Happy 2nd Birthday Cog & Poodie!

This morning the kids were still recovering from the trip to the aquarium and were a little overwhelmed and cranky from the moment they woke up. Neither of them were interested in opening up their presents once they saw Wyatt's train. There was also a full on battle over the Lightening McQueen blanket.

We took them to Island Spishyak* even though they really weren't too anxious to leave the house. Once they were there though, they had a blast and ran around until they were rosey cheeked and out of breath. I was so impressed with Wyatt when he repeatedly climbed the two-story inflatable all by himself. He was a bit of a bottleneck when there were a bunch of big kids around, but he was a tough little man and was pretty much determined to keep up with them. He's such a little bruiser. I was so proud!

We came home and Wyatt crashed. Callie had plans of her own though. One day before her first birthday, she learned to walk. One hour before her second birthday, she climbed out of her crib.

We are so screwed.

Girlfriend also refused to take a nap today and when we didn't listen to her, she would heave her body over the side of the crib and get out. I guess we'll have to face that issue tomorrow. I'm not prepared for her to have a big girl bed yet! I didn't think this day would come so soon! (What's new, right?!)

This afternoon my mom and dad came over for pizza and cake. The kids were such pills by then that they wouldn't even blow out their candles so Brent and I did it for them. Tomorrow, I doubt we will even get out of our pjs!

By the way, how cute is this?! (Miss Frances Grant Feat. Bizzle!)...



*Spishyak - noun. Public-community-kiddie-viral-ridden-grime that when touched, results in immediate sickness.

Happy Birthday Eve!

Today we went to the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston and just wallowed in spending some time with our babies. We happened to drive by the children's wing of MUSC and it was overwhelmingly nostalgic to be there almost exactly two years later, knowing now that everything worked out okay. I couldn't ask for a more perfect, healthy, and happy little boy. He sure gave us a scare!



The kids were great and really enjoyed the fish. Some of the exhibits were dark which really frightened Callie, but as long as I held her in the creepy darkness, she was good to go. They were also even willing to touch some stingrays and sea urchins. Afterwards, we took them to a restaurant on the water so they could watch the boats while we ate. They really behaved perfectly. Both babes crashed hard as soon as we started to drive home. It was our last day with our one year olds and I couldn't be more choked up about it. They have blessed every single cell in my body with divine love and happiness and I'm so lucky to be their mom!

Happy Birthday my beautiful, beautiful babies!

T-minus 2 days!

My babies are almost 2! It's my last few days of being a mommy to a pair of one year olds and it's been awfully traumatic to say the least! I can't believe how fast it has gone and while I'm enjoying every minute of seeing them grow up into their own people, I miss my teeny tinys so much too! They got their first birthday presents in the mail yesterday and they were so excited! They are some precious and greedy little present-opening fools!

On the flip side of losing my babies, I figure if they have to turn two then we might as well embrace it and push them to dump the diapers. I'm over it. They are over it. Callie tells me everyday that she's done with them and wants to take them off. However, she still turns her nose up at the potty. I've tried bribing with candy and toys, and even forfeited my own privacy hoping that the whole 'monkey see, monkey do' thing would come true. But, miss thang stands strong and will not budge on the issue!

Too bad it's not the summer or she'd be going through potty-training boot camp in the backyard in some big girl underwear. You can bet that's what we'll be doing as soon as it warms up. I know she can do it but I can't deal with the idea of pee on my couches or carpets right now. I'm not that desperate... yet.

My monkey dude on the other hand, has had several recent victories! He's much easier to bribe and also more than willing to sit on the potty for quite awhile as long as I keep him occupied with letting him inspect every pill bottle and bandaid box in the medicine cabinet. We are still rewarding their successes with Chick-Fil-A mints and I really think he is starting to warm up to the whole potty training idea. He might actually cross the finish line first! That would be awesome!

My sweet babies watching a movie together this morning. Callie is also very insistent that one bow in her hair just isn't enough these days! It's all about the accessories!

I love how you can actually see how long her hair is in this picture. By the time it's finally a cute length, her hair is going to be down to her butt when it's wet!

Helping daddy eat his breakfast this morning.

Random pics

Playing in a "boat".


Wyatt playing peek-a-boo.

Callie asked me to take her picture with her bunny, Foo Foo...

...so Wyatt had to do the same with his Hippo.

Callie coloring different pictures of on my grocery list. She wore her jacket almost all day because she thinks it's "cucke" (cute).

Snow Day!

When you live at the beach, the summers are great and I wouldn't trade it for the world. However, the winters aren't as fun. It's way too cold to go to the beach, and way to warm for it to ever snow. I miss the snow. It's been way too long since I've seen real snow and I have been itching for the kids to be able to enjoy it also.

