Wednesday, June 25, 2008

11 days

Left till the party and moving day. Still only have Alexa's room packed. I suppose we should get going but where to start? I know if I pack it I'll end up needing it...that's just the luck I have.

Yesterday was my orientation for my new job. Once we move I'll be going to work part-time as a PSS for Home Care for Maine. Not my degree field but I want to try something more hands-on where what I do really can make a difference in someone's life. Besides...I've gotten all the training I'll need for it right at home!

It was a long day and the first time I've ever been away from the twins that long. I brought along my trusty Medela and made sure to put new batteries into the battery pack. Good thing because I ended up pumping in the car. I made sure to park away from the building so that I'd have a bit more privacy.

When I got home Liz beelined for me with Jake and Alexa not too far behind. I spent the next hour w/ all 3 of them glued to me. Finally we got dinner (thank goodness for cereal!) and babies into bed. Only to have Liz wake up an hour later screaming like someone tried to kill her. After a chat with Elaine we determined she probably just had a bellyache or was just plain mad at me for deserting her all day.

So what did the kids do while I was gone? Chris did his daddy-duty for the day. He says all went well and even braved a trip out to Deering Oaks with all 3. I hate leaving the house with all 3. Maybe it's because I always end up running errands. Yes he survived, they survived, and the house survived. I maybe had some niggling doubts but not many. My biggest concern was their milk intake which was an issue. But at least they drank water and ate plenty of solid foods.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Random Ramblings

I don't really have much insight or wisdom to share this morning. Just wanted to point out that I've had some videos for my public's viewing pleasure. Pictures are great but video really captures the personality.

I've also got a few cute pictures to share.

I call these ones "attack of the J-E-L-L-O"
And some of Liz. She's just so spunky and silly it's hard not to take pictures!

Coach Liz...and yes she can really get the whistle to make noise. Thankfully not as loud as her sister.


The picture doesn't give the full effect of this face. Along with the scrunched nose comes short rapid breathing.
My SIL-to-be gave us this dress for Liz. Everyone who saw her commented on how she looked like a pinup girl or sexpot. I had a hard time getting a really good picture because she was too busy eating cheerios off of the couch.


Guess I'll go work on packing....

Saturday, June 21, 2008

2 weeks

Only 2 weeks left till moving day and the twins birthday party. Yeah I'm crazy and will be having the moving truck here as part of the birthday festivities. It'll tell me who are true friends are - the ones that help you load heavy stuff (haha!).

How's the packing going? A frequent question asked and the only answer is it's going. There isn't a whole lot to pack up that we aren't going to use. Most of Alexa's stuff is packed and her room is still full of toys. I got myself in trouble today because she wanted to listen to her Build a Bear cd and play with chocolate bear who is packed in a box in the garage. Tried to convince her that the black bear was just a dark chocolate bear but she must have seen right through me.

But I am making progress on my to-do lists. I just keep adding more to it so it doesn't look like I'm getting things accomplished.

I still need to finalize the party details - the menu is cake and ice cream. But I've got to figure out what I'm making for a cake. It needs to be dairy free for Jacob's sake. And do I do cupcakes for them to tear into? Guess that means I should add to my list "do not pack highchairs". Decorations will be kept simple and hopefully the weather will be nice for some outdoor time. Clean up will be easy as the house will be nearly empty. I do feel bad that I'm not going as all out as I did for Alexa's first birthday. But I just don't have the time and energy...and maybe, just maybe, I've learned a little something about birthday parties.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

The Brain

No...not my new nickname for myself or anyone else. It's a part of my body that I used to use on a regular basis. It had a quick reaction time and stored a lot of information.

Now it's not so good. I think lack of unbroken sleep over the last year has done it in. What makes me think this?

I spent Saturday morning freaking out tearing the house apart looking for the diaper bag. Chris swore he brought it in and then said I brought it in. Turns out neither of us brought it in. That's because I left it sitting on the curb in the parking lot near Movie Gallery. All I can say is thank you to the man that saw it and took it first to the nail salon and then over to Goodwill. And thank you to the Goodwill folks that locked it up. I got it all intact (was a bit nervous as my wallet was in it...buried under bibs).

My next incident for the day occurred while making Boston Cream Pie for Chris. I thought it'd be a nice Father's Day gesture and it is his favorite dessert. I'll admit I cheated - boxed cake mix, instant pudding, and Betty Crocker frosting. Being the "brain" that I am I poured the entire mix into a 9-inch round pan despite reading the box saying use 2. So I ended up with a ring of cake mix on the bottom of my oven as it overflowed. I rescued it and scooped a bunch out and put it into the muffin pan for cupcakes. The house got a little stinky like burned cake but not too bad. And it still tasted yummy.

Disaster averted we continued our evening. We ended up going to Rhi's for dinner. After Alexa did 2 #2s in her pants we decided to call it a night. Get home and I ask Chris to get me something from the diaper bag. What diaper bag?

