32/52: Pigtails and Pulling Up

26/52: Missing Teeth and Purple Potatoes

Links I Love, What They're Saying, and Paint Colors

First, in case you want to see something *actual* that I wrote, you can click over to Shoved to Them for this post:

Please help me remember that their strong-willed tempers will keep them from caving into peer pressure when they’re older. Even though it’s what makes me contemplate day drinking every single morning.

If they’re going to pee on the floor, please let it be on the bathroom tile instead of the rug.

Jesus, I know everyone says the outdoors is nature’s bathroom… But if they’re going to pee in the grass, please make sure that the neighbors aren’t watching this time?

Read the rest here

Or if you want to read more of my fashion musings, you can check out my thoughts on Summer to Fall Transition Pieces at Fine Linen & Purple.

And I didn't write this piece, but it's hilarious and so true and exactly spot on! Maternity clothes... Ridiculous.

Meanwhile at home, I'm hoping we're at the tail end of a stomach bug/food poisoning incident... Thankfully it's only hit two of the kids, but it definitely hasn't been fun. Yikes. 

"You're my little boat!"

"I'm NOT your little boat! I'm a PUPPY!"

Either way, I'm not sure they understand how boats OR puppies work.

"I'm a baby swan! And I'm called a cygnet! And I'm cuttin' up my swan paper!"

In other news, I think I've figured out why I keep finding paper in Peter's diapers...

(And no, she generally doesn't get to use scissors because there was a hair cutting incident a while ago... But I was cleaning up Mary Claire's puke and she was being quiet, so I let it slide.)

This is *also* why Peter keeps finding paper to eat. They just take it upon themselves to do "crafts" all over the house - in this case he traced a crossword puzzle and mounted it to the back of a granola box. Process art?

"Mom! Do you want to buy me this mermaid costume?"

"No, because it's $70..."

"Mom, I don't think that's a *real* family of pirates, because they just have wood swords, not real swords."

Thank you, random Halloween costume company, for the hours of entertainment yesterday.

Peter's so mobile now, and he's totally one of the gang. On the one hand it's adorable because they all play together so well! On the other hand it's obnoxious, because he refuses to sleep while they're all napping and is so BORED because he just wants his siblings to play with!

Of course, there's still a fair amount of "Babyzilla" action going on, and we get a lot of "NOT PETER!!!" or "PETER'S TRYING TO GET ME!!!" from Elizabeth. She tends to forget that she can walk or run away, while he crawls slowly at best...

Ultimately they decided that they'd share little bits of their lunch with him so that he'd stop trying to grab their plates. Problem solving at its finest!

I gave Peter a rather terrible "hair cut" the other day because the front was scraggly and getting in his eyes. Well, now it's not getting in his eyes!

Meanwhile, he's proving himself to be the slowest teether ever - weeks of fussiness and drooling and I can *see* his top teeth ready to come in... But they just WILL NOT DO IT!

Suddenly the twins are looking a lot less round and toddler-ish and a whole lot more preschool-ish. At the same time, they're acting a whole lot less reckless and crazy. Still fairly crazy, just less crazy than before. I'm hoping it lasts.

After much input from super-helpful friends on Facebook and commenting on my last post, I came home from Lowe's last night with these two paint samples, ready for Andrew to paint some swatches in the new house so we can decide what we want to go with.

"They're so DIFFERENT!" I told him.

"They look exactly the same."

Yes, well, in real life there's more of a difference. Either one will probably work, honestly... But since we're *definitely* not moving this weekend, we might have a chance to paint before we actually move in! Trying to look at this as a plus, because I'm rather annoyed at having packed every single baking dish and now not being able to get to them for an extra week! Guess I'll have to bake some cookies instead of brownies...

Winos, Perfect Skirts, and Cucumbers {7QT}

--1--

I heard suspicious sounds in the kitchen on Monday and found John Paul on the counter, corkscrew in hand, with the foil off a bottle of wine.

He denies that he was trying to open it, but I kind of doubt it... Maybe he needed it to say Mass properly?

The worst part? It was Merlot.

Come on, kid! You've got to have better taste than that!

In my defense, we only had Merlot so that we could make sangria with it. We do NOT drink it. Yuck. Dry red wine only over here!

