This week we have partnered with Safari Ltd. to giveaway a twin prize pack to 2 families each day this week. If you have not already done so go enter to win the prizes for your twinnies. If the winner we choose LIKE Safari Ltd. on their Facebook page then they will throw in a bonus gift too!! The winners will be chosen in the morning!
Twins arrive as a set, a pair, a side-by-side little couple of womb-mates turned room-mates. Some of us often refer to them “the twins”, especially when they arrive after or before a singleton or two. For those of us who have more than one set of twins, calling each them “the twins” may be confusing, but that’s beside the subject!
What happens to our twin duos when they get older and begin to socialize and become involved in sports and other activities? What happens when one twin girl is asked by a friend at school to be her best friend? How does the other twin feel? Is this other twin automatically invited in activities that involve the other two girls simply by virtue of her twin status? Are the twins assumed to be an inseparable set … or, is one excluded and treated simply as a sibling of this classmate’s best friend? What would happen if one twin was invited to a birthday party and not was other?
Another example would be a set of 10-year-old set of boy twins who are both interested in a spot on the school soccer team. If one twin is a stronger player than the other, is it assumed that both will make the team regardless of the fact that one is not as strong a player as the other? More
With so many shows and movies about pirates, what better way for your children to act out their own swashbuckling scene than with their own pirates from Safari Ltd. And the whole collection is currently on SALE! To prepare your kids for some real pirate play teach them how to talk like a Pirate! Here’s some words to get ye started:
Ahoy! – ‘Hello’
Arr – Yes/That’s great/I agree
Aye Aye – ‘Of course, I’ll do that now.’
Blimey – ‘Wow.’
Buccanneer – Pirates, usually from Hispaniola, who attacked Spanish ships in the Caribbean.
Bucko – Friend
Deckhand – A person working on a ship, sometimes shortened to ‘hand’.
Dubloon – An old Spainish gold coin.
Gangway – ‘Clear a path.’
Grog – Rum mixed with water or any kind of alcohol (this is great for mom and dad)
Grub – Food
Hold – The space in a ship where cargo or prisoners were kept.
Hornswaggle – To cheat.
Jolly Roger – The pirate flag – a white skull and crossbones on a black background.
Lad – Young man.
Land lubber or lubber – A person who likes being on land, often used as an insult.
Lass – Young woman.
Loot – Gold and riches usually stolen.
Mate or Matey – Friend
Me – Used instead of ‘my’.
Me beauty – How you would address a pretty lady or something important to you.
Me hearties – Friends
Mutiny – When a ship’s crew refuse to follow the captain’s orders.
Pirate – A ‘robber of the sea’.
Plunder – To steal.
Poop deck – The floor that is also the roof of a cabin built on the upper deck.
Sea dog – Somebody who has been a sailor for a long time.
Scurvy – A disease many sailors got because they didn’t eat enough vitamin C.
Shiver me timbers – ‘What a surprise.’
Walk the plank – To be forced to walk along and off the end of a plank that has been placed over the side of a ship.
Ye – Used instead of ‘you’.
Yer – Used instead of ‘your’.
(courtesy of The Pirate Dictionary)
Be sure yer Las and Lasses don’t try to hornswaggle ye. If the Buccanneers don’t clear the gangway of their toys, make sure they get thrown in the hold. After sweeping the Poop deck but before retiring to your hammock for the night, be sure to have a cup of grog (OJ) so you don’t wake up with scurvy! Oh and don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a Pirate pack for your Twinnies!! We will be giving away a prize pack to two Twiniversity Families.
*To enter you must be a Twiniversity member. If you’re not already a member join for free here. You must be a parent, expectant parent or caregiver of multiples to join. Then fill out each section below.
