Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Elfie the Family Elf

This year we started the Elf On The Shelf tradition.  The belief is that the family elf (to be named by the family) watches the kids of the house throughout the day and at night when everyone is sleeping he/she goes to the North Pole to tell Santa if they have been good or bad.  When the kids wake up the next morning the elf is in a new spot and even has gotten into some mischief over night!

Evan has taken to this idea really well. We named our elf Elfie and each morning Evan finds Elfie in a new spot.  Here are the first 15 days:

Elfie was surfing the internet looking at the dinosaurs that Evan wants

Elfie climbed up on the cow bell

Making a phone call

Checking out Evans art work

Elfie was sitting on the countdown calendar with a Santa hat on!

Look who got into the candy jar!

Hanging out in Evans stocking

Playing video games

Elfie put Evans underwear all over the Christmas tree

Santas got him in a head lock

A dino parade

Elfie got into the chocolate chips

Playing a game with some friends

Hiding in the plant

taking a bath in marshmellows
Having Elfie in the house if great Christmas fun!

4 Months Old

Morgan and Riley are 4 months old now.  Sometimes I say Already???  and sometimes I say Wow that's it??  Depending on how our days are going time either goes by really fast or really slow.

Some days I would like them to be more independent and I can't wait for them to crawl or sit so they can entertain themselves.  Then I remember that they are only going to be my tiny little love bugs for a short while!

Right now the boys are:

Belly laughing
Really interested in their big brother
Eating rice cereal, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas and peas.  (sweet potatoes are their favorite)
rolling from tummy to back most of the time
HATE floor time
HATE tummy time
Beginning to get jealous of each other, for example when I pick one up to give him a bath or change his diaper the other will cry.
Starting to get shy around new people
Starting to experience separation anxiety
Always have their fingers in their mouths
Starting to grab toys

At their 4 month appointment

watching Dino Dan with big brother

Morgan fell asleep like this



Monday, December 10, 2012

Not All It's Cracked Up to Be

Ever since I can remember I have wanted twins.  I always had twin baby dolls and I always dressed my sister and kids I babysat as twins, however having twins of your own 24 hours a day 7 days a week is not all that it is cracked up to be!

I LOVE my baby boys and I LOVE that I have twins, but we are definitely in the throws of figuring out what works best for us as a new family of 5.  Finances are tough, stress is high, time spent with Evan has decreased which brings on a lot of mommy and daddy guilt along with the fact that we are just exhausted every single day!  Some days the boys sleep on opposite schedules so I can't get anything done, some days they cry all day, most days I feel like I am not giving any one of my children the attention they need and deserve.  Poor Evan is bored at home all day and is fighting for attention from us at a time when the babies are at their neediest.

Some days I just want to cry myself and go to bed, but then I look at all 3 of my little guys and I tell myself that this WILL pass and when it is gone it is gone.  I have to cherish this time with them but I can also remind myself that it will get better as well.  My boys are wonderful, beautiful, happy and healthy human beings......I must be doing SOMETHING right!  What more could I ask for.

The boys in their jammies at lunch time because this is how it happens a lot!   They don't care!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Let Me Lay This Out for You...

"Let me lay this out for you" is just one of Evan new and super cute sayings that came out of his mouth.

We were cooking dinner and Evan says "Let me lay this out for you....It goes dinner, bath, movie, book, bed- OK?"  I honestly don't know where he got this!

Another cute saying was when he was looking for one of his beloved dinosaurs he says "Mom, I have a hypothesis about where my T-Rex is"

"Let's talk about it" is mostly a stall tactic at bed time, but there are times where he really does just want to sit and talk about it.

"Are you so happy?"  He asks us this everyday.  He really just wants us to be happy especially with him.  I do have to tell him at times that I am not happy because he kicked the babies bottle, made a huge mess, didn't eat, etc.  I have a hard time doing that because he really gets sad when I say I am not happy, but hopefully I am teaching him something!

In the business of the day Tony and I were in the kitchen making bottles and breakfast and Evan comes running in and yells, "Hi Daddy the cripple!"  In our house this is funny not mean.  Yes Tony has MS and he can laugh about it and does call himself a cripple sometimes when joking around.  We had no idea that he actually picked that up!  He now knows that he can only say that to daddy....but it was hilarious!

Evan is attached to his binky.  I swear it is an addiction like smoking or coffee or something.  He is only allowed to have it when he is going to sleep.  He also has a little blankie that he loves and the binky and blanket go hand in hand.  While at Nana and Papas for Thanksgiving Evan was begging us for his binky using the argument, "I need my binky because it matches my blankie!"  Gotta love this kids reasoning!

I absolutely love the cute and fun things that Evan says.  I know they won't last because he is growing up way too fast so I am trying to make sure I take note of everything!

