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.

Into Everything

Now that the girls are mobile they have realized their true potential and they are into EVERYTHING!I cannot put them down for a second unless they are corralled in their playpen or strapped into something. I never thought babies could move so fast. The other day I was on the phone and I heard the cat meowing in pain and I looked down and Natalie had somehow gotten out of the play pen...it wasn't latched, and had chased the cat down and was holding her tail. Luckily the cat didn't do anything and just meowed for help, but even when I went to get her off the cat Natalie kept pulling as I was lifting her up. They also like the trash can...GROSS and the speaker wires...a huge no no. They also have discovered that they can climb up the front of their little walkers and I am sure in a few weeks I will walk in and find one of them sitting on the couch. But like I keep saying it is all to fun and just watching the two of them standing up together or playing together just pulls at my heart strings! In fact on Monday at our support group Natalie was playing with her little friend Evan and it was too cute because the two of them crawled up to the window and both of them pulled up and they were standing there banging on it together, adorable! So, I guess it is on with the childproofing and constant monitoring to ensure their safety, but boy is it fun!

The Way to Do It

Last night Tom and I got to go see the new Harry Potter movie and boy was it good. They just keep getting darker and darker, but so do the books. I was very happy with this film, because sometimes when a book is so fabulous the movie can be a disappointment, but once again a job well done. We went to the 5:20 showing and since it was opening day we thought for sure there would be a line so I bought our tickets on Fandango just to be safe. When we got there we were ready to be patient, but we walked right in got our tickets and headed to the theater were there was only 1, yes ONE, other lady sitting there. We were shocked and though for sure it would fill up by the time the movie started, but it didn't and there couldn't have been more than 40 people in the theater. We were both amazed, but it was dinner time, we had popcorn for dinner, so I guess our plan worked. We plan to hopefully see more "high attraction" films like this, because we beat the crowds and got matinee pricing, which saved us $6.00. So in the end it was a great experience and one we highly recommend. Now, only a week to wait for the last book, which I hear there is speculation that she might actually continue writing...this must mean Harry isn't one of the two characters to die!

What A Difference a Few Months Make

Today I started the task of packing and making "move" calls, but it has been difficult. I never realized how "easy" it was the first time we did this, just 4 months ago, when the girls could not move. Today, however, has been a task to say the least. The girls require so much more attention and they are getting into everything. I put them down even just to change one of them and the other is out the door and trying to get into things they shouldn't in a flash, it is amusing, but tiring at the same time. So now I am trying to jam as much as I can into "nap" time and as many of you know naps in this household are some what of a joke, but we are getting it done. At least I don't have to pack nearly as much as I did the first time and I guess the girls will just have to cry a little if I am running behind in the packing, but two weeks from today it will all be worth it when we are settling into that nice new house! On that front the kitchen and bathroom floors are down and the house is almost complete. We have our final walk thru next Monday and then one more week and it is ours, we can't wait, so here's to a nice new house and one more move!

Travel Times Two

Well, we made it, to Maine and Back and what an adventure it was! We arrived to the airport on time to leave Indy and even though we woke up at a quarter to 4:00 everyone was in good spirits. We checked our bags and headed to security, where we really did not have any problems. Once on the plane things got a little sticky because they would not let Tom and I sit together because there were only 3 oxygen masks on one side and of course we were on the wrong side of the plane. So they had to ask for volunteers to switch seats with us...this was frustrating because for some reason no one would switch and the flight attendants would not take charge. I finally just asked very loudly for someone to switch with us and a nice gentleman did so off we went. This happened on all of our flight, all 4. At least on the last flight the flight attendant took charge and got people to switch quickly. Other than that we had very few problems with the actual traveling part. My bags did get searched on the way home because of all the breast milk I had, but no big deal, they didn't take it! Once in Maine the girls had some small adjustments to make and Maddie refused, all week, to sleep in her portable bed and she slept with me, meaning Tom and I slept apart on our vacation, same room different beds. We felt that getting sleep was more important though! All in all we had a great time and we are looking forward to our next vacation and at least we know what to do and not to do. For instance the girls will each be getting their own seats on the plane, because it will just be more comfortable for everyone involved. That it is okay to be over prepared on in your carry on in case you get stuck somewhere and finally that yes, there are still people out there who will be rude to you because you are traveling with a child, but you just have to shrug it off and laugh at them and not worry about it!

Adventures in Parenting: Lesson Three

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS, even on a cloudy day put sunscreen on your kids! I took the girls to the park today and it was completely cloudy and overcast, and did not even think to put sunscreen on them. Well, you guessed it they got really burned. Their faces, heads and little arms. I feel so bad, but will ALWAYS put sunscreen on them from now on!

