A Sex Study

Girls at 13 months:

Boys at 11 months:

Conclusion:

Boys are gross.

Trying Not To Encourage Such Things

Deary, deary, dear, dear me.

This one, she makes me shoot things out of my nose, or pee a little, ev-er-y-DAY.  Seriously.

Dan and I were practicing introductions with the girls on the back porch last night.  How to make eye contact and speak up when spoken to...How to shake hands...How to say, "Hi, my name is Momma, it's nice to meet you Daddy."

Well, Kate jumped right on board.  She was riding in her car and I bet she made 49 laps, stopping at both Dan and me to shake hands and say, "Was nice to meetcha!"  Presh.

I had the genius idea to spring their last name on them...sometimes Lauren calls Kate, KateLean (Kate Elene), but for the most part, I really didn't think they even knew of the concept of more than one name per person.  

I got Kate's attention and made a big deal about it.  "Kate!  Did you know you have TWO names? (Holding up my fingers for '2').  She was so excited!!  "Two names, Momma?"  

"Yip, your name is Kate (hold up #1) 

Prince (making that 'one' 'two' with my fingers)."  Oh, she was pumped!!

She said her name over and over, each time holding up her little fingers.

We moved on...someone needed something, or we went in, or whatever.  At least half and hour later, Kate came up to me.  "Momma, this one is Prince, right?"

(sequence re-enacted)

Smear her on a cracker with a spoon and give me a bite.  Goodness!

-Momma

Linguistics.

These two.

I have heard of twin language, but it just doesn't happen around here.  They may talk nonsensically, but it's nonsensical to the other as well!

But goodness, do they say some funny stuff...a few I never want to forget:

Kate:

ToLittleBit

ToLater

These took me a long time to decipher.  Like a LONG time.  ToLater started first.  She would put a toy aside and say, "I play tolater".  I would ask if she needed a drink, "No, maybe tolater."  Then, soon thereafter, I picked up on 'tolittlebit'.  Kate, is it naptime?  'No, let's wait a tolittlebit.'  I finally asked, 'Momma, like tomorrow...tolittlebit.'  I die.  All forms of time have a to- in front...

Tonight

Tomorrow

Today

Tolittlebit

Tolater

Goodness.

Lauren:

E'er'where

Too

E'er'where - everywhere, is like punctuation to this one.  'I go to school tomorrow, e'er'where.'  'I like tomatoes e'er'where.'  I have no idea where this came from.  I bet she says e'er'where 42 times a day.  Totes adorbs.

Too - This one breaks my heart.  Lauren is my Baby B.  She is less animated than Kate.  She is quieter than Kate.  She is #2.  She is the ', too'.  Kate: 'I love to swing!'  Lauren: 'I love to swing, too!'  This is good, this is normal.  BUT, my baby girl says too even when there's not an agreement.  Kate doesn't like tomatoes, Lauren knows Kate doesn't like tomatoes.  No one said Kate likes tomatoes...but when Lauren says she likes tomatoes, she says, "I like tomatoes, too."  So sad.  So stinkin' cute.  But kinda so sad...

Just so I don't forget...tolater.

Momma

Staycation.

I love my babies.  Like big time.

All I ever really wanted was to be a wife and mother...and I love that I get to be - every single day.

I love the noise, and the snuggles, and the dutchy language that we speak.

I love the smells and messes and kisses.

But, I also used to love silence.

I used to love a clean house.

I used to love a marked off to-do list.

I used to love a solid 8 hours of sleep.

Dodie and Pop rolled out in the minivan with ALL THREE a little before 8:00 this morning.

Dan leaves after work to go to Laverne to see patients tomorrow.

I AM ALL ALONE....for like 36 hours.

I'm coffee'd up.  My list is long, and serious, and long overdue.

Have fun, punks.

Have fun, Dodie and Pop.

"I never said, 'I want to be alone.' I only said, 'I want to be left alone.' There is all the difference." 

- Greta Garbo

Easter.

'Easter is when Jesus loves us sooo much and made us friends with God and there's a bunny.' - Lauren

Ah, commercialized holidays, I love you.  It's amazing how little I pondered the combination of Jesus' resurrection and Easter bunnies before we had children.  But wow, when you try to incorporate both - the fun of Easter morning and hiding eggs and candy and pastels...with the BIGNESS of God's love and Jesus' sacrifice and the resurrection and new life.  Well, it's a strange combo.

But, I love it.  I want them to have both.  I want them to have the excitement of the holiday way before their sweet little minds can grasp the hugeness of it.

So, Easter bunny - eat your heart out....

He Lives!!

-Momma

SupperTime.

We eat at home almost exclusively.  Some of the reasons are to save money, to eat more healthily, and the biggest - because it's a nightmare to eat out with three kids, two and under.

I enjoy cooking.  I am blessed with a houseful of non picky, good eaters, and that makes me fearless to try new things.  (That, and if it's terrible, there's always cereal.)  I also very much prefer cooking to baking because it affords me the option to 'wing' it.  I like having a few basic techniques and principles under my belt and then just going with what's in the house or what looks best at the store.  My cooking style will drive many crazy, but in case there are some out there like me who like to throw together something unique and call it dinner, I thought I'd share.

Greek Meatloaf:

(inspired by a recipe Amanda told me about)

(all amounts are approximate, I do not get out a measuring cup!)

1 lb hamburger

1 egg

6 oz feta

1/4 c kalamata olives, chopped

1/4 c roasted red peppers, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 c frozen spinach

dried oregano

dried parsley

salt 

pepper

Mix together everything with your hands.  Turn out into a baking dish and form into a loaf (this gives three crispy, browned sides not achieved by an actual loaf pan).  Bake 35-45 minutes at 375.

I was not a fan of meatloaf growing up.  I still don't care for the traditional ketchup-y version.  But, we all love this one and it has inspired me to try other add ins.

Mexican - Sub feta for pepper jack, olives and peppers for corn and beans.  Add green chile, omit oregano.

Italian - Sub feta for mozarella and parmesan.  Sub kalamata and peppers for black olives and mushrooms.

I serve the Greek with taboule salad (boxed from Near East on the beans and rice aisle) and tzatziki sauce.

Tzatziki Sauce

1 c Greek yogurt

1/4 c chopped cucumber

1/4 c fresh dill

lemon juice

garlic powder

salt

Mix together.

A recipe author, I am not!  In fact, I had a little flash back to Kindergarten!!  We made a 'cookbook' by dictating our favorite recipes to the teacher - there were things like bake at 600 degrees for 3 hours, add 7 cups of chocolate chips, etc.  Sorry that sharing these recipes felt a little like that!  If nothing else, I hope you are encouraged to try something new - and to cook at home!