Happy Easter!

Just like everything else in our life - Easter was a little crazy - at least for me.  Getting the kids up and getting them fed then letting them loose to see their Easter baskets and on the the egg hunt in the back yard.  Plus for me I have to make Easter dinner.  Usually I don't make a huge fuss, but I wanted to do something a little special this year.  The thing is on Sunday's is when I cook for the whole week, so I had 3 main dishes to prepare plus the sides for Easter dinner.  I was in the kitchen most of the day.

I tried to dye the real eggs the day before with the kids.  I couldn't seem to get it together though.  I started off with 18 eggs so each kid would have 6 eggs each.  I cracked 3 and then lost one completely during the cooking process.  I was ok with that that just meant that each kid now had 5 and Dad and I would get the cracked ones.  I let each kid get their own turn dying their own eggs.  The Girlchick was up first, then each boy got a turn.  Thing 1 did great and was really listening when I told him not to touch while the eggs were drying and was able to show me the colors he wanted to dye his eggs.  The only issue with his eggs - Mommy can't spell his name!  BAD MOMMY!  The only thing I can blame it on is having too many things going on at once and not slowing down to enjoy the moment.  Yet again.

Thing 2 couldn't stand it and HAD to touch all of the eggs.  Of course while they were drying he grabbed the rack and sent some to the ground.  But at least they were his own and not anyone else's. 

So they were all supposed to get 6 eggs, they ended up each getting 4.  Considering everything I'm happy with that number.

The night before Nathan and I were getting the plastic eggs filled for the hunt and the baskets filled with all the goodies.  The Girlchick decides to get up out of bed and she totally busted us!  We had eggs and baskets all over the living room floor when she came out.  I was so mad!  I usually wait until I check on them and verify that they are asleep to start doing stuff like that.  But I was in a hurry to get all the prep work started for all the cooking the next day.  It's my own fault - I know better!

Then during the egg hunt - Thing 1 found an egg in the downspout from the gutters and Nathan made the comment that he didn't think that one of the boys was going to find that one - that he thought that The Girlchick would.  Of course she heard this and then looked over at him and asks - Daddy did you hide the eggs?  BUSTED AGAIN!  See the video below.

Thing 1 is still pretty little and even though they are almost 2 I still have to put them in 12-18 month size shorts.  As you can see in the above video the issues he is having with his pants.  His little hiney and chicken legs just aren't enough to hold them up.  He had to keep stopping to pull up his pants.

Overall it was a good fun day.  Just a little crazy as usual.

We bought a cow!

Well part of a cow.  The Houston Rodeo ends with the steer auction and we decided last year to participate.  We did so again this year too.  It's pretty fun, they have a breakfast where there is a lot of free booze (supposedly to loosen up the wallets), and then you go down to the auction.  The first one up for auction is the grand champions and then reserve champion.  Then it goes down in order.  There usually is a bidding war over the first few and then they get to more reasonable price ranges.  We ended up with lot 138 this year and it was late afternoon by the time they get down to the one that were purchased.  You end up getting 4 boxes of meat and the hide.  In each box there is a lot of meat - ground beef and all sorts and sizes of steak.  We split the boxes between the 3 of us that purchase the cow and then decide who gets the hide.  This year it is me.  Not sure what we are going to do with it yet, I was thinking of putting it in the boys room as an area rug.  We'll see though.  

He's a pretty cow, black angus and his name was Snoopy.  Not sure how I feel about that.  The grand champion was Champy (short for Champion) and the reserve champion was Gene Simmons.  When they asked the 14 year old trying to wrangle him around on stage where he came up with that name - he said "because he has the longest tongue I have ever seen!"  I thought that was hilarious!  Plus he liked to pull people around and escape which he had done the night before during judging.  Champy and Gene Simmons are not bad names, not personal or cute, but naming the black cow Snoopy implies that it has a personality and makes me a little squeamish knowing it was off to the slaughter house.  I know!  I'm a city girl!

You get to have your picture taken with the cow and the student that raised it, you get to talk to their family and see what they are all about.  All the money goes to the student for college scholarship money.  It's a really great cause.  Plus it is a lot of fun to watch the crazy bidding.  Last year the champion went for over $400K and this year it was $350K.   

We took The Girlchick, but we left the boys with GaGa.  It would have been way too long for them, plus they would have missed their naps and them missing their naps isn't easy on anyone. 

  

Happy Birthday Uncle Bubby!

Since it is Uncle Bubby's birthday that meant that it was time to head to Grammy's house for birthday dinner.  Traditional dinner is always her homemade fried chicken.  It's the best!

From left to right - Thing 2, Uncle Bubby, The Girlchick, Thing 1 and way in the back corner trying to hide - Grammy!

