It touched my heart beyond words that the boys responded to Bob and Gyee with such enthusiasm and open hearts. I wish I had captured more pictures of their visit but we only had a short time together and really focused on making the most of every second together.

People talk about how true friends are those you don’t talk to every day but can pick right back up with as if it was just yesterday even though it’s been years, and this really is our relationship with Bob and Gyee. Even the boys felt that as they dived into playing and cuddling with them.

I had moments of being chocked up with joy when I saw things like this

From May 2010

We let the boys lead the way and be our guides.

From May 2010

Logan has learned this cute hand on chin move while he ponders things, such as which way to go next.

From May 2010

Forest wants to go this way!

From May 2010

Or maybe this way…

From May 2010

“Logan, look at what I found!” “oooh cool!”

From May 2010

Forest points out a pool of water amongst the rocks.

From May 2010

After our picnic lunch there was much discussion over the map as to where we should go next.

From May 2010

From May 2010

From May 2010

It was a big caterpillar time in the gardens and Forest was especially curious to watch the little fuzzy guys among the plants.

From May 2010

The boys checking out some caterpillar races.

From May 2010

From May 2010

Ok Mom and Dads, got any tips? Tricks? Ideas? Suggestions? Even if it’s just “leave him alone, he’ll figure it out on his own”, I’m curious to hear your thoughts.