Christmas 2012

I want to blog about this Christmas because there were a lot of things crammed into just a short amount of time that I want to remember. It was almost going to be the worst Christmas when my mom called me and said that she was sick. I was SO sad thinking she wouldn't be able to come! We have NEVER not been together on Christmas and I wasn't thrilled about this news. Thankfully she felt better and her and my Dad were able to come Christmas morning. :) Stella and Sloane were so funny this year. They were very interested in Santa and curious about his likes and dislikes and where he lived, even though Nick and I don't make a big deal about Santa. (That's a whole other post) All they kept asking for was a babydoll with a passy and balls. They saw this baby at Target and had been asking for it for months! They also wanted the Little People farm. They were SO incredibly happy to get all the things they asked for this year! Stella loved opening the presents and went around trying to "assist" anyone she could. I was also feeling very emotional this year. I could not help but mourn for those who were not celebrating with their babies this year. I was also sad at how things have changed in my family. We used to be with our extended family (my dad's family on Christmas Eve and my mom's Christmas day) but since my Grannie passed away a couple years ago, we don't do Christmas with them anymore and it was too far to drive to Uvalde this year since Nick only had one day off. The drive that far is ridiculous with 2 active toddlers anyway. So I did a little cooking therapy to help it feel a little more like the Christmas' I remembered. I made my Grannie's Pistachio Salad, my Grandma's banana bread, and my mom made her sweet potato casserole. Another tradition my dad and I had was making rice krispy treats together. Funny enough, he brought rice krispies and marshmallows to make some while he was here. The girls had a great time helping him. My aunt sent some of her famous sugar cookies and after all of that it "almost" felt like I was a little girl again. I know that this is all part of growing up, you start a family and make memories of your own, but it's still a transition phase. I think we have to hold on to some of our favorite memories so we can pass them on. If you are a Stewart or a Kruse and you are reading this, know that I missed you this year! I have wonderful memories of each of you tucked in my heart! :) I look forward to watching Sloane and Stella create new memories with their cousins like I did with all of mine! Love to you all!! Here are a few highlight pics of our day...

Fall 2012

Well, here we go! Another long lull in my posting but I finally have a chance to sit down and update a little. We did go to the pumpkin patch this year, our third annual visit, but I haven't uploaded those pics and it really needs it's own post. Today I am going to just add a few recent pics with narration. S&S have been doing so much lately it's hard to keep up with pics on FB much less the blog! I do have to say that in spite of the the 2 year old drama that could start at any given time, they are at a really fun age and behaving better and better each day! This is their 2nd trip to the dentist. Actually sat in the chair and let him look and touch this time. BIG girls!!

They were playing in the yard the other day and all the sudden fell down. I said, wait don't move let me take a picture. And they actually did lay there till I snapped it. So stinkin' cute!

The other night, I'm not sure how it started but they BOTH ended up riding their Daddy like a horse. Too funny!

Since it has been so mild as far as the weather goes we have been able to spend tons of time outside. I actually enjoy taking them to the park now because they don't try to run off every which way anymore. :) Here they are on the "big girl swings"

I think what really has sped up our life is Pee Wee School. I know, you would think shouldn't it give you more time?? But really with the prep to get lunches and take and pick them up and all the things I try to cram in to those 5 hours, it really does make the weeks fly by. I am thankful for their wonderful and sweet teachers and all that they have taught them already. It was so fun going to their Feast day last week. :)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Dallas Trip!

