Quirks and other stuff

The babies have taken to carrying pieces of my clothing around with them, Lily sniffs them. Don't worry they're clean!! I use a body oil after I shower and its fragrance lingers a little. Well, I guess it just doesn't wash out. It's cute and a little odd. They have a few favorites. Lily pulled my jammie pants down the other day trying to get a hold of them, and Tess teases her by taking things away. If I don't put away clean laundry right away...I find it has been dragged all over the house. Silly things.

Tess can climb on most of the furniture, and is constantly having to be rescued from the tops of things. She just discovered the silverware drawer, climbing up on her walker. Lily is too busy laying on my shirt!!

Lily says "tickle, tickle!" and is always tickling everyone...it is the cutest thing, and oddly enough her first word....love it.


I've been alternately letting Jack do more stuff, and then not, simply because he is 11 and not quite ready to do a lot of the things he wants to. Our adjustment to middle school has been a little rough. Not socially, but we are needing a little guidance keeping up with classwork and homework, perhaps a little less chatting during class would help!! I am sooooo happy that he is having fun and has lots of friends, but his grades are really suffering...what to do...how much emphasis do we put on grades??? I really just want him to try, put a little effort in!! He was thinking I suppose, that if he got all A's on his tests that his homework didn't matter. He was wrong. So we are pushing effort, not achievement at this point.


Alexa started gymnastics. She's so good!! She already ruined her leotard by putting it through laundry with some goo stuff she made at school, so she was thrilled to get a new one, not from Target....


And Travis. Well, he is still giving me a hard time about switching him to AM kindergarten. He is the sweetest most charming and adorable child one minute, and the most hateful, screaming, kicking, hitting terror the next. He is 5 1/2. I sort of remember Jack and Alexa being a little this way at this age as well, but I think I blocked it out. I spend most of my evenings watching him sleep, and basking in his sweet face.


Luke is beginning to really settle into his new job....now that the initial shock of how different it is than his last job has worn off. I am so proud of him...

And me, well, I had a new obsession for a while, but I've had to put it on hold, so I hope to pay a little more attention to my poor blog...it has been sooooo neglected!! Is it too weird to change the dates on my posts so they stay in some sort of order as I try to catch up???

I've weaned the twins...a bittersweet reminder that I will not/cannot have anymore babies...they of course were barely phased, I was a wreck. I'm just amazed I made it for so long....when they were 3 months old, I would have said there was NO WAY I would even make it to a year...well I did it!! 17 months.

Bella

Our dear friend Bella Llewellyn, passed away early last Saturday morning, November 8 from a cerebral aneurysm. She was seven years old. We are all so sad, and the kids are so confused. We will miss her beauty and sweetness always. Our hearts are heavy with love and concern for her parents Gwen and Ian, and her big sister Mikayla. We love you guys.

15 months

Tess and Lily had their 15 month checkup yesterday... Tess weighs a whopping 18lbs, and Lily tips the scale at 18 lbs 10 oz. Totally fine just petite. I don't know how they can be so tiny, the are constantly eating, or crying to eat. And how can it be that after 3 days of following me around crying, they get a leg full of shots and become cheerful little monkeys again??

 

They have a new hangout....it makes it hard for me to fold laundry, but gives me a great excuse not to!!!

Random stuff...and a couple of milestones

I've been a little off lately...totally uninspired. I am blaming my upcoming birthday, but there are probably a few other factors.

The babies are walking and into everything. They're so cute, but man, the minute I go near the computer they are right here pushing buttons, banging keys, dumping out my drawers....it's never ending!! The good thing is, that they follow me everywhere, for now, so I always know where they are. BUT, they seem to be crying a lot as they follow me, I can never figure out why, and the minute I shut the door to the bathroom all #$%&* breaks loose. Although this morning I went to get my haircut, and Husband said they were pounding on the bathroom door looking for me and that he had to keep showing them that I wasn't in there....so funny. Just shows how often I go anywhere without them.