It’s never too early to talk to your kids about Dinosaurs!- by Trevor Marcum
Dinosaurs! Even as an adult the word still carries your imagination to place where creatures come in unreal shapes and sizes. I can remember as a child bargaining with my father to take me to see Jurassic Park. The deal we brokered: Read the book first, then we’ll go see it in theaters. At eight years old my fascination with them moved me to push through the 400+ page book in time to go see the movie. That simple push led to a lifetime love of reading… and dinosaurs.
So what is it about Dinosaurs that almost universally captures a child’s imagination? Is it their size? Is it that we only know their general shape from their fossilized bones, and the rest has to be filled in with our imagination? Is it why they disappeared? Or maybe it’s just the question “Who would win in a fight, T-Rex or Triceratops?” (No way Triceratops would lose to that short armed pansy scavenger!)
The fact is that there are no sure answers to those questions. If your child says “Stegosaurus was purple with blue stripes”, no one can tell him he’s wrong. If asked “What happened to the dinosaurs?” all we can really tell them is what we think happened. “A question mom or dad can’t answer?! I’ll have to find out and tell them!” What fun would that be for your child to find something out that you don’t know!
Playing with dinosaur toys encourages not only imagination, but also the concept of research. That they might find out something new that no one has found out before. So if they have not yet been exposed to the Dino itch, or if they have full blown Dino fever take some time to play and share with your children this wonderful world of Dinosaurs with these amazing toys that help bring dinosaurs to life from Safari Ltd.
And here’s a cute little music video about dinosaurs to share with your kids.
*To enter you must be a Twiniversity member. If you’re not already a member join for free here. You must be a parent, expectant parent or caregiver of multiples to join. Then fill out each section below.
Playtime is an important part of your child’s development. What they play with stimulates their imagination. The toys from the real world we live in can be likened to “the box”, everything that can, is, or did happen. This box can travel in the past, or in the future, but theme of reality remains. Dinosaurs, knights, cowboys, doctors, dolls, and astronauts all fall within the box.
Red Dragon
The world of Fantasy is everything outside that box.
Why would Fantasy play be important? Fantasy is what can’t happen according to man’s current knowledge. Talking animals, dragons, fairies, and aliens can all be a part of fantasy play. When a child engages in fantasy play their imagination takes them outside “the box”. In doing this they must cross a question that lies between what can happen, and what can’t. They imagine “What could happen?”
Green Dragon
As a parent, imagine the power of that question on your child. “What could happen?” Some of history’s greatest thinkers were not afraid to ask that question. At one time flying or walking on the moon would have been considered fantasy. But due scientists, inventors, and engineers, what was once considered magic, is now reality, and supports the livelihood of millions. Fantasy play encourages a playful questioning of reality in your children, a skill that will continue to serve them well as an adult, and who knows “what could happen” from that.
Fairy Fantasy TOOB
Encourage your children to enter a land of fantasy with these stunning toys from our friends at Safari Ltd.! Today we are giving away a fantasy fun pack to two Twiniversity families.
If you are not a Twiniversity member join for free here. You must be a parent, expectant parent or caregiver of multiples to join.
Lair of Dragons TOOB collection 1
Then all you need to do is fill out the form below with you name, e-mail adress, and which 2 toys pictured in this article your twinnies would love to push the limits of their imagination with.
I hope their imagination takes them to great heights! Maybe one day someones imagination will finally come up with a way to make our kids listen to us the first time we say something…lol A mother can wish right?!
Lair of Dragons TOOB collection 2
Mythical Realms Pegasus
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Who needs a vacation when you can have a staycation right in your own back yard? Why not pitch a tent in your own backyard and make a weekend of it! There is so much to explore close to home. Your kids are sure to make a lot of memories. Safari Ltd. has great gear for your kids to explore their world. Today we have 2 sets of prizes to give away to aid in your child’s backyard adventures.
Our first prize is a twin set of Safariology Bug Box. It’s a fun-packed exploration kit with 3 top compartments with magnifying lenses for close-up bug viewing and one large compartment that can hold water or twigs to welcome bugs for investigation. The kit include tweezers, a hand-held magnifier and a journal for record keeping or sketching.
