Born In January &/or February '05

[nvtwins]

Donna - glad to hear that things are just busy. I thought about calling you today to check in and make sure you were ok, but the day got away from me too!

Catarina - glad that Noah's on the mend, and YAY for good news from the speech therapist! That's always welcome! Did she have any ideas about Noah and his socialization issues? Let us know what you find out.

Stacy - got the announcement... SOOOOOO cute! Dean says, "baby sleeping.. look! Baby naked!" and points to the pic of sweet Brady in the corner! So cute!

So this afternoon was a busy one. DH got the moving van and we loaded up all the crap that we didn't want and took it to the dump. The wind is howling again, so it was a miserable trip, but whadda do? The boys had a good day at daycare, and dinner wasn't too bad. BUT.... the wind was howling, so Dean had a tough go. We ended up snuggling in the rocker, then I put him to bed and laid down on the floor next to him... and woke up an hour later! That being said, I'm going to go to bed now. I've got pilates at 7am, then the gym with the boys.

They're saying that the wind should die down around 2am tonight, :fingerscrossed: because I am SICK and TIRED of this! Arrrgh!

Sweet dreams,
Kate

[tgauts]

Kate- holy cow, we've had some gusty days here too but nothing like you and Laura at all... HOpe you didn't sustain any damage. Sorry that Dean is still having sleep issues. Catarina's right, he may just be going through a transition or something. Sounds like you've been super busy these past few days. You'll really need some quiet time next week huh?

Donna- glad things are going okay and that you're just busy. The knife skills party sounds like a lot of fun.

Catarina- glad that you're heading off to a fun weekend and that the virus finally seems to have run its course. Hey, getting a second opinion is never a bad idea. I'm curious to see what the therapist says. Z sounds like he's pretty busy too!

Laura- ooh, I'm glad you all didn't have any damage during that storm. Scary.

Tessa- enjoy your mom's visit!

Jen- congrats to your Sox! The landscaping looks absolutely amazing!!!!! You were right to ask to see his plans, you're the one paying the bill at the end of the day.

Kristin- good luck on the showing!

Well, after this weekend, the crazy busy schedule should calm down. My FWT is taking the girls this afternoon so I can help Mike and a bunch of my family in the new pharmacy clean and paint. We're leaving for swimming in a little while and then we're off.

We went to an open house for some friends of ours last night and had a great time. One really weird time though. Ya'll know the story of my high school girlfriend who went off on me this past spring. Well, she had her second baby last week and I haven't seen the baby yet due to my viral infection (duh, don't want to get a newborn sick) and Mike's work and my course, work and volunteer stuff. I did call her the day she got home to make sure everything was going ok. When she got to the party last night I was in a conversation with a few women I haven't seen in a long time. Both have twins also (a set of 15 year olds and the other has 5 year olds). At one point Cindy (that's her), sits near us but not too close to me and I ask her a few questions about the baby and how her oldest is doing. Anyway, you could tell she's pi**ed at me. I don't know, I feel like I can't keep up to her expectations or something. It shouldn't have to be this hard to maintain a friendship. Things are really different now and there's not a lot I can do to make things go back to the way they were. We've both changed but she's holding onto the past big time. I don't know what to do!

Thanks for letting me vent. Gotta go, Taryn needs her butt wiped! Sorry, TMI!

[mrsljb]

Jen...Looks like things are really coming together. I think the landscaping looks great! We so need to do ours, but haven't been able to agree on anything, and I want to work on the house first, then the landscaping.

Catarina...Have a great time in Pennsylvania! Sounds like alot of fun! Glad that Noah is better!

Stacy...Thanks so much for the announcement! So Cute...I showed it to the boys and Kevin said 'handsome baby', while Kyle was the one that noticed the 'nakey baby'. Hope things are going well with you!

Kate...Hope that you got a better night's sleep than the night before. Here I was complaining the other day about Kevin getting up alot the past few weeks, but he slept through the storms...go figure!

Tracy...I hope that we will get to see pics after all of DH's hard work! I wouldn't worry about Cindy. I don't know what the whole story is, but you're right...it shouldn't be that hard to maintain a relationship with someone, let alone someone that can't seem to let go of things. My BFF Nadine and I have been friends for 30 years and I can talk to her everyday, or go weeks without talking to her and things have never been better.

