minor life changes

sweet dreams

2012-02-29T09:11:00.001-08:00

The past two nights I had every intention of posting a little something on here. {I also had every intention of putting the laundry away...} I will blame my lack of productivity on P-dubs. And here's why. He's the best baby-putter-to-bed I've ever seen. He changes them. He talks to them. Makes them laugh and get all riled up and then miraculously calms them down right into the heavy eyelid phase. He puts them in their bassinets. {Yes. They still sleep next to our bed. Mostly because I am (1) paranoid and (2) lazy. When you're still feeding two babes a few times in the night you don't want to be dragging yourself down the hall to the nursery where you will have to turn on a light, pick up a baby, and THEN feed them. By that time everyone's completely awake. And we will have none of that in this house. I prefer nighttime babies to stay mostly asleep. No matter what.}And leads them off to the Land of Nod via his guitar. Well, apparently, his ghee-tar has some magical effect on this mama as well. The last few nights I've climbed into bed as he's playing the girls to sleep thinking that after they were sleeping I 'd get up and get busy on my to-do list. I've done it before, I swear. But wouldn't you know...the next time I wake up it's the middle of the night and someone needs to be fed. And there I am half-way through the night fully clothed without my teeth brushed or face washed. I've fallen asleep maybe three times in my life without brushing my teeth. And I know one of those was at summer camp. This morning Paul said he might as well just start swaddling me and putting me down with the girls. Ridiculous. Good thing this is a Leap Year and I have a whole extra day to catch up.

the bump

2012-02-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

So...since a few people have asked, I thought I'd clear up any wonderings anyone might have about C's bump. {Or her "bug bite" as our friend's two-year-old calls it. Must have been a reeeeally big bug.} A lot of people are sweet and pretend they don't notice it. {P-dubs and I were at lunch with one of his co-workers last week and Paul mentioned something about her bump and he said, 'Oh, I didn't even notice...' Puh-lease. You're sweet, not blind. That thing is hard NOT to notice.}

The technical term for this bump is infantile haemangioma (hemangioma). Most people just call it a strawberry mark. It's an overgrowth of blood vessels and will eventually fade away. It's most common in Caucasians--particularly females and twins. No one is quite sure the cause of strawberry marks but our pediatrician has assured us that it's nothing to worry about and that it doesn't bother her a bit.

Some people are quite taken back by it...I guess since it grew slowly, I don't really notice it. I notice that girl's wicked long eye lashes and silly, expressive face first. For now, it's a pretty convenient way for people who don't know the girls that well to tell them apart. It's the only way our little nephew knows which baby is which. For all the complications that could have come with a twin pregnancy, I'll take this. She's our little unicorn. {Not a little rhinoceros as P-dubs once called her until I kindly pointed out that it didn't have quite the same connotation as a unicorn. Kind of like when he called me a manatee. He means well. But we'll stick with unicorn.}

one month

2012-02-23T14:49:00.000-08:00

Flashback: 1 month (before I got my new camera lens). These are only 3 months late. I feel ok about it. And I'm sure I'll get more timely.

Lola

5 pounds 12 ounces

19 and 3/8 inches 

Sweet C

7 pounds 5 ounces

21 inches

Were they really ever this little?!?

perfection

2012-02-20T09:46:00.001-08:00

Esther is one of my favorite books of the Bible. {We actually considered naming one of the girls Esther but went with the entirely more logical choice to name them both with boy names. Which isn't confusing at all to anyone. Ever. Especially when we spelled 'Charlie' Charleigh. Apparently, this can be pronounced a number of ways including the most common 'Shar-lay' pronunciation. When the doctor's office calls to remind us about appointments, they don't even attempt it. It's always for 'Logan' and 'a member of your family.' But they mean something, gosh darn it. Which I have also been meaning to write about.}

