Ready or Not . . . There We Go!: The REAL Experts' Guide to the Toddler Years with Twins [Paperback]

Elizabeth Lyons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2006

Elizabeth Lyons and her “multiples” sorority of moms and twins come to the rescue again in this hilarious, strategy-filled, tell-it-like-it-is guide to the toddler years with twins. From managing tantrums times two in Aisle 9, to the need for large quantities of antibacterial hand sanitizer and ketchup, to the perils of potty training twins, the approaches contained within Ready or Not . . . There We Go! will keep parents two steps ahead of their newly mobile charges. It’s the resource no parent of twin toddlers should be without.

Elizabeth's wildly popular first book, Ready or Not... Here We Come! is also available from Amazon.com

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...gives parents the straight scoop on life with twin toddlers. Go get yourself a copy of this book." -- Jennifer Margulis, editor of Toddler: Real-life Stories of Those Fickle, Irrational, Urgent, Tiny People We Love

"Lyons has an endearing way of combining humor and optimism as she offers girlfriend-to-girlfriend, practical strategies to raising twin toddlers." -- Dr. Susan Warhus, OB/GYN, author of Countdown to Baby

"Lyons is back with a smart and funny guide to surviving on planet of the toddlers. Consider it a must-read." -- Ann Douglas, author of The Mother of All Toddler Books

"Lyons' witty and often hysterically funny accounts of life with twin toddlers reassure parents that they can survive." -- Nancy Bowers, RN, BSN, MPH, author of The Multiple Pregnancy Sourcebook

From the Publisher

Elizabeth Lyons and her "multiples" sorority of fellow moms with twins come to the rescue again in this hilarious, strategy-filled, tell-it-like-it-is guide to the toddler years with twins.

You've survived the sleepless nights, the inconsolable crying (yours and the babies'), the erratic schedules, the ever-growing mountain of laundry, and the cereal dinners night after night. You've washed more bottles and changed more diapers than you ever imagined you would. You've proven yourself. You're perfectly primed to enter Phase Two: The Toddler Years.

This cannot-live-without resource explores such topics as:

-Absolute Necessities for Mothers of Twin Toddlers -Managing Tantrums Times Two in Aisle 9 -Maintaining Your Marriage (a.k.a. Secrets to Not Killing Your Spouse) -Handling Impulsive Behavior -Having Another Baby (Never Say Never!)

Ready or Not . . . There We Go! keeps parents two steps ahead of their newly mobile charges, arming them with the confidence to dive into the toddler tunnel knowing they'll exit with their sanity (and everything else) intact.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Finn-Phyllis Press, Inc.; 1ST edition (June 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974699012
• ISBN-13: 978-0974699011
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.2 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,418 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Siblings

More About the Author

Elizabeth Lyons vividly remembers the day she sat down at the kitchen table and began writing her first book. She was 6 years old. She started with chapter 8 because starting from the very beginning seemed an awful lot of work. When she discovered that she couldn't write an entire book in a day, she quit. Because there were enough other proverbial fish to fry that taking more than 24 hours to complete one project seemed nothing short of absurd.

She invented her first game, Jakbat, at age 3. She wrote her first song (with the very original title "It's really a song") at age 10, and fully expects the newest boy band to pick it up any second. And she insists that she invented the battery-operated heat-generating ice scraper but sadly admits that she didn't run to the patent office fast enough. Lesson learned.

These days, Elizabeth is many things: mom, wife, friend, lunch maker, chauffeur, hostage negotiator, author, on-call plumber, tile layer, guitar student, window washer, product designer, and on and on. She is the author of Ready or Not...Here We Come! and Ready or Not...There We Go!, humorous, solutions-packed, tell-it-like-it-is guides to the first year and toddler years with twins. She is also the author of You Cannot Be Serious: and 32 Other Rules that Sustain a (Mostly) Balanced Mom.

One thing she is not is Superwoman.

She simply demands the right to do things her way--a way that often defies even the most creative imaginations--and she strives to inspire others to do things their way (once they figure out what their way is!).

So, what exactly is an inspirational entrepreneur anyway? Truth be told, it's a term Elizabeth's husband came up with to describe someone who not only is entrepreneurial based on what inspires her, but encourages, inspires, and motivates others to do the same.

Elizabeth lives in Arizona with her husband, five kids, two dogs, two fish, four barely surviving organic gardens, and whatever (or whomever) else has taken up residence with them in the last five minutes.

