Adventures in Potty Land: Day 3

You mean it's not over yet? Really? The novelty has completely worn off to the girls. (I was done about ten minutes into Monday) They are tired of me asking about the status of their nether regions and what may or may not be poised in the froggy pot.

I even broke out the sacred lollipop to lure over them as a reward. Squirt promptly sat down and released the smallest molecule of urine and requested a pop. I felt personally offended that she thought this was the maximum I would require of her. But she had me. I never specified how much she had to use the potty.

The Bunny however insisted that she receive a lolly for doing absolutely nothing! She would not even sit on the froggy potty! But yet she demanded payment. From all the hard work that Squirt had supposedly done. Oh, no. I had to draw the line somewhere. So I made a statement. I drew my own line in the sand at just throwing coveted lollipops around all willy-nilly. These pops had to be earned! And so I had to bear the wailing... for two hours. But at least I won. At least, I think I won. Bunny didn't get the lollipop, but she didn't sit on the potty either. So really, who "won" there?

Ugh.

I am starting to think we're only going to get so far this week. But it feels like I either know how to operate strictly on diapers or strictly on the potty? How do you do both and still, you know, get out of the house to pick up some more formula? (that we are dangerously low on)

I just don't know how this new landscape of precariously (to not-even-closely) potty trained kids looks like! I don't do well with these kinds of changes. I work hard to function so succinctly with the twins. Once I get things down pat, I dig in my heels.

Three Successes

#1: The Bunny left a scarce few drops in the potty while they read books in the bathroom for an hour and a half. I still danced around like a lunatic doling out the M&M's like they were hundred dollar bills. That was before naps.

#2: The Squirt left a puddle of pee in the potty when I moved the potties to the living room and had them watch the Curious George movie and ate their dinners (still on the potty. I know it's gross, and I probably shouldn't admit to that on the internet. But it happened. That's the real, gory life of potty training, I guess.)
I have concluded the only way to get the puddles in the potty and not on my floors is to keep them on the potty 24/7. That seems totally realistic. Totally.

#3: I came to my senses on the boy's clothes! I love threadless, I own a ton of their shirts (none of which I currently fit into, however) and I vaguely remembered they had a kids section. So I checked it out. And can I just tell you- JACKPOT!

Just one of the examples: (and one that I purchased in a speedy minute)

The best part about it? The title of course! Clean Monster. HA!

And don't forget the day the fire brigade went on strike!

and "dandy lions!" Perhaps I need one for the twins and another for baby! I can just see the pictures now!

I love these tees. Little Man will have a ton of these awesome designs lining his closet for sure! None of that "Mommy's Little Slugger" nonsense! This kid's gonna rock!

Adventures in Potty Land: Day 2

Today I am going zen. I am thoroughly exhausted from the chaos that was yesterday. Clearly, I was wound a bit too tight and got a little... dramatic. But today will be different! Today I have a reward (for myself) to get through the day. Once the girls are in bed, there is a nice little pint of Ben & Jerry's Cheesecake Brownie waiting for me. The girls may finally pick up potty training, but I am definitely going to gain 10 lbs.

I am not going to stress about soiled panties- I'm sure I have plenty. And a good strong scented candle helps until the washer is free for another load. Until then, they can chill in the sink.

I think I've finally assembled the essentials so I can quit dashing off to get this, that, or the other while a poor little girl stands there bewildered with messy panties 'round her ankles.

Who wouldn't want to cop a squat on these little cuties? They just look so delighted to be a part of the process!

I miss my little baby boy. He's been farmed out to Grandma's house during the day so I don't completely lose it and run for the hills. This is extremely helpful. But I get all wistful when I see his baby paraphernalia lying around, unused.

Came up with a new plan:
Stuff the kids with liquids- like freezer pops...

And pop them on the potty with a bucket of books.

During naptime I will be dusting off my twin resource guide and re-reading the potty training chapter. Last time I totally skimmed this while plugging my ears, closing my eyes, and chanting "la,la,la,la, not looking! never gonna happen to me! la,la,la,la!"

At the End of the Day

I'm not sure what I expected of this day. I am not sure why I thought I could smack some big girl panties on them and just have them start using the potty! It seems so simple, so elemental! Of course, I understand that it's completely new to them- My head knows that. But every other fiber in my being wants to just shove all of this nonsense away and let them figure it out when they get to high school. Surely they could potty train themselves by then.

