Camp Will Be a Good Test

So our twins finally know that they will not be in the same class next year. They are going to a new school for grade one and the school is unable to keep them together. There are several sets of twins and triplets in kindergarten alone! The principal, however, to her credit has made sure that they are in classrooms that are next to each other, and in the same "pod." We had requested this if they were not together.

So in preparation for the move to the new school, my wife and the kids went on a tour of the school, and each child was shown "their own" classroom. We hadn't actually told them yet that they would be separated because nothing is official until it actually happens. But also, because we hope that camp will be a good test for daily separation. They have done lots of programs separately from each other, but have always been in the same class or day care room.

Since we have always had to secure their day care spots during the summer, this will be the first time that they will be at camp. At first they will be at the same camp, but different cabin groups as boys and girls are separate. However, they will travel on the same bus back and forth and will know at least a couple of kids on the bus. My daughter will also have a friend from the school we are leaving in her group. Then our twins go to different specialty camps and we have to transport them to different locations. Neither know of any friends attending, so they will have to make new ones.

I am thinking that this should be a good test for their separation, and it couldn't come at a better time. And any how, as a teacher I am quite aware of the inherent resiliency of children. School class separation at this point is probably the best for them, and so camp will be the perfect preliminary for the main event in September.

My Book "Twice Blessed: A Parent's Guide to Twins" is Now Available!

I started writing this blog and some magazine articles about two years ago. When I started this blog, it was really just to post parts of the articles that I had published, and occasionally I added a thought here or there when something came to mind, that would be not be suitable for an article. But after several articles were published in both Twins Magazine and the Bulletwin, along with a couple in other publications, my wife urged me to turn the articles into a book. I agreed, as long as she provided the photos to go along with it. It had to be a team effort. Well, the book got written, and her photos were added, and it is now finally available to the general public. It is entitled Twice Blessed: A Parent's Guide to Twins and is currently available through Bookstand Publishing (in pdf and paperback), Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and Indigo.ca. It is also available in most online book retailers and in e-reader format for Kindle, Nook, and Kobo. For more information, you can either go to my website (unless you just came from there) at www.twiceblessedguidetotwins.com and/or "Like" my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/twiceblessedguidetotwins. The website and the Facebook page will update you on the book's availability. I hope you read the book and find it both helpful and enjoyable.

Cottage Resorts are Great for Twins

Recently, there have been a few postings on the Toronto Parents of Multiple Births Association (TPOMBA) Facebook page about how to prepare for taking their twins to the cottage, and even whether or not to do so. We have been doing this since our now six year old twins were 15 months old (and were still crawling!) We do not have our own cottage, but instead of renting someone else's, we discovered how great a cottage resort can be for kids, including twins. A cottage resort is a vacation resort that is usually located on a lake, and has several self-catering cottages along with other facilities, and equipment for use of the guests. There could be as few as a half dozen cottages up to about 30, and they range from one-bedrooms to four-bedrooms usually. Most will be of the two or three bedroom variety. My home province of Ontario has many of these and a good place to research them is at Resorts Ontario and their website. My wife and I have stayed at a few different ones in Ontario, both before and since we had kids. The one that we have settled on for the past four years is called Beauview Cottage Resort, located near Huntsville, Ontario on the beautiful Lake of Bays. It is run by a lovely couple, Gord and Nancy Bell, and has only six cottages. We stay in a two-bedroom cottage. There is a full kitchen, a full bathroom, a satelite television, a fireplace and a deck with a barbecue. Some of the other cottages have an outside hot tub, but ours has a jacuzzi tub in the master bedroom. Every year we go, Gord takes out furniture that we don't want and provides us with bed rails. You won't get this kind of service or help from an absentee cottage owner. There are so many things to do at Beauview, and other resorts too. But Beauview is particularly good for the really young kids. There is not much of a natural beach but Gord and Nancy bring in two giant piles of sand for the kids to play in, one in the playground and another at the water. He also provides many sand toys to play with. There are lots of other things for the young kiddies including a play kitchen and a fort. Gord usually places the play kitchen and some toys next to our cottage for our arrival so that the kids have something to do while we unpack the car. There are pedal boats, row boats, a variety of kayaks, canoes, individual small pedal boats for the little ones, inflated innertubes, water noodles, many life jackets, and even fishing rods for the use of the guests. There is also a variety of sports equipment including frisbee golf. Gord has a motor boat and will take you out for a boat ride on Lake of Bays or the older kids and adults can try water skiing or tubing. For rainy days there is a large selection of DVDs to watch in your cottage. They also will provide you with a parking pass for A|lgonquin Park for the nature lovers out there. The thing to consider is that being at a cottage resort offers you and your twins and other children so many choices. A singular cottage could not have so many things on hand. The cottages are usually smaller but the rates at Beauview and many other cottage resorts are quite reasonable when you consider what your are getting. Some even offer children's programs during the summer. At Beauview Nancy organizes bingo and arts and crafts, and there is also a welcome barbecue for the guests. So if you are considering renting a cottage, think about a cottage resort. It should be a fun and relaxing time for your family. To check out more about Beauview, go to www.beauview.com.

