Editing the Narrative

Word is a lot of folks doctor up their pictures to present a more perfect narrative of their lives for the world to see on social media.

Perfect seats. Center. No big heads in front of us.

I thought about that last night.

I wanted to post these pictures to Facebook of our family outing to see The Nutcracker.

For years I've been wanting to take the kids to see this show. Every year I say, "Maybe next year they'll be old enough to enjoy it." Well, we've gone to several movies, plays, and family POPS performances, and the children have been able to sit through each and have even enjoyed them. And Kate is in dance class! So, this was our year.

The lights dim, the curtains begin to rise, all of Music Hall is quiet. The only sound to be heard is....that of an entire box of skittles hitting the floor. Sounded like a million marbles on the run.

And I could smile because it wasn't my kids who were responsible. It was that poor lady a couple of rows back. I feel your pain, Mama.

Nope, my precious children sat there like good little angels. I was thrilled and very much looking forward to seeing their faces light up for the Rat King.

We were about 10 minutes in when Julian asked, "When's this going to be over?" And a few minutes later, Kate declared herself to be "bored" and asked, "why isn't there any talking in this movie." And then a minute after that, Jonas was laying across the seats looking miserable. They get their lack of appreciation for the theater from their Dad by the way.

Not even a chuckle for the Rat King!!!

The only time they were happy during the show.

Act 1 ended and the lights came on for intermission. For the first time since the show started, I saw joy on their faces. Jonas jumped up and yelled, "Yay! It's finally over!"

And then my family left me. Doug, Kate, Jonas, and Julian. They filed out of there, and I watched Act 2 all by my lonesome (which was lovely).

So you see, I couldn't post the pictures last night because you needed to hear the whole story.


And to the old broad sitting behind us, you're welcome for the insight on what it's like to take twin 7-year old boys to the ballet. You were right not to bring your grandsons.

Best Brothers

Often times I ask the boys, individually, if we're best friends. They usually say yes, but most likely because they want a Swedish fish. I know I'm not their best friend; they're each other's best friend.

Little Jonas has a lump in his throat. We had to visit the doctor twice last week. (He's fine.)

On Tuesday, I left work early to take Jonas to the doctor. I asked Rachel to have him ready so we could head out as soon as I got there.  I went into the house to get him and was greeted by a sad little Julian. If you could've seen his face. So pitiful. "What's wrong, buddy?" I asked, knowing full well what the problem was. "My head hurts. I need to go to the hospital with Jonas."

I made him stay at home, and it broke my heart. He watched us leave from the living room window. He had on that little face he makes when you know he wants to breakdown, but he's trying to be brave.

On Thursday, Jonas had to go back to the doctor. This time, I took Jules with us. I walked into the house and once more I was greeted by a sad brother. "What's wrong, Jules?" Today, it was his elbow that hurt and needed medical attention. "Alright," I said, "I reckon you should go see the doctor with us." You would've thought we were going to Disney World! Both boys were so happy!

They had everyone at the doctor's office gushing over them. They were holding hands walking down the hall. Giving each other hugs and high 5s. Trading hot wheels cars. You know, brother stuff.

Here's to hoping they remain close always. I love my little best friends.

Brothers waiting on banana muffins.

Enjoying a lunch out. 

Just holding hands, strolling through the aquarium.

School Update

Before spring break, the boys were having somewhat of a tough time at school. They were having separation anxiety. Not from Mom and Dad, but from each other. The teachers communicated this to us, delicately, trying not to destroy my soul. However, they did share a sad story about how the boys would sometimes go to a shared door/window in their respective classrooms and call out to each other. Pretty sad stuff for a Mommy to hear. BUT, I still think it is good for them to be independent, at least for a few hours a day.

To help with the separation anxiety, the teachers recommended reading the book A Kissing Hand for Chester Raccoon with the boys. Have you heard of this book? It is awesome. Go buy it now. Such a darling story. The best part about this book is that is makes my little boys suuuper lovey-dovey. Doug and I snuggle in bed with them to read. Julian will rub our faces, look at us, and say, "Mom, gimme a hug! Dad, gimme a hug! I love my family!" Most precious thing ever. 