I feel utterly battle worn! How is it that parents potty train their kids... like all the time?! (I guess that's why there are a gazillion self-help books on the topic)
I'm really hoping tomorrow will be better. That someone will actually relieve themselves in the froggy potties! Because I am utterly bored! No one is getting it, and we are stuck here until they do! This seems like it could go on forever! I need some hope! (or a stiff drink!)

But even though I am frustrated beyond all reason, aren't they still adorable? I can't help but laugh at how excited they get to put on their "crunchy pants." (Those plastic waterproof pants seem to be from a bygone era)

Adventures in Potty Land: Day 1

Someone please shoot me.

I am convinced that a bullet to the head would be more enjoyable than trying to potty train the twins. Here's a little timeline for you.

8:00-10:30- Talking about where the pee pees and minkies go. How big girls do not need diapers. That big girls get to wear pretty panties.

10:30- Ooooh! We have pretty panties on!

10:31- Mommy finds a puddle on the floor.

10:33- We all want to sit on the potty!

10:35- Yet another puddle.

10:39- Girls seem to be a revolving door in and out of the bathroom.

10:52- Puddle! Puddle! Puddle!

... it just goes on like that. It ends with me slapping a diaper on the girls, putting them down for a nap, and throwing not one, not five, but ten whole wet panties into the washer.

Here's some other stuff that happened today. (I know... there's more! Astounding)

First I find this:
Lovely artwork, girls!

Then I notice this:
Um, girls? We need to keep the caps on the dry-erase pens, k?

Then my eye catches this:
GAH! It's happened again! But worse!

People are quite curious what the "twin language" sounds like. It goes something like this:

Weekend Recap in Pictures

My super fabulous in-laws braved snow, sleet, and all sorts of crazy weather to come bask in some sun and be with us for Little Man's blessing on Sunday.

Babies do not keep adorable shoes on-
so snap pictures fast before they come off for the millionth time.

My three year olds are awesome at croquet:but won't pose for pictures. (I'm looking at you- Bunny!)


My husband plays the piano so beautifully.
I so take it for granted sometimes. But he's awesome.

Babies and Rashes

I finally succumbed and took the baby into the doctor about his face rash. I had tried everything and nothing was even making a dent. We switched formulas, tried lotions, oils, more and less baths, etc. But by Tuesday, one side of his face was just raw. It was gut wrenching to look at. So I broke down and called the doctor.
Turns out, Little Man has a very severe case of eczema. And it's very itchy, apparently. (poor, poor baby!) He has been suffering from this horrible itchy rash for weeks now! And I thought it was just baby acne. (Could I smack my own hands with a rod?) I feel just terrible about it.
The doctor recommended I slather his face with... vaseline. (I know- ewwww) Now he's got a slimey head. After a couple days of doing this, I saw a dramatic difference, though- like night and day. I really hope this clears up before Sunday so I can skip a day of vaselining my son's head and dress him up all handsome to show him off.

I found some rather unorthodox ideas for treating eczema and thought I'd share those as well:

- A study published in the May 2009 issue of Pediatrics tested treatments on kids with eczema ages 6 months to 17 years. They found that soaking for five to ten minutes twice a week in a diluted bleach bath (1/2 cup bleach per full standard-size tub) was five times more effective at treating eczema than plain water (used by the placebo group). The improvement was so dramatic that researchers stopped the study early to allow children in the placebo group to get relief with the method. (this tops the list of the weirdest things I've found to treat eczema)

- Many experts now believe that daily bathing can be helpful for babies with eczema. Just don't make the water too warm, because very warm water dries out the skin faster than lukewarm water.

- "I recommend emollients for children of all ages," says Michael Smith, associate professor of medicine and pediatrics in the division of dermatology at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. Smith suggests trying an emollient for a short period of time to see whether it makes a difference and continuing it if it does. (Aquaphor and Cetaphil are emollients or anything with the ingredients: ceramides, glycerol, urea and lactic acid)

So of course, I will be trying all of those. (except the bleach soak, because he's too young for that) And probably spending the farm on whatever is labeled both "baby" and "eczema." Anyone have any inside-secret-treatments?

Fitness Equation

In order to lose all the baby weight:

jogging & pilates > eating cookies & brownies

(not = to)

You can see why this is so hard for me.

