Will my luck run out?

Today I had to take my computer to the Apple store again to be fixed because it wasn't recognizing the battery and in turn wouldn't charge. Luck has it, it was the last day of my warranty. I know, I about died when I found out that it expires tomorrow. We had an appointment on Thursday, but we were to tired to drive to Keystone after driving back from Ohio. After the guy replaced the battery he asked if I wanted to purchase the extended warranty. I asked if the battery died again if it would be replaced since it had already happened and he said no, since the computer would be out of warranty. He even said that even though this battery issue is a known issue in MacBooks that if I had brought it in tomorrow it wouldn't have been covered. After thinking about it, and knowing that I have already taken the laptop there twice in a year we went ahead and threw down the $200.00 for the 2 year extended warranty. We figure that it will either guarantee that it won't break for two years and if it does then we are covered. It was an expense we didn't want to have right now with all the house things we would like to buy, but I am hoping to some day soon figure out a way to use this laptop to make some extra income. So know I sit here and wonder if my luck will run out since I found my necklace and was able to get my computer fixed on the last day of its warranty!

My Christmas Miracle

Last Sunday my family and I went to tour an old house in Akron, The Stan Hywet Hall. It was all decorated in Babes in Toyland and even the girl's enjoyed it. Later that night we were in the car headed to a movie when I went to check on my diamond necklace, mind you I NEVER wear this necklace, but thought that I would for the holiday. Well, when I went to reach for it, it was gone. At first Tom thought I was joking until I showed him my neck, at which point he realized I wasn't joking. I ran in the house to tell my mom and we started looking, but nothing. We then called Stan Hywet but they were to busy to look for it. We went to the movie and all I could think about was the necklace and what if it was really gone. Tom had given it to me last year for Christmas and I couldn't imagine if it was gone. The next day we tore the house apart and my car and my mom's but no luck. I couldn't give up hope, but the chances of it being found were dwindling. Stan Hywet was closed until Dec. 26, but promptly at 10:00 I called to see if they had found it. No one had turned it in, but the lady said they would look for it. Within 5 minutes they called me back, and low and behold they had found it! I could not believe it, they actually had it, chain and all. The chain was broken, but they had the diamond. That afternoon I went to get it and I just wanted to scream, I was so happy. No one could actually believe that they had found it and that I had it back, especially since so many people had toured the house after we left, but I have it and I couldn't be happier. So there you go, again! Christmas Miracles do happen.

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to wish everyone out there in Blogger world a Merry Christmas. I hope everyone had a great day and I will write more about our doings and comings and goings in a while.

Flushing $20.00

Today I literally almost flushed a $20.00 bill. I don't think I have ever stuck my hand, willingly, as fast as I did when I saw that thing almost going down. I had totally forgotten that it was in my back pocket and I guess it had fallen out... I am glad I turned around before it was to late or I would have been REALLY angry with myself! Lesson learned? Don't keep money you want in your back pocket if your jeans are lose!

Inspiration

I am currently watching the Biggest Loser season finale and I think I have FINALLY found the inspiration I need to successfully lose weight. I mean honestly, I have NO excuses as to why I cannot lose weight. The point is, I am not motivated. As I sit here and watch these individuals who have lost 50, 60 and some even more than 100 pounds and range in ages from their 20's to their 60's I have realized that the only thing stopping me is myself and that I just need to do it. Stop eating junk, start running and just DO IT. As a lot of you know I am training for the mini in May. Well, I say I am training, but I am not seriously training yet and I need to. So I am done. I am done making excuses for myself. I am done sitting around when I could be running or lifting weights or doing something that will help me lose. I am done saying I am training, I AM training. So if you are like me and you need some motivation check out the BLC web page and see some before and after pictures, it is really amazing!

Three Strikes and I'm out

Tonight I was about as clumsy as a person can be and I wanted to lock myself in my room. First, I dropped our huge wood cutting board on the brand new hardwoods in the kitchen. Oh yes I took a huge chunk out of one of the boards...a nice new ding for ya. I guess I was glad I did it and not an installer or one of the girls or even Tom, because the only person I can be mad at is myself. Then I was trying to throw the tv remote onto the couch and instead completely hit Tom square in the face. At that point I almost went upstairs. Then I was trying to give Maddie some tylenol and wouldn't you know it a huge drop went straight into her eye. My family for ever has called me Grace, but that side isn't always present. Tonight it was present in full form and I was so mad at myself, especially for damaging the new floor. Luckily Tom was very kind about it and didn't yell or anything. So chalk one up for Grace, I hope she is gone in the morning!

Here we go again

So wouldn't you know it. We finally get into the new house and Natalie and I are both sick again. I heard that once you had children you should be prepared to be sick a lot more and I never believed it, until now. I used to be a totally healthy person who was rarely sick, but this is my second cold in the last 6 months, Natalie's too, meaning it is only a matter of time until Maddie gets it and possibly Tom as well. At least a majority of the stuff is put away and we aren't walking around boxes so I don't feel total pressure to keep work and I am allowing myself some breaks so that I can recover faster. If you are a parent and find yourself getting sick more now as well, can you give me some pointers on how you try to keep the germs to a minimum and from spreading?!

As Promised

Our House!
The Kitchen
The Family Room & our Christmas Tree
The Girl's Room

Here are some Pictures of the house...it is still a little bit in disarray, but we are getting there!

The Closing Story

Well, we are in and almost settled. It will be a while before we are truly, completely at home, but things are getting there! As promised here is the closing and move in story. When we walked into closing the title company wasn't there, (Arbor does their closings at their models). A little late the man finally got there. He then got out his papers and said okay let's get started. First, you know about the lien on your property right? Lien, what lien we ask...we had nooooooo idea. Apparently, Arbor had fired a plumber and hadn't paid him, he in turn put a lien on all the properties he had done work on. Arbor then turned around and sued him. Well, of course Arbor didn't tell us any of this, especially the part about the lien. The title guy then proceeds to tell us that we have 2 choice, to not close, which almost made me puke or to close with the lien on the title. After about 30-45 minutes of explanation of how the title would be cleaned and what it all meant we decided to go ahead and close. Let me state for the record I have never been so mad in my life. It was like the final stake in the coffin that Arbor had ONCE again withheld information from us...SHOCKER! But we closed and got our keys and that night we moved our bed and the girl's beds into the new house. The house has a few imperfections as all houses will, even though some of them are annoying, we will survive! Saturday, after a looooong night of very little sleep, the girls were just not adjusting well we got up to start the real move. I stayed at the house with the girls, my mom, sister and Aunt. We started getting things organized and waited for the appliances. at 8:30 the appliances arrived, much to my surprise, but HHGregg was wonderful. I have never really liked them, but they were on time, courteous and installed everything really quickly. Then Tom called to let me know that that he and the movers were on their way...WHAT, it was only 9:30 am. Well, by 11:30 everything was moved in. We went with 2 Men and A Truck and they were fabulous! On time, very very fast and very polite...I highly recommend if you are looking for a mover! The rest of the weekend was spent on packing and organizing. So we are settling in and I will post pictures tomorrow...gotta find the camera still :-) Also, a very special THANK YOU to Tom's parents, my Mom, Sister and Aunt. We couldn't have done it without you guys...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Ho HO HO

Well, our Christmas Miracle arrived early this year on Friday and we were finally able to close on our house! I will post more tomorrow once we have internet there about the full details. We almost didn't close again and to tell you about the weekend, but I wanted to let all you devoted readers out there that we are finally in our house! So look for more tomorrow!

Nothing can ever go smoothly

Today at 3:00ish I called the title company to get the amount we had to bring to closing tomorrow, wouldn't you know it was almost $1200.00 more than we were anticipating! Now I am running around scrambling trying to see why it is so much more and see why Arbor didn't pay more of the closing costs they said they would pay. This whole thing has been such a headache. You can expect a post completely bashing Arbor down the road, but we have to get through this first. I hope that our broker is able to get to the bottom of this fiasco or we will have to pull money out of our savings to pay the additional closing costs, something we were not prepared to do at all. Oh well I guess, if we get those keys tomorrow it will be fine, but this is one more loop to jump through that of course we weren't expecting. Tune in tomorrow to see if the deal goes through or not!

Going MIA

This week I may be a little hit and miss on my entries with the upcoming move, need to pack etc. So please forgive me if I fail to enter anything thoughtful or worthwhile...wait do I ever post anything that is truly worth while? Anyway, if I am MIA don't fret I will return!

Oh The Odor!

Ever since the girls have started eating "real" food their waste has smelled something awful. I have switched diaper pails to try to keep the smell contained and I will admit the new pail is so much better, but it still isn't keeping the smell completely in. Today I had the genius idea to purchase those little travel diaper disposal bags that are powder scented... I know how can you be green when you buy more plastic, but really the smell is awful. You can sometimes smell it when you walk in the door and I do not want the new house smelling like poo. We will see if this new method of double wrapping in scented bags works, but if any of you parents have any advice, aside from recommending a different diaper pail I would LOVE to hear how you keep the smell down!

