Multi-purpose socks...

Some of you may know that Molly has a band aid "phobia". She refuses to let you put a band aid on any injury, and she doesn't even like seeing them on us. So instead, when she gets an "owie" she prefers it when we put some antibiotic ointment on it and just cover it with clothing. For example, if her owie is on her knee she wants long pants on. If her owie is on her arm she wants a long sleeved shirt. But we couldn't help but laugh when she fell this morning and scratched up her palms and then insisted that we put socks on her hands. And she would only eat her hot dog at lunch with those socks on, which necessitated a sock change at the end because they got covered with mustard!

Loving this weather...

Well, the temperatures around here are so nice this weekend and hovering in the 80's. What better weather to try out our new inflatable pool. Steve got a rocking deal on a HUGE inflatable pool that's octagon and about 7 feet across and so deep that we didn't even inflate the top part so it was easy for Molly to get in and out of. Molly LOVED jumping into it from her stool!


Steve also got in with Garrett and I got this photo that I fell in love with! It totally depicts fatherhood to me - holding one kid while another crawls all over you! And I love that look of contentment on Molly's face!


We love how Molly has taken to exploring the backyard and checking out every little plant and creature. There's definitely a budding biologist in there! Here she is with her buddy, the worm. Definitely not a squeamish little girl!

Sacramento Jazz Jubilee

Well, yesterday we couldn't go to church and infect all the other children there, so we took our family to the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. This is a big annual event in Sacramento every Memorial Day weekend, and something that we have never been to. This year they even had the Count Basie Orchestra play, which I would have LOVED to see. It's not really up Steve's alley, but it's definitely up mine. We spent some time listening at some of the free venues, which were primarily high school and college groups. This was a fun throw back for me to my band geek days and playing Dixieland music. In fact, two of the groups played songs that I played "back in the day". Molly loved hearing all the music and enjoyed dancing to the upbeat tunes. The babies found it a little loud so we had to move and listen from afar, but even they enjoyed people watching.


Although Molly enjoyed the tunes, I think she enjoyed her first ice cream cone so much more. There's something special about being able to lick ice cream out of a cone. And we couldn't help but laugh at how she savored every single bite!

Weekend breakfast...

Usually one morning on the weekend Steve makes a big breakfast for the entire family. I love this because it is reminiscent of the weekends my father would do the same thing for our family when I was growing up. I think Steve is vying for my father's title of "King of the French Toast". Anyway, this weekend, Steve and Molly made scrambled eggs together and Steve took a cute video of her "helping". She likes helping Daddy make scrambled eggs because he lets her crack them open, something that Mommy doesn't allow her to do. Too messy!

Flowers and bugs...

Well, Friday I finally broke down and planted flowers in our front pots after a good friend commented how empty they were looking (you know who you are - hahaha). I thought it would be a fun thing to do with Molly, but she was far more interested in poking at the pill bugs (a.k.a. roley poleys) and getting them to curl into a ball. She did however pick out the flowers for the pots and enjoyed watering them when we were done!


Planting flowers was my way of trying to enjoy being stuck at home considering all three kids are now fighting a chest cold. And it is indeed only a chest cold as I was informed by their pediatrician after visiting with her in a panic convinced that Paige had bronchitis or the croup or something equally nasty. But it's just a viral bug. The fun part of seeing the pediatrician was that I got some weights for the babies. At 3.5 months old, Paige weighs 15 lbs 9 oz and Garrett weighs a whopping 17 lbs 12 oz. Both kids are pretty much off the growth curve for their age. What can I say... we make big babies...

Sick babies...

Yes... you read the title of this post correctly. The twins are sick. This Sunday was the first time I've put them in the church nursery and I'm pretty sure that's where they got it. They're congested with a nasty cough and a low grade fever. Poor little things. Needless to say, it's pretty crazy around here with two sick babies. Thankfully the fevers are gone this morning so hopefully that's a sign they're on the mend. Molly continues to want to love on them but I'm trying my best to keep them separated so she doesn't get sick too.

Before this bug hit our house though, Molly definitely continued to enjoy her brother and sister. She wants to play with them so badly and doesn't understand that they can't play with her or share her snack. But the three of them did enjoy some quiet time watching a Disney flick earlier this week. And Molly was more than thankful to cuddle with her two favorite people. And they are definitely her two favorite people. I love it when they get up from their naps and Molly rushes over to hug them and say, "I missed you!". Melts my heart. They are also the only people that she consistently prays for every night when we do our prayers. So sweet! Anyways, here's some pictures of the kids enjoying their video.