--2--

A couple weeks ago I posted about some sale items at Gap that I had ordered and in case you were wondering how they turned out, here's how!

This eyelet midi skirt is amazing (and comes in black, also). I'm wear a size small petite and the length is perfect - it's available in regular and tall also. The price was awesome (40% off when I bought it, so less than $25 for a really well-made, fully-lined skirt with pockets) and I think it's going to be a favorite for a LONG time.

I sized up on this eyelet sweater and probably didn't need to - I'm wearing a medium but I love the drape and dolman sleeves, although it's hard to see in this picture. Definitely fits on the boxy side, but that's on purpose. Keeping this one and I anticipate wearing it a lot this fall, winter, and spring.

I got this v-neck linen tee in two colors and really like it so far - it's soft, the drape is perfect, and it breathes really well. I'm not certain it's the type of piece that will last a long time, but on sale it was pretty inexpensive so if it only lasts a year I won't mind too much. Definitely on the see-through side, so needs to be layered but I always wear tank tops underneath my shirts anyway so that's not an issue for me.

I was so close to loving this side-zip boatneck tee - really nice fabric, love the color, but the zippers on the side were just not falling ride with the width of my hips. I sized up to a medium for this one and think it would fit someone with more of an apple or straight shape a lot better. 

I was hopeful that this fluid tunic would be able to replace a top I have that really should have been retired ages ago... But it was too thin a fabric for what I wanted, and I think the fit would be much better for someone who's pregnant. So pregnant mamas, go for it! The price is definitely right. Not for me, though.

This slouchy dolman sweater was also one I had high hopes for, but it ended up hitting right at the thickest part of my waist and was VERY unflattering.

So that's that! Definitely check out the other skirts they have though - there are some really beautiful pieces and they keep having pretty big sales going on.

--3--

In baby news, Peter's pulling up on everything. Of course.

--4--

John Paul and Cecilia had a BLAST with his birthday Kiwi Crate (and we're all really looking forward to the next 5 months of the subscription, thanks to Andrew's awesome dad and his wife!) and we enjoyed the lemon-limeade that we made with the recipe (Andrew and I spiked ours. Shh...).

It kept them quiet for 2 hours during naptime. I don't think you can put a price on that.

--5--

Oh and more naptime quiet tips? I'm getting so high tech, I got this bluetooth speaker for a pretty hefty discount on Amazon Prime Day and the big kids have been listening to library audio books on it in their room while I control the audio from the living room - no more messing with the chapters and losing their place! 

--6--

We planted English Cucumbers this year and I ADORE them. So sweet, tender skin, fewer seeds than regular cucumbers. I'm going to plant a million next year, I could eat them all day and so could the kids!

--7--

Sadly it looks like last week's push for more Facebook likes has reached its peak - stuck at 453 (it *was* 454 but I shared an old NFP post and lost one), so I guess the romper post isn't happening. Oh well! Thanks to everyone who liked & shared - there's a week left in July to hit 500 but I'm not holding out hope so I guess you'll just have to imagine me in a bunch of rompers 😜

Linking up with the amazing Kelly for 7 Quick Takes!

On Premature Aging

John Paul has been using a little flashlight clock to fast forward time in our world - first he fast forwarded to his 7th birthday to convince me it was time for his First Communion.  Then to his 16th birthday, so that he could drive.  He took many a pretend trip to Trader Joe's, Safeway, Giant, Costco, The Dollar Tree (to get a solar-powered pig for his birthday, apparently), and TJ Maxx (that last one always perplexes me, because I think he's been there once ever?), and then asked me, "Mom, how old are you now?  It's 2025!"

At which point I realized, "Wow, suddenly I'm almost 40..."

And I can't even imagine that point, you know?

For years and years I imagined what my adult life would be like, particularly at this point (27, 28 in a couple months).  And I'm pretty much exactly where I anticipated I'd be - married with 4 kids (I expected three but, you know, twins).

"And how old will Mary Claire and Elizabeth be?"

"Well, when you're 16 they'll be 13."

"Hi teenagers!  Teenagers, hi!!!  And how old is our baby boy?"

"We have another baby boy?"