Doing Some Things for Myself for a Change!

There is little doubt that parenting twins is a full time job. It takes a great commitment and effort, and often times, as with any parent, you need to put your children's needs first. With twins, finding any time for yourself, especially when they are younger, and especially if you are working a full-time job, seems next to impossible.

But lately, now that my twins are a bit older, I am making time for myself, and my wife Lisa is doing the same. My writing is something I do because I enjoy it. But writing my articles and/or my blog has been done in short snippets of time, whenever and whereever I can - during my son's hockey practice or daughter's dance class, or after they are in bed, or are playing on the weekends. But scheduled activities are more difficult. My wife has finally been able to return to Pilates, on a weekly basis, at a time that works for us. And now I am returning to play in a slow pitch softball league for the first time since before kids. It is only one night of the week, and the game times are very consistent, which is a big help to a parent of younger children.

I am determined to pursue my main interests, as well as keep up with my friends, while at the same time being the involved father, my wife and kids have come to expect--and that I expect of myself. During the first couple of years or so, having my own interests and finding time for them seemed overwhelming. But know I am doing some things for myself for a change! Yes, it is possible my fellow twin parents!

Twins' Play Dates

Our twins' first friends when they were only about eighteen months old and in day care, were another set of boy / girl twins who are only a few months older. The four kids have continued to be friends ever since that, despite going to different schools. Our daughters go to dance class together, and our sons will be playing baseball on the same team with their dads as co-coaches.

We have had double play dates, whole family visits to each other's homes, and split play dates - the boys go to one house and the girls to the over. Then, the next time we switch. This time it was our turn to host the boys. They almost wore me out last time we hosted them!

But now it seems that due to a scheduling conflict, only the girls will be able to get together. Unfortunately, my daughter just had a play date with a school friend, and my son has been waiting to have one of his own, but it has been difficult pinning one down from the kids' parents. Of course, this is difficult for a six year old to understand, especially when his friends have been inviting him. So my wife spoke to the twins' mom and suggested that it wouldn't be fair to our son if our daughter had another play date by herself. Our friend totally understood (because she has twins of her own) and so we are going to try to coordinate a different get together for the families, even if it is not a full play date. This is definitely a twins issue!

