A trip to the Sheriff's Office

Last Friday I had the pleasure of accompanying Maggie's class on a field trip to the Sheriff's Office in downtown Jacksonville. Despite the really really late bus arrival and eating my knees in the tiny school bus seats it was actually a really fun trip. We got to learn about K-9 Cops and their dogs, talk to the Bomb Squad, see the fancy helicopter, and pet the horses that the horsey cops ride. It was pretty cool.

The night before we left for the field trip Maggie, Ian and I were sitting at the dinner table discussing what we might do and see. All of a sudden Ian lays a bribe out there for Maggie. He said that he would take her to FIVE movies if she would stand up when the sheriff asked for questions and yell out, "Don't Tase Me, Bro!".

Seriously. This is the lunatic I married.

And the lunatic I birthed actually did it. Well, it wasn't in front of the whole class and the officer didn't exactly hear her, but she still did it. I heard her and I laughed my head off.

So Saturday he took Maggie to "Hotel for Dogs" - the first installment in the five movie bet.

What am I supposed to do with him? And with her?

Thank goodness for tiny miracles...

It's 7:45 a.m. and I JUST got out of bed. Walked out into the hall to get what I thought would be screaming twins out of bed. Instead I hear laughter. I look on the breakfast table and sippy cups and cereal are already set out for the babies. Who did all this...

Maggie.

She's in the twins' room right now reading them books and making them laugh, all so Ian and I can sleep a little longer.

Seriously, I have the best five almost six year old ever!

Feeling old

For the past few nights we've been watching a lot of TV...well, we do that pretty much every night. But this week we've been paying special attention to the commercials, of course. I gotta tell ya, I am starting to feel a little old. Like remember when your grandparents first saw a VCR and wouldn't even go NEAR it because it was too complicated? (Of course, Nana got over that quick because she wanted to learn how to tape her "stories"!). Or how your parents get that far away look in their eyes when they hear you talking about facebook or IM? Well, these are the looks I'm giving Ian every night when we watch some of these ads. And I really thought I was kinda with it. Apparantly not.

For instance, what is up with the Geico ads? I have been ready for them to move on from the caveman spots for a while now, but why did they choose to go to a stack of money with eyeballs? I just don't get that. Ian says that I'm not the target (Mr. Fancy Marketing Man telling me how it is). He's obviously right because I don't understnad a bit of that spot where the couple is in the Chinese restaurant and the woman is flirting with the Geico stack of money. Wha?

I do have to say, though, that the HULA spot with Alec Baldwin was hysterical. And I KNOW my parents didn't get a bit of it. I find that I am quickly approaching those days, though, when I stare at the newest tv spots and shows and think, "Is that supposed to be funny? I just don't get it." Maggie is going to be rolling her eyes and thinking that I'm so last week. It's coming quick, people.

What's making you feel old these days?

WWJD

Yesterday we had the pleasure of having my aunt and uncle over for dinner. They live in Colorado so we rarely get to see them, but they were in Orlando for the week and decided to drive up and see our little family. It was so fun. I kept thinking last night that I am so glad to live in Florida because people are always coming to Florida and can stop by. I also thought how much I love having family in our house. It just makes me smile to see extended family playing with our kids because I grew up with so much family around.

I was in a bit of a quandary, however, because they invited us to dinner. I quickly told them that the experience of having dinner with my children at a restaurant is one that is not so pleasant. We decided to stay at home but Dendy, my uncle, insisted in bringing in food so that I wouldn't have to cook. Here's where the WWJD comes in...and I ain't talkin about Jesus. My WWJD in these situations is "What would Jeannie Do". For those of you who don't know, Jeannie is my younger sister and my best friend. We know each other backwards and forwards, ups and downs, highs and lows. One of Jeannie's biggest strengths/weaknesses is that she goes above and beyond the call of duty at ALL times to make people feel welcome and cared for. She has a huge heart and would literally bring you a homemade meal the day after she gave birth herself if she weren't still in the hospital. She's a great cook and a wonderful friend. I say this is a strength and a weakness because she is so loved by so many, but she really wears herself out sometimes.

