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!