Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Our birth and heart story
In June 2009, our family grew by 2. Our boys were born on June 1, via c-section at 35 weeks, 2 days. Following 15 weeks of bed rest due to an incompetent cervix (cerclage done at 20 weeks) I became pre-eclamptic, and went in early to have my boys.
We were unaware at the time that not only were we becoming a family of 4, but we were becoming a heart family.
During my time on bed rest, I read a lot, facebooked a lot, and over-researched the benefits and 'necessities' of all organic everything. I was paniced over organic crib mattresses. . . . I read about the risks of a twin pregnancy, a twin birth, prematurity. . . .I didnt read about heart defects. They never even occured to me!
Knowing what little I knew about a baby at 35 weeks gestation, I figured my boys would spend some time in the NICU. I spent part of the weekend before my impending c-section mentally preparing for a quick seperation so I wouldnt be AS shocked when my fresh babies were whisked away from me.
My c-section was pretty much a breeze. I was definitely terried going in, and I even vomited mid surgery. (youre welcome;) I remember asking my husband at one point, " is this really it??" I couldnt beleive anything was even going on!
Noah, my twin a, was taken to the nursery for review while I was still in recovery. He was in fact admitted to the NICU during this time, for respiratory distress. All the while, Eli, my baby B, was resting with me in my hospital bed. Eli, in fact, came up to my hospital room with me! I remember asking a nurse in recovery why his legs were so blue. I didnt know at the time that it was a tell-tale sign for his heart defect, TGA, transposition of the great arteries. She told me they were blue because he was still so scrunched up from being inside of me. (idiot)
Once settled in my room, I called the nurse in and told her to take Eli to the nursery immediately. His breathing seemed off to me and I wanted him examined. He was soon admitted to the NICU as well. .. for respiratory distress.
The next few days were awful. But even then, I didnt know what awful was. I was not able to attempt breastfeeding, even one of my boys. I was given a hospital grade breast pump. I hooked up to that thing every 3 hours for 15-20 minutes. It took 4-5 days to get any actualk milk out. Until then though, my husband proudly delivered out little syringes of whatever I could get out to the NICU, and the nurses split it between the boys. (there was one time waaaay later when I got 10oz at once. . . if youve ever used a breast pump, you know what an accomplishment THAT is! I even have a pic somewhere, lol)
I cried. A lot! Im sure a lot of it was pure hormones. My body was coming down from carrying twins!!! I cried most times I pumped because I was devastated that they needed to be on the NICU. They needed care that I couldnt provide, when I had been their home for the last 35 weeks and 2 days. I heard other newww babies crying down the hall, and I cried because I was jealous of their mothers. I was angry and hurt that my babies were down the hall and around 2 more corners from me. Of course it was what they needed, but that doesnt mean it sucked any less.
My wonderful dr extended my hospital stay by one more night so I could be under the same roof as my kids a bit longer. On my last morning, we ventured down to the NICU for some kangaroo time(its a beneficial skin to skin time for parents and abbies, and promotes bonding) I was interrupted by a woman who came in needing to do an echocardiogram. Brian and I were surprised to see anyone in our curtained area, and more surprised that anything was happening without us having to sign off. We had signed off on a million things in those first 5 days. Our best guess, since we never asked, was that they didnt need a signature because an echo is a noninvasive test.
It was explained to us that on Wednesday, day 3, they heard a murmur in Eli's heart, and they just wanted to 'check it out'. We went along with it, and sat by for a few minutes while the techician did her exam. She couldnt answer any questions, so we headed back to my room for lunch and to finish packing. Moments later, a new awful entered.
The neonatalogist came to my room, as I sat pumping in my bed - again. His words were and remain to be a blur. I think I may have passed out had I not been in bed, holding breast pump funnels to my body. (remember, by this time, actual milk was coming out and i just couldnt let it go to waste) He explained somehow that 'Eli has a heart defect, he needs surgery, and we are no longer equipped to handle him, and he will be transported to hospital 1 or 2'. There was no question about doing the surgery or not. He would have died for sure had we not allowed his surgery.
A quick and hysterical call to our parents, who were out shopping for the boys, and they arrived at the hospital. Somewhere in there, we picked a hospital, and in doing so, a surgeon and a cardiologist. BOOM. Heart family. FUCK!!!!! A horrible, horrible day.
Ive looked back at the blog I was keeping at the time. The night before we found out about Elis defect, I wrote about the hours the nurses let us stay in the NICU with the kids! Letting us hold them and handle diaper changes, etc. If you are reading this as a non-NICU family, please understand that the rules and regulations of touching and interation in the NICU are all for the beneift of the child. The NICU is a quiet place of healing, so too much touching and interaction can easily become stressful and hindering to the babies.
The echocardiogram found another heart defect, which may in fact have savged Eli's life. I beleive it was called a VSD - no clue what that stands for. He had a hole between 2 of his heart chambers which was allowing his blood to oxygenate. It was explained to us that sometimes, these defects correct themselves in the last few weeks of pregnancy. I think my pre-eclampsia and early c-section may have been the beginning of miracles for Eli.
The dr's had to start him on a medication, progestin - i think??, which would ensure that the VSD remain open. A risk with this medication is that a baby can stop breathing while on it. As such, our 5 day old son was intubated. HORRIBLE DAY. In what seemed like a whirlwind, a medical team arrived in my room with Eli, prepped to be transported to a higher level NICU - across town. He was intubated, in a plastic clear box, and looked fake. We said a hysterical goodbye as they took him to the other hospital. I hadnt been discharged yet and still needed my c-section staples removed. Oh, and Noah was to remain at the original hospital. Yeah. . .
We had already been connected with a cardiologist and upon my discharge, raced to meet her at Eli's new NICU. Empty carseats in the back.
We sat by his bed and Dr. Wright came to meet us. I still remember her introducing herself as 'Eli's friend'. I as so taken aback that he had a friend. . . he looked fake and I wasnt allowed to touch him. She gave us a breif explanation of his surgery. She even told us that he would make it through this surgery and continue to make us gray the rest of our lives. She said that all of her heart babies were warriors - Eli has since proven to be no different. (I havent found any grays yet though. . . YET). This was all Friday, June 5.
Surgery was scheduled for the following Friday, June 12. I think the team was booked up and the surgeon was hoping he would gain a bit more weight. He was born at just 4'7.
We spent the next few days running around town. He visited Noah at once hosptial, Eli at the other, headed home to rest and take care of our pets, I had to pump breastmilk, we all had to eat. . . it was crazy. A case worker at the new hospital arranged to have Noah transferred over. I think she used a family hardship or something - I dont even know. She got it done though. Thankfully, though they were both still in the hospital, they were in the SAME one! UGH!
Several days of ups and downs, hysterics and transported breastmilk, an explanation of srugery from one of the most skilled surgeons on the country and surgery day was upon us. We arrived around 6am, and sat nervously in Elis NICU pod. They almost didnt do his surgery because he had been fighting an infection of some sort. I remember thinking I would just collapse and die right there if they told me I had to have another night like the one before. Another morning, another drive not knowing what was happening. If this would be the last day of a family of 4. Thankfully, they took him to surgery. I remember the anesthesiologist promising us he would take care of Eli. That he would be kept comfortable. We kissed his little head goodbye and watched the double doors close ahead of us. Still not knowing.
We were greeted by a full waiting area. We were so lucky to have family and friends waiting with us. Im still so touched by the view that morning. We spent some time with Noah. He was being such a rockstar and was starting to get really good at bottle feeding. By this time, his breathing was okay, and he just needed to learn to eat in order to come home. The nurse came out with updates every so often. I think I was with Noah for most of them, and heard everything via cell phone call. Each update was promising though. Terrifying and promising.
Once surgery was over, and Eli was in his recovery room, now in the PICU heart unit, we were allowed to see him. Someone told Brian that he would be difficult to see. That a baby fresh from heart surgery is a tough sight. A lot of this is vague to me. Perhaps from raging hormones at the time, or a coping mechanism. Brian went in first, while I was still with Noah. He came to get me, and tried to keep me from visiting Eli in recovery. That was just NOT going to happen. I felt it was my job to see him, to be present in his shitty time. I HAD to go, for me.
I dont know if it was a mistake or not. I still have terrible images in my mind - fresh as I relive this story. I just felt like I had to go. I wont go into details, but I will tell you that I had to wheelchaired out to the waiting area. Definitely a tough thing to see.
We made it through the first crucial 48 hours, we made it through 16 more days in the NICU while Eli healed and learned to eat. He was home on his 28th day of life.
Incredibly enough, he came home on NO meds. NADA! We dealt with some acid reflux soon after, and then he was on prevacid for that for 10 months, but his heart has healed. We were allowed to bring him home to Los Angeles at 3 months for a visit. A few weeks later, we moved home for good!
He has, thankfully, met all of his milestones. We see a cardiologist annually now. She praises his surgical team each time we see her:)
We had a rough start. Rougher than some, but definitely easier than others. I have recently joined some facebook heart mom groups, so I am looped in with the goings on of many families I dont even know. I read their success, hear the scary stuff and even hear about the losses. We got lucky.
Eli's congential heart defect, CHD, is TGA - transposition of the great arteries. CHD's affect 1 in 100 births.
CHD awareness week is February 7-14, the week before Valentines Day. I will be sharing facts and stories about CHDs on my facebook wall.