Preparation

Tomorrow we leave for our first family vacation so today is preparation day. I am finishing laundry and packing and getting the house clean. I hate coming home to a dirty house so vacuming and ensuring everything is in order is a must before we leave. Also, making sure the girls bottles are set and everything is loaded and ready tonight. We leave for the airport at 5:00 AM tomorrow morning...I am not sure what exactly I was thinking when I bought these tickets other than I just want to get to Maine, but now I am wondering if getting a later flight would have been wiser, but I guess we will see. This time tomorrow we will be in Philadelphia getting ready to get on our second flight which will take us to Portland Maine. There my mom will be waiting with the car seats. We decided that this would be a good time to upgrade the girls into their "big girl" seats and that way we would only have to haul them one way, home and then we wouldn't have to rent them, since you never really know what they have been through. Then we will head straight to the house in Maine for some peace, relaxation and LOBSTER! Can't wait and I am sure we will have more stories for you when we get back...I mean you think grocery shopping with twins is bad...lets see how traveling with twins is :-)

Oscar the Grouch

Lately I have been like living with Oscar the Grouch. I go to bed grouchy and wakeup grouchy. I don't know why, maybe it is the recent lack of sleep or the girls constant need for me, but something has been putting me on pins and needles lately and I need a smack or something to get out of it. I am hoping that our vacation in Maine starting this weekend will help me get out of this rut. Honestly I know that I have nothing to be crabby about but I just am. I mean I get to wake up and spend every day with my little girls. I don't have to go to a 9-5 job, don't get me wrong, I work hard at home, but I am my own boss. Soon I will be able to say I live in a nice house, in a nice neighborhood and there is no one to answer to. I just hope that I can get past this and quickly and life through my eyes can be a little nicer...I know Tom would appreciate this :-)

Self Sabotage

Lately I have been doing a really good job of eating better and trying to walk at least 4 times a week and it has been working! I have finally started to lose weight and it feels great. The only problem is that as soon as I start to lose and I see the numbers going down I start eating junk again. I don't know why I do this, but I am starting to get really frustrated with myself. I have given myself plenty of time to relax and just enjoy life with the girls, but now it is time to start to get serious and to start being a good example for them. I do not want them to have weight complexes when they are bigger and I want them to see Tom and I eating healthy food, so I need to start now. I just don't know why I can't do it for an extended period of time. So I guess no I need to stop sabotaging myself and just get down to business and do it. Eat better and continue with those walks. That way the girls will see that it is easy to eat well and hopefully they will not have this battle that I am having.

Teething :-(

Ahhhh, the girls, yes both of them, are teething. I never knew that something so small could turn two little angels, who never make a peep or whine, into clingy, crabby, fussy little things that hang on you and need to be held constantly. Maddie has the first little portion of a little razor poking through and Natalie is a few days behind with all the symptoms that Maddie had over the weekend. It is crazy because I have been saying that they have been teething for months, but in reality all that drooling and sucking on things is NOTHING compared to actual, true, hard core teething, that which we are experiencing this week. I have attempted to comfort the girls the best I can with some homeopathic teething tablets, Tylenol and simple love, but I cannot seem to ease the pain. I have purchased numerous teethers and other things for them to put in their mouths yet they enjoy chomping on their pacifiers the best...haha multipurpose! In the end all I can do is hug them and hope they cut the teeth quickly because I hate seeing them in pain. I have even taken to the dreaded, for me, co-sleeping. I usually end up with Maddie in the guest bed because she just wants to be held. Not a problem just scares me a little, but we seem to have worked things out nicely so everyone is comfortable and safe, but the poor thing just moaned and tossed and turned the other night, it was too sad. In the end it is another milestone, but such a painful one for them that it pains me too...please let this pass quickly!

Little Vs. Big

Well, the girls have already started picking on each other. Actually, let me rephrase that, Natalie has started to be really mean to Maddie. She will steal whatever toy Maddie has and even deliberately kicks her and tackles her. At first it was cute, because it looked like they were just wrestling and Maddie would laugh. Now Natalie totally slams Maddie and literally almost holds her head to the ground. Maddie of course starts crying, which breaks my heart. I know they are to young to yell at...what is the point, they don't understand and then that just starts an atmosphere of yelling, which I am not down with, so I try to pick Maddie up and tell Natalie that isn't nice. Only today Maddie fought back...she started trying to bite Natalie's head, good thing she doesn't have teeth yet, but man I am in trouble when she does. I know this is only the begining of their sisterly love fights, but boy it seems like they are starting so young, but so is life I guess and we will all survive!

Twice the Stares

Today my friend, who also has twins, and I went for a walk on the canal downtown. It was so much fun...they have done wonderful things to the area surrounding the canal and great landscaping as well! It was funny though because there we were with our double strollers, basically taking up the entire walk way with our four kids among the two of us naturally drawing attention to ourselves. Luckily though not to many people stopped to stare and no one touched any of the kids. It was nice having someone to relate to the double everything and I hope we will do it again. But if you are looking for a nice place to walk let me suggest a journey to the canal, because it is great!

