Happy Mother's Day

"It would seem that something which means poverty, disorder and violence every single day should be avoided entirely, but the desire to beget children is a natural urge." - Phyllis Diller

Above, a brief moment of abundance, conformity and peace on my 4th Mother's Day.

Built In Best Friend

When people ask me, as they often do, "do they play nice together?" I can honestly reply with a yes. Sure, there are times when one wants the same toy as the other and a bit of a tug-of-war ensues. But, for the most part our days are spent pretty peacefully. It's usually 2 (them) against 1 (me) in most of our battles.

They really are each other's best friend, even at the tender age of 3. It makes me so happy to see how they take care of one another and look out for each other. Jillian is the mother hen for sure. Today, as I was dropping my grandmother off from a shopping excursion, Max began to cry because Mammam Dora left the car before he could say good-bye. "Don't cry, honey," Jillian said trying to soothe him. A few weeks ago, in an effort to get Max to clean up his toys, my dad threatened Max by "taking" one of his toys and pretending to give it to another boy. Jillian chased my dad down saying, "Pappap, that's Max's toy. Give it back to him."

Max is Jillian's chivalrous protector. He does nice things for her like waiting until she gets in the Monster Truck Jeep before driving away. (I tell her, it's safer to be in the car with him then out in the open with him driving around!) On the playground, he watches out for her to be sure she's safe. And soon, we'll start teaching Max what to do when a boy wants Jillian's phone number. Let's just say Mark has him watching UFC nightly (I kid, but it's coming!).

Joking aside, I feel so lucky to have these twins when I listen to their conversations about nothing - they really do get each other; when I see them play together and share; when they walk around holding hands; when they play "you be the mommy and I'll be the daddy"; when they settle in for the night, resting their head on each other's shoulder.

Today I talked to someone who has 16 year old boy/girl twins. She reassured me, saying it gets easier after 3. But most importantly, she told me how her twins are still best friends. I pray every night that they do remain as close as they are now for their lifetime. And, how lucky they are to get to live their lives with a built in best friend!

A Day Without Mommy

This past Saturday, I spent the day in NYC. I was up and out the door before the kiddos woke, and was home much past their bedtime. A day in their life that I missed.

But, luckily for me, daddy took many pictures of their adventures without Mommy. Clyde Peeling's Reptileland and fishing - two activities I would kindly bow out of, even if I was home.

Mark said they behaved like angels (of course they did, I wasn't there!) and he enjoyed his time alone with the kids. Besides, from his retelling of their day, I think he got special "single dad" treatment at Reptileland.

Here are some of the pictures I came home to - a great retelling of a day without me!

Art

A portrait, of her brother, by the artist currently known as Jillie.

Happy Easter

A post by the kids:

Our Easter was fun.

We got lots of candy. (3 overflowing baskets worth.)

And toys. (too many to count.)

And bathing suits. (4 total.)

And bikes. (4 total.)

From the mommy:

Lucky, lucky kids.

I had to reorganize the toy closet to fit all the new toys. And I can't wait to have a yard sale to get rid of everything they don't play with...I just need a free weekend. We have something going on every weekend from now until June! But I'd take busy weekends with friends and family over boring ones any day.

This weekend, Nicole, Emma and I are heading to NYC to do some sight-seeing, shopping and to see Wicked. I can't wait to visit my old stomping grounds, but I'm especially excited to see Wicked. I've been listening to the soundtrack for months now and have heard amazing things about the show. I hope it lives up to all the hype!

Next weekend, Emma receives her First Holy Communion. It's hard to believe Miss Emma is in 2nd grade and receiving this sacrament already. I can't wait to see her in her beautiful dress and veil. I get a little choked up just thinking about it.

And, we've got birthday parties galore to attend in the following weeks. Creative, fun ones too! A baking party! Lake Tobias! Skating! Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about them all.

And we can't forget the opening of Knoebels. The park opens in just 19 days (yes, we have a countdown for that as well). We're so fortunate to live just minutes away from the park. I'm looking forward to spending some evenings there enjoying watching the kids enjoy the rides...oh, who am I kidding? I can't wait for all the good food!

Cousins and Traditions

Jillian and Max are very lucky to be growing up just a few minutes away from their cousins. The proximity allows us to do lots of fun things together fairly regularly. Our Good Friday tradition has been to color eggs and this year was no different. (The only difference being we got to enjoy the beautiful weather by coloring eggs outside this year - when was the last time we could do that?)

The kids have so much fun playing together. Jillian and Max really idolize Emma and Ava and they both really adore Colton. It is so sweet to see Jillian especially play "mommy" with Colton. She is so loving.

It's also been neat to see how much the kids can do by themselves this year versus last year. Emma and Ava have a huge playset in their yard that, in the past, had my heart racing and my arms ready for a catch every time Jillian or Max attempted to climb it. This year, they climbed with ease, and I relaxed on the deck, enjoying the banter of kids having fun in the spring sunshine.

Later in the evening, Uncle Nate had to help daddy with a few projects, so Emma and Ava came back over for another visit. Max and Jillian had fun showing off their new swings (no more baby swings!) and driving their big cousins around in their "Monster Truck Jeep".

