oot and aboot

It has been a very busy week.  We went to the stitch and bitch on Sunday, got the stomach bug on Tuesday which ended with a trip to Children's ER.  The babies seemed fine on Wednesday, so we met Uncle Beau and cousin Sylvie at Brown Sugar for his birthday lunch and a walk in Dennehey park.  On Thursday we hopped in the car to visit my friends from elementary school and their kids and GRANDKID!!  Friday, Amine worked a half day and then we went to Harvard Square for lunch at Border Cafe where the babies enjoyed some beans and rice as well as guacamole.  Saturday, we went to the Wrentham Outlets to buy the babies the next size up, Bibi is officially in 12 months and I am moving Iman up to 9 months.  Asmaa came with us and was very helpful when neither  baby wanted to be in the stroller.  We then stopped by Adnane's house for a visit.  Yesterday,  Amine finally started to install our toe kick in the kitchen and that, of course, led to a trip to IKEA.  It was cuckoo busy but we got a couple of cool purchases, a new kitchen table and highchairs and a fun little walker... see footage below.

Our visit to NH, Jami and Kari haven't changed a bit. 

Bibi doing his best Austin Powers impression

Kari's Daughter Mary and Bibi and Iman, and Jami's daughter in the background

A few shots from the stitch and Bitch.

Almost every shot was blurry, someone is always on the move.

Our new walker toy.

Snapshots

We have taken a trip down to visit Deb in Philadelphia and stopped to see Amy and her new baby, Matteo on the way down and Nikki and her daughter Alexa on the way home and I don't have much to show for it in photos.  We went to Bob Hoffman's son's first birthday party and the Peabody Essex Museum today and have no photos to show for it.  It seems like when we are out "doing" things with the babies lately I can't be bothered to take pictures.  I am doing well to keep them both safe, warm, fed and in relatively dry diapers.  I failed Bibi in that last part today.  Anyway, all of this is my excuse as to why there haven't been more posts and more interesting photos.  All I am left with are snapshots on my phone, with that said, here they are in their latest antics at home.  I will try to be more camera happy when we are out and about town... I swear I do take them out of the house.

Elvis and his shopping cart.  I can't tell if he's annoyed that I am taking his picture or that he isn't getting items on sale.

A happy Bibi snuggled in his car seat.

Iman, proud that she has climbed yet another object in our living room and has discovered how to get the baby wipes out of the container. (I know, thrilling commentary!)
Two seconds before grabbing for the phone.

Bibi dismantling the floor playmat and then showing that he could be a contortionist despite his wide girth.
Iman follows suit.

My little cutie loves when the sun hits the wall and playing with her shadow.

Iman playing with the new toy that offers more cruising acreage. 

Bibi in his magazine shoot for Panera.  "Got Panera?"

Bibi and Grammy snuggle over Christmas.

Hanging with the cuz

My mom mentioned that it has been a while since a post, so here we go, here's January so far.  We spent the majority of last Saturday at Beau and Katie's and the babies had some quality time together.  Beau turned a basket into a great tugboat ride.  Sylvie led the way and then Iman hopped on board and finally Iman became tugboat captain for her passenger, Bibi.

Sylvie enjoys her tunnel as a fun rolling chair.

If you can get past the camera getting blurry every time the balloon bounces closer, it's a pretty cute clip.

I love this shot of Beau and Iman cracking each other up.

Bibi begins his supervised petting of Figgy.  He is usually very gentle until he gets excited and then poor Figgy goes the way of the bongo... repeated rhythmic smacking until Figgy flees.
Bath time with my cuties.

Iman has always loved this bouncer, she uses it to stand up, climbs up on it and now it has become her Bark-a-lounger of sorts, she climbs in and chills out.  It is her new favorite nap spot.

white christmas

My parents came for a visit just in time for Boston's first real snow storm of the season.  Even so, they got to spend some quality time with the grandkids which is obviously the point of the visit.

Here are Bibi and Sylvie enjoying a meal together and looking more like twins than Bibi and Iman do.

After Beau and Katie split town for Chicago, we headed down to Connecticut for the day to visit with Aunt Janet, Alicia, Nikki and Wes and Ben.   We got to see their new kitchen and Nikki about to burst with a bundle of joy of her very own.

Grammy and Iman during one of her now very rare quiet times.  When she was a newborn, Iman took many naps in my arms and Grammy's.  It has been a while, but it looks like she and Grammy fell right into the groove again.

Grampa or Pepere... or "The Man", hopefully he will decide on one name for his grandkids to call him before any of them is talking.  Personally, I think he will hear them say Pepere a lot sooner than "The Man".  I still remember Beau calling our grandfather Pepper.

And then of course for your viewing pleasure please find (wording I always used way back when I had a job and wrote transmittals) posted below a few videos that show us all in varying states of foolish as we coo and goo and gaw at the babies.  Thankfully, I don't have footage showing all the babies tricks.  Iman and Tayeb both are clapping now and it never failed that every time one of them clapped we all did the same in glee.  I think we are definitely the ones performing tricks to entertain the babies.

What it would be like if I had triplets instead of twins and video number two is Bibi the somewhat willing participant in a dance routine.

This is just plain funny because my father is singing in a little girl voice mainly because he had no idea I was filming rather than just taking a picture.  If only he were singing "I feel pretty", that would be priceless.  I guess I have to wait for the next visit for that.

And last but certainly not least, Iman beginning her brain washing for Notre Dame football.  The babies brought the Irish a bit of good luck, they won their first bowl game in over ten years, too bad it was the Tidy Bowl.

belated thanks

Since the babies were born I have not sent one thank you note.  I write this in shame, I have several written and the list of who to thank grows ever longer as the babies get older, but I have not addressed, stamped and sent these thank you's.  I still have hopes that I will eventually get these cards out... what's the Emily Post on this one, do I have a year like the wedding gift rule?  Do I have some twin exemption?  Anyway, I have a few photo thank you's below.  Maybe I can do them all this way, more fun all around.

We went almost nine months without matching each other, but here we are thanks to Christiane, "the perfect pair".

Here is Miss Iman playing with her Ugly dolls (it's really their name, I am not being mean) thanks to Dawn.  It seems like she is having words with them and is generally upset that they aren't responding.

Here we are at our last day of our Caterpillar class at Isis.  Bibi and Iman were two of the oldest babies in the class and often showed the other babies and mommies what was coming soon... giddyap!

I have asked my mom to find baby pictures of me that show that Iman takes after me and not her dad, but so far I have only seen a 1973 version of Bibi in purple outfits.

Cool hand Bibi chilling with his daddy.

He has practiced his bongo playing, pretty much everything becomes a drum, the table, his booster seat tray and even Amine's face.  It all works out since Iman is more of a dancer, she needs someone to lay down the beat.