Baby pictures for preschool

Emily's preschool teacher asked that we send in a baby picture. I had so much fun this morning going through and rediscovering some of my favorites, but I can't decide. Which one do you like best?

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Dear Irmo Policeman

Thank you so much for breaking the window out of my car. I really have no idea how I could have locked both of my keys in my car at the grocery store. I've thought about it over and over again, and I just have no answer. How I was able to put both babies, all the groceries, the diaper bag, and the stroller in the car and then have it lock is beyond my understanding. But I am so appreciative of your understanding and the way you didn't judge me in my horrible situation. I really do think I am a good mom. I'm glad that through the chaos and tears you were able to tell me you thought I was a good mom too. It helped. It also helped that you said your wife locked your own child in the car. You may have been lying just to make me feel better, but that doesn't matter because it worked. I did feel a bit better.

Now whenever I hear of people complaining about the way you and your police friends camp out on Woodrow street, hidden in the trees to ticket speeders, I will rise to your defense. I was very grateful for you help today.

Thank you,
Malisa
(a.k.a. the crazy mom of twins who locked them in the car in front of the Kroger and cried and cried.)

Too much too soon

There are so many aspects to this little clip that make me laugh. First of all is the untidy toy room. Boy was it a mess! Don't worry, it is cleaned up now. Then there are Emily's pajamas that are on backwards. Nice. And of course there is the kicking of the toy bin, and my laughing afterwards, before I even found out if she was okay. (She was just fine, by the way.) I probably won't be winning any mother of the year awards, but please note that this was after she woke us up at 5:30 and before I finished my first cup of coffee.

What a funny morning.

You have GOT to be kidding, right?

Yesterday will go down in the Johnson Family Record Books. It was a very long day and night with a lot of fussiness. The babies were so fussy by 6 p.m. that Scott suggested giving them a bath, since they normally love their bath.



Luckily it worked... for the time being. Not long after we put them to bed at 6:45 did Elsie wake up and start crying. She cried off and on for five hours. Yep, that's right FIVE HOURS. Scott and I heated and re-heated our dinner several times before we took turns eating. Eventually Elsie went to sleep, and then Eli decided to fuss. Finally I had a thirty minute break with no crying that allowed me to chit chat with Becky and my mom on the phone. The weird thing is that Becky and I just happened to discuss how great it would be when our children are out of diapers. I mentioned to her that potty training Emily was pretty easy, and that I could probably count the number of times she wet the bed on one hand.

Boy did I set myself up for that one. Later in the evening, right smack in the middle of Elsie fussing for literally hours on end, Scott was holding Elsie and I decided to check on Emily. Sure enough, she was sound asleep, but had wet the bed. My original thought was, "NO WAY!?!" This child hasn't wet the bed in well over a year! But sure as sugar the sheets were soaked. Poor Emily was so upset when I woke her and she understood what happened.

When that was cleaned up and Emily was back in bed (fully a half-hour later) Scott tried to put Elsie back down in her crib. Well, not only did she wake up, but Eli did too. At this point it was well past midnight. We finally got Eli back asleep, and Elsie was still in Scott's arms while I ran down stairs for some gas drops. While going down the stairs I almost stepped in a giant fresh wet hair ball. Thanks Fred the cat! Seriously? Fussy twins, a wet bed, and now a hair ball? I didn't want to ask what could possibly go wrong next. .

All Scott and I could do was literally laugh out loud. Sometimes the only relief from a fussy night with a baby (or as in our case, two babies) is the sun rise. And basically the end of our long night came with the sunrise and we all got up around six. Scott and I got no rest, but we were in good spirits. Thank God for great husbands. This too shall pass.

We don't know what caused Elsie (in particular) to be so upset last night. We thought maybe it was a new tooth, maybe she was having trouble going to the bathroom, or maybe the new veggie I tried at dinner didn't set well with her? Who knows. All I know was the only sleep she got was when Scott or I rocked her while pacing our bedroom.

I'm hoping that tonight will be a better night. And if it isn't I'm hoping I can keep a great attitude and that I will remember how lucky I am to have a husband to go through it all with me.

Twins Update

I know I posted this picture below, but I kept looking at it and marveling at how much they've grown! Team that up with the awesome weekly posts that Katie does with Henry highlights, and I thought that maybe this once I could go ahead and find time to do the same for Elsie and Eli.


