Macy Poppins

Tonight, Macy enlightened us with this beautiful number:

"Super-cali-fragilis-that-is-my-ali-toe-cious."

Then, she spent an hour after dinner doing this:

She's in the linen closet watching home videos - with the door closed. She was quite put out that I had the door open while snapping a few pictures. I like the way that she's made a nice bed for herself with the towels, blankets, and baskets.

I especially appreciate the fact that when it was time to go to bed, she neatly folded each and every blanket and towel that she used and put it back in perfect little stacks on the correct shelf...Yeah right!!!

I love her - mess and all! Nobody makes me laugh like this Little Princess.

The Decade from Hell

Just before Christmas, I was in Barnes and Noble when I saw the cover of Newsweek. It read, "The Decade from Hell." You know how it is at the end of year. You get lists and lists of Best/Worst. The year is pretty much analyzed and compared every which way possible. At the end of a decade, this scrutiny is magnified by about 100. Ever since I've seen that headline, I've been contemplating this first decade of the 21st Century.

I came to the realization that while "the world" (well represented by the editors at "Newsweek") may view the past 10 years as constant economical and social turmoil with mistakes at every turn, the past 10 years have been monumental in my little life.

At 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2000 (when it became readily apparent that the world did not blow up or shut down or whatever Y2K was all about), I kissed my husband of (just over) 5 months. We were young, naive, stupid, broke, and blissfully happy. Our eyes were bright and hopeful and full of dreams for our "future." 10 years later, at 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2010, we kissed again and then went to bed. We are still happy, but much, much more exhausted.

In the past decade, all five of my children have been born. Sometimes, I close my eyes and try to picture each individual hospital room and I try to recall those feelings of the moments that they were born. These four events, alone, have changed my life and my eternity in ways that go beyond words. No matter what happens from this point on, I will always be forever grateful that I have been given the opportunity to be a mother and bring these spirits into this world. The moments of their births are the most sacred, precious experiences of my life.

It just proves that no matter what is going on in the world, I believe that we can "make it" as long as I have Greg by my side and the love of my family. Hell??? If I'm being completely honest, there have been days. But overall, I would have to name it The Decade of Blessings. I am truly blessed. Now, I believe we are entering The Decade of Learning (or The Decade of Teaching - depending on how you look at it) as we try to actually raise these 5 kids that we've been given. (It could also be called The Decade of Patience. To quote my mom when she found out we were having twins: "If this doesn't teach you patience, then you must be a lost cause." So true!!!)

Mystery Package (no pun intended)

Admit it.

You get excited when you go to the mailbox and there is a package addressed to you. How about that thrill that goes up your spine when you open the door to see the UPS guy waving politely as he runs back to his truck only to look down and see happiness wrapped up in brown goodness on your doormat?!?

Well, today, my husband walked in the door after some meetings carrying the weekly grocery store ads, ads for the bazillion President's Day sales, a few bills, a baby shower invitation, a second birthday card from my Grandma (she forgot that she already gave me one three weeks ago), and a brown package.

My eyes passed by all the "regular" stuff, and I said, "What's in the package?"

Greg said, "I don't know. It's addressed to you."

He mused while he found a knife to open it up: "What did you order that you forgot about?"

My mind was racing. This is so exciting! I don't remember ordering anything. Maybe somebody sent me a late birthday present, or maybe I did order something and put it out of my mind. This was nearly as thrilling as finding a $20 bill in your winter coat the first time you wear it in November only to realize that you left it there the past March.

With wild anticipation, Greg turned back the flaps of the box for the big reveal:

Right now, you are probably asking yourself, "Is that what I think it is?"

Allow me: Why yes, that is exactly what you think it is. 72 to be exact (12 packages of 6), along with a lifetime supply of lubricant. The invoice simply stated, "Undercover Condoms."

I have no idea where they came from. (I immediately suspected several mom's from my son's school class trying to send Greg and I a not-so-subtle hint.)

This intensely funny situation turned somber when we realized that they were ordered from my credit card number and will be classified as a "Fraud charge." At least we don't have to pay the $103 for the year's supply of birth control. Too bad my Identity Thief didn't make a purchase on "Incognito Diamonds" or "Confidential Corvettes."

Now I have no credit card.

But I do have a size-able donation to make to Planned Parenthood that should be tax deductible.

What did you receive in the mail today???

My Maternal PhD

It is so interesting being the mother of twins. I feel like I should be taking notes so that I can write a thesis someday. In nine months, here are a few observations:

• As a general rule, Spencer meets developmental milestones (rolls over, sits up, crawls, gets teeth, etc.). Then, about two weeks later, Kade follows.
• Up until 8 months, two babies can sleep in a crib together. At 8 months: 1 day, Spencer starts crawling on top of his brother in the bed. Sometimes on his legs, sometimes on his torso, and sometimes right on top of his head. This entices Kade to scream at the top of his lungs in severe panic in an attempt to save his life from accidental suffocation. Two weeks later, Kade repays the torture by doing the same to Spencer. As a result, two cribs are needed.
• With the cribs in an L-shape in the bedroom, twin brothers will crawl to the corner closest one another and "chat" and reach out to each other during the first few days of their separation. As a result, a mother's heart is broken.
• Both boys have two bottom teeth (that are extremely difficult to photograph).

