Family Vacation

We had grand plans of taking the boys for a mini vacation this fall once the kids were back in school, my twins club resale responsibilities were over, and the weather got a little cooler. However... we scrapped that plan to just stay home and do some little day trips. Derek had Wednesday and Thursday off before heading to DC for a long weekend with his buddies.

Wednesday we headed to Brookfield Zoo. The boys received a membership from Grandma and Grandpa Ring for their birthday so we have been trying to go often. The weather was overcast and cool which kept the crowds away. The cooler temps made the animals more active. The boys are at such a fun age to go to the zoo- they are noticing the animals and get so excited to see them up close. Of course anything that resembles a dog (like a goat, a horse, a buffalo) will be pointed out by little "woof woff's" coming from the boys stroller! We realized on this particular trip that Camden is afraid of roosters and Donovan is not so fond of geese. Favorites this time were the camels, the bear swimming in the pool, and the elephant named Joyce.

Petting the goats in the children's zoo

Watching the giraffes

They were not interested in standing in the kangaroo's pouch... obviously Donovan didn't want ANYTHING to do with the kangaroo!

Visiting the camel again


Thursday after morning naps we headed to downtown Naperville. The boys enjoyed lunch at Lou Malnati's (okay, probably not as much as Mom and Dad enjoyed it... but we had a great waitress who kept the boys well stocked with muchies). After lunch we walked the river walk a bit then headed to the DuPage Children's Museum. What a blast we all had there. Again, not very crowded at all so the boys were free to roam around the place.

New Toys

This past weekend was our twins club resale that myself and another twin mommy have been planning for months. I found some great fall clothes for the boys, a pair of snow pants and some fun new toys.

Hmm... what's this toy all about

Donovan- you check it out first

Okay, now Camden take a crack. Gotta love the concentration!



Their favorite resale find though has to be the cozy coupes!

Camden's trying to figure out how to get in this thing

Got it Ma!

Donovan, you have to close the door!

Don't expect new cars when you turn 16!




The boys are very into their cars and trucks right now. They will spend the longest time cruising them around the kitchen making "car noises".




My little readers still love their morning story time

new videos

The boys are growing into such fun toddlers! Enjoy :)









This one's a little long but I know the grandparents will enjoy it
This is what we get to wake to every day- oh to be so happy so early in the morning!

Zoo Day

Today I took the boys to the zoo all by myself- what fun we had! They were very good and seemed to have a blast. I was able to let them get of the stroller many times to stand along the fences and even went into one of the indoor exhibits without the stroller! We spent 3 hours there before heading home for afternoon naps. What a Mommy-accomplishment!

Donovan and Camden at our first stop- the elephants. They were so excited when they spotted the big creatures munching on some hay.


Next we saw a camel. He really wanted to join his lady-friend in the next pen but he wasn't old enough to date yet.


After a few more exhibits, we found a shady spot in the grass to have some jelly sandwiches and goldfish crackers. After eating the boys enjoyed people watching, stretching their legs, and waving to the many trams that drove by.


Camden enjoying his freedom!

Donovan stood all by himself and started taking a few steps. He was trying to get to the zoo tram that was nearby.


Then we went in the Living Coast- sorry for the blurry pic, I still thought it was cute

Camden checking out the penguins

Donovan checking out the big fish mouth


We visited the giraffes twice because they were very easy for the boys to spot. There was a great viewing hut that was much closer to where the giraffes were hanging out. The boys were able to stand right at the fence and see them up close. It was so dusty though- the boys are filthy and in need of a bath!

Sick Babies

Well, I have just bombed the house with lysol- it's been sick city around here! The boys had colds that started over the weekend. On Tuesday, after 4 nights of Camden waking every 1-2 hours, we took him to the dr. Sure enough, ear infection. Then on Wednesday morning when the boys woke, I could hear Donovan breathing all the way in our room. I thought it was his stuffy nose so went ahead and nursed him and passed him to Daddy to clean his nose out. Derek said there's nothing to clean out, it's his chest. So we got them bundled up since it was chilly out and off to the ER we went. After listening to him breathe and a chest x-ray they confirmed that it is croup. He got a shot and 2 rounds of a breathing treatment before he was feeling better. What a tough guy. Pray for a healthy Ring house in the very near future!

A snuggly Donovan with the best Daddy ever!