The funny thing about this picture is the story behind the bow. The white headband is plain, and I make bows on alligator clips to put on them, matching her outfit of course. But Eli thinks they are giant toys. He pulled that bow off so many times I can't even tell you. But we (well, I ) wanted people to know that they weren't both boys, so I insisted on putting it back on.

Anyhow, on to the highlights!

- Eli grabs EVERYTHING! From my dinner plate to Elsie's hair, he tries to get his little sausage fingers wrapped around it all.
- Eli is the people person and Elsie is the home-body. Eli isn't afraid of strangers, and Elsie does okay too, but in large groups of people in an unfamiliar setting, she begins to fuss and nobody calms her down but Scott, Emily or me.
- Both babies light up when they see Emily. It is truly fantastic!
- Elsie is the big eater. Don't let Eli the tank fool you! While Elsie is more petite than Eli, she now eats an entire bowl of cereal (sometimes two bowls!) and an entire stage 2 jar of baby food. And after that if Eli is hasn't finished his, she will often eat his as well. Eli eats exactly half of that amount!
- Feeding Eli a bottle (or nursing him) is like trying to feed a bear. He just won't sit still. Elsie likes to put both her hands behind her head as if to say, "Be advised, the princess will eat now."
- Eli doesn't cry. He yells. Loud. Like a little man.
- When nap time approaches, I swaddle both babies and give them a paci. At this point I simply lay Elsie down in her crib and most days she falls asleep without a peep. Eli prefers to be rocked back and forth while I SHHH SHHH him. If he isn't sufficiently asleep when I lay him down in his crib, he wakes up and yells at me, and then we start the whole process again. Luckily Elsie can sleep through her brothers yelling fits.
- Eli's two favorite things are the Jumperoo and the little chameleon on this exersaucer. Elsie's favorite things are any fabric that she can run her long fingernails across, and Dakota, our dog. She cranes her neck to see him.
- Both babies love bath time. Elsie loves when we lay her down in the very shallow water. She kicks her feet so fast and perfectly that I think she's be an excellent freestyle sprint star.
- Both babies have very very blue eyes, and while Eli's hair was blonde from the beginning, Elsie's wasn't. She had darker, longer hair. But while Eli's small amount of hair continues to grow, Elsie's hair has all but fallen out except for the tuft of hair on the top center of her head. (This is the hair that Eli likes to grab.) The hair that has grown in to replace the lost hair is just peach fuzz now, but it is very blonde just like Eli's. It will be interesting to know how it will turn out.


Our sweet twins will be six months next Friday *gasp!* Where did the time go? I'm working on a special 6 month post coming soon.

Fall Festival with the Twins Club

Last night we went to a farm in Lexington for the Twins Club Fall Festival. There was a corn maze, hay ride, tractor race, animals, etc. We had a great time. Emily thought the best part was the giant tube slide. She must have went down that thing a couple dozen times.

Here are some picture highlights!

Parents!

Last week my parents were here. I can't believe how quickly the week flew by! As always when they leave, it takes me a few days to get over it. Our family is a close one, and sometimes I hurt that we are so far away from them.

However, there is something very special about having an entire week with no work, no commitments, just family together constantly. It is a special time for Emily to have her Grammy and Papa at her disposal for a constant week. She enjoys every minute for sure.
It rained most days, so we spent most of the week inside playing with babies. I didn't take too many pictures but here are a few. The one of my mom and Elsie is a new favorite. Simply sweet! Elsie was being difficult about taking a nap one day, so Mom and I brought her in to lay down between us on the bed. Elsie would turn her head to look at Grammy and just grin! And then she would turn around to the other side to see me and grin again. She loved all that attention!
One evening our friends Amber and Steven came over and we stayed up late and played The Redneck Game of Life. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. It was fabulous! I think you Bakersfield folk should play it, but change the name to The Oildale Game of Life. Simply hilarious!

