Hi! In October 2010, I moved from San Francisco to Manhattan with my husband, daughter, and twin boys. Since then I've been busy teaching myself and my kids how to hail a cab, fly a kite in Central Park, and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with style. And a few other things. I write about those other things here. Thanks for stopping by!
Email questions to sharonbeesley@gmail.com.
Remember a few weeks ago when I checked the Conservatory Garden for signs of spring (here)? I went back on Saturday and wasn't disappointed. Everything is in full bloom! Oscar declared he is going to marry Violet in this garden. I thought it was so sweet that a four-year old is already planning his wedding! He's such a romantic. I hope he doesn't get his heart broken too many times.
While the tulips were gorgeous this year, I have to say I liked them better last year. Everyone's blaming it on the unusual warm winter and spring. Has your garden been affected by the heat too?
Oscar is baby A. Owen is baby B. Can you kind of see it?
Last week, I got a two letters from readers who just found out their pregnant with identical twins. What are the chances? One reader already has three kids, the other reader has an 18th month old daughter.
Congratulations!
Now stop reading scary internet stories about identical twins!
While there are a ton of risks, there's also the chance you can have a boring smooth pregnancy. I was lucky to have one! Here's my story.
I was 25 years old, and Ella was 18th months old. I decided to stop breast feeding her at that time. A month later I got pregnant. Whoops.
The biggest challenge I had early on (before I knew I had twins) was that I was really tired. I slept around 12 hrs a day. I was working from home full-time, and had the luxury to quit when I became absolutely useless. Not only was I tired, but my brain stopped functioning. Writing a simple email took all my concentration. My husband thought I might have depression, but I assured him it wasn't. I was happy, tired and dumb!
I should have known something might be up. I was able to work full-time when I was pregnant with Ella, so I was confused why this one felt so different. That, and I was HUGE. I remember going to a baby shower when I was 18 weeks pregnant and sitting in between two women that were due in a few weeks. My belly was as big as theirs. I didn't think much of that either. I thought I was having one of those warped body image issues people tend to have.
When I got home, I asked Rob, "No, really, don't I look big?" I turned from the front, then the side pushing my belly out really far. Talk about a tough spot for a husband. He surprisingly handled himself really well. Instead of being his overly honest self, he convinced me I looked great and not to worry about it. Ha!
Confession: I didn't go to the doctor until I was 14 weeks pregnant, and I didn't find out I had twins until I was 20 weeks pregnant. Rob was transitioning to a new job and I didn't want to get trapped filling out paperwork twice. Looking back, I shouldn't have been so lazy, but it felt right at the time. Other than being tired and stupid, the pregnancy felt normal to me.
I like to think that for the most part, things usually end up on the majority. Most pregnancies aren't twins. Most pregnancies for healthy 25 year-old-woman are smooth. Most of the time, the things I worry about, never end up happening. So I coasted right through the first 14 weeks.
As soon as my doctor heard a heartbeat at my 14 week check-up, she moved on to other patients. I guess it's not in their job requirement to look for more. Noted. My next appointment was for my 20-week ultra sound at another office. We couldn't wait to see if we were having a boy or a girl! I had a feeling I was having a boy. I would have been shocked if my prediction was wrong.
It was a Friday afternoon. Ella and Rob came with me to the appointment. The technician put the jelly on my belly, then placed the transducer (the camera thing) right in middle of my stomach. As soon as he put it on, he looked at the monitor and pulled the transducer off my belly. It was as if he had seen Bigfoot. He waited a second, looked over the notes, then asked:
"Have you guys had an ultrasound yet?"
"Nooo."
"So you guys don't know anything about this pregnancy?"
"Nooo, why?" Scared.
"Oh, you're having twins!"
That's when I had a moment of hysterics. Laughing, crying, calm, the whole bit. Part of me felt peace of mind for quiting my job. Even up until this point, I had felt like such a loser! I couldn't wait to email my old boss! Also, I was grateful I found out so late because I had less time to worry about all the potential risks.
