Mad About Multiples!

Going Stroller Free

 

Stella and Elise happy in the Bumbleride

I love my stroller. And it's not that I love all strollers, or even strollers in general, I just love my stroller. I agonized over choosing a stroller when we found out we were having not one more baby (as planned) but two. All of a sudden, my thoughts of just slinging the baby and strolling the toddler went out the window and I knew I'd have to have seats for at least two precious little bottoms.

 

I read comparisons of side-by-side versus tandem seating, watched video clips on ease of fold up, measured the trunk and thought long and hard about grocery shopping and the room needed for a double stroller. My husband wanted real tires (I agreed) and I wanted something the babies could ride in before they could sit up (I wasn't interested in carting bucket seats around--I had a snap'n'go for that). We both wanted something rugged and durable. We chose a Bumbleride Indie Twin after months of poking around and seeing what was out there.

We brought the stroller home when the twins were three months old, and never looked back. That stroller has been a part of more adventures and family pictures than I can count. When our oldest was involved in home preschool I loved to call the littles our "stroller brigade" as we wheeled through museums, hiked trails, and spent time at the park. I'm almost embarrassed to say my girls were late walkers (15 and 17 months respectively) because the stroller was so darn easy to use for me and comfortable for them. 

Hiking with the Stroller--Pinnacles Nat'l Monument

 

But. They did learn to walk and I started to let them. The beginning of the end for my lovely Bumbleride was the purchase of a "light-weight" (heh) double umbrella for "quick trips". And then forgetting to put the big stroller back in the car, and then, just, walking or using a shopping cart to contain the madness. Last year I tried to bring the stroller back and walk with two 3-year-olds in the stroller and my 5 year-old along side to school. A short lived plan as everyone kind of hated it.

And so now my lovely double stroller sits in the garage. My little girls are not that little anymore. We manage all day trips to Gilroy Gardens with nothing more than a backpack and 3 pairs of good walking shoes. We had a wonderful vacation over the summer where the trunk was not filled to the brink with the double wide bulk and no one missed it. I will always love the freedom it gave me in those first crazy years, but I think it's time to pass it on to another family, who are ready to stroll.

Speaking of passing your stuff on, don't forget that the annual Gemini Cricket Garage sale is coming up on September 15. Members, if you want to sell please check out Big Tent for contact details. Shoppers, we will be posting details closer to the date. And yeah, my double stroller might be making an appearance on the sales floor!

Baby Gear Essentials for Twins - Strollers

By Gabi Scott

There are man y, many baby products out in the world, but for an expecting parent of multiples, that world becomes strange and overwhelming really quickly. It seems like products designed specifically for multiples are either fabulous or obscure and sometimes too cumbersome to use. I am sharing some of my experiences here, but as always, do research before buying anything pricey. I search Amazon and mommy discussion forums before buying big items but the best advice I have gotten is when I have stopped other parents and asked their opinion.

I have been asked a few times, "What is the single most useful product for twins?" Wow... that's hard, but my answer is my stroller/strollers for the first few years. Having a good stroller = freedom. With now 1 year old twins and a 3 year old big brother, I absolutely cannot go anywhere or do anything without our stroller. I also value it for being able to take walks to get exercise, go to community events like parades, and manage being able to get to the grocery store if needed.

Our first "Twin" Stroller, the Joovy Big Caboose, was a disaster! I thought we'd found the perfect product that would get us through many years, but it was hard to steer, cumbersome and heavy. We bought it used off Craigslist and only pushed it empty before purchasing. Big mistake...

What did we replace that with? The Valco Tri-Mode Twin with the Joey Seat. It has all terrain tires, a great weight limit, and is well built. It's also heavy, but what would you expect for a stroller that can cart up to 135lbs of kids? Our "lightweight" stroller for just the twins is a Graco DuoGlider that I was happy to discover had nice looking updated fabric. I didn't think it was a Graco at first take at the resell shop.

If you don't have siblings to worry about stowing, the Baby Jogger City Select with additional seat or the City Mini Double have been favorites of other twin moms I know. A bit pricey, but light weight and well made.

Additionally, the Baby Trend Double Snap and Go is fabulous for it's low price and simplicity but only works well on flat, smooth surfaces.You'll have to upgrade once the babies are out of their infant carriers too. But most sell used for $40 so it's a bargain for the beginning!

