Twinkie Tales

Spencer

2012-02-12T21:21:00.000-05:00

Spencer is such a mama's boy (and I love it!). He's been crawling for about a month now. And by crawling, I mean dragging his body around. He's getting faster and going further each day. He's very into clapping and reading books. He likes to turn the pages and stays engaged book after book.

He likes to mimic sounds- he does raspberries, dada, mama (sometimes), and "aah" sounds. Recently he's learnedto say a sound for cat- he says "ca" when Gracie comes around (and only when Gracie is around.)

Spencer goes down for naps pretty easily. I can put him in his crib awake. The funny thing is that I guess while he's getting comfortable, he's basically tearing his crib apart. He has a breathable bumper that has velcro on it. He's figured out how to undo the velcro and untie the strings. When I get him from his nap, I find him in his little war zone with a big smile on his face.

His eye surgery is scheduled for Thursday. I'm anxious for it to be over!!

Roosies

2012-02-12T18:19:00.000-05:00

I think the nicknames are getting out of control for this kid. He actually responds to Roosies now.
Thankfully, he also responds to his actual name, too. He's into everything these days, and everything goes into his mouth. He's been doing "so big", clapping up a storm, shaking his head no, and waving bye. He's also been walking behind push toys and climbing steps. Here's a few pictures of Ryan from this past week.

How big is Ryan?

He loves to dump out the play food- ALL the time. And both bins. That's 100 pieces of food.

Did I mention ALL the time?

He also likes the remote (which I know is the dirtiest thing ever and we try to keep it out of reach.) But inevitably, he finds it and takes off. The little bugger changes the channel too.

Super Hero Valentines

2012-02-12T13:40:00.001-05:00

Eli and I made valentines for his friends at school this weekend. I found some inspiration via pinterest- cute superhero lollipop valentines. Since there wasn't a whole lot of the process he could do by himself, we decided to add star and bolt stamps to the capes. Here is what we came up with.

We started with good old fashioned potato stamps.

Some stamps came out pretty clear.

Others had a more "rustic" look

All ready for school on Tuesday!

Fizzling Volcanoes!

2012-02-04T10:57:00.000-05:00

Eli and I had some fun one-on-one time during the boys' early nap. I put him in the high chair to contain him (and the mess). We dumped a big pile of baking soda onto the tray. Then I gve him a medicine dropper and three bowls of colored vinegar. He squirted the liquid onto the baking soda and created little fizzling volcanoes. He also had fun mixing the colors together and generally just making a mess.

This is my life

2012-02-03T23:48:00.000-05:00

I heard a strange sound tonight while watching TV. It sounded like a jumping bean in the kitchen. Kevin was at his friend's house in the neighborhood. So I investigated and discovered it was a rogue yogurt melt that had fallen into the heat vent near the high chair. The heat was making it jump around. I spent the next 10 minutes trying to extract the bugger with tweezers "Operation" style (and I may or may not have tried to stab it with a knife and get it that way). On the 40th attempt, it fell off and disappeared into the black hole.

I called Kevin and asked him if the house would burn down if I left it in there. He is used to ridiculous questions coming from me. He said, "Just lift the vent up and grab it."

Oh.

So I pried the vent up and sure enough, the little yogurt melt was there and I grabbed it. But then the heat kicked back on and suddenly a fake Pringle from the kids' kitchen came flying out at me from the black hole. I nearly peed my pants.

That's my Friday night.

Silly Boys

2012-01-28T10:08:00.000-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POP!

2012-01-27T21:14:00.002-05:00

We Love You!

What a Memory

2012-01-22T10:55:00.003-05:00

Last night I was getting ready to read Eli his books at bedtime (he chooses two each night). He made his selections and then said he wanted to read Thomas' Railway Word Book, a book my Aunt Darlene gave him at Christmas. Well that book wasn't upstairs, so I told him we'd read the two he had in hand. He replied, "Well I can just read it to you." Then without the book or any prompts, he recited the entire thing from memory. I have read that book to him quite a few times, but even I didn't remember half of it.

Here is what he recited:
Percy pushes a freight car to James.
James' coupling hook connects to the coupling chain.
James holds coal in a special bin called a tender.
He uses his whistle to talk to a bird.
A porter puts a suitcase on the train.
A passenger walks to the coach.
Henry has had an accident.
The breakdown train uses a crane to lift Henry back onto the track.
Thomas crosses the viaduct over the river.
His driver waves to people in the house.
Snow makes Thomas' wheels slip.
He uses his snowplow to clear the tracks.
Mavis and Thomas meet at the junction.
Mavis is a diesel engine pulling a load of gravel.
James picks up fish at the dock.
A sailor ties up his boat with a strong rope.
Thomas' tank is filled with water from the water tower.
Heat from the firebox turns the water to steam.
Toby is an old-fashioned tram engine.
Instead of a whistle, he has a bell.
Gordon spins around on the turntable.
The trains rest in the shed at night.
Thomas' lamp sits on his lamp rod.
Good night, Thomas.

Ice Cream for Breakfast

2012-01-20T21:21:00.000-05:00

While ice cream for breakfast seems perfectly reasonable to me, it's not on the list of acceptable breakfast foods for Eli. :)

But he was excited when this plate was placed in front of him (inspiration from pinterest). Toast, bananas, strawberry, and whipped cream... a delicious ice cream cone!

Conversations with a 3 year old

2012-01-20T21:16:00.000-05:00

I was explaining to Eli that boys grow up to be men and girls grow up to be women. He seemed to understand the concept. But when my parents were here, I asked Eli what he would be when he got older and he thought and said...."Ah..... a woman!"

Eli enjoyed playing on my parents' ipad last week. At dinner this week he asked me, "Hey, where is that special computer called an ipad?" This is funny to me because he probably asked them what it was when he first saw it and the answer probably was 'a special computer called an ipad.' I think he must think that's it's full name!

At bedtime, Eli and I started talking nonsense. Here's the conversation:
E: "Ah....pickle juice!"
Me: (laughed)
E: "Ah.... bumpers!"
Me: "Ah....Huey Lewis and the News"
E: "Huey Lewis and the News?! That's a funny word. Are we doing silly talk?"
Me: "It sure sounds like it."
E: Say some-sing else silly.
Me: "Ah.... pickles and pistachios!"
E: (bursts out laughing) "Pickles and stachios!! What are stachios?"
Me: They are nuts...like peanuts."
E: "Like M&M peanuts?"
Me: "Well, sort of buddy..."

I left shortly after, then hear a call for Mommy a second later. I go back in to see what stalling tactic he's going to employ and I hear this:
E: "Mommy, I need help closing my eyes."

Ry-Ry-Roo

2012-01-07T11:17:00.000-05:00

This is Ryan. He's at risk for becoming a neglected child. Spencer has been battling pneumonia and requires quite a bit of extra attention with nebulizer treatments, doses of medicine, temperatute taking, and extra snuggling.

We're lucky that Ryan is pretty self-sufficient- for a 10 month old anyway. He can entertain himself, soothe himself to sleep, and feed himself fairly well. He also likes chasing Eli from room to room to see what he's doing.

This kid is so adventurous and non-stop. He has to be in the middle of the action at all times. He has recently discovered Eli's play kitchen. He loves to dump out the bin of fake food and "eat" it. I often see him crawling around with asparagus or eggplant hanging out of his mouth. I look forward to the wind down time with him- he's still enough to snuggle and rest his head on my shoulder. I take advantage of the moments when I can sit and rock him in the nursery.

He's pulling himself up on things so he can get a better look. He's pretty destructive, so we have to be careful with him around Eli's breakable things.

He's developed quite a list of nicknames from us. I'm afraid the poor kid is never going to learn his name because we call him all kinds of crazy things. And by we, I mean me. And then Eli just because he's repeating me. Here's a few-- Ry, Ry-Ry, Ry-Ry-Roo (and his brother Spencie Poo), Roos, Roosies, Ry-Ry-Roobie-Doobie, Rybo, Rys. See what I mean? Poor kid.

