Jump Hoppers

What a fun evening of chasing jump hoppers across our driveway! Breanna followed them with each jump, which was a delight until she landed on one. She picked up the smushed grasshopper and looked at it quizzically, questioning, "No jump?" She then handed it to me and asked me to fix it. Good thing I could distract her with a poggie (frog) that came hopping to the rescue, landing right on Lillian's shoe. Thankfully, the giggles were gleeful and no one screamed.

Now that the weather has finally given us a break, I've been much more apt to get outside with the kiddos. We ate our supper on the front porch this evening in 66-degree sunshine. The start of the sunset was just too beautiful to watch from the dining room.

Here are a couple recent photos from a morning visit to a local rose garden. My kiddos were subjects in a photo shoot for the upcoming Respect Life campaign. The silly photographer (who is actually a reporter and not a photographer), tried to get the kids to pose, with comments such as, "Now hold the flower in your right hand and turn to look over your shoulder," or "Put your hand on her shoulder and then give her a kiss on the cheek." Silly gal obviously doesn't have kids, or any experience photographing two-year-olds, anyway. We still came up with some cute shots, though. The girls particularly enjoy the granite fountains that had a smooth, wet edge at the perfect splash height.

Still Whirling, But Smiling

I found the trick to travel sanity, thanks for some forced creativity for a weekend roadtrip to close up the cabin. My cousin and her 1-year-old daughter joined my kiddos and me for the smashed-into-one-little-green-van trip, so we put Breanna in the back back with Baby Grant and Lillian and Baby Chloe in the middle, with us big girls in the front to hop back to pop in nuks and dole out snacks and toys.

I didn't even consider suicide once. For real. We had a great weekend with lots of close conversation and plenty of bonding. The kiddos all were good, and even those who were teething were really fun to be around. My sister and her new baby were there, too, so we enjoyed a lot of mommy talk. It's hard to believe that I have the big kids - and they're only 2!

After we returned home Sunday night, I got the kids off to bed and then realized that I had a couple hours of free time until DH returned from his fruitless antelope-hunting trip. I got laundry going and then curled up with a cookbook. Aah, the glory. For 15 minutes anyway, until Grant woke up and insisted on being held the rest of the night while his new teeth tried to work their way out.

Labor Day was spent just hanging out and doing the 10 million loads of laundry we'd all created. The girls are getting into joining us for praying, so we practiced the sign of the cross quite a bit, along with the "Now I lay me" prayer. We also worked on colors and counting (got up to 10 - holy crap!) and we did our animal noises, too. We all know now that antelopes say "wee wee." Breanna has become close friends with Grant's "tubba bear," which sounds sometimes like "taco bar." Both girls continue to talk about all the "lucky" things, such as poop and buggies and snot bubbles. Lucky indeed.

Although DH technically moved in with us full time for real, he's leaving tomorrow morning to go back and work in Fargo for a few days. He still hasn't lined up a place to stay - brave man thinks he can just "crash" somewhere. I wonder if he realizes everyone he knows now has families and isn't really into the bachelor lifestyle any more. These jobs are dragging out forever, it seems. One day when we're all together all week long, I'll finally get in to get my highlights done again. Until then, I'll continue my progression toward looking like Brittany Spears. Yikes. Trailer city, here I come.

In Case of Memory Failure

I just have to write down some of my favorite silly pronounciations I hear from the twins in case I ever forget. With this overworked brain, I have to wonder what kind of shape it will be in a decade from now.

Sounds like...Translates to

gee gee gock...where's your sock?
Papa Teeb...Grandpa Steve
neck-a-nick...necklace
teetee...pretty
babameadow...watermelon
boda beans... green beans
amawna...what Breanna calls herself
Baby Dot...Baby Grant (Breanna's version)
Baby Dant...Baby Grant (Lillian's version)
Daddy tuck...Daddy's truck
timming tuit...swimming suit
teeko...sticker
hah hah hands...wash my hands

We had a really good night tonight - a nice way to end the workweek of single parenting. All the kiddos enjoyed the community tub and we all laid on the floor and read books for the last half hour of awake time. The girls even let me go into their mouths to scrub after their attempts at good teethbrushing. And then Breanna dunked her toothbrush into the toilet. Good thing the dishwasher sanitizes toothbrushes along with everything else.

Have a great rest of the week and weekend, too. I'll be celebrating the birthdays my mom and my cousin Billy, as well as myself this weekend at the lake. If you're in the neighborhood, please stop by.

Great Day to Sneeze Away!

I'm beat, and while I realize it's nearly midnight and I should just go hit the sack, I am invigorated to see that I suddenly have a wireless connection in my dining room. Our cable company won't be here to hook us up for real until Friday between 10 and 12.

This weather is sucking the life right out of me, and yet, I think I'm stuck with it. Thankfully my DH and my DD (Daddy Do) hooked up our central air on Friday. The amount of my sneezing and eye scratching has signficantly lightened up, and I'm much more comfortable. I'm still not enthused about having to walk outside to get to my van and then unload at daycare and then walk across the giganto parking lot at work. Fresh air smesh air - I want a steady 72-74-degree environment with no allergens. The way I see it, if I have to be outside in the summer, I should at least be in a lake. If I have to wear clothes and pretend to like the weather, it just feels wrong in so many ways.

We're heading to the cabin for birthday weekend on Friday and I am so excited to get in the water (first time all summer!). Now about finding my swimsuit- that might be a mighty big challenge. Thankfully it's clearance season already. Not only do I need to find a swimsuit, but I also still haven't come up with "the perfect gift" for my mom and my cousin, Unc'a Billy. Ideas, anyone who knows both or either of them?

I had a pretty nice workday today. In my evenings after everyone has gone off to bed, I've been preparing for my first real presentation for my new job. I pitched a technology task force to the Bishop and the rest of our executive board today. Complete with website/email/scheduling software/intranets/online newspaper/tools for communicating with parishes and schools, I gave a pretty in-depth talk about all the things we need to fix in the immediate future. I thought it was going to be much more challenging - I'm many decades younger than all other other directors, and this is the church, after all. But all my prep work and note jotting paid off and everyone is not only on board, but down-right excited to get this going. Some have even offered some of their staff to get it done - some of the self-proclaimed nerds. It's great to have some enthusiasm behind this, and at the end of the meeting, Bishop made a comment that perhaps we can shift some budget dollars so that I get a whole bunch more to work with in order to really do this right.

After work today, I picked up the kiddos, who were particularly silly. The girls are developing joking mannerisms like their dad already. They've picked up on how it's funny to talk about Daddy's van and Mommy's t'uck. As soon as they say it, they halt and wait, eyebrows perched, to hear you correct them. Lillian is enjoying saying that every animal says "moo," and then giggling like crazy when you correct her. Breanna is talking about 1, 2, 4, 5, leaving out the 3 just to be silly. They're learning up a storm, with talk of colors, moon and stars, animals, neighbor kids' names, and more. It's so fun to see stuff click in their busy little minds.

Grant is growing like crazy, too. We had him in at the clinic on Friday morning to get his new cold checked out and he weighed in at 17 pounds, 4.5 ounces at just under 6 months. Holy cow. Literally. He is rolling all over, sitting up, and even starting to push himself across the room as he lies on his back. He's so strong for being such a young guy! And of course, his dimple is adorable as ever. I have a hard time figuring out his eyes still - greenish/brownish, I guess. I hope it figures itself out before he needs his drivers license. He's still getting up to eat at least once each night (which is probably why he's so big, in my opinion), so we've started the weaning process just a little bit. Oh, how I miss sleeping for hours in a row.

That said, my bed is calling my name more and more loudly. I don't want it to wake up the kiddos, who are momentarily all quiet. Goodnight moon, stars, water, ducks, and Mommy's hot owie no no (a.k.a. my computer - as in don't touch it because it is hot and you'll get an owie).

Holy Hooray

It's a Holy Day tomorrow. That means that instead of working, I'll spend an hour at mass and then have the rest of the day for vacation. Not that I'll be vacationing, by any means. But I will be able to unpack in peace (translate: kids will be in daycare). Yayyyyyyy!

We've been in the Pretty House for nearly a week now and are starting to enjoy it. My DH went back to Fargo on Tuesday and will return tonight. He's going to continue with the Tuesday - Thursday commute at least through the end of the month.

The kitchen is mostly unpacked, although most of the condiments are still in the fridge in Fargo. That it makes it tough for the Condiment Queen to rule. The girls are missing their "dunk," so we've been using a jar of spaghetti sauce to satisfy the obsession.

