The Sweet Summer Adventures of the Super Twins

I am so behind in my blog posts...lol. Its hard keeping up with the Super Twins. They are full of so much energy. Everyday they discover something new and I thank God that I am getting to relive each and every experience and discovery with them. Its like my life has been restarted. I'm so in love. Anywho, this post is about some of the ways I tire...I mean some of the ways I entertained the girls this summer.

I don't call them the Super Twins without reason. These girls give me a run for my money each and everyday. At the end of the day I'm just as exhausted as they are. Summers aren't just for lounging when you have twins. Its about getting up at the butt crack of dawn to cook breakfast, pick out clothes, load up the car, and tackle as many places as we can in one day. We had a designated Library day, Story Time Day at Barnes and Noble, playground day, visiting Granny and Paw Paw is always an included activity, and Fridays at the Fountain with Daddy was a really fun activity.  We get around town! People think because I'm a stay-at-home mom that we just stay indoors, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I was a rip and runner before I had kids and I intend on ripping and running with the girls. Again, we get around lol.

Imagination Play Date was an activity hosted by our local town center and held every Thursday midmorning until early afternoon. The kids could run through the water sprinklers and build things with the plush foam water toys. Sensory play is very important as its the easiest way to engage young toddlers and get them learning about the world around them. Plus, being out in the sun regulates that oh so important body clock; great for regulating sleep-wake cycles. I feel like everyday my ultimate goal is to ensure that bedtime is easy and quick lol. Say what you want, but 7pm is Mommy's time. I don't want a child awake in my house after 7.

I so enjoyed the summer, but I am absolutely loving the Fall. I can't wait to show you guys what we've been up to so far. Check back soon!!!!

Wash Day!!!

Products We Use:

• Jamaican Black Castor Oil
• Pompeian 100% Grapeseed Oil
• Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil
• Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo
• Shea Moisture Yucca and Plantain Anti-Breakage Strengthening Masque
• Oyin Handmade Hair Dew
• Oyin Handmade Burnt Sugar Pomade

So here it goes:

Wash day always starts with Rose because she’s the tougher of the duo when it comes to water. It doesn’t matter if I wash her hair in the bathtub or at the kitchen sink; use a hose or a cup, this little monster kicks and screams the whole way through. She’s always been that way. What can I say? She gets it honest. Maybe she’ll grow out of it soon or maybe she won’t. Either way, I’m grateful for the fight she puts up because she’s definitely toning my arms. lol.

Anywho, I start by misting her hair with water and applying a generous amount of grapeseed oil to the hair shaft and scalp. I especially focus the oil on the ends of her hair. This helps tremendously with moisture retention during shampooing and ease of finger detangling. 

Let's talk about shampoo. Shampoo can be stripping to curly hair. African-Americans typically have drier hair than those with straight hair because our strands curl and bend so much that our sebum can't travel all the way down the hair strands. We combat this by misting the hair and dousing it and the scalp in oil. We also make sure to only use a sulfate-free shampoo. 

Sulfates remove the excess oil and dirt from the scalp but they also remove the natural oils we produce. That's not the goal for us curly-q's. I want a clean scalp. Not a stripped scalp.

Why do we finger detangle? Finger detangling is gentler and it reduces the chance of breakage. I’m able to slide the hair right out of the tangles because I pull one strand at a time and soak the tangle in oil. Time consuming? Yes. It can be if it's your first time trying it, but after awhile you can do this in 5 minutes. Worth it? Absolutely! I'm only removing tangles and shed hair. Absolutely no broken hairs. No broken hair means healthy hair that grows properly. Who doesn't want long, healthy hair?

So let’s recap. I part the hair down the middle with my fingers, mist until damp, douse in oil, finger detangle, 2 strand twist that detangled section, clip it out of the way and repeat on the undetangled half of the hair. Afterwards, I let her run around and play while I’m cooking breakfast and until I’m ready to shampoo.

