Obsessed... *Just a Little Bit*

 

Henry is obsessed with the Power Pangers (Rangers)!
Not with the show, but with the Power Ranger figures that we have at our home.

Every morning and several times during the day, he becomes completely panicked if he cannot find all of them.  So, then we all end up searching for the missing Power Ranger to stop the misery. 

 

Once he has them, he just carries them around or leaves them in a pile.  He rarely, if ever, actually plays pretend with them. 

As you can see, the Red one is missing a leg because someone ripped it off recently.  I tried to convince him to just throw him away because he kept lamenting his broken leg and wanted me to fix it, which is impossible.  I think he threw away the leg eventually. 

If you really want to see a show, let Jackson come in and inform Henry that those are actually HIS Power Rangers.  Good Grief.  Hysteria. 

My Shadow

Ever since Mary Catherine was sick, she has been stuck to me like crazy.
"Hold Me. Hold Me."

"I wanna go wif you."
"I wanna sit in yur yap."

 

Good Thing She's So Cute!

The Messiah...according to Henry...

The twinkies were up very early.  

We got out the animals to play with while the rest of the kiddos slept.

 Mommy Frog, Baby Jesus and Daddy Frog
(according to Henry)
How's that for application of knowledge?

Henry...
Hank the Tank...
Bubba...
Bubba-Roni..
Bubs

Our Christmas Tree

Mary Catherine...
Sissy...
Stink Bug...
(in bad lighting)

A big 'ole box of animals is definitely a necessity for hours of pretend play.  All of our children enjoy playing with these animals.  I love to hear them play and use their imaginations while they are setting up their piles.  

Can you see him saying, "Ooo-Ooo" just like a gorilla?

 Mary Catherine found a little something extra in the box.  I think she's missing her pacifiers...

Two and a Half Years Old

 Getting two 2.5 year olds to look at the camera at the same time is near impossible...

Asking them to both smile makes it officially impossible.

 

"Do you want to look away this time, or shall I?"

One out of two ain't bad

Mary Catherine

This shot makes me laugh because Henry appears completely 'checked out' and Mary Catherine appears to be telling him something important. 

~Classic male-female interaction~

 "Huh?  Are we still taking photos?"  "Fa-la-la-la-la  La-la-la-la"

 Oh, if only they were both looking at the camera...

 "Are we ever going to give in and look at the same time?"

 "Okay, but I won't smile."

Does Henry appear to be imitating a turtle?

My favorite shot of the bunch.  I wish I had not cut off their heads.  At this point I was just holding the camera and attempting to get their attention. Whew.  Glad that's over.

Laugh or Cry

Things that make me smile and sometimes laugh:

• Mary Catherine's manners:
• Me: "Mary Catherine, we need to wipe your face." 
• MC: "No thank you."
• When Henry says, "Wanna Knuckle Punch?" (his version of saying Do you want a knuckle sandwich?)
• When the twins 'whisper' in our ears.  "I wanna tell you a secret."  They get really close and then they are super loud and about bust our ear drums. 
• How the twins shush each other at odd times.  One twin says "Shh!" and the other twin says, "I wanna talk. No shush!"
• Whichever twin gets water/food always wants water/food to carry to the other one.  
• Listening to the twins talk to each other when they eat or play.  Hilarious. 
• MC's voice~ she's like a fairy. 
• Hearing Henry say, "I wuv you!" the intonation is superb. 

Things that drive me batty and sometimes want to cry

• The twins frantically screech, "I'm done! I'm done!" but when I drop everything to get them down from the table they refuse and scream, "I want to eat!" and start grabbing their food.
• Henry's inability to wait a nano-second for anything.  He goes from happy to hysterical faster than Kinsey did, and that's saying something.  
• Writing instruments + twins = misery for my home
• Buckling car seats, and especially buckling car seats with winter coats.

A Glimpse, However Small...

 Look what I found when I went into the living room.

 Is that my two little toddlers playing sweetly? 

 They spent quite a while setting up some 'extras' to their Little People Manger.

It brought me such a joy to see them playing pretend so nicely.


But then...

Less than ten minutes later, when my battery for my camera was charging so I couldn't take pictures for documentation, I walked into a huge mess.  They had wrecked all they set up and wrecked the larger, nicer manger behind it.  Somehow in those few minutes they figured out how to scrape nearly every stitch of moss off that manger.
 

