Newbie to the BBB

[WildMax]

Hi
I'm so glad to have found you guys, a friend told me about this place.
I'm a SAHM of twins. This is the first time in my life that I am not working and sometimes that feels really strange. I'm hoping to get some help from all of you. Areas of concern:
1. How do I keep the house looking half way decent with 2 toddlers running around? Sometimes I feel really guilty that DH comes home to a mess!
2. Is there somewhere I can go for toddler activities? Sometimes they seem a little bored.
3. I need some help with nutritious yet yummy meals for all of us. My toddlers are starting to revolt and tossing their food overboard.
I hope I didn't ask too many questions. I'm eager to see what kind of advice I get.
Thanks!

BTW, I applaud all of you working moms who handle it all! How the heck do you do it?!

[MarisaSF]

Welcome!!
I don't really have great answers to your questions, but wanted to say HI and I'm sure you'll find the answers you need here as you read more and "discover" all the forums.

1- The way I (and DH) see it. *My* job as a SAHM is to enrich my DD. There is no housekeeping in this job description. To keep things tidy, we have lots of bins around and we throw DD's toys/books in willy-nilly. DH and I can deal with an untidy space, but we clean up when we're expecting guests. :)

2- Have you looked into playgroups in your area? Great way to meet other SAHPs and kids your kids' age. Also consider memberships to Zoo, Aquarium, play gyms (like Gymboree).

3. Check out the Feeding Baby section. Or perhaps, better yet, the Toddler Board.

See you around! :)

[kedss]

welcome, WildMax :)

I'm Kate mom to Christopher, who is almost 2! :) I onlt have one kiddo and my house always looks like a tornado!

I hope you get some help from the great ladies who have BTDT!

:)

[lmariana]

Welcome! I hope you stick around and join in the fun! I'm a SAHM to one toddler and one newborn.

I have no idea how moms of twins handle things. I have a hard enough time with my one toddler, I can't imagine two!

1. The House - I try to pick up at least one room a day. With my hubby, I think as long as the living room and master bedroom are tidy, he's happy. I also try to clean up a bit right before he gets home. I don't understand it, but there's something about coming home to a clean house that really makes men happier than coming home to a mess, "aka how our house looks most of the time". :) I do my "real" cleaning on weekends or during that rare naptime when both boys are asleep.

2. Toddler Activities - I think with toddlers anything can be an exciting adventure if you put a spin on it. Like, at Target, I put him on a mission to find green things. He's so occupied with looking for green things that I actually get my shopping done. Or even folding laundry...I ask him to find all of daddy's things. Maybe I'm just boring, but it works for us! There's a cool book called, "Games to Play with Toddlers", lots of great ideas there!

3. Meals - I'm in the same boat! Although, in our home, it's my husband who's the difficult eater. :) He only likes casseroles and burritos...anything that requires minimal chewing and can just slide down his throat. I'm trying to get him to eat "grown up" food now. So far, my only tip is hidden veggies. I shove veggies in almost everything I cook. If I mince them enough in the food processor, so he can't see them, they will get eaten. Of course, there are days where my toddler only has french fries for dinner, so maybe I'm not the person to ask!

Welcome again, and I hope to "see" you around!

Mariana
Mom to Gabe (8/03) and Atom (10/05)
www.heinzandmariana.com
http://www.geocities.com/kellysb/images/medals/purpleheart.jpg http://www.geocities.com/kellysb/images/medals/awardbar2-6wks.jpg

[WildMax]

Thanks a lot.
DH is not complaining mind you, I just can't stand feeling like there's so much to do and I don't get to it even in a week. I never thought I was this disorganized before.

Play groups, tried to hook up with a couple but they fell through and I don't know too many people with young children. Our families are on the west coast and in the midwest. I've taken them to story time at the local library but they were more interested in 'toddling' all around the room. Afraid we annoyed some of the other moms. I've tried KinderMusik and GymKids. It was tough trying to keep track of two little 'Energizer Bunnies' so now I don't join those classes unless DH can come along to help.

I will go to the Toddler Board next.

Thanks again!

BTW I have 15 month old boys born @ 36 weeks.

[TaChapm]

Welcome to the Boards! :)

1. The way I see it if the kids are happy at the end of the day I have done a great job. I usually try to run through and straighten the house when the kids are napping or in the high chair and then right before bed. I usually pick up 3-4 times a day but these are quick pick ups. I have also had Jackson start picking things up. It isn't perfect but helps.

2. Look for a local play group or try your local library or museum. We also put Jackson in the Little Gym after Tyler was born but it is a little expensive. It helps to get him out and have some time without the baby around.

3. There is a thread by a member that I will try to find that had great menus and meal planning ideas. It has really helped me out a lot.

Tara
Mommy to Jackson 11-10-02
Tyler William 6-9-05

http://b4.lilypie.com/p1eI0/.png[/img][/url]

http://lilypie.com/baby1/060609/3/0/1/-6/.png

[WildMax]

Thanks Kate!

My house looks like 2 twisters live here!

[WildMax]

Thanks Mariana.
Sounds like we're in the same boat. Did I say I have two 15 m.o. boys? They sure are fun and boy do they have energy!

Cleaning one room a day sounds doable. Better than trying to do the whole house every day! My HUGE mistake! Just frustrated me.

Hey, I have a food processor! Haven't used since we graduated to finger sized foods. I will try it!

I knew there were moms w/ common sense here! I think I lost mine during pregnancy! :D

ETA
Coming home to a clean house is a huge plus for both of us.
Maybe I should stop trying to be Mrs. Cleaver and aim for Roseanne. :)

[WildMax]

Thanks Tara.
I look forward to seeing that thread.

