Photo Shoot

Last weekend my talented little sister Tamra did a little impromptu photo shoot of the twins for me. I had some really cute little Oregon State outfits for them to try on that my sister-in-law Debbie bought for them. I'm glad they wore them because since they were size 12 months I thought we had a little more time to fit in to them, but they fit them like a glove.


Taking pictures of two babies at a time is really a challenge, but here are three of my favorites:

(the soccer ball was just for Riley)

(Kale and Cooper almost 19 weeks)

Spring Break, Where Art Thou?

We've been staying at my parents home in Irrigon since Sunday night so Riley can work on putting in our new flooring. I talked to him yesterday afternoon and he said he was very sore, but it is coming along and looking good. Riley took a picture from his phone and emailed me a little look at some of the progress:


Can't wait to get home and see it. That is about the only exciting thing about our spring break. The kids (or I should just say Kendle) are wondering why we can't go to Disneyland or some other fun place like lots of their friends. I think it will be a loooooooooonnnng time before we attempt something like that, or will have time for something like that.

4 month check up

Yesterday afternoon Riley and I took the twins in for their well baby visit. They are 18 weeks old now. I was dying to find out how much they've grown since our last check up in January because they feel so heavy to me. Riley and I had a bet going on with how much we thought the boys weighed and I'm happy to say - I was almost right on. I also guessed Kale would weigh more. Mom's know best I suppose. Here are their stats:

Kale:
Height - 25 3/4 inches
Weight - 16 lbs 15 oz.

Cooper:
Height - 25 3/4 inches
Weight - 16 lbs 14 oz.

Yes, that is right. That is not a typo. These boys are only one ounce from being the EXACT same size. Even their head measurements were exactly the same. Our doctor told us he has never seen anything like this. He could not believe it. We are starting to wonder if these boys are actually identical after all. We've definitely had our doubts. There are lots of questions we don't have good answers for, but I've been told their is testing you can do to find out. They are looking more and more alike every day and it can get pretty tricky sometimes. It seems like everything from the pregnancy and delivery to now watching these little guys grow has been nothing short of amazing and full of lots of good surprises.

So they are in the 81% percentile for height and 70% percentile for weight. Not too shabby for twins. We always assumed that for some reason they would be much smaller and take longer to catch up to normal babies sizes but that is obviously not the case. These guys are healthy, chubby, happy and thriving.

I will try and post some more pictures of them soon.

Venting.....

I am feeling frustrated about a few things lately - namely the new health care bill and how it was pushed through, my dryer that is doing weird things and taking extra long to dry a load of clothes, and the fact that my older children keep waking me up at night and it's always when I've finally fallen deeply asleep. I've threatened to start locking our bedroom door at night. Also, we've had to call the Tri-City Herald 3 weeks in a row to tell them we didn't receive our Sunday paper and I had to have a show down with the sassy little paper girl when she came to collect our money last time. If I was that girls mother and I heard her talking to an adult like that I would have knocked her into next week. I know that's not a very christian thing to say, but I think kids these days are not being raised to have as much respect for their elders as they should.

So anyways, there are just a few of the annoying things I've been dealing with lately. Since I always feel better after letting out my frustrations, I thought I would provide a free venting session for anyone out there that needs it.

So if you feel the need, let me know what's frustrating you lately.

Before and After

Since I have so much free time on my hands to take more pictures of myself..............

Before:

and

After:

(I don't know why these pictures are so grainy, I am officially the world's worst photographer)

Tuesday Morning

*Got my hair cut yesterday and it feels good. Took a little length off, did a little bit of layering, and some bangs. I ended up going with the majority of the votes. I love how much better my hair looks in a ponytail when it's a little shorter. (Because it's in a ponytail almost every day of the week.)

*I am so sore from pulling weeds yesterday. My hamstrings are screaming this morning. I had to work in little increments of time between the twins napping. Lots of yard work to catch up on in the next few weeks.

*My little cherry blossom tree is blooming and beautiful and my lame lilac bush is sprouting blooms for the first time ever. Come on little lilac bush, I'm pulling for you that this will be your year.