At some point soon, there will be a congentital heart defect walk in Los Angeles. I WILL be asking you to walk with us, and asking or your money. Hand it over:)
In all seriousness though, I am sharing this story to help spread awareness about CHD's. I had weekly ultrasounds during my bedrest - 15 weeks, nearly as many ultrasounds. At a specialists office. Ask your dr to check your babies heart at your 20 week sonogram. Ask for a pulse oximetry test at birth. Demand it! It takes 10 seconds and is noninvasive. If Eli had this test at birth, his surgery may have been sooner. He may not have been treated for respiratory distress - which he never had.
Hope you read this all the way through. Its a tough read, but this is our story, and there are many others like it.
its been forever since i sat down to blog. i keep wanting to and then i dont know what to say - that or id rather watch tv;)
what to share, what to share. . . a couple of months ago, we got new cars - 2 of them. Not just that though, they are 2 of the SAME car. The Nissan Leaf. They are all electric, NO GASOLINE. We recently had a pizza delivery guy here and he was driving a prius. He kept asking how many miles per gallon, or when do we need to fill up. . . it took a few comments til he got it. NO GAS!
Prior to having two shiny, new cars, we had one for over a year. A 4 person family, and one car. We sold my husbands car in an effort to pay down debt with the money back in our wallets from the payment. We did well for a while, but something always seemed to come up, and we pushed that next big payment to next month and so on. . . We lucked out early last year when a friend needed someone to babysit her car for a month (!!!) that was a niiiiice month. still no car payment, but my husband could get himself to and from work. Being a one car family meant all 4 of us piling into the car to get him to work and from. Not an easy task wth 2 toddlers in tow. We were working towards a goal though, and this was part of the sacrifice we had to make.
Over the summer, we borrowed another car while my sister was in Spain (lucky her, right?!) We had that car until December.
My husband had been searching for cars and came across an amaaaazing deal on the Nissan Leaf. We saw an opportunity and jumped on it!
Under normal circumstances, Id have never chosen two all electric cars. At least not yet. The deal was too good though, and between the value in my old car and the state rebate for leasing 2 electric vehicles, our debt has been wiped out!! New goal - KEEP IT GONE!
Why wouldnt I get two? Simple - the same reason many people wont buy one!! The range on the Nissan Leaf is only 90 miles. That means, that if I charge my car battery completely, I can only go 90 miles. Then, I am stuck and need to recharge. A full recharge from a drained battery can take 20+hours. Sounds kind of scary. . . but when I really think about opur driving habits, these cars are just fine for us. A 90 mile range means we cant just pickup and drive to San Diego, or Vegas, or San Francisco at the drop of a hat. But you know, we dont anyway! If we make a trip like that, we plan it out. Yes, for now it means we will have to rent a car for a trip like that.
Having an all electric car means having to plan things out, but as a parent of twins, I do that anyway:)
It is definitely smaller than my Rav4. Smaller than the minivan I thought I would get. ALso, smaller than thew Honda Pilot I love. It DOES, however, carry my sons bike and scooter without issue. We would need to attach a bike rack for two adult bikes - but my rav would have needed that too!
The cars are really fun and zippy to drive. Its a really comfortable ride and my boys have plenty of space in the back seat - 2 carseats included.
We are still learning about where we can go. We alwayd check for charging stations around. Many areas, like Santa Monica, are installing charging stations everywhere. Most walgreens have a couple out front as well. iPhone apps like plugshare make it easy to check where we can plug in.
Recently, we drove down to Long Beach, about 25 miles from home. We plugged in, for free :), in the parking lot at the Aquarium of the Pacific, enjoyed our day, and headed home.
We will have these two cars for a few years. Im sure I will share more about the conveneicens and challenges of two electric cars. In the mean time, I love the push button start with customizable sounds - right now my car sounds like a bubble pop when I tirn it on;)
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Summer Movies
N LOVES tv. I took him alone to his first movie, the Winnie the Pooh movie, when we was just over 2. E has never been partial to sitting around for too long. Except for Gabba:)
I ventured out to the El Capitan a couple months ago to see Disneys Chimpanzee. They were hosting a munchkin morning, where the lights were up more than usual and they said the volume was down. . . I didnt notice that though. N could have sat through the whole thing, but E was not enjoying himself. I took to downloading new apps on my phone during the movie to try and appease him. It worked a bit, but my snack pickings werent helping either and we had to bail:( I wasnt too disapoionted. It wasnt that enthralling of a movie anyway.
This past week, however, we enjoyed a movie all the way through. . . for FREE!! Granted, it was in Thousand Oaks, but still! Free movie! Yes there is gas money involved for my 30+ mile drive in both directions, but still cheaper than 3 movie tickets. . . expecially if we cant make it through the whole thing!
We left for the valley just after 9am and made it to the Muvico at the Oaks mall to see the Spongebob movie. My boys loooooove that yellow guy and sat through happily! My mom and sister met us for the movie too - extra hands just in case, always a nice safety net for a mom of mulitples. The kids were champs though and loved watching their movie on the big screen. A big step from the monkeys in Hollywood a bit earlier in the year!
We enjoyed lunch together in a mall restaurant and hit up the food court play area to run off any remaining wiggles before the long drive home.
It was a really successful day and I look forward to more summer movies in the valley. . . for free:)
The Chinese theater in Hollywood is also doing a promotion this summer and hosting 25 cent family movies every Saturday at 10am. Yes. . . $00.25. So, this morning my husband and mother in law took the boys back to Hollywood, parked for $2 and spent $1 for the 4 of them to see Madagascar 1!! I hear the kids really enjoyed it, and N was excited to tell me he saw a movie with animals, after waking from his nap.
I know movies are a tricky thing for those of us with little guys, but for a quarter or FREE, its a great opportunity for practice runs:) The air conditioning isnt bad either;)
Playa vista is also offering movies at 8pm on some Friday nights at the bandshell in central park. Some are family friendly, some are not. Be sure to check the schedule before showing up for that. The night before the boys birthday party, my husband took them to see the muppets with my mother in law! They enjoyed snacks and sitting in their special park chairs. The glow sticks didnt hurt either:)
Marina fun
Playa Vista has a FREE beach shuttle!! It runs only Friday-Sunday, starting 10am. It has special holiday hours as well, but Im mostly into it because its a new form of transport for the boys. They LOVE anything that moves, and I LOVE FREE:) There are several drop points along the shuttle route. Its also linked with a waterbus system that takes passengers around the marina. The water bus is $1 per rider, only operates Friday 5pm - Sunday. . . cheapest marina cruise ever!!! When we went, we did not have a stroller, but I did see a family roll their stroller on board without a problem. Id imagine its wheelchair accessible too.
A few weekends ago, we rode the shuttle out of Playa Vista and got off in Fishermans Village. We had dinner at El Torito and enjoyed the view of the water and boats, without the hassle and cost of parking there. Definitely a nice touch. The kids loved waiting at the bus stop and were super excited to ride again!
We returned in the morning, and again dropped the car in Playa Vista and got off in Fishermans Village. This time, we boarded the water bus and cruised over to Mothers beach. We walked around the sand and had lunch at the cheesecake factory. The kids were getting cranky, so we opted for the shuttle ride back instead of the waterbus. It was kind of hard to get the shuttle there because there was somer construction going on so the mapped shuttle stop wasnt exactly where we expected to find it. My husband found another nearby stop though and we made it home in one piece.
It was really fun to have two forms of transportation to explore in one morning!
mommy adventures, on the cheap!! Train birthday party
A few weeks ago, after sharing stories of a fun day with a friend, he told me i should be blogging this stuff!!! He was right, and being that I had blogged for years, his comment reminded me that i miss it. Why did I stop? Twins. . . thats why! That and a dying laptop, and a new ipad with no keyboard that I actually wanted to use. Fast forward to a new mac mini in the house, and I still didnt get back into it. My husband was wonderful enough to bring home a super cool keyboard for the ipad and Im set:)
I didnt start though because I was trying to decide how to categorize our little adventures. . . price? transportation? season? Tonight, I finally decided it doesnt matter! I just want to share our stories and cheap/fun finds so my friends and their friends can perhaps benefit from our brilliance:)
My boys turned 3 last month. I didnt want to host a conventional party, nor could we afford one of those cute indoor play facilites. . 300-400 bucks, and thats not even food, cake or party favors?!?!? SO! We took our inspriation from a super fun playdate with a mommy friend.