Coloring

2012-01-07T11:04:00.000-05:00

Eli went through a phase where he wanted nothing to do with coloring or anything crafty. But the past couple of months he began to show an interest again. I've noticed a huge improvement in his coloring skills- in his focus and thoroughness (I know that's not a word, but you get it). And he's super proud of every project and wants it displayed on the refrigerator right away!

New Specs for Spence

2012-01-01T22:23:00.000-05:00

Someone got some new specs! Spencer got glasses a few weeks ago, and I just got around to posting a picture. He's nearly twice as far-sighted as most babies his age, and both of his eyes cross when he attempts to focus. The crossing should be fixed with eye surgery in February, but he'll most likely continue wearing the glasses afterward.

He looks very cute, but man are they a pain! He yanks them off, slobbers on them. He'll roll over and they'll rotate halfway across his face. I've even caught Ryan trying to yank them off his face.

Merry Christmas from the Twinkies

2011-12-23T13:23:00.000-05:00

The Elves

2011-12-23T13:19:00.001-05:00

Twelveteen

2011-12-18T07:32:00.000-05:00

This morning Eli was opening his present book from the advent basket. Here was the following conversation:

E: What number am I looking for Mom?
M: Eighteen.
E: (Flipping past a few 20something books) Ok, eighteen coming up!
E: (He got to 22 right before 18 and I could hear him under his breath say) Twelveteen, no.... I found it!

A Message to Eli from Santa!

2011-12-17T16:26:00.002-05:00

Thanks Pamela for such a great idea!

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/mbLgO2PaZF_YrgGiQp3unDw

Christmas Decorations

2011-12-17T13:47:00.001-05:00

Here are some pictures of our house decorated for Christmas.

A Touch of Nan

2011-12-17T13:29:00.000-05:00

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the decor, the music, the tradition. I love spending time with my family most of all. Christmases were always magical for me growing up. I'm excited for Eli to experience it all this year, and of course it's so special that it's the first Christmas for Ryan and Spencer.
The time leading up to Christmas this year has been different though. My grandmother, Nan, had gifted me with many Christmas ornaments and decorations over the years. This year as I put those decorations out, it saddened me to know that this will be the first year without her at Christmas. So many traditions included her, and I looked forward to spending so much time with her during Christmas week.

These are some of my favorite Nan Christmas things that remind me of such wonderful Christmas memories.

Nan made this ceramic tree a long time ago. She made one for my mom, too, and it was always on display at our house at Christmastime. I've always loved it. My mom brought Nan's tree to my house, and I love it.

This s'more ornament (or as we now call them- s'mornaments) was a gift from Nan. We saw them years ago at Country Cupboard and we both started cracking up. Over the years, we began collecting them and now have a small s'mornament tree, complete with s'more garland. The original s'more is still my favorite and a very special memory of my Nan.

This picture of her was taken last Christmas in my parents' kitchen. Although it's a Christmas picture, it's been on display in my house all year. The yellow basket below is another of her ceramic creations that she passed on to me years ago.

Good-bye RSV!

2011-12-17T10:58:00.000-05:00

We're finally back to normal here at the Kim household after nearly 2 weeks of sickness. RSV swept through our house. The virus doesn't do much to adults- maybe some cold symptoms- but it's especially hard on littles. Thankfully we've been past the contagious part for a few days now, but they did all share with each other. So we've been through quite a bit of antibiotics, albuterol nebulizer treatments, and ibuprofen. Let's just say if I never hear "RSV" again, I'll be just fine.

Kevin was off with the boys all of last week and I took off on Monday. My parents came down to watch them Thursday and Friday so that I could get caught up on work. Life savers! They just left a couple of minutes ago to head to Nathan and Katie's.

We're settling in for a low-key weekend. We still have a lot to get ready for next week, but Mim and Pop got us all caught up with laundry and cleaning. (Awesome.)

"What? Do I have something in my teeth?"

As you can tell, this is one of Ryan's favorite spots.

Santa Train

2011-12-05T20:46:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, just a few short hours before some unrelenting stomach flu swept through the Kim house, we visited the Walkersville Railroad and rode the Santa Train.

What a great time! Eli is so crazy about trains that I knew he would like it. Santa visited with each family and took pictures. I think Eli was more excited about the idea of Santa than sitting right next to him. But overall the day was a success. I definitely recommend it for anyone in the area.

It's That Time of Year Again!

2011-12-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

Oh how I love this time of year! The first day of December was a very fun day for Eli. It was the first day of our advent reading countdown to Christmas. It was a huge hit last year. Since we packed away the Christmas books right after Christmas last year, they will be all "new" again this year. Plus we've added a few new ones. Last year Eli picked a book everyday. This year since he can recognize his numbers, I labeled them. He's getting a kick out of locating the right one. Day 1 was Silent Night. It plays the song and is one of my favorites. Not Eli's though! He was much more into today's book- Snowmen at Christmastime.

9 Months Old

2011-12-02T15:18:00.000-05:00

The boys had their 9 month check up today. They got two shots but recovered quickly, thank goodness. Here are the stats:

Ryan:
18lbs. 10oz.     10-25%
27.25 in.          10-25%
45.5cm            50-75%

Spencer:
19lbs. 8oz.       25-50%
27 in.                10%
43.7cm             5-10%

So the noggin is the biggest difference, but we already knew that. :)

Thankful for my Litte Turkeys

2011-11-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

The last picture shows our annual Thankful Turkey that Eli and I make. The list of what Eli's thankful for (in no particular order):

Uncle Nathan

Dump Trucks

Eyes

Mickey

Ryan and Spencer

Nose

Bulldozer

Mommy

Daddy (Mommy's suggestion)

Eli (Mommy's suggestion)

Trains

Playground Fun

2011-11-27T14:08:00.000-05:00

Mim and Pop took the boys out for walks a couple of times this weekend. The weather was so mild and it was finally dry outside. The boys loved the swing, and Pop had the great idea of putting them in together.

Little Pookie... I mean, Little Ryan

2011-11-27T11:32:00.000-05:00

Why who is this baby? Little Ryan, that's who! May I tell you ten things that I know about you?

1. You always have a smile
2. And you're often quite giggly
3. It's hard to change your diaper
because you're so wiggly

4. When your bottle is empty
You cry out for more
5. For every puff in your mouth
there are three on the floor

6. Sometimes you go crawling
where you don't belong
7. We put you one place, look back,
and you're gone!

8. You like napping in the swing
9. and playing with Eli's toys
10. You are the most mischievous
of all the Kim boys

There that makes ten Ryan things and here's one more for you.
Mommy loves you little baby, my sweet Ry Ry Roo.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T16:59:00.000-05:00

We hosted Thanksgiving this year for my parents, Kevin's parents, Bill, Julie, Mina, and Ashley. My mom made most of the meal, and she and I cooked Wednesday and Thursday. Although we missed seeing the O'Donnells, Aunt Jo, and Nathan and Katie, it was nice being together with Kevin's family.

Here are some pictures from the day.

Little Pookie, I mean Little Spencer

2011-11-26T14:43:00.001-05:00

Why who is this baby? Little Spencer, that's who!
May I tell you ten things that I know about you?

1. You're not fond of green beans
2. You love peek-a-boo
3. You're happy just bouncing in
Your Jumperoo

4. Sometimes you are serious
and you also belly laugh
5. But your favorite thing of all
Is to splash in the bath

6. You've grown 5 teeth
and there are more on the way
7. It seems like you go through
15 diapers a day.

8. You give the biggest smile
when you see Mom arrive

Silly Spencer, are you dancing to Staying Alive?

9. You do lots of exercising
because your muscles are tight
10. You love waking up in the middle of the night

There, that makes ten Spencer things
And here's one more for you.

11. You are a sweet baby
And Mommy loves you.

Little Pookie... I mean, Little Eli

2011-11-26T07:48:00.000-05:00

We have this great little Sandra Boynton book called "Little Pookie." I've changed the words to fit Eli.

Why, who is this kiddo? Little Eli, that's who!

May I tell you ten things that I know about you?

