Big vent heading this way:

It is 9.13am...the twins have been up for two hours so far today they have drawn all over the wall with blue crayon, escaped through the baby gate, tried to pull the plates out the cupboard and I just found Joe standing on the sofa playing with the vertical blind cords!!

I swear I am going to lose it big time!!
Please give me the strength to get through this bad twin day!!

Jo

((((((Big hugs))))) from another twin mum who has experienced the feared "bad twin day"!! Are you able to get out of the house today? Sometimes a change of scene is enough to break up the day and get me through. Good luck. And if the worst comes to the worst, put them in their cots and get outside for 5 minutes. Take care

Maree

Eleanor 1/8/03
Harriet 1/8/03

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately I can't get out today, it's bucketing down with rain and I don't drive at all.
I am just going to have to keep breathing, breathing, breathing...........

and running in here every 5 minutes for the support

Jo

How old are your twins, sorry I forget these things.

17 months old..anyone got some ideas to keep them occupied?

Grrr..even while typing this message and still trying to get myself breakfast they found some foil from an oven tray on the side and decided to eat the crusty cheese bits off it

*breathe* *breathe*

Jo

Are they into videos or TV yet? Is this a day to let them watch videos without feeling guilty? At least it'll stop them tearing up the house! I hate it when it's raining. I have been known to put them in the buggy with the raincover, put on my wet weather gear and go for a walk anyway with all the drivers looking at me like I'm mental (which after a wet day inside with twin toddlers, I am!!).

Hope you're coping. I'm thinking of you.

Maree

Eleanor 1/8/03
Harriet 1/8/03

Jo,
Sorry you are having a bad day! My boys are the same age as your twins! I too have been having a pretty bad time with them at the moment. Our vices this morning have been the toilet paper, into the rubbish bin and playing with tv buttons I don't know how many times. Hopefully they will have their sleep for you (one of mine is, the other isn't) and try and hang in there!

Hang in there and we are all hoping for some Sunshine !!

hugs from another stressed twin mum!

Rhonda 25
DH 38
Jackson and Hayden 21/1/04

Sorry, just posted while you were posting and then LMAO at them eating the cheese off the foil - my girls are too quick for me and if they find any food they'll eat it even if it's an old pea which has been behind the highchair for a day - yuck!

Ideas for inside at 17 months (apart from the video/TV idea from this lazy mother!) - put on your favourite music (yours not the Wiggles!!) and dance - either they'll dance with you or they'll laugh with (at?) you and at least you'll burn off some energy. My girls love "reading" old magazines (which I don't mind being trashed). Getting out the plastic bowls and spoons etc and letting them play with those? Balloons have been a lifesaver for us some days - they're light so don't cause damage but are fun for chasing. Bubbles? My two ride their little ride on bikes around the house. If all else fails drug them (I'm joking - sort of!!).

Maree

Eleanor 1/8/03
Harriet 1/8/03

Hi Maree,

They do have some TV shows they like but they don't usually stay put for an entire show..except for The Koala Brothers on NickJR which I hope is on soon!

I was tempted by going for a walk exceptt they tend to scream with the rain civer on, they don't like it at all so I only use when it actually rains..which it is now!

Might have to strap them down with some food for 5 minutes...two hours until lunch/naptime and counting.

Thanks for the support girls, haven't had a hugely bad day like this in ages at least!

Rhonda - My two were born on the 8th Jan!

Jo

Ok I checked -what a horrible age..I do rememebr those days, it was when they really put an I into Irritation.

We used to get a cardboard box or furniture and drape a sheet or whatever so they had their own little playhouse where they could entertain themselves, we also put soft toys such as a ball so that if they did hit each if was only soft, and the laughter that would come out of there often helped relieve the pressure and allowed me time to calm down -w/ a nice hot cuppa.

My 2 have a zero concentration span but for some reason they had that from 16mths until 21mths. I used to try the TV but that would work for about 2mins then I'd be yelling AGAIN.