Emily got a new bike, and found a few non-rainy moments to ride it with Papa. She loves riding it now and shows me all the time how to use the hand brake that Papa taught her about. Apparently if Papa teaches you something it is much better than with plain mommy or daddy teaches you something. Emily also went to the movies with Grammy and Papa. She loved having them to herself. It was a fun time I'm sure!
Finally, here is a picture of Papa reading Chickens to the Rescue to Emily before bed. Of course Papa threw in his own twist at the end when he told Emily that the chickens got cooked the next night for dinner. Oh... my dad. He hasn't changed from when I was a kid!
What gets me through my mopey bummed out attitude when the leave is the excitement that I feel about our December trip. Its less than two month away, or as Emily says "Two flips!" (On the calendar!) I'm sure in a couple more weeks my mom and I will both be on countdown!

P.S. I forgot to mention that Scott took a day off while they were here and we got some pictures taken by a great photographer. I'll post some of those later when they are available! :)

On this day..

One year ago today we found out that not only was the pregnancy a healthy one, but we were pregnant with more than one baby!

I remember I was so worried about the my doctor's appt. I prayed and prayed that our ultrasound would reveal a strong and healthy little baby. I kept myself up at night praying and woke up praying. I was so nervous!

On our appointment day Scott came from across town and I told him not to worry about getting there right when the appt. was scheduled because I never got in until at least thirty minutes after the scheduled time. But woudln't you know this one time they got me in the moment I sat down!

Off to the ultrasound rooom I went, nervous and completely scared. I can't tell you how panicked I was, and already a bit upset that Scott wasn't with me. But when the ultrasound tech saw more than one baby, I saw it too! She couldn't say anything without first getting the doctor, but it was sort of hard to hide! Sure enough my doctor came and told me there was more than one.

I called Scott, who was almost to the office. I told him the news, and his very calm reaction, "Oh my. That is funny."

After all my "hyper-prayers" and fear and emotion, God gave us two beautiful babies. I've always felt like it was sort of like him saying, "Could you trust me some? I've got this!"

I will never forget that day. Elsie and Eli are our pure joy. What a difference a year makes, huh? I can't imagine life without our two blessings!

Baby Dedication

Today was a special day because we had the twins' dedication at church. We had friends that came with us to our church to celebrate, and then back to our house for lunch. It was a great time. Lori brought over a great cake that was perfect for the occasion. And since we're having pictures taken later this week, I went ahead and put them in their matching outfits. Scott of course didn't think this was as grand as I did. He told everybody that the store was out of the matching outfit in his size. :)

First Love

This is Emily and her friend Brock. Brock and Emily met at soccer and were instant friends. He has a twin sister, which Emily thinks is cool. Only later did they find out they are at the same preschool in classes next door to each other. Scott needs to watch out, because Emily thinks her new friend is cute!

Hey Grammy and Papa...

We're ready to play! See you on Monday!
Love,
Eli and Elsie

Emily's Logic

Today as part of our lunch we had carrots and ranch dip. Here's the conversation that cracked me up.

Me: Hey Em, you need to eat your carrots. You love carrots.

Emily: Mom, I love carrots, but not today.

Me: (smiling) Why don't you love carrots today?

Emily: Because remember those red glasses at the eye glass store that we saw with Daddy?

Me: (Remembering when we picked up Daddy's new glasses OVER A MONTH AGO) Yes, I think I remember

Emily: Well, I think I would be really cute in those red glasses, so I'm not going to eat carrots today

Me: What?

Emily: If I don't eat my carrots, I will have bad eyes, and need those red glasses.

Me: You mean because I told you yesterday about the vitamins in carrots, and how they're good for your eyes?

Emily: (Smiling, like she finally got through to her dense mom) Yeah! If I don't get those vitamins, I think we will have to get my eyes fixed with those glasses, and I would be cute!



Oh Emily! Already manipulating the world in the name of fashion! I'm wondering how long she has thought about those red glasses. Its like she's been trying to figure out a way to get them ever since she found them weeks ago. I want to say it was in August!?! What a memory this tricky girl has! :)

This is how I do it...

So many strangers see me with the babies, and friends come over to our home and ask the same question: How in the world do I get anything done!?

The real answer is that I get stuff done with the help of Emily.
Here are some pictures to give you an idea.





Could a big sister love her babies any more? I don't think so. She literally has never gotten upset at them, or not wanted them here. They are the first thing she asks about when she wakes in the morning, and she makes sure to kiss them good night before I lay them down for the night.


