Competitiveness

We have just watched twin it to win it on CBBC about twin girls competing in the dwarf games. Watching them argue and compete against each other made me think about whether they would do as well if they weren't twins and had that natural competitiveness?
My twins are often arguing with each other (and me) over really petty things. They also want to be the best although having said that they have never been upset when the other one has done better, they have been pleased for them. For example Douglas received his silver medal at gym and Harry never did. Harry has gone up a class for swimming.
So although I started this off talking about competitiveness and whether you are more likely to be competitive as a twin, having written the last bit it also makes me wonder if you will also be a better 'sport' because you have also had to be happy for your twin when they have done better?
I wonder how many people who have done well, gone far etc are twins or have a sibling with a very close age gap, so have always had to 'compete' for everything?
How well will my twins do when they want to be the best, even in things like reading!

Going back to how this started I will certainly be watching twin it to win it again, if nothing else to realise that I am not alone in having argumentative twins!

1st day of school photos!

Don't get me wrong it is lovely to see all my friends photos of their children on the first day back at school each year, but the last one I got was on the first day of reception! I've not been able to do another one since. The first day back at school in this household is not one of excitement and joy but one of stress and worry. I have a child who doesn't like change. If he could go back to school with the same teacher he had the previous year in the same class it would be fine. I'd get a photo because he would be happy, instead I have a very stressful first week where he doesn't want to go to school and has to be prized off of me by his teacher at the door. He doesn't like change and can't cope with it. He won't admit that he is scared until we get to school or he is asked if he has any worries, but we can't ask this question too early or we'd never get to school. We can't talk about the return to school too soon or we then have it even worse as it's been built into something even more. So a huge shout out to all those parents who can't get a school photo on the first day back and look enviously and jealously at their friends photos, hitting like but wishing I could have one too.

The oh so perfect Topsy and Tim!

Well, where to start on this one! I really think that this programme gives people a delusional idea of what it is like to have twins, never mind a singleton. How many children would be able to count to 10 and everything be alright having lost a balloon. Most I know would still be upset about it an hour later.

Now todays episode had Topsy getting chicken pox. Nothing wrong with that but I love how the fact that within hours Tim gets them too in exactly the same places as Topsy! When Douglas had chicken pox I spent the entire time closely examining Harry everyday twice a day, and for the entire 2 weeks after Douglas's last spot had gone. But did he get them? No! He still hasn't had them now, about 15 months later. Other twin parents I know of had their twins get them one after the other, so had about 2-3 weeks of not being able to go out. I for one would have loved it if they had them at the same time. Poor Douglas still had to go on the school run.

Don't even get me started on how they seem to have no other identity except that of twins, it's always things like twintastic Topsy etc. What's wrong with them just being Topsy and Tim, twins but also two individuals, with different likes and dislikes?

There are some days that I would love it if mine were as perfect as Topsy and Tim are. No wonder their mum is always so calm!

Summer holidays part 2!

The summer holidays continued in much the same fashion.
We went to stay with my mum and dad for a few days. We were able to meet up with my cousin and her two children who were over from Australia. During the same visit we also met up with my aunt and another cousin and her children. It was great to get all the children together and this was the first time that all six were together! During the visit we also had a picnic with my godparents, one of their sons and his wife and new baby. The boys had lots of fun playing with all the men in the park and Douglas enjoyed climbing trees!
One of the days we surprised the boys with a visit to Legoland. They had a great day despite how busy the place was. It was a very long day! We followed this up with a trip to the Lego shop in Brighton. Wow I think was the most used word in the shop as they had lots of models up!
Another day trip out was to cattle country. That was a really good day too. The boys enjoyed playing on all the climbing equipment and in the play barns. They also had a great time in the paddling pool. We were glad that we had looked on line first so that we knew to take their trunks and towels. We also had a round of crazy golf and went on a canoe! Poor Harry had a bit of an accident though when he fell over on the big slide, giving himself a black eye and getting friction burn on his cheek and both hands! A quick go on the digger (£2 later for mummy and daddy) and the day ended on a happy note.
Finally it was time to get prepared for returning to school and getting up in the morning........
I hope everyone else had a good summer too.

