The Boys!

Ever feel this way? Around 8:30 am this starts or around 4:45 (exactly) this starts! I know all you moms can relate to this one!

Words You Don't Want To Hear With Twins

Today we had our traditional Monday 'PJ' day after a very active weekend. We just lounged around the house and spent time today reading, eating and playing.  I don't know what got into me but I decided to let the boys play with shaving cream. After they covered with themselves with it, I went to turn on the bath. Within seconds of leaving the room I hear..."GO" then laughter. Literally, one minute! I walked into a kitchen of shaving cream on the counters, floor, cabinets, rugs. So, naturally I had to join in the fun.  Then later in the morning I heard them saying " LET'S BOX"! I don't even know where they got that from but I walked into the living room and they were literally BOXING!!! They were laughing but 'boy oh boy' were they wrestling and hitting their stomachs, faces..etc.  I almost had a heart attack. Something you never want to hear from your twin boys that are only 4!!!

This is what it ended up in...a war of shaving cream, so naturally I had to join in!! Ken's mom came over and said.."Is that shaving cream on your curtains"????  Yep!!

Four Year Old Twins!

Hope you are having one of these fun-filled confident days! Ready to take the world on. I know this house is rocking with action.

Lou - Lou

As almost every blog starts off, I should be working since boys are sleeping and I am backlogged with resumes. Sick again~ go  figure. It seems when I get sick, I get overwhelmed with it all and so emotional.

Well, today it has been especially hard because I realized that in approximately 2 1/2 weeks one of my biggest, strongest, most influential people in my life is leaving and I am so heart broken.  Lou, who has helped with the boys for years, who has been my neighbor, who the  boys think is their grandma is moving to CA.  It is like a pit formed in my stomach and is stuck.  She has taught me so many things about faith, love and respecting others. I truly feel the boys are 1/2 as smart as they are because of the tools she gave me in teaching them.  As a former Kindergarten teacher who is so nurturing, she just loved trying to give me tools and songs to teach the boys that I still use today.

She has been my rock in all areas of my life when I felt things were getting to hard to do, when I doubted myself, she just listened unconditionally with no judgement and would pray with me. She prayed over the boys when they were the sickest with RSV and she always blesses them each time she sees them with her quiet prayers.  It's funny, because I know she wouldn't want me to panic that she is leaving, she would want me to rely on my faith but I have that panic feeling. Your probably thinking what is this...right? 

Well, she has helped me get some of the darkest moments that have occurred over the past few years whether it was about my family or just on days I didn't want to get out of bed. She was there. She would come over and just help me breath.   She used to watch the boys 10 hours a week for about a year and half, then she was offered a wonderful job with my friend to nanny for them 4 days, so I was still able to have her come over on Fridays. I looked forward to seeing her with that smile and huge hug. Then when school started it was whenever she could or when I needed her the most. Or she would just do it because she missed us. If she sensed I was stressed, I was so blessed because she just had those words or would just say..."Let me meet you at the doctors to help you with the boys at their appt". 

Probably, the biggest thing she did which I will forever be grateful is she taught my boys that Jesus lives in their hearts. She taught me "how" - meaning the words to teach young kids.

It is like having a security blanket in your life in a simple way of explaining it. Does that make sense? For all of you who are super close to someone, you get it. You get the pain it is to see them leave.  It is so painful to know the boys will not be able to see her and they will ask "Where is Lou-Lou."  Now if they ask, I just call her up and say when are we doing something.

I just have so many words to express to you Lou! I don't know where to start. You have been my mentor, my friend, my sister, one of the boys grandma, you have helped Ken and I face some scary things and I will never ever let the boys forget you!!! You helped hold these crying babies for that entire week when they had RSV, hours after hours and you refused to leave my side until someone else was here to help them. When Ken was gone that weekend and Christian was so sick, you just came over without me having to ask and rocked Christian and soothed him after he was crying for hours and I didn't know what to do.  You have given so much of yourself to our family for only one reason, you love us. You love us unconditionally.

I hope you too know just how much all four of us love you. Tears stream down my cheek as I write this because it hurts your leaving. I am going to miss you so so much. You have helped keep me grounded when I didn't know I could be, giving me the confidence to be such a strong, confident mother that I am. You've helped me become confident in my choices with the boys and confident in the way I am raising them and I love you so much for that. The only words I want to REALLY say is "Please don't go"!!  So...for now, for this moment in my life, I am sad but I am also counting my blessings that God did put you in my life for a reason and you will always be in my life.

Homemade Parties

As Ken and I were finalizing the decorations for the party (I was cutting and pasting Superman Logos to the dangle things for the ceiling), I was feeling all proud of what we accomplished and he said, "Wow this looks like a homemade party". As you can imagine my eyebrows raised and I yelped...."WHAT"?    "What does that mean, is that bad, is it cheesy".  Quickly, he came back with a nice comeback and said, "No, I don't mean it bad, I just mean homemade, lots of love has gone into this".  Oh.....

