Finally Family Pictures

We finally went in for "real" family photos today. Grant had his baby photos done (at nearly 8 months - yes, I know I suck). The girls had their 2-year photos (5 months into their second birthday). And we took a real family photo. I still hate my face, and am reminded of it mostly whenever I see pictures. :( Thankfully, I don't often remember my minor disfigurement throughout the day until I speak with groups of 100+ (which is not all that often).

I'll scan in a proof or two tomorrow perhaps - the kids did great. We went in a few days later than we should have though, because now that Grant is crawling (since Monday!), he was hard to contain. It was fun and nearly as stressful as getting out of the house in the morning.

Anthropology Experiment

We separated the twins for the first time on Friday night. Lillian gleefully went home with Gramma Pamma for an overnight visit. Breanna stayed home and bawled, asking, "Where'd Lilli go?" every 15 minutes.

We did our best to give Breanna a great night with lots and lots of one-on-one attention. She got to eat at the big table in a big chair - no high chair. She got to eat whatever she wanted (which happened to be lots of gomatos - tomatoes and logurt - yogurt). And then we went to Bounce Depot and jumped on all the inflatable stuff for over an hour. We took turns with her, going up and down slides, climbing, jumping, and tossing balloons in a "jumpoline." It wore all of us out (even Grant - who took many trips down slides courtesy of Daddy and Mommy's laps).

When we came home, we sang "I'm a little tea-pot" a few hundred times and did "This little piggy" a few more hundred times before we called Lilli and the girls got to talk on the phone a little bit, which was pretty darned cute.

Bedtime seemed to be the hardest for poor Breanna, so she and Daddy laid down in the big bed in Breanna's room and snuggled until they both fell asleep. When I went in a couple hours later after I'd cleaned the house and finished three loads of laundry (!), Breanna was upside down, on top of the covers, near the foot of the bed. I gently delivered her to her bed and the shooed DH out so he'd get into our bed.

The next morning, we had special chocolate chip waffles and kiwi and sips of Mommy's creamy coffee, and then packed up for a daytrip to Moorhead, where Lilli would be waiting for us with Gramma Pamma and Papa 'tebe. My sister and brother-in-law baptized their daughter up there, and we enjoyed being a part of their special day. As soon as we arrived at the church, I kind of hoped our girls would race to each other and embrace in a big hug. But naah, instead, Lilli hopped into my arms and Breanna into Gramma's and that was that. They didn't even say hi to each other.

While we were in the church, our former daycare grandma, Becky, left a frantic message on my voicemail. She was calling to postpone our dinner plans because she'd just received a call from the ER - her husband had collapsed at Menards. He had the car there, so she was waiting for her sister to arrive to pick her up and take her to the hospital. It turned out Papa Russ had a massive stroke and then passed away yesterday morning. I am so incredibly sad for poor Grandma Becky.

We'd been getting the girls all geared up to see her and Papa on Saturday, so they have really been talking about the two of them. I told them that Grandma Becky is sad and crying and that we'd go see her in a few days. Lillian said we should bring her a tubba bear. Breanna blew kisses out the side kitchen window and told me we should hug and kiss Grandma Becky. Their sweetness brought on my own tears. Knowing that Grandma Becky and Papa Russ were truly best friends, I am grieving so very deeply for her. Just imagining her heartbreak makes my stomach ache.

Please keep the family in your prayers. They lost a sweetheart of a guy and the hardest worker I've ever known.

As the Cashmere Coats

The temperature drops and the cashmere appears - today it's warming my arms and torso in the form of a beautiful gray coat. Soft, warm, smooth, and simply wonderful. I'm so happy the heat is gone!

Yesterday I drove with four other women to Arrowwood Resort near Alexandria, MN, to speak at a clergy conference. The trees could not have been more vibrant. The only thing missing was some spiced apple cider.

I surprised DH by arriving home before dinner time - and he seemed glad to have the respite. The kids, while adorable, are oh-so-exhausting. They've been chasing the "geet" (geese) off our lawn - those darn critters want to eat the grass seed that hasn't yet grown in green. I've heard that Breanna got quite close to actually catching one. : ) They love seeing them take off and land.

I hope to get in on some of that action when I return home after work today. I'll first gently remove my beloved blazer and throw on a sweatshirt so that as the girls climb up me, I can toss everything into the wash. When it comes to being around them, it's not about just the washability of their clothes, but mine as well.

