Raising Vegetarian Kids.

About a year ago I made the decision to switch to a soft vegan (every once in a while I'll have a desert with animal products) diet.
I did it due to the fact, I'm just not a huge fan of meat.

Since that time, I have seen a lot of positive changes.

Austin still eats meat (sometimes).

But, we made the choice to raise K and G on a vegetarian diet.

We are constantly looking for new meal ideas for them. Recently, I feel like we have been in a recipe rut.

All of this to say I have found an amazing website. It's a blog called What Vegan Kids Eat. Love it. ( Thanks Pintrest!)

Yesterday, I went to the grocery store by myself and I bought enough food to make 15 freezer vegan crock pot meals.

Win.

Austin helped me put them together last night when I got home and we had such a fun time.

Austin is actually a awesome cook and does 95% of the cooking at our house. I'm pretty sure he would rock Master Chef.

So, check out the blog. It's a great resource if you want to introduce a few more plant base meals into your diet.

In totally unrelated news, here are some pictures of Grace and  Kate. Just because they are so stinking cute.

Beach Time

When we moved downtown a few months ago, we knew there were a lot of perks.

One of which was being so close to the lake. After we moved into our place I came to the realization that we could actually see (a tiny sliver) of the lake from our apartment.

Ahh, so nice. Seriously, I feel like we are constantly on vacation in our apartment. We love our place so much. 

So yesterday Austin had a youth group event at the beach by our house. So, the girls and I decided to stop by for a little while. Well, I decided and the girls were not happy about the decision until they actually got there because they had to ride in their stroller. It was very sad. 

They love the beach so much! Daddy covered Kate in sand. 

And then it was time to do some tanning. She is her mother's daughter. 

And this is my favorite. 

Right before we headed home I was holding Grace and then I realized my shirt was wet. Yep.She peed on me. Even with a swim diaper. 

My least favorite part of the beach? Bringing all of the sand home. I have a feeling I will be cleaning up sand for the rest of the week. 

Tantrums

Last night was a rough night.

I was initially going to write about how the girls walked home from the park holding our hands yesterday. It was so sweet and fun.

And then,. last night happened.

Don't get me wrong, Kate and Grace are the sweetest. But, when they get tired...man watch out.

Kate has been throwing temper tantrums lately. Well, she really only throws them for me. She has never thrown one for Austin.

I think it's just because she feels so comfortable around me :)

So, last night. Austin was at work and I put the girls to bed...Well, Grace never feel asleep. Then she woke up Kate.

Kate was not happy. She let Grace and I know for over 20 minutes. I have pictures of her throwing her tantrum that I sent to Austin just to let him know what he was missing. And, just to let him know that he was missed :)

I decided against showing her tantrum pictures because she would kill me in about 15 years if she found out they were on the internet.

But, I will show you the aftermath.

After we decided to calm down, we feel asleep on the floor.

Then, Grace decided to go rub Kate's head. She was really concerned about her when she was having her tantrum.

Anyways. This is our real life. Tantrums and all. 

Mom Fails

Day 7.

There have been a lot of things that I would consider a big ol' fail when it comes to being a mom. If we are being honest, every mom has them. And, if you are anything like me it probably happens multiple times a day. I'm just being real here :)

Well, today here was my Mom fail.

It actually starts with last night. We didn't get the girls to bed until around 11. OPPS. But, the beautiful thing about that was that they didn't wake up until around 8 am. What?? This is unheard of in the Hey household. We have our morning alarm (Grace and Kate) go off without fail by 6:15 at the latest.

So, needless to say, our schedule was a little off today. Okay, a lot.

On top of that Austin had his summer kick off for the Student Ministry. So we got to spend the majority of the day at church with little to no nap for the girls.

We got home it was around 3ish. I can see the wheels turning in your head. It's getting a little tricky, right.

Austin and I were exhausted so we put Kate and Grace in their cribs for some quiet time. That's what we call nap time where we really don't know if they need naps, but we know we really need a break. Don't worry, they get toys.

And low and behold, noise stops coming out of their room around 4. Austin is taking a nap at this point and I am browsing Pintrest and doing some online shopping.

The next thing I notice, it's 7:45 (well actually more like 8:00, but 7:45 sounds better) and I realize that I hear someone  in the nursery. Opps. I let the girls take a nap until 8:00.

So, bed time didn't happen until 11:00.

Here's to another 8 am wake up call :)

Kate and Grace's Nursery

Day 6.

I'm exhausted, but I'm going to write a blog. I can do it. I can do it. Sometimes, you just need a little pep talk.

