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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
miracles of the season
when the twins were starting out on solid food, they were such good little eaters. green beans...? loved them. peas...? couldn't get enough. spinach...? more, please.
but then we moved off the jars and on to real people food.
out of the blue, they decided that vegetables of any sort were not to even have a place on their plates. this was not just an issue of green-ness or texture. they wouldn't even touch the vegetables that taste like candy (baked sweet potatoes with butter, cinnamon, & sugar...hello?).
it had to have been some sort of twin conspiracy. they don't agree on anything except this one issue: vegetables are from the devil. perhaps i should just be glad they've taken the high road & have been resisting satan's wiles & refusing to give in to temptation.
i have heretofore been unsuccessful in my attempts to sneak those veggies into any meal. mac & cheese = delicious. with peas? no, thank you. broccoli cheese soup = a favorite. add in some extra broccoli? no way, jose. tuna salad = always enjoyable. throw in some carrots? get it outta here.
bribery occasionally works. do you want a cookie? take a bite of that green bean casserole. would you like some rice crispies (no sugar, soggy with milk -- ick)? choke down a bite of those candied yams (these are NOT my children).
but today...today we experienced one of those rare but wonderful christmas miracles.
that, my friends is yogurt. yogurt with fruit...and vegetables. i was at wally world the other day, shopping for things not completely devoid of nutrition to try to feed the boys -- when my eye was drawn to this green yogurt cup. green equals vegetables. my curiosity was piqued. i didn't get many, not wanting to waste my money on yet another failed attempt to balance the diet of my toddlers.
i broke it out today at lunch, hoping to get at least a few bites of it down their gullets before they realized that they were eating yogurt with pears & green beans. before i knew it, they had finished two whole cups of the stuff. and nolan was licking the table to ensure that not a drop went to waste.
yes, LICKING THE TABLE
all to get just one more taste of something containing green beans.
it's a miracle i tell you.
would i like them to actually eat vegetables without this sort of trickery? sure. but until that happens, i can console myself with yo-baby.
but then we moved off the jars and on to real people food.
out of the blue, they decided that vegetables of any sort were not to even have a place on their plates. this was not just an issue of green-ness or texture. they wouldn't even touch the vegetables that taste like candy (baked sweet potatoes with butter, cinnamon, & sugar...hello?).
it had to have been some sort of twin conspiracy. they don't agree on anything except this one issue: vegetables are from the devil. perhaps i should just be glad they've taken the high road & have been resisting satan's wiles & refusing to give in to temptation.
i have heretofore been unsuccessful in my attempts to sneak those veggies into any meal. mac & cheese = delicious. with peas? no, thank you. broccoli cheese soup = a favorite. add in some extra broccoli? no way, jose. tuna salad = always enjoyable. throw in some carrots? get it outta here.
bribery occasionally works. do you want a cookie? take a bite of that green bean casserole. would you like some rice crispies (no sugar, soggy with milk -- ick)? choke down a bite of those candied yams (these are NOT my children).
but today...today we experienced one of those rare but wonderful christmas miracles.
that, my friends is yogurt. yogurt with fruit...and vegetables. i was at wally world the other day, shopping for things not completely devoid of nutrition to try to feed the boys -- when my eye was drawn to this green yogurt cup. green equals vegetables. my curiosity was piqued. i didn't get many, not wanting to waste my money on yet another failed attempt to balance the diet of my toddlers. i broke it out today at lunch, hoping to get at least a few bites of it down their gullets before they realized that they were eating yogurt with pears & green beans. before i knew it, they had finished two whole cups of the stuff. and nolan was licking the table to ensure that not a drop went to waste.
yes, LICKING THE TABLE
all to get just one more taste of something containing green beans.
it's a miracle i tell you.
would i like them to actually eat vegetables without this sort of trickery? sure. but until that happens, i can console myself with yo-baby.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Simply Having a Wonderful (Christmas) Time!
it's a pajama day. the christmas music is blaring. the pumpkins and autumn leaves are in a pile on the kitchen island ready to head back to the basement, and their replacement decorations are piled in the living room just waiting to be un-boxed. our new (repurposed sweater) stockings are stacked on the table with care with hopes that i'll hang them, though i know not where.
i may even have a hot cocoa later and snuggle up under a fuzzy blanket to watch a cheesy feel-good movie with my honey if he will allow it. he would probably prefer the matrix trilogy, though, and since he actually went with me to see new moon last weekend, i suppose it's his turn to choose. there's only so much a girl can ask of her man, and i think edward and bella just about did him in.
in the spirit of the holiday season, the boys wanted to sing...unfortunately, they don't yet know any christmas tunes (we will be trying to remedy this dilemma in the next few weeks). so...instead they decided to show off for everyone with a rousing rendition of the "abc's"
and n suggested that his fans might enjoy a little "ants go marching" (or, as he calls it, "hurrah")
in case you were wondering, they will be opening for the wiggles on their next tour.
i may even have a hot cocoa later and snuggle up under a fuzzy blanket to watch a cheesy feel-good movie with my honey if he will allow it. he would probably prefer the matrix trilogy, though, and since he actually went with me to see new moon last weekend, i suppose it's his turn to choose. there's only so much a girl can ask of her man, and i think edward and bella just about did him in.in the spirit of the holiday season, the boys wanted to sing...unfortunately, they don't yet know any christmas tunes (we will be trying to remedy this dilemma in the next few weeks). so...instead they decided to show off for everyone with a rousing rendition of the "abc's"
and n suggested that his fans might enjoy a little "ants go marching" (or, as he calls it, "hurrah")
in case you were wondering, they will be opening for the wiggles on their next tour.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Munchkinland
I'll give you 3 guesses what our Halloween costume/Birthday party theme is this year.
LIONS?
TIGERS?
BEARS?
Oh, my! You guessed it.
While the kiddos are still young enough for me to impose my will upon them, we will have matchy costumes & parties to go along with them. This year, we were off to see the wizard!
The party was lots of fun, with good friends, cake, goodies, movie references galore, and a house full of kiddos. I was slightly concerned about how to entertain all those children (while B was more worried about the condition of the carpet after the consumption of rainbow cupcakes), but was pleased to discover that balloons can provide hours of fun for kids of all ages (and B was pleased to discover that all of our friends are very aware of his obsessive cleanliness).
Dorothy, the Scarecrow,
the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion
all enjoyed their time in Munchkinland.
Toto even got in on a bit of the action.
Can you tell how much the hubby loves this sort of thing?
I promised him he can pick his own costume for next year and we will work with it.
Yes, that's right, I'm already plotting for next year:
LIONS?
TIGERS?
BEARS?
Oh, my! You guessed it.
While the kiddos are still young enough for me to impose my will upon them, we will have matchy costumes & parties to go along with them. This year, we were off to see the wizard!
The party was lots of fun, with good friends, cake, goodies, movie references galore, and a house full of kiddos. I was slightly concerned about how to entertain all those children (while B was more worried about the condition of the carpet after the consumption of rainbow cupcakes), but was pleased to discover that balloons can provide hours of fun for kids of all ages (and B was pleased to discover that all of our friends are very aware of his obsessive cleanliness).
Dorothy, the Scarecrow,
the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion
all enjoyed their time in Munchkinland.Toto even got in on a bit of the action.
Can you tell how much the hubby loves this sort of thing?