Our Twins' Birthday Party Update

Some of you may have read my recently published article in Twins Magazine. It was about planning birthday parties for twins, and I recounted each of our twins' birthday celebrations for the first few years. In the article, I also mentioned that we were in the midst of planning their 6th birthday party, a combined affair taking place at a trampoline centre. Here is an update on how that went. The party was very successful. Both my son and daughter, and apparently most or all of their attending friends, really enjoyed it! The party consisted of an hour of trampoline time, with fifteen children taking turns on six tramps. There was also a fun performance by the instructors, jumping and flipping over our twins, who were lying on their backs looking at the action above them. I guess that is why they require that all parents sign a waiver for their child. Afterwards, we had some snacks and the birthday cakes. Each of our children chose a theme for their cake as well as the flavour. My son had a chocolate cake decorated with Lego Ninjago. My daughter had a half chocolate / half vanilla cake with Hello Kitty decorations. We sang each of them "Happy Birthday" separately. The snacks included grape kebobs (put together by my wife and mother-in-law), watermelon, cheese strings, pretzels, popcorn, red licorice sticks, and bottled water. It was mid-afternoon so it allowed us to avoid having to serve a full lunch. We brought a marker to label the waters with each child's name. So, as I wrote in the original article, we were once again able to combine our twins' birthday parties. Whether this will happen again next year is anyone's guess. But I wouldn't hesitate to go back to the trampoline centre for a future party.

A Twins Birthday Cake Dilemma

Our twins recently turned six! It is hard to believe that it was six years ago that they were born and have grown to be the great kids they are today. This year we had an added wrinkle to deal with--the Jewish festival of Passover. For those unfamiliar with this holiday, it comemerates the old testament story of the Hebrew slaves' exodus from Egypt following the ten plagues. For eight days, Jewish people and families have to eat only unleavened bread, and grain products made from this. Since the date of the holiday changes with the moon calendar, this was the first year that our twins' birthday landed on Passover. This meant a couple of things. First, we moved their birthday party forward to be on a weekend following Passover. No big deal here. Then we had to decide what to do about celebrating their birthday with their grandparents and decided to do so during the first seder, just before their actual birthday. We went to buy a Passover cake from a local grocery store and discovered that they actually made customized birthday cakes for the holiday. But due to the high cost and not needing so much cake, we opted for one round cake. We were told it could be decorated in two different colours for each half and have flowers for my daugter and balloons for my son along with their name on each side. We usually have two cakes but the kids were fine with the one to share as long as each had what they wanted on it. They even agreed to have one layer be chocolate and the other vanilla. Unfortunately, when we got the cake, the store had not decorated it as two halves, but used the colours in layers and placed the flowers and balloons more randomly. We hoped our twin son and daughter would not be disappointed and luckily they weren't. We got candles with the letters of each of their names and they blew out these together, which again was fine with them. But as a tradition in our family, we sang each of them happy birthday individually. Even on their actual birthday, I baked Passover brownies with them, and when it came time to lighting candles and singing happy birthday (twice again), we asked whether they wanted the brownie cut in two separate halves or kept as one. Our twins again chose to share the brownie. This time we did light number six candles separately, so at least they got to do that. They were really good about the whole thing, and it taught me that they still really enjoy and appreciate celebrating their birthday together. I hope this continues for many years to come!

My Article on Disney World in Real Family Travel Magazine

     In the March, 2013 issue of Real Family Travel Magazine, an article I wrote was published.  It is entitled

"Taking Young Children to Disney World:  It is All in the Planning."  My wife Lisa did all the

great photography, except for the article's cover photo (I have no idea where they got that from).  In order

to read the magazine you need to follow the link below and then enter the password USA-mar-1303.


http://realfamilytravel.com/march-2013-issue-8kif3x

Let me know what you think of the article.  If you like the issue, you could subscribe to the magazine either

on the Ipad or the digital version.

The Twins School Decision

            I am writing this in order to sort through a decision my wife and I will be making with regards to our twins attending a new school next year.  You see our boy and girl are now attending kindergarten, but not at their home school, due to their daycare situation.  Next year, they will be going to our home public school.  When they entered kindergarten, we requested that they be together, and this was granted, especially considering the fact that we were only going to be in the school for two years. 

