Flying by the seat of my pants

I don't know why but I feel like I don't quiet have it together right now.  Usually I have a plan, everything is organized, everything gets done early, and lately I feel like I'm squishing everything in to make it all work out.

For example, we always have the tradition of going to a pumpkin patch.  We seriously have had no time to go this year and we keep saying were going to go and it would never work out.

I kept thinking I'd just buy a bunch of pumpkins at the grocery store for decoration and a couple to carve and I'd always forget.

On Saturday night Chris and I were out on a date and we were doing errands (because we just can't seem to get caught up) and we were at Walmart and I had to run to the car so I told Chris to make sure he bought Pumpkins and we'd grab them outside when we left.  As we were leaving I reminded him to stop and grab the pumpkins and he had forgot to buy them.

On Sunday in desperation we decided that since our pumpkins patch was an honor system that we could buy pumpkins on Sunday at the pumpkin patch (yes, we were justifying).  As we pulled up Jaden said "we can't buy pumpkins, we can only look because it's Sunday."  Taking a deep breath we told him he was right and the boys went into the free maze and looked at the pumpkins they'd come back and purchase today.

Come today, Chris is out of town and I did not want to take all four kids to the pumpkin patch in the wind...especially since the girls just got better. 

Then a miracle...a text message from a friend that asked if I wanted some pumpkins.  I immediately called her and she told me that she had purchased 8 pumpkins and people were tripping over them when they came over (she lives in an apartments)  This friend is a giver and I often feel like I take advantage of this so I told her I'd only take them if I could buy them from her. 

An hour later we had 6 pumpkins (plus we had the two my kids picked from my parents house). 

Out of the 6 I let the boys choose a pumpkin to carve tonight for FHE.

They drew their picture on the pumpkin and I cut.  Jaden first created his pumpkin on the computer and did his best to draw the same thing on his pumpkin.  Landon's was scribbles so I cut on the outside of the scribbles so he has a random hole in his.  They had a lot of fun.

So it all worked out...the boys got to enjoy the pumpkin patch and we got pumpkins today without a complete meltdown of me:)

Fire Safety Awareness

We just started attending a multiples group and for this months activity we all went to Fire Awareness at the first station.  This wasn't an activity for the girls but the boys loved it.

They had a trailer that had a simulated fire and the boys had to get on their hands and knees and find their way out of the smoke.  After two attempts at this Landon still had to be rescued but I give him credit for trying since he's usually a chicken.  They both earned their fire man hats and wore them while they explored all the big trucks.

There are two sets of triplets in the group and it helped me realize that twins really aren't that bad.  Both sets of triplets were two and running in completely different directions....I watched in awe how all the other parents just stepped in when the parents hands were full with two and there was still another one running around.  Their strollers were a little crazy too!

Harvest fun at Grandma and Grandpas

My parents loves to spoil their grandkids and buy them lots of fun things so they always want to visit (not so much fun when Landon asks to go there about 10 times a day). 

This car was one of their recent purchases and the kids had so much fun playing on it when they went to a harvest party at their house.  At one point Matt and I couldn't find Landon or Easton so we went in different directions to find them.  I told Matt "they wouldn't be over there...it's just the hill and they'd never go down it".  Well, that's where they were, at the bottom trying to push the car back to the top with big smiles on their faces.  Landon (he thinks it's his car) ventured down the hill a couple more times only to be in some big trouble!

After some car riding fun and dinner the kids go to pick a pumpkin out of my parents garden.  Since they were too big to carry they had to roll them...that definately warranted a few chuckles!

Angry Birds...

To say Jaden isn't obssessed with Angry Birds would be a lie.  He loves them so much so we knew it was a definate that he was one for Halloween and since I always try to do a theme with my boys Landon got to go along for the ride....something he wasn't too excited about at first. 

Jaden's school halloween carnival was on October 14th and I am amazed at the parent support in making it amazing!  This year they had unlimited punch passes which was much easier.  The boys enjoyed a hot dog dinner, bouncy houses, train rides, and lots of games...they were very disappointed to see them night end (Landon almost fell asleep).

I knew the girls would get a lot of attention but I was SHOCKED at how all the kids went crazy over the boys costumes. I thought that it would actually be a popular costume this year but I only saw 1 other angry bird and it was more of a shirt costume. Girls and Boys both would flip around when they'd see the boys and point, yell "angry birds" and "awesome costume" and "sweet"....ect! Jaden loved the attention and Landon hid behind my leg. 