But, we got lucky because they had a snow day on the island today and even though it was artificial, it was great to be able to see how happy the kids were to play in it. They were both so scared at first because the snow machines were pretty loud. Wyatt quickly warmed up to playing in it and Callie was much more reserved and had to watch for a long time before she was ready to venture away from us. They had fun blow up stuff too that Wyatt absolutely loved and Callie refused.

They enjoyed playing in the snow so much that we ended up standing in line a couple times so they could play in it longer. It was more like a big slushy than snow, but it was very cool anyway. Here are a ton of pictures from their fun:

So, THAT'S the difference!

Earlier in the week, I got an email from a friend of mine asking if the kids have figured out the difference between boys and girls. I laughed, told her 'no, not my kids... not yet', and sighed relief as I laughed about her struggles with the issue.

Of course, as quick as it came out of my mouth, the kids proved me wrong. Wyatt has always known about his extra appendage. Even in the womb. He also likes to make sure it's still attached whenever he is sans diaper. But during bath time last night, Callie looked at Wyatt's crotch intently for the first time and declared that Wyatt had gotten a "boo boo". Brent and I looked at each other nervously for a second and kind of shrugged it off hoping they would move onto another topic.

However, they weren't interested in moving onto another topic.

Instead, Wyatt's "boo boo" quickly became a source of hilarious entertainment for the two of them at which point we had to jump in and teach them what it was really called, that it was for going pee pee on the potty, and to keep their hands to themselves.

(Insert my nervous, whimpery laugh here.)

Wow. Gag me. Not looking forward to the sex talk. Not. At. All.

Just to make you smile...

I couldn't help but smile when I saw this little baby lemur orphan is clinging to his stuffed adoptive momma. I want him. He melts me into a little puddle with all his freaking cuteness! Oh my goodness!

Silly twinks!

Just a few pics...

Giving the dogs hugs and kisses through the window.

Flowers from the kids. So cute!

Luuk at da litta buddy.

A fun visit with Ape!

Dinglicious.

Wyatt ate a dingleberry this morning! I guess the kitty left it behind in the family room and he mistook it for a raisin or something. Hahaha!!!! Unfortunately, I didn't get to see any of it happen because I was in the shower, but Brent busted into the bathroom and brushed the living crap out of Wyatt's teeth as he was telling me about it. The kid tried to eat it, but apparently didn't like the flavor too much and starting gagging hard enough to almost puke.

This weekend was stressful because it felt like the break of the holidays is officially over and the weight of all the job/house stuff creeped right back up onto my shoulders. My mom was nice enough to take care of the kids Sunday so we could get some things done, but I had such a horrible migraine that the best I could do was over-medicate myself and nibble on dry toast. Boo. I did manage to get some really cute curtains hung in our bedroom though.

Callie had a tough time this weekend too. She's normally the baby that I love to take shopping with me because she's just happy and never cries or complains. But we ended up having to leave two different stores on two different occasions because she wanted to, "GO HOME! GO HOME! GO HOME!" The kid was literally screaming at the top of her lungs and I was so embarrassed that I could feel my heartbeat pulsing in my face. I was beet red and the nasty stares people were giving me just made me feel worse. By the way, the little diva is calling me, "HEATHER!" now. It's lovely.

Okay, I need to post a recipe. It's been on my to do list so I can use it again next year. Out of all the cooking I did over the holidays, there was only one that was worth making again. It was really a copycat recipe for Boston Market's creamed spinach that I used for collard greens instead on new years. It will definitely be our traditional collard green recipe from now on. It's super fatty but totally worth it.

Boston Market Creamed Spinach (or Collard Greens)
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (a tad less)
1 cup half and half cream (or milk)
4 oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp. minced onion
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 (10 oz.) boxes frozen chopped spinach - thawed
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Directions:
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Saute garlic and onions until clear. Stir flour and into pan until creamed together making a roux. Slowly stir in cream, then stir in cream cheese; increase heat to medium. Constantly whisk until mixture becomes thick and smooth. Add remaining ingredients (including the water) and reduce heat to low and stir until completely blended. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until Parmesan is fully melted.

Just a cute video of my Monktey.

My two favorites

One of my favorite moments of the entire day is when I give Wyatt a hug and whisper this funky little sound in his ear. The sound is difficult to describe, but it kind of sounds like a very quiet continuous pig snort. Haha! Sick. I don't know how it started or why, but we've been doing it for months and every time I start doing it, he pulls his face away from me and smiles SO big. Then, he leans in again and positions his ear perfectly with my nose and mouth to get me to do it some more. He's so gentle and sweet in those moments that I probably end up hugging him longer than he wants me to.

