6 years later.....

Are twins hard?

I know, it's been a while since my last post but I wanted to document what happened today.  Before I get into that, I occasionally get asked, "Is it hard with twins?" People at the mall ask me, friends, relatives.  Sometimes when they ask me, I just don't even know how to react anymore.  "Seriously?  You're asking me, is it hard with twins?"

Let me break it down for y'all @ the 9-10 month mark

8:00am - wake up to the sound of two human crying alarms
8:15am - still listening to the two human alarm clocks crying
8:20am - get out of bed, take one kid, change their diaper, baby talk and play.
8:30am - take second kid, change their diaper, baby talk and play.
8:40am - head to the table for feeding.  (Prepare milk, rice cereal, and veggies) x2
8:50am - by this point they are crying their heads off.  Start of feed.
9:20am - end of feed.
9:30am - change both kids 'cause they pooed for sure. 

Playtime 9:30 - 11:00am

Both kids are mad fast when it comes to crawling.  It's a constant battle of "No Jayde.  Come here Quynn.  Don't touch the TV.  Stop banging on the laptop."  When you put them in the playpen, or excer-saucers to keep them stationary they will cry.  Gauranteed.  You leave the room for one second, they will cry.  Gauranteed.  One kids take a toy from the other, the kid that lost the toy will cry.  Garaunteed. 

11:00am - nap time!

11:15am - clean up their toys.  Clean dishes.   
11:30am - make lunch
12:00pm - the two munchkins wake up again. No!
12:15pm - change diapers for both kids
12:30pm - feed the kids, milk, veggies, fruits, pasta or other carbs.
1:00pm - end of feed.
1:15pm - change diapers again because here comes another poo.  Both kids.

Playtime 1:30pm - 4:00pm

In this play time, we read, we stroll sometimes, give them a bath or we pull out new toys.   We may also go out together 'cause staying at home makes us crazy sometimes.

4:00pm - naptime 2.
4:30pm - naptime 2 is over.
4:45pm - change diapers again 'cause there's going to be a lot of pee pee.
5:30pm - start cooking dinner
6:30pm - feeding time for the twins.  (milk, veggies, fruits , snacks)

play time 7:00pm - 8:30pm


8:00pm - change diapers, change to pj's, put them in their sleep sacks.  Get milk ready.
8:30pm - final feeding of milk.
9:00pm - kids are in bed!

Out time 9:00pm-1:00am

Our time usually means, vaccuum carpet, put toys away, wash bottles, clean dishes, do laundry, fold laundry from the previous time, prepare the kids food for the next day (blend fruits, veggies)  Make sure we have enough formula in their pitcher or else we need to make forumla. Take garbage out, fold cloth diapers.  Check emails.

1:30am - we go to bed and do it all over again.

So that's the routine but today I wanted to document what happened.  What makes the routine all worth it is when your kid starts to understand you.  You make that connection for the first time with them.  I mean long time parents are going to be like, "that's basic stuff.  They should be doing that.  My kids does this now."  When I saw it the first time, it blew my mind away.

Today I told both kids to, "clap your hands".  This time I just used a verbal command only and no clapping action with my hands.  Quynn immediately looked at me and put her hands together, clapping.  "What!?!?"  I squeezed her face.  "How did you know what I was saying?"  Thinking it was a fluke.  I waited several moments later and tried again.  "Clap your hands".  Quynn again, smiled and clapped her hands.  "Are you kidding me, that's amazing," I said to myself.  She can't communicate with words yet but she definitely can pick up what I'm saying.  Interesting. 

Then I tried it in chinese.  "Pak shao".  Nothing. "Pak shao."  She crawled away.  Darn.  She only knows English but how amazing is that?  It's these little things that you will forget about and it easily becomes a lost memory.  Not for me, it will remain here so I can always refer back to the day it happened.  Maybe one day the kids will come here and read when they first clapped their hands on command.    

Misbehaving For Real

Kid knows she's in trouble.