I would have to say that it was and it was wonderful. This year was probably the best birthday for all of us. It was special because it was a group family effort to decorate the party to surprise the boys and it was so worth it to see their joy..and all the kids. My mom flew here to surprise me last week for my 40th birthday and she was so sweet to help me make 30 capes as gift favors for the kids. She cut most of them and sewed, I cut and glued and Ken cut all the hard pieces like the "S" and diamonds.  They were a hit and it was so sweet to see them flying around the party with their capes. Side note...I ruined our kitchen table because of the glue...yikes..not so happy about that one.

Ken's mom made the most adorable, beautiful cakes for the boys. Each year she has always made the most special cakes, their very own cakes, as well as one sheet cake for the guests. This year the boys requested a "Batman Lego and Superman Lego" so she did it! GORGEOUS and so creative. Everyone kept asking "Where did you buy these, they are delicious"....I felt so proud to say Ken's mom did them. We had a hard time keeping all the kids away from it prior because they wanted to touch it and play with it which was hysterical in itself. We had a guard on duty most of the party..lol!! 

Then Christian and Nicolas helped me color and cut the little capes / masks for the lolly pops which was cool, although a pain in the ass to tape to each one.

 Grandpa Ken brought bubbles and cookies for all the kids which made all the kiddos happy! 

I have to say, I love having parties for the boys. I think because I get so sentimental and I remember what we went through before we received these boys from God, the most precious gift God can give parents and the fact God trusted me with 2 of them at once...well you better believe we are going to celebrate them! EVERY YEAR! Even if it is a homemade party. Whether at a pool, backyard or our crowded house, we are going to celebrate their life and love with all the people who have been part of their life, who love them, who have helped us as parents and all their new friends that they are making.  I was sharing with my girlfriend Vanessa, I am just so glad that they are 4 and they will remember it because this is a memory I want them to cherish forever. 

All-in-All this party will go down in the books as one of the best ones yet, one of the most special "homemade" parties!!! 

So excited about the cake..Christian in the background making sure no one touches!

My Mom Hard At Work!

Can't wait to play with these yummy legos!!

Happy 4th Birthday Boys!

I can remember it like it was yesterday, when my precious little men came into our lives. This year it has hit me REALLY hard at how fast they are growing up and how fast time is flying by. I want to document everything from this year but I don't even know where to begin except to say: You little guys have brought me more joy this year then ever before, than ever imaginable. You filled a partial void that was in my heart to make it full and have made me such a better person through and through. My wish for both of you is that you continue through this life with happiness that you have now with the inner courage to get through any of life's challenges and a life of peace with god in the center of your heart. You are such SWEET boys and I know as you journey through this year we are going to have so much fun and do so many exciting things because every year gets better and better. This was "The best birthday, birthday party EVER" as one of your buddies shouted to everyone yesterday at the pool and I have to agree. I love you so much unconditionally and HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLAS AND CHRISTIAN!!

We did it!!! 4 Years old!! Your so big now boys!!!

Orlando

I meant to blog this vacation 2 months ago but I have no idea where time has gone. Since this vacation in Orlando, my sister came into town last week for Easter with her 4 boys. Talk about CRAZY TOWN of 6 boys in one location but we already miss them like crazy and hate they live so far away . Right now at this age, it is definitely getting easier to take them on trips by myself which I am really enjoying and look forward to doing it throughout the summer visiting my Aunt in Orlando. I am getting to love Orlando because of the the whole getting away, small vacation thing going on. So, I thought I would put some photos up of our vacation from Feb in Orlando with one of my oldest friends friends that I have known since 5th grade. We were there solo with our kids and spent a week with her sweet little kiddos- full of good times and lots of laughs. You would think being with 4 kids at once was insane but ironically somehow it was not and was blissful. Yes, did I really say Blissful??

I think the funniest part of the whole trip was the fact we kept looking at each other saying " Are we seriously moms" thinking of all the crazy, irresponsible shit we have done during our youth AND not so youth. It was nice because we didn't have to leave the resort (meaning no loading and unloading the kids, scrambling to get out the door). Lots of swimming, mini golf and chill time. We will all have one forever memory of the trip- my child had the BIGGEST MELTDOWN EVER! "King of Kings" here. I am talking leaving you with shaky hands ! I think I could write a whole blog on that one! Let me tell you, as your kids get older, the MELTDOWNS get bigger! One of the fabulous little "tricky" things I did outside of the MELTDOWN was tell all the kids that to go in the "lazy river" we have to be QUIET and just float. Yep, they all listened to this, o we SPENT a lot of quiet time floating in the lazy river. It was hysterical to see them floating. Since I can not figure out how to blog anymore with tags above the photo's here are a few things we did:

Pet a alligator

Went to Dinosaur World on our way home (LAME) to break up the trip

Lots of Mini Golf (with 3/4 year olds you can get through a game in 10 minutes because they all bang it out at once)

Crafts

Walks (boys thinking the sprouts of water in lakes a whale or trying to determine).

Lazy River- most important because RELAXING.

Here is a photo of Bradyn and Christian with a gator