Eating and sleeping..or is it sleeping and eating?

After looking at these videos, you let us know which one comes first...since we can't seem to figure it out.

Twins taking another nap during dinnertime....

Abby showcasing her self-feeding skills. She's a master and is now teaching her brothers how to self-feed!

Our crazy kingdom...

Now that all the little ones are mobile, we must find things to do to keep them occupied while they are in motion. Some ideas, of course, work out better than others. This past week, we started building forts and obstacle courses, since the twins enjoy going under things and pulling up on anything that will hold their weight, while Abby is more like her mom--a steamroller. Here are some videos of what we do to keep busy when it rains in New England....

Introduction of 'Forts and Obstacle Courses'...

Whammo!!

Look who's hiding now!!

Tubby Time (and I don't mean, Teletubbies!)

Believe it or not, we regularly bathe our children, although we attempt to make it more of a fun activity rather than something we have to do... We think they get the idea and thankfully, all the kiddies enjoy their bath time...with and without their siblings. :)

Abby and Alec
Prince Aramis loves to splash!

'Hey bro...whatcha doing? Oh, water splashing...ooooohhhh!'
Abby signs the alphabet and encourages her brothers to learn sign language quickly so they can keep up with her!

Snips and snails and puppy dogs tails.....

Peek-a-boo! Where is Aramis??? Hmmm...carpet picnic maybe?
This is what happens when little boys become interested in where the food is stored....
...and they call in reinforcements.....
Don't mind us, we're just ripping all the cupboards apart--well, at least those that don't have super-steel locks on them!

What else is there to say...we have boys...TWO of them! They are cruising and into everything. Opening every drawer and cabinet they can. Ripping apart books, chewing on anything they get their hands on, and are always on 'the hunt' for something new to devour. We were warned by friends that Abigail was a dream child and that boys would be new territory...and so they were right...and we're loving every minute of it!

The Throwdown Challenge...

The competitive spirit that flows within the walls of the castle make for a very exciting and spicy relationship between King Tony and Queen Wendy. This morning, Tony decided he wanted an egg sandwich for breakfast. Typically, Wendy does all the cooking (and baking), yet today marked an important shift as Tony indicated that not only would he cook his own sandwich, he would challenge Wendy to an 'egg sandwich throwdown.' For those that do not watch the Food Network, grill-and-iron-chef-extraordinaire Bobby Flay hosts a weekly show called 'Throwdown' in which Flay challenges individuals from across the country that are considered 'the best' at making a particular dish or dessert. So, today, Tony challenged Wendy and the results were as expected....Wendy WON! Score results from the judges are below. It was actually pretty close though, so to find out if practice makes perfect, Wendy will select the next challenge--and we welcome ideas/suggestions! :)

Left side: Wendy's score (29/30)

Right side: Tony's score (26.7/30)

Caddyshack...revisited

Prince Aramis, sleeping again...Mommy tired him out!
Alec (as usual) is all smiles...

while Abby (see below) had an interesting adventure with a mini Three Musketeer. Highly reminicent of Caddyshack, when greenskeeper's assistant Carl has to drain the pool and sanitize it only to discover that a brown piece of 'something' wasn't poop afterall, but instead, a Baby Ruth bar, Abby today executed a similar scene of her own. After her dessert (one mini Three Musketeer bar) was placed in her hand, it somehow ended up on the rug/floor with Abby doing a nice 'scoot and smoosh' over it. We don't know the reason why...but suffice to say...it was hilarious to watch.
A closer look of the remains of her dessert....
And, there it is. Not a piece of dirt, or an old, stale, something-or-other. Rather, a smooshed mini Three Musketeer.

Once Abby realized what she'd done, she grabbed the chocolate, inserted it into her mouth, chewed, swallowed, smiled and went on with her evening. I guess the lesson learned is that chocolate is just as yummy in a solid bar, in liquid form, after floating in a pool, or smooshed under one's butt! Thanks Carl (and Abby) for the valuable tidbit! :)

"Food Play!"

"Stop playing with your food!"