I promised him he can pick his own costume for next year and we will work with it.Yes, that's right, I'm already plotting for next year:
- how to please the hubby
- how to incorporate 4 other costumes into his plan
- how to have a party for the twins with those costumes
- and how to get the littlest guy in on the action for his birthday without getting sick of the theme by Halloween.
another sneak peek
we had photo shoot #2 to capture the boys' 2nd birthday & maybe some of the whole family...check out the preview here.
birthday party pics coming soon...
birthday party pics coming soon...
Monday, October 12, 2009
mama, if that's movin' up then i'm...movin' out!
we are moving up in the world! this morning my big boys graduated from their big, ugly, cumbersome (rolling!) high chairs to lovely, compact booster seats. my kitchen table has never looked better.
to celebrate their graduation to official "big boy during mealtime" status, they let mama choose the breakfast entertainment. no educational (or not-so-educational, for that matter) videos for us this morning. mama chose to put on her music of choice...this morning it was billy joel (the stranger, to be exact)...ah, to not have to endure kiddie music or videos for just a moment was glorious.
the boys even seemed to enjoy it...here they are, singing along (they were dancing too, but apparently got camera shy):
unfortunately, after breakfast, i seemingly misjudged their level of maturity. i headed upstairs to put the baby down for a nap...
and things got very very quiet downstairs.
that's never a good sign.
i put the baby in his crib and tip-toed down the stairs, hoping to catch the rascals red-handed. they weren't in the living room...not in the kitchen, either. i didn't even see them in the family room. but i spied a clue in the foyer.
toilet paper!
i opened the door to the powder room and saw
toilet paper everywhere (mostly in the toilet, though)! and a roll that had been two-thirds full when i had headed upstairs now looked like this:
it took 3 flushes to get it all down the toilet, all the while, mr. n was gleefully pointing to the toilet and exclaiming, "PEE PEEE PEEEEE!"
i don't think he gets it.
to celebrate their graduation to official "big boy during mealtime" status, they let mama choose the breakfast entertainment. no educational (or not-so-educational, for that matter) videos for us this morning. mama chose to put on her music of choice...this morning it was billy joel (the stranger, to be exact)...ah, to not have to endure kiddie music or videos for just a moment was glorious.the boys even seemed to enjoy it...here they are, singing along (they were dancing too, but apparently got camera shy):
unfortunately, after breakfast, i seemingly misjudged their level of maturity. i headed upstairs to put the baby down for a nap...
and things got very very quiet downstairs.
that's never a good sign.
i put the baby in his crib and tip-toed down the stairs, hoping to catch the rascals red-handed. they weren't in the living room...not in the kitchen, either. i didn't even see them in the family room. but i spied a clue in the foyer.
toilet paper!i opened the door to the powder room and saw
toilet paper everywhere (mostly in the toilet, though)! and a roll that had been two-thirds full when i had headed upstairs now looked like this:
it took 3 flushes to get it all down the toilet, all the while, mr. n was gleefully pointing to the toilet and exclaiming, "PEE PEEE PEEEEE!"i don't think he gets it.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
eviction notice
some of you may know the details, others may not care...but in case there is anyone out there who is curious about little l's entrance into the world, a-bloggin' i will go.
i love my darling husband to death, but as the we got closer & closer to my due date, it really began to annoy me when he didn't answer the phone when i called him while at work. what if it were TIME? i kept saying. he was pretty good about getting back to me as soon as he could, but in my mind that wasn't good enough.
then there was the issue of limon.
he has to travel to limon once or twice a month. the possibility of his being a little more than an hour away (and possibly under a dish machine somewhere) when i went into labor didn't please me too much.
on top of that, there's this big prison out there. and he's responsible for keeping all those inmates sanitized and germ-free. this is a task which requires several hours every time he visits.
no cell phones allowed.
for hours at a time.
this was my recurring nightmare: the hubby, in limon, shuts & locks his car (cell phone inside), gives his hair a passing glance in the car window (and tweaks it just a bit), and turns to walk inside limon correctional facility. at that moment, his cell phone rings. i have just gone into labor & am headed to the hospital. nearly 4 hours later, he comes out to the car and checks his messages, he immediately starts for denver, but with rush-hour traffic it takes nearly 2 hours to arrive. by this point in time, i have already given birth and called him names which cannot be printed here.
so, when my doctor mentioned an elective induction at 39 weeks, i jumped on it.
we checked in on 9.9.09 at 9p.m. and i was already contracting regularly (unbeknownst to me). apparently, this caused some sort of last-minute change of plan. it was 11p.m. before the started the pitocin. all night long, i kept hearing the same thing, "your contractions are looking pretty impressive, on a scale of 1-10, how's your discomfort." they would look at me, a bit perplexed, when i responded over and over again, "maybe a 1." each time i was told they were increasing the pitocin because we wanted it to hurt.
sure we did.
at around 8 in the morning, i finally felt uncomfortable so i asked for my bff to pay me a visit -- the man with that glorious creation, the epidural. by noon my doctor arrived. at quarter past i started pushing, and the little guy made his appearence at 12.38.
his big brothers are adjusting. acting out a bit,
and watching too much tv,
but adjusting (and learning the alphabet to boot -- thank you cookie monster, thank you big bird) to this little sweet pea.
i love my darling husband to death, but as the we got closer & closer to my due date, it really began to annoy me when he didn't answer the phone when i called him while at work. what if it were TIME? i kept saying. he was pretty good about getting back to me as soon as he could, but in my mind that wasn't good enough.
then there was the issue of limon.
he has to travel to limon once or twice a month. the possibility of his being a little more than an hour away (and possibly under a dish machine somewhere) when i went into labor didn't please me too much.
on top of that, there's this big prison out there. and he's responsible for keeping all those inmates sanitized and germ-free. this is a task which requires several hours every time he visits.
no cell phones allowed.
for hours at a time.
this was my recurring nightmare: the hubby, in limon, shuts & locks his car (cell phone inside), gives his hair a passing glance in the car window (and tweaks it just a bit), and turns to walk inside limon correctional facility. at that moment, his cell phone rings. i have just gone into labor & am headed to the hospital. nearly 4 hours later, he comes out to the car and checks his messages, he immediately starts for denver, but with rush-hour traffic it takes nearly 2 hours to arrive. by this point in time, i have already given birth and called him names which cannot be printed here.
so, when my doctor mentioned an elective induction at 39 weeks, i jumped on it.
we checked in on 9.9.09 at 9p.m. and i was already contracting regularly (unbeknownst to me). apparently, this caused some sort of last-minute change of plan. it was 11p.m. before the started the pitocin. all night long, i kept hearing the same thing, "your contractions are looking pretty impressive, on a scale of 1-10, how's your discomfort." they would look at me, a bit perplexed, when i responded over and over again, "maybe a 1." each time i was told they were increasing the pitocin because we wanted it to hurt.
sure we did.
at around 8 in the morning, i finally felt uncomfortable so i asked for my bff to pay me a visit -- the man with that glorious creation, the epidural. by noon my doctor arrived. at quarter past i started pushing, and the little guy made his appearence at 12.38.
his big brothers are adjusting. acting out a bit,
and watching too much tv,
but adjusting (and learning the alphabet to boot -- thank you cookie monster, thank you big bird) to this little sweet pea.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
that time of year again!
fall, my favorite! love the weather! love the colors (although i have to say, it's a little better in illinois)! love the food! love the decor!
so down to the basement i went (love that it's not a crawlspace anymore) to fetch my boxes of autumn stuff. stuff which seemed plentiful in the townhome. i was a bit dismayed to find that if i put ALL of it out (including the things which will inevitably go back in the box) it didn't even fill up my kitchen island. i'm afraid my plethora of pumpkins isn't as prodigious as i had previously thought. sigh.