Looking For Someone

We're finally at the point where we need to find a new home for our beloved Mr. Scotty. It's becoming increasingly apparent that he is very unhappy in our home. We just want what's best for him. Do you have a small child free home? Would you like a fluffy companion that will love you to the moon? Do you drop bits of food on the floor?

If you answered yes to most of those questions- boy, do we have a dog for you! I must admit, I am going to be very discerning about where Scotty goes. I feel it is my responsibility to find him a good forever home- as I rescued him from a shelter, I promised that home to him. It breaks my heart to have to post this.

A few things Scotty is not:

- a chewer. He won't chew anything but a rawhide. It's nice when you have furniture you want to... sit on... or use at any point.

- good for small children. (say, 11 or younger) He is not aggressive, just very passive aggressive. He will pee on things to let you know how he feels. We think he was originally in an abusive home with lots of small children. So we're guessing he equates small children with abuse?

- a fan of aluminum foil. He's petrified of the stuff.

- a dog for lots of strangers. He's a dedicated dog to his owners. And that's it. It takes him a bit to "warm up" to a new person.

- a biter. He's never bitten anyone. Just aptly shows his disdain for everyone he hasn't met yet. But he warms up eventually.

- a beggar. He knows he's not allowed on the couch if you have food or drink in your hand. That rule he is surprisingly rigid about.

-a purebred. Our best guess is a mix of chihuahua and silky terrier. He's very healthy to boot. (purebreds seem to have lots of health problems)


A few things Scotty is:

- Loyal. Like I said, he will love you forever.

- Potty-trained. (surprisingly) He just started using his "stream of justice" when we brought the babies home... and kept bringing them back.

- Playful. He loves a good game of chase-the-hand.

- Very serious about his food. Mealtimes are no joke- nor are they very flexible. But before the kids, he was self-regulated, which would probably be a good idea for him to start again.

- a fan of clothing. Put him in his favorite blue shirt, and he will strut his stuff.

- a snuggler. Have a good lap? He's there.

- a sun-bather. He'll sit on the back porch for hours in the sun. Have a sunny chair? He'll be quite content.

- lover of all things plush. The plusher the pillow, the better. If he finds a stack of pillows somewhere, you can bet he will be perched on the very top.

- at his optimum weight at around 7-8 lbs.

- neutered. He was neutered by the shelter after when he was about 1 year old. He has a tendency to "mark" when he's in a new place. (or on a walk)

- Six years old. (or something around there)

Also: Because we love and care about him so much- where ever he ends up. We want to make sure he always has a good home- so if there is a circumstance in which Scotty finds himself without a loving home, he can always come back to our house.

Big Sis

I meant to get a good picture of all three yesterday when Little Man was wearing his "little brother" shirt- but it turned out like this:

Although this turned out pretty nice. (thank you crop button!)

Today proved to be quite smiley! I love cooperation!

I find it quite fitting that the first smile we have on film of Little Man's includes The Squirt picking her nose. We're a classy bunch.

Thank you crop button!

But there are tender moments too. (Although Little Man seems to be a bit disgruntled with the hand-holding)

Also, I'm thinking about having the twins sleep in the closet so they can have a playroom. Good idea? It's hard to feel like we haven't already grown out of this house. I feel so snotty for complaining when most New York apartments are like 600 sq. ft. And my own parents had two kids in a 1200 sq. ft. house that seemed massive to me as a kid. Man, I am spoiled.

I'm Gonna Do It!

I am clearing my schedule for next week. I am rescheduling appointments, and cramming this week full of too-much-ery so that I will have next to nothing on the slate for next week. Why?

I am going to do it.

I am really going to start...

Potty training the twins.

I am scared out of my mind. I am considering investing in face masks, latex gloves, one of those mechanical grabbers... and someone to replace me for the week...
I have a very sensitive gag reflex, a strong aversion to poop, and a raging desire to take a nap.
This is going to be work. I am just imagining how next week is going to go. Take a journey with me:

I will be sitting on the couch feeding the baby (who has a tendency to eat very slowly) and then something of the potty training variety will happen. I will probably smell it before I see it. It will most likely involve rug, the furniture, or both. There will be crying. (mostly on my part)

I hope they master this skill very quickly. Because I will keep them in diapers. They make diapers that big nowadays. And I am not afraid to use them. I don't mind changing three diapers. I do mind having to use public restrooms... with two other kids in tow...

I really, really, don't want to do this!

Calm Down!

