Looking After Twins

My son has a T Shirt that says "You can't scare me as I have twins" or words to that effect. I must admit I feel as if Mr P and I have achieved something looking after baby twins all on our own! I know we had four children - but we're older now and a bit out of babies. What surprised us was how quickly things came flooding back, like riding a bike after many years of having not done so. Friday night when we arrived in Leeds one of the twins was screaming and we watched their mummy and daddy struggle to know what to do with her. It left us thinking "oh heck what have we let ourselves in for!" Too late to back out! Tickets for the train to London and theatre have long been bought and anyway our son and daughter in law deserve a break. So stiff upper lip and all that we went to bed. Now I should also tell you that first thing Saturday morning I had a dentist appointment - which many readers know is my pet dread! So went and did that, back in time for Mr P to drive the mummy and daddy to the train station - leaving me all by myself with the twins!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Scarey!!!!!!!!!!!! So I had them both on my lap surrounded by books and guess what not even a whimper! Wow! Perhaps it won't be so bad. Gradually we slid to the fall and the girls left the security of my lap for their toys. Mr P returned and not before too long they had a morning nap. We even managed a cup of tea at this point! Sleep over and time for a play.

Sophie is to the left and Karis on the right. Karis has just started taking a few steps and she's so amusing to watch. She likes to stand, unaided, but expects us to clap every time she does this. Just shows how we all need praise and appreciation! Lunch and then followed a trip to Meanwood Valley Farm. Amazingly the weather had changed from the very windy cold morning to glorious sunshine and the car displaying a temperature of 16 degrees! First test was Mr P having to get the buggy erected! We realised later on that we didn't quite get it all right and had missed one of the bars that goes in front of the baby! Oh well! Rookies!

Their mummy and daddy put the girls in a set side of the buggy and the car seats but to be quite honest it was an achievement for us to get them into the seats and strapped in. That we failed to worry which seat they should have had.

They loved the sheep and the twins even managed to start saying "baa". The sheep were having a great day! The reason being because the weather had turned out so nice - half of Leeds had decided to go to the farm and buy bags of animal fodder! The sheep were in paradise with masses of feed being offered and they were busy rewarding us all with baaing and showing off their babies!

The one twin enjoyed having her feet tickled by the sheep! Think that was Sophie! Oh socks are a bit of nightmare - keeping track on where they have been abandoned!

I would have thought this unusual for babies - but they love flowers. Originally we thought we wouldn't bother walking around the garden until we remembered their love of them.

Mr P then had the nightmare job of getting the buggy folded again. I think he did well as he managed to get it to fit back into the boot! That's an achievement as I couldn't do their cousins buggy and ended up having his buggy inside the car for a week!











Well I thought the girls enjoyed the farm but they had even more fun when we went to Go Outdoors. I had placed an order earlier in the week and we needed to collect it. Thinking we'd just pop in - we were proved wrong and was there for a good 45 minutes! The girls were in heaven trying to crawl up and down the ramps that were meant for people to use when trying on walking boots!

Sorry rather blurry!

Then it was time for grandma and grandad to be very naughty and we took them to McDonalds! Mr P insisted on buying two happy meals, not that they could eat it all. Karis loved the fries!

Sophie was not interested and she stuck to her healthy dinner that I had brought along!

 The girls were exhausted after the afternoon. We gave them a very quick bath, read a book, gave them some milk and they were very very shortly asleep! Phew - we had achieved what we had planned to do.

Early morning stories with grandad - well actually not that early - 7am!

Breakfast was fun with Sophie trying to use a spoon to feed weetabix to herself and Karis opting for the hands on approach! 

Then after being dressed time for some walking with what we call their "zimmer frames". Couldn't get a picture of them both together doing this.

Church took a miss as the girls needed a nap. Then this was followed by a trip to Ikea. It was raining so thought this a good place for lunch and space for the girls to explore in the childrens area. What we hadn't anticipated was that so had the rest of Leeds opted for there too! We spent ages trying to find a parking space. It was worth it and the girls really enjoyed their first meatball meal. More mess to clear up as mash potato, peas etc were smeared everywhere!

 Sadly after a play it was time to take the girlies home and hand them over to their mummy and daddy. We had such fun and the girls were amazing. They coped well not having their parents and they slept the night for us! Needless to say we were exhausted but felt we had done a good job and were a bit naughty with them! Hopefully we will be allowed to have them again!