Cows! We Love Cows!

I am still a Wisconsin girl at heart.  Every time I see a cow, I have to say out loud "cow" and then proceed to "moo" a little.  It is not a new thing, not since kids, or anything like that. Matthew knows all about my love of cows and my need to roll down my window and moo at the cows as we drive by, and yet still loves me.  The boys love cows, as noted in their "moo" video - forgot about it click here.  Moo was also one of their first words.  Today I was very excited to see all the cows out in the field as we drove to my parents for dinner.  We packed the boys up and took them down to feed the cows some left over hot dog buns and it was worth the trip in the dreary weather.  The cows were extremely hungry and happy to come over and look at the boys.  Although, we were slightly disappointed that none of them mooed.  We were happy that none of them pooped, bucked us, or peeded around us ;)

Here are some of my favorite shots.  Most of them are of the cows, but there are a few of the boys enjoying them too.  Oh, and Nonnie too, she probably had more fun than the boys did!

On a totally different note, I am giving my first product review. A spill proof bucket of bubbles seemed like the perfect thing for the boys.  Here is a link to Toys 'R Us http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3581831. Of course, it is not where I bought it, of course it was a dollar more expensive at Target and that was their sale price...oye.  I would grade their design a C+, but after we added some bubble wands from a different bubble container, it is an A!  Most importantly, the boys love it and are entertained by it for hours at a time, I swear!   The wands that came with the bucket are impossible to blow bubbles out of.  However, that did not stop the boys from having fun with it!  There are three openings at the top of the bucket, so it is even more perfect for the boys and their BFF next door, Conner.  Of course, it does not mean that bubble time is all clean, but they are not spilling the whole bubble container over all the time, or needing me to hold the container while they fight over who gets to put their wand in first.  This one is even fun to tote around the yard, as Gus demonstrates below. 

I Know You All Know This, But Can I Just Say How Much I Love These Kids???

Yesterday was awesome because we broke free from the asylum, and ventured farther than Nonnie & Pickles house.  We made it to the zoo for some shenanigans with friends.  Here are some cute pictures.  There is also a great video of Augustus feeding a budgie.  He loved it!!! Raleigh wanted to hold the stick with the bird food on it, but would squeal if they landed on it, and would shut his eyes, or run away in fear.

Did you know we gave birth to sea gulls?  Yup, we sure did.  And, these birds are getting bigger.  If you dare eat in front of these children, expect them to devour anything you are eating.  It is accompanied by the squawk of birdies as well.  Seriously, this started from the time they barely had any teeth and has continued to expand.  We of course don't just let them swipe our food, but we are extremely good at sharing;)  Matthew recently mistakenly bought spicy barbeque chips, he thought they were just BBQ, and of course when they saw Daddy eating them the boys wanted to try them.  No, we don't usually give them chips, but to leave Matty alone, he gave them a chip.  We totally did not expect them to like them, but they did.  As a side note, if you like extremely spicy snacks these things are awesome - Lays Spicy Barbeque chips!

So, this post title is from yesterday's game they came up with.  I love this age.  They can change overnight and come up with the funniest things to entertain themselves with.  Yesterday after naptime we went outside for some more fresh air.  They both started to fall down and then wanted their brother to help them up.  I just about peed my pants watching them do this for at least thirty minutes straight.  Here is a funny video of their fall, pick up, thank you with a hug and just all around fun rolling around in the grass together.  How can you not love these boys!?!?!?!?!

In other news and some of my favorite things...both boys can say Raleigh.  Ra Ra is no more.  Their Raleigh sounds more like "Row-ley" - rhymes with cow, not row.  We have moved up to 2T jeans overnight because the 18 month jeans look like flood pants.  Almost all of their PJs we bought for the winter are too small.  Which is a bummer since it is STILL cold here and I don't really want to buy bigger fleece-style PJs for the Florida summer. 

It is almost one month until our babies turn 2; can you believe that?  I cannot.  We are prepping for their birthday party.  We of course will be incorporating a charity play date party for The Ronald McDonald House again.  This year I am also trying to get some friends together to make a meal at one of the local houses, so if anyone is interested in that please shoot me an email, or post here.