Everyone remembers hearing this sentence expressed loudly from the mouth of one or both parents in their lives, but in the Kingdom, we handle things a bit differently. Instead of suggesting our children not play with food, we encourage food play as often and wantonly as possible. Case in point, this afternoon's snack adventure with a sugar-free pudding and marshmallows. :)

YUMMY!!!!

Trip to Portsmouth...

Since the weather here in New England has been great, we're spending as much time as possible day-tripping with our kids to see the premier sites North of Boston. We live within miles of the NH and ME borders, and can often be found in those states rather than our own. Recently, we headed to the seaside town of Portsmouth. After a snack on the waterfront and walk through beautifully-maintained gardens, we headed to York, Maine. Pie in the Sky on the way home and the day was complete. :) The twins and Abby enjoy being outside, so we've turned our family car into the Griswold Family Roadster so we're ready for travel at a moments notice. :)
Abby's looking for an escape route. "How do I get away from all these flowers?" :)Proud Papa Tony tries to get Alec to climb a tree...Wendy said NO WAY!

As the Summer heat wave in New England continues, Wendy and Tony have been more aggressive at seeking out venues where the family can 'chill out' and cool off. Recently, a trip to Boston was in order for the annual Life is Good festival. The company (http://www.lifeisgood.com/), operated by brothers John and Bert Jacobs, has become a sign of New England culture. Shirts, caps, and tire covers touting the smiling face of Jake can be found across the six-state region. And, we admit it, we're fans. Abby enjoyed face (well, arm anyway) painting and the day was capped off with ice cream, a few runs through the fire hydrant, and a mongolian BBQ experience. Yum! It's what you do in New England...

Abby shows off her 'ice cream cone' art...

Conference notes.....

While attending the National Down Syndrome Congress Conference in Boston today, Princess Abigail was able to again reach out an touch Hollywood when meeting 80's TV icon Chris Burke and also Jeff Kerr, writer of The Child King. Jeff was kind enough to autograph a copy of his movie for Abigail, and Chris signed our copies of Life Goes On, the show he starred in, as well as a copy of one of The Chris Burke Band's latest CDs! We were thrilled that everyone was so sweet to her/us and willing to provide us with items for Abby's Special Treasures chest which her parents are cumulating items for each and every day. The conference seems to be a major success and we're hoping for some media hits too!

Abby with Jeff Kerr, ATF agent and writer of The Child King. Everyone should run out and purchase a copy--a GREAT holiday film! (http://www.thechildking.com/)

http://www.chrisburke.org/

And here they are--Abby and Chris, the man who paved the way for so many people with Down syndrome. His acting career helped shift public mindset from negative scrutiny about people with disabilities to one of acceptance and admiration. He's a very impressive man.

Aramis asleep at the wheel....

It makes us wonder what we're doing to our children when we realize that they are sleepy so much of the day. We've found our children asleep on the floor, inside toy baskets and in their swings at all hours of the day. Today contained one more of those precious moments as Aramis fell asleep while having his lunch. It didn't take us long to figure out why the little lad was so exhausted.......

Alec (R) is bright eyed and bushy tailed, but Aramis, fast asleep....
And below is the reason why! Our youngest munchkin is now on the move--crawling around at top speed and exhausting himself. Can you say, BABYPROOFING continues!!??@@

Happy 6th Anniversary Tony and Wendy!

Today marks the 6th wedding anniversary of King Tony and Queen Wendy. In that short time, the couple purchased a home, welcomed three babies, became partner of a law firm, founded a new business, completed a variety of philanthropic and volunteer works, traveled around the US and Europe together, and actually still love each other! The couple wed at a lovely castle in Windham, New Hampshire and have built a kingdom of their own together. :) Mazeltov!

Oooh, kissy, kissy!
Don't they look great in black and white?

Wendy's inspirational mini coconut castle anniversary cake made especially for King Tony.

Party Theme Contest....