to make matters worse, i have expressly forbidden myself from spending any more money on decorations this year. no more pumpkins until next year. and i certainly can't have the lovely fall wreath i'm dying to make & hang on the door.
on a brigher note, i have the family halloween costumes nearly finished (with a little help from ma this year) and plans for the boys' birthday fiesta are under way...
i know i haven't posted much about the newest addition to the family...i'll give details about how things have been going soon. until then, ponder this sweetness:
so down to the basement i went (love that it's not a crawlspace anymore) to fetch my boxes of autumn stuff. stuff which seemed plentiful in the townhome. i was a bit dismayed to find that if i put ALL of it out (including the things which will inevitably go back in the box) it didn't even fill up my kitchen island. i'm afraid my plethora of pumpkins isn't as prodigious as i had previously thought. sigh.
to make matters worse, i have expressly forbidden myself from spending any more money on decorations this year. no more pumpkins until next year. and i certainly can't have the lovely fall wreath i'm dying to make & hang on the door.on a brigher note, i have the family halloween costumes nearly finished (with a little help from ma this year) and plans for the boys' birthday fiesta are under way...
i know i haven't posted much about the newest addition to the family...i'll give details about how things have been going soon. until then, ponder this sweetness:
Thursday, September 24, 2009
i've been blogged
we had a newborn photo shoot with our newest little guy & our favorite photographer. check out the sneak peek of our session here!
Friday, August 14, 2009
inspiration
most of the rooms in this house i've got some sort of vision for...usually that vision comes accompanied by the very vocal opinions of the hubby.
the master bedroom & bathroom, while not done in reality, are nearly finished in my head. the family room, we've been looking at furniture for a while & seem to agree (if what we want isn't gone by the time we get around to buying it).
my kitchen, however, is another story entirely.
i'll not be doing anything major with it until probably 2010, but i would like to have a plan. at least a sort of a plan.
the kitchen now is inoffensive...neutral...a bit on the dull side...
i would love to paint those cabinets...but what color?
i would love to update those countertops (if it's within the budget)...but to what?
i have had a love affair with all things spain, as you well know...so i would love to incorporate this
into the feel of the cocina without going overboard.
beyond, that, i haven't a clue.
so start thinking...we've got a little bit of time & i need your help!
the master bedroom & bathroom, while not done in reality, are nearly finished in my head. the family room, we've been looking at furniture for a while & seem to agree (if what we want isn't gone by the time we get around to buying it).
my kitchen, however, is another story entirely.
i'll not be doing anything major with it until probably 2010, but i would like to have a plan. at least a sort of a plan.
the kitchen now is inoffensive...neutral...a bit on the dull side...
i would love to paint those cabinets...but what color?i would love to update those countertops (if it's within the budget)...but to what?
i have had a love affair with all things spain, as you well know...so i would love to incorporate this
into the feel of the cocina without going overboard.beyond, that, i haven't a clue.
so start thinking...we've got a little bit of time & i need your help!
rock-a-bye
in my efforts to get this house turned into not just a home, but our home, i have not forgotten that there is a countdown underway. t minus 5 weeks and counting until #3 makes his appearance, if all goes as planned.
needless to say, the timing of all of this has left me little choice as to what room comes next in my decorating plans...
the nursery...
if you want, i'll give you a guided tour...the crib/changer combo thingy is the same one that we used for the twins...nothing fancy, which is good, because they chewed that baby up once they started getting teeth. but you can't even tell from this angle, thankfully. mobile and bumper pad(s) (that's actually 2, one on the inside so the baby can see the pretty stuff, one on the outside so i can) are also hand-me-downs from thing 1 & thing 2. their room ended up mostly red in the long run, this one i'm shooting for brown, blue, & white, in case you couldn't tell. curtains were some extra brown fabric i had from a valance i made for the master bedroom in the old house plus some cute checked stuff & trim to make it all come together. don't know how well you can see, but wrapped around that lamp cord is some leftover checked material from the curtains. i call it a "cord cozy" and the hubs calls it an "eyesore." oh, well. it's better than extra cord all over the place & he hasn't found it so offensive that it's been removed yet. that rocker in the corner is as old as dirt, has been recovered a million times, and is still the comfiest thing i've ever sat in. star pillow on the floor...mr. w picked it up on a trip through babies r us & wouldn't put it down. it happened to match, so i bought it.
here's another angle. those bookshelves, much like the ones in the twins' room, are hand-me-downs from eons ago (except these are actually real wood). i think they belonged to my dad before he married my mom. a fresh coat of paint, and voila! perfect for the baby's room. all 3 lamps in the room were cheapies from wally world whose shades i added cute things to.
i still have some organization to do (the closet, for example, is nowhere near photo ready), but i think i'm getting there...
needless to say, the timing of all of this has left me little choice as to what room comes next in my decorating plans...
the nursery...
if you want, i'll give you a guided tour...the crib/changer combo thingy is the same one that we used for the twins...nothing fancy, which is good, because they chewed that baby up once they started getting teeth. but you can't even tell from this angle, thankfully. mobile and bumper pad(s) (that's actually 2, one on the inside so the baby can see the pretty stuff, one on the outside so i can) are also hand-me-downs from thing 1 & thing 2. their room ended up mostly red in the long run, this one i'm shooting for brown, blue, & white, in case you couldn't tell. curtains were some extra brown fabric i had from a valance i made for the master bedroom in the old house plus some cute checked stuff & trim to make it all come together. don't know how well you can see, but wrapped around that lamp cord is some leftover checked material from the curtains. i call it a "cord cozy" and the hubs calls it an "eyesore." oh, well. it's better than extra cord all over the place & he hasn't found it so offensive that it's been removed yet. that rocker in the corner is as old as dirt, has been recovered a million times, and is still the comfiest thing i've ever sat in. star pillow on the floor...mr. w picked it up on a trip through babies r us & wouldn't put it down. it happened to match, so i bought it.
here's another angle. those bookshelves, much like the ones in the twins' room, are hand-me-downs from eons ago (except these are actually real wood). i think they belonged to my dad before he married my mom. a fresh coat of paint, and voila! perfect for the baby's room. all 3 lamps in the room were cheapies from wally world whose shades i added cute things to.i still have some organization to do (the closet, for example, is nowhere near photo ready), but i think i'm getting there...
Thursday, August 6, 2009
busy busy busy
trying to get this house put together takes a lot of our time & energy these days (well, i didn't have much energy to start with, so i don't really know where that leaves me). but we've managed to make some more progress...
the living room is where most of our furniture from the townhome now resides, so i have to admit there wasn't a TON of work to be done here, but we did have to purchase a few things to fill up the space & then figure out how it was going to be arranged. it feels pretty good to have it done & be ready to have some company over. what do you think? want to come have some coffee?
and a view from the top (i love the height of this room)
our family room...i guess that's what it's going to be called...is largely unfurnished at the moment. doubling our living space has left us a bit empty in some places. the vision is to have this be the room where the kids can romp around & make a mess (check...right now it's their empty run-around space) and we can sit comfortably on a sofa (sleeper, preferably, to host more out-of-towners) and watch tv or listen to music as a family. it will also house my desk & sewing machine (check, check) for all my crafty ideas. besides the sofa, we wanted an armoir to house the tv, vcr (yes, we still have one), dvd player, & b's stereo system (he's so proud of it). but we knew that it would be a long while before we could really afford to get one. until, that is, i found this...this baby is pure craigslist love...$20...AND they delivered it!