Mean Boys

The boys can be so mean to each other.  I have commented before that they will beat each other up, tackle each other, pull the other one down to the ground, sit on each other (or lay on each other so the other one can't get up), hit each other, bite each other.  It can get bad when they are in a mood like when they had surgery.  I joke that it's like lord of the flies - only the strong conquer.  But it can get bad.  Thing 1 kept knocking Thing 2 off of his scooter the other night, at first it was all in good fun they were playing, but then he took it too far and just knocked him down on the tile floor and all you hear is this big THUNK when his head hits.  Good thing he has a tick skull because by the sound alone I was expecting blood. 

The daycare actually commented on it the other day.  Their teacher was helping put them in the car and she commented that they usually had to try and separate them and that day Thing 2 had kicked Thing 1 in the head and left a mark right above his eye.  She said that they usually have to put one of them in the swing on the play ground so that the other one can go play without being messed with, then they swap them out. 

I think I need to look into this more, I originally thought that it was a twin thing, or normal boy thing.  But I know for a fact that their teacher has had twins in her class before and they were boys too.  For her to comment on it makes me wonder if this isn't a normal Twin or boy thing.  It seems to be escalating and it's really not something I want them to continue into the future especially as they get bigger and can do more damage to each other.

I found this article: Mean babies, so maybe there is something semi normal about it.

Update on Thing 2's immune tests

We got the same answer as we did for Thing 1, except for that Thing 2's white count was pretty high, but they attributed that to the current bout of bronchitis that he has. 

Course of action is the same too.  Just wait and see what happens. 

I really just want to beat my head against a wall right now.  Not even sure what to do or where to turn to next.

I did ask them about food allergies, but they can't test for certain items in processed foods.  They can test for chicken, but not what else might be in the chicken nuggets.  I was trying to think about what they could be exposed to at the school that they are not exposed to at home.  A big thing is the food.  A lot of which is the processed kids food that most kids get at school.  And I asked about that but there isn't a way to test for it.

Time to put the thinking cap back on.

Twin Speak

I've seen videos and shows and all sorts of stuff that shows you that twins often have their own laguage and communication ways.  I have been seeing it more and more with the boys. 

At the dinner table the other night it was just them and me.  Thing 2 was trying to get Thing 1's attention and he kept saying this word that wasn't a word, but a noise.  Finally Thing 1 looked at him and he started "talking" to him.  It was pretty odd, but they had this whole conversation and then started to laugh.  I really wish I had my phone handy so that I could get a video.

But the weird thing is that they also talk to each other where I understand them.  Like they will call for each other by name and ask where the other one is.  They will tell each other to go sit in time out, so they talk to each other normally, but they still use the "twin speak" too.  It's very interesting.

The daycare has commented that they will call each other by name in class more which helps them keep track of who is who.

You go first, no you go first, no sissy goes first

It's really funny that the boys have started to understand more of what we are asking.  Every time we take bathes they all get into the tub and I let them play for a little bit.  Then I ask "alright who's first?".  For the first time Thing 2 pointed at Thing 1 and said "buba first".  It was hilarious, then when you ask them at diaper change time "who's first" they  will point at each other.  If you are getting them out of their cribs and ask "who's first" they will raise their hand and say their name or "it's me". 

I asked Thing 1 this morning if he had poo poo in his diaper, he usually will say no.  Thing 2 will actually tell you about 50% of the time if he does, but this morning Thing 1 shook his head no and pointed at his brother.  It was very obvious where the smell was coming from and it wasn't Thing 2.  I told him that it wasn't his brother that I just checked him and he pointed to his baby rhino, and I just had to laugh.

Now when they are in the tub they have started to point to The Girlchick and say "sissy fust".  They are understanding more concepts and questions.  It's pretty cool to see.

Making pancakes

After the rodeo on Saturday the boys got to go to "GaGa's" house to spend the night.  Which was one of the reasons that I got to take the Girlchick to the rodeo that night.  She wanted to make a special breakfast on Sunday morning and make pancakes.  At first she wanted just plain pancakes, but then she decided that she also wanted to make blueberry and pecan ones, so 3 different kinds.  She was so funny, she always has to wear an apron - which is actually good since she is kinda messy when we make pancakes.  But as you can see in the pictures she is full on multitasking.  Talking on the phone to grandma asking if she gave the boys pancakes for breakfast and telling her about he 3 different kinds we are making, eating a pecan and making pancakes.  Good to know she can multitask at such a young age.  Bodes well for the future. 

Off to GaGa's house - they were holding hands which Thing 2 really likes to do a lot.

The Black's do the Rodeo

It was a good time had by all!  But man we were tired!  The weather held out for the most part and we headed to the Rodeo.