Travis spent the entire first week of school teaching himself to ride a two wheeler...yesterday I caught him with his feet up on the crossbar(I think that's what it's called) racing past our house, and then riding side-saddle.....our little XGamer. SCARY!!! Of course he won't let me take any photos of him, and I don't want to make him fall so I don't take them without permission. This morning he screamed at me for 20 minutes because his glass of milk wasn't full enough. I'm hoping for a zoom lens for my birthday....so I can sneak the photos.

Alexa is great...she was in another musical One Magic Moment. So cute. She was with older kids this time, so it was more challenging and she rocked!! Now she is madly rehearsing Little Red Riding hood at school.



Lily, where's your nose?


Tess has a new skill...

And the latest pastime...learning to flip.

I Can't Help Myself

Jocasta, at Princess and the Peas posted today about a blog called Cake Wrecks. I've spent the last several minutes/hours cracking up at the cakes, and I can't help but share a couple of them. This one, and this one made me laugh out loud, but there are oh so many more to enjoy.

Thanks Jocasta!! I just spent my entire Bank Holiday Monday reading Cake Wrecks!! Although it is sort of appropriate for Labor Day huh?? That was awesome! It inspired me to start trying to decorate cakes again!!

My 100th Post

I've so enjoyed the other 100 Random Things post from other blogs, that I thought I'd do one for my 100th post...it was really hard!!!! Here I go.

