Mortimer Be Quiet - Robert Munsch

"Bang-bang, rattle-ding-bang goin' make my noise all day"
 

For those of you aren't familiar with the story of Mortimer , it was one of Robert Munsch's many great children's books. Growing up I enjoyed reading Munsch books. So before Laura and Brady were born I made sure to buy a set of his book for them.

We've read Laura and Brady the series of Munsch books on several times during our bedtime routine. Each night we would do our best to read a different book. It gave the twins a variety and Mommy and Daddy a break from reading the same the story over and over again. That is until a few weeks ago when Laura and Brady first began trying to say Mortimer's famous line "Bang-bang, rattle-ding-bang goin' make my noise all day!" This is said at eight time throughout the book. I'm surprised I'm not saying "Bang-bang, rattle-ding-bang goin' make my noise all day" in my sleep.

At first my husband and I thought they looked cute swaying back and forth saying "bang, bang". They haven't quite master the rest of it yet. Needless to say, here we are at least three weeks later, still reading this same book.

There are nights where I thought I was pulling a fast one on them, by reading a different book at bedtime, but no such luck. As soon as I would finish reading the different book they would both go to the dresser (where they know Mortimer is) and starter pointing and asking for it.

Let's face it. Is it really worth turning bedtime into a fight because I've read this book so much that now, I want to tell Mortimer to be quiet. I don't think so. It takes 5 minutes to read the story, Laura and Brady go to bed no problem and Mommy's happy too!

So, for now Mortimer it is.

My Son the Veterinarian

Image: Ashley Cox / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I can't help but think Brady is going to become a veterinarian. I know what you're thinking. He's only 18 months old, he barely knows what animals are. How can you think he's going to be a vet. This boy is all about animals.

This past fall, Brady's uncle won him a stuffed toy dog on a leash from a local fair. Immediately the famous words, "dog, dog, dog. Woof, woof, woof". He went crazy over it. Brady usually walks this stuffed toy dog at least once a day. Not to mention the fights he has had with his sister over it. Dogs in general. Over the last few months Brady and Laura have accumulated quite a few stuffed toy dogs. Out of all of their stuffed animals the dogs are the ones he plays with the most.

For example, Zhu Zhu pets . A few of his cousins had them at Christmas and he fell in love with them. In fact we surprised him with his own Zhu Zhu pet shortly after and he was jumping with excitement. Just this past weekend he picked out a Zhu Zhu puppy when was at Toys R' Us with his Daddy.

Bambi commercials catch his eye to the point that he stops whatever it is he is doing, just to watch it. The dog Andrew in Mary Poppins gets him saying "dog, dog, dog. Woof, woof, woof".  He has wooden puzzles of dogs and farm animals that he plays with all of the time. A rocking horse that he feeds plastic food too.

Laura likes the horse and plays with puzzles. She walks the stuffed toy dog sometimes,  and every once in awhile she will play with the Zhu Zhu pets. But not the same way as Brady plays with them. She is bored of them quicker. She's rather be building with her mega blocks, cooking in her kitchen or watching her Mary Poppins.


Whatever he does decide to do when he grows up, I know he will do it great. Okay now that's something every Mom says. I also know that even if he's not a veterinarian, he will at least have a dog of his own and not a just a stuffed toy dog.

2 Toys 1 Day

It's not often Laura and Brady get brand new toys from their Daddy and I, unless of course it's a special occasion. We don't want them to take our gifts for granted and lets face it Daddy works as much as he does for a reason. It's also not often that Daddy has the opportunity to take Laura and Brady out by himself. With his crazy work schedule it's not always easy for them to get time together alone. Today on the other hand was their lucky day. Daddy offered Mommy some time to focus on writing, while he took the twins out for a bit.

Daddy decided to take them Toys R' Us with a gift card they had from Christmas. From what I gather Daddy and Brady had an excellent time. Laura on the other hand, she was scared of the toy her brother had picked out and apparently started screaming at the top of her lungs. For all you parents out there who have been in a situation similar to this, you know how he felt. For anyone who hasn't experienced such joy, you know what you are thinking when seeing a child freak out in a store.