All Sorts of Wrong

Last week I was driving in my car and heard the song Lean like a cholo or something like that and I just started laughing because it was cracking me up. I asked Tom if he knew what a Cholo was and he didn't so I asked my sister...she is 16 and knew the definition...scary. Anyway, Tom wanted to check out the actual definition, which then lead him to look up the video on YouTube. Now the actual video is fine as far as videos go, but then he stumbled upon this version. Yes, that is Dora the Explorer doing Lean Like a Cholo. Now seriously, what kind of message does this send to our kids. At first we were laughing, but then I was like, "wait, that is horrible." At this discovery I realized once the girls have access to the internet we will be blocking some websites and monitoring their activity as close as we can. I mean there was even an Alvin and the Chipmunks version, as Ellen would say..."WHAT!"

Deja-Vu

Today was Deja-Vu day. I spend hours moving boxes and re-packing as I was doing this I just kept thinking, "been here, done that." Then I kept thinking that I better not be doing this in vain and we better get to move this time. Well, we know we are moving one way or another, either into our house or somewhere else. I need a garage and more space....ahhhh more space. So hopefully the rest of the packing will go well and in a week and a half we will be moved...yippee I don't want any more bouts of deja-vu, just my house!

Daunting

As we get close to closing on our house, again, we are just 11 days away. There is so much anticipation, nervousness and the daunting fact that we have to pack again. Last time at this time we were pretty much ready to go minus the few everyday things we use, but this time neither Tom nor I seem to be in any big hurry to get things packed up. I think it is that lingering feeling that something will go wrong again and we won't close. We haven't let ourselves get excited so there won't be any disappointment should it fall through. The chances are so slim that something will go wrong, but we just have no faith we are emotionally and mentally exhausted. So I begrudgingly will start to pack this week and as we get closer to next Friday I will pack more day by day, hoping we actually get to move this time. I know Tom and I won't sleep well Thursday night and until we have that key in our hand and we have changed the locks we will not be totally happy and excited...so here is to hoping the next 11 days pass quickly and that we get an early Christmas miracle and actually get to move.

They Arrived

Today, just a few days after ordering them, my envirosax arrived. I was very excited to see what they would look like and I was pleasantly surprised. I love the pattern I picked, the monochromatic one and the size of the bags is great, much larger than I had anticipated.



They also came in a little pouch that will easily fit in my diaper bag or even in my purse. Now the goal is to remember to take them with me when I go to the store and hopefully I will even remember them when I go to target and other places like that so I can totally cut down on the plastic bags!

Going Green

Last week the girls and I were in Ohio, I feel like a lot went on, but none of it was extremely interesting, so instead I am going to write a post about some new grocery bags I ordered and cannot wait to use. They are called envirosax, envirosax.com and they are an economical, fashionable, green way to do your shopping. I am just to sick of all the plastic bags we get weekly and I wanted something that would help the environment. I feel like the baggers today were trained to put as few items in a bag as possible, for instance one thing of deodorant went into a bag alone today and I almost lost it, so when I got home I did some research and ordered the new bags. Now the goal is to remember to take them in when I do my shopping. Some other bags I found that I may also get down the road are baggubags, baggubags.com, they come in a variety of colors and if the envirosax work out well then I might add to my collection with the baggu. Both of these sets of bags can also be purchased at amazon.com. If you end up getting these or know of any other re-usable bags let me know!

Toddler Land

We have officially, officially entered toddler land. The girls hardly ever crawl anymore and walk everywhere. They are even almost to the point of being able to run. It is pretty dang cute, but hard to keep up with at the same time. Especially when they go in opposite directions. We have started to have to practice no, no, no to about everything, especially to my parent's wood burning stove. They are facinated with the dancing flames and keep wanting to touch it, but we just keep saying no and hot, hot and blowing, which is the sign language for hot. We are also starting more sign language and they seem to understand it so much better now. I think we were a little ambitious when we started, but now Maddie always does the sign for milk. Especially when I ask if they want to eat she will do the sign for milk, and Natalie does the actual sign for eat. One day she, Natalie, was standing there doing the sign to eat and I asked if she was hungry and she kept doing it and then ran to the gate and kept trying to get out to her high chair. It was pretty cute, but then again pretty much everything they do these days is cute. Natalie loves my dad and just follows him around, curious about everything he is doing. Maddie will watch, but usually from a distance. All I know is toddler land is a lot different than the infant stage, but it is more fun too, even though we are super active.

Thank Goodness

Yesterday the girls and I drove to Ohio to stay for the week. It rained the whole way and I was really hoping that they would sleep the whole way so I wouldn't have to stop to feed them, but no such luck. Thank goodness though for Steak n Shake's Drive Thru and I can't believe I am going to say this, but my mini van as well! There was no way I was going to get all 3 of us out of the car, we would have been soaked. So I kept my eye's open for a Steak n Shake and found one just outside of Columbus. Went through the drive thru, got the girls a grilled cheese, parked, hopped into the back of the van and fed the girls. Then changed them really quick and we were off. I just kept thinking, there is no way I could have just done that in another vehicle, ah thank you mini van. So even though I still cannot believe I drive one, it has come in very handy and I think I like it!

Week One: Down

Well, I survived my first Starbucks free week. I am very proud of myself and ready for my first Friday Treat! I also joined the Biggest Loser online club, to help me get control of my weight and poor eating habits. It has truly been great. It has an extensive meal planner that plans everything down to your snacks and you can swap out meals if you don't like what they have planned for you. It caters to no red meat diets and vegetarians as well. Then it allows you to track your food intake, calories, fat, etc. as well as your exercise...which it also sets up a plan for you as well depending on your goals that you enter when you register. At first I was a little skeptical, and didn't think that I would be able to handle the eating, but it really hasn't been that bad and you can still eat things like peanut butter and jelly for lunch or grilled cheese. Basically it restricts you calorie intake to around 1200-1300, well for me at least, I am sure others are different. But it really makes you aware of what you are and have been eating and how full you actually can be if you eat smaller meals throughout the day that are healthier. So week one of BLC and Starbucks are complete and I must say I am feeling much better! If you would like more info on the BLC go to their website: Biggest Loser Club and good luck.

I think I am going to do it, but when is the queston!

A few days ago I was watching Oprah, something I don't do that often, honestly! Hilary Swank was on and she had Oprah cut her hair really short so that she could donate it so they could make wigs for women who are battling cancer. I have been thinking a lot about cutting my hair or not cutting my hair, but after watching the show I think I might take the plunge, cut my hair short again and donate it. You need 8 inches in order to donate, so I don't know if I am there just yet, I don't want super, super short hair, so we will see. I also hope that I am brave enough to take this plunge. I have had short hair before and I always get so sad afterwards, but maybe if I know my hair is going to a good cause it won't be so bad. If you are interested in donating or know someone else who might, you can get more information at Pantene's Website If I take the plunge then I will post before and after pictures, but it might be awhile...I still need to measure my hair to see how much I would have left if I did it now and I am not sure about the winter cold and very little hair. So we shall see, but I know in the end it would be totally worth it.

Christmas in Novemeber?

Like each year prior to this one I am disgusted when I go to the store and see Christmas stuff for sale before Halloween is even over. This year I have to say that I think the Christmas commercials on television have started earlier than any other year and that sales people have gone crazy. Even in Wal-mart yesterday they were playing holiday music. I couldn't believe it, it made me want to puke and if I were an employee there I would go nuts. Don't get me wrong I love Christmas, it is my favorite holiday, I love decorating the house and seeing Christmas lights and everything else that goes along with this holiday. Seriously though, do we have to start things so early, people are still going to spend money and I honestly feel that the true meaning of this holiday is lost in all of the commercial propaganda and I wish that the stores could at least wait until Halloween is over to put up their displays and wait until Thanksgiving is over to start playing music. Oh well, I will spend the holiday with family and friends and will be thankful for that and I guess in the end that is all that matters.

The Daylight Savings Game

Prior to having the girls I loved daylight savings time in the fall, an extra hour to sleep, how nice and while the girls didn't wake up to early...I guess Natalie woke up at 5:00, it was actually the bedtime that was tricky. The girls go to bed pretty much right around 7ish and yesterday they didn't nap well because they both have colds so they were ready for bed at 5:00. Their clock was telling them it was 6, but it was way to early. We managed to push them until 6:30...a real task, but we managed. However, this morning Maddie woke up at 3:30...oh yes and Natalie woke up at 4:30. Ah, there was nothing I could do, but get up with them, and of course we ended up accidentally waking Tom up around 5:00. Not sure how much he appreciated that one, but what ya gonna do. Oh well, we are all suffering from some sort of cold or something. Natalie started a few days ago with the runny nose, Maddie started getting it last night (wouldn't you figure too, that the little one, Natalie, is much stronger and less pathetic than Maddie, who cried almost all night) and now Tom and I both have sore throats...ah family germ sharing. Oh well, we hope others out there with kids were able to adjust to the time change easily!

