"How Old Are You Today?" "I'm Good"

Guess who turned three years old this month?

We had a small family party at home because Josh had the flu. They each picked out their birthday cake mixes at the grocery store; Michael chose chocolate and Sam chose fun-fetti. They were sooo excited about the cakes! I don't think they understood that they would be getting presents until the moment came and then they were absolutely besides themselves with excitement! It was so fun to watch them open each package and squeal and shout! They have been in love the the movie "Cars" since they got it for potty training achievements this summer but haven't had any toys to go along with it. We decided to make it a "Cars" birthday and gave them models of the characters from the movie and a couple of action toys.

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Our favorite part is when Michael squeals upon opening the present. The joy was tangible. We were sad to see that he fell off of the bench while we were singing to Sam. We didn't even notice it until we watched the video! Michael didn't understand the "How old are you" question and kept telling us he was "good" instead of "three." It cracked us up.

They share the toys and play with them together, all day long. In the morning they skip coming to find me and head straight for their new toys. They ask me once a day if they get to keep them forever!

Something snapped on that very day and they've had some accomplishments since turning three. Sam decided he didn't need to sleep in a diaper and woke up dry for three nights. Michael has started dressing and undressing himself as much as he can and they have both ditched the sippie cups. I told them we were giving them to the sippie cup fairy who would give them to babies who needed them, but they were in the cabinet until yesterday and they never asked for them.

There are more milestones that seem to coincide with this birthday, but I can't think of them right now. I am loving my three year olds. They are so helpful, funny, and loving. They are kind to each other, bright, eager, and endearing. We are looking forward to a very exciting Christmas and Sunbeams in the new year!

Happy birthday to my miracle boys. You continue to bring joy and light into our home and hearts daily!

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

This Thanksgiving we had a lot to be thankful for. All of Josh's family came to be together at our house. There were twelve adults, two "big" kids, four two year olds, and three babies.

How does a pregnant mother of twins prepare for this? Well in advance! I started in August. I dedicated a section of my notebook to the event and began planning where everyone would sleep, how many pack n' plays, towels and pillows we needed, and what we would all eat for the 10 nights we would have guests. Two families had to stay in hotels.

Here was our menu:
Saturday: pasta with chicken and asparagus.
Sunday: meatloaf
Monday: chicken enchiladas
Tuesday: shredded beef tacos
Wednesday: lasagna
Thursday: turkey, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry salad, rolls, stuffing, peas and carrots, and pies - apple, banana cream, cherry, and pumpkin
Friday: picnic of sandwiches for lunch, dinner out
Saturday: three batches of waffles, fried mashed potatoes and bacon for breakfast; beef brisket for dinner
Sunday: leftovers

All had sides, salads and desserts. Are you stuffed yet? Here are the varieties of milk we had: whole, 2%, skim, Lac*taid whole, and rice milk.

To budget my money at energy, I began buying for this event in August. One red curtain panel a month at Bed, Bath & Beyond with their 20% off coupon, roasts from Costco (did you know you can buy bigger quantities of meat for cheaper if you talk to the butcher?), crisco, butter, three ten-pound bags of flour, cereal, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry and dishwasher detergent, Thanksgiving stickers for the kids, dessert plates from the dollar bins at Target. The boys and I shopped all over town, all the time to find the different deals on things we needed. I borrowed an extra gravy boat, cookie sheet, serving bowls and spoons, and pack n' play. I counted how many matching goblets I had and figured out how many adults and kids would need to sit at each table to make all of the dishes match. I checked my list of supplies, groceries, and scheduled food purchases and cooking each night before I went to bed and each morning before I got out of bed. Josh took me out on his birthday and forbade me from speaking about Thanksgiving! It was hard! I was admittedly obsessed.

Then, the cooking began. I did a little each day, for a long time. I made two lasagnas, two ice cream pies, two enchilada casseroles, four dozen crescent dinner rolls, a double recipe of mint-frosted brownies ahead of time and froze them in my friend's garage freezer with the brisket and two pot-roasts we never ate. I also made Lucia buns because I knew I would be too tired to make them after Thanksgiving with the boys' birthday the day before Lucia day.
The family trickled in. First Ben and Kristy arrived from Idaho with their two kids. Noah is just Sam and Michael's age. They played well together until the house got a little crazy, then it was each man for himself. Here they are all looking at the garbage truck outside! Little boy bonding at its best.
The next group was John and Brittany from Philadelphia, and Sarah and Shawn with their girls from Seattle. My boys were in heaven playing all kinds of imaginary games with these girls! I wish I had pictures of the roaring princess lion and the hunters, but you'll just have to imagine it for yourself! Lots of running and screaming was involved. Fortunately, the weather was mild and they were all able to play outside until the very last day.