*We have Kendle's parent/teacher conferences this afternoon. It's always interesting to hear what's been going on with her and look at some of the work she's been doing. There is almost always something that makes us laugh.

*Morgan has been staying with my parents since Sunday night and my mom will be bringing him home this afternoon. The house has been so much quieter, but a little less joyful without him. Kendle said she doesn't miss him racing around on his trike in the kitchen in the mornings, but I secretly think she does.

*I have been in a fog of sleepiness the last few days. Just when I think the twins are sleeping good at night, they prove me wrong. If we don't keep them up until at least ten o'clock at night they almost always wake up. But let's face it, I can barely keep my eyes open until nine o'clock most evenings. I'm not sure what's worse at this point - torturing myself by staying up later than I think my body can handle or putting the babies to sleep earlier and going to bed myself only to be woken up two hours later. I really wish Kale would stop rolling over and waking himself up.

*I have resigned myself to the fact that I will never, ever, ever, be done doing laundry. It's an impossible feat so I'm not even going to worry about it anymore. I don't foresee a time in the near future when my family will only wear one outfit a day.

*Looking forward to the end of this school week and the start of spring break!

What in the Hair?

I added a poll to my sidebar. I'm getting my hair cut on Monday and am having a hard time deciding what to do. You have until 9:00 Sunday night to possibly influence my choice. Do I go edgy or just play it safe? Let's just say it has been a while since my last cut. Here are some factors to take into consideration:

My hair is naturally wavy

It tends to frizz a bit, especially in warm weather

I have little to no regular styling time

I like to be able to get it out of my face

I'm considering doing some color to it as well

My hair grows pretty fast

*I have four kids, am turning 30 next month, and want to look like a foxy momma*

Here is what my hair currently looks like:

(This is what it looks like the one day of the week when I actually have time to style it and it's not just thrown up in a messy ponytail)

So go to the sidebar and put in your two cents. I'm not promising I'll go with the majority of the votes, but I'll value the input just the same!

*And just for the record I don't think I'll be getting any self-portrait awards any time in the near future. I stink at taking my own picture.

New Recipe

Last night for dinner I made these Spinach Lasagna Rolls from one of my favorite new blogs, Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes.

This recipe met all three of my criteria for an A+ meal:

*Easy

*Healthy

*Delicious

My family isn't a big fan of spinach and they still ate it. I also loved that they were in perfect portioned sizes which were much easier to serve.

I really enjoy this recipe blog. I literally spent hours scrolling through the recipe ideas and getting some good motivation to try them out. One of my favorites from her blog is the Diet Soda Cake which I mentioned in my post on Valentine's Day. It is so good, I love using it for cupcakes which can be easily portioned.

In the past I've found that most low calorie recipes are pretty tasteless and bland, but Gina is an excellent cook and I am impressed by what she comes up with. She also gives the WW information for each recipe so there is no guessing - it is extremely helpful.

St. Patrick's Day Treat

I don't usually do much in way of celebrating St. Patrick's Day, but I conceded that since I am married to an Irishman, I should do something. Because I have a family of picky eaters, I decided to play it safe and make something sweet - green cupcakes with sprinkles on top.

These cupcakes are a bit deceiving. They look like regular cupcakes from the outside -

-and then when you take a bite into the middle............

A bright green surprise!

I just used a regular yellow cake mix and added green food coloring to it. When they bake up the outside turns a golden brown like it normally would. I didn't have any green sprinkles so I just took some large white sugar sprinkles and tossed them around with some green food coloring. Couldn't have been easier.

I've already had one little leprechaun devour one...........

Here is an old Irish blessing for you:

"If God sends you down a stony path, may he give you strong shoes."

Happy St. Patty's Day

17 Weeks

Cooper and Kale are growing so much. I can't believe how much they have changed in the last four months. Here's the proof.


They are happy little bundles of joy. They talk and laugh and their little legs start moving in excitement whenever we come to pick them up. Actually their little legs and arms never stop moving. They are constantly in motion like they're riding a bike. I can't imagine how many calories they burn in a day doing that. They will lay and talk to each other and smile at each other. Sometimes they will reach out and hold hands (or pull ears, hair, or jab each other in the eye).