Summer holidays part 1

Well we are now about half way through the summer holidays. Yes I have survived it so far!  We have been getting up to lots of things. Mainly we have been having lazy days at home although we have had a few day trips out.
The boys have done a couple of gymnastics fun days - gym from 10 - 3. They have also done a weeks intensive swimming lessons (a half hour swimming lesson everyday!). This really brought their swimming along. They seem to understand the technique now much better.
We have made a junk model ninja warrior course which the boys were really pleased with.

They have also enjoyed playing with their Lego, and we have added to it with some second hand stuff we were given. We also have a box of daddy's old Lego upstairs waiting to be sorted. The boys have now got to grips with using their imagination to make models rather than always asking us to build something from the instructions!
We have enjoyed visiting slimbridge wildfowl and wetlands centre, where the boys enjoyed joining in with all the summer holiday stuff, which this year is based on Lego, with large Lego animals around the centre and doing the pond dipping - there are some advantages to being 5 (although I do get asked how old Harry is!). We have also visited Prinknash bird and deer park with friends. I managed to leave my camera in the car!
Douglas and Harry also enjoyed playing in the children's corner at one of our local cafes.
We have also done some baking making frozen cakes. It's amazing what the local pound shop sells.
We also treated the boys to their own floats for swimming (again found in the local pound shop) and have taken them swimming. There wasn't too much swimming done as soon after we got to the swimming pool it was fun time!
Douglas and Harry have also signed up to the library summer reading challenge. They have to read 6 books over the holidays getting stickers for a listed after every two books read, some of them are scratch and sniff- I didn't really like the cheesy feet one! Two more books to read and then they get a voucher for a free swim! I wish it was for something else as the boys swim for free anyway as we lay for their swimming lessons by direct debit!
We have a few things planned for the next half of the holiday, including a big surprise for the boys, so I will update again at the end of the holidays.
Hope you are all enjoying the holidays too.

Growing up too quickly!

Wow, where has the time gone. My babies turned 5 a couple of weeks ago and tomorrow is their last day in reception!
I can't believe how far they have come and how much they have learnt since starting school. They went into school aged just 4 years and 2 months, could write a D and H, could recognise their name and the letter s (that was their letter sound in speech therapy) and could count to 10! Now they can write at the expected level for the end of reception, with Douglas writing at beyond the expected level, they are both reading at exceeding the expected level and their maths is also at the expected level. Douglas is also exceeding the expected level for moving and handling. Harry's speech has also come on leaps and bounds, although there are still times that he is difficult to understand. He also still sees his speech therapist.
I'd also like to know what I was being taught in reception and year 1 given that I only started school after Easter, so only did a term of reception!
The boys targets are also amazing - Harry for literacy is 'confidently and consistently use capital letters and full stops' and for mathematics 'know the addition and subtraction facts to 20' and Douglas for literacy 'use connectives such as because/so/when/while' and mathematics 'solve number problems using addition and subtraction including missing numbers'. Now I'm sure I was in middle school before I had to deal with missing numbers!
I am looking forward to having all their books home from school so I can see all their work.
Out of school the boys are also doing well. They have both received their 5 meter badges for swimming and are both doing well at gym.
They will always be my babies though, even if they are now proper little boys with big attitudes! I will always treasure my letter from Harry 'dir mummy I love you bcus you gif me cisis and cudools love Harry'. I doubt I'll get them in another few years!

I've knitted Harry a jumper

Having been set the challenge of learning to knit I've finally done something half way decent. Harry found a knitting pattern of a jumper that he wanted. OK I said, so both boys chose some wool that they wanted. I've just finished Harry's jumper and I am actually quite pleased with it.

Now to start on Douglas's........