Your Shopping Options

Typically I do our grocery shopping at Wal-Mart or Meijer because they tend to be cheaper than anywhere else. However, I hate shopping at these places for a number of reasons, which I won't go into now, but the main one being people won't leave the girls and I alone anymore. I love shopping at Target though because people leave me alone and it is clean, but we thought that it was a lot more expensive. Then you have your Marsh and Kroger options as well. These options usually aren't the best if you need diaper and paper products like TP or paper towels, so I tend to avoid those two. Today I asked Tom if I could do a test and do all the shopping at Target and he said yes. Ironically I spent less than I normally do at Meijer or Wal-mart. Now I don't know if I was being more diligent and price conciousness, or if it was because I only bought what was on the list, but I was very pleased. I am hoping that now I can throw this option into the mix from time to time, because it is definately a more pleasurable experience to say the least!

No Time Like the Present

After 8 Months I have decided I had better get cracking on the girl's baby books. When they were first born I was pretty good about answering the questions in the book, but I have since gotten really bad. I started looking at the books and was shocked at how much I have missed writing in them, like when they first rolled over and sat up...at least I know they just started crawling, and being on the move, but I realized I really need to keep up with them or a year will pass and the books will be incomplete. So that is today's activities while the girls nap, haha, or play on the floor!

5 Weeks and Counting

Now that we have our official closing date I have already started the count down. 5 weeks until we officially close...I am so desperate to get out of this horrible apartment I am going to suggest to Tom that we move the girl's cribs ourselves and we can sleep on the floor, just to get out of here! The ants in this place are really starting to get beyond disgusting...today I picked up the toy basket and there were hundreds in there swarming the girls toys and blankets...I was so mad and I had to spend 30 minutes cleaning everything and vacuming the basket and what not. It is not sanitary in my mind. They are coming on Wednesday, the earliest the apt. complex could get someone out here, to spray for them, but that leads me to worry even more about what chemicals they are going to be spraying where my little girls crawl around. I think I can honestly say I am never going to rent again. The amount of money you throw away for one hassle after the next is not worth it. I know I complain a lot about this, but it just floors me to throw money down and have to fix things myself and to live with an ant infestation...YUCK! So 5 more weeks and luckily one of those weeks we will be in Maine, so we only have to live here for 4 more :-)

O Happy Day

Yesterday we got our official letter telling us when we close on our house. Monday July 23 at noon is the date! Yippee...we are so excited. I almost ran back from the mail box I was so excited. It is a day earlier than they predicted we would close and almost a week earlier than the latest date they gave us. This means we get to move on Tuesday and don't have to move over the weekend which is Brickyard weekend, o happy day. It also means we can shell out some dough and just pay someone to move us during the week and we don't have to beg our friends and family to help us and Tom go to work and then come home to the new house! We are more than excited that is for sure. Happy Happy Joy Joy!

Snap

Well, today I finally lost it. For over 2 months now we have been listening to our upstairs neighbors stomp around and slam their door each and every time they come in and out, and least of all steal the only good parking spot that is the easiest to get the girls in and out of the apartment. That's right I can leave for 5 minutes, literally and when I come back the spot will be gone. Well, tonight was the night I snapped. We were trying to get the girls to go down for the night and the guy just kept going in and out and in and out slamming the door like every 5 minutes. Finally I got up and noticed the door wasn't shut all the way. The next time he came out and slammed it I opened our door and went out. At this point I just asked him if he could please not slam his door every time he went in. I think I really scared him, I don't think he was expecting anyone to jump out like I did, because he just kept saying sorry. It remains to be seen if he will slam the door when he goes back in, but here's hoping he doesn't and here's hoping nothing happens to my van or that he doesn't slam the door even more! Oh well, I guess 5-6 more weeks :-)