Back to the quandary...what do I do? Do I let Dendy and Margie order in food when I've been at home all day and could have made some delicious feast? What would Jeannie do? No question...she would have whipped up some chicken enchiladas with homemade salsa or standing rib roast with potatoes and salad. And it would have been delicious. And she would have wanted to do it - every bit of it. I wanted to do it too, but not enough to actually do it. I did pull out the crock pot, got out my ingredients, realized I didn't have everything, then packed it back up under the cabinet.

Instead, I made a pound cake. I think pound cake is my new thing. I get to use my new mixer while reminiscing about Nana's pound cakes and the fact that mine will never taste quite as good. I love making it, love serving it, and love eating it. As a matter of fact, the last two times friends have had babies I haven't brought dinner...just a really yummy buttery pound cake. I figure once I get to the point where I'm acutally making real dinners for my own family then I can go back to bringing people meals. For now, though, I'll bring the eggs to room temperature and soften the butter because that I can handle.

Last night we had a great visit with Dendy and Margie. We ordered pizza that Dendy picked up, and I made a salad and, well, pound cake. It was fun and I didn't feel like pulling my hair out trying to get dinner on the table. It was just right for me.

So Jeannie, aprons off to you, sister. You're my hero. Really. I love the way you love people by making food for them. I hope to be able to do that someday. Until then, I'll just keep my WWJD bracelet wrapped around my wrist and dream of the days to come...by the way, I'm kind of having a rough week. I know you have three kids and Watts has strep throat, but do you think you could ship down some pot roast? Mmmm, and sour cream biscuits, and your chocolate chip cookies, and Kelly could whip up a latte....

gooddog?

Hey - love your comments, but don't know who you are! I know you're an NC friend and you have kids, but you didn't sign your name and I can't find it on your profile. I'm racking my brain! Fill me in.

Please tell me this did not just happen...

I was checking facebook and my (ex) friend Melyssa (kidding) posted this on my wall for the world to see...

"I have to share this with. After a rough couple of days without my boys, I decided tonight to make breakfast for dinner, with pancakes (not frozen!), homemade hashbrowns and bacon. Hunter was so excited to help me. During dinner, he asked for more syrup, and if he can pour it. I hand him the bottle, he stops and looks and says "Mom, this looks ... just like Ms Buffy". He was pointing to Aunt Jemima. Hahahaha! He was dead serious and then asked Evan if Evan thought so and Evan was like...."Um....NO". I needed that laugh more than anything!"

I knew Maggie liked Evan better for a reason.

Though I think this woman looks beautiful, I'm still only eating cabbage soup and water for the rest of my life.

Hell hath no fury...

Like a mother cleaning her house after the stomach bug. The bathrooms are scoured, the floors are mopped, and I have washed every stitch of clothing and linens in this house. We have Febreezed the ottoman two or three times and it has yet to smell respectable enough to make it in from the back porch. That's where it all started with Tori getting sick. We're all well, for now, but I'm not counting my chickens.

I wish I had more to blog about but honestly that's all I've done for the past week. It was ugly and brutal and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I did happen to think as I was huddled up beside Maggie as she tossed her cookies that though the stomach bug really sucks, I have had twins and I can get through this. The bug is miserable and you feel like you and your family are going to die when you're in the middle of it, but you know that in about 48 hours it'll all be over. When you have infant twins the fun really doesn't end until they're...well...we're not there yet. But close to two years ago (wow) we were at the beginning of it all. The all night feedings, the trips to the ER, the puking, the crying, the reflux, the bladder infections, the breathing treatments, the specialists. If we've made it through that then by golly we can make it through the stomach flu.

Some days I seriously just sit and think that I don't know how Jon and Kate do it - or anyone else with more multiples than two. But then I think about how people say that to me all the time..."I don't know how you do it. I couldn't do it." Well, you could do it...you just DO it. I guess that's what Jon and Kate do, but I mean, still.

Cute factors for today, though, have been Tori and Zoe doing tricks and then both screaming, "Ta-Da!" at the top of their lungs. By tricks I mean attempting to do a forward roll or just standing there, throwing their hands up in the air and looking cute. Ta Da!

Also, I went in to get them up from their nap and Zoe was totally naked. She just kept rubbing her hands up and down her belly and saying, "Jay-Buh, Jay-Buh, Jay-Buh" over and over. I realized after a minute that she was saying "Jay Bird, Jay Bird" because, well, she was a naked jaybird. Gotta embrace this while I can.