Here are some things they are doing at 17 weeks:


-Eating some rice cereal and a bit of baby food. Kale likes it, Cooper just makes faces and spits it out.

-Smacking lips when they see us eating food and following the fork with their eyes.

-Rolling over. Especially Kale. He wakes himself up that way in his crib.

-Wearing 6-9 month and some 9 month clothing.

-Liking bath time a whole lot more. Cooper enjoys himself and while Kale does not express that he's having a good time, he at least does not howl like a banshee anymore.


(Cooper)

-Running in their walkers. I can't wait until we get our new flooring in and they can go from room to room instead of getting stuck on the carpet.


-They love to be sung to. Kendle and Morgan will sing and talk to them and make them smile and laugh. They love their big sister and brother so much.

-I will say hi to them and it sounds exactly like they say hi back to me.



We go in for a check up next week and then I'll have some growth stats to post for them. I know they have gotten huge so I will be excited to see how much they've grown.

Soccer Camp

If anyone is looking for a fun and constructive way to occupy their children's time during spring break, the Southridge High School boys soccer team is putting on a spring break soccer camp.

It will be held March 29 - April 2 (M-F) from 10:00 to 11:30 am at Lampson Stadium in Kennewick. It is for grades K-5 and will cover ball skills, fun games, team work, sportsmanship, and micro soccer. It is through Kennewick Parks and Recreation department but is open to anyone. The cost is $38 dollars for Kennewick residents and $42 for non-residents.

Kendle has gone the last few years and has always had a blast! The high school boys and coaches (Chip Elfering, Riley Dodson, Johnny Trevino) do a great job instructing and running the camp and try to make sure everyone has a positive experience. It is a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

You can register online here if you are interested in your children attending.

Family Rules

I saw this cute idea on tatertots and jello to make a family rules canvas.

I don't do a lot of "craft" type projects but I thought this particular one would benefit our family and keep me from repeating all my good advice over and over. All I would have to do is point to the family rules and the children would happily obey and do the right thing. No? I'm living in la la land? Ya, probably. But it's still cute. Also I like that it took limited supplies, the main ones being a blank canvas, scrapbook paper, mod podge, and scrap booking letters or any stick on letters. A paper cutter also comes in handy too. I found a cheap canvas on sale, spray painted it black, figured out what "rules" I wanted to use, cut the paper into strips, stuck the letters on, mod podged and that's about it. I may or may not add some ribbon to the back for hanging on the wall. Right now I just have it leaning on a shelf.

I really enjoyed making it and it has reminded me of the little everyday things we do and say that make a big difference. This is probably good more for me than anyone else!

Do you have any family rules of your own that you find yourself saying over and over again?

Family Update

Riley got offered and accepted the position of varsity girls soccer coach for Southridge High School. That means that he will be coaching not 1, not 2, but 3 teams this year - high school boys, girls club, and now high school girls. Yes, we have gone totally insane and just love to keep adding chaos to more chaos. We are gluttons for punishment I guess. This is going to be a really busy year for us, but we are going to tough it out and hopefully it will be worth it to have the additional income. So between his FOUR jobs, you could say he is a hard working guy. I am trying to be thankful for these opportunities instead of resentful knowing that they are giving us the little extra cushion we needed this year with the twins and it is a blessing. I get to be at home with my kids with everything we need and I couldn't ask for more. He's going to be putting new flooring in our house during spring break and I can't wait.


Kendle is going to be playing softball this spring and I am excited for her. I think it will be a lot of fun, especially since one of her friends will be playing with her. She's also been practicing extra hard on the piano to get ready for her recital that is coming up in May. She is a reading machine and goes through books quickly, usually a book a night. Sometimes I have to tell her to turn the light off and go to bed. I always think the late night reading will hinder her getting up in the morning but it never does, she is an early bird at heart. She is a really talented writer and artist and is always entertaining us with her witty and amazing stories. I really think she has a knack for it. We get to take her out to lunch on Wednesday with her teacher for being student of the month and she is really excited about that. She is a good helper and an extra set of hands when I need them. She continues to be joyful, exuberant, and extremely loud but we love her anyways.


