The Gray Effect

Twin Tuesday: Behold, the Crib Tent

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:09:00 +0000

Since Little Miss Escape Artist refuses to stay in her crib, this is our latest purchase. We had turned her crib around so the lower side faced the wall. This did keep her in but made it awkward to get her in and out on the side. That, and the fact the back of her crib is solid instead of slats made it impossible for her to see Matthew. They like to have long, meaningful conversations before falling asleep and this made her unhappy. So her crib tent is working well so far. When she saw me first turning her crib back around she was quite happy. And then I went and put this tent on the top. Not a happy camper as you can see.

But if teaching school taught me anything it was to say no, ignore the complaining, and not feel guilty. So after about 5 minutes of protesting, she lay down and went to sleep.

Matthew gave her moral support.

Hopefully she won't smuggle scissors into her jail and learn to cut her way out.

PUPPY BOWL VI

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:07:00 +0000

Who needs the Super Bowl when you've got the Puppy Bowl?

Every year we record the Puppy Bowl during the Super Bowl and then have two hours worth of canine cuteness to use whenever we need our doggy fix throughout the year.

The sixth annual event this year had its kitty half time show and they threw in bunny cheerleaders and even had a blimp sky cam piloted by hamsters. And don't forget the underwater cam at the water bowl. All pups are rescue dogs and they try to drag their toys across the goal line before being tackled. It makes me want to run to the pound and get my own doggie.

Twin Tuesday: Happy Groundhog Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:41:00 +0000

Even Punxsutawney Phil is on Twitter.

According to the official P unxsutawney Phil Groundhog Day Web site, Groundhog Day is the result of a blend of ancient Christian and Roman customs that came together in Germany.

In the early days of Christianity in Europe, clergy would distribute blessed candles to the faithful on February 2 in honor of Candlemas, a holiday celebrating the Virgin Mary's presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem 40 days after his birth.

Along the way, February 2 also became associated with weather prediction, perhaps due to its proximity to the pagan Celtic festival of Imbolc—also a time of meteorological superstition—which falls on February 1.

Tradition held that the weather on Candlemas was important: Clear skies meant an extended winter.

Let's Talk About Twin Talking

louisgray@gmail.com (Louis Gray) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:45:00 +0000

With Matthew and Sarah having passed the 19 month mark, they are making a best effort to communicate not only with each other, but with us as well. Still, the going is slow, and the number of words each can say is closer to a dozen than a hundred. Whether their own "twin talk" has anything to do with it isn't entirely clear, but we are finding that they are understanding a lot of what we say, even if they cannot reciprocate in the discussion.

For example, I can ask Sarah to take a bottle and give it to Matthew, and she complies. I can also ask her to "give that to your mom", and she finds Kristine and hands over said object. Both know to "put the blocks away" and to "go get a book" and "put the book back". I've even seen Sarah respond when asked to "go get Matthew's shoes", returning with loafers in hand. So they're listening, even if not obeying.

They can even "spin" on command if I tell them to "spin" and twirl my hand in instruction.

But as we're a little lagging in the official baby book department, I thought I'd note the words we know they can say, in no particular order. I also don't believe there are any words that one can say which the other cannot. Kristine can add or change this list if I overlooked anything.

As of January 2010, Matthew and Sarah can say:

Dog
Dad
Mom
Thank You
No
Laszlo (my parents' dog)
Hi
Bye
Ball
"Hush" (as in Good Night Moon)
"Woo Hoo!" (as in Homer Simpson)

Guess who taught them the last one?

Here Comes Trouble: Sarah Will Be the Death of Us

louisgray@gmail.com (Louis Gray) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Sarah is a natural born escape artist. Combined with an otherworldy level of flexibility and a smirk that lets you know she's constantly going to try and get away with something, she is adventurous, not accepting barriers that could otherwise get in her way. If it wasn't for Matthew, who serves as her underpaid but highly effective alarm system, who knows what kind of mischief she could achieve?