They returned to school this week, and have had a wonderful transition. Here are some action shots and a few words from their teachers.

Jonas had another wonderful day. He is making many new friends and adapting well to our classroom rules and procedures.He enters the classroom with a smile, eagerly greeting his friends and transitions nicely into his morning work cycle. Today he chose to start his day with the necklace making activity. He will be attending music tomorrow, he enjoys singing with Ms. Lissa! 

Julian has had another nice few days.  He comes into the classroom happily and is able to complete his tasks with independence.  Julian participated in more lessons today and chose independent work. Today, he seemed surprised when I told him it was time to go home. This is a good sign! He seems to be building that endurance we talked about. Here he is refining his fine motor skills and one to one correspondence with bean transfer.

Jonas has had a wonderful week. As you can see he has busily worked on many different works throughout the week. He is also building his social skills by collaborating with friends to complete puzzles and other activities.

Here is a great sequence where Julian prepared himself a snack. He is so eager to be independent :)

Color Me Mine

Last Saturday, Kate and her brothers explored their artistic sides and painted some pottery.

Uncle Dacian and his Dad, Jim,  went along with us to help out and have some fun.  We had a fabulous time. Kate and I painted a snake. Jonas and Dacian painted a frog. Julian and Jim painted a lizard.

I've got to find a sweet spot in the house to display my lovely new pieces.

The finished works. 

All painted and ready to fire! 

Artists at work. 

Another School Update

Geometry Jules.

On Friday, the boys completed their first full week of preschool. Sadly, the morning started off much like it had the previous days: the boys cried at drop-off. I don't know how Doug does it. I would be a heart-broken mess.

But, at least they cheer up pretty quickly.

A note from Julian's teacher:

We wanted to share what a great day Julian had. While he was upset getting out of the car, he stopped shortly after entering the classroom. Julian participated in more lessons today and is beginning to learn how to choose his own work independently. He showed off his geometry skills this morning telling us all about triangles, squares and circles :)

And one from Jonas's teacher:

It looks like these are the same pictures but, they are not.  This is just a work Jonas enjoys daily.  Look at his concentration when squeezing the sponge. Also he is learning the sequence of the activity.  He cleaned the table without any direction.

He may cry some when he comes to school but settles in shortly after school starts.

Very focused.

It's been a treat talking to them all week about their days at school. Friday, though, was the best. I asked Julian what he did, and he said, "I made new friends." So sweet. And when I looked in their backpacks, Jonas had a picture in his that he drew with a friend. Whoever his friend was, he/she drew AT-ATs for him; that's a good buddy.


While the boys were hard at work at school, Kate was playing King of the Castle on her puppy dog throne.

She went along with Rachel to pick up the boys and scored a free donut hole at Dunkin Donuts. Working that charm!

Next week, Doug gets to go to an event at school with the boys, "Donuts with Dad." I can't express enough how jealous I am.

At the Dentist

The dudes had a successful trip to the dentist last week where they charmed the socks off of every person in the office. Who would've thought they could be so cooperative? What, with the way they carry on when I try to assist them in teeth brushing activities.

Jonas waltzed in there like he owned the place. Got his teeth all cleaned and was ready to roll within 15 minutes. Jules, on the other hand, was a little more cautious, but after watching his brother, he climbed up in the chair without a problem.

They made sure to schmooze the dentist. Complimenting everything she did. "Oh, wow! So cool." "Yes, that's awesome."

Except the fluoride. To that, Julian said, "Disgusting!"

School Day 3

The studs getting ready for school. Look at those muscles!

Remember yesterday when I proudly posted that Julian, although not super thrilled about school, had yet refused to go? Well, scratch that.