I was so tired yesterday that I made sure the boys took a nap so that I could take one! I didn't sleep Thursday night at all because of having no power. I was asleep, but constantly aware of what was going on, so it wasn't a good sleep. I knew when the power came back on, which was somewhere between 4 and 5 am, so I reset my clock and alarm and when I finally got to sleep, the alarms started to go off

The boys had a nice time at school yesterday. They talked about Jack and Jill and came home with a little craft that they did of Jack and Jill on the hill...they are finally figuring out that they have to wait on the carpet for me before being able to get their things. Before, if they got up and ran to me, they would have to go back and sit down on the carpet. Now, they see me walk in, stand up and say 'mama', but they don't leave the carpet. Next Friday is their Halloween party and parade so DH took the day off from work.

Last night we went to the inlaws to return the lantern and battery operated clock that they let us borrow, and to pick up the milk that I put in her fridge...Amanda talked MIL to come to see her ride this morning. So, bright and early this morning, Grandma and Papa were waiting at the stables for us. She rode a new horse today that just came off of maternity leave Her name was Petunia. So she was a little stubborn since she really had not been used in awhile. Horses are PG for 11 months...better them than me! Then she gave them a tour of the stables, and she got to groom one of the horses and we signed up for the Halloween party. She was able to pick out which horse she wanted, but Cruella was already taken, so she picked Benji. We also talked to the owner about share boarding because they do it too and will have a list next month of available horses. So I told A that we would think about that since these horses are owned by the farm...which I would feel better about. Now, she's out with Margaret and will be gone most of the day.

Well, I'm going to try to get the boys to take a nap. They are watching Thomas very nicely right now, but look tired. Then I have to clean up since I didn't get anything done the last two days!

Hope you are all having a good weekend!

[fitz]

Laura ~ For heaven's sake, don't spend too much time cleaning... you'll make the rest of us look bad!! Sounds like a good thing to consider share-boarding as a start for Amanda. It's cute that the boys are obeying so well at school. Hope the rest of your day stays nice and calm, no more storms...

Tracy ~ I agree, friendships shouldn't be that hard. I've got to say that for more than a few years, now, I've considered my best friend to be not the person I've known the longest (37 years), but someone I met when I was twenty-six and living in New York. We worked together in the cabarets and spent most of our free time together--our circle of friends jokingly referred to him to me as "your husband." It's the same as Laura said; we can talk spur of the moment and it's like I just saw him yesterday, or when schedules are really crazy, it may not be more than one a year, but no one's ever miffed. I wouldn't worry too much about your friend, since she doesn't sound like much of one. And good luck with the cleaning and painting...

Kate ~ So, have the winds calmed down? Did you guys get any decent sleep last night? Thanks for thinking of me yesterday... how's the weekend going so far for you? How are the boys?

Catarina ~ I hope you all enjoy your weekend in Amish country--I actually know someone who was headed there this weekend, too. Good for Miguel, doing so much talking--I know how thrilled you must be. As for the speech therapist's recommendation about Noah, just remember that some speech disorders actually make the kids appear to have social issues that they don't... Leo's apraxia is like that. I know I'm so glad that we had him evaluated by a private therapist, rather than just relying on the general ECI evaluation.

Jen ~ The landscaping looks terrific! The little punches of color really perk the house up, and I love your trim color. So, judging by Tracy's comment, I'm guessing that the Red Sox won? Yay!

Kristin ~ So, how's the potty training going? What's the basis of your plan? Any luck with the house showing?

Tessa ~ How's your mom's visit going? Did you manage to get all that cleaning done?

Well, it's been an odd day here. I woke up exhausted this morning after having gotten no good sleep last night, and then had a 10 am baby shower brunch this morning. I'd felt a bit weird and dsconnected the whole time and thought my vision was a little blurry when I was reading the menu. Then, while I was starting to get ready to leave the restaurant, I noticied a weird feeling in my left leg and foot--my left side felt like I'd ridden a hundred miles on my bike, and was also crampy.By the time I got home, I really didn't like how spacy I was feeling, so I put off the rest of today's plans and just went to rest while the sitter was here. By the time she left three hours later, though, I was feeling better, though I'm still really tired... I think I was psyching myself into feeling all kinds of other frightening symptoms, you know?