I just love Esther. For so many reasons--it's amazing to me that the book never actually mentions God but throughout the course of the story His character is revealed in so many ways. I've been doing a Beth Moore study about Esther. {I have a love/not-so-much-love relationship with Beth Moore. Sometimes her studies are exactly what I need and sometimes I think her comparisons of Biblical feasts to her setting out her fine China are a little silly. I doubt those two compare at all but I appreciate her effort to try to relate for us commoners.} Anyways. I haven't been reading this study everyday because I'm also reading about the power of prayer for my husband and going through Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest again. {Love me some Oswald.} So needless to say I don't get to ALL of these everyday and it's taking me a long time to get through it. The latest chapter I read was the part where Esther risked her life by approaching King Xerxes without being summoned. What struck me as I was reading Beth Moore's commentary on this was that Esther (most likely) was as scared as anyone of us would be in that situation. Did she feel perfectly ready to do that? Doubtful. And if she had waited until she felt perfectly ready her people would have suffered some horrible things. And Beth asked the question: " Do we believe that the only way to do something acceptably is to do it perfectly?" I fall into that trap A TON. If I can't do it exactly perfectly (in my mind) then why bother? But God doesn't call us to be perfect. We can't be and He knows that. I wasn't a perfect teacher and I won't be a perfect mother. {Case in point: These girls are clearly not identical and they seemed so different from the second they were born but while we were in the hospital in my oh-so-groggy state I accidentally fed the same baby twice until I suddenly realized I had the wrong baby. Which was hilarious and sad all at the same time.}

I need to let go of my perfectionism because it's really more debilitating than empowering. If people waited until things felt 'perfect' to get married or have babies, I think the human race would have died out long ago. I need to rework my idea of the ideal. I can do my best job without expecting perfection from myself and others in my life. And I can live my best life without the expectation of perfection. Definitely a work in progress.

My new perfection? Two happy, sleepy babies safe and sound in a house that has dishes in the sink and carpets in terrible need of a good vacuuming. Howie should really start earning his keep around here and help a mama out.

our littlest valentines

2012-02-15T19:52:00.000-08:00

And then they fell over...

valentines day

2012-02-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

Last year I wrote about the importance of the day after Valentines Day. And I still think it's more important to show love the 364 other days of the year because you want to than on one day because you're supposed to. Still, I'm an elementary teacher at heart and I love any and all holidays. This was by far the best one I've ever had. No fancy dinner like last year or gobs of candy from students. But I got a heart-shaped Bo-berry biscuit and coffee delivered to me in bed by the most handsome Valentine I could imagine. And, considering this particular Valentine is most decidedly not a morning person, this says a lot. Must be love. Sigh. (And, bonus, he has also given me the two sweetest little Valentines I ever did see...)

We love love around here.

in honor of my valentine

2012-02-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

...A little trip down memory lane. I wrote this for our wedding website about two years ago: the story of how we met. So epic.

P-dubs was the first person I met on my very first night in Charlotte. After a stressful and very hot two day trip down from NH (think breaking down outside of DC, two mattresses and three people in a station wagon…), I arrived at the house in Huntersville to find that the water had not been turned on yet. In an attempt to wash away some memory of the trip, my sister Dionne and I headed over to the other Taylor girls’ Mallard Creek apartment to take advantage of their newly cultivated Southern hospitality (ahem…shower). Upon walking into the apartment, I noticed Paul amongst the crowd of Taylor girls there to celebrate Erica’s birthday with some Coldstone cake. I was a little too captivated with the thought of a warm, cleansing shower to form any thoughts beyond that--but my sister would later say he reminded her of Oprah’s designer, Nate Berkus. (Don’t worry, I had to Google him , too.) After our showers, as we sat there with wet hair and no make up (but feeling a lot better), I DID notice he was wearing khaki shorts and boat shoes. Hmmm…boat shoes…people in NH don’t wear those unless they're actually on a boat. And I must say, that was the best ice cream cake I’ve ever had.

Fast forward a couple months later after fall get-togethers, football games, volley ball tournaments in the park, and a drastic hair cut on my part (another story COMPLETELY)…Paul and I began to hang out more often. Then we saw each other almost every day. Then we were dating but “not really dating.” And somehow at the end of that summer it was official…don’t ask me how or when. And certainly, don’t ask him. My roommates might know… but then again I lost a bet with them about this exact topic and ended up running a half marathon.