1. You like to sleep sideways.

2. Your favorite color is red.

3. You refuse to use covers when you crawl into bed.

4. You adore Mickey Mouse and your train is your favorite toy.

5. You sometimes dress silly- you're the goofiest boy!

6. You're really good at puzzles

7. And rolling out playdoh.

8. You like to eat vegetables so your muscles will grow.

9. You love to eat waffles.

Or wait, is it cheese?

10. You do a great job with thank you and please.

There, that makes 10 Eli things! And here's one more for you-

11. You're very special and Mommy loves you!

Playdate with the Walsh Kids

2011-11-20T15:08:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Walsh, Julia, and James came over on Saturday for a visit. Eli and Julia colored together, decorated paper pumpkins, read books, and ate quiche for lunch. I quote Julia, "I don't like this pizza." :)

Ryan was asleep for almost the entire time, but Spencer and James played together.

Thanks for coming over and playing with us!

One of Spencer's pet peeves? Group photos

Finger Painting

2011-11-20T14:29:00.000-05:00

All I can say is thank goodness they were washable!

A Walk Home from School

2011-11-11T22:53:00.000-05:00

I had to take my car seats out of my van for a work event this week. Traffic was pretty bad on Tuesday and I decided to go directly to daycare to get the kids and walking home with them instead of trying to fumble around with three car seats in my suit and heels.

So I gathered them and all of their belongings and loaded the littles into the double stroller. Eli held my hand and off we went. (Note to self: This seemed like a much better idea in the daylight. _

Luckily it was warmer than usual Tuesday evening. But it was so dark out. I'm sure we were quite the sight- me in heels walking with children in the dark.

Eli thought it was a great adventure. As we walked, we pretended that we were acting out "Pete's Trick-or-Treat Tower" storyline from Mickey Mouse. We were on our way to a costume party. I told Eli my costume was a butterfly. He told me his costume was a seagull.

We called for Toodles and solved all kinds of problems on our way home- crossing a river (I fink we need a really big bridge), trying to find our house from a distance (I fink we need "binoclears").

Although it wasn't my finest moment as a parent, it turned out to be a fun adventure.

Spencer's Smiles

2011-11-03T22:02:00.000-04:00

More Birthday Fun

2011-11-03T21:57:00.000-04:00

Kevin took the day off the Monday after Eli's birthday for a special day with Dad. They went to Adventure Park USA in Frederick for some fun.

Happy Halloween from a Dippy Egg and 2 Dinosaurs

2011-11-03T21:43:00.000-04:00

This year Eli decided on his own what he wanted to dress up as for Halloween. He chose an egg, more specifically, a dippy egg.

So a few days before Halloween, I made his costume out of foam board, acrylic paint, a paper plate and some ribbon. He liked it and was the cutest dippy egg I've ever seen.

Halloween weekend was really fun this year. We spent the weekend in Milton and went "trunk-or-treating" on Friday at the church across the street from their house. What a great event! Kids went around to the trunks of vehicles to get candy. Each vehicle had a theme- trains, Christmas, beach, camping, etc. They did a great job and the kids loved it.

We stood in line for awhile and there was a little boy dressed like Luke Skywalker in front of us. He kept asking all these questions about Eli's egg costume.
"Is he an EGG?" (in consternation)
"Why is he an EGG?" (as in, who in the world would ever want to be an egg for Halloween)
"Where did you get that egg costume?" My mom told him that I made it and 2 seconds later he's telling his dad, "Dad, that lady made that EGG costume."
Eli and Kevin were running around and every time they came back near the line, that kid would say, "Oh geez, there's that EGG again!"
It was so funny. He was so bent out of shape about the egg costume.

Ryan and Spencer were nice and toasty in their dinosaur costumes, but it was difficult to have them in the stroller with their tails. But they looked cute, and that's all that matters, right?

Kevin carved Mickey Mouse into the pumpkin for Eli. Still need to get a picture of it!

On the Move

2011-10-22T11:02:00.002-04:00

This is Ryan. He's a smiley guy. But don't let this sweetness fool you. He's a little man on a mission. Yep, Ryan has learned to "crawl." It started about a week and a half ago. He had been scooting and pivoting for awhile, but I noticed he was getting to toys further and further away. He always managed to get off the blanket I put him on.

He doesn't crawl on all fours- it's more of an army crawl. And sometimes he just propels himself forward. But he's mobile.

I don't think I'm ready for this!!

Family Pictures

2011-10-19T21:13:00.000-04:00

Beth from Waypost Photography took our family pictures earlier this month. We try to have her take them twice a year- in the spring and in the fall. We really wanted to get a good picture of all 5 of us- and by good I mean that no one is crying or flailing around. Mission accomplished.

I was so excited to get the CD of pictures in the mail yesterday. Here are some of my favorites from the day.

Ryan

Urbana Fire Department Open House

2011-10-16T20:38:00.000-04:00

Today we went to the Urbana Fire Department's open house.

Keyote, the Frederick Keys' mascot, was there

This was inside an ambulance bus. It was Eli's favorite emergency response vehicle to date. It was pretty incredible- it's meant to be used for large catastrophic events, and I was happy to hear that it has never had to been used for that. It can triage 100 people. We got to take a peek inside of it. Eli even got to sit in the driver seat.

They also had a hayride out to a small patch. Eli got to pick a free pumpkin.

Party Time!

2011-10-16T19:13:00.001-04:00

Someone told Mina that they liked her glasses and she replied, "Thanks, they aren't real."
My niece is so fashion-forward!

Nathan and Katie surprised Eli when they showed up for the party

This is baby Sammy. Isn't he the cutest ever? I was going to steal him. Joe and Esther
have 2 other boys too. I thought maybe they wouldn't notice....

Eli loved it when everyone sang happy birthday to him.

The moment he was waiting for!

Train Cake!

2011-10-16T18:16:00.000-04:00

We had a small family party for Eli Saturday afternoon. Kevin's cousin Joe was in town for David's wedding, so his family came. Kevin's cousin Lisa and her family also came. Lisa and Joe's parents also were able to come. The party was a train theme. I made a birthday banner for Eli- which I cut and glued on various week nights- I know, pretty exciting life huh? It was worth it when Eli walked into the kitchen, looked up and said, "Wow!"

Eli requested a train cake for his brithday and here's what he got. My mom and I looked online for ideas. She baked a couple pound cakes for me and brought them down. We decided on a red engine (red is Eli's favorite color) and three train cars- a coal car, a zoo car, and an M&M car (because every train should have an M&M car!). The process wasn't too bad- we chilled the cakes and cut them cold on Friday. Then I put a crumb coat on each. On Saturday I iced them again and decorated them. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, and Eli loved it.

I put the cake on a box covered in construction paper and plastic and piped on some tracks.

Birthday Morning- October 15

2011-10-16T17:21:00.000-04:00

Eli turned 3 yesterday. I think I was more excited for his birthday than he was. Sure he was excited. We talked all week about his birthday, train cake, and party. But he didn't know what gift he was getting- a train table. It was a big hit. Here is the birthday boy coming down the steps after waking up. (He just had to wear the hat from the wedding the night before).

He enjoyed opening all of his other presents too. My parents were here, so he opened their gifts too.

One of the gifts my parents got him was a set of construction utensils- a forklift fork, a
frontloader spoon, and a bulldozer. What a hit!

He spent the morning playing with all of his new toys while we got ready for his party.

Wedding

2011-10-16T16:55:00.000-04:00

Friday evening we went to Kevin's cousin David's wedding in Virginia. My mom and dad stayed at our house with the two littles and the three of us went to the wedding.

Eli wore his sport coat from his friend Conner and his new hat. He looked very handsome.

Esther and baby Samuel

Gaver Farm Fall Festival

2011-10-16T16:14:00.000-04:00

Gaver Farm was the place where Eli went on his first field trip. We decided to go back as a family for their fall festival last weekend (Oct 8). Eli got to go on a hayride twice and picked out little pumpkins for Ryan and Spencer. This time he also got to see more animals and spent more time on the tractors.

Ryan (L) and Spencer (R)

On the way home the little diva said it was too sunny and asked for my sunglasses.