Anyway, our new fridge and dishwasher are being delivered tomorrow, though the dishwasher doesn't get installed until Tuesday. The new gas range won't be here for a couple weeks, since it was a special order. Not a big deal, though.

I've got to say, I think while the boys are playing quietly, I'm going to try lying down on the couch to get a bit more rest. Hope everyone's been having a good day...

Donna

Oh, and here are a few shots of the new living room floors. I'll post ones of the boys' room and dining room once those rooms are really put back together...



versus the old orangey oak look...

[double dip]

Tessa- I think I forgot to mention that I liked all of the names. Unique but not strange. We used to live on Sawyer Road in Oconomowoc, WI and I thought then it was a good boy name. Lately I've been hearing a lot of boy names I think are super cool!

As we talk about all the baby stuff, I am wondering how Melanie is doing. Anyone heard from her lately?

Tracy- Your friend is probably just "into" drama...I find that these days I just have very little desire to put myself in the midst of anything that isn't just friendly and a generally supportive environment or if not just confront it right then and there and then move on. I hope you feel good about whatever you decide to do with your friend...things change afterall. Exciting to hear the date is approaching for Mike and the new store.

Donna- Your days have been pretty busy for sure. I hope you were able to feel better by getting some more positive energy back. Any lingering pains or symptoms? Ok...you just posted!!! so let me add - I love the floors! We had a two toned natural padauk (sp?) in our house in Oconomowoc that we loved!!! It had cherry tones and maple tones within a very thick African hardwood that aged so beautifully. The first time my Grandpa came to visit though - he told us there was still masking tape on the floor Anyway I think the tones in your floor are very warm and give a lot of life and personality to the room.

Kate- good for you for getting the flu shot. The only time I did was when I was pregnant (and maybe my first year of teaching). I am sure with all the exposure to school kids it helps protect you. I hope Dean continues to make the transition and begins to settle more quickly so bedtime can be more restful and peaceful. Has he changed his behavior at all during the daytime?

Jen- the landscaping pics are nice. I love the plants and flowers and can just imagine how pretty it will be once they grow in more and bloom over the years.

Laura- I bet Amanda is holding her breath with the share boarding. I hope it works out.

Catarina- If you are thinking of doing the flu mist talk to the receptionist at the ped's office. She had the lab person talk to me about if they were ready so when we got back there we were all set one way or the other. They have to be fairly cooperative and be able to follow the direction of pretending to sniff a flower. Also the mist goes in both sides one at a time so they will need to be able to do side 2 knowing what is coming. A friend mentioned to me afterwards that when she did the mist it left a funny taste and dried out her mouth. Our ped gave them suckers and we had their sippy with us but if your ped doesn't do suckers I might bring them along with a beverage in their sippys for afterwards.

So didn't hear anything about the house showing it was a realtor within the same agency as our realtor but not our realtor. I guess I'll email my realtor on Monday to see if there were any comments but I am assuming that no offer is pending

So for potty training....they have been pretty against it since last summer when they had 3 "bad" experiences (some of you may remember)...one pooped next to the potty and the other stepped in it and dh couldn't help exclaiming which caused some tension and tears then the next night someone pooped in the tub and then the next night Annie got a sliver in her foot from a woodchip that was in her shoe just as she was getting into the tub which she associated with the bathroom/potty. Since then, I've asked a few times and kept the pottys out but no interest. We had even bought underpants (advice--buy them one size bigger than they need so easy to take on/off by themselves for training)

I feverishly read and reread 2 guides on potty training and my parents had even bought us the Once Upon a Potty video but I didn't want to push. I was going to do the train a babydoll thing since they are so into their babydolls but then I thought with the move i'd wait until we moved. Plus I figured it would look nicer to put the pottys away for showings. So I put the pottys away.