On Tuesday morning we took the kids to "Fairytale Town" which was sadly closed. The kids didn't mind, though, and chased squirrels up trees for a good hour before we went to a playground where Michael soiled his pants near a restroom with running water, but mud on the floor and no soap. Gross.
Next up, lunch at In-N-Out. I actually ate one and a half cheeseburgers which may help account for the stomach trouble I had that night after our too spicy shredded beef tacos at home. On Wednesday, Josh took the day off work and led an expedition to San Francisco. I stayed at home to bake the fruit pies and make the cranberry salad and sweet potatoes, and to rest because I had been up for two hours with tummy troubles in the night! The gang went to the Golden Gate Bridge park, a beach where the two year olds all ran into the water and got wet, sandy and cold, and then got stuck in traffic making their 90 minute drive home something more like three hours. Mary and Eddie arrived that evening in time for dinner with their adorable baby.
I called my gourmet brother that night and got some advice on the turkey. The next morning I woke up at 6:45 to start chopping celery, carrot, and red onion. I sauteed this in a stick of butter, added salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and sage and put it in and around our 19 pound turkey. Then I brushed the turkey with another stick of butter and rubbed it with a mix of salt, pepper, marjoram, and paprika. The final step was to stick a bunch of chopped fresh parsley onto the butter, cover the ends of the drumsticks with aluminum foil, put it in the oven until the thigh meat registered 180 degrees on a meat thermometer and hope for the best! It was done about an hour before we wanted to eat, but that turned out to be for the best. It sat while everyone helped me set the tables (one in the kitchen, and one in the family room), peel 15 pounds of potatoes, keep up with the dishes, and keep the kids busy doing Thanksgiving crafts.
Josh's parents arrived at the airport an hour before dinner. They walked into the house full of family and food and sat down to our feast. I was so happy looking at my family enjoying their meal. It was all worth it!
Even the youngest member of the family enjoyed the turkey. Just kidding.
It was a real Thanksgiving Day. Getting up early and smelling like sauteed celery and onion, I really felt like my mom. The food was good and all hot and ready at the same time. The men-folk did the dishes, we had a nice family meeting around the fireplace (with the windows open because it was WAY too hot inside!), and then pie before everyone started to put kids down. The younger couples (I can't believe that doesn't include me on his side of the family) stayed up playing games by the fireplace so we made some hot chocolate late that night before going to bed. It was all so festive and cozy and it all worked out! Here's a little flavor of the dinner:

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I went to bed that night feeling a huge weight off my shoulders and a huge accomplishment under my belt.

Friday we tried Fairytale Town again with the kids, with success. That night Grandma and Pepaw babysat all nine kids while the rest of us went out to dinner. Then everyone had a big breakfast/ brunch here Saturday morning before some of them began leaving for home. Mary and Eddie left Sunday morning and Josh's parents left Monday at noon.

It was a full week and I expected to and did get sick afterward, but with tons of leftovers in the fridge and very tired boys, we were able to just hang out at home for a long time.

We were so thankful every one could come. It was wonderful to hear the cousins all playing together and to strengthen relationships with each one.

I had a lesson in event planning and felt very blessed it was all a success. So, "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come!" to Sacramento anytime!

Heart Melting

Overheard at breakfast today:

Sam: Michael, let's give a big hug.
Michael: OK

Pause

Sam: You are sweet.
Michael: You are too.


My heart is melting!

Thanksgiving post coming soon.

Keeping Busy

So when I haven't been shopping or planning or cooking for our upcoming Thanksgiving week for twenty-one, here is a bit of what I've been up to.

This is my one and only Halloween picture. We took tons of them, but Sam deleted them all when he was holding the camera that night. So, here's my Pumpkin with our jack-o-lanterns. One was mean and one was nice. Our street was fairly light on trick-or-treaters but we went out with some friends on their busy, busy street. There was two way traffic on the sidewalk; I've never seen such a crowd. The boys got their loot and Michael fell asleep in the car on our drive home! Sam stayed up a little while and helped us hand out some candy to a few older kids who stopped by our place.