And because I've been meaning to post a picture of these cute chunky thighs, I will go ahead and attach it now. The pink trimmed socks probably give it away that this is Elsie. I love these chunky things! They always make me smile. I can't tell you how much Eli and Elsie's little bodies are different. Elsie is a very typical "floppy" baby body, filled with rolls and chunk. Eli is a little beef steak with a big head on top, and a body that seems too dense to bend sometimes. He is strong. Just ask Elsie how strong he is. She knows because of the many times he has managed to get a hold of the long tuft of hair on the very tip top of her head. And then he pulls. Hard. Emily and I have figured out not to allow our hair anywhere near him after we've suffered the consequences. Poor Elsie hasn't not figured this out, but gets the lesson re-taught daily.


Anyhow, we're settling down a bit. Still not a lot of sleep for me, but that's okay. I stay okay by staying positive, and its seems to work. This morning we're happy to be at home with no preschool, play dates, or errands. Emily and I just finished making cookies for Scott. Fun stuff!

Saturday

Deep breath.

This week is over. Thank goodness!

In the past week we've had a very hard time. Our little babies had a very hard time adjusting to formula, and as a result they've developed reflux. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with them because they weren't eating, and they didn't really spit up at all. After a day of literally spending hours to get them to eat with little success, and with weight gain a constant thought, I called the pediatrician.

We met with him on Thursday and he told me they had reflux that was causing their little throats to be red and raw from acid. Poor babies! He prescribed some medication for them to take, and told me it would be okay.

But once I thought about it, I was really bummed. This only started when we began giving them formula, and we've tried three different types with no change. Of course they will still have SOME formula, but I'm doing everything I can to go back to nursing them for most of their feedings. Then hopefully we can go off the reflux meds.

This will be hard. We will have to work at it, and I think this next week I will feel like all I am doing is feeding babies. But that's okay. Just yesterday I fed them and it was like totally different babies. They were comfortable and full without arching their backs in pain. They slept better last night, and were very enjoyable when they woke this morning. All things that were absent last week.

The past week has been difficult. Scott and I felt like we'd backtracked weeks and weeks and were doing the newborn thing all over again, but this time was honestly much harder. But now we have a plan, and it seems to be paying off.

Now I know why so many of my friends had babies at the same time we had the twins. God knew I would need the support of my girlfriends if I was going to make it. And of course he gave me my awesome mom, who has had near her fill of teary phone calls from me. I'm grateful for the encouragement. I promise to post some pictures of our gorgeous and happy babies soon. They truly are magnificent and beautiful and make this past week's rough journey worth every minute.

Of course there is also Emily, who has had to rough it this week. The poor girl is learning patience whether she wants to or not. Luckily she is not learning to resent her baby brother and sister for all the time they consume from Mommy and Daddy. What an understanding little girl.

Dear Mr. Rude man at Wendy's...

I just wanted you to know that I don't blame you for feeling completely embarrassed at the fabulous and wonderful behavior of my three children today. You should feel pretty crumby!

I know you must have assumed that three children out with their mom for a quick lunch must be a nightmare ready to happen with whining, crying, fussing, and complaining... all in high decibels. This assumption was made crystal clear to me when you caught my eye to ensure I saw you rolling yours. And I'm pretty sure all the other tables around understood your displeasure regarding our potentially loud table as you heaved a loud sigh and moved your tray to the other side of the dining area to finish your half-eaten cheeseburger. I don't think you caught my daughter's sincere comment as you passed. She said, "Oh Mommy, that man looks really sad. I'm sorry he's having a bad day!" The neighboring table heard it, which is why they were laughing. Sorry you weren't in on the joke.

So as my four year old showed off excellent diner behavior at this FAST FOOD establishment, and as our two babies cooed and smiled in their car seats, I hope you were pleasantly surprised in the midst of your embarrassment. Children can be taught table manners, and while they don't always chose to use them, they can sometimes surprise us all. Hopefully you can learn a bit about not being rude before you return to another "fine dining" establishment like Wendy's.

Sick Mommy

I've fought off being sick long enough, and apparently it has caught up with me. Last night I was sitting at Bible study with some of my favorite people, and it was like I could feel the cold and congestion coming on. My babies have been snotty for weeks now, and apparently they shared with me. I woke up to them fussing around 2 am and soothed and comforted them one at a time only to lay one soundly sleeping in the crib and to have the other wake up all snotty and congested. This went on for hours. All the while I was totally sick. Throbbing temples, congested nose, sore throat, cough. Blah!