If our fun Friday was any indication of how our summer will be this year, we're in for a great time!

...and she was swingin'

The beauty of this girl amazes me.

How'd I get so lucky?

More on Raising a Redneck

Life with Max surely is never dull. Since we've had some really nice days weather-wise, we've spent a lot of time playing outside. One of their Christmas presents was a Monster-traction Jeep. I'm sure I don't have to describe how happy this vehicle makes Max. However, not only does he think this truck is a monster truck, he thinks he is Randy Brown, one of Gravedigger's driver.

Max does a great job at steering the vehicle...right into and onto people and things! He crashed (on purpose) into his slide and ran over his sister (sadly, on purpose, too). After both crashes I said, "Max are you okay? You can't do that!". His response, "It's okay, Mom. I'm Randy Brown."

I wish I had pictures or video of his latest attempt, but Mark and I were too busy laughing our butts off to grab a camera. He had another one of his ride on toys out in the yard and proceeded to ride his Jeep right on top of the other car - just like the monster trucks do. While he was literally teetering in the air, I screamed, "Max are you okay?" He fist-pumped, yelled "YES! I'm Randy Brown!".

It's a good thing we have lots of land around the house. I think we'll give Max the yard to play in while the rest of us wait safely on the deck.

Easter Fun

It's the biggest day in Max and Jillian's life since Christmas and their birthday! With Easter quickly approaching, our house is abuzz with anticipation. To kick off Easter week, we spent the weekend doing fun Easter events. On Saturday morning, we headed out to a local Easter Egg Hunt. The twins collected lots of goodies, plus had their face painted, decorated a cupcake and colored eggs. On Sunday, our church held both an Easter Egg Hunt as well as an Easter Basket Auction for kids. The 1-4 year old section was packed, but they did well in collecting more Easter treats. They also cleaned up at the auction; they won four baskets total! This morning, we made our Easter countdown chart. Just six more days until the big furry bunny visits!

It's funny thinking back to last Easter. We decided that the Easter bunny would be taking their binkies in exchange for their Easter baskets. What in the world were we thinking? The kids were miserable (and as a result so were mommy and daddy) last Easter. They didn't sleep well since they didn't have their binkies and had a hard time without them the next day. I guess we have lots to make up for this year as we celebrate this Easter season.

Raising a Redneck

Last weekend, Mark and I surprised Max with a trip to see Monster Jam. We told him the week before that we were taking him on a special trip - just the three of us - while Jillie spent the day with my parents.

For anyone who has spent even a few minutes with Max, his love of all things monster trucks is pretty clear. This kid lives for Gravedigger, Blue Thunder, Maximum Destruction, Avenger...really, the list is at least 30 trucks long. So, when we heard that Monster Jam was coming to the Wilkes-Barre area, we had to get our tickets. We were lucky enough to score tickets for "Party in the Pits", a pre-show opportunity to get up close and personal with the trucks and the drivers themselves.

To my surprise, the event was a pretty wholesome, family friendly event. I was worried it would be a drunk fest, but really there were very few people there without a kid in tow. We stood in line for a chance to see Gravedigger and meet the driver, Randy Brown. He signed a hat, pennant and a truck for Max and took a picture with us. (Max's sweaty fingers erased the autograph on the truck on the way home...but Max still asks to play with the "Gravedigger that the driver colored on".) And while I wasn't exactly expecting diva behavior from a monster truck driver, I did imagine these guys to be more "tough guys" than the "teddy bears" they really are. Not only did they meet with loads of people before the show, there was an announcement made that they would stay and sign autographs after the show until "every last autograph is signed". Try and find that at a Mariah Carey concert.

Max, who is clearly turning into our little redneck, had an absolute blast at the show. It was pretty loud for his little ears, but smart planning by daddy had him pretty well protected. It's been over a week now, and he still hasn't stopped talking about all the trucks he saw...and the jumps...and the wheelies...

So, Redneck Max's love for the big loud trucks is going strong...I'm just hoping he doesn't ask for a mullet anytime soon.

My Blown Cover

As record snowfalls hit our area yesterday, Mark was lucky enough to have the day off. It's very rare that we all spend an entire day in our house together, as weekends are usually spent rushing around somewhere. Besides having another adult in the house for company, I was hoping that Mark would get a little taste of my day.

More often than not, my day goes somewhat like this:

"Mommy, I want orange juice."
"Mommy, get me chocolate milk."
"Mommy, I have to pee."
"Mommy, I have to poop."
"Mommy, get me my monster trucks."
"Mommy, I want to play downstairs."
"Mommy, I want to play upstairs."
"Mommy, mommy, mommy."
*cry, cry, cry*
*whine, whine, whine*

And that's all in the first five minutes of waking up.

And then he wonders why I'm exhausted and crabby when he gets home from work.

Game on, buddy. Now you get to spend a day in the life.

I don't know if the kids were hypnotized into real life snow angels by the falling flakes, but they certainly didn't live up to their Mamma's barbarian hype yesterday.