Dodged a Bullet

Today we went over to the new house to look around and see how things are progressing. I find that as each day we get closer to close date the more I get excited, even though I don't want to, just out of fear from the last time. When we got there we were ready to go get the key from the sales rep, but of course the garage wasn't locked. All the cabinets, counters and doors were in there as well...why is it so hard to lock the door. Anyway, we looked around and Maddie and I finished quicker than Tom and Natalie so we headed over to our old house to see its progress. We looked in some windows and then tried the garage, it was open so we went in. The house still isn't totally finished, over 4 months later, the door aren't hung and all the fixtures still weren't up. What was finished though was done horribly! They had taken out the wood floor to fix stuff and put the exact same floor back in...you may be asking how we know this, well, there was a big scratch in our old floor and low and behold, that same scratch was still there, in the same spot. Also, the counter and snack bar were not connected properly and either the entire wall had bowed or they put the old cabinets and counter back in and it had bowed, because there was at least a two inch gap between the back splash and the wall...it looked awful. Finally the floor was all squeaky. As we looked at all this we just started laughing at how we really dodged a bullet on that house, and it is no wonder that it hasn't sold yet. Who in their right mind would be a house that has a 2 inch gap between a wall and a counter and who reuses a floor, who knows what else they reused. They claim they are disclosing that there was water damage, but the house has been listed a lot higher than we were originally going to purchase it for and it is way worse ship. I pity the fool who buys it, but thank goodness we had the sense to move on!

To Funny To Wait

I know this is my second post for the day, but this was to funny, at least to me to wait to write about it.
Ever since I have lived here my uncle and I have had a big rivarly, going on. He lives in Massachusetts and obviously is a HUGE Patriots fan. Well, every time the Colts play the Patriots I expect some kind of razing from him. I thought it was kind of weird that I hadn't heard from him, but them he called to day. He was laughing when he called and he said, "I didn't realize your phone number changed when you moved. I have been calling you for weeks, saying how sad it is that you live in Indianapolis, and wouldn't it be great if you lived in Boston and the Colts suck." (He also had been telling my aunt that he thought I must have been in a really bad mood or was just being, a you know what.) I was like okay, where did you leave these messages. He goes, "well that is just it, today I called and this little old lady answered the phone, and was told me that no Lauren lived there." Oh, yes, he has been calling some little old lady's phone and leaving nasty Patriots messages on it. Can you believe that. I couldn't stop laughing when he told me this...that poor lady!
So, when we win on Sunday I will be looking for good ideas of how to get him back and welcome all suggestions. Last year we sent him a picture of the girls in Colts gear with a sign that read, "Rub some dirt in it uncle Kirby." So, bring on the ideas after the game on Sunday and GO COLTS!

Step Two

Today begins step two in my addiction recovery to Starbucks. I am going to attempt to going to one drink a week, probably on Friday's as a reward for making it through the week. It is going to be tough, but I am sure I can do it. I would like to get off the caffeine again anyway. I did so well not drinking it at all while I was pregnant and then only in limited amounts while nursing, but then I got out of control. So I am hoping that I can somehow go back to being caffeine free for the most part and only have the Starbucks as a treat once a week for now and then hopefully eventually maybe only twice a month or so. I just hope I don't get horrible headaches or turn into a monster....ahhhhhhh

How to be politically correct

Sometimes I have so much on my mind that I just want to write it all down and vent, but then I think, "no you can't do that, it isn't politically correct." "You might start a riot, or you will totally offend some people." How do you go about voicing what is running around in your head, without totally obliterating relationships that you have built? Does anyone out there speak their mind, feel refreshed, but do it in a way that doesn't hurt others? Advice Welcome!

Mug n Bun

Yesterday Tom had a craving for a hamburger, something that NEVER happens. So we started thinking of a good place to get a take out burger, that wasn't Steak n Shake because we don't live near one. I got online and started searching and remembered that Mug n Bun is like 5 minutes from our apartment, so we agreed to give it a try. WOW! There is a reason this joint has been in business for 48 years. The burgers are great, the onion rings are amazing and oh my goodness the homemade root beer is killer. We bought a gallon of it, it is that good. The only down side is they take cash only, but hey I guess a stop at the ATM on the way there is worth it. If you are ever on the west side, 10th and Lynhurst or want to drive for a good burger, (they have other things, chicken, fish, pork tenderloins...etc...a very extensive menu) you should give it a try, because it is fabulous...oh and the prices can't be beat! You can check out their website Mug-N-Bun.com(it isn't very fancy, but it works for their menu and more information)

Ouch!!!!

I am going to start this post by saying, I would do this all over in a heartbeat and it was beyond worth it, but seriously look at the above picture...I was HUGE! Last night I was putting together a photo book of the girl's first year and stumbled across some pictures of my last few weeks of pregnancy, this being one of them. I am 35 weeks here...huge, huge, huge. At the time I knew I was big, but I didn't realize how big until I looked at this picture and man, oh man. I also was looking at some pictures of my baby shower, which I am enormous in, but not only my stomach. My face was so incredibly swollen, I looked like a chipmunk, or someone who has just had their wisdom teeth out. I called Tom over to look at the pictures and he even said, wow, I didn't think you were that swollen...yeah, oh yeah. I even asked his parents today and they said they didn't remember me being that bad...but the proof is there. I am not going to post those pictures, it is to embarrassing, and I think this is enough, but like I said, I would do it all over again, and it must not have been that bad, since I didn't even remember being that big or in pain and I got my two little sweeties out of the deal, so there you go.

Shoes and Flu Shots

When you have twins everything is multiplied, the diapers, food, love, clothes and SHOES. The girls are just starting to walk and there was a sale online for shoes, $4.99 a pair...I couldn't beat it so I started stocking up and this is what I ended up with...CRAZY. I saved so much money though so it will be worth it, but it is funny when you walk into their room and see so many shoes laying around...they are never in a straight line, or neat and tidy. The girls are way to little for that at this stage, but they are too cute, the little shoes that is...well the girls are too!



On a side note, I have decided that ALL parents should be forced or feel obligated to get a flu shot. I HATE shots, and up until the girls were born never got a flu shot, never needed a flu shot, never got the flu, but now that I am a parent I get the shot like I should. Well, I must have been on a lot of pain killers last year, because I don't remember it hurting as bad as it did today. Holy Cow, it hurt like crazy, I almost wanted to cry, no wonder the girls cried when they got theirs, it was crazy. With that pain, I realized that the parent should feel what their child is feeling as well, so everyone can sympathize together. I am just hoping that this year I don't get sick...I know, I know they say you can't get the flu from the shot, but last year I got a fever and was achy for about 2 days after getting it, so I hope that doesn't happen this year. I also hope that the girls forgive me when I have to take them back for their flu booster in a few weeks...painful, my poor babies. I know it is for everyone's benefit, but still...Pain, Pain, Pain. So if you are a parent get your flu shot and be nice to your babies when they get theirs, because it isn't a pleasant experience! :-)

Addiction

They say the first step to an addiction recovery is admitting you have a problem, so here it goes, I am going to pubcilcly admit that I have an addiction to Starbucks Frappacinos. Okay, so I know tat you are probably saying, so what, but I am seriously out of control. I have started getting the ones at the store, that are cheaper, but then I end up drinking like two in a day, sometimes I will have one and then go to starbucks and get a real one. This is a very costly addiction, seeing as how Starbucks is not cheap, and lets not forget all of the calories that I am consuming. I have started to get the light ones, but still these are calories that I could easily save myself and would probably help the pounds come off. So the first step in my recovery was to admit I have a problem, the second step is trying to solve that problem. I have thought about going cold turkey, but that won't work, so now I am thinking that I will try every other day, then every 2nd day and so forth until I get myself off and then only have 1 a month as a treat. I hope this works, but if anyone has any other ideas I would love to hear them!

Table Food Please Mommy

Today the girls had their one year check-up, which went pretty well. We switched doctors, same practice, just different doctor. She was amazing compared to our other doctor. He was fine, but very sarcastic and made me feel very dumb, which was always hard, being a first time mom and all, with twins. But this lady was great and she did make me feel dumb, she took her time examining the girls and she was very friendly. It was a great switch. We also found out that we have been cleared for the girls to eat any food they want, including peanut butter, eggs and shell fish, and of course whole milk...yippee! We will start to explore new foods, in small amounts, so as to not waste things, which should be fun and interesting. In other news the girls are completely healthy. Natalie is still falling in the 5% range for her weight of 17.8 and Maddie is in the 25% for her weight of 19.6. Their heads are in the 50-75% at 18, and Their heights are 28 for Natalie and 28 and 3/4 for Maddie, still pretty small, I think it was 25-50% or something like that. The doctor said not to worry though, because they are still on the curve so that is good. Tom and I have also made the decision to keep them facing backwards until Natalie is at least 25 pounds. They say you can turn them around once they are 20 pounds AND one year, but that it is actually safer to keep them facing backwards, so we are going to do that for awhile, they have each other to entertain and I am all about safety. Other than that we are just working on talking and walking. Natalie is doing a great job and Maddie just gets so excited that she keeps falling, but she is starting to get the hang of it as well. So that is all for now, but I am sure there will be interesting food stories down the road.

I Did It!