Hula Loopin'

I'm not sure whether to brag or hide - while at the neighbors' across the street this afternoon, their three-year-old came up to me with her hula hoop and asked me to do it. Without a second thought, I grabbed it and hula-ed about 15 swivels. She jumped up and down with glee. Breanna yelled, "Good job, Mommy." Lilly squeeled and shouted, "Again, Mommy. More hula loop!" I was a rockstar!

Then the neighbor dad half chuckled / half snickered and asked where I get my moves. Goll - why do grownups always have to wreck my superhero moments? They're so few these days.

We played some more and chalked caterpillars on the asphalt and then finally came in for supper. Grant, whose appetite is bigger than mine, I think, ate chicken lo mein noodles and carrots and broccoli (not pureed), as well as sweet potatoes and oatmeal, three saltines, a whole fruit cup of mixed fruits, and then 6 ounces of formula. At this rate, by the time he hits junior high, our grocery bill will be higher than our house payment.

A couple of other funny moments of the day: while at Sam's Club (the only place with double carts so I can take all three kiddos), the girls saw a monster display for Halloween. It was a 6-foot monster whose face comes off as he talks all creepy. They called him a tubba bear and wanted to hug him.

And, they also saw the trampoline display hanging from the ceiling. Broken jump. Breanna told me that, "Uncle Kory pick (fix) the jumpoline." And then as we got into the frozen foods section, they saw an old man in a cowboy hat (probably around 70 years old) and Lillian said it was Uncle Kory. Apparently they miss my brother-in-law.

As we approached the flower display by the checkout, they talked about getting flowers for Grandma Becky, our past daycare lady. They remembered that we picked up a bouquet for her for her birthday in February. Talk about memories!

At bedtime, Lillian tried on a ladybug costume with antennas and quickly exclaimed, "wiggle wiggle." She loved the feeling of the bouncing antennas. The girls then climbed into Lilli's crib and Breanna grabbed the chinese jumprope and tried to hula loop with it. It was hilarious!

So obviously, I have such an exciting life that I feel compelled to share it with you. If you know my kids, perhaps it's entertaining to envision all this. If not, sorry to bore you. It's one of those things where I just need to write and I don't have anything profitable in the writing department this week (hooray!).

On an exciting note (not exciting for me, but perhaps for the fellas), my hubby shot an antelope with his bow on Friday and a deer on Thursday somewhere out in North Dakota. He'll return tomorrow with his "meat." Ick. But at least hunting is now done with and I get my helper back.

On a Lighter Note

After my last post, I learned that DH's best friend just received divorce papers - that's another one on the list this week. We're just speechless and sad. My heart goes out to them all.

So in effort to distract my oft-too-serious nature, I'm uploading more recent photos of my cute and silly kids. Even though I'm pretty sure we've officially declared the twos to be terrible after the most recent week, I do get some big kicks from my smiley kiddos.

The one of the girls in their denim cowgirl outfits shows them in their most typical state - barefooted and eating go-matos like apples.

The pics of the girls in their jammies shows how I caught them sneaking into Grant's crib. And then miss Lillian - she's growing up so much and she looks so big in her silky nightie. Is it just me or do their eyes seem huge? Time is flying and we're having fun!

Thanking a Spouse

I once heard that to make a marriage work well, each spouse should put forth 100% effort toward pleasing his/her mate above all else. At first when I heard that, I rolled my eyes. Someone would get gypped - what a sucker. As I discussed my pessimistic viewpoint with whomever started the conversation (sleep deprivation removed the sharpness of my memory long ago), I was asked to think about the grandness of both giving 100% for one another - always putting the other's needs first.

Sure, as soon as one begins to put himself first, the balance is upset and someone gets gypped. But how about making that your aim in your marriage - both agreeing to try it? My DH and I talked about this very topic tonight on the phone as we made some compromises due to our hectic scheduling these days. Neither of us is enjoying the constant running, but we're kind of stuck for right now. I'm relieved that we can openly talk (often on the phone, boo hoo) about why we're determined to support each other and not let circumstance damage our marriage. I'm so thankful to be married to the nicest guy I've ever known - he's even nicer than my dad, who's pretty darn sweet as he is.

All around us, marriages are in trouble - one after another. Family. Friends. Colleagues. Hunting buddies. Knitting sisters. This week alone, we've learned of two marriages on the rocks that are mighty close to home. I can only pray that they figure out how to get back on track before too much damage is done.

Talk about a reality check. I am so very thankful for my own great fortune in finding my Darling Husband/Awesome Daddy. I am also very prayerful right now. Our loved ones are hurting and it's not something DH or I can fix for them. Do me a favor and go kiss your spouse and tell him/her your favorite things about your marriage tonight. And then say a prayer in appreciation.

