This post brought to you by phone blogging, since morning sickness still hasn't disappeared, so I'm doing lots of lying in bed...

Pregnant Twins and How to Get Rid of Your Tummy {7 Quick Takes}

It's been ages since I last wrote Quick Takes, and the kids are magically playing nicely together upstairs... Let's see if this'll last! Edit: It lasted approximately 3 minutes after I started writing this. Of course!

Affiliate links included:

--1--

I told you ages ago that I was exercising for Lent - I've been slooooowly making my way through an exercise program and it's actually been amazing! I'll do a full review soon, I hope, but my Diastasis Recti is healed (those pesky separated abdominal muscles), I'm MUCH stronger (I can get into the giant van without having to grab the handles with both hands and heave myself in), and I have greatly increased energy levels, despite fairly terrible sleep from the baby.

--2--

Library fines. Do you pay them? Do you make your kids pay them? I've been paying ours, because 100% of the time the fault is mine (don't want to drag everyone to the library, forgot to renew books, couldn't renew books because too many fines have accrued...). But right now there's a missing book (from this series, which is really fun!) and that's NOT my fault! And I really want to read it! So we'll see how I deal with those fines whenever it's located... Off to clear our account of wrongdoing today!

--3--

But I'm renewing this gem of a book, and adding it to my wish list! And it convinced me that we need to make the switch to raw milk, whenever I actually get my act together and fill out the forms...

--4--

Oh gosh, these two recent conversations with the twins? Amazing.

Week by Week, 12/52: What They Said

John Paul: What does the Chinese flag look like? Can you look it up?

Me: Not right now, we probably have a book somewhere with a picture of it.

John Paul: PLEASE? I really, really need it!!

I glance over and see him holding a piece of paper on which he's written "Declaration of War"

Me: Are you planning to declare war on China?

John Paul: Hmm... Yes...

Me: Why?

John Paul, grumbling: Well... Communism...

Mary Claire: Mom, I'm wearing socks.

Me: To keep your feet warm?

Mary Claire: Mmmm well, mostly... To cover the pen on my foot.

Peter, walking happily towards me: Mom, I found a piece of candy food!

Me, suspicious: Are you sure that's candy? Can I see?

Peter, grimacing: Mm... No...

Me: So it's not food?

Peter, pulling what looks like a small woodchip out of his mouth: No...

Elizabeth: Mom, Mary Claire said A MEAN THING to me!! She said 'Ha ha ha ha ha!'

Me: ... I'm trying to get Edith down for a nap.

Elizabeth, after leaving and coming back: Mom, Mary Claire KEEPS DOING MEAN THINGS TO ME. She HIT me!!

Me, still nursing Edith in bed: Would you like to come lie in bed with us?

Elizabeth, experiencing a lightbulb moment: I'll tell her to stop!!!

You'd think that would be the first step...

Cecilia: Mom, remember when I found that potato bug and we thought it was a pregnant flea beetle?

Me: Yup, it was pretty gross. Now we know that chickens love them, so when we find them we can feed them to the chickens like we did with the Japanese beetles last year.

Mary Claire: But I *love* the Japanese beetles! I like them to perch on my hand and crawl up my arm!

Elizabeth: We'll just *study* them when we find them, and when the chickens kill them we can bring them inside to study!

Sure. Yes. Because the chickens are always killing bugs and just leaving them there...

Peter: I'm a mouse!

Me: Oh, can you squeak for me?

Peter: *blinks blankly for a few seconds* ... I'm a bunny instead.

Me: Peter, get off of Edith's tummy.

Peter, indignant: I want to LOVE her!!!

Peter: Look at my dinosaur! It's a she!

Me: Oh, is your dinosaur a girl?

Peter: No it's a he!

Mary Claire: Of course, all dinosaurs are boys. Except Maiasaura.

Me: Uh... Well, how would they have babies if they were all boys?

Mary Claire, thinking hard: Well, some dinosaurs were girls, but MOST were boys.

Elizabeth: We don't really know much about dinosaurs...

Clearly.

Cecilia: Guess what my feet smell like?

Me: What?

Cecilia: They smell like feet.