I love that they wake up and want to read immediately.  All the books Great Auntie Julianne and Uncle Tony, and Nonnie, among many others, have bought for the boys are going to very good use.  Seriously, Augustus will carry his books around and then go crawl in our bed to read.  How sweet is that?  They still love construction truck or fire engine books best, then anything train, and of course all the Aussie books with animals in them.  The boys' concentration level is truly amazing for being nearly two.  Both boys will sit and put every puzzle together, take it apart, and do it again.   

I also love that when they see a smaller object and a bigger object the immediately connect that one must be the mommy and one must be the baby.  Even smaller airplanes are called babies. 

Kites; Another Adventure Where Dad's May Have More Fun

BIG HUGE THANK YOU to my parents, in particular Nonnie Boni, for watching the boys so much yesterday, and cooking us all a fabulous Valentine's Day dinner the night before.  Matthew and I got a whole lot accomplished with the boys out of the house, including painting one lonely wall in our kitchen.  I was hoping for a more grayish-blue, instead of bluish-gray, but oh well. It fits with the Key West style of our house.  We also enjoyed a long, leisurely lunch at Acropolis where we were even able to dine outside in the warm sunshine - yes people, it hit 70 degrees!!!! 

So after our lunch date yesterday, we had to run to the store to return a few things, and Matthew and I went to check out the toy aisle since it would be so much easier to do this without the boys.  It will be the boys second birthday in a little over a month; which I am slightly freaking out about, by the way.  So, Matthew saw some kites and was so incredibly nerdy about them that we had to get one.  I did put my foot down and said "no" to the $20 kite.  I actually helped pick out two, but somewhere along the way he put one back.  Uh, big mistake, that should go without saying to the mom's of multiples out there;) So, here are a few shots of the boys, I would say with the kite, but really, Daddy was all about the kite, so there are a few shots of us, and a great shot of Raleigh having a major F-I-T when Matthew would not let him carry the kite.  You can see his smile when he actually got it!  Gus was more interested in the tail of the kite and running free, so there is just a shot of him and me thrown in for fun; note the hand, he is always helping me with my boobs.  Such a man! 

Welcome Baby Jane! Two Year Molars, Already?

I wanted to share a few beautiful pictures of my BFF Kristy's new baby girl, Jane.  She is gorgeous!  Janie was born February 8th at 9:58 am, at 8 pounds even, and 19 inches.  This is after a long haul of bed-rest and pain for K prior to giving birth, so it is extra great that she is here!  However, we are still thinking good thoughts for K who has to endure a second surgery to help fix her kidneys.  She is amazingly strong and such a good mama and friend. I can only hope the boys find such a good friend like I did.

Callie, Annie, K, and baby Janie!

LOVE this shot of baby Annie telling us all about Janie!  She is just 16 months older than Jane.  So adorable...look out boys;) 

In the spirit of Miss Eli's book to me for Christmas in which Matthew and I write all sorts of memories of our lives to pass on to the boys so they know their Mommy and Daddy better, here is a little story about my BFF.  We have known each other since we were two, where we met in a magical place called Venus Drive in the land of beer and cheese.  Our moms were avid coffee drinkers and just happened to have a son and daughter the same age.  This street was amazing in that all the kids got along...some better than others, and we could play on our big wheels in the street, stay out until the street lights came on, and could get in trouble together in some strange ways;)  A beer mart and fire come to mind, although K missed the fire...and a little tree climbing incident that will all stay our stories to share once the children have grown up safely and made stories of their own.  I think the boys are getting a bit of that magic now with our neighbors having a little boy the same age and another baby on the way soon. Plus, we have made fabulous twinkie friends that I know they will have great memories with too.  I always have Kristy to remind me of our childhood since my memory is worse than someone with Alzheimer's on most days.  Some of my favorite memories are heading to the crick - yes, I know it is spelled "creek" but I will always say crick, playing Star Wars on her super cool swing set that had monkey bars, making our own newspaper, beauty pagents, and starting clubs where we ruthlessly made others drink dirt water soup flavored with herbed grasses and eat banana peels. Although Kristy and her family moved away when we were in the 8th grade, and we have lost touch over the years we have always found our way back into each other's life. I don't know how I would have made it through infertility and the boys' heart conditions without Kristy to cry with on the phone at any hour.  Seriously, we now talk almost every day.  It is a shame we live in different states, but it is great that we have such a close friendship.  I am lucky to have three best friends, in Matthew, my mom and Kristy.  However, I know Kristy is my friend I can tell all the embarrassing stories to, bitch about my husband and  know she will love me (and Matty) just the same.  She is the person I want with me when I walk into a gay biker bar, get kicked out of Coyote Ugly (again) and when I am rocking in the old folks' home.  Love ya Kristy!!