As the girls turned one yesterday I achieved my goal of nursing/pumping for them for a whole year. My initial goal was six months, and once I reached that I set out to try eight months. Once I got to eight months I knew I could make it the full first year, which I did! It has been a sacrifice to say the least, but it was worth it to not have the girls on formula. Surprisingly they really did not have much formula at all, we supplemented about one bottle a day for a few months, but for the last six months they haven't had any. Now the process of weaning has begun and I am so excited to have extra time back in my day. Of course though on the heels of this great achievement I have yet another infection. This would be my fourth of the year and of course this is the worst one. Last night I was really sore and then I was laying in bed and just got really, really cold. I had on a sweatshirt, sweatpants, socks and all of the blankets and I was still freezing. At this point I figured I should take my temperature and sure enough, fever. Then I got nauseous and yup you know what happened next. Then wouldn't you know, since I am a mom and all and you don't get to call in sick, Maddie woke up and wanted to eat and cuddle. So I fed her and rocked her a little and then went back to bed...it was a rough night, but we survived. Now I am just waiting for my prescription to be ready so hopefully I will feel better soon. Ah, but I digress, this post was supposed to be about my big achievement and moving on to the next big thing. Yippee for me.

Happy Birthday

To My Little Angels,
Today you turned one year old. I cannot believe that it has already been a full year since you entered this world or how much our lives have changed since you entered it. You have brought us so much love and laughter that I cannot imagine life without you. You both started off small, but you have blossomed into two healthy little girls. You are both trying to walk and you enjoy exploring new foods. You get a kick out of making each other laugh and we can tell that you are going to be close, because you are always hugging each other, or holding hands, or kissing each other. You love to talk to each other and you play well together. Your special "twin" time is when we bought you down to sleep and you stand at the end of your cribs and talk, or laugh or pass your blankets or pacifiers back and forth. We have been so fortunate that I have been able to stay home with you girls to watch you grow and to see all of your changes and I love every minute of it, even when you have your little fits or you don't get enough sleep. I cannot even begin to explain to the two of you how special you are or how much you are loved by me, your daddy and everyone else. You are just so lovable and cuddly and you make everyone laugh and smile. I want to thank you girls for this wonderful year and I wish I could put into words just how much you mean to me. I could go on and on, but I won't here and now. Just know that we love you and I am so glad to have you as my daughters and I hope you have a very Happy Birthday and a very Happy Year!
I love you girls,
Your Mama

Wild Weekend

This past weekend we celebrated the girl's 1st birthday for the 2nd time at my in-laws house. It was a fun weekend. The girls still weren't really into their cakes, but they loved all their gifts. Then that night, the girls and I stayed at their Nana and Poppi's house since Tom was headed to a bachelor party. We went to a little fair in Martinsville for the fall Foliage festival. The girls were so funny because even though we fed them before we left we had to stop and get them a grilled cheese because they were hungry. The next day we went to the Fall Foliage parade. It was sure interesting, to say the least. About 5-10 minutes after the parade started a bunch of medical equipment went zooming by and rumours came back that one of the Shriner's had lost control and crashed into the crowd. We weren't very surprised because they had come very close to the curb when they had been by us. Then towards the end of the parade a man, seemingly drunk or on something fell off his horse and was taken away by the cops. It was pretty funny, and all had a good time, even the girls. I was worried it would be to loud for them, especially Maddie, but she loved it and was rocking and even recognized Tom, who rode in his Dad's wagon. It was a fun weekend, even though we are paying for it today, the girls got up at 5:45 and just a little while ago went down for their first nap, but we will bounce back and hey at least we all had fun.

Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup and Karaoke

Today I tried to be a little more adventurous with the girl's meal choices. I know I should be giving them "real" people food instead of just pureed baby stuff, but it is so easy and I am afraid of choking...they only have 2 teeth a piece still, so I figure they can't chew that well. Well, yesterday I was eating a bagel and cream cheese and Maddie kept wanting some, so I gave it to her and she seemed to like it. So, today for lunch they had raisin bagel and cream cheese. Then for dinner Tom and I were having grilled cheese and tomato soup and I figured they would probably eat the soup, which they did, then I thought okay lets give them so grilled cheese too. They absolutely LOVED it. We started with just a little and they each ended up eating a half a sandwich...it was crazy, but that is good...exploration is good. You know what is no good. Live karaoke in the apartment upstairs, being sung at the highest decibel, by your Japanese neighbors. Yes, that is right, our upstairs neighbors are doing karaoke...it is horrible, it is so bad that even the girls were looking around wondering what that horrible noise is...we are giving them until 11:00...quiet time and if it doesn't stop they will either get a pleasant...or not so pleasant knock on the door, or the cops will be called...ahhhhhh house please be finished soon!

Off Days

Days like today are more challenging than other days. While the girls did sleep all night last night, both of them for a change, they both woke up this morning at 5:45. Usually they get up between 7:30 and 8:30, so on days like today I have to especially patient and have to just roll with the punches. On days like today instead of waking up at 8:00 the girls are usually going down for their first nap of the day, can you imagine taking a nap at 8:00 am? It does allow me to get ready much earlier than normal, but most of the day is working around the next nap. They will probably sleep until 9 or 10 and then need to sleep again around 11 or 12 and then again at 3 or 4, only to have to be woken, by me, no later than 5:30. Other times they only take 2 naps and just aren't as happy as they normally are. Days like this also cause me to wonder why in the world they woke up so early. Maybe they are really teething this time...I feel like they have been teething for 6 months, but Maddie cannot stop drooling. Or maybe it is because they are reaching that milestone of walking...who knows what is going on, but all I know is that hopefully the sun will come out at some point, we will get a walk in and we will have fun playing with their Nana and Poppi this afternoon! So here is to off days and the challenges they bring and the ability to roll with the punches.

Under Roof!

After several long, long, long months we are getting closer to having a house. We are finally under roof. Now we are waiting for our next pre-dry wall meeting, which should be next week! Then it should be about 6-8 weeks until we get to close...I am personally hoping it is 6 weeks until close. So here are a few pictures...not to exciting, but for us after all these months it sure is...

Finally moving forward after all these months and looking forward to the next steps!

You Know You're a Parent When:

You Know you are a parent when you now have radio Disney programmed into you car radio and one or two of your cd spaces in your car changer have disney tunes and other "toddler" music taking up space. I can't believe we have reached this stage already, but the girls absolutely love music. As soon as some of their kid music turns on they both start bouncing their heads and chatting, almost like singing. It is really cute. They also like to dance in the living room and their bedroom. I think for a little while I am going to be selective as to what music they listen to, just because so much of it annoys me, but it is good to let them listen to different things. They also have started to enjoy watching some television. Sesame Street is one they like and for their birthday my mom got them Fraggle Rock. Do you remember that, from when we were little? This was one of Tom and my favorites and we are glad it is on DVD now so the girls can watch it too. I am also selective on what they can watch...no Barney, no wiggles and no teletubbies to start. The Sprout channel is okay, until it starts showing the above shows, at which point it gets shut off. Now, please don't think that I plop the girls down all day and let them watch tv, because it isn't like that at all. They don't watch more than 30 minutes and it isn't like the sit and watch, it is more like background noise while they play and every now and then they will watch a couple seconds. My mom informs me that I better get used to this sort of stuff, because even now she still listens to what my sister wants to listen to, 16 years later...ahhhh to be a parent :-)

First Time for Everything

Tonight our nightly routine was a little out of wack because we went to Tom's parent's house and ended up staying later than we normally do. When we got home it was already 8:30, the girl's drop dead time for bed. They were behaving really well though, luckily since they needed a bath because they were filthy. (They were having to much fun playing with rocks and leaves and crawling around) So we fill up the bath and decide to save time with a bubble bath. Tom sits with the girls and plays a little while I go and start their bottles. Then I go in to do the big clean down. Well, I get them all soaped up and I am starting to rinse when I look down and under the bubbles I see poop. Oh my goodness I say she, Maddie, pooped. Yes, this is the first time this has happened, ironically just a few weeks after Tom's dad asked if anyone had done this and we proudly were able to say no...until today! So we sit there for a second and Tom gets Natalie out, at which point we just start laughing hysterically, which either scares Maddie or embarresses her and she starts to cry. So I wrap her in a towel, soap, poop and all and we set to cleaning the tub out. Then back in they go to get cleaned up. Of course this was a truly funny moment, but we were wishing it was happening at 6:30 instead of quarter to nine, but ah well...hopefully it won't happen again for awhile, but at least we had a good laugh.

Reflection

This past week I was going through some of my old things from college and high school and I found some of my old journals. One of these journals was written while I was studying abroad in London. It was very weird to read back on all of my thoughts and feelings at the time and even weirder to realize how much I have changed in the last seven years. A lot of the things I thought and wrote were very self centered and immature and I found myself thinking, "are you serious, why the heck would you think or say that?" I also realized that some of the traits I had back then I still have and they are not necessarily good traits to have. One line that really stuck with me and kills me was a line that said, "I poison friendships and other relationships and push people away." I really took this to heart and started thinking about all of the friendships and relationships that I personally have tanked and it made me sick. I don't know why I do it, but I let people in and then I turn around and do everything I can to sabatoge the relationship. After reading about destroying friendships in college and thinking about the relationships I have botched since, I have decided that one of my new personal goals is to work on all of my relationships, as well as myself, to try to figure out why I push people away, when all I really want is to be close to others and have good friendships. I hope that I can get to the bottom of this personal sabatoge and I hope that I can in turn strengthen my relationships, current and future.