Eli's Trip to Milton: Part 2

2011-10-16T15:53:00.001-04:00

Here is the second installment from Eli's trip to Milton in September. We had some technical difficulty with our router, and I couldn't get our internet connection to work. But we're back now.

The weather had not been great, and Milton had just weathered the flood. But Eli got to take advantage of some breaks in the weather and spend some time outdoors. He loved shooting rockets with Pop (thanks Aunt Jo!).

Then they went to Nan's house for Kylie's 9th birthday party. She had a bounce house that was a huge hit. I think Eli spent quite a bit of time in there.

Birthday girl

First time riding a scooter

showing Mim his teeth

rock painting

My dad taught Eli how to ride his bike

My parents had planned on taking Eli to Kneobel's for one last trip this season. They had been hit hard with the flood, and some of the rides weren't up and running. But a lot were, so they headed over for a few hours. What a difference a few months make. Earlier this summer, Eli was afraid to go on any rides by himself. He had a good time- as long as one of us rode with him. Not this time- he wanted to go on all of the kiddie rides all by himself and loved it.

The rode the tram "train" back to the car. Big hit.

Thanks Mim and Pop for having Eli. He had such a good time and got to do so many things. I'm sure he loved having the two of you all to himself.

Saint Mim

2011-10-02T21:14:00.001-04:00

Thanks Mom for all of your help this weekend. I'm sitting here with a clean house, clean kids, clean laundry, and meals for the week. It's such a wonderful and rare feeling to be all caught up. We all miss you already! Please come back!! :)

Eli's Trip to Milton: Part 1

2011-10-02T21:05:00.000-04:00

Eli visited my parents for five days in September. I transferred the pictures from my mom's camera today and there are a bazillion. They did so many fun things with him. Eli loves to look at pictures on the blog, so I'll be posting a bunch. But since pictures take forever to upload, I'll most likely be doing this in installments.

First, my mom and dad found a bunch of my brother's old trucks and tractors. Eli couldn't have been happier.

My mom made this craft for Eli. He glued all of his favorite foods into the shopping cart.

Finished product

Next stop was a kids' arcade place at the mall. Eli loved the games and little rides.

Playing trains with Pop

They also took Eli to Montour Preserve, a great place with a lake, picnic area, fossil pit, animal museum, etc.

Wow, that's a lot of pictures. And I haven't gotten to half of it yet! I'm so glad that Eli had such a good time, and it was great having some more one on one time with the babies. But I have to say, I wish I had been there too!

Eli's First Field Trip

2011-10-02T17:49:00.000-04:00

Last week Eli went to Gaver Farm with his class for his very first field trip. I surprised him by meeting him at the farm. He was so excited to ride the bus.

Here was the confused expression when he first saw me.

Riding on the bale of hay

Everyone got to pick a pumpkin to take home. Here he is waiting for the "farmer" to come and cut his pumpkin stem.

Eli and his friend Riya

There were so many fun things to do there. First he saw the cool yellow bus.

Then he headed over to the big ark playground

Then he was off to the corn tunnel

His favorite stop was probably this gravel yard. He didn't want to get out.

He wasn't very into feeding the goats.

He liked the rubber ducky/water thingy.

But he LOVED the tractors!

All week long he talked about his field trip. We have proudly displayed his pumpkin and still talk about all the fun things he did.

American? Larry King?

2011-10-02T12:35:00.000-04:00

Another installment of the things Eli says...

Eli went in for his nap on Saturday after lunch, but he didn't fall asleep. After I heard him sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for the 4th time, I went in to remind him it was nap time and that he needed to sleep. He was sitting up when I walked in, so I said, "Eli, you need to lay down." He replied, "I don't want to lay down. I want to lay up."

One stormy evening Eli was playing with a train when the following exchange took place. I guess my ears were playing tricks on me because I swear this is what he was saying.
E: American is coming.
Me: American is coming? What does that mean?
E: No, American is coming.
Me: Coming where? I don't understand.
E: Larry King is coming.
Me: Larry King? What??
E: No, A-MAR-I-CANE is coming!
Me: Oh, you're saying a hurricane is coming!

Our ice maker got jammed, so I pulled out the entire ice tray part to dump some of it out. When I pulled it out, a bunch of cubes went flying. Eli comes flying over saying, "What a mess! What happened!?!" over and over. I said, "I dropped some ice cubes." He picked one up and threw it in the sink. He ran away saying, "I'm sorry you made a mess." I was left cleaning it up alone. :)

Learning New Tricks

2011-10-02T12:18:00.001-04:00

We tried giving the boys cups with water, and they did great. I was really surprised. They figured it out right away. They look like such big boys with their cups!

7 months

2011-09-25T21:38:00.000-04:00

The boys are seven months old. Time is absolutely flying. Now that fall is here, I'm beginning to realize just how long it's been since they were born. It was cold out when they were born, and here we are again with crisp temperatures. Pause button, anyone?

This age is just so fun. Eli was crawling at seven months, and these guys are little wigglers, but no crawling yet. Ryan spends all of his time on his tummy and refuses to stay on his back while his diaper is changed. Spencer likes both his back and tummy. Ryan is starting to scoot a little and both can rotate and roll all over.

Both have two teeth and have enjoyed eating vegetables. They also both try to hold their own bottles- sometimes successfully. They jump like crazy in their jumperoo. They seem more and more interested in each other too. They like to nibble on each other- a hand, a leg, whatever they can grab. Now that they both have teeth, it usually ends in crying.

Bathtime is so much fun. Ryan is a splashing machine and tries to dive frontward into the water. Spencer likes to first stretch out and relax and then he gets all into it too.

Both are making more sounds. Ryan is starting to make raspberries. Spencer has started sing-songy stuff. It's so cute.

Our weekend

2011-09-18T18:40:00.000-04:00

Eli has been in Milton for the past few days having a blast with my parents. I'll have to post more about their adventures once I get the pictures from Mim and Pop. Meanwhile back in Urbana, we've have a pretty good weekend ourselves. It's been nice spending more one on one time with the little guys and focusing on just them. Spencer had another tooth pop through on Thursday. Ryan has been sitting up for longer stretches. One thing I got to do this weekend was sit and hold Ryan while he slept. I rarely get to do that anymore and it's so sweet just watching a sleeping baby.

On Saturday we walked in the 10th annual Buddy Walk in Frederick at Baker Park. The walk was to benefit kids with Down Syndrome. The four of us were there in support of our little friend Julianna. Her team was called Team Cupcake- complete with Georgetown cupcakes for everyone who walked on her team. The weather was a little crappy- rainy and a little chilly- but the event was great and we had such a good time. We went over to Sean and Michele's after the walk and hung out for awhile.

Eli will be coming home tomorrow. We've missed him, but I think he's been having too much fun to miss us. I can't wait to hear all about it.

Two for Spencer

2011-09-18T18:23:00.001-04:00

Two teeth for Spencer. The first one made its appearance on Sep 11 and the second on Sep 15.
He's pretty happy about it, too--can't you tell? :)

A Brief Moment of Silence

2011-09-10T12:38:00.000-04:00

All the kids are napping, but I'm sure one will be awake before long. Eli just went down. Spencer fell asleep on his play mat (he even still had his hand up in the air holding onto one of the dangling toys), and Ryan has been napping for exactly 3 hours. The family room still has some toys strewn about and I'm halfway through mixing pumpkin chocolate chip cookie batter in the kitchen. It's just so quiet right.this.very.second!

Julia and James Came Over to Play!

2011-09-10T11:57:00.000-04:00

So my friend Christine came over for a little bit on Friday with her kids Julia and James. We didn't get any pictures of the actual playing. We were on full alert with 5 kids all age 2 and under. I wish I would have gotten more pictures of James. He is all over the place! It was a glimpse into what our lives will be like in a couple of months. He can sit up, crawl, and pull himself to standing. He also learned how to clap yesterday. I forgot how fast all of this happens.

The kids all had fun playing together. Eli and Julia hammed it up for the camera.