I'm going to take the easy out and show you Grace and Kate's room. It's adorable, and they love playing in it. I'm still not quite finished but we are getting close.

Adorable, I told you. This is only half of their room. It is HUGE. Truth be told, we gave them the master bedroom. Since I work from home, it just made sense for them to have a nice big playroom where they can enjoy hours of play while I can be in the other room on calls. 

And, in other news, they are the cutest. They love each other and reading. 

A story that will make you shake your head.

Day 5ish. 

Well, I made it four days without missing any days... and then I dropped off the face of the blogging earth again. 

I guess the only thing I can say in my defense is that I really like sleep. And, typically, blogging happens after the girls go to bed. 

Yesterday, we took the girls to the pediatrician. It was technically for their 15 month appointment, but it ended up being closer to 16 months. Eh, it's the effort that counts :) 

We started at a new pediatrician due to the fact that it is less then half a mile from our place. You can't beat that. We loved our old pediatrician, but the thought of trying to get the girls there on my own gave me nightmares. 

So, we changed to a new one. He is a nice guy. I'm pretty sure he was overwhelmed by the chaos that we brought with us. Maybe it was the girls running around the room pushing all of the stools. Whatever keeps them entertained. 

G and K are very picky about people, and they made it clear that he was not their favorite. Awesome. 

He then told us that they were one of the most identical sets of twins that he had ever seen. That's funny, because they are fraternal. I mean, they do look a lot a like, but they aren't identical. 

But, other then that it was an uneventful visit. The girls are very healthy and active. Kate weighed in at 21 pounds (10th percentile) and Grace weighed in at 20 pounds (5th percentile). They both are 29 1/2 inches tall (10th percentile). This was pretty much what I expected due to the fact that they are still in 9-12 month clothes at almost 16 months :) 

So, all in all. It was a great appointment. 

In other news, here is a story that will make you shake your head. 

Background: Austin and I were in the elevator with the girls. There was another man in the elevator with us, and a lady comes on the elevator. 

Lady: Are they twins? 

Me: Yes, they are.

Lady: Oh, are they paternal? 

Me: Well, they are fraternal.

Lady: Oh, so they are identical?

Me: No, they are fraternal, although they look very similar.

Lady: Are you sure? Because I think they are identical. How do you know?

Me: They had separate placentas.

Lady: What's that?

Me: (trying to explain separate placentas in a non-awkward way for the sake of the gentlemen in the elevator)

Lady: Oh, so are they twins?

Me: No, we just had one baby and then cloned it immediately after birth.

Lady: Oh! I've heard of that. Any side effects?

Me: One of them has a super powers.

***The actual conversation ended after my explanation of the separate placentas...****

Have a lovely day!

A Home Goods Super Find.

Day Four:

Today has been a busy day.

Austin and I are running the Chicago marathon in October, and today was our first long run. The girls were not thrilled that they had to join us on the run. After about 5 miles they were done. After our run, we had to grab a few things at the grocery store, and they made it clear to everyone in the store that they were not happy.

Well, until I bought them crackers (I'm not above toddler bribery).

Anyways...
Today one of the errands we had to run was to Home Goods. I LOVE Home Goods. Austin does not. But, we were in desperate need of new measuring cups, so to Home Goods we headed.

There was no way I was going to go into Home Goods and literally just buy measuring cups (I think this is why Austin doesn't like it ).

So, as we were meandering through the many wonderful aisles of goodness that is Home Goods we stumbled upon this little jewel.

A sparkle playroom rules sign. 

I have been looking for a cute girly playroom sign since we moved into our new place about two months ago. I feel like I searched so many different places for one that wasn't gender neutral. Our house is not a gender neutral house :) Although, we did buy a darker color couch for Austin to help neutralize all of the pink. 

The biggest news about the sign is... Austin was the one who found it! Ha! I just walked past it. 

And it was only $20. That is what we call a steal friends. 

Here it is in the girls room. Love it! 

The Children's Museum and A Funny Daddy

Day Three:

Today, we had a play date with our little friend Jeremiah.

Jeremiah (and his mommy and daddy) live in Streeterville too. We met them probably 7(ish) months ago in the nursery at church. Austin and I love this family. They are such a blessing to us.

So for our play date, we headed to the Children's Museum at Navy Pier. We are so blessed to live less than a mile from Navy Pier. It just seemed like a no brainier to take advantage of the Children's Museum there.