Our makeshift shades are up in the girls' rooms (i.e. cardboard) and I've hung a shower curtain in my bathroom with a string of random peach satin ribbon. In other words, we're living a bit like hillbillies, but no one would know unless I invited them in (which I won't be doing until after this weekend).

The long weekend looks promising for some fun. My folks are coming tomorrow to help unpack - all day. We're bound to accomplish something. Our cul-de-sac is having a block party on Saturday. And on Sunday, the Greek Orthodox church in Saint Cloud is having its parish festival, complete with dolmades and baklava, music and dancing. I'm crossing my fingers that my dear cousin, Unc'a Billy, will be able to join us. He's half-Greek and loves the culture.

I'm sure the kiddos will enjoy it, too. Lillian loves dancing to "nu-nick" and Breanna loves to try new food. Grant (Baby Dot, Lilli still says), well, he just likes to smile at everyone - especially since his second tooth arrived yesterday.

We're still swirling in the toilet bowl of chaos, but at least we're having fun.

P.S. We still don't have internet at home - thus the lack of blog entries. It looks like our new neighborhood doesn't have much for service options yet. Maybe our neighbors can offer some insight at the block party. Right in town - no Qwest high-speed. Grrrr. High-speed cable starts at $80/month. Double grrrr.

Closing Day

It's finally here - closing day on The Pretty House.

Before that, though, I will have put in a full, big day already. I have my first real meeting with the Bishop (he's been on vacation since I started, but is back now), during which I will advise him on all the steps we should take to handle an icky situation. Thankfully, it's a situation in which the church isn't in the wrong, but one that we need to address publicly nonetheless.

From there, I'll go to the new house. DH and the girls should be there by then, and my folks will be coming, too. The girls are going to spend the weekend at Gramma Pamma and Papa's house. We'll likely unload for a couple hours, then go pick up Grant and head to the title company to close. And then unload some more, and then go out to dinner with our realtor... our darling realtor who has worked his tail off for us.

Thank goodness today has finally arrived. DH and I both have been getting crabbier and crabbier with one another over the phone, trying to figure out logistics. He's had the twins with him all week, along with the responsibility for packing up a trailer of storage-unit items and collecting VIN numbers and other paperwork-related stuff that I don't have access to here.

I've been doing my full-time work, doing insurance/mortgage/signatures kind of junk galore, as well as tying up some freelance commitments that I still have. Like they say, when it rains, it pours. I'm soaked and exhausted. Seriously, I am so very thankful for good makeup.

My insurance agent from Fargo literally yelled at me this week when I called to cancel our policies. I've given him all my business since 1998 (even when I moved away) and so instead of thanking me, he yelled. Nice.

Oh, and in between all the chaos, Grant's first tooth popped out last Saturday, so he's been showing it off to everybody he sees. Those types of things are what keep me in check. I still love being a mom and a wife above all else that goes on.

P.S. To my loving friends who have been sending emails/voicemails to say hi and check on my corner of chaos, thank you. I apologize for not remaining in touch. Soon things will slow down a little, I'll catch my breath, and then will catch up with you. Thanks again for your kindnesses!

Surviving Nicely

After a very rocky start to the week, all has settled down and we're settling in. Everyone seems to be well rested (except me) and adjusting well. The girls have already started calling their new daycare lady Grandma Barb. She said she tried to explain that she's just Barb, but they don't get it. I asked if she minds, and thankfully she said she's flattered.

We had a picnic supper at the park on Monday night and a pizza party at my cousin's house last night. She has a one-year-old daughter who graciously shared her toys and her mommy's attention.

I'm not sure what tonight will bring, but I bought teddy bear harnesses (gasp! the inhumanity!) to put on the girls so that we can be more mobile without me panicking in fear that they will pull their favorite trick of running in different directions. We'll try out our new "backpacks" and see where that takes us.

We're closing on The Pretty House next week some time, and DH is coming down here this weekend to deliver a trailer full of our storage unit contents. We'll be able to get into the garage. Yay! And then he can see where we're holed up. Things are definitely looking up!

Hell Night

Last night sucked. Big time. Thank God it's over with and today is a new day (and going much better).

After loading up all the kids and all of our stuff to last us all week (including 3 pack and plays!), we drove to DL. My folks are staying at the cabin, so we decided to meet at the Speak Easy for dinner and a travel break for the kiddos. As I pulled into the parking lot, DH called and told me he'd found my office keys and apartment keys for MN in his pocket. He drove up with them just as we finished our meal. It was nice to see him again, but what a waste of gas.

On the road, the girls whined, screamed, yelled, cried, shouted, and pouted. All right, I get it. I'm an awful mom for confining them in the car. I know - they hate car rides. But what could I do?

Once we pulled into the parking garage, after 10:00, with everyone awake, we proceeded to unload the van. Breanna walked around, hands on her belly, saying, "Tummy owie." I thought she was complaining after several long, but failed escape attempts from the car seat. Once everything/everyone was in the elevator, we started up. The girls went crazy. Bloody screams of death and torture! Finally the doors opened onto second floor. We proceeded to unload everything into the foyer. And then walk it down to the door. And then up three stairs and to our door. And finally inside.

Breanna still crying and holding her tummy, she cried louder. True wails. I gave her a TUMs, but she didn't like it at all. I then tried some of Grant's gas drops. Still crying. Grant was hungry, so I nursed him on one side and had Breanna in my arm on the other side. All the while, cute little Lillian walked up and offered Breanna a shoe. And then a sticker. And then my keys. She continued to cry.

We hauled into the bathroom and I put her on the toilet, thinking maybe she was constipated. Nope. By this time, I'd put Grant into a bouncy seat, given Lillian a bottle of water, which she spilled all down the front of herself, and was walking and rocking poor Breanna. DH called Ask-A-Nurse while I wondered how crazy it would be if I had to take all three to the ER.

Finally, Breanna threw up. Relief! But she'd whipped her head back and forth, so she spewed all over the sink, cupboard, and floor. And onto Lillian, who of course, was right at my heals, still trying to help. Into the shower they went. (I don't have a tub there.) Of course, this didn't help the mood. Lillian smiled about the tickle of the spray, but Breanna just sobbed. My heart broke as she continued to say owie and hold her belly.

In the meantime, Grant needed to be burped some more, but since I was covered in puke, I really didn't want to pick him up, too, so I draped a towel over myself and picked him up to burp. Thankfully, that's all he needed.

So, I jammied the girls, brushed their teeth, and then remembered that I still needed to set up their pack and plays. Just after midnight, all the kids were finally in bed and I was able to scrub the bathroom and get in the shower. I climbed in at 1:03. At 1:23, Breanna woke up, crying some more. I took her to the living room and rocked her to sleep. Then at 10 after 2, Grant woke up to eat. Breanna woke up once more before my alarm went off at 6:30.

It's going to be a long week ahead. But at least last night is no longer. The kids seemed to like their new daycare lady and Breanna was back to herself this morning. I called to check on them all at lunchtime and was reassured that everything was going quite well. Thank goodness! Wish me lots of luck in surviving.

Who's in the Hospital?

Four of my loved ones are the hospital right now - some for good, exciting reasons, others for assistance.

My sister gave birth to a beautiful little girl yesterday afternoon. Mom and baby are healthy and doing well.

Our dear family friend, Vivian, had open heart surgery earlier this week. She's had some complications, but appears to be recovering well. Please say a prayer for a continued good recovery and for peace for her family.

Our sweet Grandma Becky, who has lovingly cared for our children for the past couple years, is going in for surgery today to remove a fast-growing, painful lump on her neck. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors, healing for Becky, and patience for her family.

A close family member on DH's side is battling alcoholism and intense depression. The intensity of the disease is escalating quickly and destructively - with the sufferer not acknowledging the problem, and the family all acting in panic mode. As a result, everyone is constantly on the phone (thankfully we're communicating) and taking crash courses in how to handle this most effectively. I pray most intently that he gets into the hospital so that professionals can begin treating him.

It also means that I've lost my backup daycare for the kids while GB is unable to care for the girls. My other two backups (my sister and parents) are busy with new baby excitement and C-section recovery, so now I'm four deep into backups. Meaning: I'm next on the list.

I'm heading back home this afternoon, with plans to stop at MeritCare Hospital to meet my new niece and congratulate my sister and brother-in-law, and then go to the hospital on the other end of town to wish Grandma Becky well. And then try to figure out logistics from there. My folks are going to take the kids tonight while we attend DH's class reunion, and I'm pretty sure they'll all be staying at the lake cabin. I suspect we'll be traveling to the cabin tonight after the reunion, too.