Whatever stroller you go with, check Craigslist or resale shops for a used one. After just a few months, your new stroller will look used any way, you're kids won't notice, and you can save hundreds of bucks that you'll be glad you have to purchase diapers and other essentials. Plus buying used is a great way to recycle!

And don't forget to join us on Monday April 16 from 6:30-8:00 PM for our New and Expectant Parents meeting: Gidgets, Gadgets, & More! Join seasoned parents of multiplesas they talk about the "must haves" and the "nice to haves" when it comes to everything gear! The meeting will take place at the Cambrain Library Community room.

 

Gabi also shares her opinions and adventures on snibbles and bits

Gemini Crickets, Mad About Multiples, and the Author have not received any compensation for this review of products.

This is an original post to Mad About Multiples.

Double Click Tuesdays: The Costco Cart

This is the Jessica N's boys Jesse (r) and Jackson experiencing their first ride in a Costco double shopping cart. They are 17 months in this picture.

Those double shopping carts are the only way some of us parents of multiples will do our grocery shopping with kids in tow.

This is an original post to Mad About Multiples and is part of the Double Click Tuesdays photo series.

We Love the Trifecta Loft Bed for Three!

 


By Daphne Close

Trifecta (dictionary's definition) - a bet in which the person betting forecasts the first three finishers in a race in the correct order.

Trifecta (my definition) - a bed in which the parent buying hopes the hyper three children will fall asleep in any order.

Our older daughter used to sleep in her own room. One year ago exactly, when I was away for a couple of days, she decided to move into her sisters' room. No problem! Why? Because her bed is a futon. When she outgrew her toddler bed, we never got around to purchasing a bed. She was quite content with a futon. It's easy to make your bed when you have a futon - just roll it up. No fear of hearing a loud *thump* in the night because she rolled off the bed. The song "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" is a moot point.

But every once in a while she would ask for a real bed. Not complaining, just kind of wanting one. However, there was no way we could replace the futon with a twin bed and keep them in the same room.

What's a mom of three to do?

Never fear, Berg Furniture is here! They recently came out with a really nice triple bunk bed. We have a solution! (An added bonus - the middle bed can be turned into a stand-alone twin bed.) In the Bay Area, Berg Furniture is only sold at Kiddie World (search for Trifecta bed). My oldest daughter's interpretation of "Kiddie World" is to put a kitten in a basket with some play items. Ba dum bum! Tonight's the first night with the new triple bunk. It's taken toooooo long for them to settle down and snuggle up with their new sheets, comforters, and plenty of leg room.

Good night, sleep tight, don't wake us up in the middle of the night...or at dawn's first light!

 

This is an original post to Mad About Multiples.

This is NOT a sponsored post but mom Daphne hopes that Kiddie World will give her commission on any new business generated by this post! But she warns that making these three beds is quite a workout!

Backpack Mom

By Valerie Terry

We've been through some pretty big changes around here recently. First and formost, the little girls have become citizens of potty land. We have said good-bye to diapers. Secondly, we've all but said goo-bye to the stroller. I no longer bring it out for every adventure--just those few where a shopping cart won't keep them contained or we're going to be doing an all-day walking adventure. And most times, I just have the light weight (for a double, that is) umbrella stroller around. The one with no storage whatsoever.

So the other change I've made is to ditch the diaper bag in favor of a real honest-to-goodness hiking day pack.

This is kind of big for me. I know lots of moms who have always had a backpack, but I resisted. I didn't like to carry them when I was in school--opting for any other form of bag to schlep my stuff around. I didn't like the straps. I didn't like the sweatly back feeling. I didn't like looking like a turtle wandering around. It just wasn't me.

When we decided to take our first on an extended overseas trip, I bought a huge beautiful bright orange Sherpani bag to carry her stuff. I loved it. It fit in the storage basket of our single BOB and seriously could hold enough stuff for a small army. Good thing, because when the twins were born, that bag carried diaper supplies for THREE children (cloth supplies at that--gotta take cleans out and dirties back), bottles for babies, snacks for toddlers and changes of clothes for all. Was it stuffed and huge? Yes. Bit it still fit in the storage basket of our double Bumbleride and I loved it.

