Cousin Fun!

My cousin Lori and her family (husband Derek, kidlets Trex and Zadie) came to play this weekend!  I love being around family and watching my girls play with cousins about their age.  We don't get to do it often, but when we do...they are good at it!  They showed off their toys, shared fairly well, played outside, and Lauren played so hard with Trex (5 years old) so hard she could hardly function by the end of the day!

We went to the zoo and aquarium on Sunday.  It was a beautiful day...we packed a lunch, did some walking and looking, were late down for naps, but overall had a great day!

Thanks for coming to play, friends!  I know the road is long, but we loved hanging out!!

Love,
Momma/AuntE/Erin

Outside!

Before I had babies, I remember hearing other mothers make comments about dreading winter because their kids couldn't go outside...or anxiously awaiting spring, so their kids could go outside.  Yet another one of those things I just didn't "get".  Outside it the BOMB! 

The girls love to be in the wagon on a quick walk around the block.  They love to be in the stroller on a long walk in the bosque.  They love to escape out of the front door when I'm taking the trash out and just look around for a second.  They love the park. 

They loved Oklahoma dirt....and grass!!  It was such a novelty and a change from rocks and sand and cacti.  Lauren even had her first run in with an ant hill...she survived.

And, I'm so grateful that they love our backyard.  As far as backyards go, they got the short end of the stick.  Our backyard is a good size, but it is all rock and sand and cement.  There are no play structures, no grass, no soft place to fall....and they could care less!

They throw and eat dirt and rocks.  They sit and chat with Roxie or each other.  They throw a ball or push their "lawn mower".

She has a pacifier and a ton of rocks in her cup.  And is so proud!

They are just content, dusty, dirty, whole new brand of tired little girls.

Lovin' springtime!
Momma

Still A Little Fresh, But...

This is one of those stories that will be funny....someday.  Right now, I am still shaking.  Literally.  Maybe I need a snack.

Preface.  Everyone is ok.

The babes and I were out on the town today.  It's beautiful out, I seriously cannot do the park alone, we have played all we care to in the back yard, and plan to go to the zoo tomorrow....SO, we went shopping.  We met Daddy for lunch, did a little shopping with him, then set out on our own.  Our last stop was Target.  I had the B's in the stroller, we had conquered our list (and didn't even over shop) and headed to the van.

I got Kate out of the stroller first, she grabbed the keys to play with, and I loaded her up in her car seat.  This is always a little stressful...I am pretty fast at it, but regardless, one baby is left in the stroller at the rear of the car, just sitting there.  I got Kate buckled in, tried to grab the keys, and she fought me.  I was in a hurry to go get Lauren from the back of the car, so I let her play with them and shut her door.

I unbuckled Lauren from the stroller, walked around to her side....and found the door locked.  All the doors locked.  And my keys inside WITH KATE.  And my phone inside.  AND MY BABY INSIDE.  Enter crazy, frantic, scary person....me.

I ran up to a sweet older lady who was walking to her car.  As I buckled Lauren into back into the stroller, I crossed the Spanish/English language barrier with my mad Spanish/sign language/let me dig through your purse and find your phone skills.  I called Dan.  He was with a patient, I wasn't making much sense, but talking loudly and quickly and with maybe some Spanish thrown in.  He calmly explained that there was a hide-a-key!!!  This had not even crossed my mind.  What had crossed my mind:  1) tell Dan, make him leave the office and drive the 25 minutes home, then the 15 minutes back to Target with the keys. 2) I bet if the Senora and I work together and throw a cart through the back glass we can shatter it and it won't hurt Kate.  3) call the police, AAA, and a tow truck.

So, the hide-a-key.  He explained to me exactly where to find.  I assumed the back lying position with fierce confidence.  I scooted under the car...and my boobs haulted my progress.  I readjusted, scooted some more, and my belly became the stopper.  I CANNOT FIT UNDER OUR CAR!!!!!!!!!!  Add to the squishing, the panic attack I'm undergoing, and the sweet, little (but rounder than me) Senora is babysitting Lauren 3 feet away...it was not happening.  I knew it was no use asking my new friend to try, so what did I do??  I scoured the parking lot for skinny people. 