Fast forward two years later after nephews born, sisters married, beloved grandparents lost, wonderful new friends made, old friendships strengthened, trips to hither and yon, boy hair cut grown out (praise the Lord), an inordinate amount of sporting events, and umpteen stories about my class (that he so patiently listens to)….and we are convinced that God’s best for us is for us to be together. Forever (or at least 60 or so years). Boat shoes and all.

The Beautiful Mess

Still love him. And his boat shoes. I'll take at least 70 more years. Thank you very much.

moms of multiples

2012-02-10T20:29:00.000-08:00

Today I ventured out of my house sans my two babes to a terrifying place called the Moms of Multiples Consignment Sale. First of all, it's funny to think of my girls as multiples. I mean, I realize there are two of them which makes them 'multiple.' But they are so different sometimes I forget they're twins. Maybe if they were identical I would feel differently. Anyways. These people don't kid around about their sales. Lined up for the new/expectant moms shopping hour, I literally felt like I was about to enter the Hunger Games (see conversation below...maybe I should stop reading those books...)

Or at least a Black Friday shopping experience on steroids. {And I hate Black Friday. It makes me sick to my stomach. I think everyone should boycott it next year. When people are brawling over $2 waffle makers, I think society needs to check itself.} These women don't come with bags. They come with laundry baskets. As I walked into the expo center for the regular shopping hours, I could see other moms sizing each other up. Checking out the competition. I am not nearly competitive enough to be an issue for these moms but I still made it out of there with two bouncy seats, two swings, two baby Bjornes, an exersaucer, a jumparoo, two doorway jumpers, carseat mirrors, a bumbo, a bottle drying rack, and enough clothes to last until they're 1. I think that's pretty good. I'd like to consider myself the Katniss of the consignment sale. And now I'm exhausted.

prophetic?

2012-02-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

7x7 link awards

2012-02-07T13:52:00.001-08:00

My sweet and wonderful friend Erica mentioned my blog in her post about the 7x7 blog award she received so I'm passing along the challenge!

1. thank the person who nominated you

Thank you, Erica! I aspire to be like you when I grow up...with all your cute and quaint craftiness. I don't know if I'll ever get there but here's to trying. Anyone reading this should really check out Erica's blog: The View From Africa. Erica and I went to Taylor together, were el ed majors together, and moved down to Charlotte in the great Taylor Teacher Migration of '06. I didn't know her that well at Taylor but loved getting to know her the first couple of years in Charlotte. And then she moved to Africa to teach--where she subsequently met her Prince Charming. (Go check out that post!) She only had to travel halfway around the globe to find him. Now they live in New York and have an adorable baby boy. I seriously love LOVE their story and love her more. She's just great.

2. share 7 things about yourself

I feel like most people who read this or know me pretty much know everything about me...I'm an open book like that. But maybe someone new is reading?

1. My favorite season by far is fall. I love everything about it. Granted, autumn in the south has taken a bit of getting used to. {This is bound to happen when you come from a state that's the primary destination of countless tour buses chartered just to look at leaves. Which I still think is funny. But now I totally understand and would hop on a bus in a heartbeat to see the foliage I so took for granted growing up.}

2. I am the clumsiest person I know. This is ironic because I was also a ballerina from the age of 3 until I graduated high school. My dance teacher was definitely brave for slapping a pair of pointe shoes on me but it worked out.

3. I love coffee more than almost anything. But not in the truest "I love strong, black coffee and I can tell the difference between roasts and what?!? You're going to dilute the flavor with cream and/or syrup?!?" way. I leave that up to my little brother who is a coffee connoisseur and a bit of a coffee snob, if we're being honest. No, I love coffee that is flavored and creamy and more like a dessert.

4. I have one sister and two brothers. People always thought my family was big. I don't think so. Four kids is not that many. I'm already halfway there.