Over the past few months though, my lovely messenger has become more of a burden than a helper. Without the grounding of the big stroller it's awkward to run around with the bag hitting my hip and cutting across my chest. It hits right at small child head height when I need them to hold my hands across the street. It won't hold a picnic lunch for four (including a picnic blanket). Even shoving the ever increasing stack of library books inside is getting to be quite the challenge. And, I had to admit, after a good solid 5 years of constant use, it was looking a bit tired.

So off to REI I went, recalling the ease of travel (in the pre-kid days) that my proper hiking backback had provided. I got fit for a day-pack. Enough room to haul a days worth of hiking, repelling, or camping equipment in. Or the needs of three small children and one mama. It has a breathable back, along with reinforcement. It has wide padded straps and pockets in front for quick access. It came in a lovely rose pink.

I still feel fairly turtle like when I go out about with it. But I can get over that. It's nice to have everything I need in one easy place. Including a tiny potty for those times we're out and about, you know, hiking around our local park.

 

This is an original post to Mad About Multiples.

Beyond the Gifts and Gadgets

 

 

 

 

 

By Patricia N.

I waved good bye to my husband and twin four year olds as they happily drove away to preschool leaving me a few hours of much needed solitude. For the first time in a long time I re-entered an empty house. As I walked through the wreckage of our living room, it quietly dawned on me that we are in a period of transition from toys and gadgets to skills and learning. Even before the kids were born I was using pricey gadgets like Baby Plus and the Back 'N Belly Body Pillow to benefit both my unborn babies and myself. And, of course, there was the requisite equipment for after the babies were born from the changing table to the rocker/glider to the cribs to the "right" bottles (we used special Haberman feeder bottles when they were infants hoping it would encourage breast feeding more) to playpens and failed baby gates (my children were "determined").

All these expenses were incurred before they were even 6 months old. And don't get me started on strollers and carriers. I leave that to the expertise of others (Mari?).

Double Click Tuesdays: Santa Dresses

We are in love with the candy cane stripped leggings on these festive cuties, Bella and Ava (10 months). Mom Kathy says it's likely the only time the girls will be dressed the same

This is an original post to Mad About Multiples and is part of the Double Click Tuesdays photo series.

GIVEAWAY! Pimp your ride with a customized stroller plate! Winner -- Susanne!

Anyone who knows me (and many don't but have read my blog post: Confessions of a Stroller Addict) is well-aware of my fondness for strollers. However, I've since decided that my strollers should also be customized!   

I've been pimping my ride with SFMODO stroller plates!

SFMODO, the brainchild of one of our very own Gemini Crickets moms, creates customized name plates with your child's name, birth month and birth year just like a real license plate.  They attach to a stroller with cable-ties or velcro (included in your purchase) and really make a wonderful baby shower gift.  I also love how it makes my kid's stroller, wagon or trike (perhaps my walker someday!) easy to identify in the sea of similar ones parked outside of rides at the likes of Disneyland.   Good thing my plate just says "Wee Beals" otherwise I think my girls would each want one of their own vanity plates!

-- Mari Beal, stroller addict

And now is your chance to win your own vanity plate! 

Simply check out SFMODO's website http://www.sfmododesign.com and then come back to this post and leave a comment ON THIS PAGE with either the state you would like to have your plate represent OR what you might want on your custom plate.  Once the winner is selected, SFMODO will contact you directly to help you personalize your plate. 

Winner will be drawn at random on June 7th.  One entry per person.  (Your email will not be published and only serves as a means for us to contact you should you win.) U.S. mailing address only. You do not need to be a member of Gemini Crickets POM to win!

Good luck!

*In the spirit of full disclosure, Mari received a very cool plate to review, but her opinions are true and accurate.*

This is an original post to Mad About Multiples.

Gemini Crickets Spring Garage Sale is this month!

WHAT:   Gemini Crickets Annual Spring Garage Sale

WHEN:   Saturday, April 24, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

WHERE:  The parking lot of Bethel Lutheran Church, 10181 Finch Ave, Cupertino, CA 95014

WHY:  Where else can you have a fantastic selection of clothes, toys and equipment for your multiples or singleton?  

This is a garage sale for kids stuff only!  People will be selling clothes from infant up to 5t (possibly older kids clothes depending on the sellers that day), baby equipment, maternity items, etc.  Mark your calendar so that you don't miss out!

Questions??