Because Grandma Becky (GB) is out of commission for an undetermined amount of time, I'm planning to bring the twins back to my new place for the work week. Three kids, two and under, along with a frazzled mom, packed into a one-bedroom apartment with an industrial-sized (yet empty) kitchen two floors down - should be interesting. I think I need to buy another pack-and-play this week so everyone can at least have a place to sleep. And then figure out meal logistics. I suspect Papa Murphy's is going to become a close family friend. Whew!

My incredible husband has really stepped up - with GB suddenly going through health ickiness - he's needed to spend several days at home with our girls instead of going to work. He's had them out and about all over the place, including a trip to see his aunt and jump on her trampoline. He's very far in the hole in terms of work to do, so next week, he'll be hitting it hard, trying to play catch-up day and night.

I hate to say it, but the idea of hiring movers is growing more and more tempting. I've always thought of it as a luxury for rich people, but I just can't imagine how else we'll squeeze time in for getting out of the Fargo apartment and settling in down here. If I have to give up lattes for the rest of the year in order to justify the expense, I may just have to do that. Whew!

On a little bit more of a fun note, I'm looking for books on tape/CD. With all my car time, this type of listening has helped a ton. Have any you want to lend me? Or any recommendations that I can search for at the library? I just listened to one that had a lot of recipes added into the story, which wasn't very fun to listen to as I drove. I found myself frustrated as I fast-forwarded through them, and then stopped at the nearest drive-thru.

Happy weekending, my friends! I hope you can enjoy a slow pace and some hospital-free peace. That way perhaps I can live vicariously through you.

We Decided on a House

Finally, after going in and out of what seems like 10 million houses, we decided on one. It's a little more than I'd originally wanted to spend, but both my DH and my dad agree that we're getting a lot of house for the price and it's a darn good investment. I hadn't realized what a cheap-ass I've been until I've heard it from my husband, our mortgage broker, and now my Dad. I guess I'm just kind of chicken in this economy - I've seen enough layoffs affect friends and family (myself included), that I just want to save as much as possible.

Anyway, back to our future home. It's a new rambler - the builder had too many spec homes on the market and had to give some back to the bank. So, we're buying it from the bank. We've been working on getting the price down - we've got it down $80k from it's appraisal price - hopefully Monday will result in still a little more reduced. It still needs gutters, a central air unit, appliances, and a yard. But the main floor is finished with 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms and nice-sized rooms all around. All the hardware is oil-rubbed bronze, which we also put in the house we built and sold this spring. The woodwork is beautiful and the home has slate tile. Plus, there's a full walk-out basement for DH to finish, so we won't have to worry about him getting bored too quickly.

We've been nicknaming homes as we've been remembering them. There was Clean as a Whistle. The Sinkless Foreclosure. The Victory Home. Terra Bronze. 420. The House with the Sliding Hill. The one we're buying is The Pretty House. It has a pond with geese in the backyard and is in a great location. The neighborhood is great - lots of other pretty homes with beautiful yards - and supposedly lots of families.

My only drawbacks are goose poop and a new neighborhood - which means trees are few and far between. I guess that just means we have some planting to do this fall.

I had my third oil change in 6 weeks on Thursday as I prepared for another trip home to Fargo for the weekend. I'm here, the kids are in bed, and DH went out to pick up a movie. I can't even fathom the last time we sat down a watched a movie. I'm really looking forward to it. I have about 4 loads of laundry to fold, so I won't be a total waste of space. When I suggested we consider packing tonight instead of lounging, DH quickly talked me into some much-needed and much-missed R&R.

Now that my evenings won't consist of drive-through dinners while perusing neighborhoods, desperately looking for FSBO signs (our Realtor has been taking care of monitoring the MLS changes), I will finally get some down time. What a relief! I look forward to the weeks ahead - lots happening, but at least the one biggie is out of the way. Finally.

Hello from Central Minnesota!

I will be starting day 2 on the new job this morning. My first day was fun and exciting - my new colleagues are wonderful. The demands of my position will keep me hopping. I've already had two conversations with reporters and have been called in to consult on a few hot issues. There is so much to do and so many immediate ways we can make improvements - it's certainly energizing to look ahead.

My employer is housing me in a beautiful furnished apartment in Sauk Rapids. The building is new construction that's connected to an old church. I have underground parking and lots of privacy (because the building is brand new, only two people live in it and they are on floors beneath me in a different wing). I can't believe how quiet it is - I sleep like a rock! And so does Grant!

One secret perk to being here is that I don't have chores to do at night. No dishes. No laundry. No bills. No anything. Just enjoying Grant and going to bed. Tonight, I'm finally going to finish up baby announcements. (Am I just the worst or what? Four months later!) And there's no TV, so I'm not even tempted to zone out with a show before bed. Last night was the first night I've been to bed by 11:30 in ages. I'm going to aim for 11:00 tonight.

Grant is going to a wonderful daycare grandma who came highly recommended from some of my colleagues. When I picked him up yesterday afternoon, he was smiling and laughing like crazy. His caregiver had created a page for a booklet she's starting, which had a photo of him smiling with her granddaughter, and then a little story written in his voice that told about his day. It said when he ate, slept, played, and took a stroller ride to the neighborhood park, and even had a checkmark for each wet diaper. What a relief to know he's in good hands!

DH and girls are doing fine back home. DH made pheasant nuggets from scratch their first night alone, and apparently the girls loved them. (Blech!) He also sent me a text picture of the twins covered in bubbles from head to toe in the tub lat night. They've been going for evening walks and basically just hanging out. I miss them, but it helps to know they're having fun at Grandma Becky's by day and with Daddy by night.

We're in the counter-offering stage on a house - so we'll see how that pans out. I do have a couple backup plans, just in case it doesn't work out. That said, I'm looking forward to getting settled in. Grant and I will head back home tomorrow afternoon for a weekend with the rest of the family. I wish you all a happy short week!

My Last Wednesday

It's my last Wednesday in this apartment. Hooray and boo hoo at the same time. Still no house to live in - still no daycare - still no packed boxes. What is wrong with this picture? It's weird to think about being away from DH and the girls evenings in a row. I wonder what kind of aftermath I'll return to each Friday.

But I am caught up on freelance and consulting work - and laundry. It's tough to pack up when more than half of the family will be staying here. Grant doesn't have much to pack - all of his clothes are already in containers/drawers. As for me and my skinny clothes - I still haven't found all of them after hours of searching. I guess this means I'll have a somewhat limited wardrobe for the next month or so. Hopefully not any longer than that. Maybe I'll have to do some shopping during my weeknights in the new town.

I'll be back home each weekend to help DH and the girls prepare for their week ahead and to get packed up, too. Why don't we ever wait to move until winter, when we're sick of being at the lake?

Guess how many boxes I've packed?

Not a single one. Honest. It's so unlike me. I'm still trying to wrap up my freelance work, and not having daycare for 6 business days has thrown me off. Lucky for me, the girls go to Grandma Becky's tomorrow for the rest of the week.

Add to that that house hunting from afar is awful. We spent yet another weekend scouting neighborhoods - we've had to get two oil changes in less than four weeks. We did end up putting in two offers yesterday, so hopefully one of them takes. In such a depressed market, it takes forever to weed through all the garbage out there. There have been a few gems, but they're very few and far between. You truly never know until you walk in the door. And most prices are similar, regardless of how much gutting would need to be done. Gah!

The one that put me over the edge yesterday was a beautiful 2-year-old rambler. Lovely landscaping. Friendly neighborhood. Classy stonework around the whole thing. Picket fence. Good windows. And then we walked inside. We could have filled buckets of mold for hours. Seriously, it was around every window and door and along the baseboard of every outside wall. And that was on the main level. The basement was apparently a lot worse - I took DH's word. I'd seen enough and wanted to get my precious lungs out of there before I breathed in any more. Unreal. Of course, DH is curious beyond belief - he's convinced it was a shoddy construction issue. So he wants to figure it out and I just want to forget that whole experience. He keeps bringing it up - different theories about how so much mold could accumulate so quickly. And I keep getting the willies.

Oh well. We did put in offers on two non-molded homes, so something's bound to happen. We're all healthy and doing fine except for the stress of how last minute it's all becoming. Grant has become quite a talker and a squealer - and a giggler. The girls are singing and conversing more than ever. They ran through sprinklers at the lake this past weekend with my folks. And DH and I still haven't killed each other after all this time in the car. He's a pretty good driver and I think I'm a pretty good navigator, so we team up well. And we don't get sick of rhyming back and forth, so that's a plus.

That's all that's new. Still no place to call home. Still haven't begun looking for daycare. Still haven't found my summer-colored suits. And still haven't found my good dress pants. Oh boy.

