Meet Stephanie
I’m Stephanie, writer and creator of Twodaloo. Before I became a mom, I worked as a speech-language pathologist in a variety of settings (predominantly public schools), specializing in child language and autism spectrum disorders. I really enjoy my profession and have had the opportunity to speak at our state and national conferences, consult for school districts, and even spent two years back in school pursuing my Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders. However, life threw me a double curveball when the twins came along, and I traded my dissertation for diapers and haven’t looked back! Currently I am taking a hiatus from school and therapy to play and learn at home with my tots.
Meet the family
I have a wonderful husband (I try not to drag him into the blog too often) who tolerates my crafty clutter and general chaos like a champ. We will celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary this year. And now, meet the creative force behind Twodaloo…our two-year-old twins!
Will (known as “Little Man” in older posts) is a bright, loving, and mischievous little boy. Don’t be fooled by those baby blues, ya’ll- he’s downright ornery! Like most little boys, Will is all about trains, planes, and automobiles, and the occasional dinosaur when he’s feeling crazy. Interesting fact – he is a major catalog hoarder. On any given night you may find one or more PBK catalogs stashed under his pillow, open to the transportation rooms, of course!
Sydney (known as “Miss Toots” in older posts) is our sweet, funny little fireball. She loves to sing, snuggle, and give kisses, but she also has a bit of a stubborn streak. Sydney is very inquisitive and active and loves to climb and crawl into small spaces. She enjoys pretend play and dress-up, especially with Mama’s clothes. Interesting fact-for Sydney, everything is a bracelet! On most days, you can find her wearing an armful of bangles (and a fedora) which she even insists on wearing in the bathtub. She’s got personality, that’s for sure!
Why Twodaloo?
After a difficult pregnancy, Will and Sydney were born in January of 2011 at just shy of 33 weeks gestation. Unable to eat or breathe unassisted, they spent a month in the NICU before coming home with us. Knowing that children who are born prematurely are at risk for developmental delays, and that twins have an added risk because they often don’t get as much one-on-one attention from their parents, I began brainstorming developmentally stimulating activities as soon as they were home. I started Twodaloo in January 2012 as a creative outlet for my own crafty projects, but soon discovered that I enjoyed documenting the activities I did with the twins even more. Twodaloo was “rebranded” as a kid’s activity website in February 2013, and we have lots of fun things planned for the future!
What to Expect from Twodaloo
At Twodaloo, you will find fun activities for little ones that target the various domains of early childhood development (cognition, language, motor, social/emotional). I am fascinated by natural learning philosophies (Reggio Emilia, Montessori, Waldorf) and our toddler activities reflect this- lots of open-ended play, process art, and nature posts.
I often draw upon my background to write posts about early speech and language development. I love writing posts based on reader questions, so please don’t hesitate to ask!
Occasionally I take a break from kids activities to write about the joys and triumphs of parenting my twins. Most of the time these posts are funny stories from our daily lives…sometimes you have to laugh to avoid crying!
Every so often I share crafts and DIY projects that I undertake around the house. One of my most beloved hobbies is sewing children’s clothing, so when I have time to actually complete a project I can’t help but show it off a little!
I’m so glad you stopped by to visit, and I hope you take a few minutes to look around! If you like what you see, please consider subscribing by email so you won’t miss any updates.
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