5. I have an embarrassing affinity for reality tv shows. It's really humiliating but I just can't help it. Not ones like The Jersey Shore, though. You gotta draw the line somewhere, people.

6. I met my husband the very first night I was in Charlotte. Little did we know then how things would turn out.

7. I've been a lot of places in my life including: Russia, Haiti, Bolivia, Germany, France, Spain, England, Switzerland, Ireland, Greece, Italy and I'm sure a few others. I used to be a really interesting person. Now my babies are interesting and that's enough for me.

3. share 7 of your blog posts, in the following categories:

most beautiful: The girls' birth story...it may have been a C-section and nothing like I would have imagined it to be but it was still the most beautiful day of my life.

most helpful: Homemade granola. This one's a keeper.

most popular: The post where I told the world we were pregnant. With twins. I basically shared how I told Paul I was pregnant which was a pretty great story.

most controversial: I'm the least controversial/most non-confrontational person I know. I wasn't always like this. I used to debate and argue all sorts of things...philosophy, religion, rainbows, anything. Now. I don't have time for that. But maybe my post about the goat cheese and beet salad? Some people have really strong feelings about both of those ingredients. My mother being one of them. Or maybe this one about when I split my pants at school. I mean, I do talk about my booty hanging out. Or the one I just wrote about The Hunger Games. People really love 'em or hate 'em.

most surprisingly successful: Our gender reveal party was a big success. This surprised the heck out of me because I'm constantly overbooking, running behind, and forgetting things. But that night was wonderful. Mostly thanks to Dionne and Warner. Who can also be credited for anything that went right at my wedding.

most underrated: Ummm...maybe this one? I don't know...

most pride worthy: SInce I already linked to my post about the girls' births, I guess....this one. Because I'm proud of him. Especially for putting up with me. It can be hard sometimes.

4. nominate seven other bloggers

a piece of the pyles

thenaturalmommy

lemons for larue

mitchells plus one

themiltonsfromatoz

dionnemcleandavis

georgiaaveonmymind

i have a problem

2012-02-03T14:38:00.000-08:00

And it's called The Hunger Games. I promised myself I wasn't going to read them. There was so much hype about them and, to be honest with you, the premise of the books made me a little sick. Children forced to fight to the death!? What a weird and deranged thing to write about.

My problem is that my mother-in-law shared the book with me and with plenty of nursing time to read things on my phone, I got sucked in. And now those few minutes where both girls are napping, I'm reading instead of doing productive things like the dishes or diapers or showering. Charleigh wakes up needing her diaper changed? Sorry, Charleigh. Doesn't she realize that Katniss is about to be engulfed in a huge wall of fire?! Can't this wait? {I promise I put the book down and tended to my child. Promise.}

Hunger Games time. They're excited.

I still haven't decided whether I really like the book or not but I feel like I have to keep reading to find out what happens. I also feel like I should take a self defense class or at the very least learn how to fashion a weapon out of tree bark and cattails. Or learn to use any weapon at all. And brush up on what plants are safe to eat in the wild. {Should have stuck it out in the Girl Scouts. Darn.}

I managed to stay out of the Harry Potter and Twilight craze. (Although both series come highly recommended by some pretty rad people, I just couldn't get into them.) This one got me. Dang it. And now I'm just one of those deranged people reading about a fight to the death set in some strange future world.

And this is what I get. Because I didn't do the dishes while she was asleep, I have to do them with a baby strapped to me. Luckily, neither of us mind. Thank goodness for the Moby.

be still

2012-02-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

Today was a big day. I got to meet these little guys.

These boys are one of the sets of twins I mentioned in this post. They were born right before Christmas at 32 weeks and are now at home weighing in at a hefty 6 pounds or so. Praise the Lord. I left my own little twinsies in the care of their aunt and headed over with baked pasta in hand.