Cecilia, lecturing me: Mom, you need to learn how to embroider before you try to do any embroidery... You tried to embroider a star once, and it really didn't turn out very well because you didn't know how to embroider. So... You should really learn how to embroider before you try to embroider again...

Me: ...

11/52: What They Said

We managed to get outside quite a bit for the warmer temperatures this past week! Sadly, it cooled down again, as you can see from John Paul's attire in the last picture...

Peter (16 months): All-a-all-a-all-a-all-a!!! (What he calls my mom's dog, Olive)

8/52: What They Said

You'll forgive me for the out-of-focus shots as I adjust to my new camera lens, right?

Oh finally I got my hands on a 50mm lens! I've been wanting to upgrade since before Peter was born, but couldn't justify the expense... But when a whole bunch checks came in the mail all at one time, I splurged!

I've got a backlog of "what they said" quotes in my email drafts, so I'm going to try to clear those out and post them in these weekly posts:

Mary Claire, 3

Mary Claire attempts to sniff, but can't because her nose is too stuffy...

MC: *SCREAM*
Me: What's wrong, Mary Claire?!
MC: My nose has no energy!!!

I suppose I can see why that would be so distressing...

Catchlights and Quotations {Theme Thursday}

So this week's photography challenge is to capture "Catchlights" in my photography, whatever those are. Well, actually, Micaela explained it really nicely in her post and I realized that I actually already do a pretty good job getting catchlights in my photography, solely because I always try pretty hard to make sure I'm not photographing into the light because everything ends up grainy that way. So I guess inadvertently, I was already doing something right!

Anyway, a certain 2-year-old was climbing on the banister, which she is very specifically not allowed to do but she was facing the window so I was a bad disciplinarian and took pictures instead of getting her down:

This is her posed smile... She cracks me up with those chubby little cheeks!

What They Said, Volume 19

Reading about St. Vincent de Paul...

Me: John Paul, do you think you might be a priest some day?

John Paul: Mm... Yeah. A priest AND a mathematician.

Me: And what about Peter? Do you think he'll be a priest?

Cecilia: Yeah! Because he LOVES it when I talk about Jesus!

John Paul: And whenever I'm not doing priest stuff, I'll just... Work on some calculus... And if I need to look at something really small, I'll just use my microscope...

Cecilia: Mom, would it be okay if I played with John Paul's snap circuits?
John Paul: Yeah, and I'll be her trusty assistant!

Cecilia emerges from her room wearing a skirt as a poncho...

Cecilia: Look Mom! I'm wearing my skirt as a poncho so my arms don't get too hot!
John Paul: What's a poncho?
Me: It's like a shirt with no sleeves.
John Paul: Oh, kind of like a chasuble! That would be... A liturgical poncho!

And then I died laughing.

Talking about Sisters vs. Nuns...

Me: So Cecilia, do you think you would like to be a Nun and be cloistered away from the world, or a Sister who helps people in the world?
Cecilia: A NUN, so I can get away from my BROTHER.

Not sure they'll accept that as a proper reason at the convent...

Me: Cecilia, why are you wearing a tank top under your shirt?
Cecilia: Well, I made myself a bra too, out of Easter egg shells and strips of paper taped together, but it kept ripping apart...

DYING.

Me: What's your favorite thing about the new house?
Cecilia: Oh, that they left a roll of toilet paper in the bathroom for us to use!!!

Unrelated blurry picture of a baby in a hat. Because how could I not?

What They Said, Volume 18: Twin Talk

And now for another edition of... What They Said! I ended up with so many quotes that I split it into two editions this month. First one up? Twins!

Cecilia: I wish we still lived in our OLD town!

Me: Well, when you grow up, you can move back there.

Mary Claire: I'm NEVER gon' gwow up! I'm just gon' be a CATERPILLAR!

Me: Mary Claire, go put your underwear back on!
Mary Claire: No, I don't like green!
Me: I don't care, you still need to wear underwear.
Mary Claire: It's inside out!
Me: Then bring it here and I'll fix it.
Mary Claire: No, don't fix it, it's not bwoken!

Mary Claire: I want to go downstairs!
Me: Are you going to do naughty things?
Mary Claire, in her sweetest, most innocent voice: No, do NICELY dings!!!

Me, catching the twins playing with cat food: Well great, now I don't have to feed you dinner because you ate cat food for dinner!
Elizabeth: NO, it was our SNACK!