granted, our 14-inch tv looks a little ridiculous in there, but it'll do. b thinks his speaker stands flanking it "look like they were made for it, they match so well." men & their electronic equipment. sigh.
the living room is where most of our furniture from the townhome now resides, so i have to admit there wasn't a TON of work to be done here, but we did have to purchase a few things to fill up the space & then figure out how it was going to be arranged. it feels pretty good to have it done & be ready to have some company over. what do you think? want to come have some coffee?
and a view from the top (i love the height of this room)
our family room...i guess that's what it's going to be called...is largely unfurnished at the moment. doubling our living space has left us a bit empty in some places. the vision is to have this be the room where the kids can romp around & make a mess (check...right now it's their empty run-around space) and we can sit comfortably on a sofa (sleeper, preferably, to host more out-of-towners) and watch tv or listen to music as a family. it will also house my desk & sewing machine (check, check) for all my crafty ideas. besides the sofa, we wanted an armoir to house the tv, vcr (yes, we still have one), dvd player, & b's stereo system (he's so proud of it). but we knew that it would be a long while before we could really afford to get one. until, that is, i found this...this baby is pure craigslist love...$20...AND they delivered it!
granted, our 14-inch tv looks a little ridiculous in there, but it'll do. b thinks his speaker stands flanking it "look like they were made for it, they match so well." men & their electronic equipment. sigh.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
projects
one room at a time...
i am trying to get the new house put together & looking more-or-less the way i want it, but being 7-months preggers slows me down a little bit.
my first goal has been to get the boys' room done so i can move them out of the nursery & into a cute new BIG BOY ROOM! that way, i can put the crib back together and (hopefully) have a nursery ready for baby brother when he makes his appearance.
i don't have a "before" photo, as there was nothing really before. just an empty room waiting for us. but here's the "after":
thanks to our friends from church for putting those TWO big boy beds together for me! hooray! see those white bookshelves? i kid you not, i had them in my very own big-girl room about 30 years ago. only they were dark brown then. they were, however, still the same low-quality, particle-board-covered-in-a-layer-of-veneer-so-thin-it-could-be-contact-paper shelving units that they are today (with a fresh coat of paint). a big shout out to my folks for investing in the high-quality stuff that lasts for generations.
i was a bit nervous about how the little dudes would do sleeping in individual beds. we all know how much they love cuddling, after all. but they did great...even fell asleep in separate beds.
however, a peek in on them in the morning revealed that mr. w had apparently gotten a bit lonesome in the middle of the night & decided it was time to join his brother. mr. n didn't seem to mind one bit. even big boys need a little love & togetherness sometimes.
i am trying to get the new house put together & looking more-or-less the way i want it, but being 7-months preggers slows me down a little bit.
my first goal has been to get the boys' room done so i can move them out of the nursery & into a cute new BIG BOY ROOM! that way, i can put the crib back together and (hopefully) have a nursery ready for baby brother when he makes his appearance.
i don't have a "before" photo, as there was nothing really before. just an empty room waiting for us. but here's the "after":
thanks to our friends from church for putting those TWO big boy beds together for me! hooray! see those white bookshelves? i kid you not, i had them in my very own big-girl room about 30 years ago. only they were dark brown then. they were, however, still the same low-quality, particle-board-covered-in-a-layer-of-veneer-so-thin-it-could-be-contact-paper shelving units that they are today (with a fresh coat of paint). a big shout out to my folks for investing in the high-quality stuff that lasts for generations.i was a bit nervous about how the little dudes would do sleeping in individual beds. we all know how much they love cuddling, after all. but they did great...even fell asleep in separate beds.
however, a peek in on them in the morning revealed that mr. w had apparently gotten a bit lonesome in the middle of the night & decided it was time to join his brother. mr. n didn't seem to mind one bit. even big boys need a little love & togetherness sometimes.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
proactiv
just like the anti-zit medicine. only not.
remember back in march when we conducted this little experiment and put the boys in a toddler bed to free up the crib for #3? well, we had been progressing nicely for several months, the boys were learning to climb up on their bed as exhaustion began to set in (therefore passing out in bed rather than all over the place). it looked like the experiment was working wonderfully.
but.
there's always a but, isn't there?
over the past few weeks, playing themselves to sleep began to look more and more like pandemonium and actual sleep time began to move later and later past our theoretical "bedtime." and, of course, morning still came at the same time. so my over-tired little guys have recently turned into cranky little monsters -- no more sweets & joy & joyness around here. (on a side note, i find it ironic that exhaustion in small people tends to lead to less sleep rather than more, thus compounding the problem -- hurrah).
yesterday i had had enough. it was time to get proactiv.
like the zit medicine's mission is to seek out & destroy unsightly acne & to restore a healthy complexion to the teenager, mine was to seek out & destroy pre-sleeping pandemonium & to restore peace & order to the bedtime universe.
i wasn't sure how it was going to happen, but i knew i had to try. i started by firmly placing the boys back in bed every time they crawled out. they had a blast for the first 15-20 minutes, let me tell you. lots of giggles. i held my ground & didn't say a word or even make eye contact. finally, they realized i was serious & stayed in bed. when i left the room, however, it took about 3.5 seconds for them both to land all 4 feet on the floor & take off to find a toy. so in their bedroom i decided to stay. every time a toy was tossed to the floor, it was removed from the room. there were many attempts to flee and even more tears. but, in the end, we achieved sleep...and after only an hour and a half -- about 30 minutes earlier than they had been putting themselves to sleep.
not fantastic results. but not shabby, either, for the first attempt.
move to today's nap. we had our story, our prayer, kisses all around -- the usual. then, i turned to sit on the sofa rather than leave & one boy tried to slide out of bed. i told him "no" (didn't even have to get up) and he climbed back into bed without a fuss. his brother never tried to get up. a few of the same toy issues happened, but in under 30 minutes, both boys were out cold.
so far, so good.
it's more time-consuming for me than i like, but sleep is a wonderful gift from god. not just to the kiddos. moms need the sanity break, too, you know.
remember back in march when we conducted this little experiment and put the boys in a toddler bed to free up the crib for #3? well, we had been progressing nicely for several months, the boys were learning to climb up on their bed as exhaustion began to set in (therefore passing out in bed rather than all over the place). it looked like the experiment was working wonderfully.
but.
there's always a but, isn't there?
over the past few weeks, playing themselves to sleep began to look more and more like pandemonium and actual sleep time began to move later and later past our theoretical "bedtime." and, of course, morning still came at the same time. so my over-tired little guys have recently turned into cranky little monsters -- no more sweets & joy & joyness around here. (on a side note, i find it ironic that exhaustion in small people tends to lead to less sleep rather than more, thus compounding the problem -- hurrah).
yesterday i had had enough. it was time to get proactiv.
like the zit medicine's mission is to seek out & destroy unsightly acne & to restore a healthy complexion to the teenager, mine was to seek out & destroy pre-sleeping pandemonium & to restore peace & order to the bedtime universe.
i wasn't sure how it was going to happen, but i knew i had to try. i started by firmly placing the boys back in bed every time they crawled out. they had a blast for the first 15-20 minutes, let me tell you. lots of giggles. i held my ground & didn't say a word or even make eye contact. finally, they realized i was serious & stayed in bed. when i left the room, however, it took about 3.5 seconds for them both to land all 4 feet on the floor & take off to find a toy. so in their bedroom i decided to stay. every time a toy was tossed to the floor, it was removed from the room. there were many attempts to flee and even more tears. but, in the end, we achieved sleep...and after only an hour and a half -- about 30 minutes earlier than they had been putting themselves to sleep.
not fantastic results. but not shabby, either, for the first attempt.
move to today's nap. we had our story, our prayer, kisses all around -- the usual. then, i turned to sit on the sofa rather than leave & one boy tried to slide out of bed. i told him "no" (didn't even have to get up) and he climbed back into bed without a fuss. his brother never tried to get up. a few of the same toy issues happened, but in under 30 minutes, both boys were out cold.
so far, so good.
it's more time-consuming for me than i like, but sleep is a wonderful gift from god. not just to the kiddos. moms need the sanity break, too, you know.