            Now they will be in their new school, and even though we had been thinking that we would separate them in grade one, we are starting to ponder whether requesting that they be together for one more year might make the most sense.  At a recent parent-teacher interview, we were told that not only do they not play together, but they have totally different interests and largely different friends in the classroom.  They do often walk in to class together, occasionally even holding each other’s hand, but they are clearly individuals after that.  We have always felt that as twins they are more comfortable when the other one is there, but not dependent on him or her.  Their teacher even volunteered that it might be a good idea for them to be together again next year, since they were going to a new school.         

            If they were still at their current school, we would undoubtedly separate them, because we think they should be able to handle it, and long term we feel that being in separate classrooms is better for them.  It certainly takes away the comparing of them, which is only human nature for the teacher.  But since they have been no trouble and are clearly independent of each other in both school and the classroom, having one more year together in the same classroom while adjusting to a new school (and a full day of class rather than just a morning or afternoon) would be helpful to them. 

            Even if we do make the request, the school administration may turn us down, for whatever reason, valid or not.  But my wife and I need to sort what we want to do first, and I think I am leaning towards one more year together, if possible.

Preparing for Twins: Classes

I highly recommend taking a class or classes, even if you have already had singleton children.  However, finding a class that caters specifically to twins or multiples in your area may be difficult.  Check with your local Parents of Multiples group to find out if they are aware of any such classes.  I think we heard about the class at Becoming Maternity in Toronto from a friend.  We also attended a general child birth class offered at our hospital and facilitated by a retired nurse.  It offered a tour, which was useful and reassuring, but was catered to singleton births with very little information specifically for twins or multiples.  I understand, however, that some hospitals, particularly those specializing in multiple births, do offer a twins or multiples specific class and tour.

The class at Becoming Maternity was excellent.  It was instructed by a practising labour and delivery unit nurse and was three consecutive Saturday afternoons.  There was only one orher couple with Lisa and me in the class, and so the attention and help we got was tremendous.  She told us exactly what to expect during the pregnancy, including what would happen if they were born extremely premature, and then what to expect at the hospital.  This was the first time I was aware that the two babies would almost immediately be given to me, if it was a natural birth.

The other thing that I recall vividly was learning how to swaddle a baby.  I had never even heard of swaddling before but I got pretty good at it.  For those uninitiated like me, swaddling is way of tightly wrapping the baby in a blanket to keep it warm.  A few months after Josh and Abby were born, Lisa told me that they had outgrown swaddling.  I was quite disappointed because it was one aspect of fatherhood I thought I had perfected.  At these classes we learned about many aspects of giving birth and the first few months of raising twins, including the hows and whys of breast feeding, and about doulas.  A doula is a postpartum mother's helper, particularly at night to help the mother get more rest, and/or at the hosptial working as a birthing coach. 
I highly recommend taking such a class if one is available in your hometown area or at the hospital.

Timbits Hockey on an Outdoor Rink

I had to write today about watching my son play Timbits hockey on an outdoor rink.  We were only told this past weekend that the Tony Roman Houseleague Tournament game would be moved to the Markham Civic Centre's outdoor rink and the two side-by Mini Mites division games (for four to six year olds) would be part of the opening ceremonies.  Then the cold spell that has rocked the Eastern part of the US and Canada hit and I was concerned all week that it would be bitterly cold for all the little future Sidney Crosbys, including my son. 

But it turned out to be an excellent day, not too cold and very sunny.  The enthusiasm of the players and the parents and grandparents watching added to the atmosphere.  Outdoor games are so rare nowadays, and due to the NHL's Winter Classic, they have seemingly become "special events."  For my son's first ever real game to be on an outside rink without real boards was something I would never have anticipated.  And now that it is over I will always have fond memories of it.  I hope that my son does too! 

Not that I really care about anything other than that he is having fun, but the fact that he nearly scored twice was extra exciting.  He said the goalie saved his best attempt but, in fact, if an actual goal line had been painted on the ice, it probably would have been past it, when the goalie actually saved it.  Since the score was kept officially but not publicized, and there were no face offs at centre ice except for shift changes, I don't know whether it was counted as a goal or not. My son certainly didn't seem to be bothered by it, which makes me even more proud of him.