Should be fun to 're-moss'... not likely...

I really, really don't want to call the twins "Destruct and Destroy", 

but they leave me no other option.

A Breather...

Just want to take a moment before I embark on potty training Mary Catherine next week to write that things here are going very well.  Considering potty training is my LEAST favorite thing to do as a parent I might not be in such a thankful mood this time next week.  Let's hope I overcome my attitude.  I remember a certain curly haired friend of mine that said she loved potty training her children and they bonded during that time.  I love my friend, but that is just crazy talk. 

We traveled out of town this past week and it went the smoothest it ever has with five children.  Cracker Barrel was a joy.  I didn't have to spend my time thinking of a dozen ways to keep two toddlers from scaling out of their boosters, stop any screaming, or deal with any spillage issues. 

The twins are (and have been) understanding consequences more and more each day.  For instance, if we are traveling in the car and one of them starts whining, they understand, "If you don't stop, I am going to take your magna doodle." 

Of course, we aren't afraid to invoke some Biblical discipline too, if you catch my drift, but one of my sweet little twinkies just likes to take a lickin' and keep on tickin' so it doesn't always have the effect that I would like it to in a pinch. 

I'm thankful that the twins are understanding more and more, but I do miss those baby days a little bit too, at least the days I can remember.  Most of the first year is a haze filled with crying and exhaustion, mostly my crying, but don't judge.  If you don't have twins, you cannot understand.

A Little After Nap Smack

Picture this, if you can...

Mary Catherine wakes from her nap and cracks open my bedroom door.  Henry hears the door and races up to her with puppy dog enthusiasm. 

Squealing, "Mary Cafrin! Mary Cafrin! Mary Cafrin's awake!" as he approaches her in the doorway. 

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! 

Mary Catherine smacks Henry three times in the face while screaming at him. 

Poor boy. 

I bet he's not excited to see her anymore. 

I Miss Bubba

Tonight Mary Catherine went to the grocery store with me because she had slept for four hours during her nap time and I knew that she was not going to bed any time soon. 

I like to try to take the children out one on one when I can, even if it's just to the store.  It's a small sacrifice because when they are alone with me they talk and talk and talk because there isn't anyone to interrupt.  Even though I like my quiet alone shopping time, it's worth to be with them and hear their funny stuff.


As we shopped the aisles of Walmart it was so precious to me how often she discussed Henry. 

The sweetest moment was when she got a cookie and said, "Bubba did not get one. I miss Bubba." 

We Wuv Coco

Our poor cat. 

Coconut is our long haired white outdoor, sometimes indoor, cat, who is the object of the twins' obsession. 

They claim to love her. 

"We wuv her."
"She is nice to me."
"Coco need somfin to eat."
"Coco not bite me."
"Coco is soft."
"I pet her."

They chase her all over the house and throw balls at her, all while wondering why she won't let them pet her for longer than 5 seconds.

If you can picture the old Looney Tunes cartoon, "I will name him George, and I will hug him and pet him and squeeze him.." it's a little bit like that...

Surprisingly, she is very, very good with them.  When she gets really irritated she will give them a warning swat, but has never used her claws, yet.

Poor Coconut.

"I not crying."

Lately, when one of the twins is crying (or fussin' as I call it when it's not because of pain) the other twin feels compelled to inform me,

"Mommy, I not crying!"

as if to say, "See mom!  I am the sweet one!"  Of course, that same sweet one will be crying in just a few minutes about something, don't you fret!

Another cute thing that they are doing is telling me who are their best friends and what are their favorite songs all throughout the day. 

Mary Catherine usually starts the conversation and Henry follows suit. 

"Mommy, Bubba is my best friend." 
"Mommy, Sissy is my best friend." 

Other cute stuff that they say which is way cuter in person...

"Bubba, BE nice to me!"
"I LOVE it!"
"Coconut is nice. I wuv her.  I be nice to her." WHAM!

I will never figure her out...

Earlier today, I told Mary Catherine that she was going to have to nap upstairs with Henry b/c I needed to clean my room and her response me was, "I need my crib."  Well, the pack and play is set up in my room for her naptime because I could not get her to settle down for naps without at least an hour of discipline intervention, which was driving us both crazy. 

In her bedroom she has a 'big girl bed' that she sleeps in every night.  So, in an effort to meet her halfway, I asked her if she wanted me to set up another crib in her room to which she emphatically replied , "YES!" 

