The Playground

I met my friend Sarah and her two kids at the park yesterday. I don't have many friends with young children that live around here so it was fun to talk kid stuff...and Sarah's just really cool. Her adorable kids are five and two so I got a snapshot of what life will be like when Maxwell and Ella are a bit older. You know, things like playground etiquette and other people's kids. As the babies rolled around on a blanket we watched Sarah's kids enjoy the play structure. We were commenting on how crazy it was to have the whole playground to ourselves, and just then a curly haired munchkin came blazing around the corner, kite in hand. Cute as the kid looked, I'm still not completely sure if it was a girl or boy. Actually, the child looked strikingly like a lost boy from Peter Pan. Anyhow, lost boy charges up to Sarah's daughter and starts flailing with very animated gestures. Sarah calmly approaches the two, wondering where the hell lost boy's mom was making sure her daughter is comfortable. Mid sentence, lost boy pulls out a sawed off screwdriver and begins to wave it frantically in their faces. "It's my sword!", he yells. Oh my. Shortly after, his mother rounds the corner, ironically wearing a shirt with a peace sign and a tattooed dove on her arm. She approaches us and plops down on our blanket. "Ohhhh, I just looove babies!!!," she tells us as she reaches for Ella's hand. I'm trying to act cool but really all I'm thinking is every one's sick, don't get my baby sick! Soon after she joins the group she came with and lost boy moves on to terrorize other children with his shank- I mean sword.

It really wasn't that big of a deal, but it made me realize what we're in for in the next few years. And it made me so grateful that I get to be the one taking my kids to the playground. So I can watch them like a hawk. But really, what do you do? Isn't this where fostering independence and discernment begins? On the playground? I want to provide my kids with choices. What if they chose lost boy as their friend, quirky as he may be? I know it's my job to interfere when their safety is at stake, but what if their friends just bug? I'll have to get over it. But for now, I'm happy we're still on the blanket at the playground.

The Sweetest Things

Really, I couldn't ask for anything more.

(This video taken on my phone)

Ella wakes up from a nap delighted to see her brother playing down below.

Good Times

Over the weekend the babies and I spent time at my parents house. We got to eat yummy food and sleep in the beautifully remodeled guestroom/nursery. My Dad even detailed my car...the best treat ever! Uncle Spencer was there and had both babies laughing. We missed Uncle David!

Meanwhile...Mike took the big kids to a Dodger game. (He's having fun. I promise.)
(Blogger has all the photos and in a mixed up order- not sure why).

New Friends

I was in Marshalls pushing the double snap 'n go stroller, trying not to take out the racks on either side of me when I looked up and saw double. "Twins?," I asked. Just like everyone asks me. As if it isn't completely obvious that's what they are. She looked at me and we just started laughing. Her boys, Drew and Kaden, are Maxwell and Ella's new friends. Even if they don't know what that means yet. More importantly, Tara's my new friend. And she gets it. She gets what it means to have the theme song from Handy Manny stuck in your head. She gets that a meltdown may happen at any minute...times two. She gets that nursery rhymes kind of suck so sometimes it's necessary to get creative, 'I like big boys and I cannot lie, you other mother's can't deny...' She also gets the joy of being a first time Mom to two babies, where awesome moments happen in doubles...all day long. We love our new friends.

Drew and Kaden

Have A GREAT Weekend!

Best Movie. Ever.

Almost Famous.

I Love Bob

Before I had the babies I coveted brands like Frye and Rock and Republic. I had no idea I could get goosebumps over baby items such as a stroller. Not just any stroller, but our new stroller. Mike bought us a Bob, the Cadillac of strollers. It turns like a ballerina, climbs the highest of hills, and glides like a hockey player...the thing has shock absorbers for goodness sake!It's beautiful. We love our Bob.

In other news, Maxwell has taken off. He may not be up on is knees but he is a scooting machine! I remember my brother Spencer doing the exact 'army crawl.' Watch him go...

The Grass Is Greener...In My Front Yard!

We have a new lawn! I'm so excited for the babies to have somewhere to play outside. OK, it's not like we can throw out the Slip 'N Slide yet, but it's a new place they can roll around on. A little side note about our new lawn, true story...

Early this morning all the neighborhood dogs were barking. I started to get annoyed and kept thinking 'PLEASE don't wake the babies up.' Our dog Sadie started barking louder and I got chills when I heard a man's voice outside our window. My heart began pounding out of my chest as I clearly heard footsteps outside. I turned to wake Mike and as I rolled over I saw a man in a white shirt opening the french doors to our bedroom. I SCREAMED. Mike jumped out of bed, delirious but ready to defend. It was Troy, our next door neighbor and one of our best friends. I let the air out of my lungs and assumed he had been on a long date with Sierra Nevada. However, he actually came to get Mike because another neighbor's cows escaped and they were in our front yard. He didn't want them on our fresh sod. He really should run for mayor.

As the guys went outside I laid in bed and shook my head. I thought to myself:

A. My husband knows how to heard cattle?
B. Seriously? I live in a place where cows cruise my front yard?
C. I thought I was about to be attacked and honestly, all I really cared about was the babies waking up. It would have been a pisser to have to put them back down again.

Anyway, here's the beautiful lawn:

Here's the before:

Making Baby Food?

Now that the babies have gotten the hang of rice cereal, we are venturing on to the good stuff. Today we started with squash. The first few bites weren't pretty but then they both seemed to like it. So, what do I need to know about making my own baby food? I hear it's not hard and it will obviously save a ton of money. What do I need? What's the best food processor? Do I make it in bulk and freeze it? This may be obvious, but then how do I defrost it? The night before? Who remembers to do that? Do I add anything to the fruits and veggies? Are you sure it's easy? Specifics please...

Six Months

For Maxwell and Ella~
Someday you'll think it's cool to see videos of yourselves drooling and laughing.

Mean

As I've said before, I'm not going to back to work right now. The district hired a new school counselor and I started thinking about some of the ideas I had for this year, had I chosen to return. I found these two videos I had planned to show the middle school kids. Even though the message is still the same, I feel like someone is hitting me in the stomach when I watch the videos now. Not because they are different, but because I am different. This time I see Max and Ella. I don't want them to hurt. Ever. This sounds so simple, but I get why our parents want to protect us. I know that my experience as a mother is going to make me a better counselor when I go back to work.

This video is mild compared to the way I see girls treat each other.



This video is kind of long, but I appreciate that shows that boys get bullied too.