Thank goodness for my great friend/neighbor! She works literally beside Emily's preschool. She's told me many times that if I ever have a morning when I can't pull it together that she could drop Em off. Today was that day. I was grateful to have her help me out.

The babies aren't doing so hot today. They were pretty fussy and not wanting to eat at all. Of course with them being twins and weight CONSTANTLY an issue, I was not thrilled at the idea of them barely eating. I was totally emotional (and of course in tears) by the time they fussed and refused a bottle two feedings in a row. Luckily Scott had a half day today and I called and unloaded all my fears and sorrows on him (I know, you're thinking what a lucky guy he is, huh?) After that, I took a good dose of suck-it-up. I think maybe they have a sore throat from all that nasal drip. Doctor told me that happens. So I gave them some Tylenol and they fell to sleep soundly for their afternoon nap. Praise the Lord! Naps are straight from heaven! Its like the ultimate reset button! Hopefully when they wake their little bodies will feel better and they will have a great feeding.

Anyhow, until then I am going to chose to ignore the messy house (and choice I have to make myself do!) and I have resolved to eat my favorite snack of an apple with peanut b butter while I watch a good romantic comedy. Preferably one that Scott can't stand so since he won't be here to complain.

If for any reason we get a visitor this afternoon, I pray that they give us mercy. Our house is a disaster! Thank goodness I have a gracious husband who would never say boo about a mess. I love him for that. And for letting me call and whine. It does make me feel much better!

For Justin

Emily was about 18 months old when this happened. Of course she wasn't riding a bike, she was merely walking. When I saw your post, I immediately remembered her encounter with pavement. I'm sure you will heal up just a pretty as she did! :)

Sunday Randomness

This morning started out a little gloomy both literally and figuratively. I was still very tired when I woke up and among other things the icing on the cake was when I accidently turned the diaper sprayer nozzle around backwards so that it sprayed high power water directly into my face. This was before 7 a.m. and before my first cup of coffee. Not good.

But in spite of it all, we made it to church on time. We didn't miss the first worship song like we've done so often in the past couple months. And the sermon was on 1 Peter 1:3-8 and was fabulous as well. And when the "family number" came across the screen, it wasn't us... thank goodness. They don't post the family numbers up very often, and when they do it is normally a big case of throw up or something equally as urgent. This hasn't ever happened to us (though we have dubbed Emily the "public puker" from past experiences) but for some reason my heart always jumps in to my throat until I can process long enough to know it isn't our number being displayed. Funny thing, those family numbers!

We had a lovely lunch at Panera, and then ran off to run a couple of errands. I'm looking for boy/girl matching outfits for the twins' baby dedication on Oct. 11. You would think this would be easy, but it is surprisingly hard! I wish I could sew!

Anyhow, Sundays are funny days. They start out with the newspaper and coffee and most times a big tray of hot biscuits. Very relaxing. And then the day progresses into a jump start for the next week as Scott prepares lesson plans, and I prepare our home for the following week's events. We always get to bed later than expected. Wouldn't it be nice if we could dub Sunday as fully a day of rest?

Emily's Week

Emily Grace is a very busy girl. Between preschool, soccer, and play dates, this girl has a lot going on. Often I have to remind myself that the one on one time with her is very important, and shouldn't take a back seat to the activities and planning for activities.

This week we have done several crafts, and we've even made a pretend menu for a restaurant called, "Smokey Bones." For my west coast friends... Smokey Bones was a restaurant that Emily really liked but has long since closed.) And we made a fresh apple cake from our freshly picked apples.

Emily has leaned to play by herself more than she had to before the arrival of the twins. But I think that she enjoys some quiet time after the craziness and noise of our home. If only she could clean up her room and find that fun as well!

One highlight this week brought for Emily was the utility work being done on the poles right beside our fence. The man in bucket was very kind to Emily and talked with her a lot (like he had an option not to?) Emily liked to stand on her trampoline and watch their work, and was very excited to see the equipment they used.

Dakota on the other hand was not so thrilled. Luck for the babies and their naps, the utility crew finished up this morning, and will no longer antagonize poor Dakota. But I think Emily will miss them.

Tonight is the Johnson's famous "Friday Family Movie Night." I think we're watching Bedtime Stories, which is now Emily's favorite. Hope everybody has a great weekend!