So, I did and I put it right back in the spot her other crib used to be before we bought her the new bed. 

During her naptime I checked on her and she had climbed out and gotten a puzzle.  However, she ran into an issue trying to climb back in the crib so she had moved the box I keep diapers and wipes in over next to her crib to use as a stool. 

Shortly after I took the puzzle, she fell asleep.  I do find it odd that she wants to be in a pack and play.  At least she's a peanut so she can still fit!

Bubba is my friend...

Mary Catherine was pretending to talk on the phone... "Dis is Mary Caffren. Bubba is my friend." 

So sweet! 

Of course, Henry wanted a turn too.   However, Mary Catherine was not happy at all when he just jibber-jabbered about other things.  Indignantly she exclaimed, "He say Mary Caffren is my friend!!!"  (as in, he's supposed to say I'm his friend b/c that is what I said about him!) 

Isn't that such a girl thing? 

Earplugs...

I thought I would update a few things that are going on around here before they change or I forget them. 

• naptime is still horrific... i've tried everything that i know, everything that i've read, everything that has been suggested, but the twins are still winning out on a daily basis.  it takes over an hour to get them to actually nap, and sometimes it never happens at all.  my favorite time of day is now my most miserable. 
  
  
• henry is talking ALL of the time now.  it really has helped with his frustration, but it's not completely eradicated. he's had a language 'explosion' as we like to say around here.  henry's favorite topic is colors.  he likes to tell us the color of everything around us at all times.  tediously, he will say it over and over again until you say it back to him.  all of my children have gone through this stage so i know it will end, but oh my... 
  
  
• Mary Catherine is as dramatic as ever.  Seriously, the adjective 'diva' could not be more fitting.  Clearly, she is the queen bee (in her eyes) and the rest of us need to shape up if we want to stay.  I'm sure it's our fault.  We just cannot help but dote on her because she's so stinkin' cute and funny. 
  
  
• The twins love to watch Dora and Blue's Clues.  I try to push Diego more because there's something about my son running around wanting to watch Dora that just doesn't sit right with me.  They have a scheduled tv time right before their nap each day, if needed.  
  
  
• When they are not watching that glorious 22 minutes of tv before their naptime they are successfully destroying my house in the process of playing.  Usually this involves Mr. Potato Head, plastic animals or cooking supplies.  Oh, let's not forget about blocks.  Some of those blocks get made into a tower, but most of them are strewn around the room in record time. 
  
  
• The toilet is still a fascination of Mary Catherine's, but we try to keep the door locked.  Washing her lovies over and over all day is not fun.
  
  
• "I love..." is another favorite game here.  The twins each take turns saying all of the people they love.  It's very sweet. 
  
  
• Our day is never boring, never quiet, never neat, and I wouldn't have it any other way, although I do wish I had some good earplugs sometimes...
  
  

Clueless...

i'm already beginning to prepare myself for the snickers behind my back.  in a few years Mary Catherine will be more than I can handle unless the Holy Spirit intervenes quickly.  I pray she gets saved at a very early age. 

She is absolutely, without question, the most stubborn/strong willed child that we have ever had.  Along with that stubbornness comes an unbelievable charm.  Half of the time I don't know whether to laugh or cry.  In the midst of disciplining her she just smiles and laughs and shakes those curls.  UGH. 

I suppose the Lord puts charming and stubborn together so that we don't give our children away with the trash on Monday mornings.  *kidding*

So, if you must judge me and talk about my ill behaved child please do it behind my back and if you could, please fix her. 

Monkey See Monkey Do...

monkey does the same as you...

Mary Catherine and Henry were playing with this bucket on the beach.  Mary Catherine piped up and said, "I want hair wet!" and proceeded to stick her head in the bucket. 

 So, then, of course, Henry had to follow suit...

I would've gotten after shots, but I was laughing too hard...

Too Early! Too Fussy!

Henry's new found wake up time is absolutely driving me crazy.  Today he woke everyone in his room as well.  I'm so grouchy. 

Between Jackson's incessant "What? I didn't do anything!" with guilt ridden eyes and the twins' high pitched angry shrills every two minutes, I'm going to book myself into the Funny Farm. 

Stop the screaming.  Stop the crying.  Just hush.  Play nicely.  Eat without whining.  For Pete's Sake, give me a few minutes of happy noise. 