I have two big girl helpers. Sometimes they are actual help, (like chucking a diaper so I don't have to get up off the couch) other times they just repeat "calm down" a million times in the hopes the baby will just get it... and be quiet... so someone can continue watching Yo Gabba Gabba.

Also, on a totally random and unrelated note: I will be making these in the near future. My kids enjoy the I Spy books- but seriously, those suckers are hard! So we need something a bit more age-appropriate. (for both girls and parents) Perhaps I will use this as the filler that I'm also making in the near future. (I bought neon food coloring for the occasion)

The Five Stages of Painting

Stage 1: Playing with swatches! If I'm having a bad day, all I have to do is go meandering around the paint swatches at Home Depot. Perks me right up. Is there anything better? Perhaps if there was also a Dairy Queen in the paint aisle. That would be better.

Stage 2: Prep. Not so fun, but still kind of exciting. Decluttering, dusting, generally making a blank canvas for the upcoming masterpiece! Some try and over do it with a lot of masking and dropcloths. I mostly cross my fingers and hope it doesn't fall on the carpet- or my shutters. So far, my painting karma has been very good.

Stage 3: That first roll onto the sheetrock. Bliss!

Stage 4: (followed shortly after Stage 3) A violent hatred for painting.

Stage 5: Losing any and all will to live. Especially when the room is half completed, and what you have done is patchy at best.

St. Patrick's Day

I'm so glad that I get on the internet in the morning while the girls eat (make a gigantic mess of) breakfast. Because Google reminds me when there's a "holiday," like St. Paddy's day. So we wore green. That is pretty much it. And I didn't take pictures- because none of us looked good enough to document on my memory card... or the internet. I wish we would have done this. But we didn't because I am neither creative, awesome, or a domestic goddess like Tara.

(Can you tell the baby is off schedule, keeping me up at night, and the girls are crazy cranky? Mommy's in a bad mood. Beware of our household. My apologies to my out-of-town friends coming to visit any minute now)

One of Those Days

It started off innocently enough. We just needed to make a "quick" stop to my own personal Valhalla. (Target) Instead of getting super excited about riding in the minivan of carts, which they are usually ecstatic about, they demanded to walk. So walk they did... very slowly... touching everything on the way... stopping to play with a pack of sponges... almost getting hit by people pushing carts. I had had enough! So I stuffed them into the cart. That was when the screaming commenced.

I am a storm trooper in the store, people. There is no way I was ditching the stuff in my cart (all of which we desperately needed.) Try living without dishsoap because the kids threw a royal fit that week at the store... not going to happen. So that was us- the eardrum searing noises coming from aisle 4... then aisle 5... and behind you in line at the checkout.

And then it happened. They just stopped crying while I was swiping the card. My mind thought, Aha! Lesson learned! (In most situations, I probably would have bribed them with a toy. But no. A lesson needed to be learned) That's when I saw it. A sweet, very well-meaning older lady, giving the twins candy. Candy! (insert jaw dropping to the floor) O.M.G. I had just suffered through a half hour of twin meltdown hell in the hopes that they get the picture- mommy is in charge of this traveling circus. I watched it all fly out the window with one bite of the sweet stuff. I was super polite, thanked her profusely, and slunk away to the car- defeated. Once all the purchases, baby, and twins were loaded into the car- my captive audience... I unleashed my fury. Yelled like I had never before. How could they have been that horrible?! How dare they scream and carry on like that in public! Ugh.

It was only 11:30. The day had to continue. And it probably shouldn't continue with the raincloud following me. So there were toasted cheese dinosaurs. (Have you seen these hanging at Smiths?! Pick one up! They're so much fun!)

I collapsed on the couch and scarfed a couple Reeses Eggs that I snagged at the checkout. I buy sweets when I'm stressed. (and now we all know why craftyashley is fat) The girls were playing somewhat happily, (after Bunny stopped locking Squirt in a dark bathroom) when they both ran onto the chair and proclaimed, "Momma! There's bug on trains!" I tried to ignore this. I really did. But after finding a suspicious looking (cough::brown recluse-ish::cough) spider in the garage, I decided to check it out.

This is what I saw:

Anyone spot the bug? (The girls were too scared to actually come show me)

It only took like ten minutes to find it. Duped again by a tiny bug...

I'm Not a Boy

And thus I think this is a manly blanket:

My husband disagrees. Here are our individual arguments.