Our week...

This week has been an emotional one. Basically this issue is that I had to realize that in order for the babies to get enough food to sustain them through the night, I was going to have to give them some bottles. Our beloved pediatrician talked with me for a long time and made me feel better for the time that I've made it nursing, and helped me feel less guilty.

We know feed them cereal three times a day, and have just started adding veggies to the mix. They've had peas so far, and they both think that they taste fabulous! Elsie is a better eater than Elias simply because she knows how to manipulate the food with her tongue better than Eli, and he spits out so much in the process. But he sure has fun!

Here are some pictures from this week's feeding times. You may notice that Elsie isn't as dirty as Eli. Eli has a bad habit of pulling his bib over his head, which gets baby food all over his face. Elsie on the other hand doesn't like to touch the food with her hands, and fusses when she gets cereal on her fingers. Therefore, she's learned to keep her hands folded under her bib to keep them from being dirty.

I can't believe how different these two are!

Oh! And those Bumbo seats are FABULOUS! Emily says, "Let's get those babies sitting in the Dumbos!"

Here is the rest of our week in photos!


So what do you think Mom's gonna feed us this time?"

Eli eating peas

Emily helps us feed the babies

Elsie trying to eat her peas.


Mr. Amazing!

This is where I put the twins so I can made dinner. I can see them, they can see me... we're all happy!

Elsie has just figure out that if she jumps, the music and lights go off. It was kinda a big deal!

And finally, here is another Mr. Amazing shown here cleaning out a yucky diaper. Thank God for fabulous husbands!

Outings with the twins

Last night we decided to head out and grab a bite to eat. So we jumped in the car, and off we went!

Uh, no. Actually first we had to make sure both babies were good and fed, their diapers changed, and they were in their jammies in case they fell asleep on the way home. Then we had to pack their diaper bag for all the "just in case" scenarios.

And then, one hour later, we left.

Isn't funny how much two tiny people can change your world? :)

Tomorrow we are going to the early service at church, and then heading out to go apple picking in North Carolina. This has turned out to be a family tradition each year, and one of my favorite fall activities. Its about a two hour drive, and a great day trip. However, I'm already thinking of all the things we will need for the babies.

Maybe Scott and I should start packing the car right after Emily's soccer game this morning?

Oh well. Pictures to follow... that is, IF the camera makes it in the car!

Stopping to laugh

Having twins is hard. Sometimes I need to allow myself to say this. I put so much pressure on myself to get the house clean, laundry caught up, and dinner on the table that I forget that normally women have one baby at a time, not two. And two babies at a time is HARD. Saying it doesn't mean I love them any less, it just means that I need to cut myself some slack sometimes.

Well, today I had a moment that just put things into perspective. At first when I saw myself in this moment I thought, "Good gracious Malisa! You need to get more organized! This is ridiculous!"

And then when I realized what I must look like, I laughed out loud.

I had just finished making Emily lunch and she was at the table with her plate. Elsie had been sleeping in her car seat from picking Emily up from preschool, and was beginning to stir. Eli was happy, but quickly turned impatient and hungry. So here I was, totally hungry myself, and realizing that if I didn't find a way to eat now, it could be another hour or more before everybody was fed, dry, and rested.

I managed to nurse Eli while standing at the stove, furiously cramming Mac and Cheese in my mouth, all why rocking Elsie in her car seat and listening to the new song Emily learned at preschool.

Yep. It looked and felt like total chaos. And I've used the word chaos so much in the past week that Emily can now spout out a Webster's worthy definition. But that's the way life is right now. God gave us twins because He knew we could handle it. But that doesn't mean that He doesn't get a big chuckle out of it sometimes as well. There are many times that Scott and I look at each other in the midst of crazy matching poopy diapers, or while holding SCREAMING babies and say that we're glad we're in it together. And as long as we remember to laugh in the middle of the craziest moments, I think we'll be okay!

**Update**
I just walked in to Emily's room where she should have been asleep. But she was chewing something. When I asked her about it, she pulled an apple slice (from lunch) out of her dress pocket and said, "Mom, I think you need a big pocket full of apples. Then you could eat your food easier." Oh my gosh. This kid cracks me up!