Changes...

The babies woke up today and started playing in their room instead of coming to the top of the stairs and screeching, "EAT! EAT! EAT!" incessantly like a bunch of pelicans in Finding Nemo. 

It's amazing how the little things bring me joy.

Nevermind... they escaped as I was writing this...

Let's Go Babies, Let's Go!

Every night when it's time to go to bed, I do a little chant for the babies.  We make up songs all the time at our house.  I always have and I do not know exactly why.  Some songs are nice, some songs are not, whatever rhymes is fair game (stinky, smelly, poopy...). 

So, the chant goes, "Let's go babies, let's go! *woot-woot*"

Amazing, right? 

Well, the babies have caught on to this ritual and so if I try to chant this at another time of the day they look up and say, "Go Night-Night?" and I have to explain that we aren't going to bed and I just want them to hurry up. 

Funny little monkeys...

No Crying...

On Wednesday night, for the first time in over a year, Mary Catherine went into the nursery without screaming as if she was losing a limb. 

She walked right in the door as if she had done it all along. 

You should have seen the dropped jaws of the ladies who know her from the nursery. 

Let's hope it continues. :)

We Did It! We Did It!

We Did It! We Did It!
(cue the Dora tune in your head...)

I put the twins down for nap and no one got up!  They are asleep at the same time! 

Hip! Hip! Hooray! 

Although I'm not naive enough to think that this will happen every day, I will say that I'm so thankful that consistency (and discipline) has paid off once again. 

Now, if only there weren't hundreds of other parenting dilemmas in my life...

I Wub Bubba...

I was getting Henry dressed for bed and he was doing the 'Naked Baby Dance' around the room in his diaper. 

Yes, we have the Naked Baby Dance in our house, complete with chant, clapping, and attempts at 'dancing', but it's more like spastic jerks.  It has been going on since Kinsey was born and was such a fabulous thing that it has spread to Jason's brother's home as well with all of his children. 

So, in the midst of this ritual, Mary Catherine ran up and hugged Henry tightly and exclaimed, "I wub Bubba!"  It was the first time I have ever seen her do that and it melted my heart. 

Sweetness! 

Watching the two of them almost makes me wish I was a twin, but then I remember that when twins grow up that sometimes that sweetness kind of fades and turns into ultra competitive snarky moments in between whipping the tar out of each other, or at least that is what we experience with Jason and Karl...

Just kidding.  Sort of. 

Maybe, Just Maybe...

I only had to go up once today during naptime. 

Mary Catherine is getting wiser.  She still gets up and gets toys, but goes back into bed at least, so we are making an improvement.  I still take the toys out of her bed, but at least we are making progress.  Right?

Henry, bless his heart, gets up and plays until he's busted, gets in trouble, and quickly cries himself to sleep.  At least he gets a nap. 

I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...but I'm in trouble if it's a train...(kudos to KGervase for that line)

Algebra for Babies

Bad Naps + Bad Bedtimes= Fussy Children

Fussy Children + Messy House= Whiny Mama

TV- Fussy Babies = Peace and Quiet (for 22 mins)

Whiny Mama + Peace and Quiet= Nice Mama

A Solution for Now...

In order to achieve peace and quiet during naptime, I have been enlisting the help of Kinsey and Kerrigan.  They are taking turns 'resting' in the room with the babies until they fall asleep.

In exchange for their services, they can either play DS, listen to their MP3, or watch Netflix on the Itouch with headphones while waiting for the twins to fall asleep. 

If either twin gets up, Kinsey/Kerrigan removes something precious from his/her bed.  Usually, this causes a ridiculous amount of screaming/crying, which exhausts him/her into falling asleep. 

However, because Kinsey/Kerrigan are in the room, it's immediate and the offender does not get the joy of playing before he/she is caught.  I'm afraid that Mary Catherine has a little bit of Kerrigan in her, which means that she'll take the lickin' if she gets to do what she wants and in conjunction with that, I am not sure that Henry really understands what is expected of him at all.  He is either very stubborn or very clueless. 

We have done this three times and so far it's working very well.

I Miss Naps (part two)

For the last hour I have been upstairs five times.  Yes.  Five times. 

