Summertime

Summer's favorite thing to do nowadays (because she is a big girl afterall!!) is to sit and watch a Baby Einstein video on Skye's portable DVD player. Granted, she's in the living room where there is a big screen tv, but one day Skye was watching a movie at the kitchen table and Summer was very interested by it. So Skye set them up a cozy little spot and they watched together. Here she is watching with her backpack on.

The reason Summer had her backpack on was we had just gotten back from a walk.

I always wanted to have a little girl who would frolic around in her cute little sun dresses with cute little pig tails or matching hair bows. Apparantly, it wasn't meant to be. Neither Lexi or Skye would keep a hairbow in. Summer occasionally keeps a clip in. Right now I do her hair every morning in her high chair while she eats. She looks so cute!! Then I let her down and within 2 minutes she's taken everything out. I keep trying in hopes that one day she'll just let them be! As if to add insult to injury, after she takes the bows out, she rubs her hair all over the place so that when she's done she looks like Brett Michaels!

8 reasons why raising twins is easier than ....

I came across this post online and thought it was pretty good!!!

I remember when Lexi and Skye were little (they are 1 year and 2 weeks apart) Frankie and I must have said a hundred or so times that twins would be so much easier than such closely spaced siblings!!! Mostly because of reason #7 below. Frankie had hoped for twins with both Lexi and Skye so twins are something we had talked about alot. I'm so glad God gave me the opportunity to prove that theory wrong!!! These are still worth reading.

8 Reasons Why Raising Twins is Easier Than Raising Two Kids of Different Ages

People often seem amazed at the challenges of raising twins. Even parents with more kids then me mention it. How bizarre to think that people could imagine that raising four kids is more difficult in any way shape or form than raising twins. Ludicrous.

I will even go on record as saying that raising twins has to be easier than raising a mere two kids that are different ages. Don’t believe me. Well, read on.

1. Sharing food. Babies start off eating very small portions. Much smaller than one little baby food jar. Instead of throwing the leftovers away or trying to store them, parents of twins make them share a jar. Once they are big enough to eat more than a jar, it is easy to open 3 jars, feed both kids from each jar, and get a well rounded diet at every meal.
2. 1 bath/1 bedtime. With kids, bath and bedtime seems to take up most of their waking moments. With twins, they can easily share a tub which, let’s face it, helps save the planet by conserving water and saves time. They also can share a bedtime. Our kids sleep in the same room. We waddle in there and start the routine of shoving both feet into one leg hole while putting on pants and getting their arms stuck above their heads while putting on their shirts. Then, and here is the real magic. We have one story time. All the quality time you can imagine with half the ticks on the clock. There is no putting somebody to bed at 7 and then somebody else at 8. Everybody is on the same schedule.
3. Sharing toys. Since they are the same age, you do not have to worry about somebody’s favorite Legos being the choking hazard of Junior. You just need one big pile of age appropriate toys. How much easier could it get?
4. Same childproofing. Remember toilet locks. They made you feel good while your first child was wandering around the bathroom in her diaper. Then Junior came. But, Senior needed to start peeing in the big potty. Do you take off the toilet lock and risk drowing Junior or personally escort Senior to the bathroom every time? Worry no more if you have twins. If one is safe for the toilet lock, the other is, too. After all they are only 16 minutes apart.
5. Same videos/movies. Tired of fighting over whether to watch Baby Einstein or Spongebob Squarepants. I feel bad for you. You should have had twins. They may have their favorites, but twins at least like the same developmental stage of videos. And never again worry about trying to find a movie at the theater that will be appropriate for all of the children.
6. DISCOUNTS. Some stores feel sorry for us parents of multiples. To help ease our “burden,” they offer us DISCOUNTS. That’s right. When we bought our cribs at Burlington Coat Factory we paid 20% less on the second crib. They call it the Twin Discount. Suckers.
7. Same phases. Remember when the terrible twos ended. You finally got Senior to quit freaking out every time you left Toys R Us without a teddy bear. Be careful. Don’t let down your guard. Junior is about to enter that phase. The tantrums for twins are not any worse then singletons. It is very rare that both throw a tantrum at the same time. But, we only have to spend a brief period of time in each phase. Then it is done.
8. Same playdates. Tired of scheduling playtime for Junior on Wednesday afternoon and something for Senior on Wednesday morning. Sick of sucking up to boring parents just so all your kids have somebody to play with. We only need one playdate. One single kid can occupy our kids for the morning. Less gas money. Less dirty neighbor couches. Sweet it is.
I probably should not be disclosing all of this to you parents of singletons, but it is going to come out sooner or later. For real convenience, it does not get much better than twins.