1. My due date was my grandfathers birthday, October 18th, I was going to be a boy and named Thomas Edward after him. I was a day late, and a girl, and so named Constance Catharine.
2. I'm the middle child of three girls.
3. My older sister will still say she resents me being born, it took all of the attention away from her...
4. My family moved 5 times in 6 years, we moved to California just after my 6th birthday.
5. My mom gave me and my older sister the choice of whether or not we wanted to start kindergarten at the age of four, we both have late fall birthdays, and we went. I think my mom always regretted letting us go.
6. I loved my little sister Meg, I always wanted a baby in the house and was thrilled to have her.
7. I always wanted an older brother.
8. When I was 3 1/2 I had an imaginary friend named Romin Bells. Her mother was pregnant and her baby died. I dragged my Auntie Freid all over our St.Louis suburb looking for their house while my mom was at the hospital after having Meg. No one told her Romin Bells was imaginary.
9. I had to wear a note pinned to my shirt in that same suburb because I would go to all the neighbors houses visiting, and they would give me treats. the note said, "Please don't feed me." I used to ruin my appetite.
10. I didn't go to preschool because I was such an easy child for my mom, she didn't feel the need to send me.
11. When I was 4 I refused to take a bath for weeks, and I finally did because my grandparents were coming from California.
12. I also ran away because my mom wouldn't let me have a sleepover at the neighbors. She waved goodbye, thinking I would come back but I never did. Those people raised me...just kidding. They let me stay for dinner, and then I had to go home. I'm not seeming like such an easy kid anymore am I?
13. My best friend in NJ was the boy across the street. He and I would have peeing contests in his backyard. He always won.
14. We taught ourselves to ride 2 wheelers.
15. When we moved to California I was in the first grade. They had late birds and early birds. I couldn't read, so I was an early bird. I hated that, so I would dawdle on the way to school and show up with the late birds.
16. I remember learning to read. It was almost overnight, it just clicked for me.
17. In second grade I refused to wear, eat or drink anything that wasn't orange for several months.
18. Orange has always been my favorite color. I wanted an orange Corvette throughout my entire childhood.
19. I am a people pleaser, I will sacrifice my feelings to make others happy, or like me.
20. I played soccer for 10 years, and haven't played since I was 17.
21. My maiden name was Bacon. It invited all sorts of teasing. Especially when Sizzlean became popular. Remember, "Move over Bacon, here comes something meatier!"?
22. This also is where my favorite tease was from. One of my friends asked me, "When you have kids will they be called Bacon-Bits?". Hence my screen name on monoamniotic.org, and many other sites.
23. My hair feathers really well.
24. I played the flute from age 9 to age 14.
25. I started smoking cigarettes at age 14, and quit when I was 27.
26. I failed my driver's license test on my 16th birthday.
27. I backed my dad's car into a tree the very first time I got to take it out at night.
28. I got my first job because I had to pay him back. I was a counter girl at Sizzler.
29. As a senior in high school I worked full time as a night manager for a shop called 'San Francisco Sour Dog'. It was a hot dog shop that had patented a burner that made a hole and toasted inside a sourdough roll to put a hot dog in.
30. I designed my own senior ball gown.
31. I was kind of a naughty teenager. I didn't realize until I was older and had kids and would joke with other parents about "the things we did" and none of them had done the stuff I had. I was shocked!!
32. I had a serious boyfriend from the age of 19 until I was 23. He wanted to get married but I insisted that I couldn't get married until I had been to Europe. He moved on.
33. When I was 21 I packed up my RX-7 and moved to Seattle. I LOVED it there!
34. While in Seattle I took a job in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, in the resort. I was a steward on a boat that did day trips to the glaciers.
35. After Alaska, I moved back to California to go back to college.
36. Longevity runs in my family. Both of my great grandmothers lived into their
100's, and my moms mother did as well.
37. I was accepted into UC San Diego's Psychology department to gain a BS in Psychology.
38. I took a semester off before I transferred to go to Europe.
39. I was due to return to the States on December 23, and called my mom THAT DAY to tell her I had decided to stay and be a housekeeper in the youth hostel where I was staying.
40. I never finished my college degree. I have always wanted to.
41. I dreamed of running a halfway house for teenage girls, taking in foster kids and being a social worker. There's still time!!
42. I love to have painted toenails.
43. I'm not good at being in cliques. They make me nervous.
44. I don't believe in Standardized testing, yet I am sooooo proud of my kids when the test "advanced in all categories".
45. I am the spitting image of my dad's mother. But she was blond and blue eyed.
46. I got my first gray hair when I was 19.
47. I designed my own wedding dress.
48. Before having kids I secretly hoped I would have all daughters...but I am having so much fun with my boys as well as my girls!!
49. I love being a mom.
50. I also love being Husbands wife....
51. I've been coloring my hair since I was 23. It's pretty darn gray now.
52. Jewelry, especially rings, makes me itch.
53. When I live in England I get really bad eczema, but not in California.
54. I am always dreaming about moving. I am constantly researching different places to live.
55. I would love to raise my kids in a rural area.
56. My hair looks terrible long...it is really fine and has a frizzy texture.
57. As a child I had nearly black eye color, and when I was 14 it changed to hazel.
58. I have always wanted a tattoo.
59. Having all of my kids makes me forgetful. I have to write everything down these days.
60. I still remember my first friend in California's telephone number.
61. I feel guilty about a lot of things that I shouldn't feel guilty about.
62. I'm always attracted to people that are open with their feelings and are very affectionate.
63. I think my in-laws are AWESOME!!
64. I was always naturally slim until I had my first child, and I gained a lot of wait while I was pregnant with him. Now I have to WORK to lose weight, and I have NO discipline!!
65. I begged an eye doctor to prescribe glasses for me when I was 15. I thought I looked good in them. He laughed in my face!!
66. I then talked my dentist into giving me braces...interesting huh??
67. I love margaritas.
68. The year I was born.
69. I love Autumn. The leaves changing, the crisp air....the bright low sun...
70. I am OBSESSED with metallic sandals. I buy several pair a year, and then end up giving them to my friend Maureen for various reasons.
71. I love ....
72. I overuse exclamation points!!!!
73. I'm not very computer savvy.
74. I have a great sense of direction.
75. I worked on a strawberry farm in England as a fruit picker...it sucked.
76. I met Luke on that same farm. That didn't suck.
77. I used to be a really good correspondent but I'm not anymore.
78. I'm kind of shy.
79. I talk a LOT.
80. I loved being pregnant. There is no more amazing thing to experience.
81. I love to cook.
82. My fingernails are paper thin.
83. I am a terrible typist. I once took a test for a job and had a negative score!!
84. I once drank 7 kamikazes in one night. I've never had another one.
85. We went to the beach every year for vacation when I was growing up. I LOOOOOOVE the beach.
86. I trip a lot.
87. I'm not a very good housekeeper.
88. I am easily distracted. This can be good and bad.
89. I am a generally cheery person.
90. I am known to have a bad temper at times.
92. I am a Libra.
93. I like balance.
94. I like blogging much more than I thought I would.
95. I am super protective of people I love.
96. I can be very stubborn.
97. I love to do yoga.
98. I used to sprint really fast.
99. I can be very opinionated.
100. I can be hesitant about my ability to complete some things, so I will put them off for so long that it's too late to do them, and then beat myself up about it. But this? It's done early!!