Contact Pam at scubalassie@aol.com

Baby Equipment for Twins, Then and Now (a photo journey)

You have twins, therefore, you have baby gear. It's just how it goes. Maybe you started off with a basic stroller, like a double Snap n Go or a Graco Duo Glider. Then perhaps you added a jog stroller and then a side-by-side stroller to your collection and then one day maybe you suddenly realized you'd become a stroller addict? Maybe you wear your babies? When you put your babies down for the night, you surely have a crib or two or three? Do your preferences in baby furniture run traditional? Modern? Fancy Nancyish? Do your twins scoot on a Skuut? Or trail behind dad on a bicycle built for 3? You bought what suited your taste in color, in style, in convenience. Whatever your tastes, whatever your preferences, whatever your price point, you had options. You had Babies R Us, Target, Craigslist and the One Step Ahead catalog.

But what if you were mothering twins back in the sixties? You couldn't just plop your babies in an exersaucer and run to take a shower. You had to improvise, you had to make do with the limited selection of baby gear available at the time and we all know there was little attention paid to making gear for twins! There were no custom rain covers for your double stroller. There really were no double strollers! There were no Learning Tower step stools! There certainly were no car seats with cup holders!

Take a fun walk with us back a couple of decades, circa the mid to late 1960s, through pages of Gemini Crickets club member Karen B's personal photo album. Karen has the rather unique perspective of mothering twins because she is a twin herself!

Karen and her twin sister in an early double stroller which she thinks looks a lot like a grocery cart!

Wears the Baby (Slings, Wraps, & Other Carriers)

I admit it.  I'm lazy.  I like to hold my kids, but I also want to get other stuff done, like loading the dishwasher and picking up toys. Yeah, right.  Ha ha ha!!  (Remember, I just said I was lazy.)  Truthfully?  I like CARRYING my kids, while getting stuff done, like updating my Facebook status and eating Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches.  You might now be wondering now, as a parent of multiples (or in my case, twins + one), how is this possible?  To which I say, "Babywearing!"  And so I bring to you, my top 6 reasons to wear your babies.

1. Silence, Sweet Silence - We learned this quickly with our singleton. Cuddling an infant in a sling, pouch or wrap can help with fussiness and colic, as well as cutdown on plain old fashioned crying/screaming, and babywear can even done with tiniest of newborns (called kangaroo carry) to calm baby, which in turn, calms Mommy (and Daddy). Dr. Sears, pediatrician and the author of more than 30 parenting books, is a huge proponent of babywearing, due to its physical and psychological benefits.  (Who wants their kid to have a flat head anyway?  Babywearing reduces the risk of plagiocephaly!) 

2. Look, Ma! No hands! - We learned this quickly with our twins. Two of them, two of us (not to mention our older singleton, who was feeling left out) meant that if both parents were each holding a baby, well, that left minimal chance of getting laundry done, eating dinner or surfing the internet (to research how to get these new little ones to sleep longer than two hours at a time!). A baby carrier is the easiest way to spend time bonding with your baby while still allowing you to get stuff done!

3. Got Milk? - Babywearing gives moms the ability to discretely nurse in public. I actually nursed a baby while standing in the looong security line at the airport in Maui returning from vacation, and no one knew the better. Hee hee! Did I mention hands-free?

4. No Sand Traps – The portability of a child in a baby carrier is not limited by terrain. You are going to have to trust me when I say I love my strollers.  (No really! See my previous post regarding my stroller addiction .)  But if I'm taking the kiddies to see elephant seals lounging on the sand dunes of Año Nuevo (dang, those 4,500 pound beasts sure did resemble me, practically immobile on the sofa during those last few weeks of my twin pregnancy, but I digress...), you better believe that I'll be ditching the stroller. Cobblestone streets? No problem! Stairs? It's a cinch! Plus, so many types of carriers are able to fold up small enough to stuff into a diaper bag, that they are perfect to whip out for quick jaunt or to bring on an extended trip. Also, because you are able to wear your baby during the duration of a flight (just not during takeoff or landing), it's an invaluable (hands-free again) peice of travel equipment, especially for long-haul or red eye flights. 