Although the two are twins, their nighttime rituals are quite different now. Matthew is simple. Put him in a set of PJs, place him in his crib and say goodnight. No issues. But for Sarah, this ritual involves putting a safety pin through the zipper of her outfit to prevent its removal, for if we left it as is, surely by midnight, she would be clothing-free, with diaper flung out of the crib as far as she could toss. Somehow, despite our work, she still often manages to remove said diaper, even if her clothing structure remains intact.

In parallel, while Matthew's crib faces out, letting him have full visibility to the room, Sarah's crib looks "backwards", facing the wall. Why? Because the escape artist learned to lift her leg high, like a ballerina, atop the crib's lip and flip herself out. Seconds later, she would walk to the door, turn the doorknob, and join us in the living room, as nonchalantly as anyone could. After having this happen no fewer than five times on Friday, we had enough and turned her crib around, much to her frustration.

Meanwhile, each time she jumped out, due to surprise or his concern for his sister's safety, Matthew sounded the alarm, crying out so we would solve the issue.

But not even this, apparently, was enough to solve Cirque De Sarah. This morning, again, I was awoken by Matthew crying in something of a panic. I enter the kids' room, and find Sarah hanging on to a single column dresser, like a monkey, for dear life. The lamp and lampshade which had been atop it, were cast askew on the floor, and whether she fell or jumped, she was sure to make that her next move.

Doorknobs are no match for Sarah, barring preventative locks. Gravity doesn't scare her. Clothing is optional. Gates simply present a challenge. Food is a suggestion that needs to pass her critical review. Matthew is a frienemy, as fun to hit as to hug. And despite all this, Sarah is an absolute delight. A scamp, but our scamp.

Meet My Husband's New Girlfriend

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:24:00 +0000

If only she cooked and cleaned.

Twin Tuesday: Sharing is Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:02:00 +0000

Playdate at Joshua's

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:00:00 +0000

He has the cool toys like the bounce house.

Boys and Their Toys. How Do They Learn?

louisgray@gmail.com (Louis Gray) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:40:00 +0000

Matthew Playing With a Tonka Truck

Raising a twin boy and girl is an interesting object lesson in genetics and society, as much as it is a fun ride as parents. Try as we might to raise the pair the same way, with the same access to the same things at the same time and for the same duration, their innate differences trend toward some social and cultural stereotypes that, due to our feminist leanings, have me wondering how we could already have gone wrong.

While I am unable to convince Kristine to dress Matthew in pink as often as Sarah, or get her to don blue overalls instead of purple, the fact is that Matthew, for whatever reason, is especially drawn to "boy's toys", including cars and trucks. I never sat him down and told him that these were for XY genetics. He just figured it out. And yes, like other boys, when out on a walk, he will pick up a stick and walk with that, as if the stick is the most amazing thing in the world.

This isn't to say that Matthew is all "snips and snails and puppy dog tails". At 19 months, he is a very sensitive young boy, who, as previously noted, can be bullied by his sister. He walks with a blanket and loves stuffed animals. But I can see him being "all boy". He jumps. He falls. He is more awkward than his sister, at this stage. Pure boy. If he ends up with a closet full of GI Joes and LEGO, I'll know the trends started at the very beginning. Somehow.

Remembering the Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:49:00 +0000

We have come so far, but still have so much farther to go.

Twin Tuesday: Got Milk?

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:29:00 +0000

Because Miracles Can Happen

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:21:00 +0000

1. Spent almost 2 hours in a crowded DMV with twins without a meltdown by them or me.

2. Went to Target and discovered that they sell my favorite brand of gluten-free bread, donuts and bagels, plus pasta, cereal, and all the Betty Crocker Gluten-free cake and brownie mixes (on sale too). This means I don't have to go to two different grocery stores.

3. Realized school starts one week later than I thought. That means one more week of reading for pleasure. Any suggestions?

Twin Tuesday: Reflections

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:33:00 +0000

What's in a Name?

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:14:00 +0000

When I was pregnant, Louis' grandparents asked us to promise to give the twins "normal" names, with "normal" spellings.

"We think people today are giving their kids "weird" names," said grandma.

I guess they are not fans of all the unique names and spellings that seem to be the trend lately. They needn't have worried.