My children, my attitude adjustment

Yesterday was a looooong day. Normally the days fly, but yesterday was one of the few days when time seemed to creep by. The babies were both congested and fussy. Poor Eli's cough keeps him from sleeping very much. And Elsie is just mad that she has snot. I was tired after only a few hours sleep for a few nights in a row. And Emily, who normally goes down for a nap like clockwork, refused her nap. And when she doesn't sleep she turns into a female version of hyper-hypo. I found myself repeating things like, "Emily, don't throw your stuffed alligator into the ceiling fan." and "Emily, please don't chase the cat with the stick."

Needless to say, I couldn't wait for Scott to get home.

Then I realized that Scott had a staff meeting (every Monday) and would probably be home later than normal. Oh. My. Gosh.

It seemed about that time that the babies were REALLY fussy, so I put both of them on their blanket on the floor, and Emily and I tried to console them. Pretty soon Emily had them both cooing at her and smiling. After awhile of that, we propped both babies up with the boppy pillow so that they were facing each other.

What happened next was the coolest thing ever. The twins starting staring at each other and cooing to each other. This one on for five whole minutes. One would make some noise, and the other would just SMILE, and make noise back. They were reaching to grab at each other, and just so happy.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or maybe it was the instant attitude adjustment my three precious children had just given me, but I was in tears. And not just the gentle barely-squeak-out-your-eye tears. I mean like, pouring down my face, nose running, please-give-me-a-kleenex box tears. Tears of pure joy. Tears that helped all the negative exit my system as I saw the most precious thing ever.

Of course I had to explain to Emily that I wasn't sad or hurt, but that I was actually really just happy! She thought I was crazy for sure. She kind of looked at me with this bewildered half-smile that said, "Yeah, so, I love you... but you're nuts."

Oh well. I'll take a happy attitude with a side of nuts to a bad attitude any day!

First Soccer Game

This morning was Emily's first soccer game. She is on the Bears team, and Daddy is her coach, along with her friend Joseph's dad, Coach Matt. I don't know if you have ever watched four year olds play soccer, but Scott compared it to herding wild cats. He is doing an awesome job coaching though, because all of the kids seem to be having a great time. That's all that matters at this age.

Today's game was a loss, though Emily never asked if they won or not. I guess it just hasn't occurred to her, which is great. She played hard, and ran after the ball. She even scored a goal! Well... a goal for the other team. But who cares, right? She actually ran off the field over to where I was sitting and said, "MOM! Did you see that! I scored a GOOAAALLL!!!"

Yes honey. Yes you did. And if anybody tells you differently, they are wrong. :)

Anyhow, Emily is loving this soccer thing way more than last year's dance fiasco. Hopefully we can continue to expose her to all sorts of activities. Right now she is content to run around her in fancy pink and black shoes and play with her bestest bud Joseph, or as she calls him "Jofus."

Oh, and I included a picture of the spectators. What cute babies, eh?

Home

I received the latest issue of my favorite magazine, Real Simple, yesterday and sat down to read it with coffee this morning. Each month readers write in with their thoughts on a given topic. This month the topic was about Home. I finished reading what readers described as home to them, and I began thinking of a list of the things that make Home to me. Here's what I've come up with so far:

- Home is having the windows open in the spring and fall.

- Home is my bed piled high with freshly folded laundry.

- Home is the excitement when Daddy comes home from work.

- Home is our dog Dakota being chained to the nightstand so he doesn't go through the trash while we sleep.

- Home is the twins laying in our bed in the morning, laughing and talking to us, and then Emily coming in and making them smile.

- Home is every stain in the carpet, and the memory of what caused each one.

-Home is Ethel the cat waiting for us on the front porch when we return from town.

- Home is Emily begging us to read her another story before bed.

- Home is my vegetable garden, even when it has more weeds than vegetables.

- Home is Emily walking downstairs in the morning while telling us how wonderful breakfast smells.

- Home is sharing coffee, the newspaper, and the couch with Scott on the weekends.

- Home is every neighbor who waves as they pass us in our front yard.

- Home is the tacky rose wallpaper in the kitchen that was hung wrong so the mauve roses grow down towards the floor, and four years of talk about taking it down.

- Home is the view from of the forrest from my patio table while I do my Bible study.

- Home is the dining room that will never be used as such, but rather holds a store-full of toys.

- Home is being too excited to sleep because the next day will bring family to visit.