They were SO tiny. Be still my heart. And so floppy and newborn-ish. I know my girls were that little when they were born (and that floppy, too) but I almost can't remember it. And that scares me. How can the months go by so fast but the hours between 5 until P-dubs gets home from work at 8 seem like an eternity? Seeing those sweet babies and hearing their tiny little voices and cries just reminded me again that I need to enjoy EVERY moment. Because it won't last forever.

Tonight when I got home, I held little Lo as she fell fast asleep on my chest. I almost put her down. The dishwasher needed to be unloaded and I'm sure the laundry was ready to be folded. But I stopped myself. She will only be 3 months and 6 days old today. And she will only need me like this for a little while longer. Someday, all too soon, she will be too busy to want to fall asleep on her mom. So I held her and enjoyed the stillness of the moment.

(This is actually Sweet C but I feel the world should be blessed by these eyelashes too.)

And, you know, the dishwasher still needs to be unloaded and I'm gonna have to run the dryer again to fluff out the wrinkles from letting the clothes sit there so long but I don't regret it a bit. I'm so excited for Amy and the changes that are in store for her boys in the next few months. But I'm glad she's truly cherishing her moments with them now. Everyone always says it but it's true: They grow up too fast.

My 'big' girls.

yes, please

2012-01-30T19:54:00.000-08:00

My only accomplishment for the day (besides doing 4 loads of laundry and keeping the girls dressed in spit-up free clothes) was sorting through 3 years worth of pictures on various memory cards. I procrastinated long enough that every single one in the house was completely full. And, well, we have babies now and it's really important that we document every smile, every sad face, every new trick...every everything. They just change so darn fast. While going through the cards I found this little golden nugget.

Only in New England and only truly appreciated by a New Englander. Just look at that ginormous, humongous cup of goodness. I wish it were real. I could climb in that thing and take a nap. Or get my caffeine supply for about three years. Either one sounds amazing right now.

things i've loved about this week

2012-01-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

sleep:
These girls are sleeping like champs. Last night they did 6 hours and then 4. I can handle that. Only, after the four a.m. feeding I couldn't fall back asleep. My body was like 'Whoa. I feel like a million bucks. Let's get up and get things done.' Apparently, it has forgotten what it's like to get more than 3 hours of sleep at a time.

coffee dates:
Warner had a work day and a hair appointment. I love when she has hair appointments because it means she'll be up my way. And because she had a work day she got out of school early. Hours at Starbucks on a rainy day with your best friend and baby girls? Yes, please.

friends in general

friends who bring scrumptious food in particular:
A wonderful friend brought by dinner for our little family and it was just so great. Great to see her, great to eat her delicious food. She also brought her handsome baby boy. And he was wearing tiny, little baby TOMS. I die. Which leads me to...

baby TOMS:
I meant to get a picture of Adler with the girls but he is a mover and shaker and also I completely forgot. His little TOMS were so stinking cute. The girls saw his TOMS and now they want some, too. Plus, they would like to match their dad. Interestingly enough, TOMS (at the ripe old age of 7 months) also double as teethers. I think it's worth the investment.

Regis & Kelly:
Well, I guess it's just Kelly right now. {Miss Regis a lot.} I used to LOVE teacher workdays (which, by the way, I considered a 'day off' ha!) because while I was working in my room I would have Regis and Kelly on in the background. Now I can have it on everyday in the background. Today, Kelly was talking about how she spends too much on coffee mostly because, while she could brew her own at home, she loves the 'pageantry' of it all...the cup with the sleeve and everything. I feel like we would be friends because that's exactly how I feel. Life's just grand with a Starbucks cup in your hand.

quiet moments:
The girls don't really nap on the same schedule yet. I kind of like this because I get alone time with each of them. But it leaves me with almost zero time for anything else. When they are somehow miraculously overlapping in their sleep, I get to have a few moments to think, read, and pray. Fuel for the rest of the day.

two babes and one hunk:
Seriously. Couldn't love them more.