On Josh's birthday last week we went out and left the boys with a sitter. When we got home, this is what I found: bedroom light on and both asleep in the same crib. I guess they were a little lonely! It was sad and sweet. Sam's legs are on top of Michael, but he didn't seem to mind. Josh's birthday was fun, even if the whipped cream on top of his chocolate cream pie was rancid! He was a good sport.Here's Josh and Michael having a snack after church. Sam was asleep and Michael got to hang out with Dad all by himself for a couple of hours. It was a real treat for us all! He helped with some things around the house and generally followed Dad around like a little puppy dog.
And here is a slice of my life. Every day I get a bit schizophrenic acting out all of the princesses the boys ask me to be. I take turns being Princess Leia, Ariel, Princess Aurora, Ursula the Sea Witch, Maleficent, Maleficent as a dragon, and the blue fairy. Did I miss any? Probably, but you get the point. Usually they take turns being characters but once in a while they both have to be the same thing. Then we have Jack and "The Other Jack" from "Jack and the Bean*stalk", or, like below, we have Prince Phillip and "The Other Prince Phillip" complete with red capes tied around their necks. Listen to toddler heaven:



The best part is that then they kiss me to wake me up and we dance together and get married.

It's a Girl!

We had our ultrasound appointment today and the baby is a girl! We both had feelings like it might be a girl, but you never know until you see for yourself! We are so excited. Sam has been saying it's "Baby Anna" all along. Looks like he's right!

Younglings

Saturday was our ward Trunk or Treat party. We held it in the church parking lot. I have never been to an outdoor Halloween party in my life. I wore short sleeves and there were mosquitoes. The leaves are turning here and it's in the 70's. I think I'm going to enjoy the mild winter after all.

Michael and Sam are obsessed with Star W*ars and act it out all day long. "Don't destroy my planet Tatooine!" "I will knock down Darth Vader and then he will die." "He's nice when he takes off his mask. He's my dad." It is hilarious. I told a friend and she pulled out these two Jedi Knight shirts and belts she made a few years ago for her own boys. I was so excited! Halloween - Done! Josh picked up a couple of lightsabers and we were ready to go.

Imagine their excitement when there was a real Darth Vader at the party! Fortunately this five year old was kind enough to pose and play with the boys. Michael then spent the rest of the night chasing him around the party! He was in heaven and really thought he was Luke Sky*walker. He ran up and down the shrubs at the edge of the parking lot following a parade of older kids dressed as super heroes and other Star W*ars characters. We had to keep an eye on him, but he stayed busy defending the universe.


Sam was a little put off by the tweeners in masks and scary costumes and preferred spending his time with his friend from nursery.

Here they are with her older sister chaperoning in the middle. He asks to play with them almost every day and was happy to escort, and follow, her about at the party. Because they are wearing the same costume, they are officially "Younglings", young Jedi's in training, although they will tell you Michael is Luke Sky*walker and Sam is Han Solo. Sam gets to kiss me, Princess Leia, that way. Everyone's a winner! I wanted to get Princess Leia costume, but ran out of steam. Fortunately there were two other Princess Leia's at the party!
Together we'll destroy the Death Star and save the Princess!

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Leading the Rebellion is a real confidence booster and sure makes you hungry for some candy!

Josh was one of three chili judges and ate 15 different kinds of chili. Guess who won first prize?
Me!

Recipe follows:
Brown 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, 1 clove minced garlic, and 1/2 c. finely chopped onion.
Drain.

Add:
Two 16 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained.
Two 16 oz. cans dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed.
One 16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed.
1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. red wine vinegar

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at least 30 minutes.

Add:
3 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. ground thyme
Simmer at least an additional 30 minutes.

Happy Halloween!

The Music Man

After a good night's sleep and on a more positive note I proudly present Professor Harold Hill!

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Pet Peeve

None of you are offenders, so I shouldn't post this here, but I am so tired of hearing the following when I am out with the boys:

Wow. You sure have your hands full!
I bet they keep you busy!

Yes I do and yes they do. I am sure we all cause quite a scene when we go out. They run away, they scream, they do what two-year-old boys do, and twice as much of it. It's gotten worse since they've given up naps and are generally unfit to live with after 3pm, but outings must be taken and errands must be run.

I'm sure it's exacerbated by the fact that I have had a lot of cramping and try to avoid picking them up. Even if that weren't the case, I can't pick them both up at the same time anymore, so that defeats the purpose.

What will they say when I have number three?

Vacation is Good for the Soul

I think everyone knows now that I am pregnant.

I really should dedicate a post entirely to that, but to save time I won't. We invested 2 emotional months and we have another miracle on the way. I am 12 weeks along and due on April 6. How special is that? The boys were due near Christmas, and this baby is due near Easter. We feel so blessed and are grateful beyond measure.