5. Beyond the Bjorn – Wearing your baby can actually be a fashion statement. Although the Bjorn is the most commercially available carrier, there are so many other beautiful and functional options from which to chose. Slings, wraps, pouches, Asian baby carriers (such as Chinese mei tais, Korean podaegis, and Japanese onbuhimos), and soft-structured packs, including Becos and Ergos, are all wonderful ways to cart you kid without sacrificing your sense of style. I have the same carrier in several different styles and prints to match my needs and moods.  My husband even has his own pouch and Beco and my preschooler has her favorite too, which I still use with ease when she needs some cuddletime. Babywearing is also also super versatile, meaning that you can carry a child on you back, front or hip, and even, with a bit of practice, you can wear more than one baby at a time.

 

6. Amaze Your Family, Friends and Even Total Strangers – If you don't believe me, just take a peek at my 30 second video clip of how easy, fast and convenient it can be to toss a toddler onto your back and go! 

Sure, it may seem like a cheap parlor trick, but it's one you'll be glad you mastered! So for all your skeptics, come give it a try!  Better yet, join us for this Wednesday's Gemini Crickets New and Expectant Parents meeting and give a few of my carriers a test-drive.  For more information on the meeting, go to http://geminicrickets.org/main/2010/01/05/new-expectant-parent-meeting-babywearing/ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Original post to Mad About Multiples by Mari B. Mari is the 2009/10 co-New & Expectant Parents Liaison for Gemini Crickets Parents of Multiples.

Confessions of a Stroller Addict

In honor of the Gemini Crickets annual equipment meeting this week, club member Mari makes a confession.

Psst...she's a stroller addict! (As if we didn't already know.)

On Wednesday, December 9th 6:15pm at the Saratoga Library, we will show Gemini Crickets club members how to be (or not to be) like Mari. We'll talk about strollers and discuss the best equipment out there for twins and multiples. We'll bring strollers, slings, boppy pillows, bouncy chairs - you name it.

Hmm, maybe we should make this meeting into a baby equipment swap meet!

Confessions of a Stroller Addict by Mari B.

Before I had kids, it was handbags.  I never been that into clothes or shoes.  I think it's because I'm short with fat feet, kind of like a gnome, but with better fashion sense.   Real people's clothes and shoes don't fit me.  However, I looove handbags - thin or chubby, they always fit.  Once I had children, my stash expanded into diaper bags...and later baby carriers (but that's another post).  Oh, and there is, of course, my much beloved stroller collection...

 

You know how a guy's head swivels when a pretty girl walks past.
Not surprisingly, I've done that when a sweet ride has caught my eye.  (I've even doubled back to catch a glimpse of the brand.)  Truth be told, I was at the mall a few months back and was squinting at a stroller as it was approaching me, trying to make out the manufacturer, when I suddenly heard my name being called.  I looked up and sheepishly realized that the Maxi-Cosi was being pushed by my new neighbors from across the street.  In my determination to figure out what brand it was, I neglected to realize that I actually knew the chubby-cheeked rider.  How embarrassing!

Giveaway time at Mad About Multiples - Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler Toys from LeapFrog

In honor of our wonderful speaker, Valerie Lewis, founder of Hicklebee's Books, at the General Meeting, happening tomorrow evening, Wednesday December 10th at 7:30pm, we are focused on early literacy for our kids. And, as many of us are still shopping for the holidays, so we thought we would give away some great educational toys from LeapFrog.

Recently, a few of us from Mad About Multiples, were lucky enough to be invited to attend a talk given by LeapFrog (you can read about it here and here). After the talk, LeapFrog bestowed gift bags upon us all and wanted all you twin (and more!) mommies to benefit from some of these great baby, toddler and preschooler toys. 

To enter:
We will have 3 winners in this giveaway and they will be chosen by random. To enter to win, please leave a comment below telling us:

What is your all time favorite children's book?

** Please also note how old your kids are and which LeapFrog product (listed below) you would like to be in the running for.

The giveaway (via comments on this site) will end tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec 10th at 7:00pm PST.

For another chance to win:
Come to the meeting to hear Valerie Lewis from Hicklebee's Children's Books speak tomorrow night for another chance to win! 