• Whenever babies have blocked tear ducts, just wait eight months and finally make an appointment with a specialist. Since the soonest appointment is nearly four weeks away, just wait and attempt to work through the mountain of paperwork (honestly...How much medical history can a 9-month-old have??? Well, a lot actually). Then, about four days before the doctor appointment, the eyes will clear up on their own. Miraculous!!!
• These boys are completely oblivious to knawing on the head, getting their hands eaten by another human being, getting toys/snacks yanked from their hands, getting crawled all over (except the head).
• My husband is a Gene Hog! Honestly, just look at those eyes!!!

Spencer at Nine Months:

• Nearly always rejects his binkie. Greatly prefers his thumb (sucks his left thumb).
• Crawls on his hands and knees at a fast pace. Enjoys exploring the hallway, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Has developed a recent curiosity for the stairs (much to his mother's dismay).
• Loves to crawl over obstacles. (I actually saw him giggle and "jump" [while on his hands and knees] the other day when he spied a TV tray that was set up. And last week at church, the bars on the legs of a piano entertained him for about 25 minutes as he crawled back and forth.)

• In the last two days, has learned how to go from crawling to sitting. He likes to show off his new trick.
• Likes to pull himself up on ANYTHING!!! About half the time, he successfully "gets down." The other half of the time generally ends in him yelling to be rescued. (Found him today standing in the crib holding on for dear life and yelling for help - with his pants down.)
• Happy boy, but likes to observe and explore on his own. Rarely fussy, but you have to earn a response out of this one. Generally just smiles contently instead of giggling and grabbing and copying.
• Is extremely ticklish in his legs.
• Adores the bath and likes to splash with his hands.
• Refuses any nourishment that does not come from a bottle (which he happily holds by himself). Speedy eater.

Kade at Nine Months:

• Willingly takes both his binkie and his thumb (sucks his right thumb).
• Can crawl on his hands and knees, but still enjoys a good "Army Crawl" - especially on the wood floor.
• Also enjoys obstacles and is quite resilient. The other day, I observed him crawling over the bottom step of a step stool. As I watched him (high-centered on the step), I wondered how he was going to get out of the situation. After much wiggling, he fell forward, head first, and landed with a bang. I expected tears, but I only saw triumph on his face.
• Happy...Happy...HAPPY child!!! He kicks constantly (this turns into a bounce when he is on my lap). Last night, when I woke him from a deep, deep sleep at 11:30 for his bottle, he could not open his eyes, but he kicked his legs to show his appreciation.
• Dances (aka: kicks) whenever he hears music of any kind.
• So very responsive. He responds to his name (only when I call him), and squeals with delight at the very sight of my face (or Dad's, Macy's, Austin's, or Paige's). Talks and babbles and tries to repeat sounds (not very successfully so far). Giggles with the very pretense of touch. Reaches out every time someone walks by, and immediately grabs my face with a "kiss" and a pat to express his gratitude. Whenever I walk in the room, he tries to blow raspberries with his lips to try to please me.
• Cannot quite figure out how to get down once he's pulled himself up. Generally panics and "calls" for help. Occasionally, he'll try to "fall" gracefully - that technique rarely ends well. Yesterday, I caught him screaming for rescue as he was slowly doing the splits in the bathroom while holding onto the tub for dear life.
• Adores the bath and likes to splash with his feet.
• Refuses any nourishment that does not come from a bottle (which he happily holds by himself, and generally "pats" while eating). Slow eater. By the time Spencer has finished, Kade still has about two-thirds of the bottle left.

I adore them both! I fed one after the other last night (I like to hold them for their late-night feeding). As I was holding the bottle and rubbing the cheek of Number 2 (this time it was Spencer), I just stared at him and marveled at the capacity of the human heart. Although they look like the same person, they are definitely starting to show distinct differences in personality and preference. I love them both so much, and they both bring so much happiness into my day. At times, it is difficult to put them back in their cribs to say "Goodnight." I would rather just hold them and observe them and try to memorize every little inch of those adorable little faces. One day, they will be bigger than me, but they will always be my babies. I simply cannot get enough of them!!!

*Pictures: Last week, Jen called me and asked me to bring the boys over PRONTO because the light was perfect and she needed to get some shots of a blue hat to send to a client (they loved playing with the tassels). This was perfect because I was going to try to take some pictures this week, but now I'm off the hook. She got some adorable images (as always). It definitely comes in handy to have a back-up! :-)

How's Your Day?