It was a fun night and a great kick off to halloween!

We are a pEAr (pair)

For Halloween this year the girls are a pear (a pair).  I'd been trying to find the perfect halloween costume...especially since I was so excited to finally have a girl(s).  I looked all over the internet and all the ideas for twins were the same and I wanted to be more original.  Then literally pears popped into my mind and to even make it better...the word pear had both an E and an A for their names.

They first debuted their outfits at Jaden's school halloween carnival.  Anytime I take them out; especially in their side-by-side stroller they are crowd stoppers.  The unfortunate part was the many thought they were "peas in a pod", which was one of the many twin ideas, and I just would smile. 

I thought these outfits were especially fitting because these two little girls adore each other and I'm sure they'll be a pair through out life.  If they are next to each other, they are holding hands. 

Right after we got home from the carnival the girls were sick for a week...they had to do that together too!  Up until that week I felt like that twin thing was ok and not too overwelming but it shattered my reality when they went from waking up once a night to every half hour...they didn't even do that when they were first born.  One evening I was up with Alisha for 2 hours and right when I went and laid her down Eli woke up for two hours.  They still aren't back to the "waking up once a night" but it has improved and slowly my sanity is too!

They have now outgrown sharing a crib and it broke my heart to seperate them but besides the fact they can't hold hands they are much more comfortable.  Eli is loving the extra space and is all over the place.   I think Alisha misses Eli though...she seems to be my one that wakes up.  I love these girls!

Some of our weeks happenings!

Our week has definately been interesting.  We went from temps in the high 60's to a lot of snow.  Jaden and Landon also were out of school on Thursday and Friday so we needed some activities to fill our days.  On Thursday we went swimming on then on Friday Gracie and Easton came over. 

The original plan was all the kids to go outside and play in the snow and they did...for about 10 minutes.  Gracie stayed outside and played forever and made this masterpiece.  I was so proud of her that I told her she could take my camera and take pictures but to also make sure she got some of my boys (since I didn't want to go out in the cold).  She took a lot of pictures (they are hilarious but way to many to post) but none were of my boys...Landon was evening sporting a santa clause hat so that picture would have been fun:):):)

The kids also got paid to kill flys.  Our house is infested since our doors are open ALL the time.  That kept them busy for a while because they wanted the nickel I'd pay them for each one they killed.  60 cents later Gracie then paid Jaden to come outside and play with her...I told Jaden I was very disappointed that she had to pay him to play with her. 

Today the boys built a "Monster Machine" at the build and grow workshop that Lowe's has every other week.  Jaden was very proud and insisted I take a picture.  He LOVES to build there projects and memorizes the upcoming ones and dates to make sure he doesn't miss one.

The girls managed to get themselves in yet another pickle....it's usually Eli's fault.

Landon spent the week chasing our neighbors cat...he's obsessed. I've apologized to my neighbors and told them I wished maybe there cat would give him a little scratch so he'd leave it alone and they told me they saw their cat attack Landon and it didn't faze him.  He is improving so much with his language skills and it's funny to hear the things he'll say.  When all the kids were killing flys Easton was holding a fly swatter and I told him that I saw a fly...pointing at Landon.  Landon then said "there's a fly on my nose" and I said "no, you are the fly." He replied, "no, mommies the fly."  Such silly and simple words but I love hearing and understanding them. 

We went to an army surplus store.  They had a lot of different display items and they boys thought it was really neat.  Jaden kept saying how Landon looked so much better in the picture because he was wearing camo.  We didn't plan that:)

 This picture is through my dirtly windshield on my phone with the sun blaring so the quality is poor but I get a kick out of the kids Jaden's gives rides from school on his bike.  Since the girls are too small for the bike trailer and I'm too nervous to let Jaden go by himself we always follow him in the car.  He usually has a friend on the back and it's a very SLOW drive home. 

 Today Jaden wanted to go to Kmart with his "fly killing quarters" to play the claw machines.  I HATE those things and I will never let him play them because I told him that you NEVER win.  On his third quarter he earned a TINY eraser and put me in my place...he was so excited!  Now I guess I have to let him play them.