Oh and another one...

Wordful Wednesday that is...


The first day of school in these here parts. I hate to admit it, but I have been looking forward to(really dying for) this day for a few weeks now. It's been a long HOT summer. We made it...with 6 different drop off/pick up times, and even a milkshake thrown in. I forced the kids to take photos.

 

She did her own hair...whose child is this????? Cute huh?

 

Then the hard one. My baby, my firstborn. Off to middle school. This was soooo much harder than kindergarten for some reason. He looked so small and young(the haircut). I just don't feel ready for this little boy to become an independent young man. My little sweet cheeks. I wonder how long I can sneak that one in. As long as I keep blogging I suppose.

 

And the monkey. Kindergarten at last!! He was so excited all morning, and marched right in the door without a second look back and came out grinning like a wild man(not unusual-the wild man bit)with a new best friend. My kids are so awesome!! They had a great day. Alexa even got the "Best Worker of the Day" award, well acknowledgement anyway, today. How can they grow up so fast?????

Wordful Wednesday

One of my original blog inspirations Angie at Seven Clown Circus started Wordful Wednesday, and this Wednesday I have lots of words so I thought I'd join in.





Dad
August 27, 1939-November 16, 2007

Things I learned from you...
Always greet people with a smile.
Everyone deserves to be respected.
Don't judge, there is always more than one side to every story.
Live with grace.





Love a party, firewood makes a great baton, when you feel so moved by the music.

The birthday song sounds soooo much better through a kazoo.

Dad died of respiratory failure 2 days after being diagnosed with ALS. We think he had gone undiagnosed for about 5 years. He fought so hard to stay healthy, as he got weaker and weaker, he worked harder and harder to get stronger. It was always a losing battle, he just never knew. I felt so proud of him, he was so determined to get well, and because of that he never went into a wheelchair, and lived on his own until his last hospitalization the week before he died. He must have been so afraid and confused by how bad he felt, and never said a word to me or my sisters because he didn't want to upset us.
He loved my kids and knew them so well. The dresses he bought Alexa she would wear almost everyday they were clean, and he always got the boys the best 'boy things' bows and arrows, rubber band guns, water guns...They miss him all the time. He used to live on our street, and when Travis noticed someone had moved into his place he said,'That's Poppa John's house...those people aren't allowed in there.' It will always be Poppa Johns place.

Love you Dad....I miss you every day.

England~~part two...

We had a lovely barbeque with Ben, Claire, Leo and Matthew. The weather was gorgeous while we were there, we were very lucky...it has rained tons since we've been back.

I'm pretty sure Travis lived on bread and butter for most of the trip.


Molly the dog
And Grandpa Martian demonstrating something...I can't remember already...it looks like a bunny hopping...

Beware!!! Photo overload!!

I wanted to post a little more in depth about our trip to England...it could be several years before we go again, and it was so special for us to be there...I need it to be chronicled a little bit!! Although I'd be happy to just take a million photos, and post them...that will be another blog! So here goes.

