6 Year Stats

The twins had their 6 year check up today. They are both healthy and doing well. No identified problems and hopefully no reasons to go back for another year.

S:
50 pounds (73rd %) and 48.5" (93rd%)

K:
40 pounds (21st%) and 45.5" (55th%)

Both still skinny - thank goodness!

Let the Festivities Begin!

This weekend kicked off the week of Birthday/Valentines Celebrations. While I will make sure the twins don't expect this every year, it does seem like so far their birthday events seem to span more than just their special day. :0)

On Friday their school had a Valentine's Dance. It was held as a Fundraiser but was a cute idea. Parents had to stay and the dance was divided into two times. Earlier time for the younger students and a little later for the older ones. K was BEYOND excited to go to the dance. I'm not sure what she thought would happen but she was beside herself all week. Unfortunately that day the twins good friend misbehaved and couldn't come with us, but that only seemed to dampen the mood for a moment.

At first the twins were very quiet and shy, sticking mostly to the side walls of the gymnasium. Once a few other students from their classroom showed up, they really go into the fun. There wasn't so much dancing, but alot of running, spinning and conga lines. They really did have a good time and it was so cute to watch them.
This morning on the front porch was S and K's birthday gifts from our Texas family. K received a lip gloss kit and S received a Dinosaur Lego Set. It was a great thing to wake up to since the sick hit me hard and all I did today was sit in the chair. Wonderful timing for sure!

Preschool Graduation

Yesterday was the twins graduation from preschool. I was excited to see them graduate, but I was not prepared for the joy and emotion I would feel during their ceremony. Not only were my babies growing up, but they were singing and dancing proudly with their classmates. They were confident and happy...and how could I not be proud of that?

I didn't get very good pictures of the ceremony based on seating and lighting - I did order a DVD of the event though. Here are some of the good shots I did get.

K & S on our way to the ceremony. They were very excited!

S doing one of his songs in cap and gown :0)

S with his 'favorite' teacher Ms Holly

K in her cap and gown reciting a poem

K with her 'favorite' teacher Mr Matthew. Can you see that face!?

Early Birthday Celebration

Here are some pictures from S and K's early birthday. They had a good time at Grandma and Grandpa's. More toys to deal with - yeah!


And a final picture of the Mook enjoying his cupcake...yum!

Watch Out!

I will be 100% completely honest. I was a total BITCH today. I woke up in a foul mood and it even with me aware of my mood, and trying to rein it in, I was still miserable.

The twins are back to testing their limits. They seem to get this way every few months. Do everything they are not supposed to, listen to nothing and do whatever it is they feel like it. I don't know what starts it, but I better figure out how to stop it or the three of us won't make it.

It's been starting slowly. Their room has been messier and messier. I tell them to clean it and they say they do, but when I go to check it's a mess. They don't follow the basic rules and literally ignore me when I am talking to them. Even yesterday Q had to call me at home to tell me that S wasn't listening to a thing she was saying and that he was kind of out of control. This morning K went into my makeup and started putting it on her face - including lip stain that has still not come off.

The twins obviously haven't reached the age of figuring out when Mommy is in a bad mood and maybe we should behave better today. Nope. Same testing; same misbehaving. Sad thing is they had a birthday party today. I RSVP'd several weeks ago and those who read this blog know I am OCD about honoring your commitments/RSVP's. So the twins got to go, but again, sucked at listening while there. I'm sure I looked like the crazy mom with three kids because several times one of the kids were yanked to the side and spoken to very sternly. When we came home, the twins were sent to their room and had to sit on the couch. I think they were up there for an hour or two (they were allowed off the couch after about 30 minutes) but they still couldn't watch TV.

Tomorrow we are heading to my parents house. Since my parents are going to Mexico for 2 weeks in February and won't be here for the twins birthday, we are doing a party for them tomorrow. I have already decided that if the behavior hasn't greatly improved tomorrow morning, all their presents will go into the closet until there is a change.

I'm not sure what else to do at this point. Nothing seems to be working. Just need to make it through, like we have the other behavioral blips, and hope this is a short one.