I'd like to think we are old fashioned when it comes to names. But maybe it's just that we're boring, but all the names we considered for the kids were not made up, unusual, or unique. Both Louis and myself have names, while not unusual, use the less popular spelling and know what's it's like to always be spelling your name for someone.

The joke is that the names we chose are so "ordinary" that in all the classes, playgroups, etc. we attend, we have yet to come across another Sarah or Matthew. A friend's four year old daughter said she had never heard the name Matthew before when she asked his name. I guess we could of gone with Math'u or Cer'ah, but we are not that imaginative. Or we didn't want to condemn our children to having their name misspelled for the rest of their lives.

When my friends and I talk about naming our children, I like to share some of the "gems" in eighteen years of teaching. They said I should post a list. Of course there are the names that might seem unusual but are not as far as the family's ethnic or cultural background. I'm talking here about names that have no ethnic or cultural connection. Included are those that had a funny reason behind the name.

These are the actual, legal names on the birth certificates.

In no particular order:

- Narfy

-Otayah

-Festus

-Jazz America

-Princess (mother's name was Queen)

-Tom (a girl)

-Denver, Sydney, Jose (3 brothers each named for the city where they were conceived)

-Chee Chee

-Holy, Holly, and Angel (3 sisters, mom liked Christmas)

-Junior (not really a "junior" because it was not his dad's name)

-Ximena, Yolanda, Zephyr (parents wanted siblings that names started with X,Y, and Z)

-Ebyam ("maybe" spelled backwards)

-Sandy Pond

-Czar Alexander (dad liked Russian history)

-Meshach, Abednego, Shadrach (brothers who win "most biblical" award)

-Starlight

-Zoltan

-Rainbow

-Windy (born during a tornado)

-Zen

-Ranger

-Happy

-James Bond (and he didn't even go by "Jim")

Any others you can think of?

Twin Tuesday: Behind the Wheel

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:28:00 +0000

In honor of the anniversary of California's first freeway which opened in 1940, Matthew and Sarah are showing off their new cars (courtesy of grandma). And remember, if you drink and drive, make sure it's only apple juice.

Christmas Samoyed

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 06:17:00 +0000

Instead of Santa Claus we got a visit from Iorek this Christmas. While his parents are in NY he is snuggling with us and entertaining the kids.

Twin Tuesday: Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:59:00 +0000

Happy 18 Months!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:54:00 +0000

A year and half old!

This was taken in the elevator on the way to church. They are now old enough to go to the nursery all by themselves.

Paris: Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:13:00 +0000

The theme for the morning was Napoleon.

So off to the Arc de Triumph which was built in honor of the victories of the Napoleonic wars.

The largest monumental arch in the world

The dot is me (to prove I was there). The problem with sightseeing alone is that you can't take any cute couple pictures.

Then off to the Hotel des Invalides.

It was originally built as a hospital and retirement home for injured soldiers by Louis XIV. It now houses the French military museum. The Church of the Dome is one the other side which you can see peeking up in the back.

The church now houses the tomb of Napoleon, his son, two of his brothers and other French military heros.

Beautiful dome

The final resting place of the little meglomaniac. It's six coffins, one inside the other.

After lunch it was off to the Musee d'Orsay which houses French art dating from 1848-1914. It was a former railway station converted to a museum. I got to see some of my favorite Impressionist painters and others.

Then off to the museum bookstore for some books to bring back for the kids.

(have to start that love of history young)

Next, it was across town to the Montmartre district. The friendly feline likes scratches behind the ears before you go inside.

Sacre Coeur stands on the highest point of the city. You can see the people gathering on the steps waiting to watch the sunset. Unfortunately, you can not take pictures inside. The interior was beautiful.

Jessica the dog greeted us for dinner that night.

Poor Louis didn't get to see much of Paris since he spent 10 hours a day at the conference. But I had fun and got some shopping done. Definitely worth the trip!

Paris: Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:40:00 +0000

I left early and started out at the Lourve.

BUT

The museum workers were on strike.

It must be a national pastime.