And So It Continues

Today has been a continuation of yesterday's not so good format. The girls are going through something, or are having a not so good reaction to the medicine they are on for that ring worm. Last night Maddie woke up at 1:00 and would not let me put her down. I even had to hold her while trying to pump...not an easy feat to say the least. Then once I had finally gotten her to fall asleep and stay asleep Natalie woke up and did the same thing same, only she wouldn't go back to sleep so I had to hold her on the couch for 2 hours. Finally at 3:30 she went back into her crib and then both girls woke up at 5:00 screaming. Luckily after eating they slept until 9:00. Only my sister and I had planned to leave for the zoo by 9:30...we finally got out of the house by 11:00. In the meantime I was throwing laundry into the wash when I picked up a basket in the living room and it had over 300 ants I am guessing, and that is not a big exaggeration, crawling around in it and on the carpet around it...I have never been so grossed out in my life...I mean this is IN THE HOUSE...not an ant hill! So I washed that load twice and there were still ants in it...so I dried the clothes then shook them all and had to wash them again! So one would think that is the end, but no. At the zoo both girls had to be changed because of full diapers. Then we went to Wal-mart to get some things really quick and as soon as we walked in the door Natalie started screaming. I looked at her pants and you guessed it there was poop leaking out...so we ran around literally got what we needed and she got changed again. Then we got back to the apartment and I told my sister to shut the apartment door and to not let my cat, Bailey, out. Well, you guessed it again, I come back and the door to the apartment is wide open and Bailey is standing on the side walk. I started yelling for my sister to get the cat, but luckily she just laid down so I could drop all the stuff I had in my hand and grab her and get her back into the apartment. I am sure hoping for an easier night tonight and a better day today, because I am exhausted. At least my sister is getting the best birth control one can have!!!!!!!!!!

Roll with it

Today, or this morning I should say has been one of those mornings. Natalie woke up at 5:40 so I got up to feed her. In the process Maddie, who was sleeping in her swing, woke up. So I got her out and she wouldn't let me put her down just kept crying, finally I laid her down to change her on the floor. Well, no sooner had I gotten her diaper off she started peeing. All over me and the floor. Luckily we got these foam tiles for them to play on and it went on those. So I got her cleaned up and on we went. Then after breakfast she had pooped A LOT and I was trying to change her and clean the stuff that was half way up her back when she reached around and grabbed a whole handful before I could stop her and then rubbed it all over her stomach. AHHHHH, so while I am drawing up the bath she goes to the bathroom again all over herself. I am like good thing you are headed to the bath. Then clean out of the tub, Natalie crawls over and pukes on her head....what next. It is 8:30 and we have already done it all..haha, but all you can do is roll with it. Here's to hoping for a better day!

5 Years Gone By

Yesterday was my 5 year college reunion. I cannot believe that much time has passed already. It was very surreal being back on campus and seeing people I had not seen since we graduated. At the same time it was a lot of time and it almost felt like no time had passed. When we were sitting at lunch, though, it was weird because I found myself sitting at a table with all the girls who live in the Indy area, yet we hardly see each other. One girl even commented how sad it is that we get so caught up in our own every day lives and time just flies by. This is true, but then we miss out on those friendship/relationships that we could be fostering and enjoying more of. On my way home I thought about this and have now suggested to my friends that live in the area that we try to get together for monthly dinner "pitch-ins" at someone's house to catch up and spend time together...we will see if that pans out. But I guess that point is to foster the relationships you do have and don't let 5 years slip by before you know it.

The Perfect Day

When today started I was thinking, great here we go, another bad day, but instead of being bad it turned out to be the perfect day. Maddie woke up at 4:00, as her usual, she ate and I put her in the swing and she feel asleep again until 7:00. So we played a little until Natalie woke up at 8:00...a good thing since she wouldn't go to bed until after 10:00 last night :-( So we ate breakfast and I started the laundry. When the first load was done I turned on the dryer and it made the worst noise I have ever heard and I thought "great I have at least 4 loads of laundry to do today and the dang dryer is broken" But after a little shake and a cleaning of the lint trap it seems to be working fine. (We are still getting a new one once the house is done...I can't wait all new appliances and Whirlpool's cabrio washer and dryer!) Then the girls actually took a morning nap, over an hour long. So we ate and I loaded them up for our weekly Friday trip to the store. I hate these because of all the gawkers and annoying people who stop me, but I needed to go. So to walmart we headed. Since I had a big shop to do I put Natalie in the snugli and kept Maddie in her carseat. Can you believe it, but I made it through the entire store without a single person saying, "look twins" or stopping me to look at them. It was awesome! Then I got home and unloaded everything before it started to pour. I cannot believe my luck today. I think I am going to buy a lottery ticket, it might be our lucky day tomorrow if we do!

Child Proofing, things you really don't think about

Monday's topic at the new mom's support group was child proofing. I had always thought that we were doing a pretty good job of preparing our house until I heard everything you need to consider. It really is amazing the things you would think are common sense in child proofing, but really some of the simple things slip your mind. For instance one knows that you should put a child safety gate by the stairs at the top and the bottom, only I didn't realize, but it makes sense, that the gate shouldn't be placed at the top of the stairs but before the stairs! Of course the child is going to go stand at the gate or shake it even and when it comes loss down they go. Common sense one would think, but that is where we were going to place the gate until this was brought to our attention. Also, cleaning supplies under the sink. I think almost everyone keeps their cleaners and dishwasher soap here, but even if there is a child lock on the cabinet kids can still get into it and try to eat it! Outlet covers, I never would have thought that a child would actually sit there and try to pluck them out, but apparently they do, so those aren't a "for sure" thing. Shelves and other media paraphernalia need to be screwed to the wall. I was so glad this was brought up because we have two really big bookcases that go in our living room that probably would topple over really easily if one of the girls tried to pull up with it, so these will be screwed down once we move. Finally, table cloths. I have a ton of these that I use all the time, and I didn't even think about the girls going and pulling on them, so holidays only now! I think for safety purposes, and it will make cleaning easier, once we move we will be taking the minimalist approach to decorating at least for a couple of years to make sure the girls stay safe. I know that even if we are ultra careful they are going to get into things because that is what little ones do, but we will try to help them stay out of trouble by not putting trouble at their level.