First Time: Mary Catherine was beside Henry's bed.
Second Time: Henry was at the end of MC's bed chucking books at her.
Third Time: I cannot remember, but I think MC was up.
Fourth Time: They were both up playing.
Fifth Time: Mary Catherine was in Henry's bed and he was up playing. 

Seriously.  What happened to my favorite part of the day?  As I write this, I hear someone walking above my head.  Here we go for number SIX.  ugh.

and then we had number SEVEN... good grief.

I Miss Naps...

So gone are the days of putting the twins in their cribs for nap and walking away for a few hours of peace and quiet.  They used to nap almost three hours.  THREE HOURS! 

Now, due to their recent Houdini escapades, they are in big beds.  You know what is wrong with beds?  There are no bars!  Seriously, what is the problem with making a lid and bars on a twin bed? 

So, now I have the *joy* of spending most of nap time disciplining the escapees until they fall asleep.  Now, when Henry wakes up before Mary Catherine he gets out of bed and wakes her up.  Not pretty. 

Yesterday was the first time that I went in (when I heard them) after naps and they were both in the own beds reading books.  Yay!  I thought...

Then last night, I had a meeting for CC in my living room and we put the twins to bed.  Their bedroom is over the living room and I could hear them running all around for at least an hour.  I didn't go up because I was in the middle of the meeting and at least they weren't crying for me.  Not surprising, they have already figured out how to be quiet when they are disobedient.  When the meeting ended at 9 pm I went upstairs expecting to find them both passed out on the floor or quietly ripping books, but they had made it back to their own beds and were sound asleep. 

Sweetness.

Talking, Talking and More Talking...

Considering this blog is really the twins 'baby book', I want to take a minute to write that the twins are talking like crazy. 

A flood of language has happened in the last two weeks, and my head is sometimes spinning because of all of the jibber jabber around here; especially considering that out of five children I only got one quiet one, and that's Kinsey.  The rest talk and talk and talk...

Henry has been putting together three words at a time this week.  Most of the time it still sounds choppy, but he's working it out.  Mary Catherine can pretty much say whatever she wants however she wants, but with her little tiny fairy voice it is sometimes difficult to decipher.  Usually she will figure out another way to say it, whereas Henry flips his lid if we cannot understand what he is trying to convey.

It could be my perception, (based on comments) but sometimes I think that people expect less of my children because we have five children, so they must get the short end of the stick, ya-da, ya-da...  Honestly, I think when you have a large family you really get a chance to see that your child is going to be whomever the Lord has set out for your child to be because you cannot possibly orchestrate every detail of his/her life. 

Children in large families are 'forced' to take some time to figure out what they are going to do because Mommy isn't available for entertainment very often.  Now, we as the parents need to put up boundaries for that freedom, like limiting the media influences. 

However, I cannot take the 'credit' for all that my children are able to do because it is their God-given ability. Good, responsible parenting is key in a child's life, but if he walks with Christ, the Lord will get him where he's supposed to be in the end.

Mother Hen

If Henry survives growing up in our house with all these women, it will be a miracle.  He will either be a fantastic husband or a lifelong bachelor. 

As if the older girls don't mother him enough, then he has Mary Catherine hen-pecking his every move. 

She informs him when he is finished eating, "Mommy, Bubba done!" To which Henry responds on que, "All done!"  Let's hope that eventually he learns to form his own opinion as to when he's finished eating, or playing with a certain toy, or what he wants to watch when it's movie time. 

All kidding aside he does stand up for himself sometimes when it comes to toys, but Mary Catherine does spend much of her time informing me all about her Bubba in a mothering way that cracks us up for such a little girl.

Where Do You Eat Breakfast?

While I was sitting on couch looking for a recipe, I glanced up to find this...

I wish you could have heard them carrying on their little conversation.  Precious times ahead watching these two grow into the best of friends...


*yes, they are eating snacks from my wedding goody bag for breakfast... i'm tired and it's easy. don't judge.*

Singing

The Twins love to sing now and it's so cute to watch them.  I have attempted to video them, but it's not great.  It's the kind of video only grandparents would love.

I realize there is a big pile of laundry in my chair in my bedroom. 
Don't judge me. :)

The Twins Are TWO!

Can you believe it?

Mary Catherine and Henry are two years old!  How can that be?  It feels like I was just struggling through nursing two uncooperative twinkies while severely sleep deprived... I'm sure some of you remember, especially those of you who helped me bottle feed one twin while the other twin 'practiced' nursing for those three months... Weighing them before and after every feed for three months...Thankfully, they both nursed full time after those initial months of training.