Plant Disasters

After an exhausting past few days of some special personal and work events, I brought the kids home from daycare tonight hoping for an easy evening. Grandma Barb, our daycare sweetheart, told me about the wonderful day everyone had, including the 3-hour naps. Silly me, I was an optimist.

During our 'toup (soup) dinner tonight, Breanna simply could not resist splashing in her bowl. No matter how many times I instructed her not to. And Lillian simply had to spoon broth onto her arms. Repeatedly. Both soon reverted to their earlier childhood and found it fun to drop food over the side of their highchairs. Mean Mommy took away the trays and left the girls to sit in strapped-in splendor while she rushed Baby Grant off to the tub. He was wearing more supper than he ate.

While I was bathing Grant, the girls had a screaming contest to see who was loudest and could hold their scream the longest. And then came the quiet. By the time I raced back to the kitchen, I saw that Breanna had scooted her highchair over to my favorite plant and pretty much demolished it. There are about three twigs left and perhaps a leaf or two. Dirt everywhere.

I yelled so loud my throat still hurts. I startled poor Grant, who joined in on the noise. When I asked Breanna why she ruined Mommy's plant, she said, "Breanna naughty. Funny naughty." And she laughed and laughed. For the first time, I actually considered a bare butt spank. Luckily, I'm too exhausted. Both girls went into the tub and then into bed. And they prayed so beautifully that I'm grateful I didn't spank her - the guilt would have killed me as I watched her fold her hands and say the entire "Now I lay me" prayer.

So, I've come downstairs to avoid the dirt and soup. It will suck to clean up because of the wetness and the noodles - they never sweep well. I suppose, enough procrastinating. Up I go to scrub, and then straight to bed. I'm single parenting tonight and I just need to crash. Sweet dreams.

Gramma Pamma

My girls are totally obsessed with my mother, a.k.a. Gramma Pamma. Each day, they ask where she is. They see cars they think are hers. They look for her outside the window. They tell me on the way to daycare each morning that we're going to Gramma Pamma's house.

This weekend, they were in their glory. We celebrated my grandmother's 88th birthday with some family and nurses and residents at the Memory Care home in Brainerd. Everyone was in great spirits and the children brought a lot of life into those walls.

From there, Gramma Pamma drove my van and let me drive her sports car to Unc'a Billy's house, where Daddy and Papa 'tebe were replacing windows. We spent the rest of the day and evening with Gramma Pamma, playing and laughing a lot. When we left at bedtime, all the kids crashed right away, and thankfully, I did not.

When we arrived at our house safe and sound near 10:00, Breanna woke up and immediately asked where Gramma Pamma went. When I said she was at her house, she asked why. Question after question, she finally asked if Gramma Pamma went night night at her house with her pillow and blanket and bunny, to which I replied yes indeed. She then showed me the baseball-sized stone she'd brought home from my folks' house. Gramma Pamma's rock.

Then she looked up and discovered the little lights in the night sky. It was the most beautiful night we've seen in ages and so we sat on the front step (Lilli and Grant were still in the van, sound asleep). We followed an airplane with our fingers and Breanna asked if it was Gramma Pamma's airplane. Then we just snuggled in and watched the stars. It was one of the most peaceful moments I've experienced in a while. I'm warm and smiley just remembering it. To make the night an ultimate, Grant didn't get up until 7:00 this morning, meaning he slept 11 hours straight. Yes!! Now let's see what tonight brings. It's midnight and he's been sleeping since about 8:15.

Motherhood rocks.

Splendorific

Last night I had an awesome networking opportunity - I rubbed elbows with about 500 of Mlps./St. Paul's richest Catholics. I went to the preview of the Vatican Splendors exhibit at the MN History Center, along with the top donors to the Archdiocese's Foundation. While I was extremely tempted to invite my husband as my "And Guest," I decided to be a little more politically savvy. I instead invited a fellow communications director at a nearby university. We were by far much younger and much poorer than nearly everyone else in attendence, but it still was neat.

The conversation there and back wasn't nearly as entertaining had I been with DH, but it was still nice. We compared baby notes - his first son was born this summer. And we discussed lots of ways our two entities can collaborate resources.

The exhibit was wonderful. It was multi-sensory, complete with just the right ancient sounds - you could even smell the age in some of the more porous materials. Seventy percent of the artifacts have never been shown outside this exhibit - not at the Vatican or anywhere. That alone made my heart pump a little faster.

The wine was mighty nice, as well, but nothing ever could top the apple crisp at the end of the line. It came with cinnamon whipped cream and was simply divine.