Can't really think of anything else as that was defiatanly our "rainy day saver", nothing worse then wet weather, kids and no where to go..really feel for you, and know exactly what you are going through.

Jo, Rhonda and Ladies - Sending you all huge {{hugs}}!!! Come out sun - come out for the sanity of these lovely ladies! Thinking of you

Haylie & Phil,Ebony(15),Hayden Phillip & Brooklen Lily 21st March 05

Ohhhhhhhhhhh Jo, you poor love, don't you just hate days like that! Hope you get some sanity and time for yourself when they go down for naptime!

I found the answer....it kept them busy for 45 minutes, they giggled, played, ran about and they are now having lunch and will then have naps.

Okay magic solution is.....hats! Yes that's right.. HATS. I found a fireman's hat in the front room which used to be Abbey's and let them play with that (until they started trying to snatch it off each other) so I went to DD1's dressup drawer, pulled out an old sunhat of hers and gave it to the other twin..and BINGO..they ran about laughing, chasing each other about the table etc and didn't destroy anything else all morning I actually even smiled and giggled with them.

Feeling much better now..thanks so much girls *hugs*

Nothing like going "twinsane" huh?

Jo

Jo ~ Glad that worked well!! Go the nap time, I will be investing in some dress up items for sure.. Have a better arvo!

Hi Jo!

Sounds like your little mischeid makers are going well!!!

I have to admit to having a laugh at the crayons on the wall as my DH is paranoid about that! So much so that now the girls have figured out what drawing is he has removed any and every drawing implement from the house, just in case! I had a hard enough time finding a pen in the past now it is near on impossible!

I hope by now your gorgeous two are having or have had a nice big sleep and you've had a chance to breathe and re-group!

My girl's are super busy at the moment though I am actually starting to enjoy them (finally, after our first year of horror!). Some things they really love which might soark some interest in your two...

Dancing - which someone else already suggested but is VERY popular at times of stress in this house!
Cubby houses - we've just moved so boxes are a fav at the moment.
Drawing - but not on the walls. We get out a huge piece of paper and tape in down on the floor with newspaper under neath it and they go to town... though it does require supervision to keep drawing on the paper!
Playdough - a recent discovery since we got them a little table and chairs. I make our own dough so it's not so bad if they eat some and we sit and roll balls and sausages etc. Again needs supervision though.
Bags - my girls are big into 'going shopping' and filling bags or baskets with bits and pieces and carting them around the house.

Even though it's raining (must be the first day in a week it hasn't rained here!) do you have a back porch or somewhere undercover that they could get out and play in. Chalk drawing on concrete works well for 'big drawers' and we drag our plastic sandpit up under cover for a few minutes of fresh air on wet days.

Any chance you have some old toy or even something new stashed away that you could bring out?? I try and rotate the girls toys so I always have something 'fresh' up my sleeve when I need it.

Oh and my girls are hat obessed as well. I didn't realise how many hats we had in our house (and I am not a hat person at all) until they started fighting over the one or two we had.... now we have quite a selection which is hours of fun.

Anyway hope that helps a bit and the rest of your afternoon is a peaceful one!

Kate


We are moving house! Yipee!!

No no no no nooooo!!! You're supposed to tell me that twins are forever good and joyful and are NEVER EVER naughty! LOL

[center][color=purple]ME 31 ~ DH 35
<a href="http://oneintheoven.net"><img src="http://oneintheoven.net/preg/ticker.24827.png" border=0></a>
http://www2.fertilityfriend.com/home/b1

*crossed fingers* Twins are good forever and ever, never naughty at all. That Double Trouble phrase is a complete and utter lie! *uncross fingers*

Oh Jo, thank you for posting this, its so good to know that I'm not the only one with a pair of ratbags! Thankfully the last 2 days in Perth have been fine after what seems like weeks of rain...I don't know who was going more stir crazy - the girls or me! They have recently discovered how to push a stool up to the kitchen bench so they can reach everything. The other days I found toddler size bites and finger holes in every piece of fruit in the bowl. Just one in each, and then put back in the bowl! We had a miserable Sunday a couple of weeks ago and had virtually been inside the house for days with no let up and at ~5pm, Hannah slung her handbag over her shoulder and stomped off to the front door like "That's it, I'm off!"