The boys got to have their first funnel cake, carnival ride and live pony action (well at least Thing 1 did, Thing 2 wasn't interested after the pony moved).  The Girlchick got to do her usual carnival rides see the animals and I took her back later in the evening so she could see her first concert and get the Rodeo experience at night with all the lights.  She had so much fun!  What I didn't realize was how early the concert started so we only got to see about the last three songs, but the one song that she really likes and listens to was the last song that they played and she was super excited! 

The first order of business was to see about a horse named Cagney.  The Girlchick really likes to do the pony rides.  The first time was on Cagney, but Cagney wasn't there last year.  This year she was there and The Girlchick asked to ride her.  The boys were too little to ride and were very upset that they did not get to go with sister.  But there was a booth right next door that you could sit on a live pony and take pictures.  We took them to sit on it and Thing 1 loved it, which surprised me.  He is usually a little more reserved and cautious around animals.  Thing 2 loves him some animals and he sat on the pony until it shifted it's weight then started to cry and wanted off and wouldn't get back on.  So we only have the one picture of one boy on the pony. 

Here she is getting all saddled up and ready to ride, you can hear the boys crying that they don't get to go.  It was Thing 2 that put up the biggest fuss too.

While we waited in line the kids enjoyed some milk from the Borden booth and even went to see  Beauregard and Elsie.  After the ponies we went to see the birthing center and all of the babies.  The baby piggies and chicks were a big hit, the fancy chickens and roosters not so much.

Then it was off to the carnival.  Usually we do the really big slide and Nathan goes down with her, but this year they had a slightly smaller version in the kids area and she did it all by herself.

Then we had to try and find something for the boys to do which wasn't easy.  They were too small for most of the rides, but we did end up finding the bikes that they could ride and they were SO happy that they could ride a ride and be like big sister.





Then it was time for lunch and funnel cake!  This was the first time that the boys have had funnel cake. 



Thing 2 eyeing the funnel cake trying to make a grab and run



Thing 2 being hand fed his funnel cake - daddy was sick of the powdered sugar blowing everywhere (it was really windy)

Now it was time to head home for the boys nap.  The Girlchick and I came back later for the concert and the night time rodeo experience.  She even happily wore the ear plugs once she heard how loud it was.



Let's Rodeo!

It's that time in Houston, it's rodeo time!  Everyone goes to the rodeo, all walks of life, all ages, people who like country and people who don't.  They have all sorts of acts playing.  This year it was Pitbull, Bruno Mars, Mary J. Blige, Demi Levato, Styx, and a whole bunch of country artists.  Last year we saw Miranda Lambert and this year we went to see Dierks Bentley.  It's a lot of fun, everyone gets duded up in their best boots, hats and buckles and others get dressed in their hoochie mama best.  It's a great place to people watch.  There is a carnival, you can go see lots of animals, and they have a kids area that is a lot of fun for kiddies.  We try to go see at least one show and then take the kids during the day to the carnival.  We are going to see if the weather holds out and we can take them to the carnival this weekend.

Here they are in their rodeo shirts.

Thing 2 has his sassy baby cow shirt, The Girlchick has her Sassy cowgirl shirt and Thing 1 has his WILD horse shirt.

Here we are going to get AMAZING BBQ at Gatlin's then heading off to see Dierks Bentley.  You should see my sassy black python cowboy boots that I got for christmas - pretty cool!

Thing 2's immune testing

Thing 2 went today to have his immune tests done.  He was a lot harder to handle than Thing 1. But the nurse that was holding him left marks on his arm.  She was having to hold him so tight and hard that the blood flow started to slow down and they were having a hard time getting all that they needed.  They got what they could and it wasn't the full amount that they took for Thing 1, but they said that they didn't want to have to stick him again and would make what they have work.  I was very relieved.  I really didn't want to have to stick him again and start over.

He was still mad when we got to the car and wouldn't let me put him down.  Even when I told him that we were going to go get ice cream, he just needed to be held.  We waited for a few minutes and then he was ready to go.  

Showing his boo boo and he is still mad

We went for ice cream when we were done.  Instead of 31 flavors we went to DQ.  I stuck with plain vanilla to see if he would eat it, and got the plain cone just in case.  He ate it all right with a gusto!

Deep Breath, take it easy, remember to enjoy the momment

I have several other blogs that I follow and enjoy.  One of them has been on my mind a lot and has really shaken me up.  Her 14 month old son died of SIDS (actually in older children they call it SUCD).  This has always been one of my greatest fears about having children.  SIDS and SUCD are things you can't protect against or prepare for, it just happens with no reason or explanation.  I'm a planner and organizer (not always but at least for the most part), and this is something that was completely and totally out of my control.  Hence it being one of my greatest fears.  I was also under the assumption (and you know what happens when you assume...) that the threat was gone at 12 months.  Apparently I was wrong and there have been children that have died at 3 years of age.  The odds do decrease, but still, it worries me.