This morning, the poor little feller wanted Doug to take him anywhere but school. He wanted to stay home. When that didn't work, he asked to go to Target. The dude was so desperate, he even asked to go to the hospital. To make matters worse, when he arrived at school and got out of the van, he tried to take his Possum with him, only to be denied.

Luckily, according to his teacher, he did eventually perk up.

"Although he did cry initially getting out of the car, Julian settled down quickly and had a nice work morning.  He participated in more lessons and is beginning to learn the classroom procedures and routines.

We will update you on Friday with how the next few days go.

Thank you for sharing Julian with us!"

Jonas working with sand scooping
at school.

I also received an update on the Bear named Joe.

"Jonas has transitioned well, with only a few tears at the start of his day. He will ask for Julian but once we explain that Julian is next door working he seems to calm and begin engaging in activities. His peers are excited to have him as part of our classroom community and eagerly ask to give him lessons. We will update you again on Friday as to how he is progressing."

I still can't believe my baby boys go to school.

In Case You Were Wondering: School Day 2

Day 2 of school is in the books.

Doug said Julian had another tough morning; he cried when he was dropped off, wanting Doug to carry him and not leave. I'm glad he did not do that yesterday. I'm not sure I would have survived that. The teacher sent an email later in the afternoon that cheered me up a little: 

Julian ended up having a better morning than yesterday. He chose some independent work, worked with a friend, and he seemed to enjoy going to music class.

Julian working on a frog puzzle at school.

At least he doesn't hate it, and he has yet refused to go. Quite the opposite really. He's very positive when he comes home.

According to the boys, they really love school and had a good time today. What did they do today? "Went to the playground. Ate crackers. Washed hands. Went to the playground. Did a frog puzzle. Went to the playground. Read books. Played with friends. Went to the playground." Thus far, I gather their favorite subject is recess!

Since she arrived a few minutes early, Rachel had the opportunity to spy on our boys while they were playing outside. She observed that Julian had a new friend. She also saw how happy the boys were to be reunited, as they repeatedly hugged one another, and waited for each other at the bottom of the slide.

I love those guys.

September 2015

Rewinding to fall 2015 with a few pictures lest we forget all of the fun things that happened at the close of last year.

In September, we went on what has become our annual trip to Charleston, SC. We love it there; especially at this time of the year. Not crowded. Perfect weather. Cheaper rentals. The best.

The drive down was a little painful. It's a 8-9 hour haul, but on this particular Saturday morning, a side of the mountain in nowheresville Tennessee decided to slip, causing a detour that led up the most terrifying holler (non-hill person read: hollow) in existence, and I know a thing or 2 about terrifying hollers. Anyway, everyone was irritated and aggravated and madder than hell. Me being in the worst condition. But we finally made it, and once we were on that balcony overlooking the sea, it was all worth it.

Enter beach photos.

We played cars a lot out on that balcony. That ocean breeze sure felt nice.
I was given a go-cart for the week. Jules and Jonas got all kinds of rides, but I
was always the go-cart.

Like her brothers before her, we were sweating
bullets wondering if Miss Kate would be walking come beach
time. She was of course, because she is perfect. And that strawberry
bathing suit was beyond adorable.

My favorite thing to come of this trip was that these handsome dudes
began telling bedtime stories. "Once upon a time, there were 2 little boys. One
named Julian, one name Jonas, and one named Mom."

  

These 2 had the most fun of all. Grammy and her girl.

Me and my boys on USS Yorktown. A little history while on vacay.

The trio getting ready to destroy the castle Carol and I built.

I think they had a pretty good time. Even if Jonas asked everyday,
"Time to go home?"

