For the Record

For the record, I do not have it all together.  In case there is anyone out there under that impression.  (Like I heard recently from a very sweet person.) 

Sunday went great - it was the kind of day that made me think I could have a dozen kids if every day was like that.  But it's only the second day in my two and half years of parenting that I've said that, so I'm pretty sure that falls under the "once in a blue moon" category.

Monday went fairly well- fun playdate with twin buddies, but no nap, so everything went downhill around 5pm.  And when I say downhill, I mean, like this:

What you don't see is that the curtain and its pole were long ago removed by my sons.  One firm tug and down it all came.  You also can't tell that the beautiful wooden blinds are lowered because the pulley is broken and can no longer be lifted.  What you DO see is the handiwork my sons did around 7:30 last night when I heard some awful racket coming from the vicinity of their window.  Yeah, two 33" kids weilding three 40" blind panels in the semi-dark, playing Star Wars, if they only knew what that was. 

I'll spare you the details, but they got a pretty decent reminder to never touch the blinds again, and I listened to their howling feeling like worst mom in the world.  However, need I remind you we don't actually own this house or these blinds?  (Because never in a million years would I have chosen such beautiful and lovely window treatments for my sons' room.) Need I remind you that I have so many of these wooden blinds in the house I can't even tell you how many there are?.....(Minutes later)......11.  I don't know what they cost, but I know they are not cheap.  Someday I'll learn because someday I'll have to replace one...or more.

I took that photo this morning in order to show you how NOT together I have it.  Then I took these just in case you were still doubting:

This is the second peace lily I've received from my wonderful in-laws as an anniversary gift.  Second because the first is no longer with us.  She knows I'm no green thumb, so I receive plants that require very little care, as in, it will still live even if you don't water it.  Wouldn't you know, it was drooping on Monday night.  It's in my dining room, so I watered it while the boys and were dining on mac n cheese and turkey sandwiches.  I told them it would be feeling better in the morning.  The first thing M said today at breakfast was, "It's awake!  The plant is awake!"  It was as if I'd raised Lazarus from the dead!  Can't wait to show him that trick again...next month.

If you know me, you know I HATE cleaning bathrooms.  I LOVE my new house, but having as many bathrooms as I do is...uh...well...a challenge.  So let's just say it's a good thing I have guests as often as I do so that the bathrooms get a swipe every once in awhile.  This one's in need today.  I just can't get those kids to clean up their bathroom.

So now that my house is all put in order (snort, snort!) it's time for me to finish the laundry so I can start packing for our annual Christmas trek to Michigan!  Christmas!  AAAGGGHHH!  I can't believe it's already here! 

It's a good thing I have it all together (snort, snort!)!

Relief!

Like today's weather, all was beautiful this evening - much like the entire day minus naps and bedtime.  Because I haven't been fair to you, readers - I've been telling only the awfulness of Big Boy Beds, I snapped a couple of pictures at the playground this evening, and on my dumbphone at that!  Both the phone and the boys redeemed themselves, at least for a short time! 

I haven't been taking them to the playground alone very often, but the weather was too nice and I needed them to wear themselves out before I tackled bedtime, so I took my chances.  I say chances because my boys are reckless!  Last Friday, N fell off the bottom stair of this playset and hit his forehead going down, causing what looks to be a unicorn horn sprouting between his eyes.  He hit the same spot this morning on our own sandbox, so it's not going away anytime soon.  I hear that kids without bruises are now under suspicion for child neglect, though, so we're all good there!

Scrub a dub dub, my boys in the tub!

Good News! Bath Night!

I found my phone!  It wasn't lost long, but I have a terrible habit of misplacing it when it's on vibrate, I'm alone, and it's nighttime. 

I received my new bedding!  I've never had a problem ordering anything from Amazon, but I didn't realize I was buying this item from a vendor selling through Amazon, so (dun-dun-dun) it took a MONTH for the right item to arrive, complicated of course by the fact that I MOVED during that period!  

AND, I found my camera's charger!  You, poor readers, have been paying the price all month because I've taken no new pictures.  Once it was charged, I took pics of our first activity - bath night.  My boys get a bath every other night whether they need it or not (they always do).  Just eating they get dirty!  If you look closely I think you can see guacamole under M's nose - or it could be a booger.  Either way, they were really funny tonight in the tub.  Here are my little hams:

N's curls rinsed out - look how long his hair is!

N's curls, before the wash

Cutie Patootie Peeking N

Smiley M - I think he looks so big here!

Blue, green, red, blue...choo! Choo!

No, red, then, green, then blue

Okay, N, but I'll make it two blues.

Whatever.

Snowed In!

What do you do when you're snowed in with two 18 month olds?

Brush your teeth in the tub!

Snuggle and read!

Try on Grandma's reading glasses!

Play 'n' Poop

Pray

And take the plow driver cookies and hot chocolate when he clears your driveway! Fun times tomorrow, here we come!

Sands of Time?