Friday, June 19, 2009
and the prosecution rests
EXHIBIT A: N's leg
EXHIBIT B: N's back
EXHIBIT C: N's hand
EXHIBIT D: W's angry face & a mouth full of chompers
Mr. Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?
EXHIBIT B: N's back
EXHIBIT C: N's hand
EXHIBIT D: W's angry face & a mouth full of chompers
Mr. Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
negotiations
can it really be called "negotiating" if only one party involved is willing to be a touch flexible? i don't think so.
i think that's just called being pushy.
is it wrong to think about stuffing dead fish down the air ducts when we leave this place as a nice "welcome home" present for mr. pushy himself?
i think that's just called being pushy.
is it wrong to think about stuffing dead fish down the air ducts when we leave this place as a nice "welcome home" present for mr. pushy himself?
Friday, June 5, 2009
the hunt is on...
after a VERY long week and a half, our townhome is under contract.
it was very long for me & very long for 2 little boys & very long for the poor cat.
for me, i had to keep things -- not just tidy -- spotless around here so that i could pack up and leave at a moment's notice. that's really quite difficult with 2 toddlers who want to pull out everything that i want to put away. but somehow we managed.
managed to blow my cover, that is. up until the past 2 weeks, the hubby had resigned himself to a house that didn't quite meet his expectations in the cleanliness department. i had him thoroughly convinced that there was just no way it was going to be that clean. not with the rugrats demanding all my time and energy, that is. now he knows that it can, in fact, be done.
darn home staging.
for the boys, it was a long 2 weeks because i took away half of their toys, was constantly telling them not to do something messy, and made them ride & nap in the car more than they really like to do. poor bubs.
and then there is the poor cat who had to spend hours locked in her kennel while strange people visited the house. the last time we tried to stuff her in there, i thought she was going to take b's arm off.
needless to say, we are all relieved that this phase of moving seems to be drawing to a close.
but the next task is just as daunting: find a house that's a bargain in an area we want to live with a floor plan we adore. oh, and hope nobody out bids us!
thank goodness i have a god who is bigger than this dilemma.
trust in the lord with all your heart & lean not on your own understanding.
in all your ways acknowledge him & he will direct your paths.
proverbs 3:5-6
it was very long for me & very long for 2 little boys & very long for the poor cat.
for me, i had to keep things -- not just tidy -- spotless around here so that i could pack up and leave at a moment's notice. that's really quite difficult with 2 toddlers who want to pull out everything that i want to put away. but somehow we managed.
managed to blow my cover, that is. up until the past 2 weeks, the hubby had resigned himself to a house that didn't quite meet his expectations in the cleanliness department. i had him thoroughly convinced that there was just no way it was going to be that clean. not with the rugrats demanding all my time and energy, that is. now he knows that it can, in fact, be done.
darn home staging.
for the boys, it was a long 2 weeks because i took away half of their toys, was constantly telling them not to do something messy, and made them ride & nap in the car more than they really like to do. poor bubs.
and then there is the poor cat who had to spend hours locked in her kennel while strange people visited the house. the last time we tried to stuff her in there, i thought she was going to take b's arm off.
needless to say, we are all relieved that this phase of moving seems to be drawing to a close.
but the next task is just as daunting: find a house that's a bargain in an area we want to live with a floor plan we adore. oh, and hope nobody out bids us!
thank goodness i have a god who is bigger than this dilemma.
trust in the lord with all your heart & lean not on your own understanding.
in all your ways acknowledge him & he will direct your paths.
proverbs 3:5-6
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
behind closed doors
i often get curious as to what the little guys are up to when i put them "down" for their nap but before they get bored enough to actually sleep. today was no exception. behind a curtain, behind a gate, behind a door, i heard hysterical laughter. at the risk of spoiling their fun, i had to peek...and i had to share with you.
it appears to be a rousing game of peek-a-boo. love them cuties.
it appears to be a rousing game of peek-a-boo. love them cuties.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
the name game
since we still don't get to use either of the girls' names we had picked out when the twins were still little bean pods, we have been playing the name game again. we find naming little boys to be arduous.
here's the way it works around my house: i come up with a list of about 50 names that i think would work -- usually with about 2-3 that i actually love. i give the list to my darling hubby who, without hesitation or much thought, begins to cross off every single name from the list.
yay.
needless to say, i love this process.
so, today as i was searching an internet database for boy names, i began a list to present to b this evening as we are sitting down to dinner. i don't think it will take him very long at all to notice that this list is different.
at the risk of offending some of you (although i doubt it), here is my list of names that i would absolutely never under no circumstances consider naming my little boy, although someone must have, since they were on a very prominent baby naming site:
Banjo - not even sure i like it as an instrument, let alone a name
Cactus
Calico
Cannon - the camera or the weapon?
Chilli - delicious, but not for a child's name
Clever - i'm all about names with meaning, but, really?
Cocoa - for a BOY?
Columbo - why not? his brother magnum p.i. thought it was a great name!
Curry - again, the food thing, yummy though
Darth - vadar?
Dong - um...
Durable
Fell
Flan - a tasty mexican dessert...
Gattaca - as in the movie with ethan hawke & jude law?
Gizmo
Hades - seriously, people, who does this to her child?
Heinz - admittedly, the best ketchup, but...
Humvee - who loves a car this much?
Hyman - hymen? nice
Ice - ice, baby...
Jedi - some sci-fi lovers out there, i guess...
Kevork - ian, as in dr. jack the dr. of death?
Lavender - really? for a little boy?
Lucifer - why, oh why would someone do that?
Oma - german for grandma?
Oscosh - b'gosh
Peanut
Philander - look up "philanderer" in the dictionary...
Phuc - um...
Pooh
Pooky
Rad - very 80s, dude
Rong - i agree, it is rong, very very rong
Satchel
Scoop
Shrek - he was a green monster, for goodness sake!
Starbuck - has the world really come to this? how about caramel macchiato?
Suave - rrrrrico.......suuuuaaaveeee
Torn
Uzi - automatic weapons, fantastic
Yogi - bear
Zero - you've got to give your kid a little something more than this to live up to, people
so...do you have a favorite?
here's the way it works around my house: i come up with a list of about 50 names that i think would work -- usually with about 2-3 that i actually love. i give the list to my darling hubby who, without hesitation or much thought, begins to cross off every single name from the list.
yay.
needless to say, i love this process.
so, today as i was searching an internet database for boy names, i began a list to present to b this evening as we are sitting down to dinner. i don't think it will take him very long at all to notice that this list is different.
at the risk of offending some of you (although i doubt it), here is my list of names that i would absolutely never under no circumstances consider naming my little boy, although someone must have, since they were on a very prominent baby naming site:
Banjo - not even sure i like it as an instrument, let alone a name
Cactus
Calico
Cannon - the camera or the weapon?
Chilli - delicious, but not for a child's name
Clever - i'm all about names with meaning, but, really?
Cocoa - for a BOY?