We rode the new train line from La Cienega/Jefferson to the California Science Center! Train tickets are $1.50 per adult, per boarding, and kids are free until they are 5! Each adult ticket allows 2 kids (i think) so its not like one adult can drag 30 kids along. . . not that theyd want to. Anyway, we spent the morning together running around the museum, we ate lunch on the benches outside and rode the train home. This was one of several train trips we had taken since the recent opening of the metro/expo line, but every time, the kids get SO excited to ride the TRAIN:)
For the kids party, we invited families to meet us early at the train station. We all met in the parking lot, which was a ghost town. . . who is riding the train at 10am on a Saturday? Families with young kids! :) We loaded birthday gifts into our car, and loaded up our wonderful beach cart with our party essentials (which were minimal since the location was the attraction!) A few families opted to drive their cars to the science center, but most everyone rode the train with us:) Once at the center, everyone weas free to explore on their own and we decided to meet back in the entrance to the rose garden at noon. We ordered pizza from a local pizza hut and went about our morning. I met the pizza guy a few minutes early and texted all the parents that lunch had arrived. The weather was hotter than I expected, but it worked out well. We found an empty gazebo in the rose garden and enjoyed lunch in the shade. Everyone was impressed with my fancy rainbow cupcakes (thanks pintrest!) and we finished out the day with bubble wands from the party favor bags. BIG hit and it made for great pix too!! The train ride back was prety quiet as our previously excited kiddos were zonked:)
I was so thrilled with how their special day came out. Everyone had fun, and $$ was minimal:) We paid for adult tickets, pizza and drinks, party fee to the science center, party favors and cupckae mix (this was a big savings because I spent hours baking and decorating)
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Sarah's FANTASTIC Challah recipe
Okay. . . so its more like a Challah cake, but OMG! So good:) I met Sarah while we were living in Texas. We shared several Shabbat dinners with their family, and for some time, they were our Jewish connection away from home. We always looooved her challah, and one Friday morning, she had me come over and learn with her. All the while, her 4 (i think 4. . .they have more now) kiddos ran around happily enjoying the smells of a yummy dinner that night.
This recipe is HUGE, but the dough freezes well, and if you only make it for your family, it can last 5 weeks or so. . . . if you share (:)) then less time. . .
1/2 cup warm water
4 packets active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
**************************
7 eggs (really 8 because one is needed to paint the braided challah with for that golden shiny look, set this one aside)
2 cups sugar
1.5 cups vegetable oil
7 teaspoons salt
4 cups boiling water
1 5 lb bag of flour (i've used wheat flour and its fine)
Place warm water, yeast and sugar (only 1 tbsp) in a separate bowl. leave to rise.
In a large bowl, put in:
7 eggs
sugar (2 cups)
oil
salt
4 cups boiling water
Mix (i use my hands:)
add risen yeast mixture
then add :
flour
knead very well
leave to rise about 3 hours
*keep 1/2 cup of flour for the balling process
ball up some dough, and make 3 (or more) dough ropes for braiding
'paint' with beaten egg
leave to rise 30 minutes
bake at 350 for 30 minutes
enjoy!!!!
This recipe is HUGE, but the dough freezes well, and if you only make it for your family, it can last 5 weeks or so. . . . if you share (:)) then less time. . .
1/2 cup warm water
4 packets active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
**************************
7 eggs (really 8 because one is needed to paint the braided challah with for that golden shiny look, set this one aside)
2 cups sugar
1.5 cups vegetable oil
7 teaspoons salt
4 cups boiling water
1 5 lb bag of flour (i've used wheat flour and its fine)
Place warm water, yeast and sugar (only 1 tbsp) in a separate bowl. leave to rise.
In a large bowl, put in:
7 eggs
sugar (2 cups)
oil
salt
4 cups boiling water
Mix (i use my hands:)
add risen yeast mixture
then add :
flour
knead very well
leave to rise about 3 hours
*keep 1/2 cup of flour for the balling process
ball up some dough, and make 3 (or more) dough ropes for braiding
'paint' with beaten egg
leave to rise 30 minutes
bake at 350 for 30 minutes
enjoy!!!!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Gali's Beans and Yellow Rice
A mama friend of mine shared the following with our mama;s group. Ive made it a couple times already and its been a HIT with my boys!
Prepare Zatarans Yellow Rice as the box instructs.
5 minutes before its done, add:
4 spoonfuls of diced or crushed tomatoes
**I added:
a can of black beans
and steamed peas from the freezer (the birds eye steam in the bag kind)
This makes a lot of food, especially toddler sized portions, and keeps well in the fridge for a few days. This may become something I make almost weekly and keep on hand for easy meals for the kids!!
Prepare Zatarans Yellow Rice as the box instructs.
5 minutes before its done, add:
4 spoonfuls of diced or crushed tomatoes
**I added:
a can of black beans
and steamed peas from the freezer (the birds eye steam in the bag kind)
This makes a lot of food, especially toddler sized portions, and keeps well in the fridge for a few days. This may become something I make almost weekly and keep on hand for easy meals for the kids!!
Danah's Turkey Meatloaf
This recipe is super yummy. Ive had it twice before, and we all enjoy it! I finally asked for the recipe and here it is:
2 lbs. ground turkey ( any combo, turkey breast or reg. ground (more flavorful)
2 medium stalks celery, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
3/4 c. whole wheat breadcrumbs ( or regular, just not as healthy)
1/3 c. fat-free milk ( or regular, just not as healthy), or you can use chicken broth
1 TBSP. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 egg white
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 TBSP. olive oil ( any healthy oil to cook celery and onion in)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
BBQ sauce of your choice for the top.
Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.Add onion and celery. after 3 minutes add garlic. Cook for 5 more minutes until everything gets soft.Stir frequently to avoid browning. Let cool before adding to turkey loaf.
In a separate bowl, add turkey, breadcrumbs, egg,egg white, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, ketchup,milk, and COOLED celery,onion and garlic mixture.Mix well, do not over mix.Mixture will be moist.
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray it with PAM. Form the turkey mixture into a loaf. Pour BBQ sauce on top. Bake for 1 hour, or until the center temperature reads 165 degrees. Let meat stand 10 minutes before slicing
2 lbs. ground turkey ( any combo, turkey breast or reg. ground (more flavorful)
2 medium stalks celery, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
3/4 c. whole wheat breadcrumbs ( or regular, just not as healthy)
1/3 c. fat-free milk ( or regular, just not as healthy), or you can use chicken broth
1 TBSP. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 egg white
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 TBSP. olive oil ( any healthy oil to cook celery and onion in)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
BBQ sauce of your choice for the top.
Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.Add onion and celery. after 3 minutes add garlic. Cook for 5 more minutes until everything gets soft.Stir frequently to avoid browning. Let cool before adding to turkey loaf.
In a separate bowl, add turkey, breadcrumbs, egg,egg white, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, ketchup,milk, and COOLED celery,onion and garlic mixture.Mix well, do not over mix.Mixture will be moist.
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray it with PAM. Form the turkey mixture into a loaf. Pour BBQ sauce on top. Bake for 1 hour, or until the center temperature reads 165 degrees. Let meat stand 10 minutes before slicing
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Almond Butter Banana breakfast muffins
I found this recipe:
http://weelicious.com/2010/08/11/breakfast-cupcakes/
on weelicious. Weelicious is a kids food blog, only its not crap. . not at ALL!!! I adapted the recipe to use almond butter and i added 4 bananas, and I doubled the recipe since we have company this weekend:) They came out really yummy, but next time, if I use almond butter again, I might more than double the amount. I could have had more almond butter taste in there.
http://weelicious.com/2010/08/11/breakfast-cupcakes/
on weelicious. Weelicious is a kids food blog, only its not crap. . not at ALL!!! I adapted the recipe to use almond butter and i added 4 bananas, and I doubled the recipe since we have company this weekend:) They came out really yummy, but next time, if I use almond butter again, I might more than double the amount. I could have had more almond butter taste in there.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Chicken Escondido
Check out this link,
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/recipes.asp?recipe=22525
I doubled this recipe earlier this week. We added chopped mushrooms and chopped yellow, orange and red peppers. The recipe was a bit skimpy on the balsamic vinegar, and I added olive oil since everything else was doubled - it was needed to sautee more stuff. came out GREAT!!! our friend and her toddler were staying with us for a few days, and all three kids ate this dinner very well. N picked out all the black beans and ate those!!
I made and doubled the recipe again tonight, and added mushrooms, but forgot about the sundried tomatoes. Still VERY good, and my boys did well with this dish. This was especially thrilling since they have been teething/sick/picky the last few days.
Both times, we added brown rice - the kind you heat up in a bag for 3 minutes from the freezer. Leftovers are awesome in a tortilla. . . . definitely looking forward to lunch tomorrow:)
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/recipes.asp?recipe=22525
I doubled this recipe earlier this week. We added chopped mushrooms and chopped yellow, orange and red peppers. The recipe was a bit skimpy on the balsamic vinegar, and I added olive oil since everything else was doubled - it was needed to sautee more stuff. came out GREAT!!! our friend and her toddler were staying with us for a few days, and all three kids ate this dinner very well. N picked out all the black beans and ate those!!
I made and doubled the recipe again tonight, and added mushrooms, but forgot about the sundried tomatoes. Still VERY good, and my boys did well with this dish. This was especially thrilling since they have been teething/sick/picky the last few days.
Both times, we added brown rice - the kind you heat up in a bag for 3 minutes from the freezer. Leftovers are awesome in a tortilla. . . . definitely looking forward to lunch tomorrow:)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
'Fiesta Tuna Salad!'
I figure Ill call it that when the kids are old enough to know what it is. . . I made some tuna this afternoon, and used my lovely hand chopper to finely chop a red, yellow and orange pepper, some carrots and some cucumber. Add to tuna, DONE! SUPER yummy, very pretty and an easy way to sneak veggies into the kids, and even me:)
drain tuna can
add mayo or whatever you use
chop veggies finely
add to tuna, mix well
enjoy!
drain tuna can
add mayo or whatever you use
chop veggies finely
add to tuna, mix well
enjoy!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
A couple things I might have done differently. . .