The technician observed that Oscar had slightly more fluid than Owen. This happens a lot with identical twins--one of the babes starts taking up all of the fluid. It's not good. I worried all weekend about it. On Monday morning I called and made an appointment with a twin specialist to give it another look. I needed to know. He took another look that day and assured me everything looked fine and not to worry.
From then on I had an ultrasound every week. I think. During the last few weeks, the twin specialist called me a Baby Making Machine. I was so flattered.
Look! Accidental Chevron Stripes! I was sooo ahead of the times.
Eventually, I walked right into my C-section appointment at the hospital at 36 weeks. My doctors wanted to make sure the babes got out with the least amount of drama because I only had one placenta (typical of identical twins).
They were huge--Oscar was 6 pounds 6 ounces, and Owen was 6 pounds 3 ounces. Even being 4 weeks early, they didn't spend anytime in NICU. We went home with them easily from the hospital. Here's a cheesy and overly sentimental movie Rob and I made of their birth. Enjoy!
Thanks to my two readers for inspiring me to remember this crazy time of my life. Good luck!
FYI: We're done growing our family. It feels good to move to the next phase of our life.
Here's a picture I took of my belly the night before I had the boys. My face says it all. After the jump.
i've always loved this picture of me and Ella. Taken almost 7 years ago. We both look so much different now.
I've been really sick these last few days. Sore throat from hell. Totally ruined all my spring break plans for the kids. I feel horrible that they've been cooped up for 2 days, going on 3. I forced myself out of the house yesterday. Their heads were about to explode if they didn't get some fresh air. Living in a tiny apartment isn't so bad, except for times like this. We're steps away from the best parks and museums, but sometimes we have to pay the price for that.
While I rest, the kids have been watching a lot of TV. But now on day 3, they have been finding other things to do. Currently, they are playing in our endless hallway with a long green ribbon. Don't know exactly what the game is, but Ella seems to have a lot of rules for it. "Clap, jump, turn around. That's how you do it! Or do you want stomp? Break! Time out! Time out!" She's giving out her left over Easter candy to the winner.
Besides making up games, Ella has also been busy writing on her private blog. Here's some of my favorite posts:
Once she got to move up from 1st to the 2nd grade for the day:
Last thursday I went to 2nd grade It was fun . I made new friends .But this kid called David he was mad he thought that he can do whatever he wanted the teacher got mad so he did not get centers he got so mad that he said I will be good the teacher said okay but he lied he pushed somebody he got really hurt so he did not have centers he got bad the teacher said that is A lesson.
When it was moms brthiy we went to a fennsy reashtrot we ate cupcakes and sinwishes and we pinted our nels and we put macup on. I wade a red dress it had 2 pucess. and it was just the 2 of us .we had so munsh fun.And when we got home we had chokelt cake it was kind of like brownnys.
today went to 2 boots. I ate a cookie it was chocolate chip I taste a bite I like it. but I like it butter. the girl scouts cookies are way butter. and I also had pizza. it was so good it is like the big apple. that is the best pizza in the would . so that is why you have to go to NYC. and for breakfast I had a bagel and they have the best bagel in the would so that is also why you have to come to NYC.
Do your kids have blogs? My favorite is when she says, "It's so weird, mom. Your keyboard doesn't have the letter "v"!" And then I have to show her it actually does. "Oh, there it is!"
Hope you have a great weekend! Don't get sick! Wash your hands after reading this post.
Last Thursday, I found a beautiful copy of Huckleberry Finn on sale at Anthropologie. It's not there anymore, but I found the same copy at Amazon. I was planning on waiting to give it to the boys for their birthday. I've never read it before, but I knew it was a classic story about a boy getting into a lot of mischief. A perfect gift for Oscar and Owen. Especially Owen.
I had the Anthro bag hanging on my closet door knob and had forgotten about it. Then, last night, Oscar took the book from the bag and said, "What's this?" It was wrapped in tissue paper just like a present (thanks Angela!). I was sick all day, and so the kids had been cooped up in the house (it's spring break). I figured since we weren't going to get out of the house, we might as well as read about an adventure.
As I starting read it, I remembered Huckleberry Finn is always on the banned booked list. And I can kind-of see why. In the first chapter, it talks fondly about smoking and uses the "n-word" about forty times. I couldn't even say it (censorship!), so I replaced it "slave". Reason is, I don't want my four year old using it unknowingly.