I shampoo her hair with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo in sections, rinse, clip out of the way, and repeat on the other section. I do everything in sections because I don't want to "retangle" the hair I just detangled. I apply the Shea Moisture Yucca and Plantain Anti-Breakage Strengthening Masque to deep condition. I finger detangle comb the product to evenly distribute it, 2 strand twist the section, and clip it out of the way so she can eat breakfast, watch cartoons, and play. She deep conditions for an hour. This gives me time to tend to Addi.

After rinsing out the deep conditioner, I apply the Oyin Handmade hair dew as a leave-in and whatever oil I have on hand. Most of the time I use organic extra-virgin coconut oil, but I ran out so we used 100% grapeseed oil and jamaican black castor oil mixed together. The girls' hair is put into twists and beads for a week, so it's important to properly moisturize their hair on wash day. We do this by applying a water-based leave-in conditioner. Water has to be the first ingredient in this product because without water it isn't a moisturizer. After the leave-in we apply a natural oil. We do this to trap that water based moisturizer into the hair strand thereby ensuring that the hair remains moist. I style with Oyin handmade burnt sugar pomade which is also a sealant. Just locking more moisture in guys!

All of the products I use on their hair are organic, vegan, and made by black-owned companies. I love the quality of the ingredients in the products, I agree with the philanthropic and arts movements each company supports, and I love the prices.

The most important part of wash day is the time I get to dedicate to each child. We talk, we sing, we fuss (lol), we enjoy beloved movies from my childhood, and we love up on our hair. What I like about wash day are the lessons I’m teaching implicitly. When they get older, my girls will have a working knowledge of the healing properties of natural oils, butters, and ayurvedic clay masks. Hopefully, they will know how to make their own hair products. They will know how to listen to their hair and give it what it needs. As women they will be pulled in so many directions, but these lessons, if applied, will empower them to carve out time for themselves. Self care is the best care is what MY mom has taught me. I hope to pass that on to my girls.

How do you make wash day special for your little one? Share with me in the comment section below.

Storytime at Barnes and Noble

It is so important to me to foster a love of literacy in my children while also forging unforgettable memories with them. Our local Barnes and noble bookstore helps me do just that, by offering Storytime a few times a week. Sometimes they even include arts and crafts, snacks, or live characters. It's an enjoyable experience for the whole family. Check your local Bookstore website to find out story times in your area.

I Scream, You Scream, the Super Twins Screamed for Ice Cream

What do I associate with the Summer? The sound of cicadas. The blazing heat and unrelenting humidity. The Children’s Festival. Bounce houses and circus tents. The smell of the local paper mill. Listening to oldies on 107.7 with Bobby J as the disk jockey. Summertime as a little girl meant spending the summer in the country with my Nanny and summertime at Nanny’s meant homemade ice cream. Nana Rose is no longer with us to recreate these moments with my children, but she indelibly made a mark in my life. A mark that I intend to pass down to my children and one day my own grandchildren. Here is a recipe for homemade vanilla soft serve ice cream that I got from the user manual to my soft serve ice cream maker.

You will need:

⅔ cup whole milk

½ cup sugar

1 ⅓ cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Aroma Twisty Treat Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker

What You'll Do:

1. In a bowl combine the whole milk and the sugar.

2. Mix the milk and sugar until the sugar has dissolved using a hand mixer on the low speed setting.

3. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

4. Pour refrigerated mixture into mixing canister of the soft serve maker. Let it mix until you've reached the desired consistency.

5.Enjoy with your love bug!

I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing

I had a hard time falling asleep Saturday night so I decided to wash and blow dry my hair. Unbeknownst to me, my mother would text me early Sunday morning to invite me to bring the kids and their bathing suits to her house. Cool. No problem.

Sunday was beautiful: bright sun, clear skies and a slight breeze. I thought to myself, “the kids are really going to enjoy the kiddie pool at mom’s.” The only problem was, there wasn’t a kiddie pool. Mom pulled out the sprinklers and goaded the girls to chase after the beach balls she had. They were not amused. Not even a little bit.