A'int Misbehaving

So lately I've been thinking, when are we suppose to start disciplining our kids?  There's a fine line between letting them explore their surroundings and them getting into trouble.  Here's our example of Dora the Explorer.  I can't even believe she was able to do this all by herself.




My new house.

Hi Dad, look where I am.



Oh, I wonder what is up here.

I found new use for this exer-saucer

  

Hey Brix, I'm done exploring now.

 

Life: The thing we take for granted

Do you remember the first time you rolled over, the first time you pulled yourself up to a stand and the first time you took your first steps?  I bet all of us can’t remember.  It’s as if it just happened on its own.



Face Plant

There’s something amazing about seeing a child develop because you forget about the simple stuff; the stuff you take for granted in everyday life.  For example, you forget you can walk.  It kills me when I’m at the mall, with my kids in their stroller, waiting for the elevator when finally the door opens and 7 able-bodied, “young” people walk out.  I don’t see your legs broke.  I don’t see you with a stroller, a cane, a respirator tank.  C’mon, you guys couldn’t take the extra steps to the escalator which is next to the elevator?  

I work out

The best one is at the movie theatre.  I go to the theatre and what’s the average age demographic there?  Guess?  Most likely 20 year olds?  You think of healthy strong people right.   I guarantee they look at those flight of steps and say, “oh hell no, I didn’t pay to walk up steps.”  Up they ride the escalator.  C’mon, I make it a habit to walk up those stairs and I get looked at.  “Look at this idiot, he’s taking the stairs when he could have used the escalator.”  

Almost there

Ok maybe I’m way out there in my thinking right now but when you say kids have an obesity problem, I wonder why.  Set the right example right?

So going back to my topic of life, I am seeing just how amazing it is.  Quynn is crawling at a rapid pace.  If she sees something she wants, she will get there no matter what.  She’s starting to do yoga too.  I caught her doing downward dog.

Baby downward dog

I wonder how she learned how to do all this?  It’s not like I actually taught her.  Is it just hardwired into our brain?  How does she know how to crawl?

Jayde on the other hand needs a little more work.  She can lie on her tummy for a long time, I give her that. She can even do a 360, pivoting on her tummy but she doesn’t move that well yet.  When she sees something she wants, she’ll scream at it. 

Both girls are also starting to talk, “ba ba ba ....dah dah dah...”  It’s amazing to see the beginning stages because you just forget how it all started.  That all has happened in less than 8 months.  Incredible.

The cycle of life is humbling.  You are born unable to walk, talk, or save memories, and when you die, you also might be unable to walk, talk, or remember the memories that you created.  So while we are able to do all these things, while we are still capable, let’s make the most out of life.  Use those stairs instead of the escalator, you have legs that work because one day you might be the one saying, “I wish I could walk up those stairs again.”     

  

  

     

   

Our Little Movie Stars

So about a month back I'm standing at Swiss Chalet with my girls, each sitting in their infant car seats beside my feet.  We were just waiting for the next available table.  It was a busy day and there were at least 5-7 groups ahead of us, also waiting.  5 minutes pass by.  I can already tell people are staring at us.

"OMG are they twins?  One boy one girl?"

That's pretty much the standard line I get from people who approach us. 

"No, two girls actually.  We just don't dress them alike."

That's pretty much the standard answer I give too.

We continue to have small talk when a second person approaches. 

"Oh hi! I notice you have twins.  I have twins too!  I have 2 boys."

That's the second most poplar comment I hear usually too.  What she said next was not so common.

"I'm a twins talent recruiter and I think your girls would be perfect for a movie we're casting for.  The director is looking for Asian twins."

Really I said to myself.  With all the child porn and sick stuff like that out there, you just have to think; this is a joke.   At the end of it, she gives me her card. 

The next day I check out her website and exchange information thru email.  I find out the movie is called "Still Seas/ Pacific Rim." and they are casting in Toronto.  Seems legit to me so I agree to let the kids do it since this opportunity probably won't come around again.

