keeping busy

we are keeping busy, but who isn't? This past weekend was a rarity for me- I was busy every night! Friday I got together with some mom friends from Caed's school for games. Such fun! we actually only played one game, and then didn't finish because we started talking and enjoying ourselves...so nice. Didn't get home until 1am! Then Saturday morning, Jon and the twins let me sleep in until 9am! wow! The twins were in their bed until then! Then we had a fun Saturday evening at friend's of ours home. They have three older kids, and moved to a new house. We had a great time hanging with them- I lived with them when their 2nd kid was a baby and it was the last place I lived as a single woman! Then Sunday I helped a good friend of mine with a wedding she was photographing. Such fun, and HARD work! Yes, it is- all the gear to lug around, and different places to walk and get pictures at, she is a hard worker, and must be in good shape! I am feeling it still today! It was 8+ hours out of the house too, while Jon and auntie April took care of the kids and house. Jon did such a great job and was such a trooper! He had a good day too!

So that left yesterday as a little recuperation day. We took it easy and I did some cooking to catch up on all the food that was near to going bad. I made some meals and some food for the babies. I honestly didn't think I was going to make food for the babies this time around, but it's just too easy not to. Seriously. If we have a veggie or fruit I see we aren't going to get to, I steam it up, puree it in my food processor (with some/all of the liquid from steaming) and pour it into ice cube trays. So simple for me. I sometimes look online at different combinations people use, and then use that to guide my making as well. One company has some good combos, Happy Baby. They use Black Beans and Quinoa which i like adding to my babies food, so good for them! (i haven't added it to the twins yet because they are only 7 mo. old, I'll do it when they get a little older...)

This week we've got an extra Halloween dress up day for class on Thursday. So I really needed to make a decision about Caed's costume. I thought I was going to have him wear his Mr. Incredibles costume that I bought at Target last year, a couple days after Halloween for a steal, but he doesn't want to wear it. He's told me multiple times he wants to be a cowboy. I haven't reminded him he was one last year, so I don't know why he's choosing it again. But I decided to go for it, and today after dropping him off at school I went up to the thrift store and found a pair of cowboy boots. He didn't wear a pair last year, so I thought it might be a nice addition. I was proud of myself for doing it with the babies, and it was raining! We also went by the grocery store and picked a couple of things- another big step for me. I think I've only taken all three once with me, and I've taken the twins alone a couple of times. The more I do it, the easier it gets. I just try to be fast.

Well we've got the H1N1 flu mist to get today (Caed and I) and I'm a bit nervous. Hopefully we don't get sick because of it...

Jan's Photos of the twins

I met with my friend Jan (who took our announcement photos) yesterday at the National Cathedral. She took some gorgeous shots of the twins (6 1/2 mo.). Love them, and I can't tell you how hard the boys were to work with...wouldn't laugh or smile, were wobbly with their sitting, and they were SUPER drooly. And Aldan was super dazed looking- and I still love the photos she got. I'm super impressed. www.janmichele.blogspot.com

camping photo album

So there were a few more pictures that I wanted to post, just a few more then I thought...but that's okay. I wanted to make sure i got the pictures of inside our tent posted...it was quite the set up. The tent seemed to shrink as we started putting the stuff in- i remember jon and andrew harassing their parents for having such a large tent...and now we need it. we also used an air mattress for the first time...man, i love that thing! It makes sleeping so much better, we don't need to 'rough it' anymore- it's not like we're backpacking. gone are the days of all our gear being small and compact.

here's our family, the morning we left...(no showers and after packing up!)



The Jester's:

the whole gang!

Sleeping arrangements- our bed (air mattress, thank you!) see the blue pillow off to the right with the white blankets in the center? That's where Theron slept the second night...first night was mistakenly in our bed.

caed and pack and play. caed rolls off his bed roll and pillow and still somehow stays asleep on the rocks under the tent. Good thing he's three! We put blankets all around the pack and play because it was COLD! And it help minimize distractions. Alden slept like Rado- out!

here's caed (he still hadn't woken up)

investigating under the picnic table

at the tables. The two other families we went with set up the sites the day before we got there. It was smart. We had three sites, two of which were together, and one across the road. So they set up a tent across the road, and all the cooking was done there. Then the two tables were joined together and we ate one of the other sites across the road. It was smart because it kept the kids away from the fire and all the cooking when it was happening. we had 9 nine kids, so keeping them safe was important!