Pushing the Limits

Today I had to take Maddie to the doctor for an unplanned visit. She has had a rash on her face for about a month and we had been running through the litany of antidotes, lotion for excema, jock itch lotion, etc, all to no avail so I called this morning and they wanted her to come in. It was 9:00 and they wanted us there at 10:00. To a normal person this would seem like no problem, but for me, who was not showered and the girls not dressed it was going to be a challenge. So I dressed the girls really quick put them in the crib to play and jumped in the shower. I surprisingly got ready quickly and was ready to go with enough time to load them into their car seats and head out. Only when I got to the crib there was orange puke everywhere from the breakfast of carrots and Natalie was covered. Maddie luckily was fine so she got strapped in. Somehow I made it to the doctor on time. The appointment went well, only I felt horrible because Maddie has some how gotten ringworm...GROSS! I guess even if a cat doesn't have it they can transmit it, Tom says that is another strike against the cats...I wish we could build them a fortress or something in the basement where they could just live and not be under foot all the time, but I digress. So I have to head to Target to get Maddie's 3 prescriptions after the appointment. Me being the fool I am head into the store without the bottles, knowing full well that it is nap time and they are going to be hungry any minute. Well, I should have known, because there was Maddie, being "that kid" screaming because she was tired and hungry and the bottles were in the car. Luckily the girls love my car keys so I gave her those and we managed to get out of the store without causing to much of a scene. But never again will I push that limit and try to go without a bottle when I know I will need one! Lesson learned, keep the kids away from the cats and always have a bottle on hand :-)

A Big Thank You

I must send out a BIG Thank your to Jeanelle for telling me about a new mom's group that meets in Speedway each week. It was so nice to get out of the house and see other mom's with babies the girls age and to have my questions answered. I have to say Thank You Thank You Thank You! I look forward to going to future meetings and to having play dates!

Adventures in Parenting: Lesson Two

Stranger anxiety is my next big lesson I have been learning about. The girls have entered that stage and it is so sad. From what I have read this is a developmental milestone, so in a sense it is good that they are experiencing this, but very sad at the same time. Stranger anxiety is when the baby learns that he/she is actually a separate person from the mother/father, but it is very scary for them. Last weekend Tom's mom and dad came over and the girls instantly started crying...not just crying shaking and heaving and reaching out for me. Natalie eventually stopped, but Maddie was so upset she just kept burying her head in my shoulder. Then I took them to the store the other day and as usual people kept coming up to us, only this time the girls would start crying every time someone would walk up. After that experience I started doing research and reading up on the topic. That is when I discovered this to be a milestone. I also discovered how to handle it, which has yet to be tested. It is recommended that if a child gets upset then they should go back to the parent to calm down. Then once the child is calm you should sit and engage the child in an activity along with the "stranger" then once the child warms up you should have an easier time either leaving or letting the other person interact with the child. Also, never sneak out of the house if your child is upset because this can cause the anxiety to increase because in their eyes you have just disappeared. You need to kiss and hug the child and tell them where you are going and that you will return. This way they can see you leave and return and they will not be upset. If all else fails know that this is just a phase that they usually outgrow by the time that they are 1 and explain it to your family and friends what is going on, because these situations can be embarrassing for the parent and hurtful for the "stranger" but like they say, "this too shall pass!"

Baby Signs

A few weeks ago Tom and I embarked on the long journey of teaching the girls baby sign language. They recommend starting around 9 months, but say you can start anytime, but to be patient with younger babies because it will take longer for them to pick it up. Well, here we are a few weeks later and Natalie can already do the sign for milk! It truly is amazing that she can already communicate with us and it is only going to get better. We have started with a handful of words...they recommend only doing about 5, but there are so many, around 12 or so that we say over and over again on a daily basis that we just go ahead and use their signs and we are just waiting for the girls to catch on. The words we are signing at the moment are: Mommy and Daddy, (of course :-)) Milk, kitty, book, sleep, cereal, bath, diaper. Then sometimes we will just sign something if we remember the sign. We bought the baby signs program, it came with a dvd, a guide of 100 words and 4 cardboard books to read with the girls that show the signs in action. It really is cute and we cannot wait to be able to communicate with them and to be able to understand them sooner. From what I have read sign language helps them speak earlier too! I know this system works because I had a co-worker who taught his son sign language and it was awesome when I would babysit him because he wouldn't cry when he wanted something he would just sign it and I could get it. So here is hoping that the frustrating crying and not understanding will diminish and open communication will start sooner!