I sat back and watched; determined I wasn’t going to waste my blow-out. I said to my mom, “well, I guess they won’t be getting wet today.” I went back and forth with myself about how I wasn’t going to wet my hair, but I remembered the reason I decided to wear my natural hair in the first place. I not only want my girls to know that the way God created their hair was no accident and no mistake, but I want them to feel free to have fun without worrying about something as frivolous as hair. I grabbed Addi’s hand and we took off right through the sprinklers. After a couple runs through the water Addi caught on. Rosie….well, Rosie is a scaredy cat. lol.

I will never allow anything to get in the way of me creating lasting memories with my babies. They’re only children for a very short time. I’m going to cherish every moment.

2 Year Wedding Anniversary

6 years ago, fed up with my horrible taste in men I decided to stop trying to force mess to look like gold. I focused on school and work. I prayed and prayed and prayed. In a fit ( don't try to act like you've never been frustrated and foolishly thought of blaming God...I've already asked for forgiveness) I challenged God. I said, "My taste in men is absolutely horrible. I can't find anyone who wants to take me seriously; someone who wants to treat me the way my Daddy said a good man would treat me. If you can do better....send me one." When I worked at the local hospital we used to have these sessions in the morning called Huddles. After I muttered that wack prayer to God, I looked across the room and there was Cordero. He had a head full of beautiful black hair and the most gorgeous eyes I'd ever seen in my life. I had seen him before, but I had never SEEN him. He was a quiet storm. So calm. So reserved. So gentle. And when he opened his mouth and spoke to me I knew God had answered my prayer immediately. He's been my best friend. The best mirror, the best partner, and my greatest supporter. Happy Anniversary King!

God shole is funny. Isn't He?

-Originally Posted February 15, 2015

Did You Know that True Love Asks for Nothing???

I believe our souls are so intertwined that in a past life we were one person. Before I can complete a thought you say it aloud. Before I have the opportunity to cry out you're right behind me with you arms open. This has been an amazing and terrifying year of firsts, but I'm glad I got to spend it as your wife. I will never remember the minute details of our wedding day, but I will always remember reciting my vows through tears. I remember vividly what I felt and what I still feel when I say them. I'm so grateful I get to live out my vows with my best friend. Happy 1 year Anniversary! I will love you "until the day that you are me and I am you."

Originally Posted February 15, 2014

On Postpartum Depression...

Flashback to December 2013... Addi and me. I remember thinking to myself these babies are so beautiful they can't possibly belong to me. I was put to sleep for my delivery and the first words I remember whispering were, "aren't my babies beautiful?" Addi has needed so much of my cuddle time from the beginning. She's needed so much from me emotionally. I've been praying for patience for years, but God has decided to teach it to me through this child. I don't have many pictures of Roe and I together in the hospital because she wasn't doing too well. I remember standing in the NICU over her bassinet praying, crying, and feeling overwhelmed and helpless to my child. I refused visitors. I was so broken. I felt so useless to her. I held her bare to me as much as I could and smelled her. It took me a while to realize that that was all she needed. Motherhood hasn't been easy. I have postpartum depression. There are days when I just can't hold them. I just can't bring myself to talk to them. I move like a machine. Feed, burp, change. The days pass and sometimes I don't remember them. I pray and some days I feel great and some days I feel like God is everywhere but with me. I know that isn't true. I know He's here and He's working. I know that because every now and then in the middle of a cry Addi will stop and smile at me for absolutely no reason. I know that because Roe likes the smell of my shirts and no matter who is holding her she watches ME. I'm getting better every day and my kids are thriving in spite of my setbacks. God is still the Author and Finisher of my faith. He is still my peace. And when I can't hear His voice I'm still trusting His plan. I get tired, but I'm still in the race.