Sure enough, with a week - they asked for their pottys. They woke up on a Tuesday and I was busy doing something and they wanted to take off their night diaper..so they each took it off each other pretending each other was a baby. Then they wanted a diaper but again I was still busy so i said they'd need to wait a minute. Well they said they wanted to wear underpants and use their pottys. So I was super excited. I got out the pottys and put in the Once Upon a potty video. I gave them gummys if they pee'd in the potty. This was pretty much the entire morning acitivity. I could tell their interest was waning and it was now naptime. I put them in a diaper for naptime and knew they may not want to wear underpants when they woke up but i didn't want to lose this moment. When they woke up, I told them we wear underpants at home and despite a few protests they agreed. So that night I better prepared for the next day.

To keep their interest up and give them more rewards/successes I made a punch card for each of them. I put their name and a picture of them feeding the giraffe and some smiley faces around it. I told them every time I checked and their underpants were dry they'd get a punch. When all the smiley faces were punched they could go to the zoo and feed the giraffe again. In addition, they'd sit on the potty and try to go pee and get a jelly bean for trying. This was great as I set a timer. If I thought they could go an hour, I'd set it for any hour. We'd check for dry pants (punch) and then sit on the potty (jellybean). If there was peepee, then gummys. If not, I'd reset the timer for less time since I knew they'd have to go soon. Also if one got gummys they had to share one with sister. This helped me make it overall more positive and help keep their motivation up. Since they still occasionally wanted diapers I avoided diapers/pull ups except for naptime & bedtime. If we went out I put them in swim diapers. They still wet their pants and needed to be changed if they had an accident but at least it didn't leave a puddle of pee on WalMart floor. Oh and they got a big marshmallow for pooping on the potty.

They earned their giraffe punchcard activity and we did go to the zoo. The next punch card I made I let them choose between 2 activities...they chose play at Chick Fil A. I added more smiley faces to the punch card. By now we could wear pull ups on outings since they didn't pee in them unless it was an accident. I also now gave punches for them going on the potty and only used the timer when I thought they had to go but were in the middle of playing and not initiating it.

Also for accidents I followed the advice in one of the books...it suggests having your toddler stand at the site of the accident. Exclaim "uh-oh peepee coming" and then run to the potty and sit on...repeating that a total of 5 times. They resisted it the first time. I told them they had an accident and it was ok but it meant they needed to do potty practice. Then I held their hand and made them do it, by the 5th time she was going as fast as she could and laughing all by herself. I find that most of the time, if they have an accident when they immediately do the potty practice as described above they end up peeing on the potty which then really makes it all a postive thing. I am guessing that they were holding back when they had the accident and by the second or third time running they are relaxed and more peeing is possible. I like how this potty practice isn't negative but it does take time out of playing so I think it gets at one of the main reasons why they had the accident in the first place.

They still have about one accident a day and Annie tries not to poop in the potty- saving it for a pull up or diaper. I am happy with the progress though. Their latest punch card they chose is getting to ride the carousel.
I'll try to post a pic of one of the punch cards.

oh yeah and they love tv but only get one show in the morning so as part of this anytime they want to watch a potty dvd they can as long as they are sitting on the potty (we have the once upon a potty one and then have the Big Bear Potty Time from the library and another Potty video from Duke University from the library) They are riveted to the screen...too cute. And I switched from gummy treats to smarties...fewer calories and cheap too. They still need to share one with sister. (They only get the treat after dumping potty, washing and drying hands BTW)

[fitz]

Kristin ~ Thanks for the lowdown on the girls' training plan; I'd love to see a pic of your cards. It sounds like a really great system, and I also like that it has no negative connotations. I love your Grandpa's masking tape comment and have to confess that there actually still is masking tape in one of our doorways!! When I was pulling the tape off the transition pieces, there was one little strip that resisted coming up, and I keep forgetting to go back for it...

Anyway, yeah, I guess I felt the need to go with a floor that had so much contrast and movement to make up for all of the neutrals I have in the room now. Your old hardwood floor sounds dreamy!

Stacy ~ Yikes, you know I wasn't feeling well when I forget to mention Brady's announcement!!! Thanks so much for sending it, it was adorable. W thought so, too. Hope you're all having a good weekend.