Jason grimaced the other night when I mentioned those three months of middle of the night feedings.  It's still a little too fresh for him to look back on fondly.  With our other three he never lost a wink of sleep so having to bottle feed a twin every night for three months was not something he loved, but he never complained.  I can still picture Mary Catherine with her teeny tiny hands wrapped around his hand as he fed her.

Sweetness

Little did we know then what a stinker-doodle she would turn into two years later.  I'm not sure that DIVA is a strong enough word for Mary Catherine.  Can we blame her?  The way her siblings dote on her it's as if she has her own entourage.  They adore her and have always treated her like a princess.  Mary Catherine is the perfect mix of her older siblings, she has Jackson's eyes, Kinsey's hair, and Kerrigan's fiery personality. 

Mary Catherine (aka Sissy) splits her time between taking care of Henry's needs and screeching at him for one thing or another.  I am sure that poor boy doesn't know if he's coming or going with her. 

Henry, Hank-the-Tank, Bubba... what a sweet, sweet boy.  Henry can often be found playing alone, reading books, wandering the house, and chasing Mary Catherine.  Not surprisingly, Henry knows exactly how to irritate Mary Catherine; isn't that some unwritten code that all brothers have memorized?

When Henry was a baby he suffered from acid reflux, so of course, he puked often.     Since most people do not enjoy being thrown up on, I ended up being the one that held him the most as Mary Catherine was passed around to everyone else.  He wasn't the cutest baby there ever was either, very skinny and scrawny, like a plucked chicken. I'm his mother, so I can say that. Thank goodness he's a cutie now. I didn't mind having him to myself, because as everyone knows, there is something sweet about mama's boy that cannot be explained. 

Henry and Mary Catherine-two weeks old

Henry and Mary Catherine-almost 2 years old

Now, they are two years old, full of personality, 

talking non-stop, running around, and bringing us never ending joy. 

Pool Time

The twins went to the pool for the first time today.  What a blast!  They loved it.  We tried several times to get pictures, but they would not sit still.  I finally got one with Jason's phone when they were eating pizza. 

Nothing like some time at the pool to make me realize that I have a long way to go with liking other people. 

I know you might find this surprising, but I'm not afraid to say something if someone's child is misbehaving.  After about 15 minutes of our arrival to the baby pool, I was having words with the lifeguard about all of the children that flock to the baby pool during break.  The pimply faced teenaged boy attempted to give the children a talking to, but it was weak at best. 

People, why in the world would you let your child go into the baby pool with toddlers during break? Is it because it's easier for you?  Well, guess what?  I have five children and I do not want to parent your kid! 

A few minutes later another unsupervised child tried to come in the fence and I told him he needed to come in with his mommy.  Is that the rule?  Don't know.  However, it should be and until someone tells me differently, that's what I'm telling every child who wants to come splash all over my babies. 

Hand-Me Downs

Mary Catherine has a few church dresses that used to be Kinsey's (and then Kerrigan's and then Jamison's and then Parker's).  I thought I would share the dress new and 9 years later...

Something Strange in Staunton...

Something strange happened on this trip to Staunton... 

Mary Catherine went from being terrified of Uncle Eddie to preferring him above everyone.

 Mary Catherine insisted that Uncle Eddie "hold me" on the tractor ride.

 Taylor, Uncle Eddie & Mary Catherine

 Almost fell asleep on Uncle Eddie...

Whenever Mary Catherine lost sight of Eddie while we were picking she would run up to him and say, "Hand! Hand!" because she wanted to hold his hand.

Most bizarre thing I've ever seen.

Dips

Mary Catherine and Henry love dip.  In our house, 'dip' is anything that you can dip something into like syrup (agave), ketchup, ranch, sour cream, etc...

Of course, I would prefer they don't use any of those because they are messy and sometimes sugary.  However, I give in because they see the other children using them and starting squawking, "Dip! Dip! Dip!" incessantly and poking their trays where they want me to put it until I deliver.

Thankfully we rarely use ketchup and that's the worst of them all.  I've read that ketchup has more sugar than ice cream per teaspoon.  Yikes!

Walk for Life

Walk for Life

Help Me Raise Money for the Unborn.

Click on the link above and donate your Latte money for today.