They were to be on set for 5 days, and in their own trailer.  They would be part of the background cast of course and basically just have to look good kind of a deal.  If only I could just look good in the background too and get paid.  The scene is in Hong Kong, in a shelter where people are hiding.  I assume they are hiding from aliens since that's what the movie is about.  At one point my wife had a chance to be on screen too since the babies had to be held.  I guess she wasn't "Chinese" enough to make the cut. 


[First day of filming]

Now I have to say, me and my wife never got excited about this opportunity because we know, the movie industry is so dynamic; schedules change, people change their minds etc.

So on the day of filming, we were told our scene was delayed.  So too would be the second day of filming.  They were still nice enough to pay the girls.  I thought that was courteous. 

[Thrid day of filming]

Well on the third day, we were to arrive on set at 5 pm.  We had made the preparations and started to get the girls ready at 2:30pm when our talent agent informed us filming was so backed up that they couldn't fit us in.  It didn't bother us, we had expected it.

[Fourth and Fifth day of filming]

So on the last two days the dirctor decided to use dolls for the scene instead since there would be rain and lots of noise.  It was probably for the best.  Having the girls wet, in a stranger's arm with lots of noise and commotion probably isn't in our best interest.

Knowing Jayde, she'd cry her head off all the way home. 

In the end, the idea of it was interesting.  To experience it would have been eye opening but in the end, the girls don't need to be in a movie.  It just would have been cool to let them look back at it and say, "yeah, remember you were in that movie....."

 

Feeding Time

The time is just flying by now.  The girls are over 6 months already and they are getting more interactive.  It's amazing to see their development.  Every month they do something new.  They went from first smiles, to first laugh, to rolling over and now they are starting to sit up on their own.

But what seems to be the most interesting is their reaction when seeing the milk bottle.  They've been conditioned and go nuts at the sight of it.  We're also teaching them to hold their own bottles now and here's our progress.

Grumpy Baby Waking Up

My wife caught Jayde, grumpy as usual.  I don't think she'll be a morning person.  This video is called:  "Don't wake me up." or it could be, "Stop filming and feed me now.  Victory is mine!."

Now I understand Stewie's character from Family Guy fully.

My First Time Rolling

I know it's been a while since the last update and the weeks go by so fast.  I thought this time I'd post a video up.  I was home one afternoon and put Quynn down.  I decided to grab my video camera and just film and to my surprise, she rolled over.

So here's a video of Quynn rolling over for the first time in her life.  Enjoy.

Lazy Weekend

Just a lazy weekend with the girls

Twins: Echogenic Intracardiac Focus

Echogenic foci, left ventricle:  That’s what was written in the ultrasound report.  One of our twins had it.  “What the heck is an echogenic foci?”  “Oh, that’s nothing, don’t mind that.”  That’s what the technician told us at the 20 week ultrasound.  So I didn’t worry about but soon after, it would haunt us.

I did not share this story to many.  At the time, it was too difficult for me to write.  I am now ready to share this to others, to maybe help give a drop of hope to others, to help put a smile to others who may be sharing the same news or similar.  I hope from this true story, we realize life is crazy at times but in the end, it works out; some how, some way.  It always does, eventually.

20 week ultrasound

Our story starts with the 20 week ultrasound of our twins and I remember saying to myself, “The 20 week ultrasound should be exciting.”  But it wasn’t.  You know, you’re suppose to find out the sex of the baby, see their fingers, toes, limbs and hear the heart.  At the end of it, the report showed in hand writing, “echogenic foci”. 

Doctor’s office

“Everything looks good but I have to tell you this….”  I wasn’t with my wife when she heard the news.  I heard the news when my wife called me at work….” Quynn….echogenic foci….down syndrome”  That’s all I could make from my wife who was crying on the other end.