Our trip was planned with only one weeks notice, and Luke's parents were in France on holiday, so we got to spend a little quality time with Uncle Matthew and Uncle Ben before they returned home on the Saturday after we arrived, well, took over the house is more like it. Uncle Matthew had a request from his dad to have mow the lawn, so he sweetly let Travis ride along, and Jack have a go driving the mower. Of course we didn't take any photos of Jack in action, because well, he was driving a lawn mower. And he doesn't like his photo taken...so we were avoiding catastrophe.

 

Travis and Uncle Matthew hard at work.

And then on Sunday, we went to the Somerset Steam Spectacular. Tractor pulls, more tractors than you could ever imagine...but all we needed was the bumper cars.

 

This was the boys first experience riding them and the absolutely LOVED them. I personally, can't stand them all that jarring my head around and inability to stop laughing...too much for me.

 

Poor Lily and Tess seemed to live in their stroller for the whole trip!!

 

And I tricked Jack...he's so handsome and takes such beautiful photos!! It's turned into a hideous control thing now....sometimes I think he let's me trick him.

The Brothers.

 

Luke, Matthew,

 

And Ben.

 

A neat scene...I loved all the flags from different countries flying together, and the skies in England are fabulous!!

 

And a bouncy slide.

 

They just had so much fun!! It can be hard with the biggish age gap between them, but when they can connect, it's really so magical! Alexa stayed with Grandma Purple and Grandpa, so that's why she's MIA.

 

The view from where we parked the car...the beautiful Somerset landscape.

I couldn't resist....another entry.

I had to enter another photo in the Summer Fun Photo Contest on 5 Minutes for Mom. I am already wanted to keep adding them....luckily I just don't have time!!!

Summer Fun....A Contest!!

My photo for the Summer Fun Photo Contest.
Five Minutes for Mom is hosting a Summer Fun Photo Contest sponsored by Skinny Cow. You could win $500 if your Summer Fun themed photo wins the contest! I don’t know about you, but I can always use $500!



I know I posted it before...but its my favorite right now...although I'm already having second thoughts...now I know why I never enter these contests!! Breathe.....

Go Husband!!

Luke has stepped out of his comfort zone, and began looking for a new job in commercial construction this spring. He has done well in residential construction, but had really made his way to the top rung on the ladder, and well a contact came through, and then another, and here he is with a great job, a BIG job with a great new company. A construction management firm that is working on a huge project at the hospital where I was inpatient a year ago...ironically, he got the job offer on the twins first birthday....kinda creepy. Anyway...he is really excited because he can eat in the hospital cafeteria for lunch!!! I know you momo mommies are dying right now...I giggle every time he mentions it with so much glee. That's what boarding school does to a person. Makes them crave institutional food.Here he is leaving for his first day of the new job on Monday. We had to get him a new car(for us anyway)...we were laughing because we have both bought 'grown-up' cars this year. I have a minivan, and he bought this sedan...no more bright red monster truck for him. We are getting there!!!
Thanks for working so hard for us Husband...we love you and are all so proud of you!

We're Back!!

We survived our adventure, and it was definitely an adventure, across the pond to visit Husbands family in England. It was wonderful to be there, and be with the family...everyone is delightful, and we got to meet our first nephew, Leo. The weather couldn't have been better, only 2 days of rain I think and we actually returned to California MORE tan than when we set off for the UK...Fancy that! These are only a few of my favorite photos of the hundreds that I took before my battery died in my camera only halfway through my trip. Whah!! I'm a dork...anyway, that is a whole different post.

 

Uncle Matthew mowing the lawn with a monkeyish helper.

 

We went to the 'Somerset Steam Spectacular', where the boys had a fabulous time riding bumper care and sliding down and inflatable slide...and we saw about a million tractors.....and I got a great photo of Jack!! A major feat in itself.

 

And finished the day with a barbecue with Uncle Ben, Auntie Claire, and Cousin Leo.

 

Daddy and Lily.