If you live in the South, then donate your Mt. Dew money.

If you live in the North or Midwest, then donate your Pop money.

If you live in the West then donate your money that you spend on tanning, augmentation, and highlights...

Hee-Hee...

Just a little laugh... I don't really know anyone with that kind of money... that I know of... and if I do, you better donate... BIG TIME!

Coloring & Cute Stuff

Today, I was giving the twins some Triscuits and I wanted them to say please, either verbally or with a sign.  So, Henry was busy whining and not cooperating, and I was attempting to get him to cooperate and all of a sudden Mary Catherine reached over and rubbed his chest with the sign that meant please. 

As if to say, "Good grief!  There he said it!  Just give him the stinkin' cracker!"

I had some other 'twin moments' that I was going to blog, but I've already forgotten them.  Maybe they will resurface, but I doubt it.

I'd like to tell you that this was early this morning and that is why my children are in their pjs, but that would be a lie.

Don't judge me.

Racing Cars...Mary Catherine's Way...

 The twins love this mini race track.

Mary Catherine had two cars and Henry had one car.

Henry didn't seem to mind.

Mary Catherine fixed his car every time he put it on backwards.

She also took the liberty of pushing the release button almost every time because Henry just wasn't quick enough for her.

Just a little glimpse into their world and how it works...

Saturday Snapshots

Jackson reading to Mary Catherine.

It was so sweet to hear him with her.

"Can you say red, Mary Catherine?"

We're ready for the bike ride!

Squinty eyes are showing how sunny it was this morning.

We had to break out the summer shorts for Henry since he doesn't wear dresses.  

Funny thing is that he is wearing a 2T shirt and 6/9 m shorts.  

My boys are built like Fred Flinstone.

Silent Torture...

When Henry is feeling especially obstinate, he will irritate the mess out of Mary Catherine by touching something she is playing with or touching her. He won't say a word. He just stands there and touches her or the toy.

Mary Catherine goes bananas! Screeching and screaming until someone comes to her aid. When we arrive, we find Henry just standing there calmly with his hand on her arm.

It's so funny to me. I know the humor will wear off eventually, but right now it tickles me.

So sweet to her...

Mary Catherine threw her breakfast on the floor so she and I were 'patiently' waiting for her to clean up the pancakes and sausage.

A snapshot of this would be both of us sitting on the floor with her crying saying, "No, yucky. No, yucky." over and over while I am informing her that we aren't getting up until she cleans up her mess.

Along comes Henry... He bends down and cleans up the mess and walks away while giving us his 'bashful' face. If you know him then you know this blinking sideways glance of sweetness that he gives us when he's being bashful or doesn't want anyone to look at him.

He is so good to her.

Twins with some dancing

(click video twice to open it larger in youtube)

Sorry for the poor lighting and the mess in the background. It was an impromptu video. Some things to take note of while you are watching. Henry calls MC "Bubba" b/c she calls him "Bubba", however, he does not want us to call her that. If we ask, "Where's Bubba?" he will not look around at all. He will wait until we say Mary Catherine or Sissy.

I wish they had danced a bit more b/c their moves are hysterical. Jason taught them everything he knows...

The Cuteness Never Ends...

I could seriously write all day long about the twins at this age...the good and the bad.   Since this is their 'baby book', I think I'll do just that...write as often as possible. 

Today, it's been a good day filled with sweet and funny interactions. 

Earlier, we were all in the bathroom and the twins were spinning around and around.  I think Henry started it, but within seconds MC joined in.  They kept falling and laughing.  It was so funny!  I tried to get it on video, but of course, that didn't work.  I did get some funny video that I might try to post, even if it wasn't what I wanted.

Just now upstairs, I was getting ready to change the twins into pjs for bed so the twins were scrambling to play with everything in sight.  Henry grabs two sets of intertwined stethoscopes.  He untangles them and walks across the room and gives Mary Catherine one of them. 

Honestly, it doesn't get any better than that in my opinion.  He is so sweet I could bite him.

Our Favorite Toy...

I love how MC has her knee up and looks so into it.
I love how Henry is watching her work.

One of the twins' favorite toys right now is their small magna doodles.  They love to write on these and love to have us draw pictures on them as well.  Over and over they will bring it to us and attempt to say what they want us to draw.

Mary Catherine was writing on Henry's pad with her pencil.