I know this blog is about raising twins, so I will finish this entry by mentioning that his twin sister (and his mother) did attend the game to cheer him on...and enjoyed a chocolate Timbit to eat.  By the way, for those that are not familiar with Tim Horton's, a Canadian coffee and fast food super franchise, a Timbit is what the rest of the world calls a doughnut hole...or a very young hockey or soccer player!

Preparing for Twins: Getting the News

          It was in mid-August.  I had been attending a professional summer workshop for teachers and walked through the front door of our home just north of Toronto that afternoon.  There it was.  A hand written sign: Welcome Home Daddy!  My reaction was to yell G-d’s name in vain several times!  I was going to be a father and was both surprised and extremely excited!  But the news was only going to become bigger....at least in numbers. 

Perhaps, looking back, I shouldn't have been so surprised.  In a story I have repeated often over the years, while we were engaged we attended a dinner at a retreat which had entertainers coming by to each table.  My wife was having her fortune told by a tarot card reader and was asked the question, “Do you have twins in your family?”  I was listening and chuckled at this until my wife said, “Yes.  Why?”  We were then told that she would eventually have twin boys.  I still found the whole thing ridiculous, but I am not as skeptical today.  The tarot card reader was wrong about the boys, because we later found out that we were having a boy and a girl.

            There are quite a few things to consider while preparing for your twins, and the most important one is on the woman’s shoulders – keeping the fetus’ healthy.  Twins have much higher rate of being born early which can lead to birth defects, and also a higher rate of miscarriage.  So eating healthy, getting lots of rest, getting to all those medical appointments, taking the battery of tests throughout the pregnancy relies heavily on your wife and/or partner.  But dads can help significantly by attending as many appointments and ultrasounds as possible, being supportive both in words and actions, and doing as much as you can to get ready for your twins when they arrive.  My own experiences along with some others may help the dads reading this better understanding of how to help their wife and/or partner get through the sometimes challenging twins pregnancy.  And quite a bit of this applies to the moms too!

My next few posts will deal specifically with the issues we dealt with during the pregnancy as we prepared for our twins arrival.

Links to My Online Family Travel Articles

I usually write about parenting and raising twins, but occasionally about family travel.  I have been meaning to post links to a couple of the family travel articles that have been published and are available online.  My wife Lisa provided the excellent photographs for both articles.  So here they are.  Please check them out and let me know what you think.


Taking Young Children to Disney World: It's All in the Planning http://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/families/index.php/travel/are-we-there-yet/1193-disneyworld-young-children-plan.html

Niagara Falls: A Great Family Getaway in Winter
http://www.greatfamilyvacationdestinations.com/travel/getaways/2219-niagra-fall-winter

The Niagara Falls article was edited and republished (without Lisa's photos :-(  ) in the Hamilton/Halton and Niagara editions of City Parent, a southern Ontario parenting magazine.  The Niagara edition was its inaugral one.

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk//launch.aspx?eid=76b004ed-fd71-4283-803c-14f243cf556b

What to Look for in a Day Care

          When I was doing my undergraduate studies and shortly following graduation, I had the opportunity to work in full service day cares.  This experience helped guide us in our choices, but truthfully, much of it comes out to gut instincts and the impression a particularly centre has on you.  For example, one centre we visited had the smell of urine, and that was an automatic no go.  Another had a supervisor who sat in her office the entire time, while a staff member gave us the tour.  The children there were clearly bored and misbehaving, and one child ran into my wife at full speed while attempting to give her a hug.           