That said, I've been feeling sick and tired and when Josh said he was going to Washington for a week, I asked him if I could come along.

We spent the first several days with Grandma and Pepaw where we all got spoiled to death. I took 2 hour naps every day! I had my meals made for me, my laundry done, and my boys taken care of. I could feel the exhaustion and nausea fading away. I soaked in the sights of the green trees and the sounds of the singing birds. Our house has pigeons, but it's not quite the same.
Here the boys are feeling Tio's (Uncle John) and Pepaw's whiskers.
Then we piled into the rental car and drove down to D.C. I met my friend and her baby at the mall where we let the kids play on the indoor playground. It was cool and rainy and I was in heaven again! Who knew I would miss rain!
In D.C. we stayed the first couple of nights downtown with Josh in his hotel. We took the boys to see the Washington Monument, which they still pronounce "Mommy-ment." We took them to the Capital Building. I couldn't believe I had worked there for a year. It is the most spectacular, uplifting building and I didn't want to leave.

In front of the Supreme Court Building.

Next stop was the National Gallery of Art. I was so happy to be there! I used to walk there on my lunch break from the Senate and take docent tours. This time we took the boys to see an exhibit on Armor. They were in heaven! They love playing knights and were thrilled to see some suits of armor for knights and their horses. We ate lunch in the cafeteria and bought them toy knights and horses, one of which is already lost. This is the fountain in the cafeteria.
Sunday we spent with the Lowe's. Matt gave his homecoming talk in church and it was just like old times to eat Sunday dinner with them and spend the afternoon at their house. Michael and Sam have been arguing over who gets to marry their cousin Lydia.


It was a special treat to visit my friend Melanie. I met her over two years ago while we were both walking our babies around our apartment complex parking lot. Actually, we were both walking to the near-by grocery store for some social interaction with the employees there! She has been and continues to be a huge blessing in my life. Somehow we just "get" each other. She is a comfort to my soul and I hated to leave her! Her daughter played with my boys like they had never been apart and sat on my lap for half an hour being a cat. Her new son is sweet and good tempered and we had a great visit together over her homemade chicken soup and mixed berries with yogurt.

On the airplane out and back, Josh sat with the boys and let me rest. I read a book. I thought deep thoughts. I thought. I listened to the quiet. I listened to my boys chattering away a few rows behind me and I smiled.When I got home I felt rejuvenated. I have been cleaning everything that has been dirty for the last 4 months while I haven't been feeling well. I think this is the first time I've cleaned out my fridge when I wasn't moving, just for my own enjoyment. I put up our fall decorations and changed around a few of the pictures on our walls and am feeling more and more at home here. On our trip, my prayer was that I would come home and not be homesick for D.C. anymore. My prayer was answered and I feel more confident and sure of myself than I have in a long time.

Now, on to enjoying my second trimester and blooming where I'm planted.

I*KEA

I have a strange relationship with I*KEA. I most often go strictly for the cinnamon rolls, as I did today. With my Swedish background, I always hope I will find red candlesticks with hand painted white flowers, or some Dalarna hesta - painted toy horses. Instead, I find very functional and modern home goods.



I occasionally buy something. I think I have a stool, some plastic food containers, a salad bowl, and we did get some of their bookcases, but other than that, I lack the vision for putting their items together to look cute. I find myself looking at the giant murals of Smaland and Dalarna with Swedes dressed in traditional costumes and thinking to myself, WHY can't they just sell some things that remind me of that! Where is the Carl Larsson section? Why don't they sell the wooden Swedish flags that decorate the tables where we eat our smothered meatballs? I sigh with a homesickness for my family, precious traditions, and a father-land I lived in but don't remember.

On most visits, I ususally shop for about ten minutes before I begin getting a tension headache and have to try not to curse at my children because I am hopelessly lost and trapped in a maze of brightly colored plastic and low thread count linens. I can't find the check out fast enough for my wildly screaming children who hate the sensory overload of the downstairs Marketplace.

Today, I wanted to look at some curtains for our family room and thought it would be nice to get the boys a snack at the same time - the cinnamon rolls! It's hot today and they both wanted ice cream cones when they saw the pictures hanging above the cash register. While they've had plenty of ice cream in their short lives, they've never eaten it on a cone. I didn't know what kind of a mess they might make but I had a full case of baby wipes in my purse, and plenty of time to burn.