The first weekend in October we finally were able to make a trip to Dallas again! I love that city and miss so many things about it, even though I am very happy with the life we are making here in Houston. Nick had to work Wednesday and Thursday so I was left to go with the girls alone. Thankfully, Nick's mom (Mamaw) was able to go with me so I had another adult to help. We were going to Nick's cousin's wedding on Saturday so of course she wanted to go too. Thursday I took the girls to Pee Wee School like usual but I let their teachers know that I would be picking them up before their nap time at school so hopefully they would nap in the car. I ran some errands and came home and packed the car. We loaded up, grabbed some lunch then picked up Sloane and Stella. They were happy and excited and talked for a bit then thankfully slept for about an hour or so before traffic stopped on the freeway. We literally sat for about 10 minutes then started going again but it slowed us down a good 30-45 minutes. We made a pit-stop in Fairfield (I'm pretty sure that was the name of the town)where there was a Sonic with a nice playground that the girls loved running around in. After about 30 or so minutes there we got back in the car for the rest of the drive. Luckily Mamaw had gotten a few new toys and was good at keeping them busy for the next hour or so. We got downtown and found our hotel very easily. Got checked in and then left again to meet my friend Sherry and her family at Chuy's, one of both of our families favorites! Let me tell you about Sherry. She and I taught together my second year in Forney. We were next door neighbors and quickly found out we had A LOT in common. She was already married to a great guy named Trey and they lived in a great house there in Forney. We bonded so much that year but decided that I had to move closer to my boyfriend at the time so we only taught that one year together. I wish sometimes that I would have stayed in Forney but then I would have never met Hillary, who led me to Nick and we all know how wonderful that introduction has turned out. :)Anyway, Sherry now has 2 adorable kiddos, Chloe and Jack. Chloe is 4 and just the cutest thing ever. She talks and looks a lot like our niece Madison at that age. The girls have not stopped asking to go see her again! And Jack is just this precious little blonde curly haired cutie! He turned 2 in May and was great about sharing his toys and his sister and Mommy with us for the weekend. :) Sherry has been such a great friend through all these years and inspires me to be a better Christian, wife and mom! Love all the times we get to spend together, even if they are limited.

Back to the trip, so we went to Chuy's and starting catching up right away and then Nick met us there. The girls and I hadn't seen him much that week so we were all so glad to see him! We took some pics with the Clemens' then said good-bye but hoped to see them again the next day. We went back to the hotel and got pack n plays set up and babies changed for bed. Luckily the room was a suite with a living room area and then a separate bedroom. Can I get an Amen from all the mommies?? It's super hard to sleep with a toddler 2 feet away so these kinds of rooms are awesome!! After we put the girls to bed Nick and I discussed the plans for the next day and he decided that he would play golf with some of the guys in his family and I would see if Sherry wanted to go to the Dallas Arboretum. I am SSOOO glad we went. If you live in Dallas or are visiting in October, you have to go see the pumpkins there!! Hands down, best pumpkin patch I have ever seen. Pumpkins everywhere and all different kinds. In piles, on trees, made into houses, along the sidewalks, everywhere!! Sherry said she heard something like 50,000! I wouldn't doubt it at all. Had a blast and I hope next year we can visit Dallas again so Nick can go with us too.

That night Heather, the bride, invited us to her girls dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. I was leery to take the girls just because they hadn't napped well and I knew they would be cranky and I didn't know how they would eat and I wasn't going to have Nick there to help. I love any help I can get and Mamaw is great but when you are traveling with twin toddlers and pushing them to the limits, you kind of just want your "right hand" with you. But he went with the guys and did that thing and we did the girls thing and it turned out great! The girls actually stayed seated for a good part of it and we were able to get out of there without too much mess or meltdowns. Day 3, Saturday, was rainy and cold so I texted Sherry asking her about the Galleria. Nick needed to go to Nordstrom and I remembered her mentioning an indoor playground. She said it was only 5 minutes from her house and we should stop by on the way. (She moved from Forney into Dallas a couple years ago but I had never seen their house yet) The girls loved playing in Chloe's room and I loved getting to chat with Sherry and get the house tour. I wish she would come help me decorate my house! She had everything ready for fall and the house was just beautiful! I remember her telling me that the Master bedroom closet was one of the things that sold them on the house and I see why, Amazing! Makes me want to redo ours! After chatting there a bit, we headed to Galleria where the girls played in the cutest little indoor play area. There were tons of kids but they all played surprisingly well. We did a little shopping and got lunch then headed back to the hotel for nap. We all rested up then got ready for the wedding. Oh another highlight was that the girls took their first showers there too. There was no bathtub and at first I kind of panicked, how am I going to bathe them?? But then I saw that the shower head was the removable hose kind so I could get it down on their level and not spray them in the face the whole time. They loved it! They took one Friday night and on Saturday after naps when we mentioned taking one again that day they immediately ran to the bathroom and were ready to get in.

Heather and Mike's wedding was very pretty and the girls behaved very nicely. Sloane had a nice poopy diaper that got on her tights but other than that the night was great! They lasted till about 9 then it was time to go. Headed back to "Dallas" (what the girls called the hotel) and we all crashed.