Oh yeah. The one I managed to leave behind AGAIN! Thankfully this time it was in someone's house. Chris rescued it this morning.

And remember the oven? Well when you burn the burnt cake remnants a second time your house gets really smoky and stinks. And it will eventually catch fire (the cake remains...your house I guess if you aren't careful). But kids are lucky because they are low to the ground and the smoke goes up.

I need some ice cream and sleep....

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

11 months

Only 2 days late this month...yard sale on the 8th is my excuse!




My first attempt at getting a picture of them both with Gayla the dog. The look on Jake's face is priceless. Obviously getting them to sit still is not always possible.




And pictures wouldn't be complete without one of Alexa. This one is her showing off all her "bling-bling". She sort of reminds me of a flapper but I don't think they wore teddy bears on their dresses...

errr...

I'm finally able to share what's been going on since Chris has finally announced he's not running for re-election.

Back at the end of May Chris voluntarily resigned from his job after an audit discovered some financial mismanagement issues. That has prompted an investigation which we are still waiting to hear anything about.

It's amazing how when you mix politician with money problems something that wouldn't have made news at all (probably) makes top headlines. And how quick it is to forget the good someone has done just because they made some dumb mistakes. That part makes me very angry and I can't really vent it out to too many people.

But there is a silver lining. The loss of his job has made it possible for us to move closer to my family. It's something we've talked about since Alexa was born. We discussed it last fall and Chris had decided not to run for office again. But got talked into it again by the powers that be (not me...the other powers).

It stinks that he has to announce on election day that he's not running. Now everyone thinks it's because of the controversy. But our family and closest friends have known for weeks that we are moving. We'll just have to suck it up and take the bad press, finger pointing, name calling...whatever ends up coming our way.

It's going to be great living near my family. My parents and siblings are very excited. Alexa's new game to play is Lion King 5 - Move from Pride Rock. Her packing skills need a little work though. We will miss being close to Chris's family and our friends...and having a grocery store be 5 minutes away. But we'll be living much cheaper and have a lot of different things to experience. It will be interesting for Chris and Alexa who've always lived in a city (or really big town). Life is going to at a much slower pace!

I've made up a calender to countdown how many days till M-day...26 left. Lots of packing to be done and lists to be made. On top of that I've got a 1st birthday party to plan. Well 2 actually - one down here, one up there.

Jacob's milestones

  • weight/length @ 7: 55.6lbs, 48.75"
  • weight/length @ 5: 42lbs, 43.5"
  • weight/length @ 4: 36 lbs, 39+"
  • weight/length@ 3: 32lbs, 36.5 inches
  • weight/length @ 2 years: 26lbs, 33.5 inches
  • weight/length @ 1 year: 18lbs, 29 inches
  • walking: 11/17/08
  • standing: 3/31/08
  • crawling: army, 2/5/08
  • first time rolling: 9/30/07, belly to back
  • first smile: 9/7/07
  • birth date/time: 7/8/07, 12:49am
  • birth length: 19.5 inches
  • birth weight: 6lbs, 1oz

Elizabeth's milestones

  • weight/length @7: 53lbs, 47.75"
  • weight/length @ 5: 40 lbs, 42.25"
  • weight/length @ 4: 34lbs, 38"
  • weight/length 3 years: 28lbs, 35.5 inches
  • weight/length 2 years: 24lbs, 6oz 33 inches
  • weight/length 1 year: 18lbs, 1oz 27.5 inches
  • walking: 9/1/08
  • standing: 4/4/08
  • crawling: army 3/16/08
  • sitting alone: 2/29/08
  • first time rolling: 11/23/07, back to belly
  • first smile: 9/7/07
  • birth date/time: 7/8/07, 12:50am
  • birth length: 18.75 inches
  • birth weight: 5lbs, 8oz

Alexa's milestones

  • weight/height @ 10 (really 10.8): 186, 5'3"
  • weight/height @ 8.4 years: 113 lbs, 55.5 inches
  • weight/height @ 5 years: 61lbs, 4oz 45.25 inches
  • weight/length @ 4 years: 49lbs, 42 inches
  • weight/length @ 3 years: 38lbs, 38 inches
  • weight/length @ 2 years: 32lbs, 8oz 35.75 inches
  • weight/length @ 1 year: 22lbs, 3 oz 29.5 inches
  • 1st day of preschool: 9/3/08
  • solo somersault: 3/4/08
  • whistling: 3/2/08
  • potty training: 10/7/05
  • walking: 12/21/04
  • standing: 8/23/04
  • crawling: 8/21/04, only a week, then became a butt scoot
  • first wave: 7/27/04
  • rolling: 5/2/04, belly to back
  • sleeping thru the night: 3/1/04
  • first smile: 1/20/04
  • birth date/time: 12/4/03, 10:41pm
  • birth length: 20 inches
  • birth weight: 7lbs