Me:

- No pink.
- No flowers.
- No purple.
- There's blue dots.
- The inside lining is green.
- The "ruffle" is brown. Very manly.

The Husband:

- It has a ruffle. The End.

Bonus cuteness.

Product Review: Prince Lionheart Silicone Bottles

I've been meaning to write up a little review of our bottles for a while there, and now I'm finally getting around to it. You see, bottles have become a whole "thing." BPA was not a problem when I was pregnant with the twins. We were gifted a set of Dr. Brown's bottles from a very lovely twin mommy. Let me tell you, our kids didn't have "colic," (don't even get me started on that whole umbrella diagnosis) but those bottles have four pieces that need to be disassembled and washed. These pieces seem to be instrumental in the colic prevention. It was a huge pain. We bought a second set of bottles that we loved, but because of the design, the nipples only lasted for a month or so. They also went off the market around the time the girls started sippie cups. Both were BPA plastic. (The horror! The horror!) So we tossed both sets as we dragged out the baby stuff from storage. So here's what I was looking for: easy to clean, not going to poison my child, and I didn't want to spend thousands of dollars on the things.
I did a bit of research. There are tons of BPA-free plastic options out there, but now there's a concern about phalates. So I decided to nix the plastic all together just to be safe. And Clutsy McDropper over here wisely crossed out the glass bottles. I do not enjoy vacuuming glass shards from the floor while screaming for both kids and dogs to stay back! Stay back!
I had heard of silicone bottles, and it piqued my interest. But boy, are they hard to track down! I briefly spied the Prince Lionheart bottles in Babies R' Us, but they stopped carrying the line. So minus four points for that. Easy accessibility has to count for something. I had to order mine from Amazon. And because I had to order them, I ordered 12. A good call, as we seem to be washing and sanitizing bottles all day long as it is. We ordered the 8 oz. because really, how long is a baby taking less than 4 oz.? You can mix anything from 1-8 oz. in the bigger ones, but they come with 3-6 mo. nipples. I ordered extra 0-3 mo. nipples, but the boy had a hard time getting anything out of those. So it was all for naught. 12 big bottles suits our needs just fine.

Now, can I just tell you how much I love them? Not only do they look awesome, the tactile experience of these bottles is amazing. You can literally squeeze them! It's fun!
The instructions tell you to squeeze the air out to prevent excessive air-gulping. But this has proven to be a hassle, when you only make 3 oz. in these big bottles, the suction at the top tends to fail and then you get a lap full of formula. Little man has not had a problem with bubbles- so it's a non-issue. It's fun to trip out your friends with the squishy bottle, too. Two gold stars.

The silicone has the ability to be heated. (I don't do this- my kid has room temperature formula! Which to some seems to border on abuse- silly people) You can also toss these babies into the dishwasher, (the bottles, not the actual baby- silly people) sanitizer or I even think microwave, etc. Easiness. And they're fairly inexpensive! $20 for 3 is a deal in my book!
Can I tell you how many times we have dropped them? It's a substantial number. And everytime it hits the tile floor I thank myself for being smart enough to have avoided those glass bottles. Even with those silicone sleeves, they would have been toast in our house.

The only downside to these bottles seems to be the texture when they are shoved into bottle sleeves in diaper bags, they tend to stick. But is that really a problem? Not to me!
Ten million points for this upgrade kit to make these bottles into transitional sippie cups- coming soon. (ecstatic)

Also, they are Little Man-approved:

I am sad to see the silicone options dwindling so quickly. They are so awesome! Why do people settle with plastic or glass? Is silicone really a hard sell? It shouldn't be. I am 100% happy with mine! Almost enough to have another chickadee... but just almost... I haven't lost my mind.

Affront to Schedules Everywhere

I cannot believe I have not expressed my deep, blinding hatred for daylight savings time here yet! It gets me so upset! My Dad and I can banter back and forth about this for hours! (this may or may not drive my mother batty) I'm sure all of you parents out there feel my pain! Our house is very scheduled. (with twins, you really have to be) Naptimes are carved into stone. Bedtimes are our family's own pilgrimage to Mecca. My children sleeping predictably is more sacred than the Vatican. So when Uncle Sam tells me I have to disrupt all of my carefully planned and executed scheduling, I get more than a little miffed. In fact, I feel it is a personal injustice. They might as well just send me to Guantanamo for jaywalking. It's that bad of a malfeasance in my eyes. It's physically painful to think about having to change the clocks again in the fall! I simply cannot survive another Greek tragedy that is daylight savings time!