We have done a lot of drawing (on big bits of butchers paper), playdough, 'cleaning' (they like to dust things ) cooking (we made cheese bikkies and they cut out the shapes - and eat the dough), rearranging the tupperware cupboard (this will keep them going for ages, but I can't find anything for days). Hats, shoes and handbags are hit here too - like mother, like daughters.

Hope your day continues to improve. My 2 are in bed chatting instead of sleeping again :mad:

Nicolie
DDs Paige & Hannah (23/09/03)

[color=Teal]Jo, I'm so sorry to hear you're having a shocker of a day, but I'm also just so glad to hear that I'm not alone!! ;p

We've been having some bad days lately, and it's horrendous!!

Hang in there luvvy.

Vanessa

It's obvious I don't have kids yet as this cracked me right up!! I even sent a link to this to my DH (just to prepare him for what's to come!).

I'm still going with:
Twins are forever good and never never naughty!! LOL

roflol at you Jo. Twins are good forever and ever and are never never naughty!! I wonder if I say this often enough it might actually come true lol!

Was it the hospital that was supposed to tell them to never ever be naughty? cause mine obviously forgot! Hope your day improved and the little monkeys are fast asleep till 8 am tomorrow.

Hope the rain stops it used to drive me nuts when we were living in Melb.(Hence the move to Cairns I mean we have wet season but it's 26+ degrees in winter).

I used to and still do when things are going pear shaped run the girls a big bubble bath and at least they are semi contained for 10 minutes or so.

hope tomorrow is a better day...

Rebecca mum to Amber & Olivia

Hi Girls,


I wish I could make these real and deliver a bunch to all of you for helping me through such a crappy day!
Thanks so much for the support. The "little cherubs" are now in bed for the night (I hope) but they did continue to test me all day.
Tomorrow will be a better day as I am off to the dentist so my Mum will have them for a bit from lunchtime onwards, though I guess they will be asleep for a fair chunk of that!
Will keep all the suggestions in mind for that next rainy day..I love the playdough idea but as yet we haven't got a small table for them. Wish I had thought of the bubble bath too (well a bath at least as Scar isn't too good with soaps etc as it flares up her eczema) would have killed two birds with one stone that way (not speaking literally of course!)

Thanks so much again!!!

Hmm..new saying: Only a twin mum actually looks forward to going to the dentist!

Jo

Hi Jo... hope tomorrow is a better day! I laughed when I read that only a twin mum could look forward to the dentist... that's so true! I was so happy to go to the dentist on my last visit because it was a leave pass from my house!
Hope you have a happier day,
Maycee

Maycee (35)
DH (33)
Twin boys (4/12/01)
DD (7/10/03)

Hi Jo
sorry I missed you today but I must say I had to re-read the comment about the dentist and had a chuckle at the thought that was going to be a good day for you. OMG. My girls have just started pulling themselves around on the furniture. I have my note book out and taking heaps of notes on ideas on how to get through the day. LOL. In twin Mum language "have a wonderful afternoon off tomorrow" in normal language " hope the dentist goes well!!!!!"
P.S. thanks for the flowers I haven't got any for a while LOL.

LMAO at looking forward to going to the dentist. What next, looking forward to a smear??!!

Before kids I used to get impatient waiting anywhere - now if I'm on my own and I have to wait I just sit and stare into space and savour the peace and quiet of not being at work with ringing phones and email messages or at home with twin toddler tornadoes. I think an hour to myself now is like a day pre-kids.

Hope everyone has a better day today. I'm at work now having left happy girls at home blowing kisses to me through the window and it's a sunny day - life is good.

Maree

Eleanor 1/8/03
Harriet 1/8/03