 After I bathed the girls tonight I was getting them in their pj's and they were holding hands.  They almost ALWAYS hold hands and I love it.  I was talking to another mother of twins who are 3 months older then the girls and she says they are just now noticing each other.  The girls have been aware of each other from day one and I love that bond!

Ah...too cute!

You are probably bored of my random posts but I have to post this because Chris has been out of town since Saturday visiting his mom in Washington and I know he'd love this.

Landon loves to steal hats.  So I bought him his own hats BUT he doesn't like his hats....only those that are someone elses.  He especially loves Chris's old icky hats and he loves to wear them backwards.

Today I'm wearing a hat.  Landon took it off my head while I was folding laundry.  When I went to pick up Alisha this is what I found....he's so funny!

Oh...the reality

Today I went to the gym....I go to the gym almost every day. 

Have I lost any weight since the twins were born...NO!  Have I eaten any sugar or processed foods for a month...NO!  BUT still I get to hold onto all the baby weight plus what was there before.  I think my little friend the mirena may be partially to blame but were aren't getting rid of her just yet because the consequences could be worse:)

But this post isn't about complaining; it's about the reality that my days don't completely consist of adorable little babies and two handsome perfect little boys. 

Here's the positives of my gyms adventures because I really have a lot of positives.  Today I first dropped Landon, Alisha, and Eli off at the gym daycare.  We are greeted with "it's the twins (they are so NICE!)" and then "wow, we don't know how you do it getting here for the 8:30am class".  Seriously, they make me feel so good.  I hesitated to even get a gym membership because I was a little worried the greeting would be more like "it's the twins" (muttered sarcastically under their breaths). 

Then as I entered my class the cutest (I'm guessing 80 year old) woman came over and asked me if I could look at the zipper on her jacket (probably 10 years old).  The part to pull it had broken off but "it's a perfectly good jacket" she said.  I looked and anazlyed it and told her I could see a tiny hole she might be able to thread something through.  She said "oh my old eyes just couldn't see it".  Then two seconds later she literally folded in half.  She is probably the most limber person I've ever seen.  There are two OLDER ladies that come to this REALLY hard class and they keep up.  I love watching them...they are seriously amazing. 

Like any day at the gym I sweat a ton and get a red face.  Today my face felt very hot and I looked in the mirror and it looked purple.  Needless to say at the end of class the second older lady took one look at me and said "wow, you got a good workout." 

When I was done I headed to pick up my kids and all the daycare ladies (there's like 6 of them) were raving about my children and commenting on the good workout I must have gotten:):):)  Then two seconds later the 1st older lady ran into the daycare to show me she could now see the small hole...she was so excited. 

Yes...this is my reality (sweaty, red faced, makeup-less) but I gotta say that all these people make my day at the gym fun and entertaining and uplifting...who cares about the stubborn weight that won't come off.  And the other exciting this that I can finally now do it the whole stomach workout.  I blamed the twins for my inability for a long time and decided they could no longer be my scape goat....today I did it and it didn't kill me.

5 months

This morning I realized I was late in taking some pictures of them at 5 months so I had a total of 5 minutes to take some before I had to take jaden to school.  Eli always makes a mess of her outfit within 5 minutes either with drool or spit up (today it was a blowout) so I wanted to get them taken first thing.  They really are the cutest little things ever and the pictures do not do them justice.

On Sunday Jaden and I looked through my baby book and Jaden (he's starting to notice appearances and I'm working really hard with him on using kind words to describe people) told me I was a bigger baby:):):)  I think these little girls are taking after me and they look a lot like my baby pictures. 

I just love getting to know them better and knowing their personalities...they are both unique.

Alisha doesn't appear to be nearly as strong or loud as Eli.  At first I thought maybe she just going to be about a month behind Eli on everything but I think that is more her personality.  She's more content to observe and doesn't have a big desire to try new things.  She has a very sweet smile and can get very loud with her babbling but she doesn't do it often.  Her face lights up when you smile at her.

Eli is a loud and determined as they come.  I have a feeling she'll be a very determined little girl and let nothing stop her.  The boys think she's so fun to play with because she responds loudly to them.  She loves to play with paper and she's drooling a ton (Alisha isn't yet so I think Eli may cut teeth first.) 

These girls are going to do amazing things:):):)