What chaps my hide even further is that I know this whole daylight savings fiasco is not something that has just been largely ignored or just forgotten in a corner somewhere. Congress actually dealt with it in the past few years! Changing the dates for the begin and end of savings time! They had the chance to just throw it out! And they didn't! They just tweaked it a bit and sent it on its merry way! GAH!

Here's an idea for the 2012 presidential race. Whoever runs on the platform of abolishing daylight savings time gets my vote! I don't care if they are from the communist party! I will vote for a freakin' Neo Nazi just to get rid of this blasted daylight savings time! Heck, I'd even vote for Sarah Palin. (You see how bad this is?! Under normal circumstances, I would rather bathe in sandpaper than vote for Sarah Palin!)

Baby Thoughts

File this away as something that probably only interests myself. But it makes me grin from ear to ear... so it's goin' on the blog!

This is Little Man trying very hard to talk. His still-pictures are adorable. But he really shines in motion picture!

The girls think it's funny to imitate Little Man by throwing their mouths wide open and then laughing hysterically at each other.
I am quite the lucky momma.

Lazy Cookery

It's finally happened. Our days of fast foodery are coming to a close. Our tastebuds are so worn out from eating all the fast food within a 10 minute radius of our house. It became abundantly clear when I asked the husband to bring back dinner and we could not, for the life of us, scarf down another burger, burrito, or square box of slightly Asian food.

Perhaps it's time to dust off the cobwebs on the stove and actually cook something. (no, there aren't really cobwebs... I'm pretty sure, anyway) I need to start off slowly, ease myself back into the motions. No longer can I just rip out a pizza from the freezer and slam it in the oven. DiGiorno was nice for a while. But every other day? Not so much. I can't even look at the refrigerated pizza section anymore. It sickens me.

So I've compiled an easy-to-make menu that makes my mouth water, and for the next couple days I will try and cook on a consistent basis. If my head implodes from all the stress/mess/work then we'll just have to expand our food-fetching perimeter to a 20 minute radius from the house. But I'll go down trying.

Thursday: Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

Friday: Black Bean & Corn Tacos

(There's no cooking on weekends- it's the law)

Monday: Pork with Orange Sauce

Tuesday: Pita Tostadas

Let's all cross our fingers that I don't abandon the kitchen again. I could hear the pots & pans softly weeping from loneliness in the cabinets.

I Really Tried!

I am convinced I need blinders. Like the kind they put on Clydesdale horses so they don't get distracted by shiny things and ruin the whole parade.

That's how I feel when I go shopping for boy clothes. I totally ruin the whole parade! I can't stay in the baby boy section! It's drab! And boring! Sure, I have really high standards for boy clothes. It's easier to avoid the monster truck shirts when you're shopping for girls.

I swore to myself I would buy some stuff for little man. But my eye would always wander... over to the pretty dresses, the awesome ruffles, and the hip girl stuff! I left the store, tail between my legs having purchased the most adorable plaid dresses ever. Nothing but a striped hoodie for little man that was hideously on sale.

They need to make a store with only little boy clothes. I would have to relegate myself to that store alone. No more H&M, (never been there before yesterday- and fell in love!) no more Baby Gap, no more Gymboree for me. I simply do not have the self-control to shop for boy and not for girls.

And to quell the feeling horrible in complaining about finding "trendy" clothes when a lot of kids don't have easy/any access to clothes at all. Man, we are really blessed. I really should have nothing to whine about.

On the same philanthropic note, I received an email from this organization. They are asking for host families to take in kids for the summer. There. I feel like I did a good deed and being somewhat less self-involved. I can't really vouch for the legitimacy of this organization, but if you want to look into it, I would think it's a great idea. Our family was a host family for a foreign exchange student from South Korea. He became a part of our family- he was in my wedding party! It was a wonderful experience. My parents ate a lot of kimchi that year!

Time Away

This week we've been having some mommy-girl time. This is time when Grandma volunteers to take baby boy and I get to venture off with the girls! Yesterday we went to The District to chase the pigeons. These pigeons looked like they had mange. Or molting. But gross. Certainly gross. The girls ran after them as fast as their tiny legs would take them. All the while calling out to them "Birdies! Come back here! I wanna give you hugs!"
I am enormously glad that pigeons are faster than my daughters.