From the moment they woke up, they played so nicely and independently. No fighting, crying, whining. They shared. They spoke nicely to each other. They painted the dining room. Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration. But they were little angels. They even took a 3 hour long nap. I had to wake them for supper.

"Wow, you have it tough here." Mark said, around 5PM, as we lazily laid around watching trash TV for a second hour.

"Really, it's nothing like this. Trust me." I pleaded.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Way to go, guys. Thanks for blowing my "you-don't-know-how-hard-it-is-all-day" cover. Couldn't you have saved your angelic performance for a day when it's just Mommy?

Oooohhh, gotta run. Jillian's calling for her dolls and Max just took all the stuffing out of a pillow.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...and the house a whole lot cleaner

Today I was lucky enough to have a day to myself, courtesy of my in-laws. I dropped the kids off at 9AM and as I sit here nearly 6 hours later, I'm exhausted from my whirlwind day.

Instead of jetting off to the spa or to the mall, I spent the day cleaning. It was much easier to clean without two little ones at my feet, or to stop to referee every 15 minutes, or to examine the loud bang in the next room. However, I miss the little buggers. Maybe I subconsciously planned this day to see how the three of us would do without each other for a day, in anticipation of my inevitable return to work. I called my mother-in-law three times today and each time she revealed what fun they were having. Meanwhile, I'm covered in dust-bunnies and have a scar from a battle with a non-cooperating tension rod.

Life at home with the kids is bizarre. There are so many days when I wish I could get a break from them, but now that I have the time apart from them, I want them here. There have been so many days when I wonder what it would be like if I worked away from the home full time, but I have to keep on telling myself that this situation is fleeting. But, for now, I'm thankful for an abbreviated break from the kiddos, but look forward to seeing their smiling faces in just a few short minutes. I think we'll all appreciate each other just a wee bit more today!

Pierced!

After months of gentle prodding by Jillian, and more than a few times of my backing out, Jillian finally got her ears pierced tonight.

She had been asking for this for at least a year. I told her when she was potty-trained we would get them done for her. She became potty-trained and I still wasn't ready, so I told her when she was three she could have them done. Since her third birthday has come and gone, and she still seemed more than eager for earrings, we decided tonight was the night. She, along with her big cousin Ava, made the trek to the mall for the big event.

Both girls did absolutely great. Neither one of them cried, or flinched even. And, they did each ear individually instead of both at the same time. She's so proud of herself and I'm proud of her too!

*******

I'm always chuckling at the things Max and Jillian say. It seems like they always have some sort of story to tell. The best part is that they love doling out compliments and I, of course, am always willing to take them - especially if they come from these two. Tonight, Jillian and I were cuddling in bed. She started stroking my eyebrows. She said: "Your eyebrows. They are so beautiful on you." Adorable, right? "They look just like Pappap's". Thanks a lot, kid. Needless to say, I'm going to find a place to get them waxed first thing in the morning!

A letter to little tikes CEO, my hero

Dear little tikes CEO,

Thank you for inventing the little tikes bounce house. In just one day alone, you have brought peace to our family. No other toy has entered our house thus far and kept the attention of our twins for THREE WHOLE HOURS! Sure, the hum of the fan continually blowing air to keep the bounce house bounceable is mildly mind-numbing and my living room looks like Knoebels, but it's a price I'll gladly pay to avoid being the Gravedigger monster truck for the 7,943th time. Or to reenact the ending to Cinderella for the 9,241th time. As I write this letter, our twins are slumbering as they are completely exhausted from a morning of bouncing. I'm excited about the possibilities the bounce house will bring to our happy home. Maybe they can bounce while I read a book. Paint my nails. Make a quiche. Talk on the phone. Paint the downstairs. Okay, maybe I am getting a bit carried away, but I just love the brilliance of our own bounce house.

Keep up the good work,

Jenn K.

Seriously, what a fabulous idea we had for Max and Jillian's 3rd birthday present. While a bit enormous in size, this bounce house is an incredible occupier! While we have it set up in the house for their birthday today, it'll be great for spring and summer outside activities (and just test me to see if I won't keep it in the house just a wee bit longer).

Besides bouncing the day away, we did make time for our Kindermusik class this morning, where we shared birthday cupcakes with their classmates. Tonight, we'll have a little celebration with Mammam and Pappap, Grammy and Poppop, Auntie and Uncle Nate, Emma, Ava and Colton. Jillie is already asking if she can hold Colton and sing "Up on the Housetop" to him. Hopefully, her birthday wish will be granted.

We're back....

...wow! Three amazing years have gone by since I've added anything to this blog. But I've decided to resurrect it; I'm not a scrapbooker and feel a bit guilty that I don't have anything like a scrapbook to show the kids as they get older (the thousands of pictures I've taken and stored in albums and boxes do count for something, right?). But as I was preparing today for Jillian and Max's 3rd birthday tomorrow, I thought that now is as good a time as any to start bedarrest up again. The name of the blog "bedarrest" might not have relevance right now - though a mandated day to stay in bed and do nothing is certainly welcomed in my book! I hope this blog becomes a fun way to document our days and our milestones as the twins go from being toddlers to preschoolers.