As I continued reading the book, I starting thinking about this article I read in New York Family by Eric Messinger. He wrote about his decision to let his 11-year old daughter watch the Hunger Games. She had enjoyed the books and had been planning for weeks to watch the movie with friends. Eric knew the movie was going to be violent (the plot is about a televised fight to the death between kids!), but believes "kids handle information that works for them". I agree. He concludes the article by writing:
I checked in with her about seeing The Hunger Games, and she didn’t think it was such a big deal and that she could always turn away at parts that seemed too violent—and she was really looking forward to seeing it with her friends.
Rather than question her about its post-apocalyptic vision, I left the conversation there.
Maybe some of the content in Huckleberry Finn is not be age appropriate for my kids. I'm just banking on the fact that they will look forward to spending time together and everything else (racism, trouble making, smoking, etc) will go over their heads. More than anything, Owen has been more annoyed that I was reading it with a southern accent. He kept saying, "Can you stop saying it like that? Why are you talking like that? Stop, mom! Read normal." I ignored him.
Ever see this Lewis CK bit about Huckleberry Finn? So funny. It has tons of profanity, racist language, and makes reference to a lewd act. Mark Twain would be proud.
April marks my one year membership to the New York Botanical Garden. I bought a Family Membership on a whim last spring break. I blame it on love at first sight. I've probably been back around 7 times and with each visit, I've seen something new. Each season brings new blooms, new smells and new exhibits on it's 250 exquisite acres. Here's my experience over the different seasons:
If you go, I recommend walking through the Conservatory first, then take the 30 minute tram ride around the gardens, and (if you have kids) finish up at the Children's Adventure Garden. That makes for a perfect day.
I also recommend taking the tram and getting off at a random stop. I've done this twice and both times I felt like I was dropped off in my own private backyard garden. It sounds over dramatic, I know, but it really is amazing. Mostly because it's quite. Maybe I'll see another family or two, but they aren't stepping on my toes. That's what draws me all the way to the Bronx every time. Manhattan can be so suffocating!
The only time the NYBG felt congested was during the Holiday Train Show, but it was worth it. It reminded me of the elaborate model train displays my dad used to set up in our living room at Christmastime. I'm sure if I went earlier in the season, the Train Show wouldn't feel so packed. It's just that this year I waited until the last minute.
Below are the pictures of Monday's trip to the garden. We started off at the Orchid Show, and then took to the tram to the Family Garden. It didn't open until 1pm, so we played amongst the Flowering Cherries while we waited. There was a lot of wild flower picking, headstands and barefoot running going on.
Thank you Rikshaw Design for outfitting Ella in this seahorse sundress! Isn't it sweet? Ella picked it! Soft, comfortable, and vibrant. The perfect dress to wear to a garden. Their anchor sundress is super cute, too. I love Rikshaw's use of block printing. Gives it that imperfectly perfect look I adore.
My favorite crafts are ridiculously simple and encourage imagination. In the past I've shamelessly promoted foil sculptures, toilet paper maracas, even a block of ICE. Now I'm here to present the latest easiest art project ever: The Stickman. We did this one at The NY Botanical Garden yesterday. They always have the best projects. Owen decided to complicate things by making his a Three Eyed Stickman. Odd yet wonderful. I like it.
What are your kid's favorite super easy activities? Coloring in a coloring book? Paper Airplanes? Cartwheels?
On Saturday, we got invited to an amazing Easter Egg Hunt and Picnic hosted by my friend Lesley. She found the perfect location in Central Park (map). It's crazy that I've lived in NYC for over a year and never spent anytime here at the The Pool. I must have ran past it, but never noticed it. The pond, the willow trees, the perfect weather, the grassy fields--it all felt out of a movie set. It's hard to imagine that these pictures were taken smack dab in the middle of Manhattan.
When we arrived, my family sat down on a blanket and ate a simple picnic of cheese, bread, and grapes. I forgot drinks so Rob had to run off to the store and buy some. He came back with more meat, these cookies, and a few drinks. Eventually more people arrived, and we were surrounded by friends.