Babywearing:
As Ive shared multiple times, I was horrified of my kids when they were babies. Whether or not that fear was valid, thats up for more discussion, lol, but seriously, I was horrified. From a very early time though, I wanted and really needed them to be somewhat independent. I didnt want my kids to need to be with me at all times, or need to be held in order to sleep or settle. I wanted my body back and some freedom - remember, 15 weeks of bed rest because my body wasnt mine, but was a baby baker. However, things as always, did not go as planned. I still feel to this day that E was traumatized during his second hospital stay. Im sure the care was good and all, but he had spent 28 days in the hospital, came home for 2 weeks and then was back for a few days with his reflux. He was taken away, again. The beginning weeks and months of a childs life are vital for their attachment to family, mommy and daddy. . . and he had to go back to the hospital. He came home and we had to re-learn how to feed him. We had to give him prevacid 3 times a day. He screamed, a lot. Especially during the first weeks while the medicine kicked in and started to heal him to he could feel better. Through my own exhaustion and hormones, it was hard to see past my own discomfort. I was still afraid of creating this dependent creature, and I failed to see that he and N were born dependent creatures. That it wasnt the time to teach independence. . . yet. While N was ok to be left in the crib or pack n play with a toy or musical toy going, E just wasnt there yet. N hadnt been taken from his home though, his NICU issues were far less severe than E's.
So, what might I have done differently? I would have worn E all the time! Baby wearing is the use of a baby bjorn type thing. There are a million on the market, and its important to find what is comfortable for you and baby at the same time. There is one on the market called the baby ergo:
http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/
I wish I had gotten that one. Everyone I know who has it looooves it. Im not sure what the weight limit is, but I understand you can use it for quite some time. I think E would have benefitted from being close more, earlier. I gave in at one point and bought a maya wrap, but I wasnt as happy with it and didnt use it as often as Id have liked. I tihnk I might have if it was more comfortable. Part of the issue too was that the ergo cost $100+. But. . . I probably could have found on on craigslist and washed it. . . . whatever. . . hindsight is 20/20, and I promise you, and the dr. agrees, both E and N are perfectly happy, well adjusted, developing on target little men:)
Its just a PHASE!
Often I have said I wish someone told me that. . bla bla bla. But I cant say this here. We've all heard that 'oh, its just a phase'. Babies do that, and it changes, etc. . nothing is forever. Im not sure how I could have hard wired this into my brain, especially since Im still working on that part. But nothing is forever, as soon as you get one thing down, another changes. Its all fluid. A LOT of trial and error. I havent figured out a way around that part yet, but will share if I do. I had a hard time with the sleep thing, and the routine thing. Every time we had a piece of the sleep issues down, or a new part of the routine that I felt worked. . . anything that threatened anything I had down pat was to be squashed. Eventually though. . . they go to sleep, mama gets her shower, and even gets to sleep. . . through the night:) It might take a while, but it DOES happen. I was so hung up on not losing any part of what I had created that I refused help and made up excuses a lot. Maybe it was the hormones?
Again though, I have to say. . . . my boys are happy, healthy, and currently as I type? Playing in their cribs before nap time:)
As Ive shared multiple times, I was horrified of my kids when they were babies. Whether or not that fear was valid, thats up for more discussion, lol, but seriously, I was horrified. From a very early time though, I wanted and really needed them to be somewhat independent. I didnt want my kids to need to be with me at all times, or need to be held in order to sleep or settle. I wanted my body back and some freedom - remember, 15 weeks of bed rest because my body wasnt mine, but was a baby baker. However, things as always, did not go as planned. I still feel to this day that E was traumatized during his second hospital stay. Im sure the care was good and all, but he had spent 28 days in the hospital, came home for 2 weeks and then was back for a few days with his reflux. He was taken away, again. The beginning weeks and months of a childs life are vital for their attachment to family, mommy and daddy. . . and he had to go back to the hospital. He came home and we had to re-learn how to feed him. We had to give him prevacid 3 times a day. He screamed, a lot. Especially during the first weeks while the medicine kicked in and started to heal him to he could feel better. Through my own exhaustion and hormones, it was hard to see past my own discomfort. I was still afraid of creating this dependent creature, and I failed to see that he and N were born dependent creatures. That it wasnt the time to teach independence. . . yet. While N was ok to be left in the crib or pack n play with a toy or musical toy going, E just wasnt there yet. N hadnt been taken from his home though, his NICU issues were far less severe than E's.
So, what might I have done differently? I would have worn E all the time! Baby wearing is the use of a baby bjorn type thing. There are a million on the market, and its important to find what is comfortable for you and baby at the same time. There is one on the market called the baby ergo:
http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/
I wish I had gotten that one. Everyone I know who has it looooves it. Im not sure what the weight limit is, but I understand you can use it for quite some time. I think E would have benefitted from being close more, earlier. I gave in at one point and bought a maya wrap, but I wasnt as happy with it and didnt use it as often as Id have liked. I tihnk I might have if it was more comfortable. Part of the issue too was that the ergo cost $100+. But. . . I probably could have found on on craigslist and washed it. . . . whatever. . . hindsight is 20/20, and I promise you, and the dr. agrees, both E and N are perfectly happy, well adjusted, developing on target little men:)
Its just a PHASE!
Often I have said I wish someone told me that. . bla bla bla. But I cant say this here. We've all heard that 'oh, its just a phase'. Babies do that, and it changes, etc. . nothing is forever. Im not sure how I could have hard wired this into my brain, especially since Im still working on that part. But nothing is forever, as soon as you get one thing down, another changes. Its all fluid. A LOT of trial and error. I havent figured out a way around that part yet, but will share if I do. I had a hard time with the sleep thing, and the routine thing. Every time we had a piece of the sleep issues down, or a new part of the routine that I felt worked. . . anything that threatened anything I had down pat was to be squashed. Eventually though. . . they go to sleep, mama gets her shower, and even gets to sleep. . . through the night:) It might take a while, but it DOES happen. I was so hung up on not losing any part of what I had created that I refused help and made up excuses a lot. Maybe it was the hormones?
Again though, I have to say. . . . my boys are happy, healthy, and currently as I type? Playing in their cribs before nap time:)
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Toddler activities
Just came across this note on my computer. I do not know the source, but want to specify, the ideas are not mine and I cannot take credit, just sharing, enjoy!
1. COLORED RICE
An idea for indoor entertainment at home is letting them play with colored rice ….if they can be trained not to put it in their mouths.
Get a storage container - it's nice if it's large enough for 1 child to sit in cause they'll be determined to do it- I make them take turns- (my container is maybe 2ft long, 1.5ft wide and 5" high? small enough that I can lift it and store it, but just large enough for 1 child to sit in and many children to gather around) and fill it with rainbow colored uncooked white rice. Lay down a bed sheet/table cloth/paint drop cloth, put the rice in the storage container on top of the sheet. Give them funnels and jars to fill up, spoons, measuring cups if you want to work discussing full/empty terms with them, a few plastic animals they'll enjoy burying and then finding......when they're done, you can use the bedsheet to funnel in rice that spilled out of the container back into the container, and rice that went beyond the sheet is swept up and thrown away. To make colored rice, buy many bags of basic white rice, and put rice in ziploc bags. Drop in food coloring with 2 Tbls rubbing alchol which helps the dye stay and not rub off on hands. Mix the rice up in the ziplock back then lay out on a baking sheet and let dry for a bit – you could also try maybe low temp in the oven. This is a winner for many ages and keeps them focused for a while. Then store the container and sheet away to use another time. We've been using ours for 4 years now, and even with all the rice I sweep and throw away I still haven't had to make more colored rice. And rice is far easier to sweep than sand, so that's why I champion this as better indoor texture play than a box of sand.
2. Large boxes with packing peanuts
Kids love to jump in, hide in and play with packing peanuts in large boxes. I keep them around until the boxes are destroyed.
3. Body painting before bath time. Use washable paints, strip them down to their diapers, put some paint on some paper plates and let them go. Messy – yes – but washable paints are quick and easy to clean up. Buy some rolls of butcher paper and cover the floor so they can make footprint art (makes unique wrapping paper).
4. Playhut’s indoor pop up tents, tunnels and ball tent. Playhut has easy to fold and store pop up tents with attachable tunnels, etc. A ball tent is great – you can pick up bags of ball tent balls at Toys R Us (much cheaper than ordering that online and paying for shipping) – you’ll need at least 200 balls for a ball tent. I’ll pull out the ball tent for 2 weeks, then pack it up (balls come in re-zipperable bags) and store away for a while. The other huts and tunnels can be fit into small rooms- I'll even run it down a hallway.
5. Magna doodles – my favorite first drawing tool….as I dislike Crayola’s Wonder markers since it takes a second or two after the child has drawn for the line to appear and this confuses the child.
6. Make your own playdoh and provide some plastic scissors, small plastic cookie cutters, children’s rolling pins, and pastry wheels to play with.
COLORED PLAYDOUGH
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup salt
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar
Food coloring
Saucepan
1 cup flour
Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm. Remove from heat and add flour. Stir, then knead until smooth. The cream of tartar makes this dough last 6 months or longer, so resist the temptation to omit this ingredient if you don’t have it on hand. Store this dough in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag.
7. Colored sand/salt art. Buy colored sand, or color your own sand or salt using powdered paints. Put the colored sand/salt in salt shakers. Give each child a piece of paper in a tray/cookie sheet and let them ‘draw’ with a glue stick. Then allow them to shake the colored sand/salt on their drawing, tip the paper up and there is their masterpiece....and toss the left over salt in the tray.