            There are four things that you should look for in a good daycare.  The first is cleanliness.  From my experience, a child care centre is extremely hard to keep clean.  Kids are constantly, eating, playing, doing arts and crafts, coming and going from outside, and having sunscreen put on them, not to mention the occasional toilet accident.  So if a centre looks really clean, the staff  there have put in the effort to make it so.  This brings us to the staff itself.  The director or supervisor is certainly a key person, and likely the one you will first meet.  She should make a good impression, and come across as caring about the welfare of your children and those in the centre.  It is wise to visit the centre during the course of a normal day.  Watch to see the demeanour of the staff.  Are the genuinely happy to be there?  Is their attention on the children?  Or are they chatting amongst themselves?  At the centre we chose for the toddler room, we were impressed not only by the supervisor and her thoroughness, but there was a staff member we were introduced to, and my wife said afterwards that she hoped our kids would be taught by her. As it turned out, they were, and she was even better than the great first impression she gave.

            Programming is the third important area to think about.  It should be comprehensive and follow some sort of weekly and/or monthly theme.  It should not be “whatever the kids are interested in” as we were told at one centre.  Apparently, they had been learning about bugs for several weeks!  Most day cares post the programming plan on the wall, and many send home a monthly newsletter.  Safety also comes into play here. Does the centre have safe practices and good documentation of any incidents that occur?  Last but not least, check out what kind of outdoor playground and/or play area they have.  There are more and more day cares located in industrial parks or strip plazas that have very small outside areas with limited equipment.

            The final important area to inquire about is the food.  What is the menu and are there enough healthy choices?  Some jurisdictions conduct health and/or food inspections of day care facilities.  If so, ask to see how the centre did on its latest inspection.   Centres may post these up on the wall for parents.   Is there an on-site chef or is the food brought in from outside?  How are allergies or religious preferences dealt with?  As a Jewish family, having a centre that understood that we did not wish our children to eat pork or eat milk and meat together was important to us.  Remember, no matter what the issue is, you have the right to ask before you sign your child up for care.  And be sure to take a tour of the centre to allow those parental instincts to guide your decision.

Why Choose Day Care for Twins?

This story begins a few months before our twins were even born.  Actually, we probably hadn’t named them by this point.  You might ask why would anyone start searching for a daycare before their children are even born?  Fair question.  But first of all, allow me to address why parents might choose a day care centre for daily care giving after both have returned to work. 

            We did consider the option of a nanny.  In fact, we had a nanny part-time, three mornings a week during the last few months of the maternity leave.  But since both my wife and I are teachers, we feel that social stimulation for children is vital and the best place to get this is at a full service day care.  Twins do have each other, but they cannot get enough stimulation just from one another.  This is not a healthy situation in my opinion.  It is true that parents, nannies, and grandparents can take babies and toddlers to community and library programs for some stimulation.  But there are only so many of these.   My wife attended quite a few, and as those with twins or multiples know, it isn’t always easy.  Sometimes, she had help from the nanny or a grandparent, but she even enjoyed a stroller fitness class with her two babies in a her large double stroller!

We realized that the cost of two infants and toddlers in day care would be greater than sponsoring (in Canada) a live-in nanny but we were willing to do this if we could find the right day care centre.  I had worked in day cares during my university years and knew what to look for as far as quality was concerned.  I will share this information with you later in this article.  Of course, many people opt for home day cares, but one of the things to consider with those is that the range of children can be quite varied, and, as an example, many home day cares in Ontario can only accept five children.  Check your state or provincial government to find out what the ratios for each type of care and age group are in your community.  We were pretty sure that we had a great day care nearby, because so many people we knew were recommending it highly—but that meant getting on the list over a year ahead, pre-birth, in order to secure two of ten spots in the infant care room.  And so we did.

An Orioles Fan Enjoys an Astonishing Season!

I know this has nothing to do with raising twins but I felt compelled to write it.

I am no bandwagon jumper.  I come by my love for the Baltimore Orioles honestly.  I have been a fan since I was a child, following the great O's teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s.  I have also suffered for the last fifteen years watching year after year of bad to terrible Orioles teams, only holding the hope that they might become good once again.  The beginning of the 2012 season was no different. 