The obligatory silly face picture

Cheeks and Teeth

2011-09-10T11:48:00.000-04:00

Ryan's second tooth popped through about a week after the first one. He looks so cute with his toothy grin.

More funny things...

2011-09-05T11:07:00.000-04:00

Here's two more to add to the list I just posted.

Eli brought over a pair of shorts that he wanted to put on. He said, "I want to wear these black shorts." I said, "Ok, but those are navy blue." Know-It-All replied, "They're not navy blue, they're navy black."

(Background: When Eli wants to play with a different toy, I often tell him that he needs to put the other toy away first.) Fast forward to this morning. Eli, Ryan, and I were playing downstairs. I then went upstairs to get Spencer from Kevin. When Spencer and I walked into the room, Eli looked at me and said, "If you want to play with that baby, you need to put that one away first" and pointed at Ryan. I laughed and said, "Where exactly do you want me to put him?" He answered, "Away."

6 Months

2011-09-05T10:58:00.000-04:00

The boys turned 6 months old on August 24. Wow. Half a year old. Kevin and I went through and packed away all their old clothes- preemie, newborn, 0-3, 3... all packed away. It filled more than one giant bin.

They are doing so many new things everyday. First, their hair is starting to grow in again. Ryan's is pretty dark- much darker than Spencer's. Ryan's eyes are brown and Spencer's are still bluish-brown. One of the strangest things to me is the difference in their skin. Ryan has the most perfect baby-soft baby skin. It's flawless and as soft as can be. Spencer's is rough and blotchy and dry--not baby-like at all. Very strange.

They are both rolling over, although Ryan mastered it a few weeks (5 months) before Spencer (5 months 3 weeks). Ryan can sit up unassisted for a little while, but Spencer can't yet. Both love to grab toys and put everything in their mouths! Both like to manipulate all the little gadgets on the exersaucer. They both love to fly like an airplane too.

We're slowly building up our supply of pureed baby foods- but they've only tried a few things so far- asian sweet potatoes, rice cereal, and zucchini. Spencer's got a strange rash on his face so we went back to straight cereal for a few days so it can clear up. I'm not sure if it's a reaction to food or not. I've got green beans, cauliflower, carrots, and peaches ready to go too.

Both are sleeping well- all through the night most nights. And by all through the night I mean 8pm-7am. Pretty good. I wake them up each morning Monday-Thurs to nurse before I leave for work. That seems to hold them over until about 9am or so for their first bottle.

They are currently wearing 3-6 mo, 6 mo, and 6-9 mo clothes. I pulled out a pile of things to keep- the outifts that they came home from the hospital in, etc. I can't believe they were that little!

Their personalities are very different. Ryan giggles at the wind. Spencer is more serious but will give us big giggles and smiles too. Spencer seems very observant. Both coo and gurgle a lot.

Spencer prefers to play on his back still but is starting to roll over more to play. Ryan prefers to play on his stomach and will stay on his back about 10 seconds before he rolls over.

Both love bathtime. Bathtime with Eli was always so much fun. I guess one of the drawbacks with twins is that bathtime is often rushed and is very assembly line-like. I always have to change the water in between babies because whoever goes first always pees in the tub. But they both love the time in the tub and the lotion and play time afterward.

Both seem to enjoy reading. Eli has a couple of books entirely memorized, so he'll read some to them too. "That's Not My Tractor" is a current favorite for Eli to read to them. While Eli paid no attention to the TV at this age, both babies will scoot and wiggle and strain their necks to see Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Ah Laundry....

2011-09-03T21:57:00.000-04:00

I came across this print on this blog today and had to laugh. We sure do a lot of laundry around here.

Funnies

2011-09-03T14:02:00.001-04:00

This blog has become a place where I document the milestones and stories about my kids. In addition to the blog I also do a yearly photo album. But I don't do baby books. Eli has one and I think I filled out a whopping 3 pages. Big failure. But I want to document the funny things the kids say and do. Maybe someday I'll keep a little book instead of jotting them down on post-it notes. I once bought little books for two of my friends for that very purpose, but I neglected to buy one for me.

So anyway, here are some funny things that Eli has said lately that I want to remember.

1. When I was picking up Ryan and Spencer in their room at daycare, they told me that Eli stopped in for a visit earlier that day. On the ride home I brought it up in conversation. "I heard you visited your brothers today in their room." He replied, "Mommy, that was hours ago!"

2. One morning I went in to his room when I heard him wake up. He had wet through on his jammies. I said, "Oh Eli, those jammies are all wet." He reaches down to feel them and says, "Oh yeah, they sure are."

3. At the beach a couple of weeks ago, I was holding Eli at the edge of the water. I was obviously wearing my bathing suit and Eli looks down, puts his hand on my chest and says, "Wow mom, that's a really big hill."

4. Eli really likes string cheese. Sometimes I pull it into strings for him. In an attempt to do something fun at lunchtime one day, I peeled back 8 "legs" and left a head and called it an octapus. He got a kick out of it and held it by the head and made the legs dance. Fast forward to the next time he was home with Kevin. Kevin got out string cheese for his lunch. Eli looked at him and said, "I don't want an octapus." Needless to say Kevin was a little confused.

5. Eli says he is a daddy and that his baby is his stuffed Mickey Mouse. He takes Mickey to bed and to the playground and puts him in the exersaucer and bouncy seat. One morning while holding Mickey on my bed, he told me he had to feed Mickey. I asked him if he wanted me to get a bottle for him. He said, "No, I'll do it myself. I'll feed him from my belly." Then he lifted up his pajama shirt and pretended to nurse Mickey. I could barely contain myself and went to find Kevin so he could see.

6. One day at the beach Eli and I were outside on the balcony. He was his usual chatty self and was talking a mile a minute. He's the king of stating the obvious and it really cracks me up. He goes over to a picnic table on the balcony and points to it- about 1/4 inch away from it and asks, "Is that a picnic table that I'm pointing to right there with my finger?" Well yes, Eli, that is a picnic table that you're pointing to right there with your finger.

7. One of the gadgets on the exersaucer plays music- maybe 5 different tunes. Eli recognized "If You're Happy and You Know It:" and keeps pressing the button until that one plays. Just like #6 above, he will ask, "Is this If You're Happy and You It?!?!?!" Then he starts to clap his hands along with the song. One day he asked Kevin if that was the song playing. Kevin said it was and Eli said, "Well then clap your hands Dad." I think the tone of voice was the best part. It was like, duh Dad. If you know the song, it tells you to clap your hands.

8. Eli was running on the sidewalk one day and tripped and fell. He looked down in horror at his scraped knee and in between sobs cries out to me, "THE SIDEWALK GOT ME!"

9. One day during nap I heard Eli crying out. I went in to see what was wrong. He was holding his toe and crying saying, "My little toe is broken!" I calmly kissed it and asked what happened. He replied, "It got grabbed." "It got grabbed:? By who? By Mickey?" He holds up his hand and replies, "No, by my hand."

10. And finally today, Eli comes running past me 50mph on this way to the potty. I follow him in and he says, "Go away Mom!" I said, "That's not nice way to talk to Mommy. How about you say, 'I'd like to try it by myself.' So then he answers, "I'd like to try it by myself. Go away Mom."

Playdate

2011-09-02T16:07:00.000-04:00

Last week the kiddos and I went to my friend Christine's house for a playdate. We got together with friends from work. Eli was excited to see "Mrs. Michele and Julianna, Mrs. Davidson, Mrs. Edmonds and baby Bryn, and of course Julia, James, and his favorite... Mrs. Walsh. We left a little after naptime and right around the time that Hurricane Irene arrived.

Danielle and Spencer became quick buds

Sadie and Bryn

Cutie Patootie James

The whole gang minus Julianna... Spencer, Julia, James, Ryan, Eli, and Bryn

wrestling...and some hand eating

2011-09-02T15:22:00.000-04:00

Something New Popped Up

2011-08-21T22:12:00.000-04:00

Our dear little Ryan Robert just had a tooth pop up this week!