The girls had so much fun. We only explored two of the rooms, but we are looking forward to being regulars there :)

In other news about being regulars... We went to the grocery store today, and the cashier asked us where we had been. Neighborhood win. Or, we buy to much food. I'll go with the neighborhood win, we have become one of the locals :)

Now, on a totally unrelated note I will leave you with this little jewel.

Flying with Toddlers

Day Two,

Confession, I had to type "flying" about three times in the title to get it spelled right. I'm thinking that I haven't had enough coffee today.

On our most recent trip to KC we decided to fly.

A few months ago, we decided to become all hipster and sell our car and move down town. Well, the real reason wasn't to be hipsters. Maybe I'll write about that tomorrow.

Well, on our way to KC everything went great. Minimal fussing, maximum sleeping. Everything any parent of a toddler (or two) could ask for.

On the way back home, things didn't go quite as smooth. The girls missed their nap time because I decided to try to coincide nap time with our flight. Great idea, Sara. Well, in theory it was a great idea. Unfortunately, I didn't plan on the fact that we would be grounded for two hours...with two overly tired 15 month old toddlers.

Everyone on the plane was super thrilled with us.

We started on a happy note.

Grace and Kate liked watching the airplanes and being hams. 

Seriously, they were waving at everyone. They bring so much joy to so many people. 

Once we found out that our plane was grounded... The vibe changed a little. I didn't bring milk or many snacks for the girls. Again, everyone on the plane was thrilled. 

Then, we got creative. We made drinking water out of our sippy cups a game by putting them in the back pocket of the seat in front of us. If nothing else, it really kept them entertained. 

Thankfully, I was finally able to get off and get milk. What a relief. Once we were finally aloud to take off, Kate and Grace were out cold. Kate didn't even wake up for the landing, and we were sitting right next to the wings/wheels/engines (another great planning job by Sara Hey). 

As a side note, I was talking to our friend Amy about this whole fiasco and she told me it rained for 30 minutes here. Seriously?? We were grounded for two hours because of 30 minutes of rain?!?! End Rant. 

So, what did I learn from all of this?

1.Austin is great. 

Well, I already knew that.  But, he is so great with the girls. He sings them songs from their princess book, has picnics with them and gets up in the middle of the night when they fuss. Grace, Kate and I are lucky girls.

2. Over preparing snacks is always a good idea. 

Even if the girls don't eat them, I can get hungry too!

3.I am so thankful for technology.

If you have a toddler and haven't heard of Peek a Boo Barn, you are missing out. 

Well, if nothing else, I'll be better prepared on our next flight :)  

60 Blogs in 60 Days, Take Two.

Last year, I really really tried to write 60 blogs in 60 days. Really.

I had a good start and then fizzled out. I think there were a number of things that contributed to the fizzle.

Maybe the fact that I had twin babies. Eh, could be.
Or Maybe, when I did have time to write about the happenings of our ever so exciting life I decided all I wanted to do was pass out on the couch instead.

Often, I just had the idea that our lives really weren't that important for people to read about. I was just going about what seemed normal for me and every once in a while I would come to the realization that the situation we are in is unique and important. Grace and Kate bring so much joy to so many people and sometimes I just forget that. I just become so use to the blessing they are that it just becomes "normal".

Now, my babies really aren't babies anymore. They are 15 months old and running around like crazy. They are pulling hair, throwing food and yelling "NO,NO", "ball", "puppy", and many other things. I feel like we are this crazy tornado that causes chaos where ever we go.

But honestly, it's getting better.

I went back to work in January. It was one of the best decisions we could have made for our family. I am wired to work and be a professional, and I am a much more delightful person to be around since I've gone back to work. Seriously, just ask Austin. While I think being a stay at home mom is an awesome calling, it's not mine.

All of that to say, I feel like i'm not living in the tornado of chaos fog any more.

We were in KC this last week and I was talking to my mom. I was telling her that I really don't feel like I remember anything about Grace and Kate being itty bitty. She told me that is the way we are programmed so we can have more kids down the line. Ha, I believe it. Then, she promptly told me stories about when I was 2 and would stand in my room screaming, for hours and hours, because I didn't want to go to bed. (I guess she still remembers that!)

So, why 60 blogs in 60 days? Because I want to be real. So often, I find it's easy to tell everyone about the wonderful things the girls are doing and you might not hear about how Kate's new favorite sport is trying to rip out mommy's hair from the roots (I only wish I was making this up). Share in our failures as well as our triumphs, and just laugh with us. Because, that is what we do.  We laugh and look forward to what the next day might hold, as long as we have a cup of coffee in our hands.