Kisses, Patty Cake, and So Big

This week the girls have advanced so much, it is really amazing. Tom and I went to dinner on Friday and when we came back my mom had taught them how to do, "So Big" Maddie loves to do it and laughs and claps and raises her hands up. Maddie also likes to give kisses. Although she prefers opened mouth kisses, which are kind of wet, she is to cute for words. Both girls have the favorite game of playing patty cake now though and they clap their hands all of the time. They are still working on the roll it part, but the clapping they have down. We are trying to teach them, "the kick is good" since it is basically like "so big" but we think that is confusing them a little bit, so we will have to keep working on that. Maddie has also started to take a few more steps and soon their little back pack leashes they got for their birthdays will come in very handy. It really is amazing how spongy they are and how they soak up everything, good or bad, but once again it is all to much fun and we are constantly laughing now because they are too cute.

This picture, which is small, is a picture of the leashes they got...one is a bear and one is a monkey, they are the cutest things ever!

The 1st, 1st Birthday Party

Yesterday we had the girl's 1st, 1st Birthday party. It was too much fun and cute. The girls actually opened a few of their own presents and Maddie true to form loved her cake. She was a little tentative at first but then got the hang of it and had it all over. Natalie on the other...also true to form took everything in and wanted to be fed with a spoon, and did not like it at all when Tom took her hand and put it in the icing. It was to cute and to funny. Their favorite part were the mylar balloons that they got. I have never heard them laugh as much as they did playing with them. I can't believe that we are already celebrating their 1st birthdays and my parents tell me time will fly even faster now, something I am not ready to deal with. But I am going to enjoy the moments as we have them!

To Cute for Words

I have decided, just when I think my kids can't get any cuter, they do. The cutest thing yet is Natalie with her pacifier in one hand and her pink bunny blanket in the other hand trying to walk. It really is adorable. She has taken 13 steps in a row and is trying all the time to stand and walk. Maddie has shown no signs of wanting to walk without help. She loves to hold hands and walk or to push her little cart around, she basically runs. We are pretty sure that by their birthday in a few weeks Natalie will be running and Maddie will be on her way...at this point I am going to be in trouble to say the least, but it is so much fun and way to cute so I will just deal with having gates up to keep everyone safe!
In other news I am in Ohio again for a few weeks, for the girl's first first birthday party...we are having 2 so all the relatives can celebrate with us. I can't wait to see the mess they make with their cakes...should be pretty fun! Also, thank you to Maya, (laurentfiles) for giving me the nice award...that was very "nice" of you...I hope to pass it along in the next few days!
So hopefully we will have more fun stories from our journey or maybe someone will be running soon.

Don't Touch My Seat

Have you ever let or had someone drive your car, only to have them move the driver's seat? I have recently realized that this has become one of my biggest pet peeves, but that I am not alone. There is something special about the way a person positions their driver's seat. You just get it perfect so that you can see out, reach the peddles and drive well. Then someone gets in and messes up that perfection. Tom says he doesn't mind when I mess up his seat...secretly I think it annoys him, because I am so much shorter than he is, it makes it hard for him to get into his own car when I forget to move the seat back. My sister hates it when our dad moves the seat in her car and I cannot stand it when Tom messes with mine...does it bother you when someone moves your seat?

Like Mother, Like Daughters

Tonight we tried giving the girls mashed potatoes. They weren't real, just those potato buds you can get. Last week I had mashed potatoes and they loved them, so I thought, why not change up their routine? Well, Tom tried giving them the potatoes and they wouldn't eat them. We were going to give them some veggies mixed in, but then I thought...Ketchup. So Tom put a little ketchup on them and you betcha they ate the right up! Now for those of you who know me well, you know that I eat ketchup on just about everything...steak, hamburger, chicken, mashed potatoes, baked potato, salmon, shrimp, etc...you get the point. So it only figures that my daughters would prefer their potatoes with ketchup as well. I guess their Nana and Poppi better get a supply again for Christmas :-)

We Have a Basement

Well, we are back into the building swing of things and we have a basement, AGAIN! It is nice to see progress, finally, it seems like it has been forever! We are not getting to excited this time around so that we don't have our hopes dashed if something happens, but the builder has promised us we will be in by December 14...so we are hoping they can come through with that promise. Anyway, here is a picture of the basement. I guess right after I took this they came and insulated and were getting ready to pour the floor, but oh well.

Trying Something New

So I am debating on whether or not I want to start adding pictures to my blog. I try not to give very much information out online, because you hear so many stories of people finding people on the internet and stuff, so here is a picture that doesn't give anything away, but is from our trip to Minneapolis.

Mommy No

As if putting the girls down for naps and bed at night isn't hard enough...Maddie has learned how to totally pull at my heartstrings. She now says, "Mommy No, No Mommy." When I go to put her in her bed. Only it isn't said, she cries it...it breaks my heart. Even more she grabs onto my neck and won't let go. It breaks my heart, but sleep is the best thing for her. It is so strange how babies know just how to get to you and make you fall in love with them even more. I am hoping that this little phase passes quickly and that Maddie doesn't keep breaking my heart!

Mommy and Maddie's Big Adventure

This past weekend we split the twins up for the first time ever, and hopefully we won't have to do it again anytime soon. One of my best friends from college was getting married in Minneapolis and we decided it was to expensive for all four of us to go and I couldn't go alone, so I took Maddie. People ask how we decided who would go, Maddie is still nursing, so we left milk behind for Natalie and hit the road. The flight there was great, we had three seats all to ourselves so Maddie could bang on the window and tear up the free Sky Mall magazine...so that was great. We then got to go the site of the wedding and walk around the gardens and then the wedding and reception, which were fabulous. Maddie did a great job, she barely had a nap and she managed to stay up until 10:30 and then slept until 9:30 the next day! Sunday we even made it to the Mall of America on our way to the airport...it was pretty cool and huge! While Maddie had a good time, poor little Natalie had a harder run at it. I guess she kept looking for Maddie and wouldn't play or talk or laugh. Sunday she even looked at Maddie's high chair and started whimpering...she missed her sister that much. Then once we got in the car, she started laughing and grabbing her hand and laughing and talking and then they couldn't wait to play and hug each other. It was pretty darn cute to see them back together, but sad for me to think that Natalie was so sad all weekend. It was a tough decision for me, as their mother to have to choose between one of my babies, but it was the only way. I hope in the future I don't have to choose again!

Where is our break?

On Monday I came home and checked our mailbox for our mail, only to find two huge yellow pieces of paper in the box. The first one said, "This box is vacant." The second one said, "New Teneant card, please fill out immediately." What the heck I thought, steaming mad...where was our mail? Of course it was after 6:00 and the apartment office and the post office were closed. I called the 800 number on the card and someone actually answered and informed me that I had moved...I thought this comical, because had I moved I think I would have remembered. So I informed her that I had not moved and wanted my mail. She then questioned me again, "you haven't moved?" "No, I have not, please tell me where my mail is." At this point she told me to take my id to the local post office and they would have my mail for the next ten days. The next morning I called the post office to try to sort things out and talked directly to our mail carrier. He informed me that the apartment complex had notified him that we had moved and so he emptied the box and returned our mail, "return to sender." At this point I was livid, because I was expecting several packages and some important checks and other mail. I guaranteed him that I had not moved and to please continue to deliver our mail. I then called the apartment office and was informed that the mail carrier must have read his sheet wrong because they did not have us marked down as moved out or even on notice. I wanted to say well that is good since I NEVER MOVED! Anyway, I thought we had everything straightened out and we have been getting our mail all week. Only to come home to a note in our box today that said, "Stahl Family, Please go to your local post office and cancel your change of address that you placed on 7-24-? with the address to the destroyed house." WHAT, I screamed to myself. Not only did I re-forward our mail back to our apartment as the post office requested, but I paid the fee to have it done and now two months later they are telling us to cancel a change order...come on get with it...I am quickly losing faith in a system that I already questioned a little...ahhhhhhhh....here is hoping we can get everything straightened out and when we really do move in the future our mail goes with us. I guess this might be why our new checks never reached us...lost in the limbo land of the United States Postal Servcie.

Fall

It is that time of year again, Fall, my favorite season. At least it is my favorite season when we actually have it. It seems like anymore we have 2 seasons, winter and summer, freezing and hot. I prefer Fall. Jeans and sweatshirts, open windows, beautiful leaves and great smells. Hot chocolate or warm apple cider if you prefer. The return of pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, pumpkin muffins at Einsteins, Carmel apple shakes at Steak n Shake, Carmel apple suckers and walks in the park watching the leaves change colors and not sweating, because the temperature is perfect. Here's to fall and all its sweetness!