The twin prince's 1st birthday is rapidly approaching. It's very hard to believe they are almost one given that we just started to sleep through the night a few weeks ago. It's been a challenging journey, but both boys are absolute perfection--with their emerging teeth, infectious smiles and laughter, and oh so cute butts! September is closing in and in grand Agudelo tradition, we are beginning to plan a huge engagement to celebrate the boys' 1 year. While we've toyed with a number of ideas, we haven't really closed in on one. So, to those that follow this blog, we'd love to hear some ideas! To provide inspiration, we've placed photos below of the cakes Wendy made to coincide with party themes from the past. :) Submit your ideas now!!

Abby's 1st Birthday - "Baby Blocks" (family party)

Abby's 1st Birthday - NACHO AVERAGE FIESTA (friend party)

Sombrero Cake

Abby's 2nd Birthday - All about the OREO

Tony's "All about Chocolate Balls" 38th!

It's SIPPY Time...!

Each day as we awake, we know that one, if not all of our children, will find a way to give us something to beam with pride about--be it a new word, crawling, or simply smiling more than usual. This morning, the twin princes decided to master the sippy cup experience. We've introduced one to each of them for about 6 weeks, but neither took to them until we brought home a NUBY! As of this morning, these bulbous nipple cups have become a favorite of our princes, as noted below. As parents living in a household soon to be free of bottles, nipples and daily washing/sterilizing of them, we're THRILLED! Need I say more? :)

Aramis shows off his 'one-hand-cup' maneuver....

Alec tackles his sippy cup...

Spelling Bee Victory

As many of you know, Princess Abigail is an avid sign language user. When Daddy asked her tonight so spell some words, she broke out her sign language alphabet and in perfect order, spelled a variety of words for her father--including TURKEY--videotaped below for reference. We thinks she's a genius! :)

Abby's Hershey Birthday...

Happy Birthday Abby! This weekend, Princess Abigail turned 3 years old! It really is amazing how quickly those years flew by and to know that our little girl begins pre-K in less than two weeks!! For her birthday, she received a lovely artist easel (complete with chalkboard, dry-erase board and painting paper for all future pictures...) and a variety of precious goodies from her family, Godparents and friends. Abby Cadabby is now 3!! :)

Traditionally, we ask Abby to choose a theme for her birthday--and this year, she chose HERSHEY chocolate. Abby loves HERSHEY chocolate bars, so it wasn't too surprising that she chose this idea. Last year, she was amid an OREO cookie binge, so of course, she received an Oreo cookie cake. This year, the cake was much easier to bake since HERSHEY provides a fantastic, make-from-scratch recipe and frosting on their site, so the result was the cake above. A few letters dropped off since my foil-letter cutting skills have decreased with age...so HERSHEY became HERSHE' :) I don't think she minded, or even noticed, for that matter. :)
Abby stares down the #3 candle and prepares to make her wish and a big blow!!

After successfully extinguishing the flame, our princess dives in to her birthday cake with a very special pink fork and takes the first bite..
Meanwhile, the twin princes watch from the sidelines and wait patiently for their slice... Ahhh....chocolate bliss! There's nothing like a HERSHEY bar, or cake, or frosting for that matter! The perfect way to cap off a third birthday! Yummy!!

Exhausted....

Not to worry, our children are absolutely safe! The photos below were taken by our au pair, who while playing with the children, exhausted them so much that they ended up head in picnic basket and napping on the floor! We swear, NO child was harmed to achieve these photos, nor was any alcohol present. The twin princes are just go-go-go until then stop, and where they stop is anyone's guess--it changes daily! While we were visiting Deerfield, the boys were taken here, there and everywhere. To picnics, out for ice cream, around Deerfield's campus, etc. and in the end, they were just too tired to hold up their heads any longer.

I guess 'when yer tired, yer really tired!' :)

A Private Poo...