I handed them the cones with more than a little skepticism. I imagined them covered in melted stickiness in no time. They were thrilled with their first licks. I think they actually prefered it over trying to cut ice cream into bites with a spoon. They were covered with a few drips, but I tried to wipe off their chins and lick the cones clean once in a while for them.

You should have seen the priceless look on Michael's face when I said, "Yes, you can eat the cone." It was the same look as when I explained Halloween to him. An enormous smile, wide eyes, and giggeling! I laughed outloud it was so cute. What joy to discover an edible ice cream dish.

Just then, a woman who had been sitting at a nearby table walked up to me and handed me two dollars. She said she had been enjoying watching us and that she was happy to see well behaved children enjoying a treat instead of misbehaving children being rewarded with a treat. (Good thing she didn't see them in the car on the way to the store!) She wouldn't take the money back and insisted I use it to buy them another treat another time when we're out together.

In that small act, she gave me a huge boost in my mothering self confidence! What a simple thing to give a mother a compliment, but it made my day.

So , I didn't find any traditional Swedish folk art, or curtains, but I did find a renewed determination to actually be the kind of mom she thinks I am. That came in handy just now when I had to clean up the world's most disgusting potty training mess to date.

Thank you, kind stranger!

BTW, I found this website with some fun Swedish things for sale.

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot

When we moved to Sacramento in January we were ecstatic about the sunshine and mild temperatures. Then the rain and fog moved in until April and we got moody and were promised that once it ended we would have blue skies until November. We were told it would be hot this summer. We were skeptical. How hot could it be without humidity?

Hot. It turns out that even without humidity, 106 degrees is too hot to go outside. So, what do we do?
Slumber party pre-bedtime fun watching "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" courtesy of Aunt Becky. Now if I could just get Sam to go to sleep in his room at night. I guess it's not nearly as fun as pretending to sleep in a sleeping bag. Honk shhh!

101 missions to space in the rocket ship. 3-2-1! Ignition! Blastoff!
101 races around the world in the ship. Ahoy, Matey! Aye, Cap'in!
(This bin comes in handy. It's main function is actually their bathtub in the tub-less shower stall).

And, of course, a little water.

Or, a lot of water.

Ahoy, Sharkey!

Sam ran through every sprinkler serpentine style and got soaking wet, wiping out occasionally on the slippery mat. Michael actually managed to run around like a maniac without getting wet. He hates baths and avoids water at all costs, even drinking it. He wore one diaper all day today and it wasn't very wet at bedtime. We have serious issues. I guess I'll be giving in to Gatorade tomorrow as he hates Pedialyte!

Then, there was my birthday. I haven't had so much fun in a long time. The boys were giddy with the idea of it being my birthday and started the day singing "Happy Birthday" to me in my bed. Sam sang, "Happy Birthday, dear Kristina" instead of Mommy and we laughed so hard.

After breakfast the boys made my birthday cake with Daddy.

Nothing like a little cake batter after a breakfast of pancakes and syrup . . .
. . . even for Dad.They made it so fun. We got a sitter and went out to see Harry Potter. I love having a summer birthday. So we're keeping cool and trying to keep the boys busy when we can't go to the playground without burning our skin on the hot equipment. We'll just keep it up. I hear it cools off in November!

Quilting USA

I've been busy. The boys still sleep in cribs, but when they move into twin sized beds, I wanted them to have something special from me. Since I didn't make them anything before they were born, I wanted them to have something meaningful to take to their new beds. They have beautiful baby blankets from so many friends who lovingly made them before they were born. Josh's mom hand quilted them each their own baby blanket (she does one for each grandchild). Each night when I tuck them in, I put Grandma's quilt on them and say it's full of her love and so they're all snuggled up in her love. When they move into their new beds, they can still snuggle in Grandma's love, but my love will be there too in these quilts.

I have never quilted before. That's why these are made up of squares and not some complicated design. I did make up the patterns myself on Excel and planned out how much fabric I would need of each color using an equation I came up with. It kind of hurt my brain a little, but my algebra teacher, and my mother, should be proud.

I'm thinking of turning them into duvet covers instead of actually binding and quilting them together. I hope it turns out alright. That will require I learn how to do button holes. They're made of mostly the same fabrics, but in two different designs so if they're in the same room they'll match, but still be unique, just like them.

The boys have been good sports while I've been cutting and sewing. I've been sneaking it in during Sesame Street and after they're in bed at night. Once I put on "Anne of G*reen Gables" and they watched some of it while I sewed. Michael even began pretending he was Gilbert Blithe.

Once I have side borders and backs sewn on, I'll need a new project, maybe I'll try parenting!