Too Stink'in Cute

The twins have been playing a game now for 3 or 4 days. K is the mommy and S is the daddy. They go around the house calling each other 'Honey' or 'Sweetie' and take turns caring for their baby named 'Junior'. S goes to work and K stays home to watch the baby. They take turns putting the baby to sleep and checking in on him. They even share diaper duty - LOL!

I love it! It's adorable to listen to, but it's also interesting on how their play is modelled after such a traditional family when they aren't from one. I can only imagine that they come up with these ideas from TV and watching their friend's families.

I think this is a perfect example of how children raised in alternative households aren't damaged or have a skewed sense of what is typical. My children have been raised in a Single Mom household since day one and yet they always talk about marriage, how there are mommies and daddies, how the moms stay home and take care of babies, the dads go to work and you call each other honey and sweetie.

I guess I haven't screwed them up just yet ;0)

Some More Pictures to Share

Today we went to the Festival. We have gone three years in a row and we always really enjoy ourselves. This year I convinced my parents to come with us which was great since I had two extra sets of hands. The twins had a blast - already asking when we can go back - and I think the rest of us enjoyed our day too. Tonight we are all worn out...and I am burnt to a crisp...so I think it will be an early night to bed for all.

C-O-N-V-E-N-T-I-O-N

Every year our there is a state convention for mothers of multiples. I went 3 years ago for the whole weekend, 2 years ago for the big dinner and then stayed home last year since I was pretty pregnant. This year I wanted to go but due to cost I decided to sit it out.

Well, at last night's mothers of multiples meeting I won a free convention registration. My mom has agreed to watch the kids that weekends...so....it looks like I get to go!!!

This year convention is close to one of my parents homes. They usually rent it out, but right now it's vacant so we will all actually stay at the house. This will allow me to come home a few times during the day to feed Max or pump and then head back out. The kids will be within 10 miles of me and I won't have to pay for a hotel room.

Sometimes its very nice when everything seems to fall into place :)

First Day!

The twins had their first day of school today.

This morning I set my alarm a little early so that I could do some stuff before getting the kids up. When I got out of bed K woke up and started running around her room, getting dressed, and yelling "school! school!" It was so stinking cute. S took a little longer to wake up, but once he did, he was super excited too.

I dropped them off at 8am and they barely noticed me leaving. In fact, they were probably happy I was going because they complained several times about all the pictures I was taking. S went to one class and K the other and neither of them ever looked back.

I arrived a little early to pick them up and both had good days. They both had just woken up from their naps and were having snack. They both got their book bags and came home. I have heard them sing a few new songs today and every so often they come and tell me a story about their day. When I picked them up I asked them if they were ready to go back. K took a few seconds and then said 'yes' and S declined to comment. I think they had fun, and want to go back, but their first full day of routine and structure just wore them out.

1600

Just dropped off another box of breastmilk. Not trying to consistenly brag here...but it's the easiest way for me to keep track of my total donation amount :-)

I'll make it up to you with funny kid stories

Tonight while nursing M was playing with his soother. We about 10 minutes into our session, he popped off, put the soother in his mouth, rolled over and went to bed. I had to chuckle. He know what he wants, doesn't he?

K is back to talking about getting married all the time. She asked me tonight if she could marry Max. I told her not likely. I mentioned the possiblity of her marrying a little boy-friend named D. She responded with disgust "No!" and I asked her why. Her response "D doesn't have brown hair. I need to marry a boy with brown hair!" She also required that I made sure I let my mom know that she was invited to the wedding.

The Texas Crew is HERE!

That's right, the P family from TX has once again graced us with their presence! I don't know how J does it. She drove from TX to here, over 18 hours, with five kids in tow! She arrived here Saturday night and we have been going non-stop since!

On Sunday we all headed to GWL for a great mini vacation. Yes, poor J had only partially recovered from a two day drive and here we were hitting the road again. I think it was worth it though as this themed hotel is such a cool place. Rooms with little cabins for the kids, HUGE water park, arcade, story times, games, restaurant...etc. Both the big and little kids had a blast. This is definitely a place we will go again.