"Yup.  He's...  3."

"And what did we name him?"

"Damasus."  (This has long been one of his favorite boy names - Abbey, looks like we've got you covered!)

These hands?  Not full enough!

13 years from now, where do I hope to be?  Where do I expect to be?  Honestly, I have no idea.  The only virtual definite is that we'll be driving a cargo van.  Other than that?  I'll let you know...

I'll have even more awesome quotes for you tomorrow - be sure to link-up for another edition of What They Said!

Quick Takes - Family Miscellany

--1--

 

John Paul and Elizabeth are hilarious together.  He does this dance where he falls down on purpose and then she laughs hysterically and tries to imitate him, running over and tackling him as soon as he falls down. 

 

 

Of course, it's a bonus if he lifts his shirt up because then she can try beeping his belly button...

 

It's like Mardi Gras every day up in here.

 

--2--

 

I let the kids get their craft on with the very simplest of crafts, pipe cleaner and bead candy canes:

 

 

You'll never guess which kid (John Paul) followed directions painstakingly, checking frequently to make sure he was getting it right, and which kid threw on beads in whichever order she found them (Cecilia).

 

--3--

 

"Oh Mom, could I please have some more microgreens?"

 

#thingsnofouryearoldhaseversaid

 

But yes, seriously he asked for more.  And he ate them.  AFTER he had already had dessert.

 

--4--

 

The babies had their one-year well check (only three weeks late, I am SO on the ball!), and

I can't get over how cute baby talk is at this stage - Elizabeth doesn't say much (Mama, Dada, Bye bye, ball, baby and the like), but Mary Claire is JUST like Cecilia with her crazy verbal abilities!  The doctor was asking how many words she has and I couldn't even count because she picks up one or two new ones every day.  Off the top of my head she has (in her own interpretation, which is usually pretty close):

 

Mama

Dada

Bye bye

Hi

Ball

Cracker

Duck

Bear

Baby

John Paul

Please

Cheese

Puppy

Mary (she always points to the statues on our mantle)

Jesus

And more that I'm sure I'm forgetting

 

And she makes noises for lions (an AMAZING roar that's the cutest ever), elephants (lip trumpeting), puppies (the cutest woofing you've seen), cows, sometimes snakes, and sometimes cats.  Seriously, cutest ever.

 

--5--

 

In other baby news, I feel like everyone on the internet is pregnant right now.  And then I start noticing that people with babies younger than mine are pregnant and I start thinking, "Wait, why am I not pregnant yet???"

 

And then I realize that's crazy talk, because I'm still nursing twins and not fertile yet and thaaaaaaaank goodness!  Not that babies aren't a blessing and all, and we'll happily accept #5 et al. whenever God sees fit to bless us, but the twins are going through such a rough phase right now and when I think about what this would be like if I had morning sickness to top it all off?

 

Yikes.

 

We're actually about to beat the longest non-pregnant period of our married life - how crazy is that?

 

In conclusion, no need to compare oneself to the internet.  But I think we all knew that, right?

 

--6--

 

Someone found an Allen wrench and decided he needed to dismantle the Ikea chairs:

 

 

Aaaand he actually succeeded.  And then put it back together.  Correctly.  So...  New marketing tactic? 

 

IKEA:  So easy a 4-year-old can do it

 

--7--

 

 

Cecilia, my friends.  Just in case you needed to match a voice with her amazing quotes, here she is in all her unclothed glory.

 

Check out more Quick Takers at Jen's!

 

7 LONG Takes: 1 year with twins!

Ah, November 14...  Well technically I'm posting this on the 15th, but I'm writing it on the 14th...

 

Two babies, one co-pay!

 

Anyway, November 14, 2012 is when the twins were born, which means we just celebrated one year of insanity!  We spent 8 months with 4-under-4 (2.5 months with 3-under-2 and holding steady with 3-under-3), and have lived to tell the tale of the first year with twins!

 

I made brownies to celebrate their birthday today, and we sang to each of them separately.  Elizabeth thought being sung to was the most amazing and wonderful thing ever.  I kept thinking her smile couldn't get bigger and her eyes couldn't crinkle more, but it did and they did through the whole song!  She cared for the brownie not even a little bit.