One of my favorite things about Callie right now is the way she tries to communicate with me. She knows so many words but it's really more like a dialect of English than textbook English. I'm pretty on top of it, but sometimes I get confused about her words or I will forget what certain words mean. Anyway, whenever she is trying to tell me something and I don't completely understand her, she will start acting it out like Pictionary to help me understand her better. She helps me by making hand gestures and motions when I'm stuck trying to understand her. It's so adorable and she is always very calm and patient with me. She continually overwhelms me with her inner beauty.

(Just now, as i looked down at the kids, they were giving each other a hug. My babies.)

"I don't know if we are at the beginning of it, or in the midst of it, but if this isn't a phase, I'm moving out!" - Brent

Over the last few weeks, the twinados have definitely pumped it up to a category 6 and come at us hard with their terrible twos! Normally, I can handle it when they fight over a toy, or jump on the couch, or touch something they aren't supposed to, but wow... I'm at a complete loss when they say, "NO!" after you ask them to do something. It burns my patience faster than anything else.

Kid, I'm sorry that you are confused, but you don't get an option.

Wyatt has always been such a boy and loves running, jumping, climbing, throwing, and kicking. Unfortunately for him, because he can get hurt with all that physical stuff, he spends a fair share of his time in time-out. Lately, since he's a lot less inclined to listen to us (if at all), I feel like the kid is more than willing to spend his entire life in time-out. Punishment doesn't phase him because as soon as he gets out, he's right back at it. It's hard because I hate doing it, but I've also learned that if you turn a blind-eye, it gets worse. I just wonder if we are doing the right things and I've already found myself searching for toddler manuals.

How are these very little people already mentally overpowering us? How is it possible that a two year old is so hard to understand? How do you properly deal with the 'tude?

Callie has always been more interested in emotional and girlie things like characters on tv, coloring, princesses, clothes, dancing, and puzzles. She rarely sits in time-out because she usually listens to us and only one or two warnings for her is sufficient enough. However, she has also been spending more time in time-out for ignoring us or throwing tantrums. Fortunately, I think that she is trying to express her independence more in the direction of what outfits she wants to wear and how she wants to accessorize her look with purses, bows, painted toenails, jackets and shoes.

On new years eve, I put on a dressier shirt since we were having company over. When I walked out of the bedroom, Callie hurried over and stared at me, probably digesting the fact that I wasn't wearing sweatpants. Finally, she stepped back and said, "Shirt, cute!"

It got me giddy I tell you!

And while all of this tantrum throwing is horribly difficult to maintain a calm and clear head through, I am also enjoying watching them become their own people more and more everyday! Wyatt is developing such a funny and unusual sense of humor that I sometimes feel like I'm looking into a mirror! He's wacky to the bone and can get Brent and me rolling on the floor in laughter with his oddities! He is a true character! Callie is becoming such a little girl and I am enjoying having a new girlfriend to hang out with and take shopping.

I'm sure that I will have plenty of days throughout this phase where Brent comes home to find me huddled in the corner in a fetal position and sucking my thumb, but I also realize that I'm so incredibly lucky to be able to watch such unbelievable beauty as they discover who they are.

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone has a happy new year and that it's full of prosperity, health, and happiness! 2009 should bring on many changes for us, hopefully for the better and it's my new year's resolution to try to stay positive and have fun while we go through the transformation. Who knows were we will be bringing in 2010 but I'm am ridiculously excited to find out! Both of us know that all these changes are happening for a reason and hopefully we are onto bigger and better!

Last night was reminiscent of the New Years Eve I spent on bed rest. We did have some friends over earlier in the evening for hamburgers and fireworks, but since we are all old and leathery and the kids are all still little, there was no way anyone was going to be able to hang in there until midnight. I fought tooth and nail to stay up while Brent snored away. I was lucky to be able to wake him up at 11:59 to give him a quick peck but he was zonked out again by 12:01. We are geriatric.

The kids had so much fun playing with their little friend and Brent was totally giddy last night! It's funny because men are so much like little boys in a candy store when it comes to fireworks and blowing stuff up! Catherine and I hid behind the sliding glass door when Dan and Brent started tying mortars together to get bigger explosions. They were laughing like little girls! It was cute. Too bad we haven't had rain in forever so all the falling embers kept setting our grass on fire. The guys loved it of course! The babes tried to cope with watching the fireworks and stayed strong through three of them but then freaked out and had to go inside. They were shaking like little leaves! Poor things.

Anyway, we had a great time. Today we're going to make our traditional New Years dinner and hope that it brings us tons of luck! We love you all and wish you the best for 2009! Happy New Years!