But this has turned into an incredibly fun season, no matter the final outcome because this team has seemingly beaten down all its critics and naysayers along with the "stats gurus" and is still a wild card team in mid September.  They have swept division rivals Yankees and Rays in recent series and have some legitimate all stars.  The could even win the AL East division title!

However, it is the way they are winning games that is so exciting.  13 straight extra inning wins, including the one early in the season that went 16 innings and DH Chris Davis pitched two innings to beat the Red Sox.  He had gone 0-for-8 as a DH that particular game, but struck out Adrian Gonzalez to help save the game.  There have been so many of these types of games for the Orioles.  And each night it is a new hero.  The bullpen has been magnificent, particularly Darren O'Day, Pedro Strop, and Cy Young contender and closer Jim Johnson.  Buck Showalter should win manager-of-the-year and has utilized over 50 players this year.

I just wanted to thank them for providing this fan with so much fun and excitement this summer.  Keep it going...hopefully to the playoffs...and the World Series.  With this team, nothing is impossible!

Traveling with Twins Tips # 4 & 5: Travel Toys and Baby Equipment

4..     Dollar store toys can be a great tool to occupy the kids, especially when unpacking at your destination.  We take one or two trips to Niagara Falls each year, and we buy each child a small toy from the dollar store to give to them upon arrival.  For plane trips, we buy “travel toys” that they can use on the plane and in the airport.  For example, on a trip to Disney World, we got our son a magnetic airport scene builder, and for our daughter we purchased a “Where’s Waldo” card game.  These games have been used a few times since on other trips.

5,      If you plan to do a lot of road trips, for example to visit family out-of-town, choose a vehicle accordingly.  In other words, keep cargo space in mind when you make your selection if you will probably be hauling lots of baby equipment.  Especially when your twins are very young, try to figure out what you will need and whether it can be accommodated in your vehicle..  We have a large vehicle that has a lot of cargo space.  Our first couple of years that we rented a cottage or travelled to Niagara Falls, we were able to bring our large double stroller, an indoor safety fence, and two pack-and-play cribs to sleep in, along with our suitcases.  Packing the car was very difficult and for the cottage we packed up their toys in a rooftop cargo holder that we purchased for such trips.  If we had not had the ability to stuff all the equipment in the car, we would have had to make some choices and left some items behind.  However, sometimes it isn’t necessary to bring things.  Many hotels have cribs available and also bed rails too.  I will deal with strollers specifically in my next tip.

Traveling with Twins Tips # 2 & 3: Consider Space and Plan Ahead

2.      Consider space when selecting accommodations.  When we travel as a family we try to stay in suites, so that we have a room for the parents and one for the kids.  An excellent chain for this type of accommodation is the Embassy Suites. There are other chains and individual properties that do have a similar set up.  Even room size can make a big difference.  When our family travelled to Walt Disney World, we chose not to stay in a Disney owned moderate or value priced hotel because we understood that the rooms were very small.  Instead, we stayed at a hotel in the Downtown Disney Resort Area and the room had two queen beds and a lot more space.  Cottage resorts or just renting a cottage is another excellent option and a great way to spend a family vacation.  Cottages are naturally spacious compared to other accommodations and usually include full kitchens and even barbecues.

3.      Plan ahead!  This applies to both longer road trips and plane trips.  Be aware of things such as your children’s nap (if applicable) and bed times and try to plan travel around these as much as possible.  If you are driving, think of where you might stop to eat and/or for washroom breaks.  Smart phones and tablets have apps that can find the nearest restaurant or gas station.  My personal favourite is “Timmy’s Me” which finds me the nearest Tim Horton’s location and can even narrow them down to the drive thrus only.  Don’t hesitate to bring snacks in the car or on the plane.  Most food that isn’t a liquid or a gel is allowed through security.  My wife and I always pack and bring such healthy snacks as granola bars and fruit bites and bars to quell the kids’ hungry moments. 