FYI for those thinking of going...a Paw Pass is a great idea and DON'T eat at the restaurant inside the hotel...very pricey! You can easily stay two or three nights if you have the cash.

Fun Fourth

For the 4th of July Weekend we went to my parents cabin in the mountains.

My parents came and picked up the twins on Friday and took them up first. It was the first time the twins were ever away from me, with an extended distance. I did well and the twins loved going up to the cabin with Grandma and Pop-pop. N, Max and I went up the next morning. It was a LONG 4 hour drive but it went pretty smoothly.

Saturday was filled with 4-wheel driving, BBQ'ing and a Campfire complete with roasting marshmallows and hot dogs. Sunday was much the same with some added swimming and then of course a fireworks show put on by Pop-pop. Monday afternoon we came back home. All of us were tired and very dirty, but we all had a very good time!

The twins are a perfect age right now for the cabin. They love to be outside and play in the nature. The enjoyed riding the 4-wheelers and exploring the nature around them. I would have liked for them to have a little more fear in certain situations...but it was wonderful to see them so happy. It would be wonderful if the cabin were closer and we could go once or twice a month, but I don't see that happening with a 4 hour drive. Maybe one other weekend my parents go up, they will take the twins again.

Max did pretty well, but was rather fussy. Probably due to his bedtime being all messed up and him having to share an air mattress with me at night :) Thankfully there were three sets of arms to hold him, so the extra fussiness didn't only impact me.

So, vacation two...check! So far our 2 mini vacations have gone very well and have been pretty cheap. One more vacation to go...and maybe the best one yet :) Then back to reality and dealing with K's leg.

Some Twin-isms

The twins have been saying some pretty funny stuff lately. Here is a sample :0)

- While trying to find something to watch, I landed on a show that S thought was a little too scary for him. His comment to me...

"Mama, it not healthy for me to watch this show."

- After asking K to just stop talking to me because I needed some quiet time, I overheard her talking to S.

"S, we need to find a new mommy. One that is nice and likes my talking."

- I was asking K which restaurant she thought grandma would pick for her birthday lunch, her response

"I don't know...she's YOUR mother" And you have to imaging this with head shake, rolling eyes and total toddler attitude.

Gymnastic Exhibition

The twins had their end of year gymnastics exhibition today. K was sad that she couldn't take part, but the instructors were nice enough to let her sit with the group in the staging area and then she was able to get her medal and pics. S did well and actually did what he was supposed to in front of all those people! I thought for sure he's chicken out.

It was amazing to see the older kids perform. They are beyond talented. I just watched in awe and imagined K in their place. I honestly think that if K decides to keep going, she could do really well in this sport. Poor S is a little too clumsy to excel, but I'm sure we'll find his niche too.

S and K with their instructor.

Twins with the gym mascot

S with his girlfriend and eventual wife according to him :o)


Also wanted to include a pic of M trying out his bath seat for the first time last night. I think it's still a little too soon as he slumped over in it a bit, but in a few weeks we should be able to use it all the time. The twins can't wait because then they can have baths with M...something they've been wanting to do for awhile.

General Musings

This morning was K's follow up orthopedic appointment. X-rays showed that osteomyelitis is no longer a concern and they just want to keep the cast on another week. I was surprised they didn't replace the cast as the bottom is completely soft. K just doesn't slow down. Her gymnastic exhibition is this weekend, so she won't be able to take part. I will take her dressed up so that if they do pictures she can at least participate. When she does get this cast off, she will need hours in the tub to soak of the dirt.

The twins were being complete butts when it came to keeping their room clean. Despite constant nagging, yelling, punishing, etc. the twins would not clean up after themselves. So yesterday I went into the room and removed everything I could from it. Now the twins have bare shelves, empty toy boxes and no everyday play things. Maybe in a few weeks I'll give them a few toys back and see if they have learned anything.

S is doing well without any big news. He is still a wonderful big brother who melts my heart everyday with how he cares for and plays with his brother. He has really impressed me the last few months.

