What a week

A lot's happened this week! Last weekend we took the girls to the beach - for the twins' first time seeing the ocean (or the sea, as Maggie calls it). I must say that it was much more fun of an idea than it was an actual adventure - as most things are these days. The idea of taking your kids to the beach for a Sunday afternoon is enticing...and then you do it and you remember why you pretty much stay home all the time.

Just kidding - it wasn't that bad. We set up a tent, as you can see, and Tori sat in her little bumbo and slept, while Zoe screamed her head off until we picked her up and held her the entire time. It was nice to be out there, though, and made me think that one day I will live and breathe the fresh air again.

On Tuesday, Ian's sister, Miranda, came to visit and it was great. I think I've already blogged about how great it was, but let me just reiterate how great of an aunt she is. I mean, she's tireless. She plays and plays with Maggie, holds babies, fixes breakfast, lunch and dinner, and plays more with Maggie. It was so fun for me, too, to have a buddy around! She also got Zoe to giggle like I've never seen her giggle before. It was too cute, so I had to let you all see.

OK, so much more to share about last week, but I gotta get these kiddos in bed!

Funny

I must say that I think it's funny that most of my ads to the right of this post are about sleep problems. I know it's because of the title of my blog, and let me just tell you that my sleep problems come in the form of the cutest little four months old you've ever seen (or heard). Three nights in a row this weekend they BOTH slept through the night! That, to me, is a miracle. I mean, when ONE baby sleeps through the night it's amazing, but for TWO to do it on the same nights three times in a row...well, that just makes me wanna slap my granny. (Not really, Nana's great.)

I also think it's funny that I have been doing this blog for a few months now and BY FAR the most comments I've ever had is from the Odyssey Whisperer post. Girls, y'all are feelin me out there, aren't you. My sweet friend Dana has this crazy fun idea to invent a sensor that has a hot movie star's voice say before you hit something, "Watch out, sweetheart...you're getting a little too close to the curb/car next to you/concrete thing at the BP."

This week is fun. Ian's sister, Miranda, is here for a visit and it's so nice to have her here. Maggie is in heaven, and I love having a buddy to talk to. It's still almost 90 degrees here, so she's taking Maggie swimming this afternoon. I'm off to take a nap - everyone is asleep for now...once again, a miracle.

The Odyssey Whisperer

I'm just going to come out and say it...I can't drive the minivan. I mean, I have driven big cars, SUV's, 15 passenger vans filled with screaming kids, but for some reason I can't drive our minivan.

In January I backed out of our garage and sideswiped our babysitter's car - it's not that I didn't know it was there, it's just that between the time I saw her car there and the time I put the van in reverse...I forgot. Brand new 2007 Honda Odyssey. Thank ya.

Yesterday I had all three kids in the car (which isn't an excuse, but more of a justification) and we needed gas big time. So I pulled into the BP and there were no pumps open for my side of the van, so I decided to pull around to another pump. Basically all I have to say is that I completely creamed the side of sliding door into the concrete slab protecting the pumps. It sounded like I had ripped the side off the space shuttle or something. It was bad - and now there's a huge dent and big yellow paint marks all over the side of the van.

I can't think of something that makes me feel much dumber, really. I mean, it's not like I'm not paying attention, it's just that I cannot drive the van. I need some Robert Redfordish man to come and teach me the secrets of speaking the Odyssey language. There aren't many things I think I really can't do well (thanks to my ever-encouraging mother!), but for some reason I just can't drive this van.

I hate admitting it, ladies, but it's true. This does not mean that all ladies are bad minivan drivers, but this mama stinks at it.

And so fun, by the way, telling Ian that I had the accident. I was so nervous to tell him that I actually TEXTED him! What a weenie. I didn't think he was going to be mad or yell, really. It's just that earlier in the week we had a great talk about the things we can do for each other to improve our marriage. The only thing he said was, "Please don't hit anything else with the minivan." So not only did I incur a couple thousand dollars worth of damage to our vehicle, I've apparantly set our marriage back a few notches by my little encounter with the concrete slab. Way to go.