Our second prize is a twin set of Binoculars. What a great way to take a closer look at creatures from afar. Watch the squirrels or birds in their treetop habitat. These child sized binoculars are easy for little hands to hold and focus. They fold for easy adjustment for the optimal viewing of any child. Suitable for ages 4+.
As a bonus for today we wanted to share a fun mad-lib game you can play with your twinnies.
Hope that was fun!! Now enter below to win today’s prizes!!
To enter you must be a Twiniversity member. If you’re not already a member join for free here. You must be a parent, expectant parent or caregiver of multiples to join. Then fill out each section below. May the odds be ever in your favor!
>>Check out some other backyard explorer tools from Safari Ltd. your kids will love!
We have an AMAZING week here at Twiniversity with daily giveaways from our friends at Safari Ltd. You will not want to miss this! They have been making award winning, hand painted, lifelike replicas for 30 years. They are seriously stunning pieces! They don’t even look like toys as much as they look like figures you would display in a case in a museum. These toys are a great way to educate children and encourage creative play.
Each day we will give away toy “twin packs” to two Twiniversity Families. Today we are giving away their “TOOBS” collection. These miniature replicas are packaged in a “carry along” tube ready for any excursion. With over 50 themes to choose from your twins will surely find a theme they are passionate about. These are also a great way to get your kids involved in some of your passions. Perhaps you are fascinated by the civil war or the Galapagos. This would be your chance to share your enthusiasm for that passion with your twins in a fun way.
“TOOBS are like cheese covered broccoli; they give you the education of the topic in the toob in a fun way that will inspire you to play.” -Natalie
(The TOOBS collection is recommended for children 3 and up.)
To enter to win you must be a Twiniversity member. To become a member join for free here. You must be a parent, expectant parent or caregiver of multiples to join.
Fill out each section below for your chance to win one of today’s prizes. How do you enter?
The countdown to Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful” has officially begun.
This updated classic tells the story of how Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.
“Oz The Great and Powerful” opens in U.S. theaters on March 8, 2013. I wish I could buy my tickets now!
A danger that many do not consider is something that most parents use to help keep our mind at ease- Baby monitors. Baby monitors pose entanglement and strangulation risks when placed too close to your child’s crib. So what can you do to keep your kids safe? The JMPA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) launched a website this week to help educate parents and caregivers on how to protect your children from this risk. The information is availavle in English and Spanish.
Parents are urged to request a free warning label to attach to your baby monitor cords so that everyone who cares for your baby will know be aware of the safety rules to follow regarding baby monitors. There is a new standard for all baby monitors to have warning labels attached before being sold to the consumer. Is this going far enough? Should something that is made for your peace of mind introduce another hazard to your babies environment? There are options for cordless baby monitors on the market as low as around $30. If you are shopping for a baby monitor at this time you may want to consider this option.
Twiniversity’s July 2012 Super Mom has an incredible story!
Meet Jennifer Lehmann. Single mother to 2 sets of twins ages 7 and 3.
Jennifer and her husband Trevor had been married four years when they decided to start a family. With difficulty conceiving they started infertility testing. Shortly after that they got the sad news that her husband had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” He was given a 3 year prognosis so they decided to go ahead and start a family so that he would be able to meet his child before his untimely death.
A short time later they were ecstatic to learn that they were expecting a child! Then came the news they were expecting twins! Jennifer relates “After coming down from cloud nine I started to panic. How was I going to take care of an ailing husband and two babies? Once again my husband assured me that we could do this.” More
This week we have partnered with Safari Ltd. to giveaway a twin prize pack to 2 families each day this week. If you have not already done so go enter to win the prizes for your twinnies. If the winner we choose LIKE Safari Ltd. on their Facebook page then they will throw in a bonus gift too!! The winners will be chosen in the morning!
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Twiniversity 