The Quiet

For the first time in a really long time the girls are actually taking a nap in their own cribs...A Miracle really, I cannot tell you how long it has been. To be honest I guess they never really take afternoon naps in their cribs, even though they would sleep more peacefully if they did. Today, however, I finally got them to go down in there, no telling how long it will last, but for now I am enjoying the quiet. It is amazing how loud little baby laughs and talking can be at times, when componded with the television, the cats, the cars driving by the apartment and the air conditioner running. The laughing of the girls I love, their happy shrieks are amazing and I find myself laughing so hard I am crying at times because they are too funny. But for now I am going to enjoy the quiet, while I have it and try to catch up on Harry Potter. I am re-reading the 5th book, for the movie that comes out in July and then I will do the same with the 6th since the 7th book is due out a week after the movie...I am to excited, but sad to know that it is the end of the series. But anyway, back to the peacefulness while I can.

The Trail

Today as I stumbled into the shower tripping over the girl's bath toys I couldn't help but laugh to myself because they have taken over. You cannot make it from one side of the apartment to the next without stepping on something or having to move something else. It is pretty funny when you think how small the girls are and how much space they take up. Their toys and shampoo and bath stuff cover the bathroom...they don't even have that much hair yet, they have 2 different shampoos, no more tears and selsun for their cradle cap, 2 soaps, lavender nighttime calming and regular, a bazillion toys...that is just the bathroom. We still have both swings set up, I know, but they still use them EVERYDAY...they love them, so we aren't getting rid of them just yet, then the bouncy seat and the pac and play and don't forget the exersaucer...which we only have 1 of...thank goodness. But that is okay, we love them. It is just funny, tonight even Tom said, man you don't realize how much clutter comes along with kids until you have them and ours is multiplied. At least in the new house we will have more space to spread the clutter around and a designated area for the girls in their bedroom and the loft for all the toys! Can't wait...do you think we are excited...haha!

Bad Mood Days

Do you ever just wake up in a bad mood, not really knowing why, but just crabby? Well, today I did. Maybe it is because I went to bed after 11...a no, no, no in the land of Stahl. Then Maddie woke up at 12:30, so I rocked her and tried to put her back into bed, only to have her wake again. This went on for over an hour when I finally gave up and we slept on the recliner together for most of the rest of the night...I guess she just wanted to be held or something, cause she sure snuggled up and held on to me. So after sleeping a few hours in bed I woke up at 7:15 in just a horrible, horrible mood. Snappy and unhappy. Maybe it is the weather or the lack of sleep, or the fact that we are pretty much trapped in the apartment today because of the race and our street is a one way out, not in...but anyway, I guess I am just complaining and hopefully I will snap out of this soon...there is no point in being crabby, even on a rainy day!

Prunes are the worst!

The girls have finally been introduced to all the first steps food. Yes, it took a really long time, but my family has a lot of food allergies so I took it slow and instead of introducing a new food every three days I did a new one once a week. Now that we have introduced them all I can honestly say that prunes are the absolute worst. While the girls really like them they are so messy. The stains they leave when the girls spit up are amazing. It is like black sludge that stains everything...it is really gross. The second worst food is the carrot. The girls don't really care for this veg so the stain should be minimal, but who would have thought that these foods could cause so much damage. The good news is that so far the girls aren't allergic to anything we have given them. So on to the next step in a few months...yippy!

Peaceful

The past two days I have taken the girls for a walk in a park in Avon. As Tom would say, "Avon got it right." This park is wonderful and is located right behind the Town Hall. It has two playgrounds and a very nice paved walking path that is probably 1.5-2 miles long and it even has a frisbee golf course. It is quiet and serene and I really enjoy running around it. These runs are so peaceful and I have discovered that if I go in the morning after the girls eat they will take their morning naps while we are out either in the car or while we are walking. This gives me a good 30-60 minutes of peace and quiet. Time to listen to my Ipod and to think, while still being with the girls. Time to reflect on the day and what is going on and to soak up some sun and get exercise at the same time. It is almost like that hour of time is perfect. I pass very few people and the ones I do pass leave me alone, it isn't like going to the store where you can't walk down an aisle without some one talking to you. It is almost like there is an unspoken rule that everyone is there for the same reason, exercise and peace and quiet. I truly love these times :-)

Vote for Tom

MYSigg, a water bottle company is having a contest to design their next bottle and Tom has submitted an entry. If you have a chance go to: http://dcpstudio.com/golduser1/MySIGG/
and vote for his bottle, it is the bottle that says:
Bottle Name: Recycle
Stylist: Tom Stahl
SIGGART Saying: Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Also, check out their other bottle designs. In an effort to do my part and to help the environment I have made the investment and purchased this bottle so I will stop using bottles of water everyday. While I use one bottle per day and fill it up I am still adding to the waste. Also, did you know that petroleum is used to make plastic bottles? Yup, that is right so I am trying to help with the gas problem as well. On another note, we will also be switching to more earth friendly cleaners such as Seventh Generation once our current cleaners are finished. So if you are earth friendly check out these bottles and seventh generation products!

