Eden's funny faces

2 yr old questions

The first questions the twins started asking:

-- What are you doing?

-- What happened?

Then Blaine and I realized that they must hear these questions from us a thousand times a day.


I couldn't help it, I entered this picture of Elle below in Parent Magazine's photo contest---along with pictures of Eden and Evia---what parent doesn't think their children are the cutest??


You can vote for Elle and Eden here at:
http://www.parents.com/photos/photo-contests-1/cover-kid-1/836700048/

And vote for Evia at:
http://www.parents.com/photos/photo-contests-1/cover-kid/836700049/

My Baby

In the last couple of weeks, my little 'blob' now sits up quite well, rolls in all directions, eats in her big girl high chair, babbles 'ba ba' and 'da da' and 'ma ma' and is getting 2 bottom teeth. I am taking advantage of taking pictures of her since she is still partially immobile-It won't be long and she will be giving her big sisters a run for their money.

2 year olds-what can I say

Here is a brief snapshot of one event of many that happens in our life with multiples. Eden has been going through a stage where she is happy one minute, the next she is crying or mad or whiny, than happy again. She can flip between these moods almost instantly-and it is driving me batty. This morning we were trying to get ready for church. To get 4 girls dressed (me included), plus Blaine--breakfast, dresses, tights, shoes, hair, bows, diaper bag, bottles, snacks, a few toys, hauling a car seat, etc...---and get out the door is a huge task. So this morning, I was trying to put Eden's shoes on-her adorable Bear Feet sandals- and for some reason, she didn't like it when I had to buckle the strap. She was near meltdown kicking and throwing a tantrum. Blaine had to help me hold her feet still so I could finish buckling the strap. I was just about ready to let her go to church barefoot. In stark contrast, I observed Elle-happy as a lark, wearing her green plastic Mrs. Potato head earrings and licking a plastic toy corn cob (I know, grampa must love that!). Two year olds-what can I say. (oh-and just so you know-this could be Elle next week, or next month, or tomorrow. I don't want Eden to think I am picking on her because these two flip flop from one day to the next).

Blue Heron Update

I spoke with the Veterinarian this evening and I am so happy to say that 'our' Heron is alive and well. The arrow was surgically removed. Fortunately for the heron, the arrow was a target, not hunting, arrow. A hunting arrow with razor tips would've sliced that bird up instead of piercing it. The arrow went through it's ribcage but missed all vital organs. Miraculous!!! The heron is eating live fish post-operative, is on antibiotics, and is doing well. There is a chance that in roughly 2 weeks, they will re-locate the bird back to our pond. (yeah!) They like to re-locate adult birds to their home habitat where they are familiar to their surroundings and may have family. I have been on the phone w/a local hunter and am trying to figure out what may have possibly happened. We DO NOT want any more birds with arrows in them around here!!!

Eden

Just give them some dirt and some grass, throw in a few weeds and a dandelion-and the twins are H-a-p-p-y!

Blue Heron Rescue

Our home is surrounded by a pond/woods/wetlands and we enjoy the most beautiful wildlife. We are so lucky to see sand hill cranes that come back every spring and raise their babies as well as Blue Heron, groundhogs, turkeys, raccoons, squirrel, deer, muskrat, etc... Everyone who knows me knows that I am NOT a hunter and anything living on my property lives. We treasure the animals that surround us. This past Saturday, Blaine and I were coming home from church and driving into our driveway. Blaine spotted a crane and of course I was trying to point it out to the girls. Though I didn't get a good look-it seemed like there was a stick or possibly an arrow stuck in the bird-but than it vanished in the tall grass. Sunday, as I was walking the girls, we saw the Heron again, but this time, I felt sick to my stomach as I was sure it had an arrow through it. I made some calls, but wasn't sure what to do. We decided if we saw it again, we would take action. Monday, we didn't see it, and worried it had died. This morning as Blaine was leaving work, the Heron was close to our driveway and Blaine got a good look at the arrow. Our good friend Jen, who is an animal rescuer to the core, gave us a contact in Howell, a nature conservatory, who was able to take the bird. So, this evening, the crocodile hunter himself-Blaine-caught the bird and hauled it in a cage to Howell. The bird didn't put up much of a fight and was pretty frightened. Blaine snipped the arrow on both sides so the bird wouldn't receive more injuries on the trip to Howell. I wasn't able to shoot picture of the bird before the arrow was cut-but they are still shocking images. I hope someone wasn't using this beautiful bird as target practice-it makes me more than seething mad if that was the case. The conservatory said they will keep us posted on the bird's progress as tonight, they were possibly transferring it to a larger facility for possible surgery.

Memorial Day-09

Happy Memorial Day






Beautiful Day-Beautiful Parade-God Bless Those who gave everything so we can have Freedom!

Congratulations!!

Well, it's official!!!!
Meghan Gray will soon be Meghan Elenich.
Congratulations to Mark and Meghan on their engagement. We are so happy for you!!!!

One Year Blog Anniversary

Has it really been 1 year since I started this blog?? The only reason why I remembered that it had been one year is that last year the first pictures I posted were of the twins and I playing in the yellow flowers in our front yard. They could barely walk then. This week, those same flowers are in full bloom and the twins have been running in them. I guess there is something to be said for still having wild flowers for a lawn-they are beautiful.