P.S. While I was spellchecking at the end of writing this post, I heard a lot of commotion from the girls' bedroom. I went in to find Breanna in Lilli's crib with her. It looked like a WWF ring in there. Only with giggles instead of boos. My suspicions of crib climbing are now confirmed. Look out.

I often wonder

I often wonder how things received their names. Who decided to call a box a box? Or cheese cheese? Some are obvious- orange. (Aah, but then who decided to name the color? Or did the fruit have its name first?) I could go on for hours. But I won't until we get into the car for another road trip to go house hunting tonight.

The girls make me wonder more than ever. They have a Daddy Bunny. Not sure why it's named that, but it very clearly is. They have lots of different bunnies in different sizes, colors and textures. And the Daddy Bunny looks just like another one we have, only Daddy Bunny has aqua overalls and the unnamed one has lavender overalls. They kiss Daddy Bunny and then hold it up for others to kiss. The unnamed one just sits on the shelf, always ignored.

The twins also are very hung up on socks and shoes. Especially now that sandal season is here. If they see someone without socks, they immediately notice and ask, "Gee gee gock?" (Where's your sock?) They'll ask at least a dozen times - until someone tells them that that person isn't wearing socks. Same goes for shoes, except you can understand "shoes."

Someday when I have time (insert uproarious laughter here), I'm going to take Latin classes so I can learn more about root words. But until then, I'll just have to ponder. And drive DH crazy with my car conversation topics.

Happy weekend! Enjoy the sunshine if you get a glimpse of any!

Cravings!

It seems like the more you don't or can't have of something, the more you crave it. That's always the case when I reach the bottom of a can of black olives. Or when the alarm clock goes off.

Today, I crave the free time to bake. Something almondy with some cherry or chocolate. But, alas, instead I must be strict with my freetime. I'll have to settle for a Bliss dark chocolate square with my coffee. I brewed a half pot of decaf this morning instead of my usual single cup. It's just that kind of day.

Master Grant is recovering from the longest-lasting cold of all time (at least it seems so). He also is recovering from an ear infection. And yet, he's still the smileyest baby I've ever known. The girls are recovering from a long weekend and what appears to be an out-of-routine sleep schedule.

And I'm still just trying to find a place to live come just a few short weeks from now.
Now back to the grind I go. Happy bake day!

Why I Like Central MN

As we drove all over all day long Saturday and Sunday, seriously only stopping to get out and examine a few properties and take a few potty breaks, we saw lots of beautiful things. Besides the trees, lakes, deer, birds, cocks, bald eagles, etc., we also were welcomed by some of the friendliest people around. Even at the restaurant where we stopped after all our searching was done for the day, the boy behind the counter asked us all kinds of friendly small talk questions.

We laughed yesterday as we admired all the "unique" things there. I hadn't realized what a chained society we've become. It was like driving around a pretty version of Fargo's 13th Avenue. Same restaurants. Same carpet stores. Same auto body shops. Same mall stores. Same realty companies. Same lots of stuff.

The housing market is in quite a different state, though. We were shocked at how unkept many of the homes were. Not only were many folks living like pigs, but they didn't even bother to remotely tidy up the places. And a lot of homes were already empty. Yikes. The ones who did clean (and even stage) their homes really stood out. And it's not like we were looking at poverty-level homes.

We did find some wonderful neighborhoods and several homes on our short list. The one we'd planned to make an offer on today accepted a purchase agreement first thing this morning, before we even had time to check out the place at the courthouse. Now on to Plan B.

The more we got to know the area, the more our list of must-haves has changed. We no longer need a huge yard/acreage. The lots are plenty big in pretty much every neighborhood. We no longer need a rambler. They are super hard to find, and the ones we found that were below our budget were way below the budget and disgusting. But now we do need a 3-stall garage or an option to build an additional garage. And we do need a 4th bedroom for office space. Three just won't cut it. Our poor realtor. He's really earning this commission. But what a cheerful fella! Thank goodness!

I've found a few more places to check online today, so we'll see what we can set up for this weekend. I'm ready to get the show on the road - and get everything taken care of before I need to look for couches to crash on come July 1.

Before I forget

Finally, I'm taking a breather to post a few pictures and sip a coffee - it's even still hot! Grant is as adorable as ever - the smiliest baby I've ever known.



And then here is DH's dad with the twins. He bailed me out this week after I'd arrived at daycare Wednesday morning to find the lights off and the doors locked. Grandma Becky had the throw-ups, as she called it. After we got all loaded back up into the van, I called DH, frantic because I knew I had work to catch up on still after being on the road all day Monday. Before I even pulled into the garage, my father-in-law called to say he'd like to pick up the girls and take them to their house for a long weekend. Thank the Lord!



GB also let us know that she's taking a Monday - Monday vacation starting June 16. Less than 2 weeks notice in the middle of a move. Oh boy.

So, with the girls at the in-laws, DH, Grant and I are heading down to our new community to shop for a house. The market down there is in really bad shape compared to up here. I heard about one home that was appraised at $179,000, sat on the market for 7 months, and ended up selling for $119,000. I'm so thankful to be on the buying end and not the selling end right now.

For the Love of Organic

Before we learned we'd be moving, we purchased a 1/4 share of a CSA. In case you're unfamiliar, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It's a farm that people buy shares of, and then the farmers grow organic produce and deliver a box or more of fresh food each week to you - whatever is prime for picking that week.

There are drop-off sites in different cities, including Fargo. Each Thursday afternoon from mid-June to mid-October or so, one of the farmers delivers the boxes to a drop-off site (a home with a porch in North Fargo).

I've bought this before and found that a half share was too much veggie for just DH and me because we're on the go so much. So I went in on a half share with my chiropractor this season, each of us getting a quarter share. When I did the math my first year of share ownership, the cost for CSA veggies was slightly less than grocery store rates for standard (non-organic) veggies. Grocery store veggies are up quite a bit since then, but the CSA rate is the same.

The variety of what you get is fantastic! And if something grows in abundance, you automatically get more of it. (I love picking up my box to find a plastic grocery sack filled with fresh basil on top!)

The farmer's wife sends out a weekly email with an explanation of what's in that week's box, along with storage and preparation tips, and even some recipes. It's an awesome resource, which is why I continue to buy shares. Unfortunately, because of the move, I won't be around to pick up or enjoy the produce.

I already paid my $200 for the share. Are any readers willing to buy my share? Please let me know - either through a comment, email, or phone call. The first shipment has not yet arrived.

The Storm Before the Calm

It's official. I'm a glutton. But a glutton with a plan.

I met with Bishop Kinney of the Saint Cloud Diocese and accepted his job offer to be the Director of Communications for the Diocese. I plan to start on July 1. I am very excited about this for many reasons (including a steady salary, a tree-ful locale, a nice benefits package, and a quick jaunt to see my pals in the Twin Cities or my folks, among many other perks), but I'm also a little sad.

I'll be leaving behind my only sister, who is expecting her first baby in July. And though I'll still be just a few hours drive away, it won't be nearly so convenient to lunch together on her days off or to visit on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I'm committed to making sure she doesn't feel like we've left her, and I'm committed to making sure I don't cry every time I see her during this last month of living nearby. (She's one of the most beautiful pregnant women I've ever seen, by the way.)

I'll also be leaving behind some very dear friends. Although I don't see a lot of them in great big doses, I choose quality over quantity any day. Friends from church, my mothers of multiples family, the ad agencies I've worked with, the gals from Microsoft, the folks from Bank of the West, and friends from long ago - I value them all.

Thanks, folks, for the memories. And thanks for your love and support, especially with all the craziness that knowing me sometimes entails. If I have anything of yours that you've graciously lent me, please remind me so that I am sure to get it back to you before we move. (e.g. Shyla - thanks for the cute boy clothes - I must return them to you.) (Or if you have stuff to return to me, please let me know before moving day so we can plan appropriately for space.)

We have a lot to do in the coming weeks - a lot - including finding a new house, a new daycare, a new church, and new work for my DH in our new region. (He's so on the ball. I called him with my good news at 3 this afternoon and he already has a month worth of contracting work lined up down there. Wow!) And then we have to physically move. Oy.

I'd like to have a TTFN social (ta ta for now - for those who aren't big Pooh readers) some evening before we leave. Maybe we'll grill dogs at a park or something simple. I'll let you know once we've set a date.

Please join me in a little happy dance as we enter another chaotic month, but one with some sanity (true sanity) to follow in the not-so distant future. Hooray for me leaving self employment - finally! And hooray for the promise of 40-hour work weeks and paid vacations! BIG yay!