No, No and Yes, Yes

As the girls get older it is funny on the things that they are picking up on first. Natalie will now shake her head from side to side when you tell her no and sometimes even up and down signifying yes when you tell her no. Other times they will laugh at me like I am crazy for telling them no and try to continue doing whatever it is they shouldn't...like trying to pull the floor lamp over. Other times they will dance to music and both are trying to walk...a scary thought because they are already crazy fast on their knees. They also both wave bye bye and Natalie waves hello sometimes too. It is pretty cute, because when you take her out of the room she waves bye bye...usually to no one in particular. As they reach their eleventh month I cannot believe how fast time has gone by and I wish I could freeze time right now and enjoy them both at this stage a little longer, before they really start to throw tantrums or can talk back...but you can't so I will just take the memories with me and laugh as we go along.

Of Course

Next weekend the girls will be 11 months old. Do you know how long it took me/us to realize that it was okay to shut the door to their room when they are napping and at night to start out while we are still up? It took 10 months. I don't know why we didn't do this from the start, but boy does it make a difference. They go down when we put them in and of course all our messing about doesn't wake them back up. I mean come on Lauren, common sense should have kicked it, but nope it sure didn't. I think part of me was afraid that they would be afraid, but they aren't, they are always totally fine. They prefer to be together of course, but they don't mind the door being shut. Crazy how something so simple can slip your mind...but at least we know now!

Like Father, Like Son

Today I took the girls to Martinsville to see their Nana and Poppi and to get out of the apartment...always nice. We were eating lunch and Tom's dad offered to feed one of the girls. I had him do Natalie because she is a really good eater. Well, I looked over and she had food all over her face and his dad had a huge heaping spoonful of food waiting. I just laughed and said, "maybe if you give her less she won't be so messy." I got the response that this method helps it go quicker. I just had to laugh because this is exactly how Tom feeds the girls. Heaping spoonfuls as fast as he can. I guess what more can you say than, like father, like son.

Third Time

Today I developed my third, yes third breast infection in the last 10 months. Let me tell you, aside from child birth these are seriously the most painful things I have ever experienced. They are so painful that they give me Vicodin to relieve the pain...crazy. My last one was two weeks ago and my dr. thinks that it didn't clear up so I am on 1 pill, 4 times a day for the next 10 days, fun stuff. This one that I am currently having has been the worst, I completely feel like I have the flu and I am achy. I did manage to drive us back from Ohio though without any problems and now I am just waiting for my dinner to digest so I can take my meds. My dr. has given me a 48 hour window to feel better or I am going to have to go in and see her. My first infection was so bad that I had to have an ultrasound to make sure that nothing was horribly wrong and it wasn't and I was better within 48 hours so here is hoping this one gets better too so I don't have to go through that again. Still even with all this pain it has been worth it to not have had the girls drink much formula, or any for that matter for the last 4 months, so oh well I guess, here's to getting better!

Chores

There is a funny thing about going home for an extended visit to your family, there comes a point when you stop being a guest and are considered to be living there, at which point you are required/expected to act like a family member and participate in the daily chores. I guess for my family over a week is considered the time limit for guest and chores have been re-instated into my life. I can't really complain because we have kind of taken over, but at the same time it is funny when you are expected to help do the dishes, vacum and keep the bathroom clean, it is almost like being in high school again. I share a bathroom with my sister and our stuff is everywhere, spread out across the counter. Hairspray and face cleanser, make up and nail polish. My parents thought I should move into the basement, into my brothers room, this weekend when Tom comes so he doesn't have to share the bathroom with my sister, but I said, how about he just uses that bathroom so I don't have to move all my stuff and the girls stuff, so that is what is going to happen. It really is intersting though how the family dynamic falls right back into place after a very short time and even though I have a family of my own now, I am still expected to participate in my "original" family...just some interesting thoughts.

Proud

Last night after the girls went down I started messing with my template...had I known they were going to wake up at 3:30 pretty much for the day I wouldn't have, but oh well. Anyway, what you see is what I came up with, and honestly I am pretty proud of myself. I have no design experience or anything graphic, but I really like this. The picture I must give credit to Tom. He took it sometime when we were on one of our Maine trips and I love it. It is of the gardens where we were married in Camden, such a beautiful place and one of my favorite places ever. I thought this was a fitting picture for that reason and because it is green :-) I hope you enjoy the new template as much as I do and hopefully it adds a little more originality to my blog!

Template transition

Please bear with me as I explore new templates and try to come up with something more original. I loved my old template, but have seen several others with the same one, which means my blog had no originality. I am hoping Tom can help me develop something a little better or at least a little more creative! So please bear with the weird changes for now!

Look Out World

I have decided that within a few short weeks I am going to be in A LOT of trouble as far as the girls and their mobility goes. These week it seems like they have advanced a lot. Natalie waved good-bye to my mom this morning for the first time and she even attempted to let go of the couch and took a step. I could see the wheels turning in her head that she wanted to just walk, but it was to much for her. Maddie has discovered how to open every cabinet my parents have...their house is not very child proof to say the least, but I am seeing how imperative it is going to be to ensure that the apartment is when we return. We have the standard outlet covers, but we are going to have to put those cupboard locks on and stuff like that, because they are simply getting into everything. They have also discovered the wonderful world of Sesame Street. I put it on last night when I was feeding them dinner and Maddie was completely mesmerized. She even began talking to Elmo when I went into the other room with Natalie. It was pretty darn cute, but brings forth reality that my little babies are growing up way to fast. It will be nice to have them walking...my back will thank them...but at the same time it will be crazy to have them running off into two different directions and having the ability to get where they want, when they want, at their own speed. Look out world the twins are on their way and their momma is going to be in trouble!

Fresh Air

The past week the girls and I have been in Ohio. It sure has been refreshing to say the least. Getting out of the "city" and into the country and out of the stank, humid, hot air. Last night we even got to open the windows and hear all the bugs outside while we were sleeping, it was so nice. Being able to go for walks, using my parents garage to get the girls in and out, not hearing the door slam a thousand times from the guy upstairs or the garage going up and down while the man who has it sells goods in the middle of the night. It sure has been nice to get away, even though it has been hard on time to have the girls away from him for so long...we are staying an additional week and Tom will be joining us for the long weekend, it has refreshed me and given more strength to move forward with the whole house fiasco. I hope one day soon I am not afraid to open my windows and we can get some fresh air of our own in our own house...ahhhhhhh here is to fresh air!

Feet

So the girls are finally starting to get over the fear of my dad and they actually like his feet. He was sitting in his chair tonight and they were playing on the floor when Maddie noticed his shoes and she went right up and took them off his feet, they were indoor clogs. Later Natalie even got up enough courage and was pulling on them and whacking them with a spoon. Glad to see they are having some bonding moments, since my dad has really been trying hard to interact with them! In other news Maddie's fear of the big ball spread to the basement today. My parents have a huge finished basement that would be great for the girls to roam around so I took them down there. I carried them down in an Llbean bag and they were just laughing hystrically, but as soon as I pulled Maddie out she saw the long hallway and totally freaked again and wouldn't let go. Finally, she got down and started playing, but kept looking into my dad's dark shop and would freak again. Finally I just got sick of her freakin every couple of minutes and we went back upstairs. Natalie of course paid no attention to the "demons" in the dark, but she came up with us anyway.

The Big Ball is Scary

I realize I have been somewhat MIA this week, but on Monday I drove the girls to Ohio...by myself to visit my family. The drive went pretty smoothly too. We left at 6:00 am and the girls slept all the way to Columbus. Of course they started screaming right when I had to nevigate the city, but we survivied and made it here safe and sound. The girls have been really shy for some reason and Maddie has been super needy. Natalie will either hide behind me or Maddie or lay down on the floor and try to make herself as small as possible when my dad tries to play with her, which is really weird, because she is normally not the shy one. Then Maddie has had serious issues with seperation anxiety. I went to dinner with some of my friends last night and even though I told her I loved her and would be back soon I guess she was crawling around crying and looking everywhere for me after I left. Then my mom purchased a big bouncy ball for them and Natalie loves it, but Maddie thinks it is the scariest thing ever. She went up to it and touched it and when it rolled she scampered back to me as fast as she could crying, then she didn't even want to look at it and wouldnt' stop crying until we had taken it out of the room. I am hoping she is just teething or something, because I just feel like she is so unhappy at the moment. Oh well, life goes on and I can't say I mind all th extra hugs I have been getting!

It's Like Living in a Fraternity

By now must of the boxes have been unpacked, again and things were starting to settle down, except for the paper and plastic dishes we have been utilizing life was somewhat normal. That is until yesterday when we had our new furniture delivered. We order it about 3 months ago because the couch was going to take 8 weeks to come in, just in time to be delivered to the new joint. Well, after having it sit at the warehouse for an additional month we decided we couldn't have it sit there for 4 more months and we couldn't return it because that would be way to much money sitting as a credit, on our credit cards. The new furniture is a little big for this tiny apartment and we have had to rearrange things to make both the swings fit in the living room, but that isn't the worst of it. We now have the old couch pulled up to the dinning room table, it does add additional seating, we can now serve 7, but it is a little awkward and fratty to say the least! You would think it would stop there, but nope...the love seat is still in the guest room, along with the recliner now. It is like each room you go into there is odd furniture or something out of place. It really isn't a big deal, it is just funny when all we wanted was a "grown up" house, but instead we are regressing. We are not even saying just 4 more months this time, we are just passing the time knowing that some day it will be over and we will have a house to put our new furniture in. At least the cat loves it...she jumps from piece to piece and she has discovered that if she sits in the corner of the over sized chair the girls can't reach her like they can on the couch now...to funny, aren't animals smart! So if you ever come over please forgive us for living like we used to in college it isn't permanent just a temporary glitch in life!