Sunday was time to say Bye to everyone and head home. We made a quick stop at the Dallas World Aquarium because we had driven by it all weekend and I knew the girls would love it. And they did! Isn't that a cool picture of the shark swimming right over our heads?? Daddy wanted In and Out Burger before we left so we stopped there for lunch before heading home. I really wish they had one of those in Houston! Maybe soon...

The girls fell asleep before we were even out of Dallas and slept almost to Madisonville! YEAH! We stopped at Buckee's with every other person in TX and the girls hugged the "fever" then we were on the way again. We were all so glad to be home and sleep in our own beds Sunday night after our super fun weekend! We sadly didn't get to see the Parnell's, Donnell's, or my friend Holly or Britt but hopefully we can make a trip up again soon. Maybe after the holidays and things slow down again. Our October and November calendar is already pretty full. If you read this far, good for you!! ;)

A Day in the Life of a Twin Mom…

Recently several of my favorite blog mom authors have posted what their day is like. I really enjoyed reading them and thought my day might be interesting to others too. People ask me all the time “How do you do it with 2???” Well, this is how… 6:45 Nick’s alarm goes off and he heads to the shower. If I know I am going somewhere that morning I make myself get up and start getting ready too but usually I wait till a little after 7:00. I just don’t function well before 7 AM… 7:15-7:30 Girls wake up (If I’m lucky, I have gotten dressed and contacts in, but most days I still have glasses and p.j.s on) I go upstairs and greet the girls who are still in cribs at the moment. I grab one out then reach over and grab the other one. Then they want down and race for the stairs. Usually they stop at the landing and look for Daddy or anything interesting in the living room they can see. I coax them down the stairs and sometimes have to just carry one of them. I grab 2 diapers and try to grab someone quick before they run off. I change one diaper then chase down the other one and change her diaper. Then I head to the pantry and they tell me what cereal they want. I grab the snack cups from the drying rack and fill them both and scramble to put the lids on before they start screaming. They grab the cereal and head to the living room while I grab 2 sippy cups and the milk from the fridge. Fix lids, pour milk in both cups, then screw lids on and pass to the girls. They used to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Jake and the Neverland Pirates but lately all they want to watch is Caillou or Sesame Street so luckily I have them recorded now. (These kids won’t know what it was like when you couldn’t pause, record, rewind LIVE t.v.!!) While they are watching I scramble some eggs real quick or just fix them some toast with jelly. I fix 2 plates with toast, eggs, and half a banana. 8:00 Get them in their booster seats at the table to eat breakfast. Once they are eating I put in some toast or a bagel for myself and pour some milk or OJ. I try to sit down with them and eat but they are usually done pretty quickly so then I usually just put it on the island and clean them up and maybe or maybe not eat it later. 8:15 They head to the play room (used to be our dining room) and I clean up the breakfast dishes. Depending on how they are feeling, I might run from the sink to the playroom 3-4 times to put out a fire between them before I finish cleaning up. Then I run upstairs and grab their clothes for the day. Their outfit depends on if we are seeing friends or not. I pick something complimentary, but not the same, if I want friends to be able to call them by their name easily. If we are just doing stuff here or with strangers then I dress them the same. They have about the same amount of each, matching or different. I ask whoever is closest what outfit they want to wear (if different colors) and start working on dressing that one. Then chase the other one to get her dressed. Lately they have wanted to “do it themselves” so they are getting a little better about the routine. Then I gather the pajamas and head to my room to drop them in the laundry basket and get myself ready. If they are having a good day they will bring whatever toy or doll along and be happy for a few minutes. If not, I have to get my phone and the ipod and let them watch a video or 2 so I can get on some clothes, pull my hair up and maybe or maybe not put on make-up. 8:45-9:00 Usually by now they are asking to go outside. Thankfully, we had a palapa (wooden palm leave structure) built over our patio so now there is a covered area to play even if the grass is wet. It’s been awesome because we can go out there and they can look for frogs and lizards and run around a bit every day. We play inside or outside for a while then are ready for a snack. If we are going somewhere I take the snack in the car. If I need to run any kind of errand I usually do it about 9:30-9:45 and I usually