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!

first day..

I am a little behind in posting his first day photo, but that's because I didn't think to take it until after he was in school, and not the cute photo at the door with his bag- and this photo was after we got home. Caed's enrolled in our little school through our church that we help start last year. He's really enjoying it, just two mornings a week- I can handle that and so can he! It's quite the rush around on those days, but it helps for the week to keep moving. caed's learning how to listen to his teacher, share and be respectful of others....(at least when I'm in the class I've noticed these things) he's really at a fun stage right now remembering things and using his imagination.

On another note, I started food with the babies, and they've eaten peas and carrots so far. I forgot how messy it is feeding babies with a spoon. Tonight I also tried bananas cut up in one of those mesh bag things. They loved that. It's amazing how quickly they pick up things now...I keep expecting them to have the same needs as they did when they were born, but amazingly they don't! they even are entertained a bit by themselves in the exersaucer and jumperoo. I am still having issues with putting them to sleep, and we've fallen into nursing to sleep at night, which I don't like to do. Time to break the habit next week. I want them to learn how to soothe themselves to sleep rather then use me. Oh, and Aldan appeared one Friday morning with two bottom teeth! They are growing up!!

Camping...

Here's a small snippet from the famous camping trip...Little narration to keep it simple. I'll get to more descriptions and the pictures of the inside of our tent and our three campsites next...

We took the kids all for a walk around the lake and most of these pictures are from that...

(most of the kids, minus the twins)

Neighborhood

We live in a great neighborhood. We love our neighbors and they really enjoy watching our family grow. We know everyone who lives on our block and then a lot of others around us. When we moved in we were intentional about introducing ourselves. We also wrote down people's names and where they lived or how we met them- we wanted them to know we knew who they were. We attended the neighborhood meetings. When we considered buying this house we came through the neighborhood during the day and night. We wanted to know what the block was like at all times. We saw nothing and neighbors all have been here for years and love it. There have been the things here and there that remind us that we are in an urban setting (like the full FBI raid on the house across the street!). Our neighborhood is composed of mostly retired African American former government employees. A lot of them served in Vietnam too. I only mention this to give you a sense of the "solid-ness" of the people here...and the picture that they love our little kids in a grandparent sort of way.

Every year there is a community day here, and it's at the rec center that is directly behind our house. We go over every year. And every year we're asked about 3 or 4 times if we are the "couple on the corner" or the couple "up around the hill". We're never asked if we're the couple directly behind the rec center, and we always explain where we live. They are surprised usually. (we've somehow snuck in 5 years ago!) This year we were only asked once. The man kept referring to us as another couple, but i think I finally described who we were accurately when I told him the names of our neighbors- who he knew (everyone has really lived here for forever!). Then he asked like most people do how we like the neighborhood. This year I just started off by saying that we've lived here for 5 years. We like it. It seems like a funny question to still be getting 5 years in. Imagine living someplace for 20 years, it's kind of that feeling...we are the neighborhood...we're not just experiencing it. Anyway, after we came home is when I finally realized that we are seriously asked the same round of questions every year. I wish that at some point it would end. I know they are just trying to be friendly, but rather then assume we are the other white couple then who we are, can't we just get asked where we live, before guessing the two other places those other couples live? I laugh at the situation every time. It's pretty obvious to me what their questions are implying...

We love our neighborhood. One of my prayers for our family and our kids is that we would be examples of generosity, kindness and our faith to our neighbors- no matter who they are.

a side story from the neighborhood party: a boy at the moon bounce asked me for an "air sip" of my soda that I was holding. He wanted me to pour my soda, and he would open his mouth for a sip without touching the can. Umm, no, yuck. I told him he didn't know me and that I wouldn't do that for him, besides my can was empty. yuck, yuck, yuck!

blogging

I blog for lots of different reasons. I don't put any pressure on myself to have new entries on my blog, I just do it as I have thoughts and we have things going on around here. It's fun to sit down and write about the things that I have swirling around my head...

I then found this company that will make your Blog into a bound book. Ever since then I've been trying to blog things that I would find to be good memories and thoughts in a book for our family, in hopes that I will one day actually fork the money over and get my blog made into a book...so most things I don't mind being in this public space. I might have something to say that's useful to someone else- as other's blog's have been useful to me. But I have mostly been writing more recently with this book in mind. (except for my errors..which I'll just have to deal with since I don't have the time to review and rewrite my posts..)

On another note, I finally hit 300 posts with this one...had a little bit of slow go during our remodel and then after the birth of the twins...but looking to keep memories written down, and so I'll continue to blog with regularity.

Our Big Boy

(i know, i know...)

I love the little noise caed makes when he's tired. He clutches his kitty and grits him teeth and makes a kind of humming noise. It's so funny, and he's been making it less and less and when I noticed that today it made me kind of sentimental.I love how he's been understanding more of what frustrates us, and how easily and "I'm sorry" or an "I love you" lighten the situation. especially when I am trying to get out the door and the babies are crying and he's not helping get himself out....he says in his sweet voice "mommy, I'm sorry" Man, I love this kid. He's learning how to be kind and generous and loves to make us laugh. I just want to continue to nurture his relationship with his younger brothers so that as a family we are able to enjoy this precious life that God has given us!

Myrtle Beach

So my sister Heather was interested in getting back down to Myrtle Beach this summer. I was interested in getting to the beach at all, and then getting the kids down to see family. When Heather got the okay from her husband to go for the trip, she asked if I could come along. I was in for the trip too! My 89 year old nana lives there, and I desperately wanted to visit with my kids!

I was not underestimating the difficulty of the travel and trip as a whole. I luckily would be travelling with my sister who has two kids of her own and so flexible...and Jon had a work trip to Charleston that was coinciding with my week down in Myrtle Beach. So we were going to meet up and have a couple of days together as a family- then Jon would get to fly back home, and Heather and I would drive back. (lucky dog we had no room in the car!)

The trip down was great. We stopped when we had to, but it was all well timed- we were two moms, Heather's two kids and their German Shepherd, and my three kids. We were quite the caravan.

I ended up getting sick the beginning of the trip. Fever and just sick (i was scared it was going to be the flu). i did get some time on the beach, at my sister's pool and time with family....! It was difficult to haul around two babies, all their gear all the time, and Caed and his needs but there would have been no other way to do the trip. Jon and I had to change our plans for meeting up with him since I wasn't feeling well, but it worked out.

Caed was initially scared of the water, but I got in with him and whisked him around and he came to love it. Then he loved being swung around on the boogie board...he fell off and tumbled in the water a few times and still got up and asked for more! We brought the babies down to the beach one time (a lot of work!) and they chilled out in my sister's yellow sun shelter thing and we brought them to the pool too. The didn't sleep through the night the first night, but they did subsequent nights- and that's all a girl can ask for with the crazy schedule we kept.

Every member of my family helped me out! We had a great time overall....and i still can't believe we did it...so proud of us! We miss the beach...

At the beach, my feet in the sand of the ocean for the first time this year:

Loving boats at the water's edge:

Showing Caed it's fun!:

Playing in the waves:

Really having fun with the boogie board!:

Looking through the screen of the shelter at the twins:

MorMor (swedish for grandmother) 5 great grands and Nana (my mom):

MorMor with the 5 great grands (sorry I chose the wonky photo with my nana making a funny face):

Olivia and Caed dancing to the music at an area called Market Common, a new favorite place in Myrtle Beach:

Jon with the twins:

wow!

we survived an 8 hour car trip to Myrtle Beach and a camping trip over Labor Day weekend. Fun stories and pics coming...first to unpack and wash the smoky smelling gear.