Most of the women there were also in my photography class and so we compared settings. What F/Stop are you using? Shutter speed? One of my friends confessed that she put her camera on automatic mode during the hunt. I actually should have done the same. I missed out on a lot of shots because I forgot to check my settings. Whoops. I got a few that turned out. It will be interesting to see their pictures of the day. Actually, I can't wait!
There were around 40 kids involved in the hunt, so Lesley thought of a simple way to give everyone a fair chance of getting eggs. She gave each child a color coded bracelet before the hunt. Kids ages 2-3 got yellow bracelets, 3-4 year olds got green, 4-5 blue, 6+ orange. As soon as their color was called, they were aloud to start the hunt, like a tiered entry. It gave the younger kids more time to find eggs with out getting run over by the big kids. The older kids didn't have to wait long, just around 30 seconds between each group. Eventually, all the kids were out looking together and everyone got plenty of eggs. From what I could see, it was a success.
After all the eggs were found, Lesley hid a few eggs just for kids ages 2 and under. So sweet to watch the babies have their own little hunt.
But it wasn't just the super organized hunt that made this event special. It was the surprises like the "feed the ducks" bags made by Lesley, the AMAZING three layered cake by Pete The Mighty Baker, and the beautiful pinata made by Heidi. These things made the day feel so magical.
Can you believe Pete is a self taught baker? Pricing/flavors/gallery here.
I'm starting to forget Owen's tantrum about the empty water bottle. I'm starting to forgive Oscar for refusing to take a family photo because wanted to wait in line for face painting. I already think it's funny when Ella's hat few in the water, annoying as it was at the time to get it out. Tantrums and all, I would relive Saturday over again. It was just about flawless.
Hope you had a great weekend, too! More pictures/outtakes (12 total) after the jump. Enjoy!
It worked! I threw a little vinegar, boiling water, and a lot of food coloring in some bowls. No measuring spoons or cups needed to get the brightest Easter eggs ever. At least my dozen turned out bright! A little blotchy, but bright. The kid's eggs turned out well too. They just don't have the patience to let the eggs sit for longer than 30 seconds. I think their hands got dyed more than their eggs. It came off after washing with soap a few times and taking 2 baths. Rainbow hands for 24 hrs is kind of fun any way.
I like the clear egg cartons I bought. It makes storing the decorated eggs in my frig feel really festive.
Pictures of the kids eggs after the jump. I actually really like their colors, possibly more than mine. They look more organic and soft. Rob thinks their eggs look gross. ha
My friend took these photos of my boys. Such beautiful examples of front lighting (top, Oscar), side lighting (bottom, Owen), and perfect exposure! My goal is to take pictures like this.
Totally unrelated: At a group playdate yesterday, Oscar came up to all the moms and shouted, "Raise your hand if you celebrate Easter. Ok, great. Now raise your hand if you celebrate Passover. Ok, great. If you celebrate Passover you make a plate with food on it. If you celebrate Easter you make a basket with eggs in it." I loved his questionnaire.
We celebrate Easter. Last year we used the melted crayon method to decorate our eggs. This year I bought these color gels. I heard food coloring achieves really bold colors on the eggs. I'll keep you posted on the results!
Have you decorated your eggs yet? Using an unusual method? I created a Pinterest page of my favorite egg decorating ideas. I love this time of year!
I have to confess. When I signed up for Lesley's Intro to Photography Class, I didn't think I would learn much. I've been shooting tons over the past year. I somehow felt like I had a grasp of my camera and its abilities even though I was shooting in automatic mode! Talk about being overly confident. Some of my photos are even enlarged poster size and framed in my house! Ha.
Before taking the class, I didn't even know the basic functions of my camera. Learning how to change the f/stop, shutter speeds, etc was the first homework assignment before we entered class. It immediately put me in my place. For example, the curved W/B button? I've never pressed it. That stands for White Balance. Completely changes everything. The Q inside a square? I never even noticed it! When pressed, it makes it so much easier and faster to change the settings. These two buttons are so important to me now.