Now, onto news about the boys.  Same old, same old, except we have broken the coop the last few days in an effort to run out some of their rambunctious energy.  It worked yesterday in our walk/run/pony ride to Publix; they slept almost three hours while I did some alone shopping and Daddy napped on the couch.  So funny to see them laugh for 15 minutes straight just because we all went for a walk together.  They have such joy.  Ah, to be a toddler again!  Today, well, I can here they yelling "boo" to each other from across the room and their separate cribs. It is how they wake up from naps each and every day, they have a blanket that they cover themselves with and then pull off and yell "boo."  Super cute, except when you are trying to squeeze in a few extra minutes of a nap or book read yourself;)  Today we hit a strawberry and produce stand after having a Valentine's Day breakfast out as a family, and hit the park and played with C next door, but alas, no go on a long sleep!  Exciting news is that Raleigh has his lower left 2 year molar almost completely in already. Almost over night it seems. Augustus has the same molar poking through just a little bit.  I cannot believe the boys will be two in a month and a half!  Wow, where is the time going???  Good thing we are spending lots of time having fun and making memories along the way...and I am writing most of this stuff down so I don't forget!!!!  Here is a cute shot of Augustus and his trains. Not only do they yell for the "choo choo, all aboard" movie all the time, but he also plays with them constantly, non-stop.  We were going to do fire trucks for this year's birthday party, but now I am leaning more for trains.  Then, the next shot is the boys with Daddy watching The Polar Express after Gus flew off the play house behind them in the shot...notice the busted lip:(

Here are the boys in their newest toy from IKEA. They think they are bulldozers though and love the pick it up and fly on top of it...trouble, we just know it.  However, we did pick up a set of three plastic kitchen utensils for 73 cents yesterday that are perfect play toys, and you CANNOT beat the price.  

Happy Valentine's Day everyone from Augustus, Raleigh, Matthew and me!

Favorite Things

The past few weeks we have been miserable. Sick and cold, cold and sick. Boys have been sick and cold, cold and sick. Makes for long days as a stay-at-home mommy! We've colored our hearts out, even made Valentine's Day cards, read every book we own, torn apart the playroom at least twice daily, played trains, and yes, even watch a little television. We've worked on shapes; their favorite is emptying the dish washer EVERY morning - yes we have that many dirty dishes - and pointing out and saying "circle, square, rectangle, fork, spoon “and the like. It is a great game, and can be very entertaining. You can even play "which one is bigger" if you have different sized forks, spoons, whisks, bowls, etc. I have to laugh, because their language is still truncated, and they still struggle with "s" and "f" so spoon is really 'poon' and fork is something like 'pork.' But, close enough for now;)


Here are some snapshots from the week. We have bundled up and ventured outside to chase ducks, draw, and have snacks. Mostly, we have stayed at home though.

As we've been locked up in our insane asylum I like to call home, I have been lucky enough to experience all those little things that make me smile, and sometimes make me say 'hmm.' And, sometimes want to pull out my hair and pour a stiff martini...but alas, I am on meds and the two don't mix well!

Favorite things at 22 months:

• Pooping on the potty. Raleigh has done it for almost two weeks straight now. Not every single one, but almost every one!!! Yay buddy!