Oh, and Howard. Of course.

beet and goat cheese salad

2012-01-25T13:57:00.000-08:00

What I Ate Wednesday
So after I wrote about the oats that changed my life last week, I promptly ate half a jar of Nutella. So much for getting back on the healthy eating bandwagon. Nutella is just so good. And I'm a firm believer it goes with pretty much anything (which is why it's so dangerous). But the next day I went to my sister-in-law's for lunch and she spoiled me with some homemade chicken orzo soup and an arugula-beet-goat cheese salad. And I thought those oats changed my life. This salad was amazing. I've never liked beets but, paired with the goat cheese, arugula, and the dressing she made, they were scrumptious. I highly recommend anyone needing a salad makeover try this.

The original recipe is from Giada. I love her. I would like to be her when I grow up. And to make this salad even better...my sister-in-law put chia seeds {!} in the dressing because she's healthy like that. {She's also wonderful and sent me home with my own little bit of chia seeds to try. I'm definitely going to try the banana oats with the chia seeds and see if there's a difference.}

Miriam's not only healthy but fancy, too.

In other food related news, my sister has started eating gluten free. She's had some random health issues over the last few years and I've definitely noticed a difference in her skin when she's eating g-free. {At one point, she was convinced she was allergic to the sun. And grass.} You can read about her journey here. When she came over for a breakfast date and to watch some recorded highly educational and edifying television shows that may or may not involve certain leanings toward reality TV, I tried my hand at making gluten free waffles. Despite having a more sponge-y consistency than regular waffles, these suckers were really good and really flavorful. Thank goodness for almond flour.Try 'em out. You won't regret it.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/almond-flour-waffles/detail.aspx

And that jar of Nutella is long gone making it safe for me to jump back on the healthy eating wagon.

motherhood by the numbers

2012-01-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

2: babies

2: parents. Thank goodness. Two babes, two parents. Two babes, two hands. This is doable. I don't know how parents of triplets do it. I don't know anyone with three hands. Or three parents under the same roof. (Unless you count Sister Wives. But I don't really know know them.) If I had triplets, my sister would just have to move in permanently. Sorry, Gabey-baby.

24ish: number of diaper changes in a day...give or take.

5: the average number of times I heat up my {decaf} coffee before sipping on it cold or giving up on it entirely.

8: average number of times I nurse each baby in a 24 hour period. That means 16 total. Yikes.

3 and 1/2: hours Sweet C sleeps at a time each night. Actually, last night both girls slept for 6 and 1/2 hours before waking up for their first nighttime feeding. But I didn't want to mention it for fear of jinxing it.

8: D batteries we have used to keep the baby whisperer {swing} functioning. Batteries running out=catastrophe. We really need to get rechargeable batteries. They make those, right?

12ish: loads of laundry a week. Does that seem like a lot? Now that I think about it, that seems like a lot...

1: times I've gone to the mall by myself with the girls. I've been plenty of places with the girls and P-dubs or the girls and my sister-but last week was the first time I busted out the double stroller all by myself. {Which is kind of tricky...do I leave the car running while I set up the stroller so they don't get cold? BUT WHAT IF SOMEONE JUMPS IN THE CAR AND DRIVES OFF WITH BOTH OF THEM (obviously running over me in the process)?? And then, when I roll on over to one side of the car to get Baby A, do I lock the doors so no one can grab Baby B? This is only tricky because my key fob doesn't work right now and the car only locks from the driver's side because the passenger side door wasn't fixed correctly after it was broken into in NYC last year. So dramatic, right? But my mind literally goes through all these scenarios.} Anyways. The ladies in line behind me at Bed, Bath, and Beyond were very impressed. One was there with her mom and baby. And the lady behind them told us that she still hadn't gone anywhere alone with her 5 month old. Now, to me, that is just silly. And, if I were her, I probably wouldn't have admitted that. But to each their own. I just know I would go crazy if I didn't feel like I could go anywhere.

9: days before Christmas our Christmas tree was up.

29: days after Christmas our Christmas tree has been up. This is embarrassing. The first few weeks we insisted it was still up because we were gonna get our money's worth out of it. Now we have no excuse. But please don't judge.