 

Mary Claire cared not even a little bit about being sung to.  She wolfed the brownie down. 

 

Have I mentioned that they're totally different?

 

In honor of their first birthday, here are 7 things about each twin:

 

Mary Claire

 

 

1.  "Baby B" - Mary Claire spent her entire time in utero as "Baby B," which means she sat wedged on top of Elizabeth for weeks and weeks.  She still doesn't particularly care about respecting her sister's personal space.

 

2.  She's a talker!  She likes to mimic anything we say, and uses far more inflection than any of our other children have.  My favorites are how she calls any toy person "Baby" with a VERY excited voice, and how she says "Bah-Bye!" while waving to us.  And the "Bye" is in such an amazingly adorable squeaky voice - too cute!

 

3.  She loooooves fruit - every morning for breakfast she eats every bit of fruit on her high chair tray and then throws her cheerios on the floor so that she and Elizabeth can snack on them as soon as we clean them off.  Elizabeth, on the other hand, eats her cheerios first and mostly doesn't care about the fruit.

 

4.  She took her first steps first, but walks FAR less than Elizabeth.

 

5.  She's a ridiculous climber.  I keep moving things so that she stops climbing on the furniture, but now she's figured out how to climb in the bookshelf in the playroom without using anything to help her up.  Thankfully she can also get down by herself, and the room's carpeted so it's not a huge deal.

 

6.  Her eyes are actually still really blue!  It takes a while for our kids' eyes to change color, but I think hers might actually stay?

 

7.  She absolutely loves to be read to, especially if you point to every single thing on the page and name it.  She'll try to echo whatever you say and point at it too.

 

Elizabeth Anna

1.  Elizabeth has walking down!  She turns, she crouches and stands back up, she walks as far as she wants before she chooses to get down on the floor and crawl because it just happens to be faster!

2.  She loves to dance.  If I say the word "dance" she immediately starts bouncing up and down, panting and grinning while waving her little hands.  She has certain songs that she ALWAYS dances to and it's pretty adorable watching her bounce!  John Paul did that too when he was a baby, but not Cecilia.

3.  She's very interested in toys that involve building - legos, stacking cups, things like that.  Mary Claire's happy with stuffed animals, dolls, and books, but Elizabeth always wants to be shaking things, putting balls in cups, trying to stack legos, etc.

4.  She's so very joyful!  Except when she's incredibly angry...  Still not a lot of calm behavior from this one - everything is either incredible or terrible.

5.  She loves her dad.  She spends most nights snuggled up sleeping with him - when she wakes up (which is frequently) she wants him to cuddle her back to sleep more than she wants to nurse! 

This is a testament to what an awesome dad Andrew is, because some nights this means I actually get to SLEEP because Mary Claire generally sleeps through the night.

6.  She is our baldest (and blondest) baby so far!  John Paul was leaning towards being a redhead at this age.  Cecilia was very clearly strawberry blonde.  Mary Claire's got the exact same hair color as the older two (and me and Andrew).  But Elizabeth, when the light hits her hair so that you can actually tell she has some, is definitely a bit towheaded!  Now if only we could convince her hair to grow...

7.  She thinks the song "Open and Shut Them" is perhaps the most hilarious thing there has ever been.  As soon as I start singing it she starts grabbing my fingers and sticking them in her mouth and pulling them out again, laughing and laughing!

And now, 7 pictures of the twins!  I made them birthday crowns (loosely following this tutorial) and *tried* to get good pictures, but they're both getting over colds so they're super snotty and red-nosed...  This is the best I could do!

--1--

"Get this crown off of me!"

--2--

Dazed and Confused

--3--

"Quick, make a break for it while she's trying to keep our brother from using the camera!"

--4--

"Does she realize how stupid we look in these things?"

--5--

"If I slide slowly out of the chair, maybe she won't notice?"

  --6--

 

Hours old and already giving us attitude (Elizabeth)

--7--

 

Just born!  Elizabeth on top, Mary Claire on bottom

Aaaand with that very long 3-for-1 quick takes post, I bid you adieu!  Go check out more at Jen's :) 

Quick Takes: The twins - 10 months!