only go to one, maybe 2 places. On Mondays we go to the Library at 11:00. They love it but I really wish it was at 10:30 or so. We don’t leave there till 11:45 and then by the time we get home and eat they are Hungry!! Other days we go to the park, Petsmart or to a friends for a play date. They do like to go with me to Target or HEB but those kind of errands are getting harder just because they don’t like being in the cart too long anymore. Thank goodness for Mother’s Day Out now! I’m sure you are wondering how I get them both in the car so I will share our routine. I check my diaper bag before we go anywhere and make sure there are at least 4 diapers, wipes, some snacks and some extra pants (2 pair) and 2 sippy cups with juice or water. I tell them to come and get their shoes on, we have a basket by the back door, and they get started on that while I am fixing sippies or snacks or getting my shoes on. They can put their crocs on by themselves, Toms or Converse need help still. Once all 4 toddler feet have shoes, and mine too, we head to the garage door. Me with diaper bag, purse, and keys in hand. Them with lovie or some kind of doll or a sippy cup in hand. We walk out and I open the garage. Sloane likes to run out to our front sidewalk and look around the neighborhood I guess to check things out then Stella runs behind her saying “No Sissy!” I stand by the car and tell them to get in or I’m leaving and they come running back. I help one up into the car then the other. Whoever is closest to me at the moment I grab and put in her carseat and buckle. Sometimes with rebellion, sometimes not. Then I climb in the car and put the other one in her seat on the passenger side and buckle. Then I climb back out and put the diaper bag in that I left sitting in the floor of the garage. I close the door and then get in the front. I do have remote start on the car (BEST FEATURE EVER!) so somewhere in that time I start the car so we’re not all melting. When we get to our destination, I open the back drivers’ door and reach over and unbuckle one, then the one in front of me if they are walking. If we are using the stroller I get that out first, then get them out one a time and buckle in. (Somewhere in the morning one or both of them poops and I have to change them. If they don’t do their business, then I just change their wet diapers before lunch) 11:15 We get ready for lunch. If we are at home I fix them a hot dog, chicken nuggets, or a grilled cheese. Lately, since they started school they like peanut butter too. I quickly get something on their plate and then I add some fruit or raisins and a vegetable too it as I get it ready. They usually eat pretty well at lunch. Some days I take them to Chick-fil-A and we bring it home to eat. They love CFA days! So does Mommy! Sometimes we meet a friend or Daddy at McAlisters or somewhere for a lunch date, but that’s not very often. 12:00 After lunch they head to the playroom and I tell them to find some books while I clean up. They have been good lately about “reading” to themselves for a few minutes. I join them as soon as I wash up a few things or I hear the first scream that things are not going well between them. They also like to watch Caillou around this time too. It comes on at noon but I record it and we usually watch it about 12:15ish. About 12:45 I make them help me clean up some, check to make sure their diapers are okay and put them down for nap. 1:15-3:15 Nap time! I am on a race against the “nap time clock” to get as many things done as I can. If there are clean dishes in the dishwasher from the night before I unload it and wash/load the stuff from the day. If there are things laying around the kitchen I tidy up. I head to the laundry room to fold or start a load. Check phone and FB/zone out for a little while. Sometimes I get on the computer but not very often. It ends up sucking too much time and the whole nap is gone before I know it. If I have to make any calls or schedule anything I do it now. Sometimes I get to lay down and read a book or my bible but that’s not as much as I would like to either. This is also when I make sure I know what we are doing for dinner. If I have stuff for a crock pot meal, I start it. If not, I get every organized for what I am making later. 3:15-3:30 Girls wake up. I go get them and bring them down for diaper changes and then snack. Same thing as the morning, I chase one down and change her then chase the other one. If you have toddlers you know how much they LOVE diapers changes! HAHA loads of sarcasm!! For snack they usually want animal crackers, bunny snacks or goldfish. Sometimes popcorn but I usually eat more of that than them. ;) 4:00-5:00 We are usually outside again running around or playing on their trampoline or in their play house. The shelf broke in it the other day and I haven’t been letting them play in it and they miss it. Hopefully Daddy can fix it this weekend. 