Twice as Much Cake | Twins Turn 3

Looking at photos from a year ago, EDW and CCW look pretty similar to me, but wow they are capable of so much more! We said good-bye to booster seats, stroller rides, and bucket swings, and leveled up to chairs, balance bikes, and big-kid swings! 

First dinner all sitting at the same table!

They went on three major flights (Texas, Missouri, Connecticut) and two family road trips (Camano Island/Bellingham, Camping). We moved to three-across in the backseat of the van and started going on lots more errands. They love going to Costco, Safeway, Home Depot, Bartell's, Whole Foods, and the Hardware store with Mr. Fleece! They love going to the library, Trader Joe's, Safeway Pick-up, and Pegasus Books with mom :) 

Two two-year-olds also meant speech delays and navigating opposing desires and strong wills.  Opinions, independence, clinginess, tantrums, whining, and screaming come in fits and starts...mostly in the form of a child starting to throw a fit :) Watch out, a toy thief or a tower toppler might be on the loose! Regardless of the state of our house, the state of my nerves, or the state of my children, I could usually count on our days including these four things:

1. Outdoor adventure

Parks, playgrounds, trails, beach -- we love it all! It's so fun exploring new spots together, enjoying nature and watching their curiosity soar. These days they particularly love outings to
Walt Hundley, Holy Rosary, and Alki.

2. Snacks
They love fruit, veggies, cheese, and carbs. Favorites include berries, pancakes, pumpkin puree, bars, apples, pears, granola, honey yogurt, beans, cherry tomatoes, peas, nuts, smoothies and so much more!

3. Books
Reading continues to be my favorite shared activity and it has become easier and more enjoyable as they've gotten older. Eric Carle, Richard Scarry, and Byron Barton were favorites from this year!

4. Rest & Indoor Play 

They love playing airplane and grocery store -- both consist of putting toys in bags! Their stuffed animal friends make daily journeys from their bedroom to level one and back upstairs for nap/bedtime and sometimes go "sailing" on their blanket "boats" in between. CCW loves playing with NLW in the basement and EDW loves playing with her lovies and dolls. Tickle Monster is a current favorite.

Undoubtedly, it was the year of language explosion. These two fill our home with silliness, laughter, joy, chatter, and noise! Whatever we're experiencing is highly concentrated, and that includes the love!

Mom: How much do I love you? 
EDW: So much!
CCW: Too Much! (he came up with this answer all on his own and it cracks me up!) 
Mom: How much do I love you? 

All: More every day

More every day, 
- SJW

Life Wright Now | September 2023

All these photos and highlights from September are lovely, but a good chunk of the month was filled with work-related stress. I coordinated my first large event remotely and I forgot how bad my nerves can get as an event coordinator. I easily slip into burning the candle at both ends. How many times do I need to tell myself to go to bed early? Fortunately, I had lot of social outings to keep me grounded plus I kept myself distracted with new home decor. Our friends are moving abroad and I bought out a bunch of their home goods -- we now own lamps!

Highlights:
- Our first camping trip with children
- BrickCon
- NLW starting Pre-K
- EDW loving pajamas so much (evidenced by nearly every photo below) 
- CCW being chatty and silly
- Upgrading NLW's bed to a twin
- Great book club evenings 
- Hosting our good friend BB and giving her a curated tour of West Seattle
- Celebrating the last day of summer
- Celebrating the first day of fall 
- Hosting a baby shower for CL
- Playing LEGOs in NLW's room
- My balance bike crew :) 

Watching | Emily in Paris - Season 3
What can I say? Even though the premise is silly and it's ridiculous how much they all speak English, I like Emily Cooper's positivity and of course, the fashion. Lily Collins is fun to watch!

Eating | Zuppa Toscana Soup 
This is one of my staple showstopper meals. It's dairy-free, gluten-free, simple to make, and delicious. Served it at our first day of Fall party where I mailed these cute cards out as invites -- hand painted by a local Seattlite that I found at an estate sale.

Reading | Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
This month I attended an author talk with Ann Patchett, interviewed by Melinda French Gates, featuring her latest novel. Walking into the event, you could easily spot other attendees -- middle aged white women sporting cute sweaters and casual comfy footwear haha! Hearing Ann speak about her inspiration, writing process, characters, setting, and themes made me all the more excited to read this one. I loved how she used the dual timelines to unfold the story and appreciated the many interpersonal relationships. Would recommend pre-reading the play Our Town as it's heavily centered in the plot. 

Listening | Penguins by Ed Sheeran 
Was searching for songs about penguins for CCW and came across this instead :) 

Officially back on a school calendar. For the next 15 years!

- SJW