Late Post from March 14, 2014

Grateful for Growth

Today I am grateful for growth. Today my babies graduated from cribs to big girl beds! Slowly, we're trudging through potty training. It's bittersweet though. When I look at them I don't see them as big girls. I'm still viewing them the same way I viewed them when they were handed to me at birth, but that's not who they are anymore. Rosie isn't sick anymore; she's strong and sassy with tons of energy. She loves books, counting to 3, dancing, and watching Barney. Addi isn't needy anymore. She's extremely independent, assertive, and fearless. She loves dolls, trains, and cookies with her PawPaw. She's not a big talker, but she's very expressive. All that to say, these gifts from God are no longer blank slates. Things do and always will change. I just hope they don't change too fast. I just want to hold them a little bit longer.

--Post from June 22, 2015

Be the Mother YOU Were Called to Be

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

     Never compare your journey through motherhood to anyone else’s. God chose you, specifically, to be your child’s parent. To me, that means He saw something special in you. Something you have, something you do, the contents of your character, or a lesson you need to learn are, in my opinion, big factors in the reason you’re given the children you have.

    There are times I look at other moms and think they have it all together. I begin to change the way I parent to match this “perfect” mom. When I undoubtedly fail, it is then I realize the uniqueness in myself and the unique needs of my children.

  I am called to be the best version of MYSELF; not the mother in the grocery store with quiet children, or the mother who seems to have a perfect handle on her daughter’s hair, or even the mother whose one year old is already successfully potty trained. These are all superficial things anyway, and I have to remind myself that these things will come in time.

    Being a great mom doesn’t mean I have to be a perfect mom.

   Yes, I take my kids to the library, to festivals, and to the beach. I take my kids to the grocery store and I talk to them about the food we eat and how to cook it; I talk to my kids about God and who we are in relation to Him; I read to my kids, I sing silly songs to help them learn numbers, alphabets, and their body parts. I come up with phrases that have become personal mantras, in the hopes that my children will grow up and hear my voice in their heads saying, “Everything that has a beginning has to have an end,” “I decide,” “I choose happiness,” “We don’t fight our sister: we fight FOR our sister.” I do all of these things with my babies, but the most important thing I do is be present. I listen to Rose when she’s singing incessantly (and annoyingly, I mean beautifully lol) at 6am. and I encourage her. I hold Addi like a posey vest when she’s having night terrors. I know to have my arms open and ready for a hug before Rose is terrified of the spirits in “The Princess and the Frog.” I’m just being myself. I’m just being THEIR mom. In turn, when Addi holds her “babies”, pats them on the back, and tucks them into bed I am honored that she is mirroring ME. Not a made up version of me, but my authentic self.

    Your children don’t need you to be Ms. Susie down the block. They need you to be you, so celebrate your unique way of parenting. There’s no one size fits all.

Be encouraged!

The Nighttime Wrangling of the Super Twins...The Bedtime Routine

I’ve had the Super Twins on a schedule since they were about 3 months old. Family members ask me all the time how I’m able to handle two energetic, needy little people and I tell them it’s all about scheduling. Schedules literally SAVE MY LIFE! lol I got this advice from a friend who is the mom of 6 year old twin boys. I laughed at her when she mentioned it when my babies were only 5 days old, but when I was exhausted and at my wit’s end I heard her voice. “Get them babies on a schedule ASAP. We don’t have the same luxuries that a mom with just one baby has.”

So, after countless trials and even more errors I came up with a schedule that works for the personalities of both myself and the Super Twins. My children have a bedtime routine that revolves around the setting of the sun. Simply put, my children must be in bed when the sun goes down in order for them to go to sleep in a timely fashion. I don’t try to make them go to bed before the sun sets and I don’t let too much time pass after the sun sets before I notice that my sweet angel-faced children have turned into unrecognizable little monsters. Its summertime in the south so the sun sets around 8:30 pm. My bedtime routine is very simple. No bells. No whistles. It’s straight to the point, consistent, and inflexible. I do not allow them to rule me. No amount of tantrums can keep me from putting them down, cutting off the light, and walking out of the room. I know that sounds pretty harsh, but I believe for my family this method works. I get to have uninterrupted evenings and my children get the recommended 12-14 hours of nightly rest that they need to grow big and strong.