Traveling with Twins Tip #1: Saving Money

My wife and I were eating dinner in a restaurant one evening and were discussing an upcoming excursion with our twin children.  An older gentleman sitting with his wife at the next table chimed in.  He told us that when he and his wife went away with their now grown up children, they called it a trip.  It was only a vacation if they went away by themselves.  I think almost all parents can relate to this but particularly those of twins or multiples.  So here is the first of ten tips to turn your trips into events that resemble vacations.

There are several ways to save your family money when planning such a trip with twins.  The Entertainment Book offers discounts on restaurants, hotels, attractions, and even car rentals.  Over the years we have saved hundreds of dollars using it on vacations.  You can buy books for most North American cities for about 25 or 30 dollars each annually. 

If you live in Canada, flying out of nearby US airports can save you a fortune.  For example, my wife and I saved over $1000 on a recent flight to Baltimore by flying out of Buffalo instead of Toronto.  The taxes are most of the savings.  Sure you have to weigh the drive to the airport, and weather is certainly a consideration too.  You may not wish to risk driving through a winter snow storm to catch a flight.  But when you consider the ease of going through the border by car, you actually aren’t losing much time.  I have also flown out of Seattle instead of Vancouver, when I lived there.  Most of the time you should book directly through the hotel or airline to get the best deal.  Many of the hotel chains and airlines will even guarantee this and beat a rate or fare found on an outside website.  Keep in mind that may generic travel websites make you pay ahead of time with no chance of cancellation, which is always risky when booking with children. 

Tripadvisor.com won’t save you money directly, but it will give you an idea of whether you are getting good value.  Trip Advisor ranks hotels and restaurants based on user reviews.  Reviewers rate the property on value and often comment on this.  You can even read only the reviews written about family travel to narrow your focus.

More tips for travelling with twins in future blogs.

Taking Young Twins to Disney World - Getting and Staying There

            As we got closer to the actual trip we had a few burning questions regarding our twins.  This would be their first trip on a plane and we wanted to make sure their time was occupied.  At the same time we wondered whether car seats were feasible or necessary for the plane trip.  In our case, because we were staying in WDW and were not renting a car, we did not have need for them.  We also had our seats professionally installed and did not really want to take them out.  We solved the first question through buying a couple of “travel” games and a portable DVD player with two headphones so they could watch together.  On the plane, Abby and Josh watched the seatback TV, but in the airport they were able to watch the DVDs we brought to amuse them.  This was also useful for some quiet time after a long day in the park back in the hotel room. 

Two huge questions, whether you have multiples or not, are how are you getting to Orlando and where are you staying?  We were flying and since our focus was entirely on Disney World, and we were staying at a hotel on the grounds, we did not need a car.    However, we did need to get to and from Orlando International Airport.  Through my research I discovered town car service.  It works like a limousine, except that they meet you at the baggage area, help bring your bags to the car and even provide car seats.  However, I did not know that I had to install the car seats, myself and they were not very good ones at that.  One of the best aspects was the fact that we could stop at a grocery store on the way to the hotel and buy drinks and snacks for the week, such as bottled water (which is expensive in WDW).  My wife had already packed some snacks because, while security does check all bags entering the parks, they turn a blind eye to food and drinks.  So there is me at the grocery store, dressed in my Canadian winter jeans and sweatshirt in the Florida heat.

If you actually stay at a Disney Resort, you can use their Magic Express bus service for free.  But keep in mind that it has mixed reviews and many reviewers said they waited hours to get their luggage at the hotel.  On the way back to the airport, we decided to use a Mears shuttle, which was cheaper and quicker, and we didn’t need the car seats.  Another option, of course, is to stay off the grounds in either a suite hotel or a rental condominium.  With multiples, having extra room is always great, but you would definitely need a car, as most of the outside hotel shuttles to WDW are very infrequent.  Also, you might want a kitchen or kitchenette to be able to save some money on meals, which are expensive in the parks.