Alice in Wonderland

I'm feeling very British tonight.  I've fallen in love with Matthew Crawley - er, I mean, Downton Abbey - this month, and today I've fallen in love with scones.

Yes, scones.

It started like this.
Sunday: Uncle D and J's wedding shower.
Monday: I FREAK out because now it's time to start planning Aunt L's wedding shower.  I'm her Matron of Honor, after all.
Tuesday: Pinterest.  Tea Party?  Yes, please.
Wednesday: pick up tea party books and assorted groceries
Thursday: Tea Party Practice

I spent this morning making
1. buttermilk scones
2. smoked salmon tea sandwiches
3. tiny little salami and PBJ's for the boys' lunch

Then I the picture below to Aunt L and Grandma A:

They replied that I should save some and they'll be over later.

That's when a screw kind of came loose.  I spent the rest of the afternoon making:
4. bacon and cheddar scones
5. cucumber tea sandwiches
6. chutney cheddar tea sandwiches
7. peanut butter jelly scones

Yeah.....Crazy.  But fun!  The boys helped by ripping the mint leaves off their stems and dumping the dry ingredients into the mix.  They left me alone as long as I played "Mighty Machines" on the Netflix for them. 

I set out the mismatched china - I had one sample set of my mother's (pictured) that we will use for the tea party, and a few random pieces I picked up from the Goodwill for 25 cents each, and I gave the boys my stoneware.  Because really, in 11 years I've never used the teacups and saucers.  And I set out the few teabags I had, all sleepytime herbal stuff, and we had a tea party!

Everyone loved it, I think M and N most of all!  Here are their favorites:
M: smoked salmon - he was INHALING them!  The most expensive item on the menu and my 3 year old was tearing through them.
N: PBJ, of course.  The only thing he ever asks for, all day, every day.
Hubs: Bacon and cheddar scones, which I made just for him.  He loves bacon.
Aunt L: buttermilk scones and cucumber sandwiches - she's a traditional bride!
Grandma A: salami and butter - I didn't know she liked them so much!
Me: They are all my children so I loved them all.  Haha!  I'm not posting my favorite. 

Now I have to teach myself how to brew a proper pot of tea, make clotted cream, buy a teapot, collect china, find myself a hat...secure the venue.....

I feel like the Mad Hatter!

Guess that makes Aunt L Alice in Wonderland!

Waiting...

1. For teeth. C cut 2 bottom teeth in October at five months, but we are still waiting for the next batch at 8.5 months. Meanwhile, he's sporting the drool bib look. And you can kind of see how his hair got cut! Looking so big!

2. For the next prospective tenants. Yesterday was a debacle, I parked the kids with PBS and cleaned like crazy this morning and took them to open gym at the gymnastics center to get them outta here, only for them to no show.

3. For Aunt L. She's flying in tomorrow to help us move back to MI! Maybe tomorrow I can start packing...

4. For the poop to hit the potty. Today is day 3 of N's The Boss. I will not declare victory until he starts Kindergarden at this point, but he's keeping himself dry from about 7am to 5pm. All bets are off after 5, though. Trying to make him clean up his own mess as much (and as uncomfortably) as possible. He does not like it, so I think the message is getting through. Painfully slow for me, but 3 weeks ago he was not in unders at all, so progress is progress!

Pseudo Campers

We are enjoying spending time with L and K this week and learned that we have something in common: we all like psedo-camping.  I'm totally making that word up (I think) but I define it to mean: doing only the very funnest camping things and omitting all mosquitoes, humidity, nasty campground bathrooms and leaky tents, among other un-fun camping things.  Yesterday turned out to be a lovely afternoon, so the 6.5 of us went pesudo-camping.

First, we drove to Nerstrand Big Woods state park and went for a "hike."  It's just a path through the woods to a little waterfall (where we took our family photos for the Christmas card), but it's certainly a hike for a pregnant lady and two toddlers.  For the other 3 able bodied adults, it was just a stroll.  It was total BOY HEAVEN!  They could have spent the entire afternoon "rock climbing" up the side of the waterfall.  Don't worry, the men were spotting, L was photographing, and I was catching my breath on a bench, imagining it was 80 degrees and I was lounging with an ice cold beverage whilst my family frolicked in the falls. 

My favorite pic, N cresting the ridge

There is no denying that mug!

Look at that tongue!  "Should I do it again? YES!"

Long ways up!

He did it! 

This one's just to show you I still have a bit of a waist at 35 weeks this time!

Here's where we went home and ate chili, a total camping dish, which even the boys ate, so home run for my meal planning!  Of course, M and N think the kidney beans are "baby hot dogs," so we go with it...had to make sure K understood I do NOT cook chili with hot dogs.  Although that would be kind of like chili dogs, so I guess I could...

Moving into the backyard, we scrounged up a cord of wood, a bag of mallows, an old Hershey bar and the last of the graham crackers to round out our evening campfire with s'mores. 

Aunt L teaches N how to toast his mallow

Oops!  She burnt M's mallow!  Gotta start over!

Our manly men tending the fire (while L roasts a new mallow)

Our first campfire...awe, isn't that sweet?

Our first campfire of the season - no skeeters!  Hooray!

Funny mommy shot of me assembling s'mores for everyone and M lounging.