2: people close to me that have had dreams I was already pregnant. Again. Funny. But not that funny.

32 million: times I put Sweet C's pacifier in during the night. The day that girl learns how to put her own pacifier back in will be AH=mazing.

3: pairs of yoga pants I own.

7: number of yoga pants I WISH I owned. One for each day of the week. Is that bad?

11: meals I've made since having these girls. But three of those were all last week. So I'm getting better. {And if you count all the 'meals' I make for the girls it's actually a lot. See above.} Maybe I'll cook five times this week. Maybe.

0: things I would change about my life since October 26th. {Except maybe hiring a person to do the dishes and laundry. A girl can dream. }

moose hats?!!

2012-01-20T10:50:00.000-08:00

Nothing makes your Friday better than getting surprise moose hats in the mail. {Never would have imagined that would make my Friday. Just goes to show ya what my life is like now. LUH-ove it.}

Thanks, Eva. We love you and think you should come visit soon!!

banana oats

2012-01-18T12:52:00.000-08:00

What I Ate Wednesday...
(really, what I ate on Monday)

I see a lot of people on blogs that do "What I Wore Wednesdays" but, believe me, you don't want to be privy to what I'm wearing. Pajamas just aren't that much to talk about. I have been making a better effort in the food department, though. The holidays hit me hard and I just wanted to eat gingerbread cookies everyday for the rest of my life. Sugar is so sneaky. The more you eat it, the more you want it. BUT I'm now responsible for sustaining two little babies (whoa responsibility) and, sadly, I think gingerbread is lacking a few vital nutrients. So I give you...whipped banana oats. These things are amazing. They take oatmeal to a whole other level.

{Disclaimer: P-dubs does not think so. You may not either...} I love them. I got the original recipe from Kath Eats Real Food and modified it a little bit.{As if modifying oatmeal is difficult. Ha.} But definitely go visit her 'tribute to oatmeal.' That girl has a hundred ways to eat it.

Whipped Banana Oats

1/3 c. oats
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. water
1 tbs. flax
1 small banana

In a saucepan, stir together the oats, milk, water, and flax seeds over medium heat. Thinly slice the banana into the mixture. When it starts bubbling, stir vigorously to whip the banana into the oats. Top with whatever wholesome deliciousness you fancy. I topped mine with almond butter, almonds, and chocolate chips. Do the chocolate chips cancel out the health factor of this meal? It's just SO good.

On the KERF blog, she uses chia seeds which I've never bought in my life. I keep seeing those little suckers included in all sorts of recipes though. In fact, I never had wheat germ or flaxseed in my house either until my sweet college roommate read about this amazing homemade granola and sent me a box chock full of healthy goodies. All the way from New Mexico. Love her.

And guess who is 12 weeks old today?!

This little face.

And this one, too.

Happy Wednesday!

words to live by

2012-01-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

Some quotes I've been a-pondering today: {Not sure where I read them or who said them. They may, in fact, all be Facebook statuses I read at one point or another. (Which might make my life seem a little sad. But I promise I read other things like books, too.)I deemed them worthy to be written in my journal...and I think they are wise.}

There are no more good or bad days-just days of grace.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

There's a difference between excellence and perfection.

So contemplative...rockin' my mom cut.

things i've learned since having twins

2012-01-12T21:02:00.000-08:00

We've learned a lot in this household in the past two months. Two babies will do that to you. I've learned a lot about P-dubs. And I'm sure he's learned a heck of a lot more about me than he could ever possibly wish to know. But all's fair in love, war, and nursing {which can sometimes feel like war}. We've learned how two babies can be so different. And Howard, poor Howard, has learned to share the love and be VERY patient when he needs to go out. {Thank you, Howie.}

Some other things we've learned...

1. Don't press your luck. If you have time to take a shower, don't press your luck and try to shave too. Come on now. And if you've been walking a fussy baby around the house during the dreaded and so aptly named 'witching hour' and you THINK she's asleep/calm enough to be put down--don't do it. Just don't. Don't put her down. Don't even SIT down. KEEP WALKING.