Returning to Normal

As I slowly put boxes back into closets and unpack dishes and clothes things start to return to normal around here. It is sad though because even though we didn't physically move the boxes are there like we did. The unpacking and knowing in 4 months we will have to repack lie in the back of my mind. The past 3.5 weeks have been a struggle for us, emotionally mostly, but that wears on you physically as well. We have decided to build another house, the offer was to good to pass up financially, but I hope the price we pay mentally and emotionally isn't too great. Living in an apartment can really take a toll on a person used to their own space. With the girls out of their pumpkin seats getting them to the car has become interesting and fighting for the "good" parking space has just gotten annoying. When the dude knows that we have twins he still parks there and I just want to slap him. Then the ants are still out of control, I moved boxes and it was like opening an ant farm behind them...gross. Then the guy who rents the garage attached to our apartment has taken to selling things again out of said garage and he does this late at night, usually between 9-midnight...do we think these are hocked goods...you betcha! He even asked me one day if I wanted to buy a washer and dryer...I mean he had three pairs in there. One day he even had a three door refridgerator. I don't know where he gets the stuff, but I am pretty sure it is his business because he is home at all hours and leaves at all hours of the night. In the end we will get the house we wanted, nice, new clean, basement, upgraded carpet, etc and it will all be worth it, but after 9 months I hope we aren't to exhausted to enjoy it...whew what a time :-)

Squeak, Squeak, Squeak

For the past year or so our bed has squeaked unforgivingly, when you lie down, roll over or get up and it has been driving me insane. So insane that I thought we were going to have to get another bed, this is the 2nd one that I have had that did this, cruddy box springs. Well, yesterday I was so fed up with it I decided I didn't care if I ended up ruining the box spring I was going to get to the bottom of the squeak. So I got a pair of scissors and started cutting the top of the box spring. Do you know what I found? I found a huge thin piece of cardboard, no springs. Wood and cardboard. I am sure most of you out there already knew that a box spring actually has no springs, but I didn't. So I started leaning on the card board, squeak, squeak, squeak. I leaned on the wood alone, nothing...aha I had found the problem. I cut a little more and pulled the cardboard out. Put our mattress back on and jumped onto the bed...silence, no squeaks. I had solved the problem. I was to excited, almost giddy when Tom got home and I was able to show him what I had done. Now we can sleep peacefully no more squeaking and we didn't have to spend money on another bed...yippee!

Come On

As I age in years, yes I am 2 away from being 30, I expect that my body will age as well and I will appear to be over the age of 21, at least that is what one would think. However, I am constantly reminded that I still look like a 16 year old. Everyone always tells me that when I am older I will love looking young, but now it is just annoying. I have always been carded going into bars, the Claddagh included, and when purchasing alcohol at the store, which I used to think was fine and I would be prepared for it. But now that I am almost 30 and have 2 babies I find it very annoying to get carded anymore. A few months ago I was carded buying a lottery ticket, that's right a lottery ticket. Not cigarettes, not beer or wine, but a lottery ticket. Something you have to be 18 to purchase. Then when we went to test drive the mini van, the sales guy asked if I was 18...seriously, if I wasn't do you think that I would want to test drive a mini van...come on. Then today, I was once again carded buying wine at the grocery store, Natalie hanging off my hip screaming because I had taken my car keys away from, Maddie screaming because I had to take my purse away from her to get out my id. I understand carding and the point behind it, but give me a break, when I am almost 30 and have 2 screaming kids. I know my frustration comes through sometimes because the sales clerks will apologize and say sorry you don't look that old, but seriously, when I can't even look 18 it is simply annoying. So here's to hoping I age gracefully, since I still look my sister's age, who is in fact 16 :-)

To good to be true?

Yesterday after informing the builder that we were no longer going to pursue the house I felt like a weight had been lifted and we were ready to move on. I had contacted our realtor and had her doing searches for houses again. Then later in the afternoon our sales rep called us, she is out of the office on medical leave but had heard we were walking away. At this point she asks if we were sure we wanted to walk away completely or if we wanted them to build us another house, at the discounted price, with the upgraded carpet, etc on a different lot. I told her I hadn't realized this was an option and she said if that is what we wanted they would make it happen. The close date would be in November and to let her know. I was completely surprised by this, why were they being so generous? Tom and I talked it over and went to look at the open lots and found a couple that we liked and I went in to talk to the assistant to make sure the lots we liked were available and low and behold she tells me the lot that we originally wanted, right across the street from our old house is available, the deal had fallen through and that is were our rep though we would build. What?! How can this be, aren't you concerned about having 2 identical houses next to each other? I asked her, oh we talked about that and we will either give you a side load garage or a porch or something to make the houses look different if you want it, she replied. I was totally astounded by this fact, once again why so nice? So I went out and told Tom, at which point we decided this is what we are going to do, of course, how can we pass it up. We have a call into our real rep, she has more power and knowledge than the assistant to confirm all these details and to make sure they really are willing to do all this, but it looks like we will have to wait 4 more months, but in the end we will still get the brand new house we wanted...I will believe it when I see it in writing. My hopes aren't completely back up, because I can't handle that, but there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Cutting the Strings

Today, after 5 months of heartache and emotional roller coaster Tom and I have decided to cut the strings on "our" house and to move on. This has been a hard, hard decision for us, but we feel in the end it just won't be worth it. Yesterday they did their moisture and mold testing and they found mold in the basement. Our biggest concern since this all happened was mold and there it is, clear and present. They say that it can be treated and everything will be fine, but that is to much of a weight on our shoulders and it would have to be disclosed upon the sale of the house in the future, which will scare some buyers away, I am sure, because it scared us when we were first looking and still scares us now. So there you go, it is over. We are now back to square one, but who knows hopefully things will all work out and we will be happier in the end! Here's to hoping again :-)

Biggest Workout

On Sunday I went on a hunt for the Biggest Loser workout DVD, the first one. I had read some good reviews and figured, hey if they can lose that much weight on television doing this stuff maybe it can help me lose weight too. Let me tell you, honestly it really is no surprise that they lost a lot of weight because man that workout was tough. They have set up a 6 week program where you alternate workouts, low impact aerobics and weight sculpting for the first three weeks and then high impact and boot camp for the last three. Well today I have done the low impact and the sculpting and I am sore....ahhhhhh it was quit a workout and I am surprised. The great thing is that the workouts are short, 20-40 minutes so I can get them in while the girls play or nap, much better than the Taebo...thanks Jeanelle for pointing out that is how long the workouts are...I think this will be much better. Then once the weather cools off I can mix this with running and I should be on my way...AGAIN! Now to get the eating under control, haha. But if you are looking for a workout dvd this is a good one!

I love eBay

I have always been a little addicted to eBay, ever since I discovered just how great it is, but now I like it even more. First let me re-phrase this, I am not a lover of selling things on eBay, I just am not good at making money, but I LOVE buying things. I re-discovered this yesterday when I started looking for Sarah Jessica Parker's new clothing line Bitten. The only store that sells it here in the Indy area is called Steve and Barry's and it is only located at Lafayette Square mall. This mall scares the living daylights out of me and there is no way I would go there a. Alone or b. With the girls, so I figured I would never get to see or have any of the Bitten line. I then started looking to see if they had them in Ohio, since I am going there in a few weeks, but no luck. Then it hit me, eBay, I am sure there is something on eBay, and boy was I right! So I started browsing and bidding, I love it! Then only catch here and especially on the bitten clothes is that you have to be careful. See the whole concept and point of the bitten line is that nothing, yes NOTHING is to cost over $20.00, the platform is that you can still look good without paying a fortune. Unfortunately you have people, like always on eBay making money and even starting the clothes over $20.00. I know they want to make money, but it is sad. Anyway, I did win a shirt and I am sure even with shipping it is not costing me that much more than it would have been to go to the store and hey it is worth it since that mall scares me so much. I am bidding on a few other things...a pair of flats and another shirt and who knows what I will find next, but I love that you can find almost anything on eBay...happy times, no if only I could figure out how to sell things and make money!

When are you going to learn?