• Putting words together in some sort of sentence, or at least so I get what they are asking. Like "Daddy doing?' with a little head cock, or shrug of the shoulder, means "what is Daddy doing?" To which I answered something about working, which they immediately repeat. I say, yup, "Someone has to bring home money." Raleigh looked at me and says "mon mon" - his word for monkey and starts saying "ooh, oooh, ah, ah" like a monkey. Yup, Rals, daddy is making the monkeys!

• We've watched the Polar Express movie while everyone was really sick, and I mean, they sat and watched the entire movie. Wow, that is some attention span for almost two year olds. Now, almost daily they ask "choo, choo, all aboard?" and point to the TV. No, no, TV. It reminds me of my friend Maritza telling me a story about her twinkies at this age and them asking for Dora, when she would say no, they'd move on to Diego, and on, and on.

• So, this is not really a favorite thing per say, but it is pretty funny. I always ask the boys if they went poopy, or if they have to go poopy, and today I was sitting on the floor and Raleigh came up behind me, pulled my pants down and stuck his hand in my pants and said "no poo poo." Thanks buddy, yup, mommy poo poos on the potty, there is no poo poo in my pants.

• Oh, no bottles at all anymore!!! Yeah, we were closet bottle drinkers. They were holding on to it mostly because I was. We enjoyed our snuggle bottle time, especially at bed time. I knew as they were approaching two at the end of next month it was long overdue to ditch the bottles. It was no big deal and went off without a hitch last weekend. I guess it was less painful for everyone waiting until we were all ready.

• Augustus is truly one of the most polite little boys. He constantly says thank you. Which, he still signs most of the time and says please always! Okay, maybe not always, but more than Raleigh at this point. Gus gets such a proud look on his face when he does it too. He knows it makes me happy.

• Raleigh does this funny thing he saw in the movie Madagascar and Nonnie helped reiterate. He lifts his hand in front of his face, and when it goes down over his mouth he does a sad face, and then pulls it up over his forehead and makes a happy face. Hilarious!!!

• They are growing up. This means independence and free will. Great to see, I know they are strong and will be just like mommy and daddy with their stubbornness and feeling that they are not going to do anything they do not want to do. However, wow, there have been some colossal tantrums lately. Particularly by Raleigh man. Wow! That is really all I can say about that right now.

• Another less than favorite thing is spitting. Seriously, that is the grossest thing ever. They will spit their water out and think it is the funniest thing ever. Me, not so much. Like the food throwing this is high on my gets-my-goat meter. I have tried ignoring it...they keep doing it. Counting it like the 1, 2, 3 Magic book instructs...still spitting. I have tried yelling, saying it is gross, whatever I can try, and still going. My neighbor is doing the same thing, so I think it is a phase they are all doing together. Lovely. This too shall pass!!!!

Well, that is a snapshot of our lives right now. We look forward to getting out with friends soon. The boys miss all their friends, although they love to pretend to be talking to them on their phones. They can say Abi, Belle, Ellie - which is now more like Eadie, Conner, and lots more. I love to see them call their names out on the phone. Super cute. Hopefully we'll get some truly Florida weather sooner than later!

Fire Crazy!

So this past week, we laid low because we were all sick with bad colds. However, we went to see Grandpa Pickles and did our usual drive by of the fire station on our way there. The truck was out, so I pull down the little side street and was happy to see two very enthusiastic fire fighters outside waving at us and telling us to come on over. I parked and took the boys to see them. When I told them why we were driving by (the boys love fire trucks), the fire man said, "I see you drive by often." Um, totally embarrassing, right?!?!?! Oh well, the things we do for our kids. Of course, I did not have my camera with. What is with me and not having my camera when we see our friendly fire fighters? The pictures from the aquarium outing were all due in part to our friend Patty! So, I told them that we would come back on their next shift and bring brownies all to ensure I was able to get SOME pictures. Today, we followed through on my promise. This time, I was prepared and took the camera. Even funnier, when we got there, the same fire fighter asked if I had written a thank you letter recently because he thinks he just saw my name in the firefighter newsletter. Yup, indeed I had. Again, double embarrassment, but heck, all for my boys, plus I am polite, my mama raised me right;)