I look forward to taking DH to the museum when we can go at our own pace - in much more comfortable shoes, without the hobknobbing aspect. I also thought of several other folks who would really enjoy it - my folks, the Jeffreys, Uncle Cliffy...

If you get a chance to go, do it. It's not a stuffy musuem experience in the least and the emotion it stirs is pretty powerful. I'm so thankful to have had the break in my icky schedule to do it.

Buckets of Giggles

As I gracefully single parented tonight, we had what some might call a disaster in our bathroom. I prefer to think of it as help with cleaning.

I was burping Grant in the hallway, where it was a little darker than the bright and giggly bathroom during bath time, where he'd been trying to fall asleep, exhausted from growing another tooth over the weekend. His tilly tisters were having fun pouring pishies (plastic fish) of bubble water over each other's head. All the sudden, the noise level went up about 20 decibles.

Huge splashes!

Uproarious laughter!

Little girl snorts!

Startled crying from Baby Grant!

Those crazy twins had grabbed the hair-rinsing bucket and were pouring bathwater onto the floor faster than you can imagine. All over the clean jammies I had laid out for them. And the dry diapers for the night. And the hoodie towels. And my pretty new slippers. In the few seconds it took for me lay Grant down in his crib, turn on his mobile, and race back in to the waterworks, every inch of bathroom floor was puddled. And the girls were laughing so hard they were out of breath and crying.

How can you yell when they're having so much fun? I tried really hard to have a stern face, but my goodness, their laughter was infectious! I thought about spankings, but honestly, they'd have been too slippery anyway. I just had to shake my head and herd the dripping girls into their bedroom to prepare for bedtime.

All I have to say is that at least it wasn't toilet water.

Breanna the Italian?

Our little multicultural family is keeping the laughter alive. Breanna has added an "eeuh" sound after all her nouns.

"Hi, Mommia."

"Big lellow school bus truckia."

"Silly green froggia (pronounced poggia)."

Now if the twins start crossing speech patterns, we might get really comical. Stay tuned.

le French Lilli & her Tilly Tister

My little Lillian has begun speaking with a French accent this week. Everything starts with le or la, and then has the accent. It's adorable, although I have no idea where it's coming from.

She and her silly sister (pronounced tilly tister in our house) are really getting into jokes, now, so we sure have a lot of laughter and eye rolls. When the underground sprinkler guys were setting up this morning and we were loading into the van, Breanna called out with purpose, "Good night, girls," to the installers (three men). Then she giggled and said, "Noooo, good morning, guys." It's non stop!

Baby Grant has been just as smiley as ever, and he tasted his first honey teriyaki pork chop last night. I think he fell in love with it. He's getting bigger each day and eating more than I imagine can fit into his strong little body - and he's even sleeping for 6-7 hours in a row from time to time. But when he wakes up from a long stretch like that, look out - he's absolutely famished and very loud about it.

We've all had the luxury of having Daddy home a whole bunch lately and it's been fantastic. I'd forgotten how much I love being flirted with, and now that we actually have a little time to breathe, our flirtation is back. He's promised to only have one overnight trip to Fargo each week from now on, and that, I can handle. Plus, he's on the ball with vacuuming. Way more than I am. And I so greatly appreciate it.

I still haven't unpacked any boxes at all in September and all three garage stalls are still full and I still haven't found half my suits, but oh well. We'll get there. I only have two more weeks of heavy-duty wrap-up of my large freelance committment, which happens from 8 - midnight after the kiddos are in bed each night. Come October, I don't know what I'll do with all that free time.

Oh yeah. The garage. Perhaps I'll find my missing pots and pans.

Those Calls

Don't you just love those phone calls that take you out of your chaotic life and calm you? I had a voicemail from a dear friend in California yesterday morning that really made me smile. Then last night, I heard from another dear friend, this one in Wisconsin. We traded stories of potty training, work, money, spouses, faith, etc. After months of no contact, we picked right up and talk about refreshing!

I reflected this morning on my way in to work about all the places I have these kinds of friends. I think the furthest is California, or perhaps Florida. And then a smattering all across the middle.

Cheers to the technology that enables us to stay in touch - even in unconventional ways. Hooray for emails! Blogs, too! Simple as they are, text messages are great, as well. Thank you nerd pioneers. And thank you, my pals, for keeping in touch. You help me feel much less lonely as I continue to parent solo in a new community. Please come visit in person when you can. I do have a spare bed set up (although sheets and a mattress pad might be a challenge).

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.