Summer has arrived...

Well, it may not be officially "summer" yet, but it's sure feels that way around here. It was over 100F (35C) yesterday and is supposed to be just slightly less than that today. The great thing about this weather is that we get to enjoy the backyard! Molly has been spending a lot of time in her pool and Daddy has rigged a system that warms water running through the air conditioner and lets us use it to fill her pool. No chilly hose water for this spoiled little girl!


The babies can't really enjoy the yard to the same extent, but Garrett did indeed enjoy some time kicking at the fish on his bouncy chair.


Paige was much more mellow and spent most of her time outside blowing bubbles... and I'm not talking about the kind with soap and a wand.


And the nice thing about Paige is that we always know when she's done. When she was ready to go inside, she quickly let us know...

Double Cuteness

What can I say? We just think the babies in this video are too cute for words. Although we may be a little partial...

New Rooms...

Well, the twins' nursery is almost completely done other than the surfboard being hung on the wall. I thought I'd post some pictures so you can see how difficult it is to squish two cribs, a changing table/dresser and a rocker in one teeny room. The rocker ended up in front of the closet door. Oh well! It's actually fairly easy to squeeze around and the closet is mainly for storage right now so we're not in it often. The pink & green bedding is Paige's crib and the blue & green bedding is Garrett's. We put Garrett's crib on the wall adjoining Molly's room because Paige's cry is much more "piercing" and there's not much insulation between rooms.


And then I realized that I never did post any photos of Molly's completed "under the sea" bedroom. We have one more creature to paint (a shark) that will be mounted on the wall with the others (where there's an obvious gap in the bottom picture). These animals are mounted on velcro and Molly goes in her room and plays with them, moving them around on the walls. Interactive room!

Perspective...

This following post is taken verbatim from a journal entry this evening:

I had a bad motherhood day. I suppose it was a little like a Mother's Day hangover. I've only had two other days of equal motherhood misery. One was when I was full-term pregnant with twins and had to carry my kicking and screaming toddler out of the mall. The second was when I had to carry an equally tantrumming toddler out of the zoo while my mother-in-law was watching. (Thankfully she was full of love and grace over the whole event)

Anyway, today I had five straight hours of screaming babies. Thankfully Molly was more than thankful to be parented by a cadre of Disney videos. But it was so overwhelming to be tag-teamed by two screaming babies. I would just get one happy and when attending to the next screamer, the initial screamer would start back up and I'd be at square one. And to ice the cake, Steve had to work late and it was uncertain when he would be home. Anyone ever had an "out of body" parenting experience? That's when things are so chaotic that you literally detach from your emotion and go on commando autopilot mode in an attempt to survive the experience without snapping. Needless to say, Steve made it home while I had Molly in the tub, one screaming baby in the baby tub, and another screaming baby in their crib. Anyway, we successfully got all the troops asleep and I calmly informed my husband that I needed to leave and have a break to soothe my exposed nerves. So I grabbed my journal and my Bible, hopped in the van, and found myself at Leatherby's Creamery. Now, let me by honest in saying there is nothing on Leatherby's menu that would remotely fit my Weight Watchers plan, so I throw caution to the wind while I enjoy my hot fudge sundae. Can everyone say "emotional eating"? Anyway...

I'm happy to report that as I sit here and write, I've gained perspective. As I watch people mill in and out of the ice cream parlor, I start thinking about personal struggles. I think about my sister-in-law who just found out her new baby probably doesn't have a neurological disorder... thank God! And I think about my sister AND mother AND friend who all face potential blindness due to a variety of issues. And I think about various friends who have children that have faced life threatening diseases. And as I pray for all these people... it brings perspective. Suddenly 5 hours of screaming babies doesn't seem so bad. I think I'm ready to go home now, kiss my husband, and thank God for my family. And I think I'll even bring ice cream home for Steve.

End note... Steve did indeed get a pint of mocha royale. And I came home to him making gourmet meatloaves for our freezer. Now that's a loving husband.

Happy Mother's Day

When I asked Molly a couple of days ago who we celebrate on Mother's Day, she quickly replied, "Molly!" I suppose it's true considering she initially made me a mother! For me, this Mother's Day has been an pivotal one. Since the twins have been born, I have been consumed by motherhood. And although Mother's Day is typically about appreciating moms for what they have done for us, for me it's more about celebrating motherhood and how it has challenged me to grow as a person. Because God has definitely used my children to refine me.