Elizabeth, watching me cut up carrots: Mommy bird, you're cuttin' up my worms.

Me: Worms for dinner?

Elizabeth: Yeah, worm thoup!

Yum.

Elizabeth, watching me crack eggs: Mom, dose are de turtles' eggs and you cwack de eggs and da baby turtles come out!!!

Scrambled turtles. Tasty.

Me: And when we get chickens, you guys can take care of them because you're big kids!
Elizabeth: And I be a yittle chick in my PINK egg, and I will be AWAKE in my egg!!!

Elizabeth, carrying two books with handles: I'm just traveyin' to wuhk.
Me: Oh, what kind of job do you have?
Elizabeth, angrily: I'm just GOIN' to wuhk!
Me: And what do you DO at work?
Elizabeth: Um, wead books.
Me: That sounds like a great job!

A minute later...

Elizabeth: I just GO to wuhk, I don't DO wuhk!!!

Elizabeth, stomping toward the door in pink rain boots and a pink owl backpack: I have sawt on my finger.
Me: You have what?
Elizabeth: It'th for science expewiments.

*stomps outside, comes back in within seconds*

Me: What science experiment did you do with your salt?
Elizabeth: I... Ate it. *stomps back to the kitchen* And now I will get THWEE sawt for you...

I'm writing a post every day for October! This one's #3. Thanks for reading!

What They Said, Volume 17

While I was prepping dinner:

Elizabeth: Mom, what are you makin'?
Me: Asparagus!
Elizabeth: JUNIOR Aspawagus???

While I was trying to listen to a podcast between Simcha Fisher and Jen Fulwiler...

Elizabeth: Mom! Is da yady talkin' about AngeYINA (ballerina)???

Obviously?

At the dinner table...

Elizabeth, angrily: May Cyaire, weMEMber??? You eated owegano fwom da GAHden!!!

Elizabeth brings a pot over to me...

Me: What did you make?
Elizabeth lifts the lid: I nunno...
Me, seeing two toy cakes: Is it... Cake soup?
Elizabeth, angry: NO! It's YEFTOVERS!!!

Overheard in the back yard...

Elizabeth: I'm big and you're yittle.
Mary Claire: No, I'M big and YOU'RE little.
Elizabeth: We're BOTH big!
Mary Claire: Ya! We're BOFE two and we're BOFE big!!!

Elizabeth: Do re mi...
Mary Claire: NO, do re Me!
Elizabeth: NO, do re MEEEEE!!!
Mary Claire: Do re EVEWYBODY!

Can you tell their parents are musicians?

At bedtime...

Me: Okay, Mary Claire, should we pray a Hail Holy Queen? Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy...

Mary Claire, angrily: Hail Holy Queen and Hail Mawwy are my BEST PWAYERS.

Me: Well I'm glad you like them... To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve...

Mary Claire, giggling: What's "AVEEVE?"

Me: Of. Eve. Like Adam and Eve.

Mary Claire finishes praying while doing some sort of macarena...

Mary Claire, trotting down the hall: I'm just goin' to da bafwoom... To turn on da light... To look at my eyebwows...

Aunt Sister: Mary Claire, who's your favorite sister?
Mary Claire: Cecilia!
Aunt Sister: And who's your favorite brother?
Mary Claire: Peter!
Aunt Sister: And who's your favorite Aunt?
Mary Claire: Um, a black ant!!!

I hear they're the tastiest...

Cecilia, cheerfully: Mom, which twin do you think will die first?

Speechless.

Cecilia: Mom, WHY is St. HELENA always holding the Cross in pictures? Why didn't she just MAKE her own cross so I could find the REAL cross???

Me: Wow John Paul, you must really love science!
John Paul: Yeah. ESPECIALLY hydrogen and oxygen.

Cecilia is holding her hands like a heart around her face...

John Paul: Are you doing that because you want me to be your valentine?
Cecilia: NO!!! I'm GOD'S valentine!

John Paul: I'll publish a book about President Gerald Ford and President Obama speaking... Speaking... Speaking about... I don't know!!!

I predict a best seller.

John Paul: Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh! Ooh OOH!!! Look what I found!!!
Me, thinking it must be candy or money: What?
John Paul: An Allen wrench!!!