I also recently read 2 articles about 2 other children, one about a child who was only 9 months old and wasn't expected to live much longer since she has a condition that makes her body regress.  The other article is about a little boy that was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs and only lived to see his 3rd birthday. 

All of these stories have a very common theme.  Don't worry about the small stuff like cleaning your house, doing your laundry, doing the dishes, it's ok to let it pile up.  Try to remember to take a deep breath when you are feeling frustrated with your kids.  Don't be distracted when you are supposed to be spending time with your kids, put down the smartphone and engage your child, cherish your child, nothing is forever.  This hits me hard and is a big wake up call.

Nothing is forever.  There is only now, the moment, the love you bear, the knowledge that loving is about letting go and not sweating the small stuff. 

All of us are mortal; all of us will die, but we don’t like to think about it. Instead we focus on our achievements, and often those of our children. What will they do? Who will they become? How can I provide for them the best possible future? Of course this is part of the task of parenting; to usher a child into the world and prepare them to prosper within it.

Will we be fearless in our pursuit to live a life we consider big and beautiful, no matter what other people might think of our choices and no matter what difficult changes we might have to make? How does this knowledge affect the way we parent? Not knowing what tomorrow will bring, would we be so concerned with our children’s “progress” and perhaps more interested in activities that simply make them happy?  It makes you remember that a child is a person, not a project. Ease up. Chaos will find all of us eventually (in my house it is an everyday almost hourly occurrence), but in the moment, how can you be fully present? How can you love your child purely and simply, with no agenda, without a goal, without a net?  It's easy to forget how to do these things and that these things are important. 

Remember to just breathe, take it easy not only on yourself but your kids too.  No one is perfect - nor should you be.  Enjoy the momment and cherish it for what it is.  Nothing is forever.  Hopefully you have your whole lifetime with your kids and will never have such a tradgedy and heartache like the ones above that got me started on this whole string of thoughts in the first place. I always seem to  need a reminder to just breathe and take it easy. 

Update on Thing 1's immune testing

Thing 1's tests came back normal.  So now what?  According to the Dr. we wait and see.  I'm not exactly happy with that answer, but not sure where else to go or what else to do at this point.  Are they better?  They were for about 1 week and now it seems we are back to them being yuckie all the time with rivers of snot and nasty coughs. 

I was hoping for some kind of answer, anything other than he is fine.  He is not fine, it is not normal, this is not "normal" daycare sickness that they just have to build up their systems to.  I've seen what that looks like with our daughter.  This is not that.  It's not normal for them to only be off an antibiotic for 3-4 days before having to go back on one for the exact same symptoms that never go away. 

Could it be worse - absolutely!  But does that change the fact that my kids are constantly on meds?  No.  Is it good for them to be on this many meds - no it's not which is why I have big issues with this.  But this is not "normal", I'm not crazy and I'm not some uber worried parent who just needs to relax.  I swear I might physically hurt the next person that tells me that!

 

Children's museum

The Girlchick got to have a fun filled weekend with GaGa all to herself at GaGa's house!  She was so excited!  They went to the Children's Museum and Sid the Science Kid was there!  She was so excited to get there early and be one of the first there so that she could be one of the cashiers at the grocery store and then she was kinda excited to meet Sid the Science Kid.  When they go they spend all day there and are so busy that they are both completely worn out when they get home.  She sent us a text at 6:30 pm that she was making a banana split and going to bed.

Singing Boys

Our nightly routine to put the boys to bed is we start to get ready, brushing teeth, jammies, and then we do a little "rocky bye" (which is what The Girlchick used to call it and it just stuck).  I love to rock them at night.  I get tons of snuggles, and I feel like I can spend a few quality minutes reconnecting with my boys.  Since I started my new job back in June I don't get to see them as much during the day since I leave in the mornings before anyone gets up.  I used to get them dressed and drop them off in the mornings, and I really miss seeing them first thing when they are all happy when they first wake up. 

So I rock them, I don't rock them to sleep and this is purely for me for my enjoyment.  I first rock Thing 2, then Thing 1.  Thing 2 has to go first since he will actually lay down and be quiet after I rock him.  I will hold Thing 1's hand while I rock Thing 2.  Thing 1 has to go last since he will freak out and scream if I try to rock him first and then put him down and don't leave the room.  As long as I leave as soon as I put him down he is fine, but if not then he screams and it takes him forever to settle back down.  I started to sing to them to help calm them down.  They have recently started to sing with me and ask for song requests.  Thing 2 always asks for Old McDonald but he calls it E I O, and Thing 1 usually asks for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or ABC's or as he says Sar and C's.

Here they are singing with me.  

Thing 2 and his Old McDonalds

Thing 1 and his Twinkle and ABC's