Adventures in Parenting: Lesson One

Over the last several months I have gotten very sloppy about the contents of my diaper bag and I have been moving to a smaller and smaller bag, thinking I need less and less stuff. Well, yesterday I paid the price and learned a very important lesson: IT IS BETTER TO BE OVER PREPARED, RATHER THAN NOT PREPARED AT ALL. See, yesterday we went for a walk around the new hood and I was taking Maddie out of the stroller, only to find her completely soaked when I picked her up. That would have been fine and dandy had it only been pee, but no such luck, it was poop too, all over...very gross. So there we were with my tiny diaper bag, a few wipes, some diapers and a onesie to put her in, no clothes or shorts or anything to put the dirty diaper in and we were off to the store since we were already out. So the poor thing had to wear only a onesie to the store because of her momma's lack of organization or laziness if you will. So, today when we set out to go look for a couch I was prepared. Back to the big diaper bag with several onesies, extra shorts and tons of wipes and diapers and bags for dirty diapers, hoping we wouldn't have to use it, but ready all the same. After a little while we walk out of one of the stores and Tom says he thinks Maddie needs to be changed and I asked if she was poopy and he said he didn't think so, but that he kept smelling poop somewhere. So I set to change her, taking off her pants, only to find poop ALL over her leg, her pants the onesie, everywhere. It was to much and I just started laughing because I couldn't believe it was happening AGAIN. But, at least this time I was ready and got her cleaned up and dressed and headed out to the next store. The whole ordeal was so much for her she fell right asleep and slept until we got home. So, to all you parents out there, don't get lazy, carry the bigger bag and have everything you might need every time you go out. I used to do this and forever more will do it now!

People really are ignorant

This week the girls turned 7 months old. Very weird to think they are that old already, but hey time flies when you are having fun...right? It has been great being able to get out of the house and show them around the world...they like going to target and watching all the products pass them by in the cart, their eyes get really big and it is pretty cute and it is great not being house bound. This freedom, however, comes with a price. The price of having to deal with ignorant people. Tom and I usually want nothing more than to do our shopping or have a nice peaceful meal out with the girls, but that is not a luxury anymore, because you would think we were traveling with a circus or something. Everyone stops us and says, "oh twins," or "oh you poor thing," when I am alone. I do not consider myself a "poor thing" I consider myself lucky, lucky to have 2 great daughters to love and who love me back. The worst are the people who stop us and try to touch the girls or ask pretty dumb questions, like "are they boys?" I want to say, "yes, they are boys and I am raising them to be gay, that is why they are in all pink clothing and pink car seats" Come on people give me a break. The best was when we went out to eat last week, we had both girls in their car seats and the guy seating us asked how far apart in age they were...are you serious? My mom says this circus feel will only get worse as they get bigger and look more alike, but all I want is to be able to get in and out of the store without being bothered. Oh, well I guess this is about the only down side I can see about having two instead of one, but once again I wouldn't change it for the world, I just wish people wouldn't be so ignorant and would mind their own business, like we mind ours!

What $30.00 will buy you

I remember when I was a freshman in college and you could buy gas for $1.00. Now that was 9 years ago, but for about $15.00 bucks or less I could fill my entire gas tank up. Well, now I could buy a quarter of a tank of gas for that amount. Yesterday, much to my dismay I realized that I was completely empty and had to break down and purchase gas. I told myself I was only going to spend $30.00 in hopes that this will tide me over for awhile and prices will go down. Well, as the ticker kept on ticking I realized I was barely going to get 8 gallons for $30.00, but I still stopped the pump then, got in my car and turned it on...holding my breath I looked at the gauge...it was half full. The sad thing is, I was actually happy that it was half full, because I thought for sure it wouldn't even be that much. So, I guess now I am going to cut my driving down even more than I already do, no more going out just to get out of the house, because those prices are just to ridiculous. I will sure enjoy when our house is done so I can just step outside to go for walks and I won't have to drive somewhere to feel safe...but until then, the driving will be limited :-(