Ocean City

2011-08-21T22:09:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a week in Ocean City with my parents, Nathan, and Katie. What a nice week to spend with family and relax. Eli liked to play in the sand, but he wanted nothing to do with the ocean. He was hit or miss with the pool, too. He wanted to chase the sea gulls and asked if he could pet them. He started to chase after them saying, "I'll get that duck in no time!" Oh boy.

My parents bought Eli this "surfboard." He thought he was cool stuff.

This is about as close as he would get to the water. If I held him and went in up to my ankles, he would start to freak out and say, "No! We don't need to go into the water."

He loved to be buried in the sand. Nathan and Katie built a racecar around him that he loved.

Football time.

We only took Ryan and Spencer to the beach twice. We tried once with the umbrella and once with the tent. They did ok, but it was hard to keep them in the shade when they weren't sleeping. They did have really cute rash guards and swim trucks. I didn't get any good pictures of the outfits!

Eli watched Mickey Mouse on Pop's phone.

After 30+ years of vacationing with my brother, this is the first time I've ever seem him read a book.

Dinner TIme

2011-08-21T21:33:00.000-04:00

We just started rice cereal with the boys. Both seem to do alright. They still only get a little bit and half of it ends up on their bibs anyway.

We're ready!

Two spoons, two bowls, back and forth we go!

Reading Together...Kim Family Style

2011-08-21T21:24:00.001-04:00

Waypost Photography Pictures

2011-08-12T21:36:00.000-04:00

Beth from Waypost Photography took pictures of the boys in June. Here are some of my favorites from the shoot. We did this one at Baker Park in Frederick. Spencer was a sour puss the whole time. Eli was so well behaved, and Ryan pretty much slept through the entire thing. I was just hoping that the three outfits would make it through the shoot without any signs of spit-up, poop, and/or grass stain.

Oh My Goodness....

2011-08-12T13:36:00.000-04:00

This is what the family room looked like when I walked in from work yesterday...

Spencer's Cruisin'

2011-08-07T19:53:00.002-04:00

Visit From Papa and Grandma

2011-08-07T19:38:00.002-04:00

Papa and Ryan

Grandma and Spencer

Bathtime

A Smile.. On Camera!

2011-08-07T19:33:00.000-04:00

We've all seen Spencer's serious face.

And we've seen his annoyed face

And we've seen the 'get off of me right now!' face

But this may be the first time we've captured the happy face!

Masterpiece

2011-08-07T19:26:00.000-04:00

created by Eli on 8-6-11

Cookie Time

2011-08-07T15:22:00.000-04:00

Yes, I realize it was brownie time not that long ago. But today Eli and I made cookies. For those concerned about his junk food intake, don't worry. In a batch of 2 dozen, he'll probably eat 3 or 4. Kevin will probably have zero, and I will probably eat the rest. For those of you concerned with my junk food intake, mind your business. :)

I found these cookies at the grocery store that have a school bus on them.

Eli counted to twelve to make sure all were there

Showing Mickey how they turn into "mini pancakes" as they bake

Enjoying the finished product.

August 5, 2011

2011-08-06T08:51:00.000-04:00

Today I had to explain to Eli that Uncle Nathan's birthday was yesterday and that it's not his birthday again today. And that Eli's birthday is not today. And that, no, we're not going to have birthday cake today. And no, it's not Mim's birthday today. No, it's not Uncle Chuck's birthday either.
Today we picked up Kevin at work and went to the attorney's office to sign our wills. Yes all 5 of us piled into this little conference room. Thank goodness they were all very well behaved- not even a peep out of Ryan and Spencer.
Today Eli made three masterpieces out of construction paper, Elmer's glue, sparkles, pom poms, tissue paper, googly eyes, and stickers.
Today Eli helped me snap green beans for dinner.
Today, well tonight, I watched the movie Date Night. Pretty funny!
Today Spencer had a giggling fit when I kissed his chin.

5 Months

2011-08-06T08:43:00.002-04:00

Here's what the little ones have been up to:

Both boys have been sleeping really well. In fact yesterday, Spencer slept from 9:30-9:15 with a brief wakening at 7:15 to nurse. Last night Ryan slept until 7:30. Someone usually wakes up around 3:30-4:30 to eat. Both fall back to sleep immediately and go to bed awake. That is a huge difference from their older brother. Eli was a bugger to get to sleep at that age. These babies are a piece of cake compared to him! :)

Both babies are still nursing and drinking formula exclusively. I think Spencer is ready to try some solids, but I'm not so sure that Ryan is ready. Both can sit in the bumbo seat well, so maybe we'll try soon. We waited until 6 months with Eli, but all kids are different I guess.

Both are smiling and laughing. Spencer loves to have his chin kissed. Ryan loves goofy faces and sounds. Eli gets a kick out of making them smile. His favorite methods are pretend sneezes and "ah...boo!"

The boys are outgrowing their 3 month clothes and are wearing 3-6 or 6 month now. I'm hoping we can make it through the summer with what we have, but these boys are catching up fast!

They are now sleeping in their room in separate cribs. Yes, I realize they are five months old. There are some reasons why we waited so long. First, they were waking up to nurse 1-2 times each throughout the night.
It was easier for me to get them and nurse them in bed. Second, I wasn't ready to move the queen size bed out of the nursery. The twins' room was the old guest room. I wanted to keep a bed in there as long as possible. Third, I didn't want crying babies to wake up Eli. And fourth, I just liked having them near me. :)

The boys don't have much hair at all still. Ryan's appears as though it's going to come back in dark. His eyes have been darkening as well and are almost all brown. Spencer's hair appears to be a little lighter. His eyes are still dark blue.

Spencer started rolling from front to back very early but doesn't roll the other way. Ryan just started rolling from his back to front.

Both boys love the swing, especially Ryan. We've gone through quite a few packs of D batteries these past few months. We have two swings set up in the house- one in the living room and one in our bedroom. Ryan will often take one of his naps in it- yesterday his early nap was 10-2 in the swing.

Spencer can practically stand up. He makes his legs so stiff that we can put him in a standing position and almost let go.

Oh the things he says

2011-08-05T13:19:00.001-04:00

This two year old of mine has been saying the craziest things lately.

Eli has stopped calling his Mickey Mouse stuffed animal "Mickey." He now refers to him exclusively as "the mouse." A couple nights ago, sometime around 4am, I was awakened to Eli crying in bed. I went over to his room and heard this. "The mouse. I cannot find the mouse. I lost the mouse. Mommy, find the mouse!!" Poor little Mickey was tangled in the sheets. Whew, what a crisis!
Yesterday Eli was talking to my mom on the phone. She told him she had a playdoh present for him that she was taking to the beach. She was describing it to him over the phone and I heard him answer, "That sounds cool."
Eli has been going to the potty all by himself for awhile now. He doesn't need help getting undressed or anything. The other day I hear him from the bathroom saying, "I don't know what's happening! I don't know what's happening!" over and over again. I'll tell you what was happening. He was peeing on the floor.
Eli was playing with Spencer the other day while I was holding him on my lap. He was being very gentle until all of a sudden he pinched him. Spencer started crying. After I disciplined Eli, I asked him why he pinched Spencer. (You know, I'm not even sure why I asked. What answer did I expect, really?) Well, certainly not the answer I got. His answer? "Because he said some-sing to me." Yes, my five month old baby provoked Eli.

Brownies!

2011-07-31T08:23:00.000-04:00

Nathan and Katie's house

2011-07-30T14:00:00.000-04:00

After we left the O'Donnells' house last Saturday, we drove to Nathan and Katie's to spend the night. It was so hot that day that it was a necessity for every person to shower before bed. So all 9 of us got a shower/bath and hit the sack. We enjoyed each other's company and the air-conditioning the next day. Here are some pictures of us on Sunday before we left.

Naptime on the recliner

Writing His Name

2011-07-30T10:58:00.000-04:00

Eli wanted to work on a project this morning, so I got out a little booklet for him to color. He's done a few of these already. Today was Yellow Book day. He colored everything inside yellow- a bus, sun, duck, and cheese.