2. Teaching is way more exhausting than caring for twins. Some people might not agree with me. But it's been my experience that being a 24/7 mom, milk-bar, and entertainer is not nearly as exhausting or draining as teaching was. And that's all on very little sleep. {If sweet C would just learn to sleep like her sister that factor would be eliminated entirely.} Seriously, when I was teaching I would fall asleep EVERYWHERE. In the car (anytime P-dubs drove me anywhere). At the movies. On my sister-in-law's couch every time we went there. It was a little ridiculous. But I think this says a lot about teachers and the work they do.

3. We're special but not THAT special. Twins are definitely special and a little rare. But not that rare. Just last weekend while we were shopping at BJ's we saw three other sets of twins around the same age as the girls. Every where we go I hear, 'Oh, my daughter is pregnant with twins. What kind of stroller is that?' or 'I'm a twin!' or 'We have 11 week old twins. We hate our stroller. Where'd you get yours?' or 'My mom's third cousin twice removed had nieces that were twins.' Twins are way more common than you think. Or maybe I just notice them more now that we have them? Also, twin mommas are always asking about our stroller. It's pretty amazing. I could write a whole post about it. Maybe I will.

4. It's so easy to be just me. When we were traveling back from the holidays in NH, I watched a twenty-something girl going through security and heading to her gate . She was all sorts of frazzled. I wanted to go up to her and take her frantic little hands and say,'Honey, it's so easy to be just you. Just relax. You have yourself, your computer bag, and your carry-on. Your shoes are already back on. You are JUST fine.' Try having a baby strapped to you {and one to your husband}, a diaper bag on your back, pumped breast milk to get screened, a carry on, and your husband's gift box of Hickory Farms summer sausage and cheese because it wouldn't fit anywhere else. Then you can be frantic. And even then, it's really not that bad.

5. Sometimes, when almost everything else is in the wash, your babies will wear Christmas pajamas in the middle of January. And that's ok.

These pictures were taken today...as opposed to the one above that was actually taken at CHRISTMAStime.

a true story

2012-01-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

I wrote today over at Naptime Diaries while Jessi (who is one of the most bombdotcom people I know) is away. Check it out for a genuine heart to heart story about how these sweet little girls came to be and the struggle I've had since then.

i'm gonna miss this

2012-01-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

On Friday, I packed up my precious little gummy bears and took them to school. It only took us practically the whole day to make sure we were all dressed in real clothes. I went in to tell my principal that I wouldn't be returning at the end of my maternity leave. {Did I mention it took almost all day to get us out of the house?} This is honestly bittersweet for me. I love teaching. I LOVE my kids. Yes, the nature of public education these days has worn on me just like every other teacher I know...but I know I will miss it. There are definitely some things I won't miss, too. Like not being able to use the bathroom when I need to or scarfing my lunch down so fast I don't taste it. {Wait a second...my days are still like that.} Top three things I will miss?

1. Being a rock star. Ask any teacher. Walking through the lunchroom is like being the most famous celebrity on the red carpet. {Kind of. Ok, not really.} Kids calling out your name left and right...waving to get your attention. It helps if you teach a younger grade because then you have previously-taught students sprinkled throughout the older grades that just MISS you and get so excited at a mere glimpse if you. By the time they reach 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade they have conveniently forgotten how 'mean' you were when you made them behave and forced them to work their little booties off.

2. Twenty-two good morning hugs and 22 good-bye hugs (with a few in between).

3. The things they say. Like this. And this. And stories like this. And this. I found this little gem on my phone.

'The badger is a very dangerous animal cause...'

Did you get all that? Good. That's a pretty good report for a second grader. And a pretty good story, too.

I will miss this. And to be honest, it's scary going from two incomes to one. These next few years will be a lesson in trust every single day. But we're up for it because we serve a God who already has a plan for this little family.

Also a lesson: Badgers will eat you alive. Be careful out there.