Columbo - why not? his brother magnum p.i. thought it was a great name!
Curry - again, the food thing, yummy though
Darth - vadar?
Dong - um...
Durable
Fell
Flan - a tasty mexican dessert...
Gattaca - as in the movie with ethan hawke & jude law?
Gizmo
Hades - seriously, people, who does this to her child?
Heinz - admittedly, the best ketchup, but...
Humvee - who loves a car this much?
Hyman - hymen? nice
Ice - ice, baby...
Jedi - some sci-fi lovers out there, i guess...
Kevork - ian, as in dr. jack the dr. of death?
Lavender - really? for a little boy?
Lucifer - why, oh why would someone do that?
Oma - german for grandma?
Oscosh - b'gosh
Peanut
Philander - look up "philanderer" in the dictionary...
Phuc - um...
Pooh
Pooky
Rad - very 80s, dude
Rong - i agree, it is rong, very very rong
Satchel
Scoop
Shrek - he was a green monster, for goodness sake!
Starbuck - has the world really come to this? how about caramel macchiato?
Suave - rrrrrico.......suuuuaaaveeee
Torn
Uzi - automatic weapons, fantastic
Yogi - bear
Zero - you've got to give your kid a little something more than this to live up to, people
so...do you have a favorite?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
stupid questions
"i see here that you are scheduled to have an ultrasound here tomorrow morning."
"yes."
"well, the ultrasound technician isn't able to be here tomorrow. is it okay with you if we reschedule?"
um...no.
no it's not okay with me. if i have my choice i'll keep it so that i don't have to rearrange babysitting and the hubby doesn't have to change which morning he is taking off of work. not to mention the fact that i'm ready to know if this baby is a boy or girl. so, no, it's not okay with me.
on the other hand, doesn't it seem like it might be a waste of my time to come hang out in the same room with the ultrasound machine with nobody there to run it and tell me what there is to see?
logically, i don't have a real choice in this matter.
i dislike stupid questions.
"yes."
"well, the ultrasound technician isn't able to be here tomorrow. is it okay with you if we reschedule?"
um...no.
no it's not okay with me. if i have my choice i'll keep it so that i don't have to rearrange babysitting and the hubby doesn't have to change which morning he is taking off of work. not to mention the fact that i'm ready to know if this baby is a boy or girl. so, no, it's not okay with me.
on the other hand, doesn't it seem like it might be a waste of my time to come hang out in the same room with the ultrasound machine with nobody there to run it and tell me what there is to see?
logically, i don't have a real choice in this matter.
i dislike stupid questions.
Friday, April 24, 2009
just one of those days...
it seems like it's going to be, anyway. but i hope not.
really, it's not too bad.
yet.
i haven't felt the full wrath of napless kiddos at 3 in the afternoon.
like i said...yet.
i put the little guys down for their nap &, as always, they played for a while. mr. n was clearly more tired than his brother & crawled up into bed & passed out. not 15 minutes later, i was spying on them, and witnessed mr. w putting every stuffed animal he could into the bed, stuffing 2 more into his mouth, and trying to climb up to join his brother.
needless to say, with the crowd already there & an encumbrance hanging from his mouth, he struggled.
finally, he grabbed hold of his brother's hair, kicked his leg over his brother's head, & managed to hoist himself up to a seated position. on top of the sleeping one's back. surprisingly, this did not wake the little snoozer. then mr. w decided that the sleeping lump was warm & soft enough to be a pillow. and promptly used him as one, curling up practically right on top of him and giving him a little poke & shove to get him in the right position.
this did wake up mr. n.
and the 2 of them decided that naptime is over (or, i am hoping, has not had begun -- but i'm not going to hold my breath). there are lots of thumps & thuds overhead as i type this, but the dominant noise is that of little boys makeing engine sounds.
vroom, vroom, vroom
do you think toy cars & the noises of imaginary motors are as effective at lulling little ones to sleep as the real thing? i sure hope so.
really, it's not too bad.
yet.
i haven't felt the full wrath of napless kiddos at 3 in the afternoon.
like i said...yet.
i put the little guys down for their nap &, as always, they played for a while. mr. n was clearly more tired than his brother & crawled up into bed & passed out. not 15 minutes later, i was spying on them, and witnessed mr. w putting every stuffed animal he could into the bed, stuffing 2 more into his mouth, and trying to climb up to join his brother.
needless to say, with the crowd already there & an encumbrance hanging from his mouth, he struggled.
finally, he grabbed hold of his brother's hair, kicked his leg over his brother's head, & managed to hoist himself up to a seated position. on top of the sleeping one's back. surprisingly, this did not wake the little snoozer. then mr. w decided that the sleeping lump was warm & soft enough to be a pillow. and promptly used him as one, curling up practically right on top of him and giving him a little poke & shove to get him in the right position.
this did wake up mr. n.
and the 2 of them decided that naptime is over (or, i am hoping, has not had begun -- but i'm not going to hold my breath). there are lots of thumps & thuds overhead as i type this, but the dominant noise is that of little boys makeing engine sounds.
vroom, vroom, vroom
do you think toy cars & the noises of imaginary motors are as effective at lulling little ones to sleep as the real thing? i sure hope so.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
can you tell we've been practicing?
such big boys...learning how to eat with spoons & to feed themselves. and it's working so well.
just look at the technique mr. w demonstrates, holding the spoon so carefully in his right hand...
...while actually EATING the oatmeal with his left.
and mr. n, showing he knows exactly what to do as he pokes at the food in his bowl with the spoon...
...and then has to work AROUND it, to get at the food with his fingers.
such fun.
just look at the technique mr. w demonstrates, holding the spoon so carefully in his right hand...
...while actually EATING the oatmeal with his left.
and mr. n, showing he knows exactly what to do as he pokes at the food in his bowl with the spoon...
...and then has to work AROUND it, to get at the food with his fingers.
such fun.
Friday, March 13, 2009
phase 1
the countdown has begun at our house already.
t minus 6 months...
perhaps this all seems a bit preemptive, but there's an awful lot of adjusting to be done around here, and we want to give ourselves enough time to start all over again should something not go according to plan (or should the little dudes decide to be difficult).
our little angels difficult? never! you must be thinking.
ah, but let me remind you that these boys both had acid reflux, one had colic, and rather than learning how to self-soothe, they would scream themselves into a frenzy. in fact, they were 5 months old before they were sleeping through the night.
so, i have reason to fear that they are not going to like the role they must play in this transition.
the biggest change for them will be giving up their crib for #3 and moving into toddler beds. this has been waking me up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat as i think about the fact that my sweet boys love to play in their crib for sometimes an hour (or more) after they go "down" no matter what time we put them in there, how tired they are, or what measures are taken to get them calm and sleepy. how is it going to work when they have freedom to get out of bed & do whatever they want? will they ever sleep?
well, yesterday we took the plunge & moved on to phase 1 of this big experiment: taking the crib rail off their crib. that way, they can get used to the freedom, but still be in "their" bed for a while & still totally share with each other. eventually, they will move to beds of their own.
in theory.
i felt victorious already as the boys played on, in, and around their "new" bed, hopping up and down with ease & giggling like mad. this would be no problem.
then, around 12.30, we started in on our naptime routine. things were going according to plan. until i turned to walk out the door. at which moment both boys began to scream so loudly i was sure the neighbors were going to call the police.
it only took 15-20 minutes for the screaming to stop & for the party to begin. and by 1.15 they had even turned on the radio. what i would have given for a secret spy cam!