I found them quickly.  A nice, young couple was walking by together...and they were of the perfect build!  The boyfriend got right down on the ground and started looking.  Girlfriend let me borrow her phone and I called Dan again to direct the boyfriend a little better now that my belly wasn't being squished.  At minute 3, he still couldn't find them.  I hung up with Dan to call the police.  Like I said, it was a beautiful day....like almost 70.  I don't know the exact math, but I know that that meant the interior of the car was hotter than 70, and Kate was starting to not think this game was fun anymore.  Boyfriend helped me find the non-emergency police number, and girlfriend got down and started looking.

As the phone was ringing, the girlfriend yelled - "FOUND IT!"  And what came out of my mouth???  "Oh, thank you, I could just French you."  And I meant it, but I didn't.  I grabbed the keys, unlocked the door, and grabbed baby Kate.  She was absolutely fine.  A little sweaty and a lot clingy, but fine.

I didn't take the time then to teach her to unlock the car, but maybe soon.  Lessons for all:  1) take the keys away. 2) just because there is a hide-a-key, don't assume that means you'll be able to access them.  It wasn't very long ago that I publicly declared that I was "so much smaller" with this pregnancy on this here blog.  I take it back.

All kidding aside, I know how lucky we were.  It was so scary....but someday, I might want to remember.

Love,
Big Momma

Sunday Funday

Oh, we are anxious for spring to get here and stay!  The girls love to be outside...they have even added ahsyyyy (outside) to their list of words!  When I open the back door in the morning to let Roxie out and then step out to feed and water her, I can count on little pitter patters trying to make their escape!!  Our backyard is so NOT fun.  No grass, no toys, nothing....they don't care even a little!  They run around, they throw rocks, they eat dirt, they chase Roxie...just fun!!

We also busted out the craft paper and crayons for the first time yesterday!  Dan and I had a blast...and the babes just scribbled on our artwork.  It didn't hold their attention for long, but even this morning they sat and colored for a while. 

I didn't even know crayons would write on skin....

Each new stage really does get better.  You couldn't have convinced me of that when they were newborn nuggets, but this stage is fun.  Exhausting, infuriating, is it almost bedtime? - FUN.

Love,
Momma

For Posterity

There are some things of this week that I'd like to erase, erase from my memory...but I'm told that when they are 13 and doing other things to make me crazy, I'll want to remember. 

To start, two confessions:

1)  Sometimes when I call them the 'B's', I'm referring to the 'babes'.  Sometimes it's another B word.

2)  When I flick their head or swat their hand and they look at me like 'Is that all you got, momma???' I have to count to 10.  No, it's not 'all I got', B.

Yesterday we spent the day trying to learn not to hit.  They hit each other, they hit me, they hit the dog, they hit the couch...it was just a hitting kind of day.  This happened, of course, because I told someone last week that they didn't hit.  That's just how that works. 

There's something inherently wrong with hitting (swatting the back of their hand) as punishment for hitting.  But, it just comes so darn naturally!!  I'm only on day 2 of this hitting reprimand business, but I may have to explore other punishments.

By the end of the day yesterday, I had HAD it.  My mom tells me of telling the toddler me "I'm done with you today"...I was totally done with them yesterday.  Dan was gone late, so I had bath/bed time all to myself.  Bath went well, until right at the very end.  I had Lauren out, dry, lotioned, diapered on the rug in the bathroom while Kate finished soaking.  I was about to put her pj's on when I heard Kate's 'little old man' chuckle, looked up as a soaked wash cloth came bombing out of the bath onto dry Lauren and me.  It was hilarious and infuriating.  Kate thought she was a genius, Lauren thought it was a game, Momma wanted to leave them in the bathroom and have a cocktail (I DIDN'T!). 

Today's 'funny' came in the laundry room.  I was pulling the dry clothes from the dryer when the phone rang.  I left the door open (rookie mistake) and went to get the phone.  When I came back in 45 seconds later, both babies were in there, they had the lint trap out of the dryer, and had sprinkled lint all over all of the clean, dry clothes.  I mean, it actually took work for them to get it as small as it was.  Precious, B's, just precious.

I'll want to remember, right? 
Love,
The Momma B

P.S.  I realize that each story would have been better with a picture.  It never occurred to me to grab my camera....next time I'll try to do that instead of just counting to 10.