8. Even the smallest back yards or condo patios can usually fit a sand box or water table or sand/water table. Ditto with smaller play slides from Step 2 or Little Tikes.
9. HUNTS:
a) Plastic egg hunts – it doesn’t need to be easter. Fill some with their favorite snacks, place them around the room and let them gather them. If you don’t have plastic eggs, tie snack filled ziplock bags with ribbon.
b) If you have a sandbox, buy some rocks and gold paint spray at Home depot – spray the rocks, bury the rocks in the sandbox and let them hunt for gold. Or toss the rocks around the backyard and let them hunt for them.
10. Begin teaching them how to do playful wrestling – no biting, no shoes, no kicking…the kids will do it naturally on their own but better that you make it an “activity” so they learn how to do it nicely. And, if any of your children are boys then wrestling is a necessity to burn off “boy energy.” Any time my son is starting to get whiny, I find spending 5 mins wrestling with him can make a remarkable difference. I often get trapped into a power struggle with him and then suddenly a lightbulb will go off in my head and I realize I haven't wrestled with him in a while - and bingo, the behavior problems end for the day.
11. Get a gym mat so they can practice tumbling…most mats fold up so you can slide in a closet/behind a bureau, etc.
12. They are old enough for imaginary play and cooking/playing restaurant is fun for boys and girls at this age…so if you don’t already have a play kitchen, get one.
13. Check out the books by Trish Kuffner. I love “The Toddler’s Busy Book”
I know you specified “at home” activities, but there are 3 field trips that I think are manageable with 1 adult + multiples - plus parking is free and easy. It's a short walk from your car to the first 2, a bit of a longer walk for Skirball so you may need a stroller:
1. Playa Vista Sports Park – it is gated and has a security guard usually posted outside.
2. The Zimmer Children’s Musuem – a small “contained” museum with only 1 exit that has staff posted at it. So kids can run around downstairs without you worrying about anyone disappearing. Great for all ages. Children are free, you pay for the adults but a membership can be well worth it. They also offer toddler art and cooking classes.
3. The Skirball’s Noah’s Ark Exhibit.- you have to prebuy date/timed tickets through their website (look into a membership) but again this is another “contained” exhibit with lots of staff walking around to keep an eye on the kids – so if your kids run in 3 separate directions you don’t need to panic. Great for all ages. During the summer you can time your entrance along with watching one of their 30min free family conferences on weekends, and when the kids are a bit older…maybe 2 ½ or 3, during the summer there is also a free drop in art studio you can hit after the Noah exhibit, thereby really maximizing your time there.....there are also outside tables so you can bring a picnic lunch, or eat while watching a free concert.
1. COLORED RICE
An idea for indoor entertainment at home is letting them play with colored rice ….if they can be trained not to put it in their mouths.
Get a storage container - it's nice if it's large enough for 1 child to sit in cause they'll be determined to do it- I make them take turns- (my container is maybe 2ft long, 1.5ft wide and 5" high? small enough that I can lift it and store it, but just large enough for 1 child to sit in and many children to gather around) and fill it with rainbow colored uncooked white rice. Lay down a bed sheet/table cloth/paint drop cloth, put the rice in the storage container on top of the sheet. Give them funnels and jars to fill up, spoons, measuring cups if you want to work discussing full/empty terms with them, a few plastic animals they'll enjoy burying and then finding......when they're done, you can use the bedsheet to funnel in rice that spilled out of the container back into the container, and rice that went beyond the sheet is swept up and thrown away. To make colored rice, buy many bags of basic white rice, and put rice in ziploc bags. Drop in food coloring with 2 Tbls rubbing alchol which helps the dye stay and not rub off on hands. Mix the rice up in the ziplock back then lay out on a baking sheet and let dry for a bit – you could also try maybe low temp in the oven. This is a winner for many ages and keeps them focused for a while. Then store the container and sheet away to use another time. We've been using ours for 4 years now, and even with all the rice I sweep and throw away I still haven't had to make more colored rice. And rice is far easier to sweep than sand, so that's why I champion this as better indoor texture play than a box of sand.
2. Large boxes with packing peanuts
Kids love to jump in, hide in and play with packing peanuts in large boxes. I keep them around until the boxes are destroyed.
3. Body painting before bath time. Use washable paints, strip them down to their diapers, put some paint on some paper plates and let them go. Messy – yes – but washable paints are quick and easy to clean up. Buy some rolls of butcher paper and cover the floor so they can make footprint art (makes unique wrapping paper).
4. Playhut’s indoor pop up tents, tunnels and ball tent. Playhut has easy to fold and store pop up tents with attachable tunnels, etc. A ball tent is great – you can pick up bags of ball tent balls at Toys R Us (much cheaper than ordering that online and paying for shipping) – you’ll need at least 200 balls for a ball tent. I’ll pull out the ball tent for 2 weeks, then pack it up (balls come in re-zipperable bags) and store away for a while. The other huts and tunnels can be fit into small rooms- I'll even run it down a hallway.
5. Magna doodles – my favorite first drawing tool….as I dislike Crayola’s Wonder markers since it takes a second or two after the child has drawn for the line to appear and this confuses the child.
6. Make your own playdoh and provide some plastic scissors, small plastic cookie cutters, children’s rolling pins, and pastry wheels to play with.
COLORED PLAYDOUGH
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup salt
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar
Food coloring
Saucepan
1 cup flour
Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm. Remove from heat and add flour. Stir, then knead until smooth. The cream of tartar makes this dough last 6 months or longer, so resist the temptation to omit this ingredient if you don’t have it on hand. Store this dough in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag.
7. Colored sand/salt art. Buy colored sand, or color your own sand or salt using powdered paints. Put the colored sand/salt in salt shakers. Give each child a piece of paper in a tray/cookie sheet and let them ‘draw’ with a glue stick. Then allow them to shake the colored sand/salt on their drawing, tip the paper up and there is their masterpiece....and toss the left over salt in the tray.
8. Even the smallest back yards or condo patios can usually fit a sand box or water table or sand/water table. Ditto with smaller play slides from Step 2 or Little Tikes.
9. HUNTS:
a) Plastic egg hunts – it doesn’t need to be easter. Fill some with their favorite snacks, place them around the room and let them gather them. If you don’t have plastic eggs, tie snack filled ziplock bags with ribbon.
b) If you have a sandbox, buy some rocks and gold paint spray at Home depot – spray the rocks, bury the rocks in the sandbox and let them hunt for gold. Or toss the rocks around the backyard and let them hunt for them.
10. Begin teaching them how to do playful wrestling – no biting, no shoes, no kicking…the kids will do it naturally on their own but better that you make it an “activity” so they learn how to do it nicely. And, if any of your children are boys then wrestling is a necessity to burn off “boy energy.” Any time my son is starting to get whiny, I find spending 5 mins wrestling with him can make a remarkable difference. I often get trapped into a power struggle with him and then suddenly a lightbulb will go off in my head and I realize I haven't wrestled with him in a while - and bingo, the behavior problems end for the day.
11. Get a gym mat so they can practice tumbling…most mats fold up so you can slide in a closet/behind a bureau, etc.
12. They are old enough for imaginary play and cooking/playing restaurant is fun for boys and girls at this age…so if you don’t already have a play kitchen, get one.
13. Check out the books by Trish Kuffner. I love “The Toddler’s Busy Book”
I know you specified “at home” activities, but there are 3 field trips that I think are manageable with 1 adult + multiples - plus parking is free and easy. It's a short walk from your car to the first 2, a bit of a longer walk for Skirball so you may need a stroller:
1. Playa Vista Sports Park – it is gated and has a security guard usually posted outside.
2. The Zimmer Children’s Musuem – a small “contained” museum with only 1 exit that has staff posted at it. So kids can run around downstairs without you worrying about anyone disappearing. Great for all ages. Children are free, you pay for the adults but a membership can be well worth it. They also offer toddler art and cooking classes.
3. The Skirball’s Noah’s Ark Exhibit.- you have to prebuy date/timed tickets through their website (look into a membership) but again this is another “contained” exhibit with lots of staff walking around to keep an eye on the kids – so if your kids run in 3 separate directions you don’t need to panic. Great for all ages. During the summer you can time your entrance along with watching one of their 30min free family conferences on weekends, and when the kids are a bit older…maybe 2 ½ or 3, during the summer there is also a free drop in art studio you can hit after the Noah exhibit, thereby really maximizing your time there.....there are also outside tables so you can bring a picnic lunch, or eat while watching a free concert.
Twins and the stuff
A lot of people think that having two babies means two of everything. Two of the same toy, book, blanket, swing, bouncy chair, etc. Its NOT true! There are obvious things a twin family needs two of. . . cribs, car seats, high chairs / boosters.
Bouncer
I'd recommend a bouncy chair AND a swing to start and then you can see which your kids prefer. We started with two bouncers:
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-K2564-Rainforest-Bouncer/dp/B000I2WB6G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293687266&sr=8-1
A bouncer like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Infant-Toddler-Rocker-Friends/dp/B001HTJS60/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1293687326&sr=8-3
might even be better. I like toys and items that grow with the child since a phase only last so long, and lets face it. . . we only have so much space! This chair starts as a bouncer, and progresses to a rocker/stationary chair.