Echogenic Intracardiac Focus (EIF)

So now here’s the science lesson for today.  Echogenic Intracardiac focus is a bright spot found on the heart of a baby during the ultrasound.  I remember seeing it.  It was a small dot and white on the heart.  It’s a calcium deposit on the heart muscles and it occurs in 3-5% of pregnancies.  Alone, it has no impact on the function of the heart.  The bad new is, some say there is a link to DS or birth defects.  The main ones are trisomy 18 and trisomy 23.  In an isolated case of EIF, meaning no other findings were found, the increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities is approximately twice.  So if you baby’s chance of having a birth defect is 1/1400, and only an EIF was discovered, the risk becomes 1/700.  I also read it occurs more in the Asian population than any other.  You can’t believe everything you read but you can imagine the emotions that were to follow.

The Next 18 Weeks

I think we cried a lot, prayed a lot, asked a lot of “why” questions.  But for the next 18 weeks we lived with the unknown.  Would Quynn be born with a birth defect?  Jayde’s report did not uncover anything unusual thankfully.  There were nights I just stood out in my backyard, looking at the stars and wondering, “What does life have to offer”  I stood for minutes wondering, “Can I handle a DS kid.”  It was hard, my heart and stomach were in knots everyday.  We were offered genetic counseling to help us in our decisions.

Genetic Counseling

You think getting an appointment with your doctor is hard, try getting one with genetic counseling.  We had a small window of opportunity and I remember immediately rushing down to North York General when it opened up.  God, we were so stressed.  We didn’t know what to expect and what could we possibly do at 22 weeks now.  We walked into Genetics and it was a deserted island ‘cause there wasn’t anyone there.  No one at front desk, no one waiting, just empty chairs.  

We waited almost an hour before we saw the counselor.  She was nice and understood the sensitive topic.  She explained to us the echogenic focus in the left ventricle thing again, but by that time we were experts.  She gave us the statistics and our chances of having a Down syndrome baby.  I think the worst case was 1/300 and best case was 1/700.  But who cares, it was just numbers, and numbers tend to lie.  What they couldn’t tell us, “Does Quynn have down syndrome?”  So she offered us amniocentesis to truly find out.  That would mean sticking two needles into the belly, one for both fetuses.  Then she mentioned the chance of losing both babies were 1/100 to 1/150 for the amnio.  I hate stats and I’m not a gambling man, but that sure sounds terrible. 

So it was either do the amnio which would have to be in the next couple days because they only do it Thursday mornings, and we can only abort the baby up to the 23^rd week or, do nothing. We basically only had a 2 days to decide what to do.  Do nothing, we said, and let life take its course.  God brought us this far in life, he will surely guide us the rest of the way.  We decided we would love our children either way.  From the genetic counseling we made our decision and I felt better.

38 weeks

That’s when my wife gave birth to 2 girls.  Jayde was born first and then Quynn 2 minutes later.  Up to this point, I still thought about the echogenic foci and DS but I remembered I had left that decision to God and put it in His hands by then.  When Quynn came out, I didn’t get to see her right away since they swiftly whisked her away.  A couple minutes later, a door opened and there stood a nurse with only one baby in her arms.  “Do you want to hold her,” she asked.  “Yes.” I replied.  I held the tiny creature and looked at her.  Her eyes were open, her face was round, and her tiny lips were still.  She just looked at me, not saying a word.  “She’s Baby B,” said the nurse.  “Do you have a name for her yet?”  “It’s Quynn Riley”, and it was at that moment when I felt God saying to me, “You’re going to be okay, and she’s going to be all right.”  I will never forget that feeling.  I will take that memory to my grave.

In the end

During the whole pregnancy, we didn’t know what’s going to happen.  It really made me think, do you believe in what you’ve said you believe in all this time?  When faced with hardship, are you going to run for the hills?  So many things can just go wrong in this life.  Sometimes they do, but a lot of the times they don’t.  We are lucky and blessed.  I think I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, I don’t need to win the lottery because I already won in this life.