- Home is the twins smiling when I peak over the crib after their nap.

- Home is family

Whoops!

Back in June when the babies had their surgery, Scott didn't have such a great morning. He wouldn't even let me talk about for awhile, but now that we're two months or more past it, its time to tell the now-funny story.

I brought the babies in for their pre-surgery appointment at the hospital while Scott took Emily to soccer camp, and then dropped her off at our friend Lori's. After he dropped her at Lori's, I got a call from Lori and she asked me if Scott got a speeding ticket. I didn't know what she was talking about, but apparently Emily mentioned that Daddy got pulled by the police man.

Hmmm.

So I called Scott, who in fact had been pulled over and received a speeding ticket. He was NOT happy. I asked Scott if he mentioned to the police officer that he was on his way to the HOSPITAL where his TWO MONTH OLD TWINS were having SURGERY!?! Surely mentioning this would make the cop see that Scott really needed a break. Um, no. It didn't. Scott got the ticket anyway. Oh well.

Now I must mention that I have been pulled over exactly fifteen times. Three of those time were in the same week! However, I've never received a ticket. I've gotten two written warnings, but never a ticket. I'm asking for one, I know.

So anyhow, here is a picture of Emily when she played dress-up to show me how the cop looked and talked. Too funny!

New Job

Now that I am staying at home full time, I am trying to take over some of the chores around the house that have been traditionally been Scott's responsibility. That way when he's home he can spend time with the babies instead of doing chores.

The latest task has been tackling the lawn. When I first tried to mow the lawn I thought, how hard can it be? Its just like vacuuming the carpet, right? Um.... no! Not so much.

The weather has only been in the seventies, so this morning I put the babies down for their morning nap and set out to mow the back yard. I put the baby monitor on the patio table and pushed the mower out back.

My biggest concern was that I would never get the mower started. So, I nervously pulled on the cord over and over again. Nothing happened. Darn, I just knew this would be the demise of my big plan! But no! I had the thought that maybe the little bar thingy that you have to hold up needs to be pulled WHILE I yank the cord. YES!

So off I go on my lawn-mowing adventure. At first I was pushing up the little hill in our back yard and going along the perimeter. All things were going great, until I got closer to the front fence. This is the area that receives the most water when it rains, and so the grass was much longer and thicker than the rest of the yard.

My mower coughed, sputtered, spit, and then stopped. Darn. I pulled the mower over to its side and saw that the wet grass clippings had accumulated between the mower and the blade. I pulled the clippings out, and tried starting it again. SUCCESS!

Well, then I got another ten feet, and started the entire process again. And again. And again.

Finally I figured out that if I pushed the top of the lawn mower so that the front end popped up, the blade wouldn't go so deep into the grass, and it wouldn't stop itself. So I mowed this portion of the lawn with the end popped up, which mowed the tallest, thickest parts. Then I went back over it with the mower down. Probably not what the Craftsman Owner's Manuel suggests, but meh. I've never been one much for owner's manuals.

I went back and forth, around and around until it looked like the entire lawn had been successfully mowed. Then I went around the yard looking for the places that I'd missed. I'm sure that my way of looking for "tall spots" was similar to the way a hair stylest looks for stray long hairs that escaped the scissors. Let's just say that Wriggly Field won't be calling any time soon in need of my services.

Finally, while I was going through the last patch in the middle of the lawn, something awful happened. I was pulling up on the lever to keep the mower running (I was afraid I wouldn't get it started again if I turned it off!) I was checking the monitor to see if the babies were awake. But while I was stopped, I was standing in a fire ant hill. Yep. Bites all over my ankles. I'd never heard of fire ants until I moved here. But they are awful. And the reason why they are called fire ants has nothing to do with their color, and everything to do with the way they hurt. I now have seventeen little bites all over my right ankle. These bites will end up with a little puss thing on it (like a zit!) and will hurt for a day or so. Ugh!

But hey! I finished! And all before the babies woke up. Thank goodness I inherited my dad's stubborness!

First day of preschool

Today was "Meet the Teacher" day at Emily's preschool. Grammy sent Emily a special box that we got just yesterday. Perfect timing! It had all sorts of cute clothes, and special new shoes that we love. Here are some shots from the morning. She loved her teachers and was excited to have some friends from last year's class in her class again. Here are some shots form the morning. She is getting so big!