When are you going to learn? Is a question that Tom is continually asking me. See I have this really bad habit of eating things I shouldn't, either because I have a craving or because they are my favorite. Pizza and ice cream come to mind first, now I realize these food aren't good for you, but for me they are especially bad. I have some sort of lactose intolerance, as does my sister and dad. My sister is smart and she doesn't eat these things. I on the other hand can't seem to get enough and I pay every time. Anything from an upset stomach to gasiness to other things I won't mention. One would think that being a grown 27 year old woman that I would stop, but I can't seem to and every time I eat something I shouldn't and feel sick Tom asks me, "when are you going to learn?" I think tonight I might have learned, we had Bazebeaux Pizza followed with ice cream and no my stomach is a mess and I just hate it. I love these foods, but this torture just isn't worth it, aside from that lets talk about the weight I am not losing and want to, so maybe cutting out these foods will help in that endeavor, we shall see! I did order the new Taebo Amped that is scheduled to come out on Tuesday, I say if Billy Blanks can't get me in shape and help me lose weight then nobody can, the task will be to actually get up and do the workouts! So hopefully next time I write I will weigh less and will have given up my vices of ice cream, pizza and fried foods...fingers crossed!

Sick People

All the vanadalism and destruction that has been going on lately has really made me mad and upset. Not only did someone wreck our house, but the builders were telling us another story of a house they had on the Southside where the night before closing someone got in and smeared poop all over the entire house. Then there have been the slew of mishaps up north, kids spray painting cars and garages, etc. I think the thing that really made this all hit home and turn my stomach upside down was the break in to Gleaners food bank this past weekend. The thieves were stealing cooper piping or something, but it broke the refrigerators and Gleaners has suffered over $400,000 in loss of spoiled food. It just simply makes me sick to think that people out there are so careless to hurt others, and worse people they don't know to top it all off. I am glad the community is rallying around Gleaners to help them with donations and food and hopefully the thieves will be caught and justice will be served.

The One

Two short years, that seem like an eternity ago, Tom and I were married in one of my favorite places in Maine. Since then we have had two beautiful girls, sold our house, built a house, watch a house be destroyed, started job and quit jobs, but one thing has always remained consistent and that is our love. I can honestly say that I could not have made it through, especially the last year, without his love or support. He is strong when I need him to be strong and is always there for me. So without going into way to much sappy detail, here is to you my love, my husband and my best friend. I couldn't do it without you, especially these days when everything seems so up in the air, I know you will always be there for me. I love you, Happy Anniversary!

So Much To Say

Lately I feel like I have so much I would like to write about, but I never just sit down and write. I have all these random thoughts running through my head but I just don't write about them. For instance have you ever wondered why a sandwich made by someone else tastes so much better than a sandwich you could make for yourself? I truly think this is one of the appeals of a sandwich shop. You can make the same thing for so much less money, but the sub shop just tastes so much better because someone else made it. Then there is online bill pay, which I just discovered today through our bank. I am accostomed to paying on specific websites, but I set up a bunch of payees through National city today and it was the easiest thing in the world to do and NO MORE CHECKS! I guess that is all for now because I must shower, but stay tuned for more random thoughts because I have a lot coming!

Back to Sqaure One

Today, we decided to continue with "our" house. We have put so much time and emotion into it over the past 4 months that we were having a hard time giving up on it. The builder has promised us that it will be as good as it was or better, so really what is there to fear...haha? We know what there is to fear, but we are going to be very active in the rebuild to ensure that it goes the way we want it, so hopefully everything will be okay. The builder in reality has been pretty great and are "taking care of us" the best they can. Our rent and utilities will be paid until the house is done, they will be paying for the movers and we got money taken off the purchase price as well as a carpet upgrade, so in all we will be getting the house we wanted for less and with better stuff and our energy over the last 4 months won't have been totally wasted. We have gone back and forth, since Monday, on whether this is really what we want and we just can't imagine living or should I say owning any other house and we looked at renting, but that really isn't for us. So for now, this is the option we are going with and we hope in the future it does not turn out to be a bad decision. So for now that is the news and hopefully all goes smoothly from here on out.

Page 63

I did not realize that you couldn't search for photos on the Graco Baby model site, so I found our picture and it is on page 63, when you look at them in the multiple pics at one time...maybe we will be a finalist..that would certainly help our moods around here!

The Next Step

Well, after 4 months of stress and riding an emotional roller coaster, Tom and I were so looking forward to it all be over yesterday. However, so evil person out there had different plans for us and we are once again back to square one and on one of the lowest lows either of us have ever hit. Yesterday, about 2.5 hours before our scheduled closing time, Tom got a call from our superintendent telling us that some one had broken into our new house and had vandalized it...not graffiti vandalized, turned on the water on the second floor and flooded the entire house vandalized. At first I thought Tom was playing the meanest trick on me, but after repeating it 5 times that we didn't have a house anymore it sunk in. I didn't know whether to cry, scream or what. We went and saw the house and it was still raining into our living room and a toad had happily found his way inside...this was about the only comic relief we had yesterday. So now, today, instead of unpacking our belongings I am looking for somewhere else to live...our lease is up and they have rented our apartment, and we are trying to decide if we want to have them fix up the house or just move on entirely. Tom last night said the most devastating aspect of all of this, was the pride we had in the new house and how excited we were to show everyone what we had had built for us. I just cannot believe that there are people out there that would do something so mean and horrible to someone they don't even know. But I guess all things happen for a reason and we will survive and move on.

Graco Baby Model Contest

Since all I have been doing lately on this blog is complaining, here is some fun news for ya! I entered the girls in the graco baby model search contest...everyone that sees them says they need to be in modeling and how cute and adorable they are, so I thought sure why not? Submissions were due by July 15, so I entered a picture of the three of us, oh yeah mom or dad had to be in the picture as well, playing in a fake mini cooper. Now we are just waiting to see if we are one of the finalists. The top 3 finalists get flown to Florida for a weekend and get a photo shoot and will be featured on NBC's IVillage! Here's hoping:-) If you get a chance check out the pictures!

http://www.gracobaby.com/modelsearch

Sorry I don't know how to make it so the link is live. The finalists will be announced August 1, so I will let you know if we are one of them...out of the thousands that entered :-) If we are I hope you vote for us. Our picture is titled, "Lauren's Photo"

Thanks all and hopefully we will have good news, but if not it didn't hurt anything anyway :-)

Disaster

Monday we had our final walk-thru for the new house and we were so excited. They still needed to clean and build the deck and do a final coat of paint so our foreman asked us to come back yesterday to check it out and make sure everything was in order. When we walked in we expected to everything in ship shape order and to be very pleased, instead we were sorely disappointed and angry. I honestly can say I have almost never been this angry in my life. The painters basically ruined the house. There was paint on the carpet, not only where the trim meet the carpet, but on all the ceramic tile in the bathrooms and the brand new wood floor in the kitchen. Not just little spots either, huge splats and droplets, it was like they just started painting and didn't take any precautions to keep things fresh. Then the trim had drip marks everywhere and there were runs on the wall. To top it off they didn't sand the banister or the railings and just painted them rough, it was ridiculous. Our foreman got a nice little call from me while we were in the house because I/we were so upset. He called back last night and said he would make it right...make it right, he better make it right, we aren't paying an arm and a leg for a brand new house that looks 10 years old, as Tom keeps saying :-)
So now we get to wait and see "how they fix it" all I know is we close in 5 days and it better look brand new or there will be some serious repercussions for that builder.

Junk, Junk and More Junk

Over the weekend we began that fun and tedious task of pulling boxes back out and getting things organized to move again :-) During this process I realized just how much junk we have and don't need, really it is amazing. Over the past 4 months we have been living with the minimum amount of stuff needed and honestly and can think of one, maybe two times where I thought to myself that it would be nice to have something...the one thing was the Kitchen Aid mixer! Other than that, there is nothing that we have had packed for 4-6 months that I want back. We are going to move everything, but then take a good look at what we have and do a major purge, something we should have done when we sold the house to begin with, but you never know what you can live without, until you live without it.

It's Hard, But It Works

This past week I decided that I needed to take back the control, I have never had, over the girls sleeping situation. To do this I decided to try the Ferber method, some other friends have tired it and had success, so I though why not? In order to accomplish this method you have to let the baby cry it out basically until they fall asleep, going in in 5, then 10, then 15 minute increments to calm them down. It is very hard to listen to your baby cry, even if you know in the end it will help them. I started on Wednesday with Natalie when it was almost 10:00 PM and she wouldn't go to sleep, she cried for about 10 minutes and then fell asleep. Thursday night Tom had class so I tried it with both girls and they each cried for about 15-20 minutes and gave in and were asleep by 8:30...I can't remember the last time they were both asleep and in bed by 8:30. Last night was a little more difficult. Maddie has her first cold, so I felt bad putting her down crying, but she gave in in under 10 minutes, but Natalie cried for about 30. At which point Tom asked if he should just go in and rock her. I was like you are not negating all the work I have done the last 3 days, she just has to go to sleep and within 5 more minutes she was out. So, today I decided to give it a go for their naps. They cried for a few minutes and then just sat, or stood in Natalie's case in their beds until they finally fell asleep and you know what? They slept for over 2 hours. That is right, my kids FINALLY took an nap in their own bed for over 20 minutes! I am so happy and now I know that all that pain, which really wasn't pain has helped them see their beds are a good place to sleep. I am hoping that if they are in their own beds the naps they do take will be of higher quality and they will be more restful, so when they are up playing they can actually enjoy it instead of being half tired from only having half a nap. So here is to the Ferber Method, hard at first, but great once they get it.