Please feel free to contact Elizabeth at author (at) elizabethlyons (dot) com. She would love to hear from you, and she prides herself on punctual responses. But if you send an e-mail between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., you'll have to wait a bit because those are the hours during which she either thinks about or actually engages in sleep, the latter of which is completely non-negotiable.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for Moms of Twins & More July 12, 2006

By Linda Kennedy

Format:Paperback

Once again, Elizabeth tells the good, the bad & the ugly of raising a family that includes a set of twins. This book will make you laugh, make you cry and make you glad that you never wrote a book about all of the crazy things your twins have done. Ready or Not...There We Go! includes practical advice on just about everything you'll deal with from age 1 through age 4 from feeding, behavioral modification, potty training, choosing a preschool, adding to your family, dealing with stress in your marriage, and much more. This is not a book on statistics or scientific research into twin behavior -- God knows there are enough of those books out there; instead, Elizabeth shares her experiences, along with her Multiples Sorority friends' experiences with their twins. Elizabeth also includes titles of books that have helped her with her children. If you have twins or are expecting twins, you need to read this book. (If you haven't read Ready or Not ... Here We Come, buy that one, too!)

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY!! Real Info September 21, 2006

By L. Buonopane

Format:Paperback

Excellent book. I have read many books on toddler twins but I can now end my serach for "THE ONE". This is it. Practical, real life (no fluff), she tells it like it is and adds some very helpful tricks/tips. I couldn't wait until my twins were in bed at night so I could continue reading this book. I didn't rush it. I took my time and really related to each story. It was like I wrote the book, it was what my life is like. I longed to find out if there was someone else out there having the same issues as I was. It gave me a big boost of confidence when I found out it does get easier and what I have to look forward to. I had no idea what to do with my twins when they started taking off there diapers, while they were in bed, and then having accidents. But the book mentioned duct tape and it really works, it has saved me much cleaning and stress!! Thank You Elizabeth Lyons! - Mom of B/G twins 2 yrs old.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Okay, now we're talking! July 29, 2006

By Twinmama

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The second I read that she also duct-taped her twin boys' diapers on, I knew this woman was speaking my language. HONEY, she was saying, YOU ME, WE SAME. And, as I tell my husband constantly, it's always nice to hear survival stories from twinmamas of older twins.

My biggest complaint about this book is that it was published two weeks before my boys turned two years old, so the enormous chapter on "the second year" (12-24 months) was not completely helpful except that it was, because, like I said, she validated my duct-taping my boys' diapers on.

I loved LOVED the discussion on having twins share a room vs. separate rooms. We have been debating that very topic a great deal recently -- it is so helpful to read the different solutions profiled in the book.

Thank you for finally adding a helpful, useful book to my twinparenting arsenal.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars NOT a parenting guide January 5, 2007

By A. Newsom

Format:Paperback

This book is full of stories of the authors experiences with her twins. But that's about it. There is very little advice and guidance. Additionally, it doesn't sound like the author has a very good grip on her own parenting techniques from some of the stories.

If you're looking for "a friend" that's been there and want to read about someone else's trials and tribulations with twins, then this books for you.

If you are looking for REAL parenting advice from a professional, try the book Setting Limits: How to Raise Responsible, Independent Children by Providing Clear Boundaries (Revised and Expanded Second Edition) by Robert J. Mackenzie. It's not a twins parenting book, but the techniques will work with any child.

For new or expecting moms with twins or multiples, the most important advice missing from this book is to do everything for each child at the same time. Sleep at the same time, eat at the same time, bottles at the same time etc... If you try to let each twin have their own schedule you WILL be miserable and very very tired.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Giving me a heads up July 24, 2007

By SaraEmily7

Format:Paperback

After reading through the other reviews on this book, I had to chime in to say that I think they are ALL right. This book IS a sanity saver for moms of twins who need to know that someone has gone through what they are going through. This book IS NOT a parenting handbook. Elizabeth is not a doctor or child development specialist, nor does she claim to be. If you are looking for specific instructions on how to raise your multiple children, you should look elsewhere (and good luck finding it!).

For me, this book was exactly what I was looking for. At this point, I don't want more "experts" telling me how to raise my kids. Reading this book makes me feel like I am talking to a friend who is telling me what life was like with her twins and the problems she ran into. The book has given me a heads up to problems that I might be facing in the future, and when I do encounter a particularly perplexing problem with my boys, I know I can look in this book to get someone else's perspective. The book is funny, an easy read, and highly recommended. This is one of those books that I WON'T pass my copy on to other mothers' of twins - it is too valuable to me, so they will just have to get their own!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Very fluffy February 7, 2010

By MDF

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

There's not much in here that you won't get from any other reading about the toddler years. If you want to be entertained and feel like someone else knows what it's like to have twins, go for it. But if you're really looking for information, keep looking! Most of the really specific advice she gives about twins you could either figure out for yourself or get from your Mothers of Twins club. I would stay away from a lot of her advice/confessions -- such as putting ketchup on everything to get your toddlers to eat or that giving them French fries always keeps them calm at the mall. She also goes on for several pages about Desperate Housesives. If you just want a light read, it's fine. But if you're looking to really educate yourself, and don't have time for fluff, I'd say skip it!