The 3 giveaway items from LeapFrog are:

For the babies:  Animals with Appy - Spin Appy's belly to the sunny daytime scene and hear active songs about colors and animals. Spin to the nighttime scene and hear a soothing lullaby as Appy finds her friends to say goodnight.  Plus, a Goodnight mode provides 5 minutes of soothing light. (6 mos - 3 yrs)

For the toddlers:  Learn & Groove radio - Flip pages introduce words and vocabulary in English and Spanish as music and lights make playtime groove.  Press the center Translator button to instantly switch between English and Spanish languages. (12 mos - 3 yrs)

For the preschoolers:  Fridge Phoenics magnetic set - Your fridge door is the perfect place to develop a taste for reading. Nobody goes hungry for learning with this set of 26 colorful, easy-grip magnetic letters and magnetic letter reader that attaches securely to your fridge. Each letter talks, sings and teaches letter names, letter sounds and learning songs. Put a letter into the reader to hear its name, its sound or a fun phonics song. Your kids might not eat their vegetables, but with the Fridge Phonics Magnetic Set they can learn to spell them. (24 mos - 5 yrs)

Remember, Hicklebee's Children's Books will be selling many of their wonderful books at the meeting Wednesday night and will be donating 10% of the sales back to our club, Gemini Crickets, so be sure to bring your checkbook! (They are also extending the fundraiser for the week of December 10-17 for any purchases you make at the Hicklebee's store during this week - mention you are with Gemini Crickets when you shop at the store.) This is a GREAT way to support a wonderful local business and our club.

Best of luck in the giveaway - and happy shopping!

Mark Your Calendars for the Gemini Crickets Fall Garage Sale - Saturday, October 11th 8:30-11:30am

On Saturday, October 11th, Gemini Crickets will be holding its annual Fall Garage Sale. We have two of these each year and it is a great place to find excellent deals on baby and kid items - clothes, equipment, bedding, toys, you name it. If you are expecting twins (or more...or less!), or if you have babies or kids, this sale is for you!

Come join us at:
Campbell Community Church
860 Harriet Ave, Campbell, CA
Saturday, October 11th, 8:30am - 11:30am

Note that this is a location change from our past garage sales and will be part of Campbell's Citywide Garage Sale.

** This is a PUBLIC event - You do NOT have to be a Gemini Crickets member to buy items at this garage sale. There is no entrance fee.

Open Garage Day - We will also be holding a private philanthropy event following the garage sale, called our "Open Garage Day," which is a free equipment and clothing event for families of multiples who are in our philanthropy program - these are needy families of multiples who desperately need our help. All philanthropy families are found though reputable channels. Read about Gemini Crickets Philanthropy Program here. Sellers in the garage sale are welcome to donate items to the Open Garage Day event and will receive a tax receipt for any donations made. *Please donate clean clothing and working toys only. Try to have your items pre-sorted by sex, type (shoes, pants, shirts), and size.

Original Mad About Multiples post.

What to buy for those babies?! - Join Gemini Crickets' New & Expectant Parents Meeting on Equipment next Tuesday Sept 9th

Infant car seat or convertible?  Tandem or side-by-side stroller?  Which type of bottle?  Which high chairs?   

With so many products and choices on the market these days, preparing for multiples can be a dizzying experience. Come join us to discuss equipment used during the first year. Better yet, come and kick the tires - various equipment will be on hand for attendees to try out.

Amy M., one of Gemini Crickets' fantastic New and Expectant Parent Liaisons, joins us today to talk about our upcoming New & Expectant Parents Meeting on Equipment next Tuesday, September 9th.

When I was newly pregnant, I had visions of wearing my baby:  around the house, around the neighborhood, around town.  Me and the baby, snug as a bug.  And then at week 12, I went in for the Nuchal Translucency Screening Test.  That is when we found out we were having TWO babies, not one, as we had been previously told.  All my visions of Mommy and Me Pilates classes went *poof*.  And wearing the babies?  That was the last thing on my mind.  I was suddenly

Heard on Big Tent

Want to know what's going on in Gemini Crickets Parents of Multiples of Silicon Valley's online community (housed on Big Tent)? Here's a little sampling from this week - some juicy stuff!