By the way, the only other request Ian had on his list of things I can do to improve our marriage was, "Don't have any more children." Thankfully, we've got that one covered.

Oh Zoe...

Just wanted to report that Zoe is winning the sleeping race these days (and we all know that it's all a competition with the twins, right! Kidding, of course). Zoe has slept 13 HOURS straight for the past three nights! (Yes, I said 13 - and I know I'm jinxing myself by writing this, but I just had to share the joy).

Of course, Tori is still waking up once a night, which isn't bad for a little peanut...and Maggie woke up sick last night, but other than that, I got a great night's sleep!

Also, just wanted to share this adorable video of Tori laughing. We have been so worried about every little thing with her and she continues to show us that she's FINE...she just wants to do things on her own time, thank you very much! She is such a doll. Enjoy!

Watch out Mia

This past weekend Maggie had her first soccer game and if I had to describe it in one word it would be "hi-larious" (or "so freaking hot you think your kids' gonna pass out on the field"). If you've never been to a four year old's soccer game before then you're really missing out. It's adorable and so funny. Maggie did great! She scored her first goal and handled the ball really well. Coach Mike is so encouraging - he would pick up the girls every time they scored a goal and run them around the field. It was sweet and made them feel like a million bucks. The funny part, though, was when Maggie started getting really hot. Her face turned beet red and she just looked over at me on the sidelines and started shaking her head and crying. It was terrible! I felt awful - like one of those crazy soccer moms who makes her child stay in the game. Well, not really. So Maggie took a rest on the bench and Ian brought over our umbrella so she could get some shade and cool down (it really was 100 degrees with no shade). When Maggie got called back into the game, though, she ran out onto the field holding the huge rainbow golf umbrella she was holding! I so wish I had a camera and could have caught that sight, but I didn't have my camera in my hand because I was holding a huge sweaty baby in my arms and pushing a tiny sweaty baby in the stroller.

I'm not sure what the rest of the season will hold for ol' Mag. She likes playing, but she's just like her mom in that she gets way overheated and much prefers the comforts of the AC. We are making her finish the season, of course, but it's hard to make her play when it's so hot and she's bawling on the field.

I must say, though, that it's been really adorable to watch her practicing with Ian. He LOVES soccer - played in high school and watches it like it's his job - and he and Maggie have had a lot of fun going to practices together. I love that they have this to do together - it just does a mama's heart good, you know!

New Look

Hey - nothing MAJOR to report today, except that I have a new look to the blog.

Also, Tori and Zoe went to the doc today for their four month check up and everything went fine. He told me to start them on some solid food, which, frankly, made me start crying! Not because they are getting so big and I can't believe it, but because the thought of adding another feeding element to my day makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit. Rice cereal in the morning, then wait three days, then oatmeal, then wait three days, then vegetables - one at a time for three days each, then fruits - one at a time for three days each. Just to make sure they're not allergic.

I mean, who does he think I am? I can't keep all that straight in my head! I already have an excessive chart for the bottles, but documenting all those foods is a little much. Let's just say that I'm not sure I can be held responsible for the hives or allergies that these children develop because I screwed up on their solids.

The good news is that the doc said that we should let them cry at night - because they should be starting to sleep 10-12 hours a night (which Tori DID last night!). So, we'll give that a shot. Every time I try to let Zoe keep crying or whining in her crib, though, she starts sucking on her hand and gags herself repeatedly. And let me tell you that gagging noises don't make for great slumber on my part.

All in all, though, they are doing well and we are making it. Zoe weighs 12lbs. 12 oz., and Tori weighs 8 lbs. 5 oz. In the words of Shelly and Brandi (the program girls at women's weekend) they look like "twin sisters from different misters"...but they're not, of course!

Ahhhh, the Carolinas...

Sweet Tea, Country Ham biscuit, Bo Rounds...does it get any better?