And M, my little dude. He is still a happy baby. Right now he is developing in leaps and bounds. He reaches for and tries to grab everything. He is desperate to eat everything and anything. I have never seen an infant want to eat so badly. I have given in a few times (bad mommy) but I am trying to hold him off. He is an expert roller and can move around pretty well. He even is able to sit unassisted for a short time.

Even though he has his moments 0f fussiness, he is still a very happy baby. You know, maybe he isn't as happy as I think, it's just compared to the twins, he is a walk in the park. He loves to be in the car, and is never happier than when in the tub. He has trained his nanny Q very well and she carries him around all day. He is very flirty and a real charmer.

Stay tuned for pics of this weekends gymnastic exhibition and maybe other random fun :o)

Home Sweet Home

We are now back home. It was actually a really good trip with only a few hiccups.

We arrived on Sunday about 2pm after a pretty smooth three hour drive. The kids LOVED the hotel. They thought 'our new home' was so cool! (so cool in fact that next time I may just rent a hotel room down the road as our vacation). It was so ridiculous on how much I needed to pack for an overnight trip. Four suitcases, cooler, breast pump, pack n play, box of food, double jogger stroller, chairs, sand toys....like I said...ridiculous. After a little rest we hit the beach.

The munchkins in the hotel room

The water was cold, which is probably pretty normal for May, but S still loved it. He is soooo in love with the water. I felt badly that he couldn't do more in it. He was able to play in the surf, build objects in the sand and collect some seashells for friends back home. I think he would have stayed all day if I let him.

K unfortunately had to deal with her cast so she was a little more limited on what she could do. I was able to find a nice, thick knee high sock to wear over the cast, so while she still couldn't get it wet, she was able to play in the sand. K was a little more finicky about things like being dirty, and the wind blowing her hair, which lead to her desire to go back to the hotel after about 90 minutes at the beach.

M, as usual, was great. He enjoyed the fresh air and was pretty happy staying in his stroller. I love his pics as it makes him look like a future rocker baby :o) I wasn't able to get him into the water, but I think he could be a beach bum like his big bro.

On day two we went to the Aquarium. There were many very cool exhibits and some awesome sea life. Unfortunately S was in a grumpy mood and was not the most cooperative child. He refused, for the most part, to have any pictures taken and had to 'sit' in time out a few times. K seemed to like seeing all the creatures, and I guess since S wasn't up for it, she hammed it up for the camera.

K with the scuba diver posing behind her

The drive home stunk! It was raining the whole way, some places so hard that you couldn't see 2 car lengths in front of you. Our 3.5h drive was extended almost an hour, which sucks when you are tired after a busy two days. But we are now home and in one piece. Overall the vacation was a success. I had fun, the kids had fun, and now I know I can do it...so maybe I will be brave enough to plan for another one or two mini vacations :o)

I'm at my wits end...

The twins just wont go to sleep.

Before Max was born they would go to their room at 9pm and be allowed to watch 30 minutes of TV. They would usually fall asleep during that time and then wake up around 8am the next morning. They would have an afternoon nap about 50% of the time.

Since then...aggravation!! The routine got thrown out the window. Between my parents living here for 3 months and a new baby who initially cried from 8p-midnight, they ended up going to bed later and later. What usually happens now is the kids get put to bed about 9p and depending on their behaviour get the 30 minutes of TV. But they don't fall asleep. K will usually fall asleep first around 11p while S sometimes is still wandering around the house at 1am! They will sleep in until 10-11a if I let them. But with school potentially starting this fall I need to get this fixed!

I have tried multiple things
-yelling, screaming, threatening a spanking if they don't stay in bed.
-removal of the TV completely
-forcing an afternoon nap, thinking maybe they were over tired.
-not allowing an afternoon nap.
-waking them up earlier - two days a week S has speech which means we get up at 7a and even on these days they stay up late.
-cutting out dietary stuff
-allowing them to sleep on the floor in my room/not allowing them to sleep in my room
-baths before bed
-moving bedtime up even earlier...ie 8p

Nothing is making a difference. As I type this at 11:30p I can still hear them wander. The TV in their room is off, the lights are off, I have completely ignored them since putting them down at 9:30p. They get up and get a toy or move to the couch...few minutes later back to bed. Also, by the time I wake tomorrow morning, one or both will be in my bed. They share a room, but that can't change. I have no more space to separate them. Toys have always been in their room, but again, unless I just get rid of them, there is nowhere else to put them.