So, roundabout 4:45 today, Luka suddenly says, "Uh-oh, Leo quiet. On table!" I'm assuming that his logic was that since we couldn't hear Leo playing, he was no doubt up to no good, which probably meant taking a toy up onto the dining room table. But I knew that Leo had just run by not two minutes before, toy in hand, back toward the bedrooms. I got up to check anyway, and sure enough, he was sound asleep... I think he's out for the night, poor tired dude! One thing's for sure, that boy's going to be famished in the morning...

Donna

[tgauts]

Thanks for the support girls... I am really frustrated by this whole situation with Cindy. I get the impression that she thinks I deliberately set out to hurt her or something. If she is angry, she hasn't even given me the opportunity to explain why I haven't been by. It's weird the girl who I now consider my best friend (my FWT) is so much like me. WE're both teachers, have twins, love books, camping and all that fun stuff. Anyway, there's absolutely no pressure and even when we don't get to talk every day, it's not big deal.

Anyway, our day today went really well. The pharmacy is looking amazing. I'll post pics when everything is ready. Probably next weekend. We had all our helpers over for Chinese food tonight and now the twins are down for the count. They're exhasted.

Donna- the floors look absolutely beautiful! I love the multi-toned colours. I'm sorry to hear that you're under the weather. I hope the rest helps to perk you up.

Laura- the shared boarding idea sounds like a great idea. I agree, don't clean too much!

Kristin- I'm amazed at your thorough approach to potty training. Your girls are so lucky to have you. It's no wonder they're into the attempts now. Would you ever consider teaching again? The classroom would certainly be a better place with you in it.

I'm just exhausted so I'm hitting the sack. Pretty scary since it's Saturday night and not even 10:30. Mike is already in bed too. Poor guy is fried.

Talk to you tomorrow!

[double dip]

Donna- the first punch card I did is in my previous post I added it.

Tracy- awww your comment sure warmed my heart Who knows if I'll go back. I know I did a good job and do love kids though. I also love how teaching lets you be creative. Your friend is putting you in that wierd position I HATE. Becasue she is not being up front it leaves you to try to interpret her less than polite actions and then wonder if you should say something only them to be painted as being confrontational...reminds me too much of high school drama!!!

OOPS...the computer is acting funny...better close some programs and restart it.

Oh and just checked my email and my realtor emailed me to say the other realtor said the client liked the house and she'd get back to her. I am not holding my breath but at least that is positive.

ok...here is a pic of the colors of the floor from our other house...dh made a cutting board out of the wood (which we still use) since it was so solid...he even needed to buy a special saw to cut through it on his table saw w/o it setting off the smoke alarm from it being so dense that it practically had to burn through the wood to cut the pieces so he could lay the floor.

[nvtwins]

Kristin - will you come potty train J&D?!?!?!? That plan is absolutely amazing... and heck, I'd poop on the potty for a big marshmallow too! Thanks for the plan, I'll be putting it to use when we start with the boys. They do some practicing at daycare, and they see the bigger boys using the toilets, so they're familiar, just not too interested yet, and frankly... I'm not pushing the issue either. That wood from your old house is beautiful, and WOW... that's some seriously industrious stuff if DH needed a different blade! Did you make the punch cards on the computer? Sorry...sorta all over the place, just posting random questions. I hope that you get an offer on the house.... will send happy vibes. I also have a St. Joseph statue that I'd be willing to send. He worked for us!

Tracy - I'm looking forward to seeing pics of all your hard work.... post them when you can. Get some rest, you've certainly earned it! That situation with your friend is just so high school. I say, let her be mad, and not worry about it. Seems like it's a better match with your FWT, and we all have to remember that as we get older, our situations and attitudes change. She sounds like what I like to call an "energy vampire" meaning that she just simply takes up WAY too much energy to deal with. Let us know what happens.

Donna - the floor is beautiful! So warm, and it really looks great with all your furniture since it doesn't have any patterns... so the floor can be the focus without being too "busy." Nice choice. How are you feeling tonight? Better, I hope. Poor Leo... hope he sleeps through the night, and doesn't wake up wanting to raid the fridge at 2am!

Laura - gotta say that I love that your in-laws are willing/able to get up bright and early and come watch A ride! That's so good for her, and them too! Sounds like a great time was had... and good that she got to ride a new horse.