I told him to try writing his name on one of the pages. I usually have to help him and we do it together. Today he did it all by himself. Check it out:

5 Month Stats

2011-07-30T10:47:00.000-04:00

The boys had their 4 month check up just a few days before they turned 5 months old.

Ryan
Weight: 13 pounds 6 oz. 10%
Height: 23 in. <3%
Head: 41.5 cm 10-25%

Spencer
Weight: 14 pounds 10-25%
Height: 23 3/4 in. 5-10%
Head: 39.5cm <3%

I suppose the percentiles are skewed given that they aren't 4 months old. But it gives us an idea. They are growing well and catching up quickly!

Picnic at the O'Donnells' House

2011-07-30T10:40:00.002-04:00

2 sets of twins- Kyle and Ryan and Derek and Spencer

3 sets of twins! Kyle and Derek, Ryan and Spencer, Avery and Maitlyn

Grandma and Papa

2011-07-30T10:21:00.000-04:00

July 29, 2011

2011-07-29T13:21:00.000-04:00

Today I watched Eli read a book to Ryan. He was showing him the different shapes and telling him what sounds the animals made. So cute.

Today Eli and I baked brownies. I asked if anyone wanted to be my helper. Given that he was the only other person in the house capable of talking/helping, he gladly volunteered. I told him we were going to make a special treat. "Can I eat this special treat?" "You sure can, buddy. We'll make it now and it will be ready when you get up from your nap." So he helped me stir the batter for a batch of brownies. We even added some flair in the form of white chocolate chips. "Are those chips getting all dirty?" he asked as we stirred them into the batter. ""No, they are just hiding. They will become delicious morsels of goodness when they come out of the oven." Right now the brownies are cooling on the stove and I'm just waiting for little man to get up from his nap so we can dig in.

Today I felt pretty good about cleaning the middle floor of my house (family room, kitchen, living/dining room) before the twins woke up. This even involved treating a large mysterious red mark on our kitchen rug (which is tan/red so who knows how long the mark had been hiding there.) But then I walked upstairs to check on Ryan napping in our room and thought I detected a faint odor of wet dog....which is alarming since we don't have a dog.

Today (right now actually) all three kids are sleeping. Well Eli should be sleeping, but he's in his bed singing a variation of Row Row Row Your Boat. But he's contained, so it's all the same. Here's a tip to mothers out there who actually try to get things done while their children are napping. First, it's best not to scatter them all throughout your house like I did. If you have a child in your master bedroom, one in your living room, and the other in his room, it's not very easy to get much done.

Today I am wishing three of my friends at work the best of luck. They are all interviewing for the same position. It's the job I had leading up to when I gave birth to Eli. I'm anxious to find out how the interviews went.

Today Ryan and I enjoyed some time making silly faces in the mirror. He seems to think it's pretty funny. He sometimes starts giggling and can't stop. Uncontrollable baby giggling is the best!

Today Eli and read the Very Hungry Caterpillar. He can recite almost the entire book from memory. He can list every food the caterpillar ate on Saturday from memory. We have the book in a big size and little size, so he holds one, I hold one, and we read them together.

Today Eli was a cantaloupe hog. He ate his very large portion for lunch and asked for more. I filled up his bowl again. Then he came over and requested my cantaloupe from my plate. I said;, "here's one piece for you." He replied, "I'd like three pieces please."

Today Eli and I looked at a sheep he made at school. He had covered an outline of a sheep with glued on pom poms. Here's the discussion.
E: I put these pom poms on this sheep.
Me: I really like it. You did a great job. I like this big blue one.
E: Is it dark blue?
Me: It is dark blue. And these are light blue. And this one here is the darkest blue of all.
E: Is this one darker or is this one darker?
Me: That one is darker. We can call that one navy.
E: Oh I like these red ones. One, Two, Three, Four. The red ones are my favorite.
Me: I like them too.
E: I love those red ones. Does Mommy like these brown ones? I think Mommy loves these yellow ones.
Me: Well yes I do love those yellow ones.
E: And see the sheep has a green eye?
Me: I see that. (I didn't know craft googly eyes came in different colors)
E: And see these red ones? I love these red ones.

July 14, 2011

2011-07-16T11:29:00.000-04:00

Today I stayed home with the boys because Kevin and I switched days.

Today I thought it was Friday all day.

Today I did more laundry in one day than I ever have before.

Today at 12:30am Eli woke up and threw up all over. See previous sentence.

Today I had a feverish little boy who wanted to cuddle and read books all day.

Today everyone napped at different times.

Today Eli and played with stickers. We went through his sticker books and found lots of blue stickers to put on our blue piece of paper. We also did purple and brown.

Rys and Spencey-Spence

2011-07-09T11:02:00.003-04:00

Nursery Update and DIY artwork

2011-07-08T18:56:00.003-04:00

So the boys' nursery isn't complete. I started it during my bedrest time- the idea part at least. Here's how that went. I decided on a paint color- gray- and I knew I wanted a white horizontal stripe in the room. My color scheme in my mind was gray, white, and mustard yellow. I ordered yellow and white stripe fabric online and my dad came down and painted the room for us. It turned out that the color gray I picked had a bit of a bluish tint to it. So the gray accessories and gray and white polka dotted fabric I wanted didn't look right with it. The yellow and white fabric arrived while I was in the hospital. The yellow was a bit more "citrus" than "mustard." Hmm. This wasn't turning out the way I thought it was going to. I decided to change the color scheme to grayish-blue, white, navy, and citrus yellow.

My first project in the room was a pelmet window treatment. I wanted vertical stripes, but the fabric arrived with the stripes going the other way and there it wasn't long enough to have vertical stripes without cutting, etc. I found an online tutorial and used foam board. I wanted something inexpensive that I wouldn't feel bad about changing in a couple years. Kevin put it up over the sheers and I like how it turned out.

I also made a DIY crib skirt from fabric I got on sale at Joann Fabric. It's navy and white circle print. I still have to make the one for the other crib, but that crib is still in our bedroom. The boys aren't sleeping in the nursery yet, so we still have the queen size bed in there for guests.

After that, I did a little mod podge project with some cardboard letters, navy paint, and some leftover fabric.

I also repurposed a lamp shade that I used in Eli's nursey. The shade was white with a green stripe at the bottom. I repainted that stripe navy and added a yellow ribbon.

I used the same navy and white fabric to recover the light blue cushions on the rocker.

And lastly, I just finished some artwork for the room. I couldn't find anything that I liked for a reasonable price. Plus I wanted something pretty big. I have plans to do some picture/shelves/letters thing for another wall. So I found some inspiration here. (Check out the price for a 28 x 28!) I didn't want a transportation/car themed artwork, but I liked the idea of it. So I decided to do my own canvas again. I let Kevin pick between whales and elephants ( I needed to keep it simple since I'm not gifted whatsoever in the art dept). He picked elephants. I bought a 24in by 24 in canvas at Joann Fabric for $12 when it went on sale. I thought I could knock it out in the short breaks I got over the course of a weekend. That didn't happen. My left brain wouldn't let me just start painting. I carefully measured out every space and the border. I had everything measured out to the 16th of an inch. I realize that it was a little much, but I can't help it. I kind of wish I hadn't left a border, but since it was all measured out, it had to stay. After putting on the second coat of paint last night and doing touch ups today, it's done! Instead of making one elephant in the middle different, I picked two- one for Ryan and one for Spencer.

So here is the finished product. It's 2 feet by 2 feet.

It's not hung up yet, but I wanted to show it with the lamp and pelmet box.

Here are the letters that will go on some shelves. I won't hang anything until we moved the big bed out and other crib in. That will probably happen sometime within a month.

The crib skirt is adjustable as the crib mattress moves lower and lower. It will eventually be just a couple inches long when the crib is fully lowered.

So I know it's not fancy and it's certainly not finished. But I haven't had to spend much money at all. I have a small bookcase to move into the space as well. It needs to be painted white first. I'll post more of the finished product soon!

July 8, 2011

2011-07-08T18:01:00.000-04:00

Today I finished an art project for the twins' room that I've been working on for 2 weeks.