• Another movie night "The Women" - some of the ladies have been getting together once a month to go for a drink and a movie. We've seen "Sex in the City" and "Mama Mia." I've gone to both and I KNOW I'll be making the next one. It is a fun getaway and new moms join us all the time.
• Getting toddlers to sleep in other places - two of our triplet moms are trading advice on this, with twin mommies chiming in too. Personally, my twins are now 4.5 yrs and I have a 2 yr old too. I find sleep is always changing for my three, so it is nice to have the group to ask "What do I do now???"
• For sale: Peg Perego Aria Twin Stroller - wow, this looks like it is in great condition...not like my strollers, which are pretty trashed at this point. I have 6 strollers, count them 6, strollers  (a double jogger, a double regular stroller, a single jogger, a single street, and 2 umbrella strollers), so I have been banned from stroller purchases... :(

Other discussions that are going on include:

• Nanny available
• Help! My twins keep biting each other
• Babysitter recommendations?
• Airplane travel suggestions
• Formula shopping tips
• Bouncing tips for new moms

Join us in the discussion!

Original Mad About Multiples post. When Linsey isn't reading and discussing on Big Tent, she's chasing her three kids 4 years and under at Me Too You.

On A Bicycle Built For...3?!

It's just one of those things. Once my husband, "T", gets an idea in his brain, he just can't let go. Hence, one of his most recent acquisitions - a tandem tagalong seemingly custom built for our 4-year-old twin girls - has already provided us with hours of entertainment. He saw this "double tagalong" on a Los Gatos street once and he just had to have it. So he searched...and searched...and searched and found it - online, of course. On eBay...surprise surprise....

He learned that these were built by a Canadian company years ago who stopped making them (probably not a huge market for them unless you live in Northern California where there seems to be a higher incidence of twins than elsewhere). You can't find them in stores. And he had to have one. I agreed it would be quite practical for our family of four. The girls are learning to ride bikes yes, but they've still got their training wheels on...which means we can't go very far and (if I have anything to say about it) we won't venture onto busy streets. We do have a great bike trailer but even that's getting a bit cramped for our taller-than-average twins.

Come Shop the Gemini Crickets Spring Garage Sale on Saturday, May 17th

This next Saturday, May 17th, Gemini Crickets will be holding its annual Spring Garage Sale. We have two of these each year and it is a great place to find excellent deals on baby and kid items - clothes, equipment, bedding, toys, you name it. If you are expecting twins (or more...or less!), or if you have babies or kids, this sale is for you!

Come join us at:
Bethel Lutheran Church
10181 Finch Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014
Saturday, May 17th, 9:30am - 11:30am

** This is a PUBLIC event - You do NOT have to be a Gemini Crickets member to buy items at this garage sale. There is no entrance fee.

Open Garage Day - We will also be holding a private philanthropy event following the garage sale, called our "Open Garage Day," which is a free equipment and clothing event for families of multiples who are in our philanthropy program - these are needy families of multiples who desperately need our help. All philanthropy families are found though reputable channels. Read about Gemini Crickets Philanthropy Program here. Sellers in the garage sale are welcome to donate items to the Open Garage Day event and will receive a tax receipt for any donations made. *Please donate clean clothing and working toys only. Try to have your items pre-sorted by sex, type (shoes, pants, shirts), and size.

If Liberace had multiples...

I happened across this post on Babble and whoa, is this ever a crib with flare! While the Duetta Twin/Triplet crib can certainly accommodate your bundles and bundles of little joys, this is just so over-the-top. I'm more Amish in my decorating style, preferring boring clean, simple lines so I'm definitely at odds with the entire line of Little Miss Liberty Round Crib Company. (Well, if forced to choose, I'd go with the Winnie the Pooh Phraseology Twin Crib and lose the dramatic chateau netting.) If Liberace had procreated twins, he'd have no doubt opted for one of these round or heart shaped (oh, my aching heartstrings!) cribs, accented, of course, in miles of pink plumage. This line should have been featured somewhere in the film, Little Miss Sunshine. Little Miss Liberty is pageantry to the extreme.

Do you remember Casey Kasem, the creator and countdown emcee for American Top 40? He and his designer/actress/entrepreneur wife Jeannie, founded this crib company when they were counting down the days to baby. You know, I'm staring hard at a picture of Mr. Kasem and I just don't see him as a pink lace and pink bow kind of guy. I can't ever imagine my twin boys starting out life in a heart shaped crib, but lest I be tempted, the $2200 price tag puts me out of the running for sure.

How does this crib inspire YOU? I'll be can-caning my way to the Moulin Rouge, but drop me a note!

Original Mad About Multiples blog post.