Today we braved the "cold" and traipsed around Town Square... fun was had. Random and silly pictures taken. Pretzel dogs were noshed.

The Bunny asked if she could drive Grandma's car today. I promptly told her this would be the only vehicle she would be commandeering for a long, long time.

Silly faces are standard procedure while sitting on benches.

Can you spot The Squirt?

Indisputable proof that my children are tiny. The girls are three years old.

Stalking the Mailman

I may have burst out of my house this afternoon and ran down the street like a rabid antelope (the c-section makes for a very odd gait) in search of mail that I actually wanted. (Bills? Not so much)

You see it all started a while ago. I cannot help but keep my eye out (or actively search) for a new diaper bag. I like my Skip Hop bag... but it's old. And I want something new and shiny. Plus, the five or so diaper bags (yes, really. I exaggerate not) I already have are really more for one baby. I still carry around a lot of stuff for the girls' entertainment. Plus all of my stuff. So I justified working with awesomely crafty Maranda on custom designing a bag to fit the needs of these four people I'm toting stuff around for. Check out her etsy store!

I have promised a number of people I would post the results. So here they are:

Notice the two front-pockets. Pockets make me warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Is there such a thing as too many pockets? No. And this bag has a pocket that fits the precious magna doodles oh so nicely, as well as about 4 lbs. of random miscellanea. There are six (yes- six!) pockets for my pockety pleasure!

Finding shiny new purses in the mail is the kid equivalent to having ice cream before dinner. Both happened in this house today. Happy! Happy! Happy!

Where's the Champagne?

For the maiden voyage of the triple stroller! (you know, to break against the side of say... a boat! Not to get sloppy drunk... although after that trip getting a little tipsy does have a certain appeal)

I needed to make a trip to the mall. (I haven't been in a mall for what seems like ages!) I got what I'm affectionately calling "the bus" all ready this morning. Whipped out the instructions, and deftly maneuvered it into the car. The wheels and frame go in the back, along with two of the seats, occupying every square inch of cargo space. The last seat goes in the passenger's chair. And I was done. Put the instructions back in the house (remember this- it will be important later on) and got ready for a big outing... on the strip... to a real mall... where I had to look somewhat presentable...

We were in elevators (or alligators as the girls call them) for the majority of our trip... why do malls have so many stairs?! But it was more or less successful. I found it hilarious how strangers would ask if I had triplets, and then breathe a sigh of relief that it was only twins and a baby. Only.

Waiting for yet another "alligator."

My sleepy shopper.

It was eventually time to pack up and head home. (with my dignity still hanging by a thread) The parking situation had degenerated to the point of cars stalking exiting shoppers to their spot to usurp the space. This is what happened to me too. A nice little white sedan parked behind me, blinker on... I strapped all three kids in, un-clicked the seats, and then stared at the frame. I had absolutely no idea how to fold it up again! It was all folded in the garage already when I loaded it in the car! Those instructions sitting on the dining room table sure would have come in handy about now! I literally spent twenty minutes pushing, pulling, snapping, etc. Desperately trying to get that frame to a point where it would fit into the car! Did the little car just move on? NO! Sat there! The whole time! (she turned out to be a very nice old lady with a lot of eye makeup smoking a cigarette like it was her air supply who had all the time in the world and even commended me for finally getting all my kidery into the car) But people, it was stressful! I was so embarrassed, I wanted to die. Right there.

Moving on! Due to the unholy madness that has been our household, a blessing outfit kind of slipped through the cracks. I was super nervous about ordering my favorite and by some mail mishap, completely missing the perfect outfit on the scheduled day. So I hit the stores. My efforts (and sheer force of will) yielded three options, and I need you to vote on them. Brace yourselves: they are super casual. (just remember who's shopping here- miss overly-casual-in-all-situations herself)

Option #1
My favorite of the three- but I'm worried about the casual-factor. And it's the cheapest. I think the idea I'm clinging to is this being an "heirloom" piece. None of these qualify for that, I don't think.

Option #2
I'm a big fan of buttons. This was my original choice, but living in Vegas makes that a suit for roasting a child in during March. This blue number has the same idea... but different.

Option #3
It's organic! (I'm still not sure if I'm sold on this "organic" idea. Seems horribly gimmicky to me)
And I like that it says "welcome to the world" under the cute elephant. And I like the tie on the side, and the stitching.