 

What's your True Happiness?

Today we went to church with the whole family.  Needless to say, we were late again and this time it was bad because we walked in and the sermon had already started.  It was also fitting how the sermon was about "Age is an issue of mind over matter."  Today, I grow another year older and hopefully a little bit wiser too.

Remember Patrick Ewing's number?  That's how old I am today, 33.  I wish life could stay at a standstill.  Life is good right now.  The kids don't know how to crawl and run yet, they still sleep often, and my body still allows me to play hockey.

I hope I have another 33 years in me but no one knows.  I remember Steve Jobs saying "death is most likely the single best invention in life... it's life's changing agent.....it cleans out the old to make way for the new....so don't waste your time living someone else's dream...."  I think that's true except, sometimes it doesn't hit home until the end is near, and by that time it's too late.

I've always said to myself, raising kids will show just how much of a man someone is.  It's not how many girls a man can attract, how physically strong a man is, or how much money he makes.  A man to me, is how responsible he is with raising his family and kids.  Having kids will show just how much of a man someone is. 

A lady came up to me at the mall, after seeing me feeding both kids in their stroller.

"You look like a good Father."
"I try"
"Are they twins?"
"Yes two girls."
"Your wife is lucky.  My daughter has twins too but the father is not around.  He's not invovled.  He's not a good man."
"Oh, sorry to hear."
"Yeah, I just hope she can meet someone good."
"I'm sure she will."

The first 32 years of my life was about me mostly.  Now at 33 until the end, the focus has changed to my kids as it should be.  The two kids that lay before me, this will be my life project.  I hope to show them what this world has to offer, how to be a good citizen to society, and to follow their dreams.  They don't need to be doctors, lawyers or anything like that because I don't think that's life's goal.  I do hope they are not lazy, that they work smart, and that they find their passion in life.  I hope they find genuine happiness and they make good choices in life.  That's all I can really ask for.

So today I turn 33, but I feel like my life has only just begun.  The true happiness I find is the time I spend with Quynn, Jayde , Brix and my wife of course.  The older I get, the more I find happiness in those  close relationships.  I have less focus on having a powerful career, making a 6 figure income and wanting that luxury car I wanted as a kid.    I'm not saying those things are bad, but stripped down to it, those things don't matter.  It's not what makes me a man. 

When Quynn rolled over for the first time, man that was amazing.  When Jayde starts to mumble and and tries to talk, that's crazy good.  When I see the kids developing, that's life, that's what's living is about.   Call me an old sap, but that's what happens when you see the cycle of life.  I've seen big tough hockey guys in the locker room, talking smack but once they talk about their kids, they are a totally different being, all soft on the inside, and always happy to talk about their kids.  That's just the effects of having kids does.  I can't explain it any more.

I turn 33 today with many hopes there will be more to come.  I hope you all out there find your true source of happiness, it's what drives us to do the things we do.   If you haven't found it yet, is something stopping you? 

DIY Backyard Ice Rink

DIY Backyard Ice Rink

I know I know, what does building a backyard rink have to do with parenting and twins? 

     Those that know me, know I love to play hockey.  When I was a kid, my father took me to the rink every week for public skating.  I loved to skate.  I think I loved the speed, darting in and out of the slower skaters, and snow ploughing my brother.  Those that also know me, know I didn't start playing hockey until I was 26, and it isn't the easiest thing to pick up at 26. 

     So what does all this have to do with the twins?  Well even before the twins were born, I dreamed that one day, one of my kids would play hockey in the Olympics, world juniors or the NHL.  Could my twins be the next great one?  Doesn't hurt to dream and  therefor this weeks article is about building your own backyard rink, staring them young, and leading an active lifestyle.

Materials Required

     There are different ways to build a rink and are well documented on several websites.  The way I built my rink using a tarp and constructing a wooden frame.