My baby is not a baby anymore

Lexi celebrated her 12th birthday June 24th. I decorated the house special for her and we had a family celebration. She loved her gifts and said "this was the best birthday ever!". I was a little worried about it being so low key this year and how she would react, but as usual, Lexi is always so cheerfull, content and unselfish, she is truly a blessing from God and an amazing 'not so' little girl!!

Finding Frankie

Frankie's been helping out so much more lately. The first time he walked into the kitchen a few weeks ago and said "is there anything I can do to help?" I nearly fell out of my chair!

Sometimes living in the day-to-day I forget how truly far he's come since coming home from the hospital last year. In 6 weeks it will be 2 years since his accident, and lately I'm painfully aware of how much he has changed because we've been watching home movies from 10 - 12 years ago to compare Lexi and Skye to the babies. The biggest change is so much of his exuberance, his high energy is gone now. But I also see his old self emerging in different ways too, especially when he is doing things for the babies, like feeding them. He does these things the same way and with the same gentleness and care as he did for Lexi and Skye.

Mall rats

This was our first trip to the mall where Chasey was able to fully take advantage of the kids play area. He crawled all over the place, pulled up on everything and had such a good time!! It started off on a bad note in the parking lot when I went to get the stroller out of the back of the van, only to realize --- no stroller! I wasn't going back home (gas prices have that effect on my decision making these days!) so we walked to Customer Service to rent one. Good grief, you think instead of just pointing with arrows, they'd put mile markers! I think it was 5 miles from where we started! The kids all had a really fun time. Summer especially seemed to like the giant frogs. She hugged and kissed each one. Days like this though I do miss living in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. The Gardens Mall is beautiful!!

My 6 quirks (a fun blogging game)

I've officially been "tagged" by two of my blogger buddies: Jenny and Katie so here is my part in this fun little game we're playing...

The 6 Quirks Meme

The Rules:
1. Link the person(s) who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged


My Quirks:
1. This is apparently not a quirk because Katie does it too! I count things. And I like for things to be balanced evenly. If I'm counting floor tiles, I count from the outside in, on each side, to see where the center line is. I count syllables in sentences and think of ways to change it to an even number of syllables, like 10, by changing words.

2. I wash my hands too much. Not OCD or anything but in the kitchen I'll wash them when I first get in, after I touch a sponge or towel, after anything touches them, food, water, anything. I have to use soap. Noone has to ever worry about germs on my hands while I'm cooking!

3. I don't eat fruit because I don't like the texture of it. I can not imagine ever eating an orange YUCK! I don't drink orange juice if it has pulp, unless it's been strained. I love ketchup, tomato soup, tomato pasta sauce, all tomato products, but don't like tomatoes.

4. I can't drink well without a straw. I started drinking with straws so long ago because I have sensitive teeth that if I have to drink out of a glass I almost always miss my mouth at least once.

5. I can't sleep without at least 2 regular pillows and a king or 4 regular pillows. Two for my head, one to hold onto and one to prop my knee with. Frankie has slept with none before, at hotels while I've had four. I've folded up comforters (and then covered them with towels or a sheet or something since hotel comforters are gross) to make due before.

6. I can't stand it if someone tears a napkin. Paper towel, paper, anything else is fine. Napkin. AGGHHH!!!

I thought I was more normal until I was forced to participate in this exercise!!