Prayers Paid Off

If you haven't followed the story of the Medders family in Fargo, here's a recap. Kelly Medders became pregnant with naturally occurring identical quadruplets. Extremely rare! And full of risks. After numerous complications (including TTTS, which also almost took our girls), the family ended up with one surviving quad.

She finally made it home - 7 months after her very early arrival into the world.

I never met the Medders, but feel so very close to them at heart. I have prayed for them every day since first hearing about their story. When I read their blog tonight and learned the great news, tears streamed down my cheeks. God is so good.

I've tagged myself

The rules:
“The rules of the game are posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.”

1. What was I doing ten years ago?
I had just graduated with my English and Mass Communcations degrees and was already working at my first ad agency as a copywriter. I was working with a guy I nick-named The Gay Weasel, who I later became very good friends with. I had just purchased myself my first car with leather seats and was looking forward to lots of weekends at the lake. I also had just bought an adorable red bikini. Aah, the skinny mini days.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
-Bake Amish Friendship Bread.
-Finish writing thank-you cards for baby gifts.
-Wrap baby shower gifts for my sissy.
-Edit a chapter of a software user guide.
-Pray for my sister-in-law who had emergency back surgery today.

3. Snacks I enjoy:
Yummy, yummy candy. Anything with sugar, for that matter. Fresh strips of red and yellow peppers. Sugar snap peas. Popcorn. Tapioca pudding. And fresh fruit. Lots of fresh fruit.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
I would spend more time hanging out with my kids (because we'd have a house big enough to have a play room where nothing's off limits). I'd also rock abandoned babies at the NICU at least once a week to keep me in check. I'd find someone to take away my Bell's Palsy (or at least make my smile even again). And I would get a back rub.

5. Places I have lived: (I'm so wildly midwestern.)
-Edina, MN
-Eveleth, MN
-Little Falls, MN
-Sioux City, IA
-Fargo, ND
-Brainerd, MN
-Baxter, MN
-Moorhead, MN
-Fargo, ND

6. People I want to know more about:
I’m passing this on to: Prego Jodie, my long-lost friend Lettuce, Overcaffienated Katie, art-directing Andrea, Mama Maus, Ms. Huckins Punkins

Is it just me?

Is this the fastest spring ever? I just took winter hats and scarves out of the van to wash and put away, but it seems like we were just using them. Life continues to fly by and I'm still behind as ever.

Usually, if I put my plans in writing - and especially if I let others know about those plans - I force myself to live up to the precedent that I've set. Not so lately. I still haven't finished up with baby announcements (and thank you notes) and I still haven't dug out my skinny clothes. It seems like just when we're about to have a stretch of normalcy, something new comes up and the race continues. But I am getting to bed a little earlier - 12:30 or so - so at least I'm catching a few more zzzs.

We enjoyed the long weekend at the lake. My dad, uncle and husband worked on the porch addition on the cabin, and somehow, the girls learned to clap and shout "Hooray" each time someone made a cut on the saw. Talk about incentive to keep working! Lillian realized she's more than capable of climbing out of the pack and play. Both girls learned to say "Jeanne" and "Boonie Rocks" in reference to their great aunts. And of course, I didn't take the time to pull out the camera, so I have nothing new to share.

DH and I did squeeze in a date - dinner at Billy's Bar in Vergas. I had the best taco salad ever - it was huge and fresh and the chicken was perfect! Add in a neighborhood bocce ball game later in the weekend and we called it good. (Although I did pick up a dead mouse with my bare hand, thinking it was a leaf on Monday. Ick. I guess it's time to get in to the eye doctor again.)

Now here we are, back to the grind. We have out-of-town company coming on Thursday night to stay over to break up their trip to Rapid City. (Yay - they're one of our favorite couples ever!)Then Friday my folks are coming up and Saturday is my sister's baby shower. I have no articles in the hopper right now, though, so hopefully my snippets of freetime can be spent putting away clean laundry, getting out baby announcements, and finding clothes that fit. Let's see if my putting it in writing trick works this week.

Kinko Kinko

Breanna and Lillian surprised us this week with their rendition of Kinko Kinko Itto Tar. They made it through the whole thing, mostly in tune. They both sing, "How I wonder what you are" perfectly clearly. What fun!

And Grant surprised us this week by pulling himself up using his torso muscles so that he sits upright in the tilted swing. He now tries to pull himself out of the carseat, too. Uh oh. I hope this isn't a sign of gruelling road trips this summer.

The kids and I are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning (by 7:30). We're driving 2.5 hours to my parents' house to drop of the kiddos and then I'm heading to Saint Cloud for a 1:00 meeting. Hopefully the meeting will be fruitful and I'll be rewarded with some great projects.

Then on Friday, we're heading up to my family's cabin for the weekend. I'm looking forward to spending some time with my mom's side. It's been a while. And I'm certain the girls will love the freedom that comes with having a yard. (And all the attention.)

After I got the van all loaded (all 10,000 trips or so), I checked the oil tonight. First time I've done that in years. I've loved my Toyotas in recent years, and knew I never needed to worry about oil or anything else for that matter. Well, now that I'm driving domestic, I figure I'd better keep an eye on things a bit closer.

DH is going to work in town this week and then join us at the lake on Friday. He's doing a remodeling project on a nearby lake next week, so it's going to be convenient for him to get some alone time when the crowded cabin starts to feel to crowded. We're going to cram 10-13 grownups, 2 adolescents, 2-3 toddlers, 1 infant, and 1 fetus into the two cabins, which have a total of 5 bedrooms. Should be interesting. I just pray for no rain.

Enjoy the long weekend, folks!

Returning

We're finally returning to "normal." While each day is a bit different and we're always in the middle of stuff, we're kind of getting back to normal in that we're going to bed before 1 a.m.

DH has even been home in time for supper as a family this week, which we've all enjoyed! Last night, the G Man slept from 10 pm until 6 am, so hooray for that! I didn't get to bed until just after midnight, though, so I guess it wasn't that big of a stretch of sleep for me. Oh well.

We've been getting outside again (thank God for fresh air). The girls have especially enjoyed our neighborhood walks to see all the puppies (dogs, cats, squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and bunnies). Grant has seemed to enjoy hanging out in his Moby wrap as we walk along. When trekked through an alley on Wednesday, Breanna kicked up some dust and said "Fuzzy."

As the girls continue to develop, their sentences are getting longer, and several in a row now. It's so fun to be able to understand them finally! And Master Grant, well, he's just the smiliest baby I've ever known. Returning to normal equates to returning to great.

Pony Party

We celebrated the twins' second birthdays over the weekend with a double-twin party in Wild West Fargo.

When I looked outside Saturday morning and saw snow falling, all I could do was groan. Between the two families, a few friends, and a handful of pals that we have in common, this could end up being up to 60 people in one house. Luckily, the ponies were happy to be in the garage, and the kiddos took turns taking rides nicely. I hear that there was a kiddy tub with blankets and bunnies, too, but I didn't get a chance to peek in. The snow did not deter anyone and the place was full. Whew!

Of course, I was so busy running around as co-hostess and mom to a newborn that I didn't get a single picture. I know my mom and sis and brother-in-law all took photos, so eventually, we're bound to get at least one to post here.

I feel bad that I didn't get the chance to visit with the hostess' husband or really even introduce our kiddos much. The chaos was a blur - a very nice blur, though. I'm glad we did it, but I hope the girls don't come to expect this massive of a party again. At least until they graduate.

Graduation Day

With great pride, I'd like to brag a little bit about my dad. He's graduating with his second Master's degree tonight. Though I can't be there in person to see him and hug him, I can beam from afar. He's put in a lot of long hours to earn this degree.

Since he started his second career in high school special education (emotional behavioral disorders) after a full retirement from the US Army, he's thrown himself head-first into the field. He has more passion for his work than most people ever dream of. Earning this degree has been all about figuring out how to help his students better. Just ask him one question and he'll go for hours. He lives and breathes it.

Dad's a true advocate for his kids. They've been tossed out of the regular school system and are often on the verge of pure trouble. A lot of them come from royally screwed-up poverty-stricken families who don't have much chance of doing anything productive with their lives. But my Dad sees potential in each one and he works his tail off to help them figure out a way to make at least something of themselves. While most of them likely won't make it to law school or even a tech school, they at least get some understanding of the EBD problems they have and how to work with them.