My favorite thing I learned at class was about SOOC. It's a nerdy acronym photographers use that means "straight out of camera". No edits, no color enhancements, nothing. Just a beautiful image without the help from editing software. And here I thought I was just being lazy when I didn't edit! Turns out it's like some sort of badge of honor. So for this post, the images are SOOC and are labeled such. Nerd!
The biggest lesson for me was learning about proper exposure. I had no idea I've been over exposing just about every one of my images! Even in perfect lighting! Lesley helped us train our eyes to see the difference between over, under, and perfectly exposed images. I know it's going to take years before I really can tell the slight difference, but for now, I can already sense an awareness I never had before.
My third and final class is going to be a lighting demo outside. It's going to be awesome! But first I have to catch up on some late assignments first. I only did 9/13.
Check out all of my completed assignments after the jump. #10 was the hardest to accomplish. #11 is one of my favorites, despite Oscar's funky facial expression. Critiques welcome.
For my dad: Click the tiny "Read More" Button below. :)
What's worse: That I dress my kids exactly like 30-something moms? Or that I color coordinate my kids clothes to the playground equipment? I have problems!
The truth is, both of these playground mishaps happened accidentally. Thanks to my kids and Joanna for being such good sports!
Have you ever walked into work or down the street and noticed you had the same thing on as someone else? This blog captures those moments. So funny!
I have moments when I can't wait for my kids to grow up. They're always tired. I can't leave them home alone yet. They jump on cereal in the kitchen for fun.
But then I see them begging to go on these dinky rides. Their happiness is unmeasurable when I actually have a quarter. Suddenly I become acutely aware that I'm seconds away from their childhood being over. I always wonder if this will be the last time they ask to go for a ride. So I try to enjoy my kids just as they are. One on a blue giraffe. The other two on a green horse.
Then the ride stops. "Please! Again? No more? Why?!," they say, "Aw man! This is the worst day ever!"
This weekend, Rob and I decided doughnuts from Doughnut Plant are the best treat. Better than cookies. Slightly better than ice cream. Far better than cupcakes. What's your favorite treat?
Yesterday I took my first photography class by my friend Lesley of Kensington Blue. I was a little late and the only place left to sit was right next to a box of donuts. Oh man, they smelled so good. I can't believe I didn't eat one!
There are about 10 other women taking the class. I'm sure they all have their own reason. I signed up so I can learn how to take pictures when the lighting isn't perfect. Since I've gotten my camera, I've only shot in auto mode. That's fine for sunny days outside, but that's all! I feel so limited. The minute I'm trying to take pictures indoors, at night, or in funky shadows, I get disappointed with the results. My camera just doesn't do what I want. The subjects are always adorable, but the picture is off.
So this weekend I'm making the switch the manual. Have you made the leap yet? I'm nervous I'm going to miss out on some good shots while I learn. I hope it's worth it in the end.
I have a list of assignments to do this week before the second class. It's on the top of my list of things to do! Here's what I'll be working on:
Shallow Depth of Field
Large Depth of Field
Freeze Motion
Capture Motion
Panning
Underexposed image
Overexposed image
Front Lighting
Side Lighting
Back Lighting
Lens Flare
Silhouette
Creative Assignment
That's quite the list! I can't wait to get started. I think a box of donuts just might make the perfect subject. But this time, I'm eating some.
Have a good weekend! I hope you learn something, too. :)
Another observation Oscar's teacher made at his parent-teacher conference was about his interest in board games at free time. He'll play a game if a classmate brings it out, but he won't pick one out from the stack and initiate it on own. Not a huge or significant concern, but she wondered if I had any board games at my house. I told her I've gotten some in the past, but after a while all the pieces get lost or scattered (see here). I gave up buying games for a while.
She explained the benefits of board games (taking turns, patience, following directions, fun) and told me to give it another try! She also suggested that I could even change the rules to the games so there wouldn't always be a winner. Just play until everyone makes it to the end or something.
I liked her suggestion, and took her up on it. Ella's teacher, coincidentally, also happened to mention the benefits of board games, particularly chess. That's the board game I decided to buy!