Oh well, I've been there before and most of their collections are online. So I headed over to the Cite to see Notre Dame. I stopped at the Conciergerie. Think of the French version of the Tower of London. Prisoners were brought here during the Revolution (1789) to stand trial and be sentenced for execution, often within the same day. Marie Antoinette was kept here before she was beheaded.

The fountain from the women's courtyard is still there. This is where they bathed and washed their clothes.
The Guard's Hall was filled with ugly modern art.

Don't ask, I haven't the slightest idea.

The Conciergerie is part of the Palace of Justice which was the first palace for the kings starting in the 13th century until they built the Lourve. Now the French Supreme Court and other federal departments are here.

This is the main gate:

Notice the French lawyers taking a smoking break. I'm so spoiled living in CA. I forget the rest of the world smokes--a lot. Even walking down the street can give you a headache from second hand smoke.

Then it was over to Sainte Chapelle, the royal chapel attached to the palace. There is a lower chapel which was for the palace servants and the upper one for the king and his courtiers.

Pretty amazing for the 13th century.

While heading towards Norte Dame, I saw this on the side of a bus:

(Kaari, Sharla, and Alyssa-this is for you.)

I almost got hit by a taxi, but it's all in the name of friendship.

Twilight was renamed "Fascination" and New Moon is now "Temptation." I guess they don't like the whole phases of the night thing in France.

I went up to the top of the towers at Norte Dame this time. 400 steps up a narrow, spiral staircase. That means no one really wide or with a heart condition. Got my exercise for the day.

View of the Eiffel Tower in the distant with a chimera in the foreground.

Back of the Cathedral.

Then it was off to go shopping on the Champs Elysses, but my camera died because I forgot to charge it the night before.

Oh, and French policeman tend to be pretty cute.

Twin Tuesday: Being Spoiled at the Grandparents

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:45:00 +0000

While we are in Paris Louis' parents are watching the twinners. Aren't they awesome for doing that? I stole these from my mother-in-law's Facebook page. I think Matthew and Sarah are surviving quite nicely. The fact they are sitting next to each other and smiling long enough to take a picture is very impressive to me. Thanks!

Paris: Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Blog Man has to go Le Web conference this week in Paris and I managed to tag along for the ride. So when he is off talking geek I'm free to explore the city. I haven't been here since I was 15, a long, long time ago. So far this is what we've seen.

Our plane arrived at 10 in the morning (don't you love red eyes?). We got our luggage (it made it!) and went out to the curb to catch a taxi to our hotel.

This is what a man was putting up as we were standing in line:

We couldn't take the bus because the taxis were blocking the expressway to Paris. So that meant the Metro, which for some reason was packed on a Tuesday afternoon at 1 pm.

From the train window:French taggers

We managed to transfer at the right station and almost got on the wrong train once but got off in time after I tripped over my suitcase and bruised my shin.

Our arrival at Auber station:

American movies in French

And the awesome realization that French vending machines have Haribo gummy candies and dark chocolate Kit Kats!

Then a 5 block walk to the hotel with suitcases.

Our 45 minute trip from the airport turned into 4 hours but Blog Man reminded me to be thankful it wasn't raining.

After long shower, some sleep and food I'm ready to see things old and historical.

New Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:25:00 +0000

Taking time off from writing an awesome paper on globalization (sarcasm intentional) I managed to slip off for a girls night out. The New Moon premiere was November 20th and K was having a party to celebrate (hey, don't judge, good food, fun friends, a husband watching the kids, and movie will get me out any day).

I have to go with Team Jacob. Why would you want cold, pale and brooding when you can have warm, buff, and cute?

Of course Team Edward was there.

The theme was red and black.

Twin Tuesday: Slip 'N' Slide

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:37:00 +0000

Jacob Allen Grant

noreply@blogger.com (Kristine Gray) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:22:00 +0000

This is my nephew Jacob, born November 15th. I got to meet and snuggle with him on Monday.

Isn't he the cutest?

I can't wait to see him again.

Chela, Louis' oldest sister and the little man.

Sydney, the "first" baby who doesn't know what to think of the new addition but has figured out the Boppy makes a great pillow.