A few years ago, Dad had a student whose family was so poor they couldn't afford hair cuts and the poor kid kept getting teased about his shagginess. My dad discreetly offered to cut the kid's hair before school. He brought in clippers from home and became a makeshift barber. And when another kid obsessively licked his lips raw, Dad became a big-time chapstick supplier. My generous mom has played a big role in helping Dad pull it all off. Their compassion is amazing - and inspiring.

If you come across an opportunity to help someone, even a stranger, even in a small way, go for it. This world needs a lot more generosity of the spirit. I know that when I find ways to help, I do it in honor of my parents, whose generosity is pure.

If you happen to know my dad and get a chance to congratulate him on this recent accomplishment, please do so. He certainly deserves great big accolades. Hooray for graduation day!

How adorable is he?

G Man, as his daddy calls him. What a cutie!

Birthdays Galore

Our girls turned two on Saturday, but we didn't acknowledge it on the day (we're saving the celebration till the pony party this weekend). My dear old friend, KariAnn, brought over her almost 8-year-old for an afternoon of visiting and enjoying some fresh air.

Along with sweet baby gifts for Grant, she also brought pretties for the girls. Lilli LOVES wearing the headbands. And Breanna LOVES sucking on the barrettes.

Every day, I put something in each of their hair to try to get them used to cute hairdos. But they still rip the pretties out of each other's hair within minutes. One of these days, they're going to realize that it hurts and that they can keep the pretties in if they just leave them in.

The girls had a birthday party at daycare today, where Grandma Becky celebrated with princess and unicorn balloons, homemade cupcakes, and little gifts from her grandkids. Now the girls have more cell phones and some coloring stuff and My Little Ponies. And they love all of it.

We had a birthday party at our place tonight. Young DH turned 28. Though he was tired out and not excited about aging, he did enjoy the T-bone dinner and cheesecake. We taught the girls how to blow out candles, and repeated it a few times til they got the hang of it. By the time we get to the twin party this weekend, we'll have it down pat.

A pair of years

We have a pair of two-year-olds in the house! Holy moly! Sometimes, it feels like it's been 10 years and other times, they seem so very little. I think the terrible twos began in the middle of the night when the girls took turns waking up every other hour. Those darn bottom molars are rough. And the day was trying, as well. I considered for a moment not even baking their birthday cake. Luckily, they are sweet and cute as ever just as soon as I'm near the end of my rope, and then we all kiss and hug and cuddle and my blood pressure goes back down. Thankfully, my long-time friend, KariAnn brought her son over to break up our day a little bit. We all went for an afternoon walk, which did us a ton of good.

The Parade of Homes ended today at 5:00 and I'm delighted to have my husband back. He even joined us for supper tonight. A big fancy feast of pizza, pears, and Funfetti cake. We had a wonderful turnout at the house this past week - to those of you who came to visit - thank you sincerely. It made DH's many hours there fly by and he enjoyed hearing accolades about his work. This project has resulted in a ton of work, and likely much more to come. When he said he wanted to grow the company, I hope he was serious, because here we go.

By the end of this week, I hope to feel a bit more caught up with my life. This week, I WILL get to Grant's birth announcements, as well as thank you notes. And I will do my filing. And I will go down to the garage and find my boxes of skinny clothes. DH thought he was being mighty funny when he recently half-de-pantsed my transition trousers in front of the kiddos. Now Breanna tries to yank my pants down. Nice.

I was brave this afternoon (and extremely sick of being cooped up), so I took all three kiddos to a park all by myself. One split lip and one bruised elbow were well worth all the fun the girls had climbing steps and sliding down the slide. I started to get a little concerned when it was time to leave, and I couldn't round up both girls to walk back with me. They just couldn't understand that we needed to leave the slide. As soon as I'd get one to sit on the ground next to Grant's baby carrier, the other would start running back to the slide. And the cycle continued for more than 10 minutes. Eventually, a mom who was there with her one four-year-old who minded came to my rescue and helped me corral the kiddos back to the van.

And then we had some true family time before the girls went to bed tonight and it was absolutely lovely. Nothing fancy, but we all smiled a lot. We turned off the big light and instead lit the lamp in their room. And then we lounged on the floor. The girls climbed all over us, tickled, showed us their pretties (new headbands and barrettes) and talked up a storm. We all had a great time. Finally. Back to our family life. Hooray!

Half-way Done

Quick update - today is the half-way point of the Parade of Homes. So far, it's gone very well, especially considering that the Parade officials canceled it on Saturday due to the "blizzard." Luckily, DH went to the house anyway and visited with all the folks who stopped in throughout the entire day.

The house really turned out beautifully - I am so very proud of my DH. His aunt is coming over tonight to handle the girls so I can go out to the house and play hostess, which I'm really looking forward to.

The slower-than-molasses carpet layers didn't get out of the house until Friday afternoon, so I spent Friday morning picking up hanging wine racks and wine as the finishing touch for the kitchen. Soon after that, my friend, Joell, and I scrambled to finish cleaning up the house. She's the fastest cleaner I've ever seen. Then another friend and talented photographer, Shyla, drove the treacherous 8 miles out (it was seriously treacherous) to take pictures once the house was clean. We drove caravan style back to town, and I'm guessing it took about 45 minutes. I learned that my van handles like garbage and I was certain I was going to be blown into the ditch at any second.

Once I finally arrive home, I finished DH's website. I'd really wanted to include pictures of the house on his Parade of Homes link, but had to wait until the house was clean and then photographed. I'm certainly no website builder, but the price for labor was right, I guess. And who could you hire who'd be willing to do it so last minute - literally? Talk about a race to the finish. The main thing is - we made it. Hooray!

Workwise, I'm back on schedule with my freelancing - and there are no more foreseeable all-nighters lined up. I still haven't gotten to those baby announcements yet, or thank you notes either. My manners and etiquette have disappeared with the birth of baby C. But hopefully, no one will judge too harshly. And if they do, oh well. I invite any of the judgers to come spend 48 hours with us and then see what they have to say.

The next priority is the girls' second birthday party (their birthday is May 3). We're partnering up with some friends whose twins are the same age and doing a double-twin hoot'nanny on May 10th. The boys' mom has graciously offered to host the party at their house (thankfully - we have no room at our place). The boys' grandma is bringing miniature ponies for rides - can you believe it? Because it's a double party, we're keeping our guest lists very small. Otherwise, what a circus we'd have! My folks picked up some denim outfits and pink cowboy boots for Breanna and Lillian, and the girls can't get enough of clopping around in the boots. They're adorable!

As you can see, in our family, the chaos never ends. Sometimes it slows down a bit, but never to a level of relaxation, I'm afraid. I made it into bed at 11:58 last night, meeting my goal of hitting the sack by midnight. DH pointed out that while I was technically in bed, I was still up, lotioning my hands, chapsticking my lips, and saying prayers. Oh well. It was still much earlier than the last few weeks.

Still tired, but less stressed, I'm going to get back to work now. Soon I'll celebrate mid-week by meeting my dear sister for lunch. Hopefully she lets me rub her cute prego belly. I can't believe how much I miss being pregnant. Happy half-way through the week, my friends!

Curious?

Wondering what makes our first Parade house worthy of being entered in the Parade of Homes? Come check it out for yourself. The Parade starts this Saturday at noon - only a day and a half away. This Saturday and Sunday and next Saturday and Sunday, DH will be there from noon to 5. Weeknights this week he'll be there from 6:30 to 8:30.

I spent the afternoon and evening out there today to help with cleanup. I can't believe we're almost done. When I arrived today and saw that the carpet wasn't all in yet, I nearly flipped my lid. But after some under-my-breath very-ladylike-choice words, I locked myself away in a non-carpeted room to scrub away my frustrations. And I just have to say - I am so proud of my dear hubby. The house has turned out beautifully. He certainly designed an ideal home for a family of 5.

The more time I'm there, the more I love the Jack and Jill bath. And the woods. And the stamped patio. And the office. I didn't really connect with the office until today when my cleaning friend said she could easily envision me writing away in the room. Until then, I'd simply pictured DH in there. Once I checked out the view, I realized that it would likely have been my favorite room.

It's an 8-minute drive from Fargo. You can click here for directions to the house in Mapleton, and then just follow the signs (which I'm going to pick up and post tomorrow morning).

Please make the trip and introduce yourself to my builder extraordinairre. He's worried that no one will drive out because of the weather and the great big distance of 8 miles. Show up. Satisfy your curiosity. Say hello to my favorite guy in the world. And enjoy the hard work and creativity that went into our very first Parade house.

Anyone up for babysitting?

I'm trying to prepare for the backups that I might need come Thursday and Friday evening. Anyone up for a few after-work hours with the kiddos? You could take just the twins or all three, if you'd like. (Although, I'd recommend two sitters if you're going to take all three.)