OK... lots of stuff, and it's all pretty random. So here goes...

Dean was up at 3am and crawled into bed with us... told us he wasn't scared of the wind, but that it was keeping him awake. The good news? No wind tonight, and they're both beat, so hopefully they'll stay put!

DH and I worked our butts off in and around the house today and I'm finally feeling pretty good about it. Ordered some new bed stuff for the guestroom, the other things we've ordered are on their way. The only bummer is that my painter leaves for El Salvador Tuesday for 3 weeks, so the boy's room will have to wait.

There was no napping, but they did stay in their rooms. I ran around looking for naked furniture, and found a dresser for their room, but it was $300! I'm planning on heading to Ikea this Thursday and will look there first. I just want something I can slap some paint on and not get too upset when they ruin it! I know there's a naked furniture place in the next town, so I may make a trip.

Dean was a total grouch today... but he did redeem himself the last hour. Dh and the boys were working in the garage, and Dean got the broom and started sweeping the floor... and was doing a good job too! We actually were able to get my car into the garage! I'll take pics soon. The couch should be here in a few weeks, and now I'm going to start getting some stuff on the walls.

I don't know if I ever told you about the wallpaper disaster, but the manufacturer agreed that it was flawed and is replacing it. I'm hoping that we'll be able to get it and get it on the walls before Thanksgiving. My china hutch it sitting in the hallway, and it's really annoying!

I'm starting to get a better sense of the decorator things that I want to put in the house. Not that I've found them yet, but am starting to feel like this is "home."

I'm hoping for a full night's sleep tonight. My FWT is coming tomorrow morning for a playdate... and we've got nothing planned for the afternoon. Maybe I can convince DH to take the boys to his parent's house for awhile.

That's it from here.

Sweet dreams all!
Kate

[fitz]

Kristin ~ I forgot to mention, I've been thinking about Melanie, too, but I don't think we've heard from her in about a month... I hope she and the rest of the family are all okay. I'd e-mailed her some info back then; I think I'll e-mail again to see if she got it and let her know we were thinking about her.

Donna

[fitz]

Ugh, what a night... didn't manage to fall asleep until almost 12:30, and then Leo awoke at 2:15, and stayed that way (with Mommy, of course) until 6:00 am... He then took a nap for 1 3/4 hours while I caught up and slept until about 8:30--then Luka came in and visited me for about an hour, reading books and such until about 9:30. So, a lousy night, but I'm hopeful that it put Leo back on schedule, and at least Luka's routine was disrupted. Hope everyone has a good day!

Donna

[nvtwins]

Oh Donna... I can definately feel you pain! I hope that you're able to get some rest. Is W going to be home today? Maybe he could take the boys to the park or something so you can nap.

Our good news? Dean slept through the night! Glad that there was no "naughty wind" as he calls it! I'm dressed and ready for the day. Dh is going to go shooting this morning. My FWT is supposed to come over, but I haven't heard from her. This afternoon, I"m hoping that DH will take the boys to his parents for a visit so I can have some down time.

Have a great day ladies!

Back later,
Kate

[fitz]

Kate ~ iI hope your day worked out the way you planned. Nope, W was working today, but he did make himself late so I could catch a little sleep in the early morning hours. Thank goodness, too! So I'm sure he'll be there until the absolute latest time tonight...

Luckily, Leo went for a nap after lunch--I figured my only hope for a decent night tonight was to get him good and rested early on. The best part is that he slept through the delivery and installation of the new fridge and dishwasher, and I've been able to get the kitchen fairly well back to normal without him investigating. Poor Luka had a fit when the guys came into the house, though... Actually, he was great when they came in, but began going nuts when they took the fridge out. I guess that even though I explained ahead of time what was going to happen, he wasn't really prepared. Seems over it now, though. I figure as soon as Leo's up and alert, I'll pop both guys in the car and head out to the store for playgroup snacks for tomorrow.

Be back later!

Donna

[nvtwins]

Donna - yay for the new appliances! How do they look? Glad to hear that Luka is the keeper of the kitchen... at least he's paying attention! Most women would die to have a hubby that attentive! Did you get the snacks?