Excessively large tea

Waffle House in Clinton, SC

Many an all-nighter was spent at this WoHo "studying." Chicken Melt Plate with hashbrowns Scattered, Smothered and Covered...jidge.

Emma Martin and Maggie at Windy Gap

Granny Lee, Granny Franny and the fam

(Note Tori giving everyone the Heisman)

OK, so we had a total blast in the Carolinas (aka, the Holy Lands). I gotta write this post in an attempt to recover what was lost by Miss Teen SC and her geographical rant a couple weeks ago.

First of all, let me just say that Bojangles is Jidge ("Major", Awesome, Scrumptious). We went there three times in a week - and we've got the arteries to prove it. On the way home from Windy Gap on Sunday we stopped in for a bite to kick our 9 hour trip off right. Maggie wanted a sip of Ian's Sweet Tea, so she came up to the front of the car and took a swig. She said, "mmm", then took another swig. She got back in her seat, buckled up, and proceeded to say, "Daddy, your drink is GOOD. It tastes like a big pile of sugar!". Out of the mouths of babes...

On the way home we stopped for a formula/poopy diaper/gas break in Clinton, SC - go Blue Hose! Above are some pics of the Waffle House that I would frequent far too often in college. Remember the days when you could eat crap every day and not feel like crap? Ahh, college.

Before Windy Gap we got a chance to visit with Ian's grandmother, Granny Lee. It was so sweet to see her and to have a chance to introduce her to the twins. She held them and talked to them, and she also gave Maggie the light up tiara that she was given at her 90th birthday party.

Once we got to Windy Gap it was pretty much non-stop. I have been thinking about the weekend and how I want to describe it to you. Not sure I'm ready to put it all down yet, but suffice it to say that it was an absolute crazy non-stop sleep deprived laughter filled weekend. Above is a pic of Emma (my best friend Dana's daughter) and Maggie. My other best buds were there with their kiddos too, so it was a trip. Seriously, out of all those kids, some of them have got to marry each other. I mean they are all adorable and have great parents...can't we arrange something or is that just too spooky.

OK, only got two more hours until I have to pick up Mag. Though that sounds like a long time to some of you, let me assure you it's not. It's 12:45pm, I'm still in my pajamas, I have the sixth (yes, SIXTH) load of laundry going, two sleeping babies who are itching to wake up and eat soon, and a house that pretty much looks like Toys R Us and the clearance section of Tuesday Morning combined. Gotta run. Schlades...

Such a sweet video

I took this video this past weekend while we were at Windy Gap. It's just a great example of the ways the girls are growing! They are starting to notice each other a little bit and it's pretty darn cute. Zoe is really reaching for things, and manages to get Tori in her grip. They're just so snookie!

So much to say

This past week we've been on vacation - if you can call it vacaction with a four year old and infant twins! We pretty much did the same things we do here at home, except we had a change of scenery. And we got to be around people we love so much!

September 1st was my mom's 60th birthday and my siblings and I planned a weekend for her. On Saturday Jeannie, Leslie, Mary Lane and I took mom to the spa for the morning and we had a blast! We had a little room in the spa where we could hang out between treatments. Mary Lane hooked us up with serious snacks and goodies, and we also had mimosas...so yummy and fun! As you can see, we laughed really hard - poor pregnant Jeannie was laughing so hard she was crying. It was a hoot and I think mom had fun too!

On Sunday afternoon we had a little party at the house with the extended family and some of mom and dad's friends. It was really fun - we all got to roast and toast mom. Matt wrote a song for the four siblings to sing, which was a trip, and then the grandkids sang songs that Mom sings for them. It was really sweet.

I just loved having the chance to celebrate Mom. She is such an amazing person and it was nice to be able to get to say to her all that she means to me - and to hear what she means to others too. It was just sweet and fun and I think she felt celebrated.

I'll write more about our week tomorrow. Too much and too many pictures to include. For now, though, I am signing off to go crawl out from under the pile of laundry we brought home.