We hit 10 months on the 14th, so how could I not give you a general update on life with the twins?

--1--

Elizabeth has finally decided to figure out how to get herself into a sitting position whenever she wants.  Before she was crawling too fast everywhere and would sometimes perch sideways on her elbow, but I don't know if it's that she didn't *want* to sit, or if she just hadn't figured it out yet.

In any case, she can do it now and figured it out pretty recently:

Of course, it doesn't last long before she's off to bigger and better adventures!

Do you see that HAIR?  It's really there, it's just so fine and light that it's almost unnoticeable!

--2--

Both babies absolutely ADORE our Ikea tent.  Seriously, if you've been wondering whether you should get one, it's been one of their favorite things for MONTHS!  They spend hours playing peekaboo with each other, with me, with John Paul and Cecilia, they just go in there to play with toys, it's the cutest thing ever!

And the amazing mischievous grin I get...  Love it!

--3--

Elizabeth has continued with her VERY STRONG FEELINGS about all the things at all times.  Something is either THE BEST EVER AND SO SO SO FUNNY or it is SO SO SO BAD AND WHY WOULD WE MAKE HER DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS EVER???

Sometimes I like, leave the room for a minute to go to the bathroom and I'll hear a waaaaaaaaailing Elizabeth crawling towards me for a few feet before she just collapses to the floor in tears because she's so overcome that she can't even CRAWL anymore!

And then other times Cecilia starts sobbing or Mary Claire starts sobbing and Elizabeth thinks it's the funniest thing ever and starts laaaaaaaaaaaughing and doing her terrifying shriek and making them cry harder...

She's still not a great sleeper - she'll sleep through the night sometimes, but mostly she's up earlier than I'd like and is just in our bed for the rest of the night.

--4--

Mary Claire is more vocal about her opposition to things than she used to be, but she's still generally a more chill baby.  She still sleeps better (usually she's down around 7 or 7:30 in her crib and sleeps until 4/5/6 AM), and has been mostly right on with Elizabeth in terms of development.

She also very clearly calls me "Mom" or "Mama" which is kind of surprising to me...  Cecilia was an early talker, and I knew Mary Claire would be because of all her babbling, but I didn't expect any meaningful words until later.  She also very clearly mimics whatever sounds we give her, and is pretty sure she can say a lot of other words but "Dat" doesn't really qualify as "Ball" or "Block" or "Cracker" in my book...

No, I don't always let her suck on Cecilia's bows...

Peek-a-boo!

--5--

The twins are still nursing a LOT.  We've upped their meals to 3/day, although not a lot gets eaten...  Still baby-led weaning, and we'll go for a blood draw tomorrow to see if their iron levels have gone up enough to avoid a supplement.

Elizabeth has 4 teeth, Mary Claire was sticking with just one but all of a sudden two more popped through!  So she's catching up slooooowly.

--6--

They've been playing better together and with John Paul and Cecilia.  I looooove seeing how much fun they have with each other, and am beginning to see how having 4 kids this close together really does have its benefits because they'll never NOT have someone to play with!

Yes, Cecilia put her pillow in the tent.  She doesn't use it on her bed, so I allow it...

--7--

They're keeping me on my toes!  They've been standing on their own for a while, but I think it'll be quite a while before they walk still because I've hidden all the walking toys and haven't tried to let them walk holding onto my hands.  They both cruise pretty well, and I'm hoping we've got a month or more before real walking occurs.

Aaaand they've also decided recently to master a few less-than-desirable skills.  Mary Claire started climbing the stairs.  An hour later, Elizabeth started too.  So out came the playyard that protects the Christmas tree, and it's set up in the basement so that I can have a little child-free cooking time in the afternoons while the big kids watch TV.  It worked for about 20 minutes yesterday, and I'm hoping it continues to work!

Because this is what happens if they can see me and know I'm available:

They *could* pull up on anything.  But why pull up on just anything when MOM IS HERE!!!

So there you have it!  I can't believe we're almost at one year...  John Paul is VERY interested in their birthday party and apparently won't let us get away with just inviting family...  So I told him we could invite the babies' godparents and their kids, and he's happy with that.  Whew!

Linking up with Jen at Conversion Diary, as always!