at 2.00 the radio was off again & i could hear some of the goings-on. as i listened, i was sure they had decided that they could do everything they would never do while i am in the room. i heard them desperately shaking their piggy banks, trying to get out enough money to head to the store for some milk, i'm sure. it was then i decided that something had to be done before they swallowed a dime.
doing my best to rouse the spirit of supernanny, i walked into their room, didn't make eye contact, took out all the pictures, banks, and anything else that didn't resemble a plush toy, and walked back out.
this time the crying only lasted a moment.
by 2.20, all was silent, so i decided to peek in and see what had happened. that's when i saw this:
yes, that is in fact thing 1 asleep like a cat on the window seat. i knew i couldn't leave him there, one foot dangling off the side, but when i tried to open the door a little further, i found this:
thing 2 must have been waiting for my return & passed out right at the door -- completely blocking my entrance. thankfully we started this whole process now, because if we had waited a month or more there's no way i could have squeezed my belly through the door. as it was, it was a feat of acrobatics & sucking in (too bad there's no way to suck in your backside).
naptime was short yesterday, but not a total failure. bedtime wasn't terrible either. daddy is very good at keeping them happy as he leaves the room. #1 didn't cry at all and #2 just for a moment. it did take an exceptionally long time before they fell asleep and it looks like a bomb went off in their room.
but they fell asleep. curled up next to each other on the floor.
maybe we only need 1 toddler bed.
t minus 6 months...
perhaps this all seems a bit preemptive, but there's an awful lot of adjusting to be done around here, and we want to give ourselves enough time to start all over again should something not go according to plan (or should the little dudes decide to be difficult).
our little angels difficult? never! you must be thinking.
ah, but let me remind you that these boys both had acid reflux, one had colic, and rather than learning how to self-soothe, they would scream themselves into a frenzy. in fact, they were 5 months old before they were sleeping through the night.
so, i have reason to fear that they are not going to like the role they must play in this transition.
the biggest change for them will be giving up their crib for #3 and moving into toddler beds. this has been waking me up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat as i think about the fact that my sweet boys love to play in their crib for sometimes an hour (or more) after they go "down" no matter what time we put them in there, how tired they are, or what measures are taken to get them calm and sleepy. how is it going to work when they have freedom to get out of bed & do whatever they want? will they ever sleep?
well, yesterday we took the plunge & moved on to phase 1 of this big experiment: taking the crib rail off their crib. that way, they can get used to the freedom, but still be in "their" bed for a while & still totally share with each other. eventually, they will move to beds of their own.
in theory.
i felt victorious already as the boys played on, in, and around their "new" bed, hopping up and down with ease & giggling like mad. this would be no problem.
then, around 12.30, we started in on our naptime routine. things were going according to plan. until i turned to walk out the door. at which moment both boys began to scream so loudly i was sure the neighbors were going to call the police.
it only took 15-20 minutes for the screaming to stop & for the party to begin. and by 1.15 they had even turned on the radio. what i would have given for a secret spy cam!
at 2.00 the radio was off again & i could hear some of the goings-on. as i listened, i was sure they had decided that they could do everything they would never do while i am in the room. i heard them desperately shaking their piggy banks, trying to get out enough money to head to the store for some milk, i'm sure. it was then i decided that something had to be done before they swallowed a dime.
doing my best to rouse the spirit of supernanny, i walked into their room, didn't make eye contact, took out all the pictures, banks, and anything else that didn't resemble a plush toy, and walked back out.
this time the crying only lasted a moment.
by 2.20, all was silent, so i decided to peek in and see what had happened. that's when i saw this:
yes, that is in fact thing 1 asleep like a cat on the window seat. i knew i couldn't leave him there, one foot dangling off the side, but when i tried to open the door a little further, i found this:
thing 2 must have been waiting for my return & passed out right at the door -- completely blocking my entrance. thankfully we started this whole process now, because if we had waited a month or more there's no way i could have squeezed my belly through the door. as it was, it was a feat of acrobatics & sucking in (too bad there's no way to suck in your backside).naptime was short yesterday, but not a total failure. bedtime wasn't terrible either. daddy is very good at keeping them happy as he leaves the room. #1 didn't cry at all and #2 just for a moment. it did take an exceptionally long time before they fell asleep and it looks like a bomb went off in their room.
but they fell asleep. curled up next to each other on the floor.
maybe we only need 1 toddler bed.
Friday, March 6, 2009
a taste of the madness
so...it's been a while since i've updated this blog & i don't even know where to begin.
life has been busy.
busy, but normal.
not much exciting, not much funny, not much at all. but here i go, blogging about the madness that is my life while the boys sit in their chairs wondering if the bread they are snacking on is really all they are getting for dinner.
why is it i can never time a baked potato correctly?
that bread may, in fact, be it guys. sorry.
in the past month, we've all suffered with a bout of the stomach flu (no need to go into details -- "ick" should be sufficient), found out for sure we're just having ONE baby this time (and there was much rejoicing), and been visited by the flying dutchman (no not the ship)
although that would have been exciting.
more like this guy:
lucien, the dutchman we met while we were all living in barcelona, who then drove me across europe (with screaming cat -- yes, in case you didn't know, cats are perfectly capable of screams) so that i could join b when we moved to padua, italy, who then moved to glasgow, scotland and has been m.i.a. ever since.
perhaps not as exciting as if a ghost ship had suddenly appeared in southeast denver, but fun for us, nonetheless.
after he left, we all suffered round 2 of the stomach flu. once again, ick. since then, i've been trying to think of ways to get the munchkins to eat something other than oatmeal, cheerios, and blueberry waffles. not that i have anything against breakfast food, but i feel that perhaps it's time to branch out.
so i started racking my brain trying to think of things i liked as a kid. that's when i remembered "cheese stuff." i wasn't sure about the real name for this meal, but i remembered how to make it. it just sounds delicious doesn't it -- CHEESE STUFF. i was sure the boys would like it.
and i was right.
i have since discovered that the truly correct name for this delicacy is Welsh Rabbit (or Rarebit as it has been americanized into, as it contains no rabbit at all).
if you think it sounds fancy or hard to make, you don't know me very well.
it is cheese sauce on toast
b thought it looked horrid & wouldn't touch it.
what's not to love, though? cheese. toast. yum.
there seems to be no online consensus of how to make it, & i don't claim that my way is the best or the most authentic, but it sure is easy & tasty:
melt a pat of butter & add flour to make a paste
add milk & bring to a boil while stirring constantly until the consistency is thick
add beef bouillon to taste
add mustard to taste
add lots of sharp cheddar cheese
stir until it's melty & yummy
serve over toast
and, well, there you have it. my life for the past month.
maddeningly exciting.
life has been busy.
busy, but normal.
not much exciting, not much funny, not much at all. but here i go, blogging about the madness that is my life while the boys sit in their chairs wondering if the bread they are snacking on is really all they are getting for dinner.
why is it i can never time a baked potato correctly?
that bread may, in fact, be it guys. sorry.
in the past month, we've all suffered with a bout of the stomach flu (no need to go into details -- "ick" should be sufficient), found out for sure we're just having ONE baby this time (and there was much rejoicing), and been visited by the flying dutchman (no not the ship)
although that would have been exciting.
more like this guy:
lucien, the dutchman we met while we were all living in barcelona, who then drove me across europe (with screaming cat -- yes, in case you didn't know, cats are perfectly capable of screams) so that i could join b when we moved to padua, italy, who then moved to glasgow, scotland and has been m.i.a. ever since.perhaps not as exciting as if a ghost ship had suddenly appeared in southeast denver, but fun for us, nonetheless.