Morgan is a whirlwind of fun and play. He's been totally potty trained for the last few months and is such a good boy about it. I am so happy with him and that we've conquered that battle. It is a huge relief to me and I know I don't have to worry about him going. He is such a little chatterbox and talks and sings the live long day. I love his happy go lucky spirit. We are starting to see a bit of the terrible two's. There are moments of stubbornness and tantrums, but I know a lot of it is due to my being busy with the babies the majority of the time and not being able to help him with what he needs or wants. He is a little overzealous with the twins sometimes, but I think he is just super excited to have some buddies to play with. It will be so fun for all of them in the next few years. When we get a quiet moment in the evenings he likes to come sit with me and get some mom cuddle time. I try to enjoy it because I know those moments will get few and far between. I adore his little face and smile and he continues to be my buddy. Sometimes I wish I could freeze him at this age because he is so cute.


Cooper and Kale are now 16 weeks and getting to be some chubby, chubby, boys. They just seem huge to me, but maybe that is because I am packing them both around and my arms get a serious daily workout. I was hoping these last two would be on the calmer end of the spectrum, but I guess I'm just destined to have really active movers. They both are already walking around in walkers and have both rolled over in their cribs. And speaking of their cribs, they are all over the place. The last few nights I have slept them in separate cribs because they have been moving around so much and I will find them completely turned around with their arms sticking out of the crib. It made me wonder this morning if they are trying to find each other because usually when they sleep together, no matter how far apart we lay them down, they always end up smack dab side by side with their little heads together. Maybe they are missing that. In any case, Cooper is definitely the better sleeper of the two which isn't much of a surprise because he reminds me more of Morgan while Kale is much like big sister Kendle - not just in how he sleeps, but boy does he have a temper and he is very sensitive. Both boys give the biggest smiles though and are so happy most of the time. They just talk and chatter and laugh. They love getting attention and they love to be held and talked to. What good boys they are. I just look at them every day and think - wow! I love them so much.


I feel like my days are mostly a blur of diaper changes, feedings, cleaning, laundry, and meals. I really feel like I'm being blessed with more patience than I thought I'd ever be capable of and the ability to get most of the things done around the house I need to do. Thank goodness for this blog so I can write down things I know I would probably forget in the hustle and bustle. Most nights when everything is winding down and I am reflecting back on the day I am amazed at what I was able to do and that I made it through another tough day. Every day feels like an accomplishment and right now the little things feel like big things. It is a very satisfying feeling to know that I am succeeding at taking care of my family and trying my best to be a good mother and wife. No matter how discouraging those tough and long days can be, I choose not to let those feelings keep me from being happy. There are days when I can feel the wave of being overwhelmed about to drown me, but I just keep swimming although sometimes it feels like I'm just treading water rather than getting anywhere. I know everything I am experiencing right now is making me grow and pushing me to become a stronger and more capable person. My sister-in-law Molly that also has twins told me that after this I would feel like I can do anything and make it through anything and I think she is right. In my spare moments I've been trying to finish a book that has been taking me forever to read and work on a few craft projects. Sometimes I feel guilty taking the time to do those things when I could be using the time to do something more productive, but I always feel better when I do those little things for myself. This week I am getting rid of all my maternity clothes! Hurray for that, it is a sad but good feeling.

It's Monday Already

We had a wonderful time on our little overnight trip. It seems like it just flew by and before we knew it, it was time to head back to the east side, pick up the kids, and head home. We got home very late and everyone was exhausted, but here are some fun things we enjoyed on the trip:

-Sleeping in until eight in the morning

-Getting to IKEA before it opened and beating the rush

-Shopping at IKEA and getting some new dishes, glasses, some home organization items, and a few other odds and ends. We did really good staying on task and not getting googly eyed over everything in the store. It is just so appealing when everything is so low-priced. It was a good thing I didn't go to the kids section. We were out of there in an hour and a half, I think that is a new record for us.

-Got to hook up with my brother Jeremy, his wife Molly, and their twins Caleb and Alia for some lunch at Claim Jumpers. Yum!

-Went down town to peruse all of the books at Powell's. There are so many books it can get a bit overwhelming, but if I had the time I could spend hours and hours there. For a book lover like myself, it was like walking into a candy store. We came away with quite a few books for our family. I know if I lived close by I would go there on a weekly basis.