[ribbit1019]

Welcome!
1. I am pregnant a WOHM mom of one whose DH has a FT and PT job. Honestly I try to keep things straightened and then do major cleaning if I have time on the weekends. I set one major straightening goal for myself during the weekday evenings, like shining my sink or cleaning off the dining room table. Pick the thing that bothers you the most and go from there. For some people it is the floors, or dusting, or maybe even the beds are made. I can't stand it when my dining room table is covered with stuff and when it isn't then I can concentrate on the things that bother me less, like the dishes or DD's toys being strewn about. Otherwise I feel overwhelmed if I try to do the whole house at once. I have Adult ADD when it comes to cleaning. So on the weekends I find that the 15 minute timer works well for me. Clean 1 room for fifteen minutes and then take a break, clean another room for fifteen minutes, etc.

2. Like PP's said, Library is a great find this time of year. Also, see if you can find a playgroup that you can join. It might get some of the boys’ excess energy out if you let them run around the park a few times. (It is way to cold for that here though!)

3. While you are at the library try checking out: First Meals by Annabel Karmel Though I can't say it helped much on our case, DD eats very poorly. I offer her a variety of healthy choices but she would rather just have PB on white bread or cookies. Not the most nutritious things.....

Christy
"My Mommy" to Maddy born 06/09/04
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040609/3/4/0/-5/.png
and soon to Little Man due 03/02/06
http://bd.lilypie.com/cKLom4/.png

Join the BBB Preggo Pals!!
http://s14.invisionfree.com/BBB_Preggo_Pals/index.php?act=Reg&CODE=0

[WildMax]

Thanks for the ideas, Christy!
Hey I like that 15 minute timer idea. Sounds like something that will work for me. I must admit, I think I may be an adult with ADD. I start things in one room and find myself leaving it to start something else somewhere else. I hate when I find that I only half finished clearing the high chairs and mess underneath.
I'll try your ideas.

[brittone2]

Hi Wildmax! Welcome :)

1.) In only have one child, but our house does look like a tornado hit pretty often too ;) The biggest helps for us are to rotate toys (not everything out all of the time...some are packed away and brought out periodically like on a rainy day), we do the set-a-timer thing, and I often sling DS (21 months) on my back while I vacuum but with 2 that would be tough ;) When I'm into a good cleaning groove for a while I also try to clear one "surface" per day. Clean off the top of the desk, throw out irrelevant stuff from the fridge, etc. but only do one a day so you don't burn out ;) These books were a big help (our library has both)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446677671/ref=pd_sim_m_5/104-3130715-4236707?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1558703616/ref=pd_bbs_null_1/104-3130715-4236707?s=music&v=glance&n=5174

2.) You've gotten some great ideas. We do Barnes and Noble for the train table (DS is getting one for Christmas but he's enjoyed doing this so far), go to the park/playground, the library, go to the museum (very kid friendly with lots of outdoor things available too).

3.) There are some great threads with recipes in the archives. For me, I find we function best by doing some modified version of OAMC (once a month cooking). I don't generally do OAMC, but I make extra of almost anything I can, and I stack my meal prep for less cleanup. So for example, I might buy several pounds of ground meat. I'd brown some (plain) and freeze (ready to go to add to chili, pasta, season it for tacos, etc.). I'd take some of it and mix it into 2 meatloaves, and then take some (similar ingredients) and make meatballs . Cook, then flash freeze (place meatballs on parchment on a cookie sheet or plates so they aren't touching, freeze for an hour, toss into a freezer container. This lets you pull out as many as you want at a time without them being all stuck together. Using this method, the cleanup isn't too bad because you can reuse the same bowl and similar ingredients several times. I do this type of approach whenever I can. Sometimes I throw something in the crockpot and cook a regular dinner the same night. One will get thrown into the freezer for a more hectic day (every day is busy with twins I'm sure!!).

HTH and it was really sweet to introduce yourself :)

[WildMax]

Thanks Beth.
I like that idea of rotating toys. I will definitely try your idea on flash freeezing meals, too. Sounds easy and pretty sensible. I think I can do that.
I used to use my Sutemi Baby carrier a lot in the early months. While one DS napped I carried the other and cleaned as much as I could. I don't know why I stopped using it, I think I'll take it out and try it again.
Oh yes, two are a lot of fun and they keep me busy. On weekends we tag team them in order to get our chores done.

Everyone, including you, offered some great ideas.

Nice *talking* to you.

[thomma]

Welcome!
I stayed home with my twins (they're 2 1/2 now) until they were 15 months old then went back to work. I work September to June and stay at home for the summers. Trust me, working is no harder than staying home...apples and oranges, I always say! :)

House- I try to take 30 minutes every night to clean. On the weekends dh and I tag team to get stuff done. Spending time with my kids is way more important than a spotless house. We do the "throw everything in laundry baskets and hide it upstairs" trick when company is coming. :)

Toddler activities- Going any where with 2 is an adventure- lots of work and you never know how it's going to turn out. :)Bravo for you for wanting to venture out! I limit my outings unless I have someone with me.

Meals- What are the hits in your house already? What doesn't work?

Keep asking your questions- everyone is really helpful here!

Kim
t&e 5/03

[jawilli4]

Hi,
I know your question is a little old, but I figured I could chime in anyway. I moved about a year ago and didn't know a soul around here. Luckily, I found a MOMS club chapter in my area and joined. I am not sure this is a universal thing, but my chapter has a playgroup coordinator that put me in a playgroup almost immediately. Violla! Instant playgroup without any of the hassle of arranging it myself. It was great for my son and my sanity. I'd highly recommend it. For more information, go to www.momsclub.org.
HTH!
Jan

[squimp]

Hi and Welcome. Here's one of the famous meal planning threads, by the amazing Amy (daisymommy).

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=37&topic_id=33713&mode=full

A lot of folks like Ellen Satter's books for feeding toddlers.