after he left, we all suffered round 2 of the stomach flu. once again, ick. since then, i've been trying to think of ways to get the munchkins to eat something other than oatmeal, cheerios, and blueberry waffles. not that i have anything against breakfast food, but i feel that perhaps it's time to branch out.
so i started racking my brain trying to think of things i liked as a kid. that's when i remembered "cheese stuff." i wasn't sure about the real name for this meal, but i remembered how to make it. it just sounds delicious doesn't it -- CHEESE STUFF. i was sure the boys would like it.
and i was right.
i have since discovered that the truly correct name for this delicacy is Welsh Rabbit (or Rarebit as it has been americanized into, as it contains no rabbit at all).
if you think it sounds fancy or hard to make, you don't know me very well.
it is cheese sauce on toast
b thought it looked horrid & wouldn't touch it.what's not to love, though? cheese. toast. yum.
there seems to be no online consensus of how to make it, & i don't claim that my way is the best or the most authentic, but it sure is easy & tasty:
melt a pat of butter & add flour to make a paste
add milk & bring to a boil while stirring constantly until the consistency is thick
add beef bouillon to taste
add mustard to taste
add lots of sharp cheddar cheese
stir until it's melty & yummy
serve over toast
and, well, there you have it. my life for the past month.
maddeningly exciting.
Monday, February 16, 2009
i heart
valentine's day.
we don't usually do to much to celebrate. my birthday is just the week before, restaurants are packed, & flowers are overpriced on that day.
this year we did a different kind of celebrating.
b made the ultimate sacrifice & agreed to spend too much money, have a hectic weekend, and fly with me and the boys to northeastern ohio (what a romantic spot, eh?)
to celebrate love.
the love of a grandma that is.
my sweet grandma flo turned 95 (!) on friday & this weekend was all about her.
we had an entire restaurant reserved for her birthday meal & family flew in from denver, boston, seattle, texas -- just for her. then we headed back to her place (yes, she still lives on her own) to indulge in homemade cake & ice cream. sunday at church they had a special video honoring her life (when i get a copy, i'll post it -- complete with embarrassing mid-80s photos of all the cousins).
happy birthday gram!
we don't usually do to much to celebrate. my birthday is just the week before, restaurants are packed, & flowers are overpriced on that day.
this year we did a different kind of celebrating.
b made the ultimate sacrifice & agreed to spend too much money, have a hectic weekend, and fly with me and the boys to northeastern ohio (what a romantic spot, eh?)
to celebrate love.
the love of a grandma that is.
my sweet grandma flo turned 95 (!) on friday & this weekend was all about her.
we had an entire restaurant reserved for her birthday meal & family flew in from denver, boston, seattle, texas -- just for her. then we headed back to her place (yes, she still lives on her own) to indulge in homemade cake & ice cream. sunday at church they had a special video honoring her life (when i get a copy, i'll post it -- complete with embarrassing mid-80s photos of all the cousins).
happy birthday gram!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
chicken legs joins the fiesta
chubs is no longer alone in the world of walking! we now have 2 little frankensteins stumbling around the house. mr. w is nowhere near doing it the majority of the time, but he is getting closer every day & seems to be having lots of fun.
i guess it's time to dig the leashes out of the closet.
i guess it's time to dig the leashes out of the closet.
Friday, January 16, 2009
not part of MY master plan, but...
the boys had some mixed emotions once they figured out what their shirts said...
b & i had always said 2 kids. our plan, though, was have 1, adopt 1. god decided his plan was better & gave us our 2 right away.
not part of our master plan.
but the little guys are amazing & we figured, hey, we got a bogo kind of deal. there are our 2 kids.
hot dog. we're done.
once again, it seems that the man upstairs finds my planning to be a bit funny. he has overruled my decision. and so, here we are, waiting for #3. and we are really excited.
but we're definitely done after this one.
i think i hear a distant chuckling coming from somewhere in the clouds.
maybe i need to stop planning so much.
proverbs 16:9 "in his heart a man plans his steps, but the LORD determines his course."
b & i had always said 2 kids. our plan, though, was have 1, adopt 1. god decided his plan was better & gave us our 2 right away.not part of our master plan.
but the little guys are amazing & we figured, hey, we got a bogo kind of deal. there are our 2 kids.
hot dog. we're done.
once again, it seems that the man upstairs finds my planning to be a bit funny. he has overruled my decision. and so, here we are, waiting for #3. and we are really excited.
but we're definitely done after this one.
i think i hear a distant chuckling coming from somewhere in the clouds.
maybe i need to stop planning so much.
proverbs 16:9 "in his heart a man plans his steps, but the LORD determines his course."
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
a little randomness
videos are so much fun -- except that it's nearly impossible for me to take them without the boys just attacking the camera. but i have managed to catch a few recently!
the first is ALL BOY!
that is mr. w with his face pressed to a piece of seldom-used exercise equipment making fart noises -- something that it seems boys never grow out of. mr. n showed him how, but was more interested in the camera. he gets in on the act for just a second. and so it begins...
we have also reached a turning point with mr. n -- he is FINALLY starting to walk (although only about 40% of the time & with many stumbles). he was having so much fun on saturday that i thought for sure he would never crawl again. i was wrong. he didn't walk once on sunday.
mr. w is starting to come around, too, but is staying true to form & letting his bro figure it out first. i don't think he'll be far behind, though!
the first is ALL BOY!
that is mr. w with his face pressed to a piece of seldom-used exercise equipment making fart noises -- something that it seems boys never grow out of. mr. n showed him how, but was more interested in the camera. he gets in on the act for just a second. and so it begins...
we have also reached a turning point with mr. n -- he is FINALLY starting to walk (although only about 40% of the time & with many stumbles). he was having so much fun on saturday that i thought for sure he would never crawl again. i was wrong. he didn't walk once on sunday.
mr. w is starting to come around, too, but is staying true to form & letting his bro figure it out first. i don't think he'll be far behind, though!
Monday, January 5, 2009
i'm totally unoriginal
it seems like everyone has their christmas decor down already. not me. it's not allowed to come down until after los reyes. how can i stop celebrating the birth of christ when the 3 wise men haven't even come yet? i can't!
so, until after tomorrow my tree will be up & the lights will be twinkling. and i won't consider myself too late to copy what it seems everyone else is doing to celebrate the end of the year:
posting my top 10 of 2008.
i'll try to do them chronologically. we'll see.
this one is hilarious -- i love the expressions on their faces as they try so hard to sit up back in january!
my little gigglers!
good boy, wes
because the little guys weren't the only ones looking cute in the spring
bath time is sooooo fun!
we love to swing -- and how sweet that we fit in just one!
too cute as pirates for halloween
and, oh, the spooning!
great-grandparents are so special: brian's grandpa oliver
and my grandma flo
it's been one wild ride & my how we've all grown!
so, until after tomorrow my tree will be up & the lights will be twinkling. and i won't consider myself too late to copy what it seems everyone else is doing to celebrate the end of the year:
posting my top 10 of 2008.
i'll try to do them chronologically. we'll see.
this one is hilarious -- i love the expressions on their faces as they try so hard to sit up back in january!
my little gigglers!
good boy, wes
because the little guys weren't the only ones looking cute in the spring
bath time is sooooo fun!
we love to swing -- and how sweet that we fit in just one!
too cute as pirates for halloween
and, oh, the spooning!
great-grandparents are so special: brian's grandpa oliver
and my grandma flo
it's been one wild ride & my how we've all grown!
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