4pcs - 2"x6"x12' pressure treated wood
4pcs - 2"x6"x8' pressure treated wood
1pc - 20'x28' white tarpaulin from Canadian Tire
1 box of 2.5" long deck screws.
some extra pieces of 2"x4" scrap wood


How to build the rink

     Since my backyard isn't big, the rink size I chose to build is 24'x16'.  I made the two 24' sides by attaching two 12' pieces using some scrap wood and deck screws.  For the 16' sides of the rink I attached two 8' pieces.  Again, I attached the two pieces using some scrap wood and deck screws.  After securing all four sides of the frame, I placed the tarp inside the frame.  I fastened the tarp to the frame using the rest of the deck screws.  It's important to use a white tarp since it doesn't absorb sunlight which will cause the ice to melt. 

     Once the frame was built and the tarp secured to the frame, the rest was easy.  I filled the rink with water when I saw the weather was going to fall consistently below zero.  It took me about 8 hours to fill it.  For bigger rinks, it can take over a day to fill.

My first backyard ice rink

Problems I faced

     This is year was my first time building a rink ever.  So of course there were a few problems that occurred.

     The first major problem I faced, was not making the yard level.  I never realized how much of a slope I had in my backyard.  By the time the water level was 6", only the back half of the rink was filled and water was spilling over the frame.  I later had to use 2x10" boards near the back of my rink.  At the highest point of the rink, the water level was only 1-2" deep which doesn't give me much ice thickness.  Needless to say that area of the rink cracked and chipped away when I stepped on it.   When I shovelled snow off that area, I happened to also take the ice with it too leaving me just the white tarp.

    The second problem I had was somewhere in my tarp, there must have been a small puncture.  I was losing water near the end of the day after filling it in the morning. 

    The third problem is the weird weather this year.  Almost everyday this year the weather seemed to fluctuate between +5 degrees Celsius to -5 degrees making the ice too soft to skate on. 

    The last problem is a 24'x16' rink just isn't big enough for adults to really skate on.  For kids, I'm sure it's plenty big.  For adults who in a span of 2-3 strides can cover 24', it's too small.

Backyard rink to practice your hockey skills

The cost of the rink

    Probably you are wondering why even make a rink?  There are plenty of indoor/outdoor rinks.  I'll be the first to tell you, having a rink can get costly but worth it.  For a 24'x16' rink here's my breakdown:

wood - $120
tarp   -    $60
net    -    $90
pucks -   $15
deck screws - ?

That is approximately $300 not including the cost of water which I haven't received the bill for yet.  Nor have I calculated the cost of boards which I did not end up installing since the net itself is about 10' wide.  I say the rink is worth it because you have to look at it over time.  The initial cost is high, but if you continue to build the rink year after year, the cost is really the water.  The kids will have access to a rink to keep active and to work on their skills without renting ice time.    I'm hoping they will love it as much as I do.

A backyard rink is worth the effort

     In conclusion, even if my kids don't make it to the Olympics, I'm hoping they love the fact they'll have a rink in the backyard every winter.  I hope they love skating as much as I do.  Even if they don't play  hockey, I think there's nothing more happier than to see a family skating with there children.  As for now, they are in training to become good skaters.  Here are a couple pictures of them in training.

Jayde working on her crossovers

Quynn working on her power stop

The Year 2012

I hope everyone's Christmas went well.  We had a great Christmas but it went by too fast.  Now we are approaching another New Year, 2012.  It was almost a year when me and Ne found out she was pregnant.  Hard to believe so much change has happened and change will always be a part of life....for good or for bad.

What changes will 2012 bring to us all?  Maybe some are hoping to find that new job?  Hoping this is the year a new baby arrives?  Hoping we have another year with our family?  Whatever the case is, 2012 for us will be about change.