Swing
And got a swing later on. . . niether of my boys like the swing. It could be because we waited a while to get one, but in any event. . we returned the darn thing!! I know other families who swear by their swing, so its worth looking into.
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Sweet-Peace-Soother-Cuddly/dp/B002T4F0UU/ref=sr_1_17?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1293687582&sr=1-17
Car Seats
We used the graco snugride car seat:
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-SnugRide-Infant-Tango-Tongo/dp/B001PNAL5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1293687653&sr=1-1
It was rated highly on consumer reports, so we went with it.
When it was time to move on to convertible car seats, we went with the Evenflo Triumph.
http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Triumph-Advance-Convertible-Harbortown/dp/B000YZD0QM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1293688305&sr=1-1-spell
Again, it had a strong consumer reports rating. We got one for N at about 10 months, and another for E a few months later. E has always been smaller, so we didnt feel the need to upgrade him just because we were getting a new one for N, who was too tall for the infant seat! We DID, however, have to say goodbye to our snap n go at this point. Once one kid is out of the infant seat, the snap n go was useless. This initial transfer is expensive, but when the second kiddo is ready for the bigger car seat, its just one purchase at that point.
There are some car seats that are safe for an infant -toddler of some age. I think starting with the infant car seat is best because of the versatility. A sleeping baby can easily be carried in and out of the car, the store, mall, wherever. . . but if you have a stationary convertible car seat, the baby needs to be taken out at each stop - a rough time for busy parents, and especially parents of twinssss. Our grace snug ride had an optional snap n swing so if we came home with sleeping babies, we could snap the swing in to keep the motion of the car going - at least some semblance of it.
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-SnugGlider-Swing-SnugRide-Infant/dp/B000M4K4BY/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1293688665&sr=1-1
We also picked this car seat because it has a high weight for rear facing. Legally, a childs seat can be turned forward at 1 year or 22 lbs. . . maybe 20, cant remember. Studies I cannot site because I dont remember, have shown that the longer a kid is rear facing, the safer they are and more likely they are to survive an accident. G-d forbid of course, but we have both boys rear facing still, at almost 19 months, and at 26 and 22 lbs.
Strollers
Graco makes a whole travel system: car seats, car seat bases (a base that sits in the car and the car seat snaps into it for easy in and out) and a stroller. Its a great combo, but VERY bulky. Most twin strollers are bulky, but I just coudnt handle this ginormo stroller, PLUS the car seats in there. . picture the link below, WITH car seats. . . just a huge freakin bus!
http://about.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php/page_id=1997/form_keyword=graco+duoglider/rd=1/st=query
We started with the Babytrend snap n go:
http://www.babytrend.com/strollers_snap-n-go/1305TW.html
This was awesome and worked so well for me. I was on my own a lot with the kids, and this stroller is just poles so it weighs like nothing. VERY easy in and out of the car and stroller, and light, which was nice to my back:)
Once the boys were big enough, and out of their infant car seats, we opted for the Kolcraft contours duo stroller:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VPCPRS/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000J2DQPA&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0G8BCX7SQFXSFEN6D6K9
I liked this stroller because the seats can change position. I had visions, which have come true over and over again, of my boys pulling each others hair. For amusement, meanness, crankyness. . . whatever. . they pull hair! Soon, Im sure they will be kicking each other too. This stroller is cool because my kids can face each other, both face me, both face front, OR even face away from each other. . . . this might be a good timeout positioning if we come to that in the stroller. They HAVE figured out that they can reach over the top of the front sitter, if he is facing forwards, and still pull his hair. I cant imagine how they would be in something side by side though, even as luxurious as the city mini.
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Jogger-Double-Stroller-Orange/dp/B003WIYO2C/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1293688210&sr=1-2
The kolcraft is a bulky fit when folded up and the city mini folds like a dream, but it costs more too. . . . tough call, but I still think we went the right way.
Pack n play
There is a pack n play out there that is specifically for twins. . . I think its totally unnecessary. We had the chicco lullaby play yard:
http://www.amazon.com/Chicco-Lullaby-Baby-Playard-Discovery/dp/B003ER9926/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1293688719&sr=1-3
Honestly. . . I think we went overboard on this request. It was a bit too fancy for what we really needed. As new parents though, I went with things I read and blah blah blah. As long as the pack n play is safe, has a bassinet and a changing table, I think its great. The bassinet attaches to the rim of the pack n play and holds the babies up at a high level, easier on your back, and for good reason. . . teeny new babies arent climbing yet, so they can be up high with little risk of them flopping out onto the floor. We bundled both boys in the bassinett together until they were over the 15lb combined weight limit. Being that N was born at 5'5 and E was 4'7, we had some time. This is obviously not the way to go with twins born at 6lbs each!
One thing I liked about this pack n play was it came with a snap on night light. . . I was paranoid and checked to make sure they were breathing at all hours. We started out in a small apartment, with the pack n play at the foot of our bed - there wasnt room to have it on the side next to us. I slept upside down for a long time. . . my head at the foot of the bed near my babies and my feet near by poor hubbys face.
High chair
We have two evenflo high chairs. . they are huge. I cant even find a link for them online anymore, so maybe they are discontinued??? Either way, its important to read reviews. Its also important to have something easy to clean because these things get DIRTY!!! No fabric, fancy stuff. . . plastic lined, all washable, wipeable surfaces:)
Im undecided, but I think maybe we could have been better off choosing a booster with tray that sits on a chair, at the kitchen table. Im not sure though because even now, with almost 19 month olds, its nice to have space for 4 adults to sit, and the kids have their own messy eating space.
For travel eating, I think this munchkin booster seat is a MUST!~
http://www.target.com/Munchkin-Travel-Booster-Seat-Green/dp/B002XMRGMS
Its awesome because it folds up small for keeping in the car, and when you drop by someones house, friends, family, or a restaurant without high chairs, you have a seat already! There is a storage compartment at the bottom for food utensils, diapers, wipes, toys, whatever! VERY cool thing:)
Bottles
We have used all kinds of different bottles. its a hard thing to figure out what bottle will work for one kid, let alone 2!! We spent a lot of money trying to figure it out and ended up with the playtex drop in system. Its not the greenest option, but it its the easiest to clean. The liners can be purchased at Target. . use their brand, its all fine, and they are recyclable. Its a monthly cost, but time is worth something too, right? E had acid reflux for 10 months, so we used the playtex ventaires with him - they are supposed to limit air intake, and cause less spit up and reflux spit up. These bottles have like 5 pieces and were a PAIN to clean!
Cribs
We got our baby furniture form IKEA. The cribs are convertible and turn into toddler beds - though Im dreading the day they can get out of bed on their own!!!
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60108663
We got the matching dresser and changing table too.
Swaddling
We loooved these aden and anais light weight swaddlers. They are really big and made swaddling really easy. I wish we had found them sooner! Receiving blankets werent as useful as these, and we got a TON of those!!!
I heard awesome things about the miracle blanket too, but never had the guts to spend the $40 on them to try it out, so I cant speak to that.
SIDS
any new parent will have read and overread things on SIDS, and how to prevent it, what it actually is. . . .we have had a fan in our boys room since day 1. Those are said to lower the risk. The risk also goes down as the kiddos get older. There is a definite risk of over heating a baby as well. In an air conditioned house, we were still worried. This is part of why I looooved the aden and anais swaddlers. We put the kids in diapers, onesies, and these swaddlers, and I felt like they were warm, but not hot.
More of the stuff to come later. . .
Bouncer
I'd recommend a bouncy chair AND a swing to start and then you can see which your kids prefer. We started with two bouncers:
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-K2564-Rainforest-Bouncer/dp/B000I2WB6G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293687266&sr=8-1
A bouncer like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Infant-Toddler-Rocker-Friends/dp/B001HTJS60/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1293687326&sr=8-3
might even be better. I like toys and items that grow with the child since a phase only last so long, and lets face it. . . we only have so much space! This chair starts as a bouncer, and progresses to a rocker/stationary chair.
Swing
And got a swing later on. . . niether of my boys like the swing. It could be because we waited a while to get one, but in any event. . we returned the darn thing!! I know other families who swear by their swing, so its worth looking into.
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Sweet-Peace-Soother-Cuddly/dp/B002T4F0UU/ref=sr_1_17?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1293687582&sr=1-17
Car Seats
We used the graco snugride car seat:
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-SnugRide-Infant-Tango-Tongo/dp/B001PNAL5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1293687653&sr=1-1
It was rated highly on consumer reports, so we went with it.
When it was time to move on to convertible car seats, we went with the Evenflo Triumph.
http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Triumph-Advance-Convertible-Harbortown/dp/B000YZD0QM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1293688305&sr=1-1-spell
Again, it had a strong consumer reports rating. We got one for N at about 10 months, and another for E a few months later. E has always been smaller, so we didnt feel the need to upgrade him just because we were getting a new one for N, who was too tall for the infant seat! We DID, however, have to say goodbye to our snap n go at this point. Once one kid is out of the infant seat, the snap n go was useless. This initial transfer is expensive, but when the second kiddo is ready for the bigger car seat, its just one purchase at that point.