Today after Eli's nap, he decided he didn't want to wear clothes, just his construction truck undies.

Today Eli and I sang silly songs and made silly faces at Ryan to make him laugh.

Today Ryan napped for 4 hours in the swing upstairs.

Today while all three kiddos were sleeping, I had a chance to catch up with my bff Linsey.

Today the house got very dark in the middle of the day and we had a big storm come through.

Today I couldn't figure out how to put together Eli's train tracks and felt like a dummy.

Today Eli played with his sand table outside. He played early because the rain was coming!

Today everyone napped very well. Except me... I didn't nap. I did laundry. :)

Today I asked Eli to come inside to watch the space shuttle launch. I know he won't remember, but I thought he should watch anyway. He thought it was pretty cool and said the astronauts were going to the moon.

Lyric Change

2011-07-04T21:35:00.000-04:00

This may have been funnier to hear in person, but Eli really cracked me up today. He very much enjoys breaking out in song randomly. Today he started singing Baa Baa Black Sheep- one I haven't heard in awhile. This time was funnier than usual due to his lyric change at the end.

Here's how it went:

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Have you any wool

Yes sir, yes sir two bags full (he insists it's two, not three)

One for my master

One for my dame

And one for the little boy who lives down the drain.

Grandma Bish and Eli tree

2011-07-04T21:27:00.000-04:00

This is the third year we've taken Pop and Eli's picture in front of the tree.

July 1, 2011

2011-07-04T21:22:00.000-04:00

Today I woke up before Ryan. He slept almost 9 hours
Today I went to Knoebels Grove with my kids and parents.
Today Eli got to ride a train 3 times. He was in heaven.
Today I ate at the Fence. Love.
Today I got to enjoy one of my favorite spots on Earth- the front porch of my parents' house in the summertime.
Today Eli and Pop walked over to Meadowbrook to visit Aunt Jo's summer daycare.
Today Eli spent the entire day outside.
Today my mom and I peaked on Eli during his naptime. He wasn't sleeping. He was pretending that his hands were babies and was talking to them.
Today I watched this crazy red bird attack my parent's house. It crashes into windows and flies fast back and forth. It poops everywhere- even down the side of my van after my dad washed it.
Today I watched fireflies in my parents' front yard. I love the summertime.

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T11:18:00.000-04:00

Thanks Aunt Jo for our matching shirts!

Knoebels

2011-07-01T16:31:00.000-04:00

The boys and I are in Milton for a few days while Kevin is stuck at home working. We came up to visit my friend Varissa who is visiting from Hawaii. Today we packed up the van and spent a few hours at Knoebels Grove. It was a perfect day- sunny and 80 degrees. We barely waited in a line which meant we could indulge Eli's requests to ride the train multiple times. The boys slept for most of the outing. We joked that next year we'd have to get leashes for them. We were certainly quite the crew today with our caravan of strollers.

Mim and Eli on the train

PB&J lunch break

Taking a break from the stroller with Mim

June 24, 2011

2011-06-25T08:48:00.000-04:00

One day late...

Today I watched my boys turn 4 months old.
Today I was a zombie in the morning after being up most of the night with a stuffy-nosed Spencer
Today I watched Eli try to give Gracie a time-out for coming into the room.
Today I took all three kids to Baker Park to have their pictures taken by Beth at Waypost Photography.
Today I crossed my fingers that we could get through the photo shoot without any accidents, poopy diaper explosions, and meltdowns. We did pretty well. Eli gets a gold star for good behavior and I only had to use one pack of fruit snacks for bribery.
Today I was thankful that my mom caught me up on laundry and cleaning. Thanks Mom!
Today I tried to clean my oven glass and toaster oven glass with baking soda paste. It worked like a charm on the oven but not so much on the toaster oven glass.
Today I was thankful for a nice long nap for Eli.
Today I looked at the beautiful hydrangeas on my island that my mom cut from her yard and brought down for me.
Today I cut up a cantaloupe and Eli and I ate some for lunch.
Today I put a load of laundry in but didn't get it out of the dryer until Saturday morning!
Today was a beautiful day- mid 80s and sunny with a breeze.
Today Eli and I sang 'You Are My Sunshine' together .

4 Months

2011-06-25T08:39:00.001-04:00

The boys turned 4 months old yesterday. Wow how much they've changed in four months. They are both doing really well. Their well baby appoint,ents are a little off-scedule because of their NICU stay, so their 4 month appointment isn't until next month. I guess we'll see how much they weigh then. If the rolls on their legs and rubber band wrists are any indication, I'd say they are catching up to their full term counterparts pretty quickly.

They both nurse well and take a bottle well. Ryan is sleeping through the night now (just starting this week) and Spencer still gets uo once to eat (usually between 2 and 3am). They are both still sleeping together in the same crib in our bedroom. Ryan is probably ready move to his own crib in the nursery, but I'm not sure I'm ready yet!

Both are getting stronger, although Spencer seems to be more physically advanced than Ryan. They are both smiling and cooing. They both laugh (just started recently) but Ryan definitely smiles and laughs more than Mr. Serious.

Ryan is a really good sleeper. He loves to nap in his crib and in the swing. Spencer doesn't like the swing quite as much, but he likes sitting in a bouncy seat more than Ryan. They both like the activity mat and swat at the octopus that hangs above them.

Last month I pulled out their preemie and newborn clothes. So sad. I can't believe they were that little. They are wearing mostly 0-3, 3 month, and some 6 month clothes now.

Time is going by so fast. Although some nights are hard, I love this age. I love seeing them both respond with smiles and coos. I love snuggling with them and kissing their bald heads.

4 months

Ryan, NICU

Spencer, NICU

Oh This Face....

2011-06-24T10:22:00.000-04:00

How pathetic is this face?

Playdate with Bella

2011-06-24T10:18:00.000-04:00

My friend Stacey and her 16 month old daughter Bella came over for a playdate last Saturday. The kids had a lot of fun together. I forgot how cute kids are at her age!

What is it about kids and vacuum cleaners?

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T09:52:00.001-04:00

showing off the cards we made

The bunny was made from his thumbprint. He drew the nose himsel and chose the placement of the pom poms.

Eli decided to turn the bunny sticker 45 degrees for dramatic effect. Additional pom poms and drawings really added to it, don't you think?

Eli helped me glue on buttons on Ryan and Spencer's card

June 17, 2011

2011-06-17T16:59:00.004-04:00

Today I woke up at 5:40 (because Eli was up) but we cuddled in his room for almost an hour. :)
Today Eli and I made two Father's Day cards together. He's really proud of them. I'll post pictures of them after Daddy gets them.
Today my three sons all napped really well. I got to spend one on one time with all of them.
Today while scrubbing my kitchen floor I found a pea that could be bb gun ammunition.
Today Eli and baked banana bread together.
Today it took me 4 hours to do one load of laundry. It helps to turn the dryer on after you put wet clothes in.
Today I took chicken out of the freezer for dinner. It's almost 5:00 and all I have for dinner so far is thawed chicken.
Today I washed dishes 5 times. Where do they all come from?
Today I tried to do Enterprise work while the kids were sleeping. That lasted 5 minutes.
Today I watched Eli grab his "kari-doke" machine and sign Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to Spencer.
Today I had to pick up 957,000 craft pompoms before I could vacuum the kitchen rug.
Today Eli wanted to wear his firetruck pajama top all day.
Today Eli and I made funny faces and funny noises to get Ryan to laugh and Spencer to smile.
Today I ate peanut butter on Ritz crackers and oreo cookies for lunch. Don't judge me, we need groceries.
Today I heard Eli tell Spencer, "I love you Sunshine."
Today I tried to teach Eli the words to "These Boots Were Made for Walking"
Today was a really good day. :)

Conversation

2011-06-17T09:13:00.000-04:00

Me: Eli, do you need help carrying those [matchbox] cars down the steps?

E: Yes, these.

He takes a couple steps and turns around.

E: Carefully, Mommy, so you don't drop them.

Little Terps

2011-06-17T09:02:00.003-04:00

Bath Time Helper

2011-06-17T08:53:00.000-04:00