Our afternoon was a good, but busy one. My FWT came over with her girls and they hung out for awhile. She mentioned that she needed to go to Wal-Mart and didn't have a stroller because her DH took it with him on accident. I told her that I'd lend her mine. Then I got to thinking and just told her to go, and that I'd watch the girls for her. She was thrilled. Scary that we all get excited about the possibility of going to stinkin' Wally world without the kids... pathetic. So she gets back and we're starting to get dinner ready and dh asks her if she and the girls would like to stay for dinner. (Her DH is a firefighter, so when he's gone... he's GONE!) She says yes, so instead of 4 for dinner, we had 7! It was crazy, but fun.

Our new neighbors dogs managed to dig a hole already and come for a visit. The boys were over the moon... but our neighbors were't so happy. Good thing the dogs are friends. One's a retriever of some sort (my guess is a Golden...definately not a lab) and the other's a bulldog. The bulldog's name is Edna, and the retriever is Dusty. So Edna and Dusty spent some time roaming around in our yard until we could get them rounded up.

The boys didn't nap - shocker! BUT, the were good and tired when they went to bed, so I'm guessing that they won't wake up tonight... and there's no wind!

DH is working his last week of the mornings this week... so I'll be up and rearin' to go bright and early. Lots of things getting delivered to the house this week, so I'll have plenty to keep me busy. I am almost looking forward to going back to work so I can get some rest!

That's it from this corner of the world.

Hope everyone had a great day!
Sweet dreams,
Kate

[slgrizz]

Kate - You crack me up...Kelly says the same thing about work - he looks forward to Monday to get a break! Wow, yesterday does sound like it was busy! How old are your FWT's girls?? I'm sure you've said before, but I can't remember.

Donna - Ugh, sorry about the rough nights lately! How are you feeling? Post a picture of the new appliances when you can! Did you get in touch with Melanie?

Kristin - THANK YOU for the potty training ideas!!! We're actually going to bite the bullet and start with Parker. I was going to wait until Saturday and have Kelly take Jackson out all day but then, just before nap, Parker went pee on the potty! She said, "I'm ready, Momma!". So, maybe I'll be starting before Saturday. Anyways, congrats on how well the girls are doing! (No surprise, of course, with you as their momma! )

Tracy - Wow, I can't believe the pharmacy is coming together! That's got to be so exciting for Mike. Like everyone else said, I wouldn't worry too much about your friend. I always say, I'm just too busy and too old to have any "high school" type friendships....just energy vampires, as Kate said.

Catarina - Hope your trip was nice!

Ok, I know I'm leaving out lots of people, but Brady is starting to get hungry....

I will post a few pics later - he finally smiled last Thursday and my SIL got a few pictures! So cute.

OK......will have to finish later..............

[catarina]

I'm baaaaaaaaaaacccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk!


We had a great trip! I even met some one from the board! Jenn (Mrs517) and her family, it was really nice. I'll post some pictures later and tell you all about some funny stories with the boys fighting over the same girl all weekend long! Oh vey, it's starting already!

Hope everyone is doing well.

Stacy - Great to see you on, it's really nice that you check in when you can. I can't imagine being in your shoes, I'm sure I'd do okay, but you know what I mean, just the thought of trying to feed a baby and keeping a handle on the boys.

Kate - You are one busy little bee, huh?

Donna - Hope things are going well for you and you were able to get some rest.

Laura - Hope Amanda gets to do share boarding.

Kristin - I'm not surprised that your girls are doing so well with potty training, as Stacy said you are a great Mama.

Tracy - Don't worry about your friend, Kate said it best people that require too much energy for their friendship are best left alone. Glad the pharmacy is coming together!

Okay, ladies, I'll be back for a real post later.

Catarina

[slgrizz]

Ok, I'm back again.

Hi Catarina! I'm glad your trip was fun! Can't wait to see pics and hear about the boys new love interest.

So, I updated my siggy pics with a picture of Brady's first smile. I love getting to this age, when they start responding a little more.

We're good here. Like I said before, looks like we're going to attempt potty training with Parker. She has seemed ready, but we've been putting it off because of Brady's arrival.