We started telling bedtime stories on this vacation, and it is something we still do currently. Sometimes, I have a request for "story about vacation" and it goes something like this:

Once upon a time, there were 2 little boys. One named Julian and one named Jonas, and they had a little sister named Kate. One day, Jonas said, "Hey, Mom, can we go on vacation!" and Mom said, "Sure, go pack your bags and we'll go." So they packed their bags and loaded up the van. Mommy, Daddy, Julian, Jonas, Kate, Grammy, and Rachel drove and drove and drove. They drove through Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and finally South Carolina. When they got to Charleston, they went to their hotel, which had a balcony overlooking the sea. Julian said, "Mom, let's play cars." So, Mom, Julian, and Jonas played cars. Mom was a go-cart. Jonas was a dump truck. Julian was a police car. Then Jonas said, "I've got an idea! Let's go to the beach." So they went. Mommy and Grammy built a big sandcastle. Then, Kate, Julian, and Jonas knocked it down. Soon, Jonas said, "I'm hungry! Let's go eat pizza!" So they did. After pizza, the boys took a bubble bath; then they went to sleep. The next morning, they all drove home! What a wonderful vacation! The end."

The Dudes Go to School

My little dudes started school today. This is very hard for me to comprehend. They are so tiny! But it's happening. They're growing up.

How I'll always see them.

Hanging out with Poss before school.

The scene that almost killed my heart.

Enjoying her time as an only child.

 Jonas at school messing with shaving cream.

Enjoying "breakstaff" for lunch at Frisch's. Jonas had pancakes
and sausage, and Julian had fries and goetta.

After school, we went to the aquarium. Here's Jonas
and Rachel petting a starfish.

Here's Julian guffawing at a shark.

Rounding out the afternoon with some ice cream topped
with strawberries and sprinkles!

I just received an update from the boys' teachers. It seems that Jonas had a pretty great morning and separated easily from his brother. His teacher said he asked to go home toward the end of the morning, but got over it once he heard he was going to play on the playground outside. Julian had a tougher morning and missed his brother. However, at recess, he was reunited with his bro at the playground and that cheered him up. Hopefully, tomorrow will be easier for my little love bugs and they'll become more independent each day.

It was so awesome to hear them talk to each other after I picked them up from school. I think I've heard, "Did you love school, Julian/Jonas? I loved school, too." at least a hundred times.

Off to play outside.

Why Moms Rule

Jules on the slide.

Everyone knows that Moms are awesome. Dads are okay, but Moms are really the best. You might say I am biased because I am a Mom. Even so, Moms do rule, and here are 10 reasons why.

10. She's got that magical bag. Moms' purse is a treasure trove of delights. Oh no, you got a boo-boo? Never fear! Mom has a band-aid in her purse. Hungry? Just a sec, there are some goldfish crackers in here somewhere. Bored? Take these hot wheels, oh, and here's a book. Tantrum time? All is calm once Mom whips out the emergency fruit snacks.

9. Pancakes. Mom makes the best pancakes, and even better, she'll make them for you at the drop of a dime. Just ask.

8. Moms are great storytellers; they even use different voices for each character. And, here's a good trick to remember: If your Mom says, "Okay, guys, only 1 more story, then it's time to go to sleep." Alls you gotta do is say, "I love you, Mom. How about 1 more story? Let's snuggle." And she'll stay until you fall asleep. Works. Every. Time.

7. Her kisses cure the most severe knee scrapes and head bumps.

Kate the Great.

6. She's strong.  

5. Moms are quick to forgive. You can speed up the process with a bear hug. 

4. She's selfless. Mom will give you anything and everything she can. We're talking mega sacrifices here, people (not excluding the biggest sacrifice of hauling you around in utero). Starving Mom's have even been known to give up the last piece of goetta for her little piglets. If that's not love, I don't know what is.

3. That woman is amazingly patient. Of course, it is likely to overhear her muttering her mantra, "I love being a Mom. I love being a Mom." more than a few times a day when things get really hairy. 

2. Moms are great listeners. No matter what you have to say, when you call for your Mother, she is all ears. (She also gives advice...wanted or not.)

1. She gives nothing but unconditional love, and she loves you for you. She will be the only person (or one of a few) who no matter what you do or say will always, always love you. There's nothing too embarrassing or gross you could ever tell her--you've barfed on her, she's cleaned your butt, she knows that you cannot live life without your stuffed possum. You could set a kitty orphanage ablaze and she'd still love you (though she would seek out professional help most immediately; Mom has watched enough Criminal Minds to know that). It's just what Moms do. She is your #1 fan. She even loves you more than Kentucky basketball. She will live her life to make yours

The Bear lining up his cars.

the best it can be and she will love every minute of it.