Just let me know!

Exhaused and Swamped

The end of the chaos is near - and we've officially begun Hell Week. From here until Saturday morning (when the Parade of Homes begins) we'll be flying through sheer madness, but then we can all relax for a while. I think. I hope.

My neice from Idaho ended up coming home with us last-minute yesterday, so my plans for last night and today were completely rearranged. We all thoroughly enjoyed having some time with her, although the timing couldn't have been worse. Of course, she was none the wiser.

Once this weekend rolls around and I get a chance to catch my breath, I'll update on the wedding and everything else that's kept us hopping. To give you a hint, this past weekend was more stressful for me than either of my two weddings. I'm more tired today than I was when I first came home from the hospital with Grant, too, if it tells you anything.

I'm going to hit the sack for a couple hours so that once the girls are in bed for the night tonight, I can go full-force to get my work done - likely into the night. And then hopefully tomorrow will start to be a little regular-ish.

See ya later!

Jinxed

I jinxed myself when I was pompously bragging about being done with DH's construction errands today. He called this afternoon and asked me to pack up Big G and head off to the lumber yard. The day went downhill from there. Oh well.

Here it is, 1:25 a.m. and I'm finally getting a free moment. So what do I do? Sit at the computer and blog. What is wrong with me? Time to straighten up and call it a night, I guess.

Dirt waits. Life goes on.

Is it a bad sign that you consider the day a success if you get to bed by 1:30? If that's the case, I've only had a few successful days in the last few weeks.

The house is coming along beautifully. I've spent a few days out there recently, helping with odds and ends, like puttying nail holes, scraping varnish off windows, vacuuming, washing interior windows, and wiping down cabinets. At lunchtime today, I ran a crock of cheesy barbecue sandwiches and chips and dessert out to the site. Less than two weeks to go until it's officially done!

On a happy note, that was the only trip I had to make to the jobsite, or anywhere else today. Normally, it feels like DH has me running all over town, picking up and dropping off stuff. In the meantime, I'm putting together the marketing materials for the house and for my hubby's company, working with the realtor, handling DH's office stuff and emails, as well as trying to put together the girls' second birthday party. And doing my freelance work (which is what usually what keeps me up into the middle of the night - it's easiest once the phone stops ringing and DH crashes into bed).

On top of all that, DH's great uncle, Harry, who was kind of a little involved with DH and me meeting, fell and broke his hip this week. He's at the hospital in town now, and I know he'd love to see the kiddos, so I'm going to have to squeeze in a little visit sometime soon. He'll be here for at least two weeks, so I'm sure we can find some time somewhere in here.

Beyond all that chaos, not much else is happening. I haven't even dusted this month or vacuumed yet this week. Oh well. Dirt waits. Life goes on.

Crash Course in Time Expectations

I finally know why my husband's schedule is so unpredictable. His ideas about time are very different from mine. When he asks me to help him out at our house for a half day, that doesn't mean 4 - 5- maybe even 6 hours of work. Half day in his eyes is half of a 24-hour day. We spent an exhausting Saturday at the jobsite together, Grant in tow. What a trooper he was! And what a nice time for DH and me to work side by side again. I've missed him so much lately, and we had great conversations throughout the day. Some silly. Some deep. Some nostalgic. All good.

I swept and vacuumed for hours, cleaned spindles, scrubbed cupboards, and carried load after load of garbage (mostly cardboard, sawdust, scrap wood, and empty pop bottles) out to the garage, and then out to the dumpster.

Filthy and beat, we finally returned home as the sun was going down. We quickly changed clothes, blew the black out of our noses (how gross!), packed an overnight bag, and headed to DH's hometown for the bachelor/ette parties. I didn't even need to come up with an excuse - I was so beat that I wouldn't have been able to do any kind of quality brain work or anything social anyway. Plus, my hair looked like crud because of all the dust and dirt in it. I haven't been that piggish in ages.

My mother-in-law was the only grown-up in the house by the time we finally arrived, and she was glad we were later because that meant she got out of the party, too. She'd stated from the beginning that she'd go to the house party at the beginning, but when the group headed out to the bars, that's when she'd head home. We timed it just right, I guess. She and I sat up and oohed and aahed at Grant's cuteness, and visited about all kinds of light topics. It was a pleasant day all in all.

Today, we visited with family here from Idaho and the Twin Cities. Our girls went to the park twice and enjoyed going down the slides and on the swings. They also enjoyed a wagon ride as Grandpa pulled them in laps around the living room and kitchen area. Those girls are so darned cute!

We arrived back home again at sunset. After getting everyone ready for bed, I spent the remainder of my Sunday evening at the computer, doing the work that I'd actually planned for Saturday night. Finished for the day now, I'm going to brush my teeth and hit the sack. And it's before midnight! Hooray for an early night! (How sick is it that anything before 1 a.m. qualifies for early these days?)

Have a terrific spring week ahead, my friends.

Pretties or Comfies

After posting the picture of Lillian with undies around her neck, I've received a lot of ribbing about showing my drawers on the internet. Considering how they're being modeled, though, I still don't think it's a problem. After all, they're just a bunch of colorful, interesting fabrics when worn around the neck.

You see, I have a drawer of pretties and a drawer of comfies. Obviously, Lilli found the pretties.
My drawer of comfies is nearly empty, but it does hold a never-been-worn 3-pack of Hanes giganto panties.

DH was kind enough to pick them up for me at the drug store (of all places!) before I came home from the hospital after having the twins. Smart man that he is, he figured my regular undies would hit at my C-section incision. He even called my sister to ask what size she thought I'd need. Little did he know that because I'm so short-waisted and the undies are so obnoxiously huge, they'd come up over my ribs. Seriously. And they're in various lavender floral patterns. Needless to say, while they were washed, they've never been worn for more than the 5 seconds it took me to pull them up and tuck them under my bra (well, almost anyway).

Lucky for Lilli she got into the pretties or else she would have smothered under those comfies. So why do I still have a whole drawer dedicated to comfies that contains only three pairs, which I don't wear? Good question. Anyone have a good suggestion for what I should do with them?

A "great" morning in the life

I have all three kiddos home with me today. While we're all in good spirits for the most part, we're wearing ourselves out. Or more accurately, the kids are wearing me out. The girls are refusing to wear pants or socks today. Great.

After breakfast, I was feeding Grant on the couch, listening to the crunches coming from the dining area of our apartment.

Nothing harmful sounding - just crunching.

I burped Grant and then investigated, only to find that the girls were taking item after item off the pantry shelves and tossing each thing over their shoulders. They emptied boxes of cake mixes (thankfully didn't open the bags - but which flavor goes with which will be a surprise), emptied a box of oatmeal packets, dumped out a container half-filled with jasmine rice, pulled tea bags out of their boxes, and were just diving into the cappuccino tins when I rounded the corner. Great, now here's another area they can get into that will likely drive me insane.

Right before lunch, Lilli found a black sharpie and secretly put on some "makeup" behind her little Dora kitchen in the living room. Right in front of me but out of sight. Ususally when she sits back there, she puts together puzzles. Great. I called the 800-number for Sharpie and the customer service rep said to just wash with soap and water for a few days and it would wear off. Ah, no, we will not being going out with faded marker on our faces. Turns out a little diluted nail polish remover works like a charm.

Then at nap time, Breanna went down like a champ. We've had to separate the girls to get them to sleep, so Lilli has to take naps in a pack and play in our bedroom. (The first day I tried the separation, Breanna scaled the side of the p-n-p and got into all kinds of mischief - like emptying my jewelry armoire, digging in the candles, eating my chapstick, emptying the spare change vase, bending the blinds, finding one of dad's exacto knives, etc.)

After about 20 minutes of peace and quiet, I heard Lillian crying. When I went to investigate, I just had to burst out laughing. She'd reached up and emptied three drawers of my lingerie. All the bras were in the bottom of the p-n-p. And all the panties were around her neck, and she was crying because she was so hot. I remembered my friend Crystal's comment about how every time her twins do something naughty, she usually laughs and grabs the camera before remembering to scold. I followed suit, so here's Lillian in all her intimate glory.

All has been quiet for close to a half hour now, but damn it anyway, some delivery jerk just rang the doorbell, and guess who woke up? All three. So much for my break.

I don't think I have cancer

Have you ever wondered if you're a closet hypochondriac? I know that when I developed a fast-growing lump in my neck right after I came back from Cozumel, I thought for sure it was lymphoma. Panicky, I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want to jinx myself until I heard it from a doctor. Why didn't I think it might be a reaction to that jellyfish sting? My lymphoma scare was most likely triggered by knowing a friend at that time who'd had that kind of cancer in close to the same spot on his neck - which had started as a strange lump.