One of our meals, Mac and Cheese (yuM!)

BBQ Chicken (tons of it!)

Here's the cooking site- across where the minivan is, is where we ate, and our site is to the left.

the kids playing with bubbles:

Here are the Sandberg's:

Back in the saddle

I love newborn baby feet!

okay, we've had a lot going on, but not much worthy of blogging or keeping much track of. at the same time, it's these times I want to remember too- so I kick myself for not getting anything up here...

Jon was away in Orlando and we had Amazing Auntie April to save us! She helped me out for a whole week! And really it's such a generous spirit that she did it in because she works at a daycare all day! She's with babies (3mo-1yr) from 8.30 until 5.30 all day- and then she came home and helped me with mine...I was so blessed with her here, I wish there was a reason to have her here all the time. She gave Caed some extra special time over on the field at the rec center (after work!) and then cared for the twins like only an Auntie can. She also helped me work on changing the nighttime routine. I have been really struggling with how we do it, and after a call with my friend Michelle, who has three kids, one of which is 2 mo. older then the twins, none of which are twins, she encouraged me to make the routine more simple. So we did! Now instead of rocking them and patting them and holding Theron's kicking legs down as he drifts to sleep, we've simplified! They get three stories, two songs, a prayer and kissed and laid in bed. There's some fussing, but not more then when we stay, and it doesn't last longer then 10 minutes. It's much easier to manage the routine now. I was so happy April was here to help me make the transition.

Caed has been doing really well- showing more affection to the babies, and laughing/playing with them more. He says the funniest things lately too. Today when we were leaving church we saw our pastor's daughter, who used to be one of the babysitters for our small group. Caed loves her- she's in 7th grade and she is really sweet. So I asked him if he wanted to say hi to her. He handed me the doughnut he was eating, and then asked me to wipe off his face from the frosting off the doughnut, before talking to her! Isn't that the sweetest thing ever? How did he know to want to make himself look presentable? Man. I love those sorts of things with kids. He's doing more and more on his own. And recently, yes, I'll admit it, he's been into trying to play my Nintendo DS. I have Mario Kart, and his cousin Chantz played it in the van on our way to Myrtle Beach. I am thinking he developed the instruction then. But he can actually complete a race. It's hysterical. And he's so proud of himself. I am trying to figure out the appropriate limits for a three year old playing a handheld video game now (!)- luckily we agree on one race, and then move on. Poor caed who can't do other advanced things because his mom is busy nursing/burping/changing two babies all day! I figure we'll make up for lost time once I've weaned them.

We are part of a small group at our church for parents. we meet at the church and enjoy dinner together, and then break off mom's and dad's separately, and the kids get watched by babysitters right there too. It's been a good experience. It's required some skillful planning and flexibility on our family's part since I'm still nursing, and well, since we have two babies. caed just goes with the flow.....I am happy to be doing something like this, because it's some regular care done for the babies by other people, maybe it will cut down on separation anxiety whenever that might come...(i can't imagine it with two- bleh!).

My one other thing is that I still need to make exercise a regular part of my routine. It's just so darn hard without a sitter and without the ability to push three in a jogger or without a gym membership. I had bought a jogger and was using it last summer, and then I found out I was pregnant and stopped my running. I do notice a difference just from taking a walk to the park. I have a double stroller (Phil and Ted) and use that to push the babies- and then Caed walks, but can and does sit on the footbed of the stroller from time to time. It's really nice when he doesn't want to walk up the hill, and so I'm pushing about 70 pounds up. Whew! I try hard to get him to walk as much as possible though...he's only walked the whole trip once or twice when I had our other double and there is no possible place for him to sit in that. On another personal note, I finished my first book since the babies were born! I was thrilled with that. Great book- My Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg Very good read- came out of her blog...www.orangette.blogspot.com- my sister's lead me to it.

the phil and ted in use in Myrtle Beach:

I border on saying how much I look forward to the holidays that run monthly right now. I am REALLY working on enjoying the days. But I am really thrilled to be at this time of year. I like the challenge of keeping it simple, but doing special and memorable things.

I've got the camping photos part deux coming soon!