3 oaks park

One of Blaine's co-workers gave us a free swing set which we set up at the farm's 3 Oaks Park. Thanks Jeff! The girls have already been putting it to good use. They ask me every day to go to the park. And what could be more fun than to play in Grandpa's Rye Grass. They have more fun hiding and jumping up shouting peek-a-boo. I think they could do this ALL DAY LONG!

Dad

Farmer Dwight-another year on the tractor!

7 months old-already??

My so grown up 7th month Baby Girl!

Mark

Will there be BIG news from Big Mark soon???????

From Head to Toe

Last week I bought Eric Carle's book "Head to Toe" at a garage sale. It has been a hit with the girls and tonight Eden came up to me and said, "Eden is camel" and pranced all around the house with her knees bent and than said "I can do it". Than she said, "Eden is Bunny" and than proceeded to walk around the house just like she did as a camel. I said, "Eden, be a Buffalo" and she continued to do her silly camel walk but kept changing the animal name. However, I could hear Elle around the corner gruffing and snuffing her little Buffalo sounds. Too funny. Later, Elle wanted to be a donkey and they both were kicking and "EE-Awwing". My silly little twins. Evia is the happiest of observers occasionally squawking her little baby sqeaks and merrily chewing on a string watching the parade of animals around the living room.

Is it possible?

Is it possible to honestly spend your entire day changing diapers?

Is it possible, that after the struggle of dressing three children, two can than run away and pull off all the clothes you just put on them?

Is it possible that more of the food you've prepared and attempted to feed your children, ends up on their clothes and the floor than in their tummies?

Is it possible that red-headed two year olds can have x-ray vision, night vision, telepathy, ESP, and can scale the kitchen island like a tree frog?

Is it possible that 2 two year olds could have such a death grip during a tug of war of their special pink blanket, that not even the Incredible Hulk could break it up? (yes, they each have one, but for some reason, they always want the other twin's blanket)

Is it possible to stay upset at your children when they put their shoes on and proudly throw up their arms and shout "Wonderful" ? Of COURSE NOT!!!!!!!!

Banged Up Baby!

My poor Eden-this was not her week. On Thursday night, she fell on the tiled kitchen floor with a hard thud, and gave herself a nice shiner to her left eye. Than to top it off-she tripped on gramma's front porch step the next morning and scraped her forehead and nose. She didn't cry much when she scraped her nose (her mommy did that) until she saw herself in the mirror and nearly freaked out.

Evia

Evia recently had her 6 month checkup-still in the 97% for weight, 75% height. Her laugh is infectious and her baby fat so kissable!

Elle

I just can't resist this precious face of my sweet little Elle.

Happy Birthday Blaine!

Happy Birthday Blaine! Can you really be 33?? I was thinking this evening of that sweet, fresh, adorable 19 year old face that I first saw. Who would've guessed that after 11 years of marriage, we would be celebrating mother's day and your birthday-chasing 2 toddlers and wiping up 6 month old spit-up? I can't imagine life any other way-I love you!

Potty Training

While I am certainly most envious of my friends and acquaintances who have toddlers who are now potty trained, we have not even come close, I don't think, to achieving this feat in our house. There is a potty in our bathroom that Elmo sits on and whenever I am in the bathroom going 'potty' with an audience of 2 red-heads, we have a re-enactment of Elmo using the potty. The twins even 'wipe' Elmo w/toilet paper, etc... I have read potty training type books to the twins for the last year, hoping, praying, that they would 'get it' sooner or later. NOPE! Why do I think this? Just last week, after taking a 20 minute shower, Elle got out, walked over to Blaine's side of the bed, squatted, and left a nice little puddle. Lucky for Blaine, I saw this occur and kept his socks dry. Last night, the twins were running around in their diapers and were headed upstairs for a bath. Eden pulled her diaper off, and than immediately squatted in front of the piano and created her own little puddle. As I am watching, trying to realize what she is doing, she reaches down and smacks the puddle to splash in it. Oh the joy of parenting!

And Eden funny: yesterday Carey helped me take the girls to the park, as we drove by the lake, Eden squealed, "Ocean!" Any body of water to her right now is an Ocean.

Not Me! Monday!!!

Hurray for little Stellan-he is home, no re-current SVT, and frolicking (or soon to be) with his 3 siblings. If you don't know about Stellan (how could you not), please check out the blog link below. Evia is about 2 weeks younger than Stellan and I obsess when she doesn't poop for 3 days, let alone have a very scary and almost unknown type of SVT (Supra Ventricular Tachycardia-my brain has to stretch since my ICU days which have been more than 5 years ago-where does the time go???). Also, my new goal in life is to take even one picture as beautiful as MckMama's!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


So, here is my own personal Not Me Monday:

I did not drive my 6 month old home from an errand and forget to fasten her safety belts in her car carrier. I did tell my husband and mother (not). Than checked my email that afternoon and did not read an article about how almost all parents one time or another have failed to strap their kids in their car seats and told NO ONE!

An Eden 'funny' for the day: Eden wanted a cookie yesterday and said to me-all in one string of thoughts: "Hi Momma! Cookie? Please! Yes and no! You're Welcome!"