I also once danced with the idea that I might have had a cataract. Turns out I just had a hole in my contact lens, which I discovered just one day after my paranoia began. My mom also was going through eye trouble at the time, so it was fresh on my mind.

Then there was the time that our next-door neighbor told us that radon in her last house was what killed first her dog, then her fiance, and then gave her cancer before they realized the house was full of radon... Of course, I ran out and got a test kit immediately - even though my house was only two years old. And then I began questioning my tiredness over the previous weeks. Could cancer be wearing me down? How about those headaches I'd had? No radon. No cancer. Just some speculation.

This morning, I went to my 6-week postpartum checkup. When the doc asked if I had any concerns, I said, "Yeah, it's about a lump. It rolls when you press it and it's scary." She immediately thought breast, but then I explained it's on my back - kind of by my shoulder blade. I know it's not her area of expertise, but at least she could tell me if she suggests I go see someone whose area it is.

She matter-of-factly told me I have a muscle knot. Then she jokingly asked if DH has been slacking on his duties as the husband to a wife who's just given birth. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I couldn't even talk him into a back rub while I was IN the hospital, much less since I've been home.

Anyway, besides the knot, all is good. I'm still one pound heavier than when I found out I was pregnant, which means I'll be eating more carrots and less cookies to keep me going in the weeks ahead. And then someday soon, when I have a hubby around to help a little bit, I can actually make the time to cook and eat the stuff I really like (ahem - I miss having a griller in the house). If nothing else, I'll likely be able to dance off that last pound at the in-laws' wedding in a week and a half.

On a side note, I think that knowing the numbers of your weight is so extremely depressing. I have never owned my own scale, and except during pregnancies, I have never looked at the weight at the doctor's office. I even ask the nurse to not say it aloud because I'd simply rather not know. I prefer instead to go by how my clothes look and feel, and by paying attention to what kinds of foods are in my diet - I'm not into low-carb or high-protien, etc., but rather just heart healthy. But in hearing how some of my friends and family (and the media) obsess over a pound here and a pound there, oy, I think I'm alone in my avoidance of knowing. Oh well.

Still in Love

In case anyone wonders, I'm still head-over-heels for my DH. I was reminded of just how much I enjoy his company when he surprised the kids and me by spending the whole day with us. No work and no talk of work (from him, anyway). We went to church in the snowstorm this morning and the kids were great. We came home and had a nice lunch, and then we all napped. One girl was in each bedroom, DH on the couch, and Grant and me on the love seat. I'm guessing I was out for about an hour - and I was the shortest napper. Talk about a luxury! We even did a family diaper run to Sam's Club and made snowballs from our deck. It was a truly lovely Sunday.

DH got a good taste of the busy-ness of the 3-under-2 lifestyle. He commented that it seems like Grant wants to eat all the time, but usually at the most inopportune times. Yup. But it's doing him a lot of good. The kids were weighed and measured on Friday morning and guess how big the new little feller is? In a dry diaper, he was a whopping 12 lbs., 4 oz. I nearly fell over. Lillian weighed 23 lbs., 12 oz. and Breanna was 26 lb., 2 oz.

It seems like we're all in between sizes right now (all except for DH - he never seems to change shape/size). Grant has outgrown his first batch of onesies. The girls are between 18-month and 24-month clothes. And though I'm only one pound heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight, my proportions are out of whack, just like they were for the first three months after the girls arrived. My butt and legs are smaller from all the bouncing and walking (and chasing the twins), but my tummy isn't quite as flat as I remember it once being. Oh well, it seems like it all changes day by day, so I'm not too worried. The only thing I need to look nice for anytime soon is DH's brother's wedding on the 19th. But I still haven't decided what to wear, and since I'm changing shape each day, I'll wait until just a few days before. Brave, I know. Especially since most of my non-maternity clothes are in storage. I know I kept them either in the apartment closets or the garage here, but still... I haven't found many boxes yet.

And I still haven't made the time to print out birth announcements - that's my main goal for free time this week. (Middle-of-the-night insomnia time). My secondary goal is finding a good excuse (one that's believable but not offensive). I REALLY do not want to go to my future-sister-in-law's bachelorette party this weekend. I'd rather shovel manure for a week than be a part of one of those. The only other two I've been to have been rather mild, thankfully, but I have a feeling that the word "tasteful" will not be used in the appropriate context this weekend. So, please share your brilliant suggestions for how to get out of it. Your comments are always welcome.

Quick Pics - March Madness

From the top down (I don't have time to monkey with the formatting to line up pictures with captions.)

1. Happy Grant
2. Breanna posing in the kitchen
3. Sleepy Lillian, Grant and Breanna on Easter
4. Lilli in her magic sleeping hat
5. Breanna with an empty basket at Gramma Pamma's and Papa's house last weekend

Exciting Week so Far

Perpetual motion - I guess that's our biggest family descriptor this week. What chaos!

The Twin Terrors are full of spunk - as in owly, really grouchy spunk, as they gnaw on their fingers way in the back of their mouths. Along with owliness comes not sleeping great, being tumbly, and creating more reasons for owliness. Oh well, the molars have to pop out eventually, right?

In the Grant department, guess who has started to coo and smile? At about 1:30 this morning, as I was finally getting ready for bed, Grant was the sweetest little boy ever. Those big eyes - and smiles so wide he had deep dimples on both sides! I had to stay up for another hour because he was too cute to put to sleep.

In housing news, we received an offer on our house - the house that DH has been slaving over. Are we nuts, you ask? Quite possibly, I say. Very well could be.

Here's the scoop. Since we first decided to build a Parade of Homes house, DH and I both agreed that we had to keep in mind that it might generate some more business for him (that's the main goal, anyway). Ultimately, we'd agreed that there's always the chance someone might want to buy it from us, and if we received a good offer, we'd take it and enjoy the equity that would come straight out of the project. In other words, get into the project, but don't set your heart on anything until we actually move in. Well, I'm glad we haven't ordered change-of-address labels yet.

The offer is contingent on the sale of the buyers' house, but I know their realtor well and she's a mover and a shaker. If anyone can sell a house, she's the gal. The timing is really nice for us for some peace of mind. With me not working for so long and with nothing huge lined up work-wise yet, it's daunting to think of moving into a big and beautiful house and having to budget so tightly in order to survive on one income. My workload may very well change in the near future, but in case it doesn't, I appreciate the out. When the decided to start building, though, work was flowing and there was no sign of lost funding or anything like that on the client end, and once you start building, it's not like you can just pull out until the wife finds more work.

That's not to say we'll remain apartment dwellers for long, however. We've had a backup plan for what ifs re: the Parade House, and once the chaos of the Parade is done, we'll start with that route. And no, we're not building another home from scratch. We miss DH too much and I think he misses his sanity, too much.

There is another builder in town who we greatly respect - he builds beautiful spec homes, but charges way too little for them. How more people haven't realized this is beyond me - he's truly one of the best-kept construction secrets around. Anyway, we'll likely have his guys put up the shell, then DH would spend a couple months finishing it to make it more custom for our preferences. Our lease is up in August, so the timing for moving might be just right. We have to get out of here before I'm completely bald from ripping hair after hair out.

On to career updates - I'm starting a new editing project. Thanks to a referral from my sister-in-law-in-law, I've lined up a new gig through some of her colleagues and I get to start soon. Which means the girls can go back to daycare! And since I'll be working from home, I'm going to see how it goes to keep Grant here with me for a while. I'm not sure how much work the project entails just yet, but it's for a good client that I've worked with in the past. And it's work I'm quite familiar with, so I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks, Angie!

In terms of happenings with the in-laws, DH's brother is getting married on April 19. This means DH's sister who lives in Idaho will be coming home for a couple weeks, and is bringing her fiance and her pre-teen daughter. I've only seen them twice - the first time at my own wedding - so I look forward to some time spent getting to know them a little better. (This also means that I will miss out on the long-awaited Mothers of Multiples convention here in Fargo that so many of my friends get to go to - tip one for me, girls!) Along with the wedding comes all the typical wedding stuff- bachelor/ette parties, rehearsal, groom's dinner, etc. The bridal shower is already done, so that's good. Bad timing for us, but a fun celebration anyway.

For the next 5 weeks, it will be sheer chaos for us. After the Parade of Homes is done, we can breathe again. Does this mean normalcy might be in sight? I'm not counting on it until it happens, if it ever does. But things are moving nonetheless, and it is kind of exciting.