5:00 We come back in and usually they want some more juice or water since they have finished what I gave them at snack. I turn on some sort of video (baby signing time, baby Einstein, Praise baby, etc) for them to watch while I try to get dinner going. I am usually running back and forth from the kitchen to living room to put out fires between the girls. They love to fight at this time of day! 5:30 -5:40 Nick gets home. We are always so glad to see him! 5:45 ish we sit down to dinner. As soon as they finish they want to play with Daddy. He is really good about helping me get the dishes in the sink and a few things cleaned up before he goes off with them to play. 6:15ish we head outside to play. It’s been nice in the evenings so we have been outside a lot. They like to play in the front yard now too since we can trust them a little better to listen and not bolt for the street. They love to watch for neighbors going by on bikes or taking walks with their dogs. They love dogs and cats lately and are always on the lookout! I got them some sidewalk chalk and they love playing with it. Usually Nick and I have a rule that whoever cooks the other person cleans but lately I have been cooking more and I want him to take the girls out of my hair for a second so I end up doing both. I don’t mind though. They go off and play with him and I get most of the kitchen clean before they are calling me to come play too. I leave it and do it when they are in bed. 7:00ish Head inside and to our bathroom for their bath. One of us gets the water going and girls undressed and in the tub while the other gets pajamas and diapers. They love bathtime and always have fun. We usually have some good laughs with them too. One of us gets the fun job of hair washing, they usually really don’t like it but getting better. Once they are washed up they play some more till we decide its time to get out. I grab a hooded elephant or princess towel and wrap up a cutie. Then I lay her down on the counter and put on a diaper and p.j.’s. Nick grabs the other and takes her to our room to diaper and dress. Then we comb their hair and brush teeth. (If Nick is gone this is the hardest part. I am a nervous wreck having one on the counter and one in the tub but thankfully I think they know I am anxious so they usually mind me well.) 7:30 Head to the living room to cuddle on the couch and play on our phones. We started letting them look at our phones but it quickly turned into drama when they wanted it ALL the time so now they can only do it after baths when Daddy is home. They play Old Mac Donald or watch a video on Youtube for a bit then we get ready for bed. I make them help us tidy up the toys then we head upstairs. 7:50-8:10 ish We go up to their room and they get their pacifiers. They still use them for sleeping and after some recent thought and discussions with other moms, we are letting them keep them a bit longer. It has always been their thing, paci, blanket, lay down sleep. Since they were 4 months old! Usually they let it fall out within a few minutes of sleeping so I am not going to go through the battle of letting it go just yet. Anyway, they get passy and lovies and we sit down on the floor to read. Nick reads some and I read some and they sit in the rocking chair or run around next to us. After a few books we turn out the lamp, turn on the sound machine (and sometimes humidifier when they are stuffy) and put them in their cribs. Their daddy gives them BIG hugs and kisses and walk out. I cover them up and give them some sweet hair stroking then I used to walk out. Since they started school though, they have had a bit of mommy anxiety and like for me to sit in the rocking chair for a few minutes. They say “Mommy sit in rocky-rocky bye”. It’s too sweet to resist so I do it. I sing Jesus loves me, You are my sunshine, ABC’s and some song my mom used to sing about Go to sleep little baby. After a few times through the songs they settle down and I walk out. It really has helped the routine because this summer they had really been fighting going to sleep. They would talk and laugh and play for an hour if we let them. And even when we tried to get them to settle down they just wouldn’t. I think the fact that it is getting dark earlier is helping and they are exhausted on school days. While I am singing to the girls Nick is downstairs finishing up the dishes and cleaning the kitchen (Such a great husband!) then we sit down in the living room to watch some t.v. or look on our phones. I may or may not start a load of laundry or fold something from earlier in the day, and try to make sure everything is ready for the next day. 10:00 We head to bed. We may lay there and watch some more t.v. but we are usually always in our room by then. Someone may or may not call out for me in the night and I may have to wearily head upstairs to check on them but most nights they are out till the next morning. Then it starts all over again! If you are still reading, good for you!! I’m sure your days are all crazy and busy too but I thought you might enjoy a little peek into my world.  “It might be a crazy life, but it’s our life” Kate Gosslin