Go give your Mom a kiss.

A Note to New Parents

Dear Moms and Dads,

Consider these few pearls of wisdom as you begin your journey through parenthood. I've been a Mom for 3 years now. I know nothing, but I've learned and am learning a lot.

Rock your baby to sleep every night. Every night. You'll soon miss it.
The boys got too cool for Mom to rock when they were around 1, and I tell you, it was depressing. I take advantage of rocking my little Monster every night. She hums with me until she falls asleep. It is the most precious thing.

Remember to take lots of pictures and videos and post them to social media on the daily.
Yeah, so people will get annoyed with you and probably block you on Facebook, but who cares? You'll have a timeline of your family's daily life at your disposal whenever you get a hankering to see what you were up this very day 2 years ago. It's awesome. I could spend hours on my own Facebook page just looking at pictures of The Dudes. Oh, and while we're on the topic, please make a point to get in the pictures yourself. You know I hate selfies as much as the next person, but it's incredibly lame to realize too late that you don't have a single picture of yourself with your babies. I had to give myself a talking to fairly recently regarding this very topic--Suck it up, get over yourself and your whole "I'm a beached whale with a red face" self-image problem, a taking an effing picture with your kid. You'll thank me later. They'll thank you later.

You don't have to buy as much crap as you think.
Please. Please, I am begging you. For the love of God, do NOT buy a damn crib bedding set. I'm fired

up about this because I just came across $300 worth of crib bedding that I never even used. Why did I buy that? I wanted everything to be cute and perfect, and failed to realize that you cannot put half of that stuff in/on the crib without causing danger to your child. Let me tell you what you'll need: a waterproof mattress cover and a couple of sheets. Bam. Done. $30. End rant.

Oh, do buy lots of toys. It's fun to spoil your child. No one agrees with me on this topic, but I say you can never have too many hotwheels or books.

If you're a working Mom/Dad, leave the house early.
As in, when the babies are still sleeping. I do this, and it is perfect. If I had to see those little goomers before leaving, I would never get out of the house. This morning, Little Monster was awake. I had to give her to Doug, and she cried. It broke my heart. Sneak out. It's the only way.

Don't buy clothes that you want to keep pristine.
They're going to destroy everything. It's what they do. It kills me when we're out somewhere and I hear a parent tell her kid, "Don't do that, you'll destroy your shirt." Lady, why did you bring them here, dressed in that, if you wanted them to not get dirty? P.S. THEY'RE JUST CLOTHES. Give me a break. Go to freaking Carter's and buy some good ole cotton clothes that can handle some dirt and some wear and deal. End rant 2.

Lay off other parents.
So, I literally just hypothetically judged and yelled at another parent, and now I'm telling you to lay

off other parents. What? Did I ever say I was perfect? Back to my point. We all have different ways of parenting. One bloke might think iPads do nothing but rot children's brains, while another thinks the opposite. One lad might think giving a kid chocolate will turn them into a diabetic, and the other may think buying organic is just marketing. You say tomato, I say tomato. That doesn't really translate here, does it? The point being, worry about raising your kid before you try to raise someone else's. Capiche?

Patience you must have, my young padawan.
I cannot stress this enough. Just practice this mantra, "I love being a Mom. I love being a Mom." Being a parent is the hardest job ever. Your patience will be tested on the daily. But you'll likely survive to tell the tale.

Which leads me to my last tip.

Try to capture the memories.
I know we've already discussed the pictures. Do that. But also try to find time to write down some things. As you know, I cannot craft, so there are no baby books. But! What I do have is this little blog to keep my words forever because the internet never forgets. I get great joy from reliving memories, and maybe my babies will find it amusing some day, too.