Similar to other parents who have gone before us, we are now aware of the unique methods our children use to conceal the moments when they need to use the facilities, but would rather use their diaper instead! You know, those hide in the corner very quietly, sneak under the table so no one can find you moments? Well, our Princess Abby has found a new way to 'hide' when the urge overcomes her and we are without her potty. This past weekend, while in Deerfield for Tony's 20th high school reunion, Miss Abigail found a new place to 'hide' since her usual place (her bathroom potty) wasn't to be found in our hotel room. As parents, we were kicking ourselves for leaving behind her potty, but given how many other items we had to cart with us, just had no other choice! Alas, Abby found a private spot in a room where there was little privacy. You just have to hand it to the girl as she's very strategic and knows exactly how to make use of all available private locales. And yes, we're well aware of how angry she'll be with us when she gets older and realizes how we've embarrassed her-- but actually--we're very proud parents. Abby showed incredible resourcefulness and problem-solving skills given her missing potty. And, we learned a valuable lesson resulting in our trip to Babies R Us this afternoon to purchase a 'child ring' for use on any standard commode so that future away trips will be more potty-training productive and less embarrassing for Abby :)

Size matters!....

Whoever said size didn't matter, didn't understand the true definition of size, in my opinion. Just this weekend, we realized just how much size matters when we looked at photos of the twin princes when they were one month old, and today, at only eight months old. Photos taken while being bottle fed in their infant seats then and now provides a good sense of just how quickly little humans grow. A little more evidence that we have evolved from cro-magnon!

THEN: Aramis and Alec at one month--enjoying a little boobie juice!

NOW: At eight months, the twin princes require much more care and feeding and have all but outgrown their infant seats.

Tipping the scales at more than 22 lbs. each, these boys are on the path to becoming some big time sluggers (if King Tony gets his wish).

Storyland - Part Deux

Ah, the joy of swirling in a tea cup. Just something the men would enjoy, no?

Mommy and Abby get their turn to swirl on the Tilt-A-Whirl Turtles. What happened to the days when you could ride these rides for hours, love every minute, and not get motion sickness??? Ugh..!

Tony and Regis go round and round on the flume. No lines and no waiting, so the boys stayed in their logs for several trips up...and down...and ultimately, into a very big SPLASH! Towels anyone?

Storyland.....conquered!

The rain couldn't stop us. We loaded up two cars (since we now travel with three kids, an au pair, two parents, two pack-and-plays, three strollers, three pieces of luggage, two diaper bags, cooler and a partridge in a pear tree), and headed North to the White Mountains of New Hampshire within which rests an adventureland for the young. Nestled in the foothills is a gorgeous little theme park called Storyland where the adults can be kids and kids can have fun! While we visited Storyland on a weekend that was cool and wet, the result was NO LINES on any rides, way fewer families to dodge inside the park, a food court nearly to ourselves, and the ability to stay on the rides we enjoyed until we either got sick or had to go pee! Abby, Alec and Aramis were joined by their very good friend RJ (and Alec's godparents Regis and Laurie) for a weekend of fun. Below are some photos from our adventures -- start to finish.

"Woo-hoo, we're finally here! What's up with the rain, man?"

"I absolutely hate this wet weather. When are we moving to the Carolinas?"
"Peekaboo!" Laurie and RJ enjoy some cherry pie....
"Wheeeeeeeee!"
"Hey down there...do you like our tree house? Kind of a gingerbread theme..."

Hello from the land of the shoes! Abby and Wendy enjoy riding in a flying shoe....

Ah, a castle fit for our Princess Abigail. King Tony brings her inside for a closer look...Oh no, the teacups!!! Abby and RJ wonder how they ended up in this predicament. Thanks DADS!

Wendy and Abby trial the water flume. We figured, we were already wet already thanks to the rain, so what's a few more splashes????
Abby shows Daddy exactly how to drive. "Now Daddy, when you are going to turn, prepare others behind you by putting on your blinker like this!...."Oh NO, it's a TRACTOR! Abby is taking after her mother after all and may end up on Grandpa's farm doing some lawn mowing or gardening.....


A sweet family portrait of the Dubes. Regis and Laurie are Alec's Godparents and RJ is preparing for Star Search. Just ask him to sing "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey and you'll vote for him!

Oh, the end of the trip. The twins were too pooped to even smile for the camera and fell asleep on site. Abby was fighting the bugs that seemed to grow in numbers every minute we were outside. UGH! Pass the bug spray!!

More videos to come.....