Pee Wee School

The girls started Pee Wee School on September 4th. You might also call it Mother's Day Out. It's at our church and they go Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-2. They take their lunch and have nap time there but it's only about an hour and a half and they don't really even sleep that long yet. Some days they didn't sleep at all but hopefully they will get used to it soon and be able to sleep longer. At home they usually take about a 2 hour nap. It has been a big transition for them being away from me that long with strangers. They have been there for church of course but this is so much longer. Plus they just changed classrooms at church so they really weren't familiar with this room yet anyway. I wasn't as much worried about them being upset as I was about them hurting someone. This summer we went through a rough patch of them not wanting to share with other toddlers and pushing, shoving, doing whatever to get what they wanted. :( Not a fun parenting moment I tell you, not fun at all to have to constantly apologize for your little ones behavior. Stella was the biter and let me tell you how even more embarrassing that is!! Luckily after a couple of really bad, I mean BAD bites, She has finally gotten it under control. I guess it had to get really bad before it got better. Every time I drop them off I hold my breath until about 1:00 waiting for the school to call me and tell me I need to come and get one of them. Luckily I haven't had to yet and I pray that I won't. They have cried every time at drop off but not long. On Thursday last week, the fourth time, Stella didn't cry at all and Sloane stopped before I even left. I am hoping that tomorrow, the fifth time, we will do even better. They love it there I can tell because they come home talking all about things they did and friends they have made. Here are some pics from the first day of school and a craft they did the second day.

My House is A Zoo!!

If you have been to my house in the last 2 years, or at least the last year, you know things are pretty wild around here! My daughters are VERY active and pretty much don't stop going unless they are asleep. Because there are 2 of them, I think they tend to feed off each other and it's just non-stop action. We have been having some trouble with their behavior and they have been really testing our patience, to say the least! Luckily though, they are starting to learn that there are consequences for actions and I know they can mind me, if they choose to;) So the other day we were playing and they kept asking about the zoo. Something made them think of it and they were determined that they needed to go to the zoo right then. I told them we couldn't go to the zoo but maybe we could "play zoo". We got out their big tub of plastic animals and started putting them in different areas around the house. Then we got their babies and strolled them in the baby strollers to "see" the animals. It was the first time for us to truly do imaginative play. We were pretending like their were different animals upstairs and in the laundry room. It was so cute to see them getting into it and pointing out the window, look Mommy, elephants! Here is the alligator under the recliner...

And here are the lions on the below the side table....