-Visited Niketown, wasn't that impressed because everything was over the top expensive, but the store is really cool and I liked how they had all of the rooms put together by sport or activity. We ended up visiting another Nike store a few minutes away from there and scored some good deals.

-We were running out of time, so right before heading out of town we stopped by to see my brother Jim and his cute girlfriend. They live in some cool apartments right downtown with a little dog park across the street where they had their little dog out running around. It was good to see them and get a little visit in.

We had other things we would have liked to do, but they will have to wait for another time. It was simply gorgeous there, the weather was wonderful and all the trees are already in full spring blooms. It was so much fun, but driving in down town Portland is not on my list of things I enjoy. Good thing we have GPS, I don't think we're cut out for the city and paying to park everywhere gets old really fast. I like that where we live has lots of open sky, sunshine, and people who take showers. Seriously, personal hygiene is NOT overrated.

Today I have to unpack, clean up our disaster of a house (the messes don't seem to ever really end), fold lots of laundry and all of the rest of those fun household things that keep me busy. The time away was good for my soul.

Off for the Weekend

We will be heading to Portland this afternoon for a short but fun getaway. We'll be staying over night and going out to eat, to a movie, and shopping on Saturday. Some fun places on our list:

IKEA

NIKETOWN

POWELL'S CITY OF BOOKS

And maybe a little stop at VOODOO DOUGHNUT

This will be the first time away from the babies overnight, but they will be with my parents and in excellent hands. No worries!

Asta la vista!

The Long and Winding Road

Today was our 8th wedding anniversary. I jokingly told Riley that it feels more like our 80th anniversary. He agreed. It feels like we've been married FOREVER. Most of the time that's a good thing. I think if I had to make a graph of all the ups and downs we've experienced in the last 8 years it would look pretty rollercoaster-ish. We've done a lot of growing together and weathered some tough storms. That's been a good thing for us because I know we'll always stick together no matter what. I know there are times when we drive each other completely crazy. Sometimes we can let little things build into big things. It really bugs me when Riley leaves his socks, shoes, and jackets all over the house. I know it bugs him when he wants to go to sleep and I'm STILL reading with the lamp on. But, we can never stay mad for long and we make a good team. This last year especially, it has become more evident than ever that it takes both of our unique qualities to make our marriage work and our family life function smoothly. I know that Riley always has my back and constantly works his tail off so he can make a good life for us. He has really stepped up this year with all sorts of things that most guys hate to do, but he does it willingly and that makes my life a heck of a lot easier. Grocery shopping, stopping by the library to pick up my books, and getting up in the middle of the night to help with the babies are just a few of the things I really appreciate. Really isn't it just the little things and trying to make each other happy that makes all the difference? I truly think so. And never underestimate the power of kind words.

The last 8 years have included:

3 moves
4 different jobs (and then some)
4 babies
1 mischevious dog
9 months (at least) of horrible morning sickness
7 vehicles
1 car accident (Riley hit a deer, or the deer hit Riley depending on how the story is told)
1 ankle surgery
1 tropical vacation
2 Emergency Room Visits
4 coast trips
1 rained out camping extravaganza
Saying goodbye to 3 loved ones
2920 days of being married to my best friend
And very little sleep........

What an adventure!

Green for Spring

I have been stuffed up with a bad cold for the last few days and house bound for the majority of last week. I was getting cabin fever and antsy to be out in the beautiful sunshine that graced us with its glorious presence. I had a desperate need for something springy and fresh to help sweep away the winter blahs.

I've been slowly incorporating some new pops of color into our little home that make me happy every time I walk by.

Here's a little look in my kitchen:

I decided I am going to take a break from so much red for a while. I still love red, but just needed something more spring like. I seriously feel like this little re-do has breathed new life into my kitchen. I'm still on the hunt for some accessories to fill in with, like a green fruit bowl. I decorated the plates and the platter and everything was either from the dollar store or marked down at Target.

So easy and making me so happy!

I think the spring weather is getting my project mo-jo running. I have lots of fun things I'm working on and it feels great.