That was the name of the color.  I imagined a nice, neutral tan-ish to compliment my beautiful, shiny chocolate-mousse colored shower curtain, which I did iron (pats self on back).

What do you see when you hear "sands of time?"  Beaches, perhaps?  Maybe a sandbox?

Whatever you saw, I'm certain it wasn't a flashback to high school.  Hideous, awful high school whose colors were brown and gold.  Where the girls wore gold gowns for graduation and the boys wore brown.

GOLD!

  Okay, I'll admit, the photo makes it look better.  But still...not the beautiful, spa-like retreat I'd imagined.  (ha, ha, right?  The boys' bath toys haven't invaded yet.)  

I need to go watch another episode of Color Confidential on HGTV.  Better yet, I need to apply to the show so I can have paint-color-therapy session.

Or maybe I should apply a big brown and gold adhesive warrior head to my mirror?  Yeah, that'll do it.  Because it'll be 6 more years before I get up the gumption to paint again.

*Sigh*

It really was  a good idea on Monday.

Only the Good Stuff

It's been *quite* the week, as is evidenced by my craptastic blog entries!  But, no one likes a Negative Nellie, so I'll recap this week with ONLY the good stuff:

• As I write, the boys are napping, I'm squeaky clean (as in showered!  Hallelujah!) and sipping a freshly brewed cuppa Caribou.  Ahhh....heaven.
• A dear friend who bailed me out on Tuesday night helps me out when Steve is traveling got some AWESOME NEWS this week about her family's adoption proceedings.  I can't tell you details, but it's FANTASTIC and my boys will have a playmate soon, when this little miracle happens!  Praise God!
• The boys have another new little playmate fresh from Seattle - Miss G and her mom not only visited us, but they made us dinner to boot!  Thanks a ton!
• Both Matthew and Nathan have learned to say "mom-mom," and have been chattering all week!  We took a walk yesterday and I heard one say, "mom-mom-mom-mom," to which the other replied, "mom-mom-mom-mom!"  They shook it up a bit at breakfast and Matthew was saying "mom-mom-mom," to which Nathan replied "bob-bob-bob-bob" (his Grandpa K, whom the cousins call Pa-pa, but we'll get there)!
• They are also climbing the stairs!  Oi!  We *may* just have to put up another gate (which I will despise since I climb the stairs 100 times a day- literally!).  Their little trick is to make a break for the stairs while I'm busy changing his brother's (likely poopy) diaper, get up one or two, then occasionally tumble down.  Okay, it's only happened twice, but they both scared the daylights out of me!  These guys are tough, though, and just shake the bumps off and keep going.  
• I've been teaching the boys a few simple signs (like "more," "drink," and "please,"), and they're actually getting it!  No kidding, both the fellas can sign "more," when they want more food!  Okay, not every time, and yeah, it's not perfect formation, but it's happening!  When they sign to me, it's like getting the best teaching evaluation EVER!
• We had a successful bath last night, as evidenced by an 89% sitting rate!  It's been a struggle...if they're out of the tub, they want in, if they're in the tub, they want out!  And we can't skip bath nights anymore because they (ahem, Matthew) give themselves hair treatments - avacado, oatmeal, banana, yogurt, you name it.  I'm thinking that's why his hair is so soft and shiny!

 And...drumroll please.....

Matthew cut tooth number 5 this morning!!!!

That explains part of this week's awesome crabbiness, at least!  I'm fairly certain Nathan is cutting a big tooth (sleeplessness, snot, and a low-grade temp yesterday), but he won't cooperate to let me see and I haven't worked up the guts to stick my finger past his 8 little daggers. 

They have also been particularly helpful this week.  Notice who is in the photos?  His brother likes to play with toys, which, unfortunately for him, make far less interesting photos, but a much happier mama.

Three pans, ah-ah-ah!

Four pans, ah-ah-ah-ah!

He did it, not me.

And because I can't let Matthew hog all the photos today, here's one you haven't seen:

It's Nathan and Daddy sharing his first piece of naan at LaZeez (in Midland - you HAVE to go!).

I've got the most handsome fellas! 

What else would you like to know?  Send me some questions via formspring!

We're Big Boys!

I'm not sure how they did it, but since they turned 10 months old the other day, both my fellas have turned into Big Boys!  That's what we've been calling them this weekend because they graduated from the ducky tub to the big person tub.

Matthew celebrates the "big tub" with a mohawk!

Nathan can almost make the new big toy car move - almost.

 And look how big they are in jeans and a t-shirt!  They are officially wearing 12 month-size clothes, which don't look babyish at all! 

The days sometimes go by slowly, but months are flying!

Rubber Ducky, You're the One...

You make bathtime so much fun!

Rubber Ducky, I'm awfully fond of you!

We did it - we made the move from the baby tub to the big tub (sniff, sniff). 

Matthew was first to take a little dip in the big duck

 

All clean!

Nathan was all smiles...

because he loves his duck!