To each his own?

And that's all she wrote.

What They Said, Volume 16

John Paul: I did it!!! I won at solitaire just by looking under the cards!!!

Or... Cheating?

John Paul: I think... We'll have more than 9 kids. Or maybe less than 9 kids. Or MAYBE... Exactly 9 kids!

John Paul, after eating his sixth slice of the frozen pizza Andrew slaved over: This is the BEST pizza EVER!!!

Yeah, never mind that pizza mom makes FROM SCRATCH (sauce, dough, and all) - this frozen stuff is where it's at!

#whydoieventry

John Paul: What does "hitherto" mean?
Me: Use it in a sentence.
John Paul: Well, as I was saying, "Hitherto, hitherto, hitherto..."

Great example...

John Paul, to Peter: He doesn't know what a G is... Peter, you have a G! It's the seventh letter of the alphabet! The word alphabet comes from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and beta!

John Paul: You're a nerd.
Cecilia: No I'm not! I'm wearing clothes!!!

Nerd != Nude..

John Paul: A mysterious saint is buried here... Who lived before 1015?
Cecilia: Uh... St. Therese?
John Paul: No...
Cecilia: Jesus?
John Paul: *disgusted sigh*

...

Cecilia: Mom, how do dey make stuffed animals? Just take an animal dat's dead and stuff it?

Yup. Or, you know, taxidermy...

Cecilia: Mom, if you're upside down and you're sighing, then you would be up-SIGH down! That's a joke.

Style. She's got it.

Cecilia, talking about The Railway Children: Mom, why did dey call her Bobbie?

Me: It's a nickname for Roberta, kind of like Cece could be a nickname for Cecilia.

Cecilia, thinking: Or...  It could be a nickname for Assisi!

Me:  Yes, I guess it could...

Cecilia: Mom, is Assisi a city or a town?

Me: I think it's a town. 

Cecilia: Yeah, where St. Francis was!

Me: And when you grow up maybe you could travel there!  And walk where St. Francis walked, and go to Mass where he went to Mass...

Cecilia:  Like Aunt Sister!  But I would bring all my kids.

Me: How many kids do you think you'll have?

Cecilia: 4 or 5?

Me: Oh?

Cecilia: Or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9...

Me: Yeah?

JP: Me too!

Cecilia: Or 10.

Me: What will your husband do?

Cecilia, thinking hard: ... Go to work?

Me: But what will he DO at work?

Cecilia, thinking hard again: ...  Make money?

Life goals, in a nutshell.

Cecilia: Mom, last night I had a dream. There was a child and a priest on a cloud, and the cloud was supported by a pillar.  The pillar fell, and the child and the priest...  Were dead.

Me: ... Why were they on a cloud?

Cecilia:  They were at Mass.  But then the pillar fell and they died.  It was a little scary? But not very much.

Ooookay then...

Cecilia: Mom, am I a Christian?
Me: Yes.
Cecilia: Maybe I'll be a martyr... And Peter, maybe YOU'LL be a martyr! But Peter... (Sternly) You CAN'T marry your sister.

Lectures by Cecilia...

Cecilia: Mom, can only boys be presidents?
Me: No, girls can be president too, just no girl has ever been president. Do you think you might want to be president some day?
Cecilia: Mom? Can presidents be saints?
Me: Yes, they can.
Cecilia: Mom? Then yeah, I want to be president AND a saint!!!

...

Elizabeth, holding up two wedges of cheese: I got two wedgies!!!

The twins were being too quiet, so I went to find them... Quietly stacking books together?

Elizabeth: Mom, May Cyaire and Eyizabif are pwetend da pwaywoom is a monastewy!!!

As you were, twins. As you were.

Me: Mary Claire, WHY were you eating sand again???
Mary Claire: It was patendin' to be tortellini...

Me: Mary Claire, were you eating dirt again???
Mary Claire: I was eating a ant!

Is it wine o'clock yet?

Me: Mary Claire, why didn't you sleep during nap?
Mary Claire: I was patend to be da noise machine.
Me: And why were you pretending to be the noise machine?
Mary Claire: Because it was patend to be Lawwy.

Of course.

Peter: Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba Da-da-da-da-da-da-da!