A+++++++ Customer Service

I have always known that LLBean had great customer service and great products. I know I know this is going to sounds like an LLBean pitch, and okay, it kind of is, but they are the best! I have loved LLBean for a really long time, their fleeces and duffles are the greatest. So, last week I ordered the girls some little duffles for our little trips planned this summer and for when we go to their YaYa's, my mom's house. :-) Well, the bags arrived today monogrammed and everything and I took them out of the wrapper and they were so tiny, not the size I thought I had ordered. I have an overnight/weekend duffle from there which I thought was a small, oops it was a medium. So I thought I was going to be screwed because I had them monogrammed and everything, but nope, LLBean said no problem, ordered me up new ones in the bigger size, set up the monogram again and said they will be here by the beginning of next week. I couldn't believe it, even after the monogramming, it is amazing. This isn't the first time that LLBean has surprised me. Back in High School I had an LLBean back pack that had a zipper that got caught on my locker and ripped. I sent it back to LLBean asking them to fix it and they sent me a brand new bag...mine was at least 4 years old, now that is what I call quality customer service. So if you ever need a bag, a fleece, clothes or you are just bored surf their site, it is great!

Diaper Me Please Daddy

Last night Maddie woke up screaming at 1:00 am. This isn't to untypical, the girls will usually do this when their pacifier falls out and they don't want to suck their thumb. Only the typical response is pacifier goes back in and the girl goes back to sleep. Only last night Maddie opened her eyes looked straight at me and had this look like "are you crazy?" then she proceeded to scream, so I went to pick her up to rock her for a little bit only to find her soaked, bed soaked, pj's and her sleep sak, so I take her into the living room to change her and as I am stripping her down each article of clothing is wetter and wetter until I get to her onsie, where I then reach for her diaper, which isn't there. That's right, NO diaper. At that point I am really annoyed because Tom had dressed her after her bath, and had forgotten to put her diaper on. The poor girls must have wet herself several times. So Tom wakes up because of crying and I am like next time can you please put a diaper on Maddie and he tries to tell me that I was the one who had dressed her, because I gave her the bath, but then we had switched and I also did Natalie. He then realized what he had done and went to change her sheets. The longer I sat there the funnier this all turned to me and I found myself sitting in the dark livingroom laughing to myself. It was all to funny to think that at 7:30 pm a diaper was missed and we have gone several nights of sleeplessness and we have never done anything like that before. Hopefully in the future we won't make mistakes like this again, because the only person I feel bad for is little Maddie who woke up cold and wet...poor thing.

Mini Anyone?

Yesterday as the girls and I were watching the Mini Marathon on TV I couldn't help but wish I was there running it. I know it sounds crazy, but I really enjoy it, it is such an accomplishment to say you have done it. I have completed it 3 times already and every time I say I am never going to do it again, but I always find myself running again. So yesterday after watching it I decided I am going to do it next year and I signed up. A whole year in advance...haha CRAZY! Then I was thinking, man it would be really fun to get a bunch of people or moms together and we can all train together with our babies...are any of you out there interested? We would have a year, good exercise time to chat and fun at the end...so if you think you might want to give it a try let me know. I am NOT a fast runner, my best time was 2:18 and that was a couple years ago before kids and such, so if you wanna give her a try lets do it!

Reflection

Today is graduation. I am not walking, but I will get that diploma soon...still a very surreal experience to know that it is all over, no more classes or lectures. The past couple of days I have been reflecting on the whole experience. The three years of driving to the near southside, beating traffic, writing papers and cramming for tests. The stressful semester when I was pregnant and then the semester off when the girls were born and I was on bedrest. Would I do it all over if I had the chance? You bet I would. It was a challenging experience and I am stronger now for having completed the degree. I don't know what I will do with it, or where my future career will go, but I am glad I had the experience and that I was able to achieve this feat. I guess what I am trying to say, is if there is something out there that you have been wanting to accomplish, but you think it will be to difficult, give it a try anyway, do it. Do it for you, or do it just to say you did...you will thank yourself in the future and you will feel very proud of yourself too!

I did it!

15 weeks, 4 papers, 3 presentations, 5 exams and 2 A's later I am finished with school. I cannot believe that tomorrow is graduation. I am not walking, but the simple fact I am done, have my MBA and still had my baby girls amazes me. I am very proud of myself and it feels so great to say I did it. It is a very surreal feeling though. After three years of studying I cannot believe that I don't have to read any more textbooks or write anymore papers or sit in anymore lectures. I can now spend more time with the girls and I won't be getting frustrated when they don't want to nap and I need to study. So yippy for me... I DID IT! :-)

In Progress

Well, our house is officially in progress. They have already dug the hole and poured the walls for the basement...very exciting. It is fun to drive by each day or every few days to see how things are going, but we just can't wait to move in. Once the house is framed we will get our closing date. Hopefully sometime in the middle of July, so we are counting the days. It is hard to believe we have already lived in the apartment for a month though, so at least the time is passing quickly. So yippy skippy we are progressing along!