I LOVE my big boy!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Bumbo and the Blue Pajamas

When Evan was about 2 1/2 - 3 months old I captured a picture of him that I love.  He is sitting in a bumbo and he was so excited he had a huge smile on his face.

Since I still had the blue jungle animal PJ's when Morgan and Riley were born I decided to try to capture them in the same way.

Evan -September 2009

Riley- November 2012

Morgan- November 2012

They are truly brothers!
I will put these PJ's away as a keepsake for when the boys are older!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

The Couch

Oh how the boys love the couch.

Evan jumps on the couch.
They all sleep on the couch.
They all cry on the couch.
We all laugh on the couch.
We snuggle on the couch.
The couch has been peed on.
The couch has been spit up on.
The couch has been spilled on.
The couch is a personal jungle gym for Evan and eventually Morgan and Riley.

Oh how we love our couch.

Morgan and Riley watching me vacuum.

Riley loves the couch...

Morgan loves the couch....

Evan REALLY loves the couch!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Sunrise

A little over a month ago, when we knew that the sun streak we had been having was ending, we decided to take a trip up Mt. Rainier to Sunrise.

We "hiked" the trails.
We took pictures.
We enjoyed the drive.
We enjoyed the weather.
Evan and Tony got a picture in the same spot that Brianna and Tony had one 10 years ago.
We celebrated the fact that Tony asked me to marry him there 10 years ago.
Evan brought his favorite dinosaur.
The babies were very good and enjoyed the out doors.

It was a nice family day that made us remember to do it more often.





Evan loved "feeding" his dinosaur



Brianna and Tony 10 years ago

Tony and Evan today
I love my family!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

3 Months old

Morgan and Riley are 3 months old now and growing fast!

At 3 months old:

They both smile a lot.
Morgan is quiet and likes to be an observer.
Riley is loud and always wants to be involved.
Morgan is laid back, easy going.
Riley is high strung and always wants to be held. (Much like Evan when he was their age)
Both boys eat a lot!
Riley sleeps really well at night.
Morgan sleeps really well during the day.
Riley nurses for comfort.
Morgan refuses to nurse at all.

Right now both boys have a tummy virus that is causing diarrhea and VERY sore, red almost bleeding butts :-(  My poor babies cry every time they poop and scream when I have to wipe them.  Needless to say they are not too happy in these 3 month pics.  We are hoping they feel better VERY soon!



We love watching these boys grow!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

What's the big idea?

What's the big idea? is just one of the cute phrases that Evan says a lot these days!  If he trips and falls he says "Hey, Whats the big idea?!?" When he can't find a toy, when he wants to play, when he drops something, when he's thirsty, in any context it is always "What's the big idea?!?"

Another is "oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!"  He says it when he is excited about something.

He is starting to back talk, but we are trying to nip that right now, however it is hard not to smile when we tell him he can't do something and hes says with a sly smile "Oh yes I can!"

He loves to help in the kitchen and can tell you all the steps to make scrambled eggs, pancakes, cookies, etc.  He often "reads" the directions in a recipe, will eat a lot of what we are making before it gets cooked (IE, cookie dough, frozen pancakes, cheese, brown sugar, etc.), and is wound up by the time cooking is over.

He likes to help daddy fix things and often says "Let's have a look-see"

We always spell around Evan now. For example when going somewhere or if he is upset we will ask each other "Do you have the B-I-N-K-Y?"  Of course we think he has no idea what we are talking about until one day one of the babies was crying and Evan says to us "Do you guys have the P-O-C-Y?"  Smart kid!  He knows exactly what we are talking about....we are in so much trouble!

We so love our big boy and love everything he does and says.....even if it is naughty!

Making cookies with mommy

The best part....licking the beaters!

So in love with this kid!



The Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

Evan went to Thomasson Family Farm with his class as a field trip and Morgan and Riley and I were lucky enough to attend.

At first I thought that it was going to be a lot of work and that the boys would be cranky and that Evan wouldn't stay with his class, buuuutttttt...it was quite the opposite.

Evan was SO good.  He followed his teachers, listened to directions and did everything he was supposed to.  Morgan and Riley were great as well!  They sat in the big stroller all bundled up.  They loved looking around at all the kids and everything that was going on and they really never got fussy at all.  One of the mothers carried Morgan onto the hay tractor while I carried Riley.  Evan picked a pumpkin and had so much fun playing and running around with all of his friends.

Evan and his best friend Lily, 2 peas in a pod!

Ms. Beverly

Part of the preschool class

A tractor train ride

All bundled up and ready to roll!

Evan's favorite part of the play area

Bottles propped for snack time

Evan loved the water pump...

and the big slide

"I got the biggest one mommy!"

Love my boys

Measuring how much he has grown
We had an amazing day and I feel so blessed that I was able to go and experience this with him.