dueling twins

I don't know why we buy our kids toys. At our twins 2nd Birthday party-the only thing they wanted to play with was Great-Grandma's cane. Unfortunately, there are 2 twins and only one cane. This is what went down.

(Eden has the curls, Elle is in the pigtails-----you can see who won this match---just look at the expression on Elle's face.........priceless!!!)

This scenario is repeated day in and day out in our home-no matter how much you try and teach them to share. These battles take place over things such as sippy cups, a plastic animal toy, etc....

Kolten and Kallyn-1 year old

Blaine's sister has twins who just turned One on Feb. 18th. The "well" ones, Elle and I, from our sick family were able to go and celebrate. Happy 1st Birthday Kolton and Kallyn!!!!!!

Elle is giving her cousin Emersyn a hug.

Aliens

The Aliens have returned my stolen children. Finally! The last 2 weeks have been just downright horrible. What started out as drippy noses, ended up with Elle developing pneumonia and Eden just about getting it, topping it all off --the baby has a touch of RSV. We are just sick of sick!! Augh! Today, my crying, clingy, whiny children were replaced by happy, laughing, silly ones with ferocious appetites. Amen! The twins are now into naming everything-everything they pick up or look at they name: floor, wall, window, light, baby, etc.... Eden was so excited and pointing to something yesterday she wanted me to see. I came around the couch and she exlaimed "vacuum" like she had seen the most incredible thing ever. When I open the fridge, they are both there shoving themselves around my legs and naming everything inside: eggs, milk, cheese, oranges, apple, etc... Their enthusiasm and excitement over naming an egg is just downright precious. Every number Eden see's she calls out for example: the electronic numbers on the DVD player, the stove clock, the signs on the road, etc.. And they are learning their opposites too. Today Eden was coming down our stairs on her bum. She would sit and stand on every stair step and proclaim, "up" and "down" - than laugh. Everything to a two year old is fun and new and exciting (exept following mom and dad's directions-that is optional--ha!)

laughing baby

Evia is a very smiley and happy baby-and she can really laugh. She had been laughing even harder before we got the mino recording this, but it's still cute. Poor Elle @ the end of the video grabbed some of her favorite plastic toys she had on the edge of the counter and dropped the cow on her foot-owie!

new pics

Here are a few pictures from the past couple of weeks. We spent a wonderful time up in Boyne with some very good friends of ours (Mike, Jen, Owen and soon to be Olivia!!)-and my parents. We went to Avalanche Bay and the twins had a blast in the water and slides. Eden (look at that wild hair!) even held up her arms and went "Weee" like they do on rollercoasters. I thought Blaine had taught her to put her arms up, but he didn't. So funny where they come up with things. Evia is 4 months old now and growing like a weed-I think she will roll over now any day. And the best thing is that words are coming out of the twins' mouths like crazy, esp. Eden. There are hundreds of words now. She points to all sorts of things and names them. They are counting to 10 and singing the ABC's. Eden counts everything, even the screws in the plexiglass Blaine put over the fireplace. Oh, the joys of child-proofing.

daily ramblings

Things that happened today:

2 toddlers start out the day in complete meltdowns-and ended the same way. Good thing the inbetween stuff wasn't so bad.

I have become a walking human hankerchief. My children literally swipe their drippy little noses across my arms and chest. My shirt has now un-officially replaced this being performed on the couch and cushions (another reason to keep those ugly old couches)

Eden was walking around this evening with Christmas felts on top of her head.

I found a strange mushy thing on the living room rug. I think I could be in CSI (Crime Scene Investigation)---- I was able to determine that this strange mushy thing once belonged to the end of a banana- which to its detriment, was hanging over the edge of the countertop and managed to find itself in the jaws of a toddler.

I found Elle playing with a metal nut-which she unscrewed from beneath the utility sink in the mudroom (yes, she is feeling much better). I am sure when Blaine screwed those in the FIRST time, he didn't think he would be re-peating his labors after a 2 year old figured out how to unscrew them herself.

Mt. Krakatau erupted in Evia's briches today resulting in a complete wardrobe change. Evia seems to produce volcanic eruptions about every 3rd day in this household.

A typical Day in My Life X 3

sick little Elle

Please say a prayer for little Elle. She has been sick this past week and got worse over the weekend. Sunday night she slept between Blaine and I which she never does. I was so worried about her breathing as it was rapid and labored. First thing this morning, I took her to the Doctor and a chest x-ray confirmed pneumonia in her left lower lung. After albuterol and a loading dose of zithromax, she perked up this afternoon and is breathing better tonight. There is nothing scarier than when your kids are so sick! Thank God for modern medicine.

Octomom

The story about the Suleman Octuplets has been driving my absolutely nuts! The mother of these now 14 children really is crazy or is "smoking crack"! (My brother uses this phrase sarcastically when people do stupid or crazy things and I have somehow seemed to pick this phrase up-I need to be careful what I say since I have 2 little toddlers soaking up language running about). Anyways, what put me over the edge about this story was when I saw a few video clips of her in the NICU w/her 8 preemies and touching and carressing their little heads. Did anyone else notice that she has a french manicure??????? Ummmmm...........I was looking at my feet the other day and thought about how they look like they belong to a 80 year old, cracked heels, toenails in need of attention-let alone my fingernails. I am just having a great day when I can wash and blow-dry my hair in consequetive order. I only have 3 children, I don't know where this lady has time for fingernails. Something about this whole thing is just not right. It's even downright creepy to me. She saved over $100,000 for IVF treatments instead of buying a house, car, etc... Uh, Lady, you need to have these to raise children! I know this is not my usual blog posts-but this whole thing has captivated me.

computer time

There are a few things I have found where the twins will physically be so close together and will 'share'. About once a week, they sit on my lap and we will play computer games that are free by Fisher Price and Knee Bouncers. They love it and it is somewhat educational as they learn cause/effect, numbers, ABC's, etc...This is about the quietest, most still moment of them two together while actually being awake!

winter dulldrums

I can never have enough pictures of my girls-poor Evia, she is awake while the twins are napping and so what else do we have to do except take pictures!

Birthday Party

The girls had their 2nd Birthday Party this weekend. It was Elmo themed-their favorite red monster. We had a house full with 8 toddlers-and a baby, but we had a fun time and lots of great food to eat. The girls had been practicing blowing out their candles. Eden blew hers out, but Elle (in pigtails) stared into the flame and was practically mesmerized. I will post more pics later, but the girls got such beautiful gifts-here is Eden in a special coat all the way from the Anne Geddes store in Disneyland from her great Uncle Don!! too cute!