It was so nice to play with them and have them be a part of it, not just me leading them or telling them what to say or do. It's amazing how much they have changed since their birthday! 2-year-olds really are so smart and soak up every bit of information from their world! I think it's just hard for them because they don't understand limits and they don't have much self-control yet. Which makes being a mom to two 2 year-olds pretty rough too! I know it's a season and it will be over soon. They start Mother's Day Out in less than 2 weeks! I have been waiting for the day when they can go to "school" and now it's almost here. I'm very excited for them but nervous too. I pray they can be sweet to their classmates and love their teachers. I pray they have so much fun that they don't miss me too much;) Before I go, I've been wanting to update about a few things they are saying and doing individually. Stella is our clown! She makes us laugh doing the littlest things, it's just how she does it. We took them to the pet store the other day and when she was looking at the rats, one of them stood up on his back legs and started making a funny little face. She immediately started copying him and we just laughed and laughed. She has still been doing it this week to make us laugh. Another day, she got yogurt in her hair at breakfast and she started making these faces and Sloane and I just cracked up! I couldn't even be mad at her for making a mess because it was so funny! She likes to be held and says "mommy hold you". I've been telling her that she is a big girl now and mommy can't hold her all the time, but she's so cute I have to give in sometimes. She loves to play with her babies and almost always has one in her arms or very close by. My friend Lindsey had a baby this summer and her name is Hadley. Now the baby doll who used to just be "baby" is now "baby Hadley". She will come to me and say waa waa baby cryin mommy. hold baby. So I have to hold and pat baby or maybe give her a bottle. The other day I let them take the babies outside. Stella took her baby over to the slide and let her slide down. Of course the doll flew down the slide and landed face down in the grass. She quickly got herself situated and slid down to get her baby, all while saying waa waa baby cryin! I had to laugh because she was just so cute and concerned that her baby was hurt. She has been quite the biter these days and we just don't know what to do. We have tried ignoring her and paying more attention to the victim (when it's Sloane) time-outs, even spanking a couple times, even though I don't like spanking her for that. I feel like it's a negative for a negative but at this point, it's almost like defiance because we've told her SO many times not to do it. It's so weird because sometimes she will play with kids just fine and sometimes she is terrible and can't keep from trying to hurt someone. It's very frustrating but I am hoping she will outgrow it soon. Maybe school will help. Either way, she's ours and we'll keep her;) Sloane is our sensitive one. She gets her feelings hurt so much easier and I don't usually have to say as much to her to get her to mind. If I say she will get time-out or a spanking, she can turn her behavior around. It breaks my heart when she gets this little sad face like she is trying not to cry. Lately it has been if she is scared of something. All the sudden she is afraid of public restrooms because of the blowers (hand-dryers). When she was a baby she would cry if I was in there changing her and someone turned it on, but she had been fine for a long time till just a week or so ago. Hopefully it won't last long. She loves her Stella and calls her StellaReese all the time! She says it fast, like all one word. She likes to hold her hand and help take care of her. She got mad because I was looking at a scratch on Stella's leg and SHE wanted to take care of her. She says "me do it" or "my turn please" all the time. It's so cute but also frustrating because she can't do all that things she thinks she can and it's hard on both of us! I try to let her do as much as I can, but some things she just isn't ready to help with. Like opening the front door! She loves to watch Calliou and will actually sit there in the chair and watch for several minutes. She has a little burp cloth that she somehow got attached to as a baby that we call her lovie. She has gotten more attached to it lately and likes to bring it downstairs now sometimes. I used to only let her have it in her crib but I do give in occasionally. Stella has her babies and Sloane has her lovie. She gets so excited when she has left it somewhere and then spot its again. She will say "LOVIE" and run to hug and squeeze it. It has a brown polka dot border that she likes to rub and I guess it soothes her. The other night Nick and I went out to dinner for a date and the girls stayed with Nick's mom (Mamaw). When we got ready to say bye she got upset and that little lip started to pout. It's really the saddest face ever and I felt so bad. She cried when we left for the first time in forever! I feel bad because now is not a good time to start getting sad when mommy and daddy leave since we are about to start leaving you at pre-school for 5 hours! YIKES! I have been praying and praying for them, their teachers and us to all get through this transition phase. It's a fact of life. They have to learn how to play with other kids and be in the care of another responsible adult. I know what happens to kids who have never been away from their parents till Kindergarten and it's not pretty. Pray for us over the next couple weeks if you think of it, and espescially on Sept. 4th! *Sorry this was so long!! Lots to catch up on!

Circus!

On Friday we took Sloane and Stella to the circus for their very first time. We weren't sure what to expect or how they would react but we really wanted to try it and if it was too much, then we would just leave. We were pleasantly surprised by their behavior and they absolutely LOVED it!! We met up with another friend of mine in BAMOM (bay area mothers of multiples) and her twin boy and girl who are just a couple weeks older than mine. It was great because we were able to take pictures of each other's families. We got there early and were able to take the girls "backstage" to see the animals. I wish I had a video of how excited they were. Their faces and squeals with delight were absolutely priceless! They had been talking about seeing the elephants all week and once they saw them they couldn't get enough! We also saw horses and tigers too and they said "look Mommy!" "look daddy!" over and over at every animal we saw. Next we went into the main area and saw some clowns and dancers performing before the show. It was pretty crowded so we just headed up to our seats and the girls could see much better from there. They just sat there in their seats and watched intently on everything below. It was so fun to see them enjoying every little detail. In just a few minutes all the pre-show people cleared out and it was time for the show to begin. The girls had been watching the commercials and teasers on you tube for the past week of the circus intro so once the announcer started talking and the music started they were so happy and started clapping along. The grand intro is impressive with all the performers and animals (minus tigers) coming into the arena at once. There's so much to see it's hard to even focus on just one thing but they loved it all! The first half was an hour long and about 45 minutes in they wanted snacks and started to get ansy. It was their lunch time anyway so at intermission we decided to leave. Sloane was sad to say Bye-bye to clowns but luckily we got out quickly and they were fine. I wanted to get them a stuffed elephant but it was $23!! That would be $46 for the girls to both have one!! Highway robbery!! Luckily they didn't really ask for anything so we just bolted it out the door before they realized we wouldn't be buying a souvenir. I'm sure next year when they are 3 we won't be so lucky. And yes, I am already planning to take them again! They haven't stopped talking about it since we left and I feel bad they have to wait a whole year. :( Here are some great pictures my friend took. Thanks again Heather!