2012 will bring on a career change.  If you read my previous post, "Jobless with Twins" all of you will know I am lookng for job.  Although I had some success in obtaining a job, it's not what I would call a long term solution.   Going thru the whole process of getting a job is becoming dis-heartening.  Some job postings don't even reflective what the job "really" is.  Sometimes when you are lucky and get an interview, and on the door step of landing the job, the hiring manager gets laid off.  I've been there, done that.  The working world is strange to me.   Company politics are strange to me and a lot of times, working with people on simple tasks can even get out of hand.  Maybe I have 10-20 good working years left in me.  I need to spend that time doing something meaningful before I leave this Earth. 

2012 will also bring on changes with the twins.  So far it's been amazing to see the girls grow.  From little scrawny creatures, they now have fattened up to 13lbs.  Now they smile, laugh, and babble.  By next year they should be walking and probably getting into temper tantrums.  I'll whip them into shape, believe that.

Finally 2012, I hope brings us all good health.  We have only one body, so I'm a believer of taking care of it.  In the New Year, I'm hoping to get more exercise done.  Eversince the babies, I've been in sedentary mode.  I'm hoping the babies will be active as they grow older too.

So to conclude, I'm wishing you all, the best in 2012.  Whatever it is you are looking forward to in the New Year, may it come true and may it be another good year.  Here are some photos of our x'mas.  Enjoy.

They got more gifts in one Xmas than I ever did in my childhood.

Mommy and the girls

Freak out

Quynn's saying hi

The gang

Jayde always smiling

I Hate Christmas

Why I Hate Christmas.

I don’t hate Christmas, but some people do.  Maybe it's because  of a negative experience on Christmas or maybe your fear of receiving another ugly sweater.  Maybe that special someone didn't end up under the tree?  What does Christmas mean to you?  I was searching the net on why some hate Christmas so much.  There are forums dedicated to hating Christmas and songs of Christmas hate too.  Here are some stuff I found:

“Oh God damn I hate Christmas, I wish I had herpes.” - Karl Speegle

“You have to buy presents for everyone, including that bitch of a cousin who pushed you into a lake. Why the hell should I buy him that x-box 360 game he wanted? He pushed me into a lake, dammit!” - howlsatthemoon

“I hate Christmas because my heart is small.” www.cluelessincarolina.com

“I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.”  - Bernard Manning

Other stuff I came across.

Santa baby bib

Santa plopping cherries?

I want a Millennium Falcon for Christmas

A Special Christmas

This year Christmas seems a lot different to me.  For one, where’s the snow? Where’s the minus 10 weather?  I’m dreaming for a white Christmas.  What do I got to do?  Paint the grass white?  Second, lots of life changes will occur in the New Year.  (Future posts to come).  Third, I get to spend Christmas with my amazing girls and it will be their first.

For me, Christmas is about being with family, who helped shape the person I am today.  It’s the family that I yelled at when things didn’t go my way, the one I butted heads with when my thinking differed than theirs.  It was my family that supported me when I wasn’t the nicest.  Christmas is about thanking our family.

Christmas is also about celebrating life.  A couple days ago, a friend of mine lost their brother to a sudden heart attack.  I could see the pain in his heart thru his eyes as he tried to run his business.  Christmas to me is supposed to be happy and yet, inevitably there is sadness.  This year I want to celebrate life, the birth of my twins, the fact that I am still here breathing, and the fact that my Mom, Dad, brother and Grandma are here to see the twins grow.  Christmas is about celebrating life.

Lastly, Christmas to me is about thanking Christ.  No matter how bad I think my situation is in life, He is there right beside me with a plan.  That’s faith, that’s what I believe in.  In this life, so many things can go wrong and I count my blessings.  When things get scary, or don’t go your way,  I either turn to psalms 23 to find answers or to this t-shirt I saw.

Jesus is my homeboy!

Christmas is about seeking Jesus.

So from I Parent Twins,  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.  I promise to try posting more often but the twins take up so much time.  I also want to thank all my readers.  I started this site so family on the other side of the world can catch a glimpse of the twins and has since expanded to friends wanting to read more.  Take care all, have a Merry Christmas and happy New Year. 

Jason and family.