There are some car seats that are safe for an infant -toddler of some age. I think starting with the infant car seat is best because of the versatility. A sleeping baby can easily be carried in and out of the car, the store, mall, wherever. . . but if you have a stationary convertible car seat, the baby needs to be taken out at each stop - a rough time for busy parents, and especially parents of twinssss. Our grace snug ride had an optional snap n swing so if we came home with sleeping babies, we could snap the swing in to keep the motion of the car going - at least some semblance of it.
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-SnugGlider-Swing-SnugRide-Infant/dp/B000M4K4BY/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1293688665&sr=1-1
We also picked this car seat because it has a high weight for rear facing. Legally, a childs seat can be turned forward at 1 year or 22 lbs. . . maybe 20, cant remember. Studies I cannot site because I dont remember, have shown that the longer a kid is rear facing, the safer they are and more likely they are to survive an accident. G-d forbid of course, but we have both boys rear facing still, at almost 19 months, and at 26 and 22 lbs.
Strollers
Graco makes a whole travel system: car seats, car seat bases (a base that sits in the car and the car seat snaps into it for easy in and out) and a stroller. Its a great combo, but VERY bulky. Most twin strollers are bulky, but I just coudnt handle this ginormo stroller, PLUS the car seats in there. . picture the link below, WITH car seats. . . just a huge freakin bus!
http://about.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php/page_id=1997/form_keyword=graco+duoglider/rd=1/st=query
We started with the Babytrend snap n go:
http://www.babytrend.com/strollers_snap-n-go/1305TW.html
This was awesome and worked so well for me. I was on my own a lot with the kids, and this stroller is just poles so it weighs like nothing. VERY easy in and out of the car and stroller, and light, which was nice to my back:)
Once the boys were big enough, and out of their infant car seats, we opted for the Kolcraft contours duo stroller:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VPCPRS/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000J2DQPA&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0G8BCX7SQFXSFEN6D6K9
I liked this stroller because the seats can change position. I had visions, which have come true over and over again, of my boys pulling each others hair. For amusement, meanness, crankyness. . . whatever. . they pull hair! Soon, Im sure they will be kicking each other too. This stroller is cool because my kids can face each other, both face me, both face front, OR even face away from each other. . . . this might be a good timeout positioning if we come to that in the stroller. They HAVE figured out that they can reach over the top of the front sitter, if he is facing forwards, and still pull his hair. I cant imagine how they would be in something side by side though, even as luxurious as the city mini.
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Jogger-Double-Stroller-Orange/dp/B003WIYO2C/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1293688210&sr=1-2
The kolcraft is a bulky fit when folded up and the city mini folds like a dream, but it costs more too. . . . tough call, but I still think we went the right way.
Pack n play
There is a pack n play out there that is specifically for twins. . . I think its totally unnecessary. We had the chicco lullaby play yard:
http://www.amazon.com/Chicco-Lullaby-Baby-Playard-Discovery/dp/B003ER9926/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1293688719&sr=1-3
Honestly. . . I think we went overboard on this request. It was a bit too fancy for what we really needed. As new parents though, I went with things I read and blah blah blah. As long as the pack n play is safe, has a bassinet and a changing table, I think its great. The bassinet attaches to the rim of the pack n play and holds the babies up at a high level, easier on your back, and for good reason. . . teeny new babies arent climbing yet, so they can be up high with little risk of them flopping out onto the floor. We bundled both boys in the bassinett together until they were over the 15lb combined weight limit. Being that N was born at 5'5 and E was 4'7, we had some time. This is obviously not the way to go with twins born at 6lbs each!
One thing I liked about this pack n play was it came with a snap on night light. . . I was paranoid and checked to make sure they were breathing at all hours. We started out in a small apartment, with the pack n play at the foot of our bed - there wasnt room to have it on the side next to us. I slept upside down for a long time. . . my head at the foot of the bed near my babies and my feet near by poor hubbys face.
High chair
We have two evenflo high chairs. . they are huge. I cant even find a link for them online anymore, so maybe they are discontinued??? Either way, its important to read reviews. Its also important to have something easy to clean because these things get DIRTY!!! No fabric, fancy stuff. . . plastic lined, all washable, wipeable surfaces:)
Im undecided, but I think maybe we could have been better off choosing a booster with tray that sits on a chair, at the kitchen table. Im not sure though because even now, with almost 19 month olds, its nice to have space for 4 adults to sit, and the kids have their own messy eating space.
For travel eating, I think this munchkin booster seat is a MUST!~
http://www.target.com/Munchkin-Travel-Booster-Seat-Green/dp/B002XMRGMS
Its awesome because it folds up small for keeping in the car, and when you drop by someones house, friends, family, or a restaurant without high chairs, you have a seat already! There is a storage compartment at the bottom for food utensils, diapers, wipes, toys, whatever! VERY cool thing:)
Bottles
We have used all kinds of different bottles. its a hard thing to figure out what bottle will work for one kid, let alone 2!! We spent a lot of money trying to figure it out and ended up with the playtex drop in system. Its not the greenest option, but it its the easiest to clean. The liners can be purchased at Target. . use their brand, its all fine, and they are recyclable. Its a monthly cost, but time is worth something too, right? E had acid reflux for 10 months, so we used the playtex ventaires with him - they are supposed to limit air intake, and cause less spit up and reflux spit up. These bottles have like 5 pieces and were a PAIN to clean!
Cribs
We got our baby furniture form IKEA. The cribs are convertible and turn into toddler beds - though Im dreading the day they can get out of bed on their own!!!
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60108663
We got the matching dresser and changing table too.
Swaddling
We loooved these aden and anais light weight swaddlers. They are really big and made swaddling really easy. I wish we had found them sooner! Receiving blankets werent as useful as these, and we got a TON of those!!!
I heard awesome things about the miracle blanket too, but never had the guts to spend the $40 on them to try it out, so I cant speak to that.
SIDS
any new parent will have read and overread things on SIDS, and how to prevent it, what it actually is. . . .we have had a fan in our boys room since day 1. Those are said to lower the risk. The risk also goes down as the kiddos get older. There is a definite risk of over heating a baby as well. In an air conditioned house, we were still worried. This is part of why I looooved the aden and anais swaddlers. We put the kids in diapers, onesies, and these swaddlers, and I felt like they were warm, but not hot.
More of the stuff to come later. . .
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
New Year's Eve Strawberry Champagne Sparkler Cupcakes
thinking about making these. . .
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/DC-Cupcakes-New-Years-Eve-Strawberry-Champagne-Sparkler-Cupcakes
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/DC-Cupcakes-New-Years-Eve-Strawberry-Champagne-Sparkler-Cupcakes
little red wagon, the deluxe version!
One of the kids millions of Channukah gifts was this red wagon:
Its soooo awesome!!! They have been getting a bit big for the stroller, and this wagon being so low to the ground gives them a new perspective on things. We loooove it:) We have gone on several walks and they turn into nature walks! The boys can reach out easily and touch the plants passing by. The seats have a removable padding, with extra pockets. There is some storage behind the back seat and the bag on the back of the wagon is huge! Holds a lot of stuff. There are cup holders in the wagon for sippies and on the outside for grown up water bottles. The canopy is great too and keeps the sun out of their eyes. There are several set ups for the seats, so this wagon for two kids, or one and storage, or even as a desk! Soooo great:)
Its soooo awesome!!! They have been getting a bit big for the stroller, and this wagon being so low to the ground gives them a new perspective on things. We loooove it:) We have gone on several walks and they turn into nature walks! The boys can reach out easily and touch the plants passing by. The seats have a removable padding, with extra pockets. There is some storage behind the back seat and the bag on the back of the wagon is huge! Holds a lot of stuff. There are cup holders in the wagon for sippies and on the outside for grown up water bottles. The canopy is great too and keeps the sun out of their eyes. There are several set ups for the seats, so this wagon for two kids, or one and storage, or even as a desk! Soooo great:)
Twin / multiple kid friendly parks
**continuouslty updated post. boys are nearing 21 months now.
As a mother of nearly 19 month old twins, my park options have severely dwindled. Where we used to join our playgroup at all the parks, now, as I can only chase a running toddler so fast. Even with our family living nearby, there are only so many hours in a day where someone is available to chase with me because people have jobs! Soooo. . . . here is what we've been doing. . .
Irving Schachter Park, Beverlywood
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=irving+schachter+park&fb=1&gl=us&hq=irving+schachter+park&hnear=irving+schachter+park&cid=6121344263658565275
We recently discovered this park with the help of our playgroup as well! Its a bit more of a drive than I'd like for a park, BUT being that we have twins and therefore more restrictions on where I can take the kids on my own, its worth it. This park is also totally gated, but bigger than the toddler park in Playa Vista. It was a great time with plenty of space for the kids to run around and push our wagon along. It did make it more difficult to see where my boys were at any given moment. I was comfortable though because I was in a group of 5+ mamas who also watch out for everyones kiddos.
There is a lot of sand at this park and plenty of concrete for push toys and ride alongs.
Parking is on the street, no parking lot. Ive never had a problem though. I dont think there is street cleaning here, but make sure to check for signs.
Santa Monica Airport Park
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?client=safari&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=santa+monica+airport+park&fb=1&gl=us&hq=airport+park&hnear=Santa+Monica,+CA&cid=5293622992095494220
It appears this listing, and the others I found, are for the dog park area. There IS a dog park, and its nice from what I have seen, but we got for the gated play area:) Not my favorite for the play stuff, and I HATE the slide there - its just too tall and I try very hard to get my boys to ignore it. Its a great park though because of the planes and helicopters coming in and out. They looooove all of that activity going on.