Chess is way advanced for my kids, so I developed a game that could introduce the pieces to them in a fun and simple way. Best of all, there's no winner! I call it Squish the Bug. Here's how to play:
You'll need:
1. A Chess Set
2. A bag for the pieces (This chess set comes with a fancy velvet bag)
3. Bug Stickers (I found reusable ladybug stickers in this book, but this booklooks like it has even more creepy critters!)
Directions:
1. Place stickers on the board in random places. Press half of the stickers on the board and bend the other half up in the air. See picture below.
2. Have child pick a chess piece out of the bag.
3. Explain the name of the piece and what it does.
4. Place the piece on the board and have the child squish the bugs! Make sure the child is moving the piece in the correct direction.
5. Repeat until your children have gone through the entire bag or you've created the next Bobby Fischer.
Do you play board games with your kids? What board games do you recommend?
On Monday, immediately after I read Ashley's post, I texted her: Hey!! What part of the park did you take those gorgeous pictures? I have to go today!
So after my kids got out of school, we scooted over to the exact location she told me. FYI: My scooter was stolen! I left it unattended at the playground. It probably got snatched while I was pushing my kids on the swing or some other noble parenting act. Oh well. In the mean time, I've been borrowing one from a friend. Do you know how ridiculous I felt calling another grown-up and asking if I could borrow his scooter? I didn't think about it until he already picked up the phone. I felt like such a nerd, but it didn't stop me from asking! His scooter is better than my old one. Now I'm tempted to upgrade. But this time, I'm buying a lock. ;)
It was so exciting to see such a massive tree in full bloom! Good thing we went when we did because the wind had already blown down most of the flowers. I don't know what's left by now, but if you want to see for yourself, you can find these trees behind the Met. Perfect place for a picnic.
PS
I changed my blog's layout again and brought back the sunburst! Feels good to have it back. Thanks to Ana over at Blog Milk for helping me get my blog looking like itself again. Only better!
Last Saturday I went to a bread making class. One of my friends is an expert bread maker, pastry maker, sauce maker, anything maker! After culinary school, she spent a few grueling years in the restaurant business. She recently left all that craziness to work a desk job at a PR company. Turns out, she misses it a little!
So each month, to get her fix, she holds a class for her friends and teaches us all the things she learned as a baker/chef. She only charges us for supplies (last week was $10). Since she's had such a demand, she started pulling names out of a hat to make it fair. I was lucky enough to get my name drawn for the bread making class. While there, she took all the fear of bread making away from me. It was the yeast that scared me the most (she recommended Saf). And the kneading (she told us to make a quarter turn, make a new seam, repeat forever). I think I will give it a try one of these days. Bread making is so romantic and beautiful!
I also have a friend who's teaching a photography class this week. I can't wait to take it. My first assignment is to learn how to adjust the settings on my camera manually. She swears I'll never go back to automatic mode after her three classes. We'll see!
What are you an expert in? Would you ever be brave enough to teach class about all your skills and knowledge? I love this idea!
Hope you like my new blog layout! As I've mentioned before, I love the all the affordable premade blog layouts available these days. I found this one from Blog Milk. I bought it on a whim yesterday, and I'm planning on working out the kinks today. First--where's all my comments?! To be resolved soon.
New feature: The Navigation bar on the top. I plan on filling it up with goodies. I started with the basics by adding links to my Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. I'll eventually add some more labels, like NYC with Kids, Parenting, and DIY (all five of them). Hopefully with better titles than that though. I'll give in some thought. Suggestions are always welcome!
I've replaced the huge sunburst with tiny polka dots. I would love to add a pixelated city skyline along the top of my blog to bring everything together. Perhaps faded behind the NYC Taught Me title. Something like this skyline below, but not so heavy and scary. I'll take offers!
I also have ads up from Federated Media. That's the real reason for the blog redesign. I wanted to start looking a little more professional. Next thing you'll know, I'll start passing out NYC Taught Me business cards! Speaking of becoming more professional--I've decided to start taking sponsors! I would love to promote your blog, website, or business. Email me at sharonbeesley@gmail.com for details!
and its abilities even though I was shooting in automatic mode! Talk about being overly confident. Some of my photos are even