Other than that, we've just been busy! My Mom was in town on Friday and we had a great time...she brought the kids little doctor kits, so we played doctor for hours , walked to the park, baked cupcakes...

Saturday evening we went to a twins playgroup family bbq. It was insane! 50 people there...all multiples or parents/siblings of multiples. Too many 2-3 year olds in one place if you ask me.

Sunday was church, then Kelly went to a church potluck last night. We were all going to go, but the kids seemed fried from their late night on Saturday.

Plus, they seem to be coming down with a little cold...runny noses, sneezing. So, we're taking it easy today. A cold front blew in last night and it's rainy, windy, and high of 56 degrees today! A good day for hangin out inside anyways.

Well, I guess that's about it from here!

[MomtoA&S]

Stacy - love the new siggy pics, so darn cute! Way to go Parker.....here's hoping it's a success for you and her!

Kate - Yay for Dean sleeping through the night!!! Sounds like you all had a fun dinner. I love things like that at the last minute that end up being a blast.

Donna - I LOVE the floors! They came out so nice, the color is great. Poor Luka, the boys do that sometimes to. I always have to remember to give them a heads up when we are doing something different.

Catarina - welcome back! So cool how you were able to hang out with a fellow TMMB member.

Kristin - seriously...you can come and train Sam and Aidan for me. I'll pay you! I'm sure the girls will be pros in no time.

Tracy - sorry about your friend. But I hear ya, gotta love those friendships you have now where you sometimes may not be able to talk every day but can still be confident that your friendship is still in tact.

We had my dad's retirement dinner Saturday night. It was a blast! My dad had so much fun and I got so many compliments on the food, cake and atmosphere. I basically picked the place, sent out invitations and decided the food. So it worked out great. The boys had so much fun. I love how now they are so excited to see their cousins and play.

Sunday was a beautiful day as was today. We're all a little tired here in Boston as we were up until 1am watching the Red Sox. The lawn was finished today, it finally looks like a nice house all put together. I'll post some pics in another post.

Playgroup tomorrow and then a pretty quiet rest of the week.

[MomtoA&S]

This is the area to the left of the garage. He put in a mulch bed with a stone walkway to the backyard. Grass doesn't grow there very well due to all the shade so he just put in a bunch of perennials.


Porch area


Now all we have to wait for is for the hydroseed to turn to grass!

[double dip]

Jen - I DID watch some of the game yesterday...we watched until the sox pulled ahead 5-2 and then went to bed. I kept thinking of you knowing you must be so thrilled. Glad the party went well. I guess your dad is feeling better!!!! OOh you just added the pics as I was typing- looks awesome.

Catarina- details please! oh and pics!!!! Glad your trip was good.

Stacy - yeah for Parker. I hope she continues her enthusiasm. Brady's new pic is super cute.

Kate- how nice your FWT could stay for dinner. What a day! ANd congrats to dh on his "new" job at his old place. It sounds like he has a lot to look forward to and a new role with probably a lot to learn. Where did you get your St Joseph statue BTW? I haven't even begun to look where to pick one up and I need to! Thanks for the reminder. We are having a realtor open house on Thursday that she is also inviting the public to. That should help get things rolling.

Donna- you must be glad the appliances are in...so is that everything now? I know you said you still have some painting in the boys' room. Any other projects going on?

Oh and are you doing any halloween playgroup? I found a song ...the roly poly pumpkin which is cute but then I looked up the ASL signs for a few words to add hand motions to the song. I did it for the Waddler group and will be doing it for toddler time this Wednesday. My girls really like to sing it and everyday they have been "showing" off for dh. I'll be glad to post it or email it to you.

Didn't do much today...tomorrow I am meeting up with a FWT for lunch at Pizza Hut. It is $5.00 and kids eat free! Perfect. Then I need to clean and get ready for toddler time at Cathys on Wednesday. Thursday I'll be leaving early so the house is clean and ready for the open house. Friday I am babysitting from 3:30 until late for Cathy's girls (she and her dh have a wedding rehearsal & dinner to attend) Saturday I am trying to convince dh to go to the zoo and meet up with Julie, her dh & her twins. Sunday is Cathy's twins 3rd bday party.

Catch ya later-
Kristin