Any ideas...I am tired and the kids need to get back to a normal routine.

Don't Want to Forget the Other Two

Let me update you and the twins since this blog is a little M heavy :)

S is doing well. His speech has really been improving this last year with his therapy. I have applied to get him into Pre-Kindergarten this fall but I am not sure he has enough 'deficits' to get him into the program as it's pretty competitive. I am also hoping that if he gets in, K will also get a pass because I can't send one and not the other.

I got S's hair cut a few weeks ago. Now that I'm used to it, I like it but for a few days I did a double take every time I looked at him. He's still in gymnastics and doing pretty well. His biggest challenge right now is following the rules and listening to me when he needs to. I'm thinking this is pretty typical for a four year old so I will just try and stay consistent and hopefully have a better behaved child in the end.


K is also doing well. She is excelling at gymnastics and I have been told to enroll her in the advanced preschool class when we re-register this summer. K just seems to have a natural gymnasts body and she is definitely strong. As long as she is interested in continuing, I will continue to support her and keep up the lessons. I would love to see her excel in this area and see how far she can go.

K's biggest challenges are her attitude and her attitude. She is full of it and can be very sassy. My biggest challenge in dealing with said attitude is not to laugh at the stuff she comes up with. Her rationalizations are crazy...and very well thought out for her age. Just the other day when we were cleaning out some clothes she was growing out of, she looked at me very sternly and said "See this is why you don't tell me to eat fruits and vegetables. I don't want to grow big!"

Both S and K are loving M and seem to be getting more excited now that they can actually interact with him more. K is very grossed out my M's drool and spit up but enjoys talking and reading to him, while S loves to make M laugh and smile.

Although there are moments I'd like to find another home for them, I am truly blessed to have such great kids!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Today I turned 30! The big 3-0. The point in my life that I am expected to freak out about getting old and leaving behind my youth. Funny thing is, I couldn't care less. I have a theory that the people who freak out about turning 30 the most are those who are not sure what they want out of life. Those who made goals that are un-met. Or those whose life just isn't where they want it to be. I, thankfully, am not one of those people.

Don't get me wrong. There are plenty of things in my life I need to/want to change. But overall I have everything I could want. I have three beautiful, healthy children. I have a career of almost 10 years. I have great friends and family and a beautiful home. All of these things far outweigh any negatives in my life and for that I am grateful and not worried about turning 30.

Another bit of good news. I had my appointment with my neurologist yesterday. He is super happy that I have not had any further symptoms or flares since my diagnosis of MS 2 years ago. Usually even those who have controlled MS still have 2-3 flares per year. We also decided not to do an MRI since I was doing so well. I do need to stay very vigilant about possible symptoms though since I am still in my high risk 4-6 month post partem period for a severe flare. If I do start having symptoms I am to start steroids right away as a treatment. I am hopeful that I will be fine.

Tonight for my birthday the twins had a play date with our twin group. So for my birthday I got to spend the night with 50 twins and their siblings at a local bounce house and then enjoy a pizza party. To make up for it, tomorrow night my parents will take me out to a favorite restaurant for dinner and then come home to a delish Cold Stone Cake.

Here is a pic of the twins with their new shirts that my good friend Jenn sent for them, for their birthday. They were a big hit at the twin play date!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

My first babies turned 4 today! I don't know where the time has gone. While it's hard to remember life without them, it doesn't seem so long ago when they were tiny babies.

We celebrated today with family and friends. The kids wanted a Spongebob Party at a local Bounce House. A friend did an amazing job on their cakes and the kids got a ton more toys.

My main gift to them was a bounce house. Unfortunately it's still very cold and wet out so the kids got to bounce for a minute and then we put it away. Hopefully they will get more use out of it when it warms up.