Poor Daddy!

Unfortunately their trip to the store wasn't as long as Daddy said he wanted it to be, but he said he still enjoyed himself, Laura's freak out aside. Brady ended up picking out one of the new zhu zhu puppies. They're great pets, you don't have to feed them, walk them, etc. I know they're not recommended for children under the age of three however we watch the twins closely when they play with them. Laura picked out Olivia Ball Gown pig.

After Brady's haircut his Nanny insisted she buy him and his sister yet another toy at Walmart. This time Brady picked out a small stuffed Winnie the pooh. His Daddy tried to talk him into picking out wrestlers, but no such luck. It was Winnie the Pooh that came home with us.

For the twins today it was a great day! 2 Toys - 1 Day!!!

Cepia Zhu Zhu Puppies - Shitzhu 
 

Winnie the Pooh Disney Clubhouse Bean Plush Animals 

Olivia Ball Gown 

All of these toys & much more are available to buy from the ToyBox  toy store.

Great Toddler Toys to Buy - 12 to 18 mths.

At 18 months, Laura and Brady's love for toys is growing faster than they are. At 12 months and even now, they are all about toys they can push around the house. These are just a few of their favourites.

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Stroll-ALong Walker

Bought originally for Laura, Brady plays with this toy as well. They both put everything from babies, stuffed animals, etc. in it and push it around. Very sturdy toy, so it's especially great if your toddler is just starting to walk.

My First Electronic Ride On

Laura and Brady each have this ride on toy. Bought for them at 4 months old, Grandpa thought they needed it then wink, wink! Although it was several months later before they could ride on it, they loved it. So much so, they both still push and ride them around the house. FYI - if there's something we can't find of theirs, they have usually hid under the seat of this toy.

Laugh & Learn Musical Chair

This has been a toy that Brady and Laura have fought over from the start. Perfect height for toddler's to sit on. When sitting on the chair it sings abc's, etc. With all of the musical features, this toy kept the twins busy for hours. Easy to clean as well.

All of these toys are available to buy from the ToyBox  toy store.

Great Infant Toys to Buy - 6 to 12 mths.

As Laura and Brady grow so does their preference in toys. Below are some more of their favourites .

Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo

Although this is in the 6-12 months category, the twins were in it by 4 months. This toy jumperoo is a little different than the one Laura and Brady had. However we thought the vibrating chair was a lifesaver, well the toy jumperoo was a sanity-saver! We ended up getting a second one so the twins could jump together. They loved it and so did Mommy and Daddy.

Little Tikes Discover Sounds Kitchen

Laura and Brady were given this toy a little later then 12 months. However, I am sure they would have enjoyed it just as much if they had gotten it earlier. Doesn't take up much space, easy cleaning.

Little Tikes Discover Sounds Workshop

Another great toy that is taking up minimal space in our home. Easy cleaning too. Like the Little Tikes kitchen, this workshop was great for developing the twins motor skills.  

All of these toys are available to buy from the ToyBox  toy store

Great Infant Toys to Buy - 0 to 6 mths.

Like most children, Laura and Brady love their toys. These were a few of their favourites. 

Tiny Love Gymini Monkey Island Activity Gym

Laura and Brady played on this for hours. Twins friendly as both fit under it together for quite sometime. It's great for tummy time. At 18 months they're still playing with the toy monkey that lights up. Machine washable, hang dry, very little fading. 

Fisher-Price Infant to Toddler Rocker

Lifesaver or should I say sleep saver!  Brady didn't like the vibration at all. Laura spent a lot of time her in chair. The vibration calmed her. They enjoyed playing with the toy rattles as well. 

Fisher-Price Rock-A-Stack

A classic toy. I think we all had one of these in our toyboxes. It's still in the twins toybox.

All of these toys are available to buy from the ToyBox  toy store