We all went inside when it got cold, I enjoyed a hot shower in my marvelous bathroom, (not to mention got a pedi from Aunt L!) and then we all passed out in our bug-free warm beds.  You can't beat that!  And it cost us $5.  Psuedo camping is the way to go.

Surprise Staycation

We are having a fun week by surprise!  Auntie L and her special man, K, have come for a last minute visit and since Daddy had vacation days to use up too, we are having an impromptu staycation right here at home, complete with fun, food, and MOA (so far!)

(All of these pics are from iphones, so I apologize for the quality.  We have an outdoor adventure lined up for this afternoon and I'll remember to take the Nikon (finally) and try to get some better shots.)  But you get the idea of how fun it is to have company we love so much and time at home with Daddy.  The boys are making fast friends with K, who is wonderful with them, but has decided that maybe he doesn't want twins of his own someday, after all!  It's exactly what I've always wished for - someone who SAYS he'd love to have twins than actually BORROW mine for a couple of hours! Bwahahahahahaha!

Yesterday was "Superhero Day" at Toddler Tuesday at the MOA, so we convinced the boys to wear their adorable matching Superman T's and we headed out. 

Watching "Super Why" on the Jumbotron at the MOA...cool...and loud!

Daddy and M snackin' and relaxin' with Super Why.

Earlier that day, making pancakes together on "vacation"

Gentlemanly K pushing the Superkids into the mall...me and Hubs waddling behind.

Bedtime stories with K...we've all been replaced.

Mall walkers with Aunt L and K

"Big Rigs" was the  highlight of the day - their favorite ride at the amusement park.

M tickling K got tickled right back!

L and K :)

 P.S. K is the perfect houseguest, telling me how great a cook I am and playing with my kids.  Hubs bathes them and tucks them, and with Aunt L cleaning my kitchen too...I don't want this vacation to end. 

Gymnastics

Yesterday a twin mom friend organized a playdate for all of us with two year old twins at a gymnastics center, so the boys and I, along with Aunt L, played hooky from school and went to the gym!  The fellas have done this a half dozen or so times the last year, and they LOVE LOVE LOVE it.  They are still struggling with the concept of waiting for their turn on the trampolines, but they're getting there! (Some of the pics are blurry b/c I was messing with the settings.  Unfortunately, neither of my photographer twin moms were there to help me out with my fancy camera!) 

Thank you for visiting Aunt L!  We love you and will see you again soon!

"I Got Paint"

That was M's explanation. 

On Sunday afternoon, while I was making lunch, M snuck into my bedroom and found my makeup, which was still sitting out from the morning.  The boys had watched me apply makeup a few times recently, having to sit at the dining table to get it accomplished while they ate breakfast.  They were fascinated with it!  I should have known it was just a matter of time. 

The pictures don't do his application much justice since most of the mascara was located behind his left ear:

N got some mascara, too, but I'm not sure who applied it

In other news, Hubs is traveling again this week, and Aunt L has come to hang out with me and the boys, thank goodness!  They've been behaving incredibly well for her, so we are all quite happy (read: they aren't behaving for me!).  M is fevering today, unfortunately, but says he's well enough to go outside and play at the playground when N gets up - it's a glorious 61 and sunny, so we are headed there very soon!  Hopefully whatever this is will pass quickly and no one else will catch it!

Cupcake making with Aunt L

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

Remember that song?  It reminds me of high school because that was the theme song for our end of the year...thing.  Talent show?  Is that what it was?  I wonder if they still do "Celebration"?  My sister graduated to that tune this week, but before I tell you about that, the boys have been very busy...and it's not Christmas yet!!

This weekend, we took the boys to see Santa at the Mall of America.  It didn't turn out exactly how we expected, but what does?  We got to eat free Cinnabon rolls and hear an elf read a story and stick stickers all over a coloring page, which was probably better than actually sitting on Santa's lap!

Yum!  N gobbles up the Cinnabon.

With our friends coloring and listening to the story.

M's blond head running by Santa...as close as we got!

Listening to the elf story on Daddy's lap is more like it!

Woah!  Roller coasters!  Can we go, Daddy?  Please?

M and Aunt L waiting while Daddy bought the ride tokens.

"Big Rigs," their favorite ride!  Daddy and M in red, Aunt L and N in blue.

Even though we generally avoid the MOA in December, it was a fun outing because we started early in the day and didn't actually shop.  It was so fun to hang out with our friends and cruise the mall - the boys gawk and gawk, taking it all in!  They even behaved well at the restaurant for lunch despite it not being fast food! 

Daddy and Aunt L took the boys to Macy's holdiay display in Downtown Minneapolis when I went to watch my sister graduate nursing school on Tuesday night.  While they enjoyed the display, they again elected to NOT see Santa, despite hearing that he's the best Santa in all the world.  Maybe next year.

Daddy said they were "mesmerized" by the singing trees!

N was so enamored with his fun day with Daddy and Aunt L on Tuesday, he refused to nap, then passed out in Daddy's arms right after dinner.  So sweet. 

Then I'm told he gave them trouble at bedtime!  Haha, they were well taken care of and I got to see my baby sister accomplish her dream of finishing nursing school!  Congratulations!  Love you and see you again next week, when you'll be employed!  I'm believing she'll make you and offer you can't refuse - way to rock that interview! 

Me and my baby sis M at her "pinning ceremony" Tuesday night, right before she danced down the aisle!

Come on and Celebrate!