I have learned patience. There's nothing like trying to be somewhere on time and having to be patient with a toddler who insists on putting on her clothes, shoes and jacket all by herself. And God forbid if I try to rush the process to get out the door!

I have learned prioritization. I have learned that spending quality time with each child is really hard, but that it has to be a priority over clean kitchen floors or an empty dishwasher. It's not enough that I love them abundantly... they need to KNOW that I love them abundantly.

I have learned the breadth of God's love. I love these children fiercely, and it is humbling to me to think that God loves me even more than I can love my own children... to the point that He sacrificed His own life here on earth.

But ironically, I still have SO much to learn. I'm trying to learn how to teach my children to love themselves well, by modeling that behavior in my own life. And I'm trying to learn to prioritize time for myself and for God. I'm sure raising three teenagers will teach me a lesson or two. And hopefully when it's all said and done, I'll be proud of the three children we have raised and thankful for how they have refined me into a better person.

Ballerina Molly...

Well, this morning Molly got to go to her friend Ava's ballerina birthday party. So Daddy stayed home with the twins and off we went. Ava's mommy had hired a children's ballet teacher to come and teach the kids a few moves. So the kids that didn't already have tutu's (Molly already had hers on) got decked out and they had a mini-class. This was right up Molly's alley and she was so engaged the entire time. I may have to sign her up for a dance class in the fall. Here's some of the little girls at the end of their dance class...


And here's Molly doing an arabesque. She's a natural, can't you tell?


And here's the birthday girl, Ava, blowing out the candles of her ballerina cake! Happy birthday Ava! Thanks for a fun time!

3 months and counting...

Well, Paige and Garrett are three months old now! Officially their "monthly birthday" is on Saturday, but it's much easier to take their pictures and write a post when Molly is at preschool. So here's Paige, Garrett and Molly's 3 month photos! As you can tell, Steve and I make chunky babies!

New Furniture...

Well, we got Molly a new chair. A red beanbag chair to be exact! And she totally loves it. But I must admit that I had an ulterior motive. Childrens portrait photographers often use a beanbag to pose little babies who can't hold their head up or sit upright yet. So when Molly was having "quiet time" in her room (since she doesn't nap anymore), I took the opportunity to take it for a test drive. And I just happen to have two cute little models to try it with!

Life is 50-50

Life around here has been pretty good! Half of our days are absolutely horrible and exhausting, and the other half are completely enjoyable. That's not bad considering two months ago they were ALL completely exhausting. Anyway, Molly has really settled into the reality that she has two siblings and our worlds don't revolve around her alone anymore. This is huge, and she's been so much fun to be around lately. She still has her imaginary friend, Laura, but has also developed imaginary dogs! Their names are Jack and Frank, which just happens to be the names of Auntie Paige and Aunt Suzy's dogs! They sleep in her room and occasionally she brings them out to play.

One of Molly's favorite things to do lately is to get Garrett to smile at her (which is not hard to do considering he is quite a smiley boy). She will sing to him, dance for him, or do whatever it takes. The other day I caught her putting a blanket on him and "tucking him in". Then she nuzzled him and said "You are safe. You are safe. Jesus loves you." How sweet is that? And he obviously adores her because he's more than willing to fawn all over her as seen in the video below.



Molly has been saying a variety of adorable things lately. Yesterday she told me, "Daddy is Molly's best friend." How cute. And when I first see her in the morning she says, "I missed you Mommy!" Love that! She's also pretty much potty trained now! She's wearing big girl underwear now during the day and hasn't had an accident in a week! She's even finally telling me if she needs to use the potty and will run and do it herself! AND in the last few days her nighttime pull-up is dry in the morning and she'll run to the potty when she wakes up! Praise the Lord! I'm so proud of her! And I'm so glad I waited to potty train her fully because it's been a breeze, and I simply didn't have the energy to do it when I was pregnant!

Finally, we completed a big milestone this weekend. We officially converted our guest room into a nursery! We wanted to keep it a guest room when the babies were born so that the visiting Grandmas would have a space of their own. But it was time that Paige and Garrett got their own room and begin the process of learning how to sleep together without waking each other up all the time. Hopefully that learning curve isn't too steep because so far it's been hit or miss.