At 5pm my girls eat dinner. This takes about 20 minutes total. By 5:30 they’re running around playing with their toys while I wash up the dinner dishes or load the dishwasher and wipe down the high chairs. This can take about 30 minutes. Before I run their bath, I check the thermostat to make sure its at least 75 degrees in the house. I run their warm bath water with a cup of Epsom salt and 3 capfuls of Johnson and Johnson’s lavender bedtime bubble bath and soap. I let them spend about a half hour soaking and playing in the tub before I wash them up and get them dressed for bed. They brush their teeth, I give them full body massages with the Johnson and Johnson lavender lotion, I clean their noses (they have really bad allergies), and moisturize their hair and put on their bonnets for the night. Once they’re dressed, I read two short bedtime stories, say their prayers, and I put on a 30 minute Veggie Tales tape of silly songs. They love it. They giggle for about 20 minutes and then they’re knocked out. This frees me up to finish chores or just have some much needed “mommy” time.

This bedtime routine has pretty much been the same for the bulk of their short lives with just a few tweaks. I think the consistency of the routine combined with the fact that I keep their days pretty busy helps them to feel exhausted by sunset. They practically beg to go to bed except on the occasion they are teething or sick. Tell me in the comments what special things you do for your little one to feel comfortable enough to fall asleep on his or her own.

Quick Dinner: Ranch Pork Chops

Ranch Pork Chops and Veggies

I love one dish meals. They’re quick, they’re easy, and the cleanup is simple. I adapted this recipe from a post I saw on Facebook for ranch chicken, potatoes, and green beans. I tried the original recipe and my husband absolutely loved it. This week I thawed out a pack of pork chops and wanted to see if the tried and true recipe could withstand a slight change. Again, a major hit in my home. Try it out and share some of your favorite Facebook recipes in the comments!!!!

Ingredients

4 boneless center cut pork chops

1 pack of Ranch salad dressing seasoning mix

2 cans of green beans

1 lb. of chopped potatoes

salt

pepper

garlic powder

2 tablespoons of Grapeseed oil

Directions

1. Place chopped potatoes and 2 cans of drained green beans on opposite ends of a baking dish.
2. Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place in the center of the baking dish.
3. Sprinkle an entire packet of ranch dressing mix on pork chops, green beans and potatoes.
4. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over everything. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Quick Dinner: Beef Vegetable Soup

Beef Vegetable Soup

I love Autumn, but it can’t get here fast enough for me. I love the comfort foods, the hoodie weather, and the start of football season (never mind that I don’t understand football...my husband loves it and I love what he loves lol). I make this soup whenever I want the smell of Autumn in my home. Its a really quick meal and it doesn’t take any real skill, which makes it the perfect meal for me since cooking is not my area of expertise. Try it out and tell me in the comment section how it fared in your home. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb. beef stew meat

1 large onion, chopped

6 large carrots, skinned and sliced

4 large potatoes, skinned and roughly chopped

3 stalks of celery, sliced

1 bag of frozen corn

1 bag of frozen green beans

2 cans of sweet peas, drained

1 28 oz. can of tomato puree

1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes, with juice

Directions

1. In a large stockpot, heat beef stew meat and fresh vegetables over medium-high heat. Add 3 beef bouillon cubes and salt and pepper, to taste.  Cook until meat is browned and bouillion cubes are melted. Stir frequently.
2. Once meat is browned, drain the contents of the stockpot.
3. Place everything back into the pot and add the can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste or puree, 2 more bouillion cubes and whatever canned or frozen veggies you have. You can add more salt and pepper if necessary.
4. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and allow to cook for about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

(I actually made this soup really late at night when I was sleepy; I ended up going to bed, completely forgetting to take a final picture. Sorry lol)