Lots of sand, and interesting play equipment. A decent amount of cement, but not ideal for push toys.
There is a large parking lot that is shared with the dog park. Ive never had a problem parking there.
Douglas Park, Santa Monica
http://www.yelp.com/biz/douglas-park-santa-monica
We checked this park out over the weekend. There is a duck pond, and little creek area on the grass. VERY cool, but not gated. I wouldnt go near it without someone to watch one of my kids while I had the other. Too easy to fall in to some nasty looking water. Some nearby moms told me how they had seen numerous kids fall in. Seriously. . . looks like you could get a staph infection from getting too close. BUT, very cool to walk around and see some nature off of Wilshire Blvd:)
The play area IS gated, but also rather large. I havent decided if I would venture there on my own with both boys. While being large, I can see across the entire playspace, but there are also 4 (I think) gated entrances to get into the play area, and its a bit too accessible for my taste.
A LOT of sand at this park, hardly any cement. There is an oval shaped cemented area just outside the gated playspace. Im not sure what its intended for, but its great for push toys!
Parking was rough, since it was a weekend day, but I saw some meters, and permit parking signs around. Be sure to bring change just in case and watch for the signs around!
Penmar Park, Venice
I havent yet been to this park, and will try to update after visiting. A friend of ours discovered this park, also gated in. This one has two play structures, so that part makes me nervous. I suppose it could be easier for a parent of a young child and another a bit older who doesnt need as much supervision. We will see!
Linnie Canal Park, Venice
We enjoyed this park this morning! Small, so I can see the whole park at once, and there is a gated off duck pond as well. AWESOME find, thanks to my playgroup buddy.
http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/facility/canalPk.htm
gated and looks great!
This park is a near sand/grass split. There is a bit of concrete, but not the best spot for push toys.
Parking is NOT ideal, and you may need to park along South Venice. Street cleaning days are Monday and Tuesday
Glen Alla Park, Marina Del Rey
http://www.yelp.com/biz/glen-alla-park-marina-del-rey
We visited this park over the long weekend, and it was jam packed! Too big for me and my two on my own though. I cant see across the whole park. I have the same issue at Playa Vista Sports Park. Awesome park.
Mostly rubber floors with a very cool sand area.
I didnt see any parking lot around, so be sure to watch for street cleaning signs when parking on the streets.
Playa Vista Toddler Park, Playa Vista
There is a totally fenced in toddler park at Villosa and Kiyot, in Playa Vista. Right by the dog park. There are two gate entrances, and one play structure, making it much easier than most parks to keep an eye on two kids and to keep them safe.
The floor is all concrete or that rubberized stuff. There is a small area of grass with a few trees as well.
Parking is on the street, and usually there is plenty available. Always watch for street cleaning signs.
Westchester Recreation Center, Westchester
This park is a good fall back park, for us anyway. It is gated, BUT, there are two facility buildings that open into the play area. It seems like the opening and closing doors are too easy for a toddler to slip in/out of, or some creep to come in through. . . too many openings. Part of the enclosed space goes around a corner too, so its not totally visbile.
This park is mostly sand, in the play area, and has some cement by the buildings.
Parking is available in the lot off of Manchester and Georgetown.
Recreation Park, El Segundo
http://www.yelp.com/biz/recreation-park-el-segundo
Today, we ventured south to El Segundo and found this AWESOME and GATED park! My husband and sister in law came along, but its a totally doable park on my own. Ive noticed that a few of the gated parks I have seen are closed off, which is great, but too big for me to see both boys across. This park was a bit bigger, but small enough that I could stand off to the side and see the entire thing. The play structure is gated to the bottom - read, kids cant fall off the bridge as they run across it, and twin mama here is helping the other kid 2 inches too far to catch the falling one.
There is a sand pit as well, so its a good park for shovels and buckets! There is plenty of concrete as well.
There is a parking lot with ample parking.
As a mother of nearly 19 month old twins, my park options have severely dwindled. Where we used to join our playgroup at all the parks, now, as I can only chase a running toddler so fast. Even with our family living nearby, there are only so many hours in a day where someone is available to chase with me because people have jobs! Soooo. . . . here is what we've been doing. . .
Irving Schachter Park, Beverlywood
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=irving+schachter+park&fb=1&gl=us&hq=irving+schachter+park&hnear=irving+schachter+park&cid=6121344263658565275
We recently discovered this park with the help of our playgroup as well! Its a bit more of a drive than I'd like for a park, BUT being that we have twins and therefore more restrictions on where I can take the kids on my own, its worth it. This park is also totally gated, but bigger than the toddler park in Playa Vista. It was a great time with plenty of space for the kids to run around and push our wagon along. It did make it more difficult to see where my boys were at any given moment. I was comfortable though because I was in a group of 5+ mamas who also watch out for everyones kiddos.
There is a lot of sand at this park and plenty of concrete for push toys and ride alongs.
Parking is on the street, no parking lot. Ive never had a problem though. I dont think there is street cleaning here, but make sure to check for signs.
Santa Monica Airport Park
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?client=safari&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=santa+monica+airport+park&fb=1&gl=us&hq=airport+park&hnear=Santa+Monica,+CA&cid=5293622992095494220
It appears this listing, and the others I found, are for the dog park area. There IS a dog park, and its nice from what I have seen, but we got for the gated play area:) Not my favorite for the play stuff, and I HATE the slide there - its just too tall and I try very hard to get my boys to ignore it. Its a great park though because of the planes and helicopters coming in and out. They looooove all of that activity going on.
Lots of sand, and interesting play equipment. A decent amount of cement, but not ideal for push toys.
There is a large parking lot that is shared with the dog park. Ive never had a problem parking there.
Douglas Park, Santa Monica
http://www.yelp.com/biz/douglas-park-santa-monica
We checked this park out over the weekend. There is a duck pond, and little creek area on the grass. VERY cool, but not gated. I wouldnt go near it without someone to watch one of my kids while I had the other. Too easy to fall in to some nasty looking water. Some nearby moms told me how they had seen numerous kids fall in. Seriously. . . looks like you could get a staph infection from getting too close. BUT, very cool to walk around and see some nature off of Wilshire Blvd:)
The play area IS gated, but also rather large. I havent decided if I would venture there on my own with both boys. While being large, I can see across the entire playspace, but there are also 4 (I think) gated entrances to get into the play area, and its a bit too accessible for my taste.
A LOT of sand at this park, hardly any cement. There is an oval shaped cemented area just outside the gated playspace. Im not sure what its intended for, but its great for push toys!
Parking was rough, since it was a weekend day, but I saw some meters, and permit parking signs around. Be sure to bring change just in case and watch for the signs around!
Penmar Park, Venice
I havent yet been to this park, and will try to update after visiting. A friend of ours discovered this park, also gated in. This one has two play structures, so that part makes me nervous. I suppose it could be easier for a parent of a young child and another a bit older who doesnt need as much supervision. We will see!
Linnie Canal Park, Venice
We enjoyed this park this morning! Small, so I can see the whole park at once, and there is a gated off duck pond as well. AWESOME find, thanks to my playgroup buddy.
http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/facility/canalPk.htm
gated and looks great!
This park is a near sand/grass split. There is a bit of concrete, but not the best spot for push toys.
Parking is NOT ideal, and you may need to park along South Venice. Street cleaning days are Monday and Tuesday
Glen Alla Park, Marina Del Rey
http://www.yelp.com/biz/glen-alla-park-marina-del-rey
We visited this park over the long weekend, and it was jam packed! Too big for me and my two on my own though. I cant see across the whole park. I have the same issue at Playa Vista Sports Park. Awesome park.
Mostly rubber floors with a very cool sand area.
I didnt see any parking lot around, so be sure to watch for street cleaning signs when parking on the streets.
Playa Vista Toddler Park, Playa Vista
There is a totally fenced in toddler park at Villosa and Kiyot, in Playa Vista. Right by the dog park. There are two gate entrances, and one play structure, making it much easier than most parks to keep an eye on two kids and to keep them safe.
The floor is all concrete or that rubberized stuff. There is a small area of grass with a few trees as well.
Parking is on the street, and usually there is plenty available. Always watch for street cleaning signs.
Westchester Recreation Center, Westchester
This park is a good fall back park, for us anyway. It is gated, BUT, there are two facility buildings that open into the play area. It seems like the opening and closing doors are too easy for a toddler to slip in/out of, or some creep to come in through. . . too many openings. Part of the enclosed space goes around a corner too, so its not totally visbile.
This park is mostly sand, in the play area, and has some cement by the buildings.
Parking is available in the lot off of Manchester and Georgetown.
Recreation Park, El Segundo
http://www.yelp.com/biz/recreation-park-el-segundo
Today, we ventured south to El Segundo and found this AWESOME and GATED park! My husband and sister in law came along, but its a totally doable park on my own. Ive noticed that a few of the gated parks I have seen are closed off, which is great, but too big for me to see both boys across. This park was a bit bigger, but small enough that I could stand off to the side and see the entire thing. The play structure is gated to the bottom - read, kids cant fall off the bridge as they run across it, and twin mama here is helping the other kid 2 inches too far to catch the falling one.
There is a sand pit as well, so its a good park for shovels and buckets! There is plenty of concrete as well.
There is a parking lot with ample parking.
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